So a recent night, a few nights ago- it had a nice kick to it, or rather a strange kick to it…
We were to have a last hooray for the medical personnel of CLASS (Comité Local de los Servicios de Salud) Agallpampa - this is inclusive to the health post of our area, Mache. After the beginning of 2010, CLASS Agallpampa will become decentralized with the division into 4 new CLASSes (one in Mache where I live, and one in Carabamba, Agallpampa, and Salpo). Simply put, this signifies the medical management of the different posts will become more localized. Anyway, all the health post personnel gathered at this Christmas party in Agallpampa. However, we were late, because of a few medical emergencies, including a birth scare and an elderly woman running a high fever of 40oC. When she first came in, well, was carried in, she couldn’t speak, couldn’t move – nothing – she was just barely physically present. The nurse gave her a shot of… can’t remember what it was, and slowly, bit by bit, she started gaining her consciousness and movement back. It was rather incredible. Our health post was running late for this social engagement, so we climbed into the back of our ‘ambulance’ (a truck with a covered bed) to lower down to Agallpampa. We also were taking the elderly woman back home with her worried son and daughter-in-law, preferring that she stay at the health post to be monitored – although, the health personnel had decided to leave. She was hoisted into the back of the ambulance to lie on a mattress that’s always kept there, and really had no means to stabilize herself on the bumpy ride. She was rather filthy – her clothes, skin, and hair, and sadly, the first human response was to not want to touch her. But, ignoring this, I took her head in my lap, providing her some stability so she wouldn’t bounce around so much. Stroking her head, I could feel her fragility and uneven breathing. I felt a real comfort holding her in my lap and was hoping she would be able to recuperate. Dropping her off, an older man raised her onto his back to carry her home into the cold.
Being brought to this party, I had no idea what I was getting myself into – hmmm, sounds familiar. It really was awkward at the beginning. We just sat around these tables at the perimeter of the room, with a couple of cooked turkeys just sitting there, and we waited for other health post personnel, also late, because of some health emergencies they were also attending to. They ended up arriving around 11pm and we finally ‘started’ the party – they don’t start until everyone is there. We started with Secret Santa gifts – each of us were assigned a person (and a lot of us didn’t know each other), and one by one, there were over 70 of us, we had to announce and give our gifts. This took forever and again, was just awkward. We finally were served a little bit of turkey, Panetone (oh my gosh, I am so sick of Panetone), and sweetened hot chocolate for dinner. This was proceeded by another small gift that was given by CLASS Agallpampa to the health personnel – each person was listed, one by one, to receive this gift, even though it was the same gift bag. Ah, tedious. Coming into about 1:30, 2 am in the morning, Megan and I left to crash at another volunteer’s place (Pablo), who, thank goodness, lives in Agallpampa. Waking at 6 am, we returned to the ‘party’ to find that our ambulance driver was intoxicated and unable to drive, and was drinking with a few of the doctors. The health personnel of Mache (a couple of obstetrices and a nurse had crashed in the back of the ambulance). Megan and I said screw it, and we just started dancing with those left at the party. Finally, at 8:30-9 am, we were able to leave and ascend back up to Mache. What a party.
sábado, 23 de enero de 2010
Buenas noches señorita, que tu sueñes con los angelitos (12/21/09)
Today was a very rewarding day, besides the notion of returning from Trujillo at 4 o’clock in the morning and only receiving one hour of sleep. At the spur of the moment, or rather, finally giving in, I went into Trujillo for the night to run some errands, withdraw desperately needed funds, and pay back our coordinator of La Libertad, who spotted me a chunk of soles to pay for the materials to lay concrete on my floor, or which will hopefully become my floor soon. I was accompanied by some carreterra/road workers, a couple of engineers, and to both to our surprise, another volunteer, the closest to myself, who is living in Lluin, Megan. It was a ridiculous, funny ensemble running around making purchases in urbanization, being accompanied by these engineers. The hilarity of circumstances I’ve been in doesn’t cease to surprise me. Only in Peru I guess. I feel like that just tends to be the case while traveling. Making it back up to the Sierra in the wee hours of the morning was a feat, as always, in the rainy season, getting stuck in the muckiest barro, jumping up and down on one side of the bed of a pickup to get uncaught in the other side… Nonetheless, I survived to attend a meeting of the mother leaders of Juntos, a program put in place by the government to provide aid to extremely poor mother and address the factors usually accompanying poverty (malnutrition, multiple unwanted pregnancies, easily treatable disease, etc.). Mothers are eligible to join Programa Juntos if they make, I believe, 150 soles or less a month (aka nothing), with kids, without a neighborhood store, etc.; they receive a monthly sum of 100 soles if they meet these criterium, attend monthly charlas, and are attended to by the health post on a monthly basis. Anyway, making it to this meeting, you could feel the empowerment that was taking place – education is so revolutionary. After this, and resting for 1 hour, I trekked down to a caserío called Leoncio Prado, down a valley and slightly up onto another mountainside, into the Salpo district. There I coordinated with an already established health promoter of the community, also serving as the teniente gobernador, to meet his community. Like the meeting I had in Olaya (another caserío), it went beautifully with the exchange that occurred. There was a drastic difference with the direction of the conversation. Olaya lacks any functioning latrines or improved kitchens, whereas Leoncio Prado, a very impoverished community, has established a latrine and improved kitchen in every home, thanks to the support of a NGO called Sembrando. Starting in June/July 2009, they already have made their mark in this community and capacitated those of Leoncio Prado with functional knowledge. People here are intelligible and they just needed to be afforded the opportunity of an education, like anywhere else in the world. Education drastically transforms communities, and it will definitely intrigue me to see the progress in the next two years, because there will be significant progress, I can feel it and I am working toward it.
