A Hello from Juan

I got off a combi at the bus stop in my site this evening about 7:30. It was just on the cusp of darkness so I grabbed my things to quickly make my way home when I heard my name being called. "Carolina! Carolina!" I turned and saw one of the students from the special education school where I work excitedly waving from the front seat of another combi waiting to take him home to the neighboring caserio of Chiquitoy. Juan is 23 years old and the "cool guy on campus" to a lot of his fellow students. He has lots of "swag" and has a girlfriend at the school. 

The Dehydration Conundrum

Unfortunately, dehydration seems to just be a staple in my life in Peru. Between the heat, walking and traveling, and scarcity of water, especially clean drinking water, I feel at least a little dehydrated most days. 

However, between boiling water, a Camelbak water purifier I brought with me, and bottled water in stores, it is not impossible to have access to enough drinking water. The real complication is then access to bathrooms. Bathrooms for public use or even client use are scarce in rural communities if they exist at all. And if they do exist, they may be in really poor, disgusting shape. This means I need to be able to not go to the bathroom unless I am at home. Long traveling and bus rides of 3-4 hours could also happen without access to a bathroom. So if I were to drink the water my body wants, I would need to have bathroom access. This leaves me, almost even purposefully, dehydrated most of the time. And it certainly increases my adoration for water. And bathrooms. Especially clean bathrooms. 

Visit in Ucupe

Last night I spent the night with my old host family in Ucupe. This is the 3rd time I have visited since moving in late January. 

The excitement of the street was a turkey that managed to climb up to the roofs of the houses. He was hanging out above my host family's back patio. Harry, a young neighbor, climbed up to chase the turkey down. Always an exciting adventure in the campo!  

The culprit

 Then, as usual, my 6-year-old niece Dayana asked to sleep with me. So after brushing teeth, we went to crawl in bed. Though the summer is ending, the heat has not let up too much yet and even with an open window, there was no breeze or air movement. When she sleeps, Dayana just emits heat. She always had. So I was too hot to sleep and Dayana was taking up a big portion of the bed. At 1:30am I thought about carrying here back to the other room where everyone else sleeps. Then I realized I was sleeping the way they do every night, only I just had a 6 year old. My host mom and an adult neighbor sleep in a twin bed together. My aunt and my 8 year old niece sleep in a twin bed together. And Dayana sleeps in a bed with her mother. So why was I complaining?? I rolled over, made a pillow out of a sweatshirt, and Dayana and I slept through the night. 

Dayana and me the next morning

Honking: The Background Noise of Peru

In any given major city in Peru, there is a continuous background noise 24 hours a day of honking.  There also isn't a law on types of horns so people can install any kind of loud, musical, deafening, or any kind of horn they so please. This leaves us with train horns and jack-in-the-boxes cruising through town sharing their personal sound for all to hear.  I used to wonder why cars seemed to be continually honking but I have now developed a scientifically proven (okay, it's really just me being amused by myself) explanation of the honking.  

There are 4 meanings behind the incessant honking. 

1. The "I'm Driving Honk". This honk is saying, "Weeeeee! Look at me, I'm driving! Yep, that's right! I'm behind the wheel and am driving. Whooo hoooo!" I think of this honk like Maxwell the pig from the Geiko commercials. 

2. The Warning Honk.  This honk is saying, "Watch out! I'm driving and am not concerned with how fast I drive, which lane I'm in - what, what's a lane!?!? I don't know but that light is red and I'm going to speed on through.  Accelerating is fun. I'm not looking out for you if you're walking, driving, or riding by, I'm just plowing down the road so I suggest you maybe look for me. I'd rather not hit and hurt someone today but it's not really my fault - I'm telling you I'm coming!!!" 

3. The Taxi Honk. This honk is saying, "Hi there - I'm a taxi! I want to give someone a ride. Do you want a ride??  Maybe you?  Oh Dios mio you're white?!?!? You must need a taxi because you're white! Why aren't you getting in my taxi? Did you not know you're white? Because you really are! And I'm a taxi!" 