Anyway, the direction of the conversation in Leoncio Prado in comparison to Olaya – instead of focusing on the basic necessities of improved kitchens and latrines – was centered around raising cuyes/guinea pigs and the production of their own gas, methane gas, from sources such as composting, lombriculturas, and biodigestors in general. It will be somewhat a feat to work across the caseríos and curtail charlas to meet their necessities when there are so many caseríos to coordinate with, but with the establishment of health promoters in each caserío, it’s possible. They are competent and willing to work and plant a seed toward progression. This makes me so excited.
I have shared so many valuable conversations already, and to gage the impact all these conversations will have on others and myself is enlightening. I thrive from sharing accordance in humanitarian efforts. There really are so many beautifully intrinsic people.
Afterward, I popped into the municipality and the scenery completely changed. Promoting active participation on behalf of the municipality is my goal – for them to see themselves as a source, or perhaps, the most prevailing source of social services. They should be providing infrastructure such as water systems, resources for individuals to improve their living circumstances, etc. I want active participation and coordination between all involved parties, such as the municipality, health post, NGO’s, religious institutions, and organizations in effect, so that optimal progress can be realized. I feel that each takes its own path and if there were more coordination, greater efficiency could and would take place. Hopefully I can temporarily serve as the intermediary between these identities and encourage others to take this front of collaboration.
We had a chocolatada following a novena (the novenas takes place every night at 8pm from the 15th of December until Christmas in Mache and also in many other communities). The novenas or posadas are hosted in different nooks of the community and serve as a gathering consisting of singing Christmas songs and discussing biblical passages. The chocolatada, more curtailed to kids, but inclusive to adults, is basically when hot chocolate is served, accompanied by a chunk of Panetone. I think after being here, I will never look at Panetone the same way – it is so popular/omnipresent here during Christmas. Anyway, the gathering was beautiful, which I think is normally the case for community gatherings.
I am excited my family was receptive to me throwing in some artichokes onto the dinner plate. Again, I neglected to really consider my host mom’s lack of molars, but she seemed to manage just fine. It’s deceiving because she does have her front teeth and she doesn’t really smile big, so you can’t tell she’s missing her molars. My brother actually enjoyed a vegetable which is such a challenge. We now have the nightly tradition of brushing our teeth together (he wouldn’t brush his teeth at night beforehand), and now, I am starting to incorporate flossing. It’s difficult teaching a kid to floss, but there will be a learning curve. I am wondering if my host mom just gave up on brushing her teeth altogether, I will need to figure that out…
It’s heart warming when people are receptive to you when you are from a different culture. And when you are preparing to go to bed, your host brother gives you a kiss on the cheek and tells you to dream with the angels. I have been blessed and will continue to keep my chin up and looking forward.
Anyway, the direction of the conversation in Leoncio Prado in comparison to Olaya – instead of focusing on the basic necessities of improved kitchens and latrines – was centered around raising cuyes/guinea pigs and the production of their own gas, methane gas, from sources such as composting, lombriculturas, and biodigestors in general. It will be somewhat a feat to work across the caseríos and curtail charlas to meet their necessities when there are so many caseríos to coordinate with, but with the establishment of health promoters in each caserío, it’s possible. They are competent and willing to work and plant a seed toward progression. This makes me so excited.
I have shared so many valuable conversations already, and to gage the impact all these conversations will have on others and myself is enlightening. I thrive from sharing accordance in humanitarian efforts. There really are so many beautifully intrinsic people.
Afterward, I popped into the municipality and the scenery completely changed. Promoting active participation on behalf of the municipality is my goal – for them to see themselves as a source, or perhaps, the most prevailing source of social services. They should be providing infrastructure such as water systems, resources for individuals to improve their living circumstances, etc. I want active participation and coordination between all involved parties, such as the municipality, health post, NGO’s, religious institutions, and organizations in effect, so that optimal progress can be realized. I feel that each takes its own path and if there were more coordination, greater efficiency could and would take place. Hopefully I can temporarily serve as the intermediary between these identities and encourage others to take this front of collaboration.
We had a chocolatada following a novena (the novenas takes place every night at 8pm from the 15th of December until Christmas in Mache and also in many other communities). The novenas or posadas are hosted in different nooks of the community and serve as a gathering consisting of singing Christmas songs and discussing biblical passages. The chocolatada, more curtailed to kids, but inclusive to adults, is basically when hot chocolate is served, accompanied by a chunk of Panetone. I think after being here, I will never look at Panetone the same way – it is so popular/omnipresent here during Christmas. Anyway, the gathering was beautiful, which I think is normally the case for community gatherings.
I am excited my family was receptive to me throwing in some artichokes onto the dinner plate. Again, I neglected to really consider my host mom’s lack of molars, but she seemed to manage just fine. It’s deceiving because she does have her front teeth and she doesn’t really smile big, so you can’t tell she’s missing her molars. My brother actually enjoyed a vegetable which is such a challenge. We now have the nightly tradition of brushing our teeth together (he wouldn’t brush his teeth at night beforehand), and now, I am starting to incorporate flossing. It’s difficult teaching a kid to floss, but there will be a learning curve. I am wondering if my host mom just gave up on brushing her teeth altogether, I will need to figure that out…
It’s heart warming when people are receptive to you when you are from a different culture. And when you are preparing to go to bed, your host brother gives you a kiss on the cheek and tells you to dream with the angels. I have been blessed and will continue to keep my chin up and looking forward.