4. The Red Light Honk.  This honk happens at every stop light the second the light turns green.  Unlike in the US, it is not a honk to remind someone the light has changed if they have not reacted in an appropriate amount of time. No, it's just a obligatory honk as soon as the light changes or even a second before.  So intersections with stop lights are busy places. 

Stop Signs and Speed Bumps 

Stop signs are rarely seen in Peru. And even when there is a stop sign, it is treated more as a yield sign if observed at all.  Instead, there are frequently large speed bumps before the intersection. This forces the vehicle to slow down before it crosses or turns into other traffic.  The Panamerican highway, the major highway on the coast of the country that stretches from Chili in the south to Ecuador in the north, runs through the middle of many small, rural towns.  The portions through those towns are dotted with speed bumps.  When riding 12 hr buses, I was once annoyed by the constant staccato of the speed bumps but after living in one of those small towns dissected by the Panamerican, I became very thankful for them.  They are the only things that control the speed of traffic in Peru and therefore prevent the highway, that frequently has children, elderly, and anyone in between crossing it, from being even more of a dangerous death trap than it already is.   

Transportation: How I Get Around

With my mom's visit to site in the beginning of March, I was reminded how different and therefore interesting the forms of transportation here can be. Below are the forms of transportations I use regularly. While on vacation with visitors to Peru, I have also traveled by airplane and train, though those are not usual for me.  

Omni-Buses - Omnibuses are the double-decker buses that go between major cities. There are numerous companies. Movil Tours, Cruz del Sur, America, ITTSA, Linnea, Emtrafesa and the list goes on. These bus trips usually take between 3 and 24 hours, depending on where you're going. And they can be smelly and disorganized or rather luxurious depending on how much you're willing to spend. I take a mediocre to cheap bus for the 3-4 hour trip between Trujillo and Chiclayo but am willing to splurge fora nicer bus line for any of the overnight 10-12 hour trips I take. 

Bus and Mini Bus - Minibuses are what I would think of when I think of a tour bus.  They are usually a bit dirty and not in top condition. These run busy routes between frequented areas. For example, I take a minibus between my site of Cartavio and Trujillo. It is a 33-seat bus though they pack us on like sardines with up to 15 more standing in the narrow aisle and maybe 8-10 more children infant to 8 years old sitting in their parents lap.  This hour trip costs S/ 3 (or about $1).  

Inside of a Combi from Cartavio to Chocope (20 min)

Colectivos / Combis - Colectivos and Combis are smaller forms of transportation for around an urban area or between smaller commu I ties up to maybe a 2 hour trip. Combis can be larger vehicles, close to the size of an omnibus though they have a different type of seating, but usually Combis are hollowed out vans with more seating installed to fit between 14 and 20 people when filled to capacity. Combis pick up and drop off people at they go.  You pay depending on how far you travel and prices are usually S/ 3.50 or less, depending on the trip.  

Contrarily, Colectivos have one starting place and one final destination with a fixed price for the ride. They are usually vans that seat 7 people or cars that seat 5 (not including the driver). A colectivo goes between my site of Mocupe and the capital city of Chiclayo for S/ 3.50 

Paradero (bus stop) for combis and colectivos in Cartavio

Taxi - Taxis are available in the major cities.  While there are taxi companies who are more reputable to use, any car can be a taxi.  Taxi signs are sold right on the street.  The biggest difference in the taxis of America and the taxis in Peru is how we pay.  In America there is a meter that calculates the cost depending on how long the ride takes.  And so taxi drivers will occasionally take longer routes, drive a little more slowly, or sit through lights to try to run the meter higher.  Instead, in Peru a price is agreed upon before going and does not change.  And for those who know the area, there are guidelines to follow.  For example, any taxi within central Chiclayo should be S/ 3. Taxi from Trujillo to Huanchaco should be S/ 12 - 15 and so on.  

Mototaxi - A mototaxi is a rickshaw of types, created by taking a small motor bike and attaching a covered two-person seat to the back.  It is amazing what you can fit on a moto.  3adults and 2 children; a stroller riding in the back; a mattress fastened on top; and the list goes on and on.  There are no limits to what they are willing to try. 

In any of these forms of transportation, it is possible and not uncommon to run out of gas, break down, or have an accident.  All part of the thrill of transportation in Peru.  

Absurdness is Relative

In the same thinking as my writing in my post “No One Can Understand,” it is true that there are many facts of life in a different culture in a different state of development that we do not automatically understand.  And after living very much in that world for about 10 months, I sometimes take that fact for granted.  While planning visits to Peru, I was asked two questions that seem quite reasonable through our US perspective but sounds nothing short of absurd to me through my Peru perspective.  So I thought those things would be interesting to share. 

1.  “Should we rent a car while I’m there?” 

       When traveling in a first world nation, renting a car to do so can be a great way to go.  So when thinking of being in Peru for 2 weeks and visiting various places in 4 departments during that time, having a car to do so would make since, right?  Until you take into account the horrific driving behavior, few personal cars, and state of many of the cars on the road.  Driving or even riding in Peru is quite seriously taking your life in your own hands (see Honking post coming soon).  Lanes do not exist, including lanes of oncoming traffic.  Until there is an oncoming vehicle forcing you to stay on the other side, it is just more open road.  Stop lights, speed limits and any other traffic sign is merely a suggestion.  After even just seeing the Panamerican highway or being in a rural community for even one day, it is easy to see that renting a car to travel Peru is not a great option.  From that perspective, I found this question humorous.  But from the US perspective, it makes good sense. 

2. “I think I’m going to bring a hair dryer. Wait, do you have a hair dryer?”

Likewise, my initial reaction to this question was to giggle.  I have very few electronics by American standards.  My electricity use is 100% accounted for in keeping my phone and computer charged and when I have lights turned on.  I do not use anything else electric and just with those I have noticeably increased my family’s monthly electricity bill.  The only items my family uses that have to be plugged in are the rice cooker, the occasional use of the microwave and occasional use of the refrigerator, occasional use of a fan, and the almost constant use of the television.  Think about the number of electrical appliances in any given American home: fans, lamps, hair dryers/straightners/curling iron/curlers, iron, washing machine, dryer, dish washer, refrigerator, toaster, microwave, mixer, computers, internet… 

The 2^nd thought about the hair dryer is it is hot.  I live in a hot coastal community without any air conditioning.  90 degrees without any air conditioning is hot.  The idea of standing there and blowing hot air onto my head and into the room for 10 minutes sounds cringe worthy.  And even in the winter when the heat wouldn’t knock you out, you then go about your day, walking a few miles just from organization to organization for your job – sweat, humidity, life.  Drying your hair would take a lot of work for a few seconds of pretty hair. 

If you knew me in the states the idea that I may have a hair dryer to occasionally blow out my curls is not absurd.  But given the context of my life, I will happily throw my frizzy curls into a bun and go on with my day ;) 

No One Can Understand

Many things I have been fortunate to do in life have the belief that they are so special, so unique, that no one can relate to them.  I have many times heard the schpeel “Look around this room.  These people sitting to your left and right will be some of your closest friends for the rest of your life.  No one else in the world will understand the experiences you have had, the things you have seen, heard, and done.”

            On the one hand, this is true.  An example from my months in training comes to mind.  A group of us were in the rural community of Zaña to give practice charlas and whatnot.  While sitting on the street waiting for a bus, I noticed a man casually walking down the empty street with a cow on a rope leash.  A nonchalantly commented, “Look, there is a man walking his cow.”  My friend Scotney turned around and burst out in laughter, saying “Despite that very accurate description, that is not what I expected to see.”  It was exactly that – a man walking his cow down the street with a rope leash. The words say exactly what is happening but it was not a common sight and therefore did not invoke a known image or idea.  We might not be as surprised now after almost a year in Peru where such an occurrence happens quite regularly.   Another example is from Matt’s visit to my community of Ucupe.  After experiencing my Catholic intervention, Matt made the comment that had he not been there, he never could have accurately pictured nor completely understood that scene. 