I am ridiculous (12/17/09)
So perhaps I haven’t lost my charm, if you want to call it that… Fortunately, I can con, or more positively put, “convince”, others in to helping, such as receiving support to transport materials. As cement layers were being laid for my bedroom floor, we fell short of arena gruesa (thick sand), an important constituent for leveling. In my frantic search to find more arena gruesa and a way to transport it, I came across some construction workers who came to my rescue after finding me distraught.
Mache currently is in an interesting disposition as a Sierra town since there are a significant number of construction workers and engineers contracted to construct a paved road. From the lower lying valley, they are attempting to connect these upper lying Sierra towns via a more established roadway. However, construction is nearly impossible now with the rainy season. Making headway with the roads is quickly reverted by Mother Nature – the torrential downpours destroy the pathways for the roads, forming ravines and thick mud, and causing landslides. So, now, efforts have been diverted to constructing some bridges until the rainy season lets up, perhaps in March? April? I have never witnessed so much barro/ mud. Boots are crucial. I have already made a fool of myself, which will come in various forms – guaranteed. I face planted after slipping in mud while climbing down a hillside and tangling my foot in some reeds. This happened while casually passing by a biohuerto (house garden) and deciding to stop and question the family about what they were planting, intending to see if they had vegetables (which they did not). I think I left a memorable impression…
Back to the ‘I am ridiculous bit’, or continuing with it – I really have been throwing myself out there. I have a hard time understanding Sierra Spanish, and especially the Spanish of adults that have up to a primary school education. I have a much easier time communicating with those that have a higher level of education. It will take some skill to develop the vocabulary and ways of expression used by those here in the rural areas. Instead of keeping silent when I don’t know the vocabulary I want to express, I just throw myself out there and try to finagle some words together to convey what I would like to express. I typically receive head-nods, smiles, and searching eyes, but am hoping for more dialogue in the future, especially if directing a meeting. I really wonder how much I communicate is understood and vice versa. I continually make a fool of myself, but in good humor, and therefore am hoping I am being well-received in one way or another.
With the cement bit, I ended up misunderstanding the urgency of the situation – or rather the concept of how much was needed and how it needed to be transported. I went above and beyond – I found the materials, which could have been transported by wheel barrow, although through much labor with many loads and a long distance to be traversed (it’s amazing what men smaller than me can carry and for what distance, unbelievable). Anyway, I convinced some construction workers to help me load their truck, bring it to where I am staying, and help unload. This request normally would have cost at least 50 soles, which I do not have, and it wouldn’t have been a request met if made by a local Peruvian. I guess it is nice to be a gringa (female and white) at times, but I felt ridiculous nonetheless, because I had no idea what I was doing, what I was requesting, and what the outcome was going to be. Hmmm, maybe that’s like everything I am doing. I just have to time and time again throw myself out there in good spirit and good intentions and hope for the best outcome… such as the vacaciones útiles I am trying to organize for the kids that will be around in the area during their 2 months off. I am trying to organize some classes/youth groups in order to interact with the youth, mixed in with all the more ‘adult’ activities I have been involved with. I have to keep in mind how much change can occur by working with youth, and how they can keep your outlook or perspective seemingly bright.
Amidst a plethora of meetings I had today, my host mom, Juliana, was apparently preparing a dinner for over 150 people – parents and family members of kindergarteners graduating from jardín/kindergarten. This extravagant ceremony was to include my little brother, Jean Carlos, who was serving as a pareja/companion of a girl who was graduating. Anyway, Juliana is a work horse, I mean, my gosh, rising around 4 or 5 in the morning to do hard, laborious work ALL day, and setting herself to sleep around 10 pm to midnight. She frantically was putting this dinner together with a couple of others, and I ended up scrambling to help serve all these people in the back corner of a building from the dirt floor. I am still learning her mannerisms, because at one point, it definitely seemed like she was yelling at me and was extremely impatient. After hurriedly and stressfully serving, worrying we wouldn’t have enough ¼ to ½ chickens to serve, or the rest of the chicken wouldn’t come in time, we finally finished, with hands greased and backs strained from bending over the dirt floor. We finally let up, and feasted on food left over – just enough to feed us. Juliana and I had a moment where we kicked back a coca cola (making an exception to my aversion to drinking pop), danced in the back freely and listened to the music playing for the eloquently dressed, dancing kids. Juliana and I have a hard time communicating in many ways, but I definitely appreciate letting loose and relish the times when someone who is so tight, hard, and focused can let loose. I petered out from the festive entourage around midnight – they continued until 3/4/5 in the morning – and came home to listen to recommended music by Jamiroquai and write. I look down at my tea cup, with 4 bugs at the bottom, 2 empty muffin papers (I still was pretty hungry to the point of taking them from Juliana’s store – will reimburse her tomorrow…), and think I have a long ways to go, but I can appreciate moments like these.
Mache currently is in an interesting disposition as a Sierra town since there are a significant number of construction workers and engineers contracted to construct a paved road. From the lower lying valley, they are attempting to connect these upper lying Sierra towns via a more established roadway. However, construction is nearly impossible now with the rainy season. Making headway with the roads is quickly reverted by Mother Nature – the torrential downpours destroy the pathways for the roads, forming ravines and thick mud, and causing landslides. So, now, efforts have been diverted to constructing some bridges until the rainy season lets up, perhaps in March? April? I have never witnessed so much barro/ mud. Boots are crucial. I have already made a fool of myself, which will come in various forms – guaranteed. I face planted after slipping in mud while climbing down a hillside and tangling my foot in some reeds. This happened while casually passing by a biohuerto (house garden) and deciding to stop and question the family about what they were planting, intending to see if they had vegetables (which they did not). I think I left a memorable impression…
Back to the ‘I am ridiculous bit’, or continuing with it – I really have been throwing myself out there. I have a hard time understanding Sierra Spanish, and especially the Spanish of adults that have up to a primary school education. I have a much easier time communicating with those that have a higher level of education. It will take some skill to develop the vocabulary and ways of expression used by those here in the rural areas. Instead of keeping silent when I don’t know the vocabulary I want to express, I just throw myself out there and try to finagle some words together to convey what I would like to express. I typically receive head-nods, smiles, and searching eyes, but am hoping for more dialogue in the future, especially if directing a meeting. I really wonder how much I communicate is understood and vice versa. I continually make a fool of myself, but in good humor, and therefore am hoping I am being well-received in one way or another.
With the cement bit, I ended up misunderstanding the urgency of the situation – or rather the concept of how much was needed and how it needed to be transported. I went above and beyond – I found the materials, which could have been transported by wheel barrow, although through much labor with many loads and a long distance to be traversed (it’s amazing what men smaller than me can carry and for what distance, unbelievable). Anyway, I convinced some construction workers to help me load their truck, bring it to where I am staying, and help unload. This request normally would have cost at least 50 soles, which I do not have, and it wouldn’t have been a request met if made by a local Peruvian. I guess it is nice to be a gringa (female and white) at times, but I felt ridiculous nonetheless, because I had no idea what I was doing, what I was requesting, and what the outcome was going to be. Hmmm, maybe that’s like everything I am doing. I just have to time and time again throw myself out there in good spirit and good intentions and hope for the best outcome… such as the vacaciones útiles I am trying to organize for the kids that will be around in the area during their 2 months off. I am trying to organize some classes/youth groups in order to interact with the youth, mixed in with all the more ‘adult’ activities I have been involved with. I have to keep in mind how much change can occur by working with youth, and how they can keep your outlook or perspective seemingly bright.
Amidst a plethora of meetings I had today, my host mom, Juliana, was apparently preparing a dinner for over 150 people – parents and family members of kindergarteners graduating from jardín/kindergarten. This extravagant ceremony was to include my little brother, Jean Carlos, who was serving as a pareja/companion of a girl who was graduating. Anyway, Juliana is a work horse, I mean, my gosh, rising around 4 or 5 in the morning to do hard, laborious work ALL day, and setting herself to sleep around 10 pm to midnight. She frantically was putting this dinner together with a couple of others, and I ended up scrambling to help serve all these people in the back corner of a building from the dirt floor. I am still learning her mannerisms, because at one point, it definitely seemed like she was yelling at me and was extremely impatient. After hurriedly and stressfully serving, worrying we wouldn’t have enough ¼ to ½ chickens to serve, or the rest of the chicken wouldn’t come in time, we finally finished, with hands greased and backs strained from bending over the dirt floor. We finally let up, and feasted on food left over – just enough to feed us. Juliana and I had a moment where we kicked back a coca cola (making an exception to my aversion to drinking pop), danced in the back freely and listened to the music playing for the eloquently dressed, dancing kids. Juliana and I have a hard time communicating in many ways, but I definitely appreciate letting loose and relish the times when someone who is so tight, hard, and focused can let loose. I petered out from the festive entourage around midnight – they continued until 3/4/5 in the morning – and came home to listen to recommended music by Jamiroquai and write. I look down at my tea cup, with 4 bugs at the bottom, 2 empty muffin papers (I still was pretty hungry to the point of taking them from Juliana’s store – will reimburse her tomorrow…), and think I have a long ways to go, but I can appreciate moments like these.
lunes, 7 de diciembre de 2009
This is why I am here (12/03/09)
I just climbed a mountain overlooking my town of Mache and surrounding caseríos – I am taking advantage of the morning sun and the warmth that it elicits to see the view of where I will be working for the next 2 years. It’s a beautiful challenge I am finally embarking on – I felt ready for this during training. From the top of the cerro/mountain, I can grasp the size and topography of the campo/countryside. I think I will retreat up to here when I need to gain perspective.
After talking to my new host-mom (Juliana) and her visiting sister, Betti, in town to pursue her negocios/business, I decided to follow Betti home to the chakra with her burro/mule, weighed down with this week’s goods. About a 40-minute walk outside of ‘downtown’ Mache, we climbed, passing by a newly arrived family’s home of a tarp, supported by bushelled paja/straw. This family of four with a daughter and son, is starting to make their living in the chakra. Approaching Betti’s home, she defended me from her 5 dogs – her ‘protection’. For some reason, I can’t escape packs of overly aggressive dogs. I talked to one volunteer in the south, and he expressed his satisfaction from getting a good square kick to a dog’s face while on a run, hmmm… need to build up my defenses. After strategically finding our footing through the barro/mud and the animal dung of her livestock, we were joined by her husband, also in his 60s/70s, with poor vision and a lame hand. After the polite normalities of open conversation, we ventured into her kitchen (my prime motive for coming) to see her cooking conditions, since she had previously referenced the smoke. Sure enough, in the low-ceilinged kitchen (I had to duck to be inside), the walls were pure black. She has a ‘stove’ of leña/wood (wood-fired stove) with no chimney and hardly any ventilation. Besides already being aware of Juliana’s (my host-mom) cooking conditions when she frequently uses her stove of leña (she also has a gas stove, which is more expensive to use), I now am aware of the cocina mejorada project no. 2 I would like to actualize – with many more to come, I am sure. This is why I am here.
I think most people are aware of or can detect the health hazards of their practices, but this is what they know, this is their custom. A significant portion of the population (not sure what percentage), have only received up to primary school level education – learning to communicate effectively to this group of individuals and comprehend what is being said will be crucial for the ensuing years.