            So I understand the truth or theory behind the idea that we, as people, do not know or do not understand what is foreign to us.  But I disagree with the further notion that no one can relate, no one can understand, and no one will have any interest in those different experiences. Quite contrarily, some of my favorite conversations or discoveries have been with my family and friends back home as they experience Peace Corps and Peru with me.  Once while talking with my mom about how I ask her for advice on things I know are foreign to her, she commented on how she is on this journey with me.  The idea of people at home being on a journey with me was a comforting and beautiful thought.  As I share my experiences in Peru through my blog, pictures, and conversations, I have had the opportunity to also learn about family members’ and friends’ lives through their responses.  They very much can relate, can understand, and are interested.  Some of these connections are below.

            After reading a blog about integration and community upon moving to new sites, my grandmother equated it to moving with my grandfather and her young children to different towns with the responsibility of establishing the family in that community where everything is unknown and knew.

            My mom compared my experience of living a Peruvian style of life to what it kind of felt like to visit her aunt in a home.  For those hours while she was there, my mom left her world outside the doors and entered into the culture and world of Penick.  How and when they ate, a slower pace, what they spoke about, ect.  Through that experience, she understood how I felt to be living in a world other than my own.

            To say others are not interested in hearing things they do not fully understand is to limit our perspectives to a very selfish level.  I will never understand or know the ins and outs of chemistry, biology, pharmacotherapy, and the elements that go into my boyfriend’s study and work in pharmacy.  However, that does not mean I am not interested in hearing what he wants to share.  One night when I was living in Columbia, he came over for dinner after a test.  Upon arriving and noticing he was agitated, he took a few minutes to vent about a frustrating question on the test.  Granted, I did not understand one word he used while referencing the difference between this drug and that, but either way I had interest to hear about what was part of his life.  We are limited to our experiences and our knowledge, but what makes us human, what gives us community, is to still be interested in those experiences and knowledge of others; thus, we learn and grow together. 

How My Life in the Peace Corps is like the Hunger Games

Peru is a centralized country.  To only see the capital city of Lima is to see any big city in any number of countries. There are historic areas. There are poor, underdeveloped areas.  There are well-to do, modern areas.  But to leave the capital city and travel out is to enter another world. 

This is mimicked in the capital city of each department. Peru has 15 departments, like states. And each department has a capital city.  In a capital city you can find things that do not exist outside.  Wi-fi. Taxis. American restaurants. Malls or shopping centers. Refrigerated goods. People in a capital city have had more opportunities so you see things like little girls leaving dance practice in pink tights and black leotards.  You have more conversations with educated and traveled people. There is not a layer of dust covering the sidewalk and every building, and usually a dusty film on each person. The smells are less invasive.  Even the people are different - more diverse, more European.  

But I cannot stay too long. For I am from the campo, I do not belong in the capital. I can not afford the fancy living of the capital. So I board my overcrowded, dirty bus and head back to the campo. 

Life in the campo isn't so bad. The people are nice and everyone has fallen into step of a different kind of living here.  The workers in the campo produce goods used by those in the capital - you have the areas that produce milk for the conglomerate Gloria.  The area that grows rice. The area that has artisans the capital brag about but don't dare join. Life in the campo is tranquilo, kept at bay by the capital.  Life is happy here, though I enjoy my privileged weekly trip to the capital to buy the foods and goods I cannot get in site. Yes, life is fine here...I just hope I never get chosen as tribute. 

Everyone's Famous in a Small Town

"Suddenly everyone is staring at you.  They point you out, analyze you and share opinions.  You're the new kid in town, and you made quite a splash when you landed. Who said being the center of attention was easy?  I'm not talking about the sort of fame that's short-lived and fleeting, but the kind that endures and makes you an icon. It's quite a task."

I read the quote above in an architect magazine on a flight from Cuzco to Lima.  That description really struck me as an accurate way to describe moving to an indigenous rural pueblo as a white Peace Corps volunteer.  I am stared at, gawked at, laughed at, admired, and watched with regularity. And this does not fade away, but after 10 months remains constant. To go into capital cities is to loose this.  There I am able to blend in more.  I don't feel the stares as I walk or the constant questioning of "Where are you from!?!"  To be white in a rural pueblo is to make a splash when you land there, a splash that endures and makes you an icon, wanted or not.  