After talking to my new host-mom (Juliana) and her visiting sister, Betti, in town to pursue her negocios/business, I decided to follow Betti home to the chakra with her burro/mule, weighed down with this week’s goods. About a 40-minute walk outside of ‘downtown’ Mache, we climbed, passing by a newly arrived family’s home of a tarp, supported by bushelled paja/straw. This family of four with a daughter and son, is starting to make their living in the chakra. Approaching Betti’s home, she defended me from her 5 dogs – her ‘protection’. For some reason, I can’t escape packs of overly aggressive dogs. I talked to one volunteer in the south, and he expressed his satisfaction from getting a good square kick to a dog’s face while on a run, hmmm… need to build up my defenses. After strategically finding our footing through the barro/mud and the animal dung of her livestock, we were joined by her husband, also in his 60s/70s, with poor vision and a lame hand. After the polite normalities of open conversation, we ventured into her kitchen (my prime motive for coming) to see her cooking conditions, since she had previously referenced the smoke. Sure enough, in the low-ceilinged kitchen (I had to duck to be inside), the walls were pure black. She has a ‘stove’ of leña/wood (wood-fired stove) with no chimney and hardly any ventilation. Besides already being aware of Juliana’s (my host-mom) cooking conditions when she frequently uses her stove of leña (she also has a gas stove, which is more expensive to use), I now am aware of the cocina mejorada project no. 2 I would like to actualize – with many more to come, I am sure. This is why I am here.
I think most people are aware of or can detect the health hazards of their practices, but this is what they know, this is their custom. A significant portion of the population (not sure what percentage), have only received up to primary school level education – learning to communicate effectively to this group of individuals and comprehend what is being said will be crucial for the ensuing years.
At site… in Mache! (27/11/09)
Third day here in Mache, and my hands are slow to type because of the cold. I will adjust, I will acclimate, “acostumbrarme”- I actually had to look up the English translation because I couldn’t think of it;) I wonder with the more advanced I become in Spanish (which I am hoping will be the case), the more I will regress in my English... hmmm. So third day here, and I met with a couple of albanils-carpenters to receive an estimate to cover the dirt floor of my room with wood or concrete, escaped to go for a run for the first time in about a week, and let me tell you, it’s a challenge at the high altitude, I took a luxurious (really!) warm bucket bath in the sun that reveals itself in the morn, did some reading/follow-up work with the health post, prepared a salad for my host family (neglecting to take into account my host-mom’s missing teeth and her difficulty in eating hard foods- ah fracaso- definitely feel encouraged to tackle dental hygiene here), made a couple of tippy-taps (from plastic bottles for washing hands and brushing teeth) since we don’t have running water at home, did a variety of other small projects/feats, and oh yeah! witnessed a birth (un parto) of a girl my age, going on her third child. It will be interesting to mark what can be accomplished in a day in the Sierra – everyone (volunteers) say you have a lot of time on your hands, but for some reason, I don’t feel like I will ever run out of things to do—
To back up a bit, since I haven’t written for ages… I finished training this last weekend, with a grand finale of a ceremony, being ordained now as a volunteer, as opposed to as just an “aspirante”. Strange how we formed our own mini-subculture at our training center, and now we are dispersed all over different parts of Peru. We received our assignments in week 8, and I was assigned to a site in the Sierra, about 3350 m+ high in altitude, to a community called Mache, population between 500-800, sometimes less, depending on the season. Mache has 24 surrounding caseríos or towns, one of which is Lluín, where another health volunteer has been placed (about 1 hour walking distance away). Within the last weeks of training, we had field based trainings (volunteers were split up into groups depending on their respective program - health, environment, or water-sanitation), and we visited sites of other volunteers. I ascended to the department of Ancash, in the Sierra to Musho where they speak Quechua, to where white mountains lie, peaked by Huascaran, and waterfalls cascade down from glaciers. However, I could only partially view this scenery because of the fog—but I am bound to return. In Musho and Mato (in the lower lying valley), we built latrines, cocinas mejoradas (improved kitchen stoves and ovens) and hosted some charlas (talks/lectures), such as on early childhood stimulation. I was ridiculously sick in many ways while in Musho, when trying to dig canals and pits for the latrine—including having a very distended stomach and strangely, burping excessively—couldn’t eat for a couple of days. Leading up to departure to our final destination of 2 years, I hopped over to baja Piura for another site training, to a completely different climate—flatlands, in the chakras, hot—seemed like I was in Cambodia, or Thailand, amidst rice paddies with white cranes, and tropical, with the palm trees lining the fields. The towns around these areas were of dirt/sand. With the very dry, arid land, it really doesn’t make any sense to have rice paddies there, since they require so much water, but they were put there at some point and many struggle to keep them going. Environmentalists are highly critical of these rice paddy fields, so poorly placed in the dessert. In Casa Blanca and another town, we constructed some biohuertos/vegetable gardens, attempted a cocina mejorada, worked with some young teens, and enacted in some charlas, this time with HIV/AIDS/STD’s. The on-site trainings were extremely different as far as topography, language, and the people go, but in common—excessive malnutrition in kids and some shotty living situations.
Back to the Chaclacayo area (where our training was), we worked in some outerlying towns that experience a great disparity in comparison to those living in the center. We paid some visits on behalf of a health post, and visited an older man who used to lay concrete, currently living atop a hill (I don’t know how he even manages to get up there, with such loose sediment and dog crap everywhere), suffering from tuberculosis. His ‘house’ consists of boards with some tin for a roof- dirt floor, covered with winged bugs, filled with moisture, and dirt covered belongings. Some of his grown children live just below him in their ‘homes’ with their kids with many kids. I’m hoping in the future, a couple of volunteers will be permitted to stay behind around the training center area of Chaclacayo/Chosica to work with the surrounding, poorer communities. As it currently stands, we all disperse after the 10 weeks to different parts. There exists decent infrastructure in the towns’ centers, but this is lacking in the outer lying communities. While at a health post in Quirio, I was talking to a few girls who were excited to know we were there, but then, to their dismay, we were there just for training, soon to leave. One issue they brought up was their hope in preventing individuals from killing their dogs and leaving them by or in the water canal since it serves as their water source. Definitely hoping we cease making a very temporary presence in these communities, utilizing them as ‘practice’ before leaving…
On a more positive note, I did achieve one of my goals of teaching yoga/body flow 1x/week at the center (and one time with my host mom at 11 o’clock at night the night before I left, I wish our schedules could have corresponded better)—so now, I’m hoping to bring some of this good spirit to my community in Mache – needing to learn how to teach in Spanish...
To back up a bit, since I haven’t written for ages… I finished training this last weekend, with a grand finale of a ceremony, being ordained now as a volunteer, as opposed to as just an “aspirante”. Strange how we formed our own mini-subculture at our training center, and now we are dispersed all over different parts of Peru. We received our assignments in week 8, and I was assigned to a site in the Sierra, about 3350 m+ high in altitude, to a community called Mache, population between 500-800, sometimes less, depending on the season. Mache has 24 surrounding caseríos or towns, one of which is Lluín, where another health volunteer has been placed (about 1 hour walking distance away). Within the last weeks of training, we had field based trainings (volunteers were split up into groups depending on their respective program - health, environment, or water-sanitation), and we visited sites of other volunteers. I ascended to the department of Ancash, in the Sierra to Musho where they speak Quechua, to where white mountains lie, peaked by Huascaran, and waterfalls cascade down from glaciers. However, I could only partially view this scenery because of the fog—but I am bound to return. In Musho and Mato (in the lower lying valley), we built latrines, cocinas mejoradas (improved kitchen stoves and ovens) and hosted some charlas (talks/lectures), such as on early childhood stimulation. I was ridiculously sick in many ways while in Musho, when trying to dig canals and pits for the latrine—including having a very distended stomach and strangely, burping excessively—couldn’t eat for a couple of days. Leading up to departure to our final destination of 2 years, I hopped over to baja Piura for another site training, to a completely different climate—flatlands, in the chakras, hot—seemed like I was in Cambodia, or Thailand, amidst rice paddies with white cranes, and tropical, with the palm trees lining the fields. The towns around these areas were of dirt/sand. With the very dry, arid land, it really doesn’t make any sense to have rice paddies there, since they require so much water, but they were put there at some point and many struggle to keep them going. Environmentalists are highly critical of these rice paddy fields, so poorly placed in the dessert. In Casa Blanca and another town, we constructed some biohuertos/vegetable gardens, attempted a cocina mejorada, worked with some young teens, and enacted in some charlas, this time with HIV/AIDS/STD’s. The on-site trainings were extremely different as far as topography, language, and the people go, but in common—excessive malnutrition in kids and some shotty living situations.
Back to the Chaclacayo area (where our training was), we worked in some outerlying towns that experience a great disparity in comparison to those living in the center. We paid some visits on behalf of a health post, and visited an older man who used to lay concrete, currently living atop a hill (I don’t know how he even manages to get up there, with such loose sediment and dog crap everywhere), suffering from tuberculosis. His ‘house’ consists of boards with some tin for a roof- dirt floor, covered with winged bugs, filled with moisture, and dirt covered belongings. Some of his grown children live just below him in their ‘homes’ with their kids with many kids. I’m hoping in the future, a couple of volunteers will be permitted to stay behind around the training center area of Chaclacayo/Chosica to work with the surrounding, poorer communities. As it currently stands, we all disperse after the 10 weeks to different parts. There exists decent infrastructure in the towns’ centers, but this is lacking in the outer lying communities. While at a health post in Quirio, I was talking to a few girls who were excited to know we were there, but then, to their dismay, we were there just for training, soon to leave. One issue they brought up was their hope in preventing individuals from killing their dogs and leaving them by or in the water canal since it serves as their water source. Definitely hoping we cease making a very temporary presence in these communities, utilizing them as ‘practice’ before leaving…
On a more positive note, I did achieve one of my goals of teaching yoga/body flow 1x/week at the center (and one time with my host mom at 11 o’clock at night the night before I left, I wish our schedules could have corresponded better)—so now, I’m hoping to bring some of this good spirit to my community in Mache – needing to learn how to teach in Spanish...
miércoles, 4 de noviembre de 2009
Compromise, Patience, and Conservation (sometime in October)
There are times when I am going to find myself with everything and other times, with nothing. It’s an interesting interplay- an interplay to keep in mind when becoming frustrated when resources run low. Things most certainly do not come on demand here, not that they did in the states, but the ease in which things could be attained was not so tedious. I am learning patience which was one of my primary objectives, and compromise. I feel that the two go hand in hand. I am learning a trail exists to attaining what is desired - where there is a general progression, perhaps in the direction of improvement – and how this needs to be maintained consistently or else digression will occur.