Adventures of a Southern Belle in the Peace Corps

Before leaving South Carolina, I had one acquaintance comment that she didn't think I would make it in rural Peru. When I asked her why, she told me it was because I was girly and enjoyed the finer things in life. Well, she might have underestimated me a bit but she did have that part right. I do enjoy the girlier and finer things in life. That doesn't mean I can't survive in the campo, but it does mean I have some funny or ridiculous adventures along the way. Please enjoy my beauty blunders and lessons learned. 

I tried a hair conditioning treatment of avocado, banana, and egg one time. The directions say to "purée" the avocado and banana in a food processor. Not having a food processor, I did the best I could with a spoon. The results were a pretty chunky mess but I continued anyway. Not only did the writer not think of a non- food processor option, I highly doubt they had considered the effects of a bucket bath versus a normal shower with hot water and water pressure. My bucket bath with cold water did a poor job of getting the mixture out of my hair. My hair did feel good for a few days, but I'm not sure it was worth the bugs that pursued the sweet smell of my hair for hours after. 

Before going on a beach vacation, I thought I would treat myself in the capital city to a wax. I will spare the details but I will just say I was traumatized and do not suggest it. Just because you can find most things available in a capital city does not mean they are the same or that you should do it. Lesson learned. 

A ribbon from a care package makes a great hair bow to make me feel better about my unshowered pony tail. 

After a long week, a movie night with a Ryan Gosling movie and a bottle of wine is the perfect Friday night activity - regardless of the country you're in. 

Living on the coast has an added benefit of being able to find pumice rocks right on the beach. Pedicure anyone? 

I brought just a couple Lily things with me. After feeling too campo for a bit, putting on a Lily top instantly makes me feel more put together and like myself again. 

Pinterest can become more than interest boards - it can be a way of life. Beware. 

And finally, if you leave home without a brush and go 10 weeks without getting one - a S/ 1 comb seems amazing! 

Special thanks to my amazing Mama for care packages with Lily, Clinique, hair conditioner, and more to keep me properly groomed while in Peru!  

Peru Life: What I Eat and Drink

Sure I miss steak, sandwiches, salads, pimento cheese, and the list could go on and on. But I am pretty lucky to be in Peru - a country known for its gastronomy. Peru is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most "platos typicos" or typical dishes with 450.  Below is an incomplete explanation of what food I most commonly eat and drink. Really, my day to day food is just a lot of chicken and rice with potato or yuca. A lot of chicken and rice. Like, a lot. 

Food 

Breakfast: 

bread with butter and jelly - bread is brought fresh each day and is a staple for breakfast 

 "Quacker" oatmeal - oatmeal is a common breakfast drink.  Frequently not called "avena" which means oatmeal but called by the brand name "Quacker". They make a large quantity of oatmeal that is extremely watery so it is actually a drink rather than the way I am used to having oatmeal 

Cafe con leche - my favorite part of breakfast is coffee with milk. Although there are South American countries who grow delicious coffee, the majority of South American countries still use instant coffee mix such as NesCafe by Nestlé 

If eating out for breakfast in a capital city, there are 2 customary choices and after those it depends on the place. Those choices are Americano and Continental. The Americano includes bread and butter, juice, coffee, and eggs either fried or scrambled. It usually costs around S/ 10 ($4).  

Main Dishes: 

Arroz con Pollo - though essentially every meal consists of rice and chicken, this a special rice and chicken dish.  The rice is prepared with ????  Other common variations of Arroz con Pollo are Arroz con Pato (duck) and Arroz con Cubierta (lamb)  

Lomo Saltado - lomo is strips of beef and Saltado refers to the sautéed onion and veggies it is topped with.  Lomo Saltado is typically served over a bed of rice with a side of French fries.  There is also Pollo Saltado  

Aji de Gallina - aji is the name of peppers in Peru, something Peru is known well for, especially the hot ricotto pepper.  I am not a fan of spicy food but yellow aji is very tasty!  Aji de Gallina is a chicken dish made with pulled chicken mixed in with a sauce of yellow aji, bread and/or crackers and milk.  The chicken and sauce mixture is laid on top of two potato rounds and a bed of rice and is topped with half a hard boiled egg and an olive. When I first got to Peru, I would eat this dish but did not enjoy it. Now I crave it and try to order it whenever I can! 

Tallerines - are a noodle similar to fettaccini noodles.  They are prepared as either Tallerines Rojos with tomato sauce or Tallerines Verdes with a basil and broccoli sauce.  I prefer Tallerines Verdes.  

Cubano - A Cubano is a small portion of rice topped with a fried egg, fried banana, and typically served with French fries. 

It is normal for any dish to be served with beans, lentils, potato, yuca and/or a salad.  Yuca is a course root.  And salads in Peru are a little different. A common salad consists of only tomatoes and cucumber slices.  Another common salad is beat salad made with small cubes of beets covered in mayonnaise. In site, the only salad dressing I have ever seen used is mayonnaise. Another typical salad is just thin slices of radishes. Essentially any fresh vegetable eaten is considered the meal's salad and is not common.  Peace Corps volunteers often bg host families for more greens in their diets.  

Chifa: Chifa is Peruvian Chinese food and is easy to find in any capital city.  my favorite Chifa dish is Arroz Chaufa.  Arroz Chaufa is a stir fry made with a cut up omelet, sliced green onion, sliced hot dog, and either chicken or shrimp mixed with rice and soy sauce. It is frequently served either with soup or wantons. 

Desserts: 

Arroz con Leche - is literally what is says, a dish made with rice and milk and lots of lots of sugar. It is a common treat at children's birthday parties. 

Masamuya - a type of really thick jello 

Geletina - more typical jello especially common in summer months 

Keke - pronounced "cakay" reminds me of pound cake. So obviously, this is one of my favorites 

Birthday Cake - one of the biggest parts to any celebration is the impressive cake. Cakes are usually big and impressively decorated 

Picarones - picarones are fried rings of dough served with a honey syrup. These are typically served by street venders and a favorite treat of mine. 

Soups: Soups are served with many meals the most common is Caldo.  

Caldo de Gallina - Caldo de Gallina is a soup with chicken and veggies in the broth. Remember, we eat the whole chicken here so your Caldo could have a chicken neck or foot ready for you to eat. 

Famous Dishes: 

Cuy - Peru is well known for eating ginea pig, but it is not a staple of any diet.  This is because ginee pig is a delicacy, usually eaten for special birthdays or celebrations. The pigs are eaten when they grow to full size so I see many more pigs being raised in cuy houses than I do on the table. 

Anticucho - anticucho is skewered beef and my favorite anticucho de corazon, which is skewered beef heart. It is marinated and then cooked on a grill and typically served its potato or sweet potato, and a piece of choclo, a type of yellow corn with big kernels. 

Ceviche - ceviche is fish and/or seafood chemically cooked with lime juice and aji. Here ceviche can get pretty spicy. It is also usually served with sweet potato and/or yuca. 

Alpaca - Peru is also known for its population of llama, alpaca, and vicuña.  Therefore, alpaca meat is eaten in the mountainous regions. 

Menu - Menu is what a restaurants set menu is called. It usually includes a soup or a salad, a main entree, a desert, and a drink for anywhere between S/ 8 - 25 and usually offers two or three options for each course or at least the main dish.  

Drinks 

Refresco and Juices - pineapple, papaya, apple, orange, mango, lemonade Peru has a plethora of delicious fruits and this results in numerous fruit juices and refrescos.  Many Peruvian meals are accompanied with a juice or refesco.  

Chicha - an alcoholic drink made by fermenting corn. The drink comes out a milky orangey color.  It is more typical in the Sierra (mountain region).  A place selling chicha usually will have a long pole with a plastic bag on top to signal they have the Peruvian drink. 

Chicha Morada - a refresco made from purple corn with sugar added. While Chicha is alcoholic, chicha morada is not.  I really like chicha morada! 