The simple everyday trials in patience: I cannot be well accomplished in washing clothes the first go around, or be accustomed to showering with cold water from a bucket with a small Tupperware container in the cold. It’s a gradual progression to learning the technique. Soaking clothes in one bucket (starting with the whites first), wringing them out, moving to the second pail with detergent and using a scrub brush, board and sometimes ‘special soap’ to scrub and remove stains, wringing clothes out, progressing to third bucket, wrinsing, wringing, then to fourth (to adequately remove the detergent), but performing the last wringing before putting the clothes on the line, while strategically placing the few number of ganchas, or clips, so that clothes do not fall into the dirt and/or fly away. And with the shower. Bending forward 90 degrees to wash hair first and wring it out before washing the rest of your body so, a) you can prevent a mop of hair from making you freezing, and b) you can start the hair drying process. I am so happy I chopped my hair before coming.
Okay, the application to more pertinent, and perhaps more important aspects of life. Learning Spanish, Peruvian Spanish that is, and well that changes when going to different regions… and doing presentations in Spanish on health related topics that may or may not be new in content. It’s easy to adapt to speaking a very basic level of Spanish - communicating enough to get by with transport, small purchases, and superficial level of conversation, such as the most meldrum of topics – the weather. But, if wanting to feel outside of yourself, because being introverted all the time can get tiresome, expanding to topics of politics, the environment, art, philosophy, religion, can really be stimulating and enriching. I can approach these subjects, and was able to earlier on, but keeping a steady pace, and varying my vocabulary - I need to work on these. And I so want this to come immediately, but outside of my already busy schedule of training, I need to allocate the time. Really focus on engaging myself to retain and exercise comprehension. At the end of the day, it is so easy to want to recede and shut off for the day, which may or may not be appropriate.
I don’t have much patience with myself for performing, and so I am working on this. I can’t be perfect on presenting a topic, such as self-esteem, lactation, nutrition, etc., in Spanish, when perhaps, I may still have been hesitant to approach these topics in English. I have to accept I may suck the first few times I present - just smile and laugh at myself, and hope my audience can be accepting. The first few times, I probably will suck, and that’s okay, I need to accept that, because I can get better.
Conservation of time and energy, there are time when they can be exuded and times were they are already exacerbated.
It’s a scary notion that some things just may not happen, even though you feel so strongly about accomplishing these things. You really have to dedicate yourself to prioritizing because those more predominating priorities will take precedence. And how to work with a realistic time frame because it always seems like the desired outcomes come later than anticipated…
The simple everyday trials in patience: I cannot be well accomplished in washing clothes the first go around, or be accustomed to showering with cold water from a bucket with a small Tupperware container in the cold. It’s a gradual progression to learning the technique. Soaking clothes in one bucket (starting with the whites first), wringing them out, moving to the second pail with detergent and using a scrub brush, board and sometimes ‘special soap’ to scrub and remove stains, wringing clothes out, progressing to third bucket, wrinsing, wringing, then to fourth (to adequately remove the detergent), but performing the last wringing before putting the clothes on the line, while strategically placing the few number of ganchas, or clips, so that clothes do not fall into the dirt and/or fly away. And with the shower. Bending forward 90 degrees to wash hair first and wring it out before washing the rest of your body so, a) you can prevent a mop of hair from making you freezing, and b) you can start the hair drying process. I am so happy I chopped my hair before coming.
Okay, the application to more pertinent, and perhaps more important aspects of life. Learning Spanish, Peruvian Spanish that is, and well that changes when going to different regions… and doing presentations in Spanish on health related topics that may or may not be new in content. It’s easy to adapt to speaking a very basic level of Spanish - communicating enough to get by with transport, small purchases, and superficial level of conversation, such as the most meldrum of topics – the weather. But, if wanting to feel outside of yourself, because being introverted all the time can get tiresome, expanding to topics of politics, the environment, art, philosophy, religion, can really be stimulating and enriching. I can approach these subjects, and was able to earlier on, but keeping a steady pace, and varying my vocabulary - I need to work on these. And I so want this to come immediately, but outside of my already busy schedule of training, I need to allocate the time. Really focus on engaging myself to retain and exercise comprehension. At the end of the day, it is so easy to want to recede and shut off for the day, which may or may not be appropriate.
I don’t have much patience with myself for performing, and so I am working on this. I can’t be perfect on presenting a topic, such as self-esteem, lactation, nutrition, etc., in Spanish, when perhaps, I may still have been hesitant to approach these topics in English. I have to accept I may suck the first few times I present - just smile and laugh at myself, and hope my audience can be accepting. The first few times, I probably will suck, and that’s okay, I need to accept that, because I can get better.
Conservation of time and energy, there are time when they can be exuded and times were they are already exacerbated.
It’s a scary notion that some things just may not happen, even though you feel so strongly about accomplishing these things. You really have to dedicate yourself to prioritizing because those more predominating priorities will take precedence. And how to work with a realistic time frame because it always seems like the desired outcomes come later than anticipated…
Amores Perros (10/7/07)
So, it more solidly hit home today, being gone for 2 years, and losing contact with those back at home. It’s hard to convey how much I feel for those around me, and yet to set out on my own quest. We watched a radical movie in language class this morning- it left a resounding, unsettling, feeling - how alone we are - how one can just act in his own best interest. I went for a run with one of the language instructors and we compared different perspectives on how to receive people (well, kind of, while being out of breath and speaking in Spanish :) and, in summary, there are two ways you can receive other people - to simply reciprocate kind behavior to only those who treat you well and disregard those who treat you poorly, or conversely, to press further in those who seemingly treat you poorly and pry to find why they act this way. Perhaps, the latter can lead to a greater understanding, and promote an improvement in behavioral patterns in the future. One could seemingly consider the first method as easier, a way of settling, and the second as more time-intensive and well, work. It played out last night, after passing by some young teenage boys who rhetorically yelled out inappropriate comments while I passed by. I could have seemingly continued on my way, and ignored them, but because they didn’t seem threatening, I turned back around and approached them, expressing how I didn’t appreciate their disrespect, and continued into introductions and casual conversation. Being culturally sensitive, and rather taking into the age factor, I can try to understand how they were just poking fun, and on my account, they can see there’s more to just a face of a gringa passing by.