Gaseosa - though the word "gaseosa" means soft drink, it frequently refers to the yellow syrupy drink of Inka Kola.  Inka Kola is an old Peruvian staple, thought they were bought by Coca Cola in 1996.  Others "gaseosa" choices are Coca Cola, referred to as "Coca," and sprite.  You can find Coca Cola Zero in capital cities but, much to my sadness, Diet Coke (called Coca Cola Light in South America because of the negative connotation of the word "diet" here) is a rare find in Peru. 

Cervesas - Cervesa is beer. There are 3 common beer choices - Cristal, Pilsen, and Cuzquena.  They all are similar to Bud Light except for the other variations of Cuzquna such as trigo (wheat) negro (black) and red lager which are usually available in capital cities.  Sometimes a few local microbrews can be found in capital cities and nicer restaurants such as Sierra Andina and Tres Cruces.  Likewise, there are a few hostals in touristy areas that brew their own beer such as Dragonfly.  

Pisco - Pisco is a native of Peru. Made using fermented grapes, Pisco is a type of brandy. In the south of Peru, in the department of Ica there are many vineyards and wineries that produce Pisco. Specifically, the town of Pisco, Peru.  The popular drink of Peru is the Pisco Sour, made with Pisco, sour mix, and egg white. Pisco Sour day is February 2.  

Wine - Wine is not common to find in rural Peru but the wine Peru does produce tends to be very, very sweet. 

Interesting note on drinking: Peruvians do not customarily drink throughout a meal as Americans. We will start a meal with a drink, drink throughout a meal, and finish with one as well. Peruvians tend to eat without anything to drink and then have one small glass that is drank quickly at the end of the meal.  They also do not drink water and drink less than Americans over all.  Until we are talking about beer, and then it's a whole other story.  

A Comment on Honesty

While browsing some artisan shops in Trujillo this weekend I met a couple from Daytona Beach.  The woman is Peruvian and they were here visiting her mother in Trujillo.  After chatting about their visit and my work here in the Peace Corps, she reminding me to be very careful and watch my things.  This is a warning I get from most Peruvians everyday, but she then added the reason why.  "Honesty does not exist with my people," she said with a look of disappointment. I have already written a post on the absence of the virtue of honesty in Peru and how that results in a culture of mistrust. It was really interesting to get to speak to a Peruvian who now lives in America on the difference in honesty between the two cultures.

Language is Not Necessary to Connect

On Friday we celebrated the International Day of Down Syndrome at my site's CEBE (school for special education).  One of our student's sister came with her 6 year old daughter to join in the celebration.  Neither our student nor his sister speak or hear, but I had a full conversation about our lives and shared a few jokes through gestures, noises, and lots of facial expressions.  It has never been more true that language - Spanish, English, or even proper sign language, is needed to communicate.

A Little Success Goes a Long Way

In Mocupe, upon being told of 20 students, 10 boys and 10 girls, that were having a particularly hard time either with behavior or with grades due to difficulties at home, I formed two self-development small groups.  The students were mandated to attend by the school director and partnering teacher.  The first day I met with the students I was so nervous.  Here were students experiencing problems I could barely fathom and they were being told they had to attend my group.  All I could think is that they would not be interested in what I had to say or spending their otherwise free time with me. 

By the end of the first day, I could not feel more differently.  The girls group began as I thought it would.  8 of the 10 girls showed up late and unenthusiastically to our set meeting time.  By some magic or miracle, the 8 girls finished the session with much more interest, even asking if they could invite other girls to join our group the next week and thanking me for my time.  The girls group grew to over 20 students.  Encouraged, I prepared for the boys group.  I think maybe 7 of the boys showed up but those who came seemed more interested. The group would later dwindle to really only 4 committed members. It wasn’t what happened then that surprised me though.  It was what happened when I returned to the school later for another event.  Another boy who hadn’t been in my group came up and asked what we were doing in those meetings.  Waiting to discover his angle in asking, I gave broad, general answers.  But he pressed on until I was really explaining the plan of the group to him with themes of self-esteem, positive communication, and planning for the future.  He then looked at me and asked (in Spanish), “And how do I do that?  How do I become a better person?  Because I know the teachers think I am a trouble maker.”  It was such a genuine request from a 14-year-old boy who was, in fact, looked at as a trouble maker.  And in front of 3 other students no less!  And with that he and I and the 3 other students sat down right there on the concrete and did the entire lesson from my group over again.  I then invited them to join the next big group meeting and walked the whole way home with a heart fuller than it may have ever been before. You come to accept you’re not going to change the world or maybe even make a real difference during your work in the Peace Corps – but I had at least made a tiny start of a difference in one student in one high school in one community.