Some interesting developments this last week were visitors. The U.S. ambassador, Mike McKinley, made it a point to come visit us in Chaclacayo, accompanied by his bodyguard. This was a notable experience, and I guess, as far as political standards go and in the South American arena, an encounter with a celebrity. He was very well composed and seemed genuinely engaged in our interactions. He lunched with us for over an hour and afterward, spoke to us for a little over an hour. Some feedback included his favorite part of Peru being the people, and that the most valuable assets we could bring to rural communities would be the English language if we choose to teach and the internet/computer skills (I feel so hindered without a functioning computer!). These two assets in essence connect them to the outer world, affording them insurmountable opportunity. ‘Internet penetration’ (aka internet access), only reaches 4% of the population here, which I find shocking. One funny remark he made was how Peru is undergoing a gastro revolution and how we should take full advantage of this, by trying the rich delicacies restaurants have to offer. We all silently laughed and bit our tongues at this because, (a) our modest wages/stipend suffices as barely sufficient to eat at the cheapest restaurants, (b) we will be stationed in rural posts, and therefore will not really have access to restaurants, and (c) how our diet is consumed by rice and potatoes. And as a side note to the rice and potatoes, I am starting to understand how these foods came into mainstream staples – they obviously are an inexpensive option, are filling (which was greatly needed to take away the hunger pains of the poor), and serve as calorie dense food (especially needed for the labor intensive lifestyle). A couple of book s he recommended were Lords of Poverty and Bottom Billionaire – and therefore added to my endless reading list. He ended with the ‘moral superiority’ that we and the Peace Corps strive to uphold, and “to learn to recognize what you can’t fix.” Hmmm, brings me back to the Serenity Prayer Sevrina would remind me of senior year of college… I consistently get frustrated with life, and she would kindly nudge me and recite this prayer:)
Some other notable visitors were Russ (from U of P) and his friend Mike who I got to meet for the first time. We went hiking in San Geronimo and it was the first time I was able to escape the training bubble and see some lush green! And, share in real, feel-good conversation. It’s such a contrast to converse with someone who knows you from before. I love proactive encounters in nature – the two unfold so naturally.
A couple of observations to report - the Peruvian work schedule and transport, aka the combi. It seems like a lot of people don’t sleep here, at least not enough. The low to lower-middle class do an obscene amount of work between the home and actual paid work. They become accustomed I guess, to going to bed around midnight and awakening at dawn (4 to 5ish). I don’t know how they do it. And, on a lighter note, the joke is, if you think a combi is full, you can always fit 10 more Peruvians – some commutes have equivocated to disbelief, like really, we’re going to put even more people on here? I didn’t think it was possible.
Some interesting developments this last week were visitors. The U.S. ambassador, Mike McKinley, made it a point to come visit us in Chaclacayo, accompanied by his bodyguard. This was a notable experience, and I guess, as far as political standards go and in the South American arena, an encounter with a celebrity. He was very well composed and seemed genuinely engaged in our interactions. He lunched with us for over an hour and afterward, spoke to us for a little over an hour. Some feedback included his favorite part of Peru being the people, and that the most valuable assets we could bring to rural communities would be the English language if we choose to teach and the internet/computer skills (I feel so hindered without a functioning computer!). These two assets in essence connect them to the outer world, affording them insurmountable opportunity. ‘Internet penetration’ (aka internet access), only reaches 4% of the population here, which I find shocking. One funny remark he made was how Peru is undergoing a gastro revolution and how we should take full advantage of this, by trying the rich delicacies restaurants have to offer. We all silently laughed and bit our tongues at this because, (a) our modest wages/stipend suffices as barely sufficient to eat at the cheapest restaurants, (b) we will be stationed in rural posts, and therefore will not really have access to restaurants, and (c) how our diet is consumed by rice and potatoes. And as a side note to the rice and potatoes, I am starting to understand how these foods came into mainstream staples – they obviously are an inexpensive option, are filling (which was greatly needed to take away the hunger pains of the poor), and serve as calorie dense food (especially needed for the labor intensive lifestyle). A couple of book s he recommended were Lords of Poverty and Bottom Billionaire – and therefore added to my endless reading list. He ended with the ‘moral superiority’ that we and the Peace Corps strive to uphold, and “to learn to recognize what you can’t fix.” Hmmm, brings me back to the Serenity Prayer Sevrina would remind me of senior year of college… I consistently get frustrated with life, and she would kindly nudge me and recite this prayer:)
Some other notable visitors were Russ (from U of P) and his friend Mike who I got to meet for the first time. We went hiking in San Geronimo and it was the first time I was able to escape the training bubble and see some lush green! And, share in real, feel-good conversation. It’s such a contrast to converse with someone who knows you from before. I love proactive encounters in nature – the two unfold so naturally.
A couple of observations to report - the Peruvian work schedule and transport, aka the combi. It seems like a lot of people don’t sleep here, at least not enough. The low to lower-middle class do an obscene amount of work between the home and actual paid work. They become accustomed I guess, to going to bed around midnight and awakening at dawn (4 to 5ish). I don’t know how they do it. And, on a lighter note, the joke is, if you think a combi is full, you can always fit 10 more Peruvians – some commutes have equivocated to disbelief, like really, we’re going to put even more people on here? I didn’t think it was possible.
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