Overwhelming Need

As someone who holds a degree in psychology and a graduate degree in social work, I am going to go out on a limb and say there are circumstances where the guidance counselors, social workers, and psychologists employed by our, referring to the US, education system are looked at as “fluff” positions.  Or that is the way we sometimes treat them by providing only 1 social worker or 1 school psychologists to an entire district or group of schools.  However, my experience in Peru has demonstrated, without a doubt, the need for such staff.  I have now worked in schools in the district of Lagunas / Mocupe and Santiago de Cao / Cartavio.  Within those two districts, I have met directors, professors, students, and parents from upwards of 10 high schools and the conversation is scarily similar.  Upon discussing my education and background and my role in the community as a youth development volunteer, I am then told of numerous students in great need of an advocate, a counselor, a friend. 

Yamily, a sophomore, had her father diagnosed with AIDS and subsequently started misbehaving in school.
Johnny’s mom died and he now sleeps through all classes except for when he wakes up to stab himself with his pencil or do other self-injurious behaviors.
One student was abused by her father her entire childhood yet no one can figure out why she has low grades.
Fernando drinks every night and weekend and is the ring leader for keeping boys out all night just to come home sick from alcohol.  He just turned 14.
Leydi is 12 years old and is living alone after the death of her mother and separation from her abusive father.

One child quite school after elementary school because of her physical disability, despite her great desire to learn. 

And the list goes on and on.  The school staff includes a director, classroom teachers, auxiliars (classroom assistants or hall monitors/guards depending on the school), and a secretary.  In these rural towns on the coast of Peru there are no counselors, social workers, nurses, psychologists, resource teachers – the schools are missing an entire team of support we are fortunate to have in the US. 

So what happens when a young American with degrees in psychology and social work walks through the doors to serve as a volunteer working with the students on themes of healthy lifestyle and preparation for the world of work??  I am quickly told a handful of such cases and asked, if not begged, to meet with those students, to meet with those parents, to help. 

It is, in a word, overwhelming.  I am but one person to an entire district of schools.  I am but one volunteer who has been told to immediately end discussions of psychology or therapy work to focus on the “packaged” Peace Corps development programs focusing on sexual health and vocational orientation.  But how do you say no to a plea for help when you came to do just that?  I have not found that answer and so I do not say no.  Instead I am working with teachers, directors, and parents that are willing and wanting to maybe just scratch the surface on their student/child’s current situation.  But that is all I can do.  I do not have the answer.  I simply see the overwhelming need for advocates, for counselors, for psychologists in a community that has never had them. 

Two Powerful Words - Thank You

This afternoon I had another planning meeting with a teacher from the local high school in my site of Cartavio.  The only public high school in the community, IE Cartavio has around 700 students so needless to say there is plenty of work to be done.  This teacher and I are currently working together on a few projects that should start next week and the first of April including a Red Cross student group (Cruz Roja Peruana here), a district wide student peer-to-peer health promoter group, and a mentoring group for freshman boys with behavioral problems.  After wrapping up a few hours of planning and logistics, she asked me about what it is like to live here, in Cartavio, far away from my home.

After our chat, she simply looked at me and said, "Thank you."  I must have looked surprised by her simple but powerful statement as she then continued and told me she knows it must be hard to be far away but how thankful she is that I came and am working in her community.

I left the school with a full heart today and look forward to continuing helping such a motivated teacher bring positive opportunities to her students and community.