So I haven´t posted since before Christmas and would just like to start by saying Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano to all of those out there who are still reading over a month and a half into this adventure.
Also, as a forewarning, I will be on hiatus from January 4th till the 31st, but not because I am giving up on my blog, but because I will be out of contact on Mes de Mision. So please come back and read in the beginning of February - I promise whatever thoughts will come out of it will be exciting.
So Christmas - wow. Everyone here stays up until midnight, and on the radio they play this grand countdown (which always used to be live, but then apparently they got worried about the age of the announcer and it is taped now - remind anyone of Dick Clark...). Then, everyone is together in one room (can range from immediate family to 30-40 people) and when the clock strikes 12 and the countdown ends, everybody hugs, there is a champagne toast and then the whole city - and I mean the whole city - goes outside to light fireworks. From the roof of where I was, we could see the whole city and for like fifteen minutes it is just a grand display of everything from bigger booms to the little firecrackers. I thought it was pretty amazing - though I have heard that in some places in the US it is celebrated similarly. Then, everyone has the big meal afterward and people spend most of the day of the 25th itself resting.
Other interesting traditions include having manger scenes that are chaotic as possible (with as much Christmas junk and snazzy, but real tacky lights - that blink in bizarre ways and play really crappy versions of Christmas carols), using a real baby and real involved costumes in the presentations of the first Christmas, and sharing a chocolatada many many times (a chocolatada is basically making hot chocolate - usually super greasy - and eating paneton - which is basically fruitcake, but more doughy. It might sound delicious and it can be, but also remember that it is the middle of the desert here....
Two other events to note:
- They finished building the roof to new classrooms at my school and in celebration cooked some local fare - picante al la taquena - for the workers. This overlapped with the Christmas dinner amongst the teachers that was shared. I have to be honest - I was a little disappointed with it as a party as it started super late (and so I and many other teachers couldn´t stay late because it is hard to get back to the center from there) and was divided into like three groups: the workers who were in a circle drinking beer, some of the teachers - all males ones and almost all of the male ones who were there - standing around in a circle and drinking, and then the rest of the teachers - mostly female - inside eating and drinking a bit. Food wasn´t particularly good and people were not really dancing, which I was hoping for (I have come to really really enjoy dancing). The most exciting part of the night was when I hung out with the workers for a bit and made fun of my gringo self and just generally bonded with them. The school doorman, who was drinking with them, also was still drunk at 9 am the next morning when school started and then still drunk or maybe redrunk at 3 pm when he passed by my house to introduce me to his son (who was thoroughly embarassed). That whole experience definitely reminded of some of the cultural norms (if that´s the right word for it - I don´t know, I feel like I am losing my english sometimes, haha) of Latin American cultural.
- I went yesterday to check out the petroglyphs that are nearby Tacna in a town called Miculla. They are pretty cool and really old, and according to my host mom, are part of a magnetic center that attracts extraterrestials or something like that. At the least, wack job groups who believe in that stuff make pilgrimages there from time to time. I had one of my lowest moments yet though when my host mom took off down the road without me when I was exploring the rocks. I felt really abandoned and upset as I saw her practically running down the road (and everytime she turned around and I tried to wave her to stop and wait, she ran faster). I got angrier and angrier (also, I was pretty hungry by that point) and was annoyed at myself for acting a little childish instead of just running to catch up and play the whole thing as the joke I knew she meant it to be. When we finally reached the road where the buses passed about a half hour later, she told me it was all just to get us to lunch faster. A good lunch of choclo and grilled lamb, accompanied by a malta beer, definitely did the trick for making me feel better.
Lastly, there are MORE pictures up on my facebook, so check them out!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Movin´ On Up
So, yesterday I finally moved into the digs in Habitat (of which there are a couple pictures on my facebook). Habitat is basically like a poor suburb - its quiter than the city, its more of a community, you have to take a bus or collective taxi (no SUVs - pretty sweet) to the center, and its got its own school (Miguel Pro - with whom I will be doing Mes de Mision), but the people live very simply for the most part and it was built by a collective effort with support from Habitat for Humanity.
I think a perfect little anecdote of how I expect life to go is my first overnight experience. After an exciting night of unpacking, moving stuff around, hanging out with the community mates and eating avocado, wheat thins (Christa´s mom brought some from the US), cheese and some grapes (of which I will keep eating and eating until my stomach hurts), I slept well until about 3:30. From then on, between my own restlessness and the gallos going cockadoodledoo all the live long morning, I pretty much slept terribly. At 5:30, I went for a short run, which was both rough, but very enlivening. As I was finishing up, I passed by one of our neighbor´s houses and stopped to talk to her a bit as she was gardening out front. After I nice chat, I went back to our place. About half an hour later, her middle daughter showed up asking if we had a pitcher they had lent to us the other day (I couldn´t find it). Then ten minutes later, one family member (though I didn´t see which) brought over a gallon jug filled with this awesome banana shake stuff. Ten minutes later, her younger daughter showed up asking for two plastic coca-cola bottles (had to be coca cola). Meanwhile, one of my community mates was in the bathroom with a bit of an upset stomach, which I mentioned to the girl. Almost as soon as she left, there was a knock on the door again, and this time it was the mother who had come by to see what was wrong and offerher advice on how to handle a rough stomach.
Wonderful, without privacy, action-packed--I think this is pretty much what life is going to be like.
Other things of note:
- On the way from my host family down here on Sunday, we passed by a passed out drunken guy on the side of the street and the taxi driver and I spent a couple minutes getting him into the shade and getting him awake and alive with some water. Always scary to see something like that - and from what I hear, happens quite often here.
- I have become a baking master. At the host family´s, I made a banana bread, a carrot cake-bread, a chocolate banana bread, an apple banana bread and a chocolate strawberry cake. I have been loving it. The other day I also helped make some ceviche - which is incredibly easy to do (just a helluva lot of dicing) and incredibly incredibly tasty. I have been talking so much about different cooking things and am so excited. I will promise to post about how my X-Mas baking plans go.
- Spent a last great day with the host family and we laughed, talked about the times I got frustrated, talked about all the ¨silly¨ things I did - which to me were just innocent cultural mistakes, but they find overwhelmingly hillarious (like when I say policia with the accent in the wrong place or made some joke about the host father being papasnatas - long story - which apparently means stupid or dumb here) - and went to eat some grilled cow´s heart for the last time with them. I will definitely miss them, but am planning already on doing a bunch with them (including eating Christmas dinner there).
- The former volunteer at Santa Cruz left and so today it was just me. In a weird way it gave me a boost of confidence, though it was also a bit tough to handle at times with the students (who are already sort of checked out anyway). But I definitely comfortable in my own skin there, so to speak, which I think is a real plus.
I think a perfect little anecdote of how I expect life to go is my first overnight experience. After an exciting night of unpacking, moving stuff around, hanging out with the community mates and eating avocado, wheat thins (Christa´s mom brought some from the US), cheese and some grapes (of which I will keep eating and eating until my stomach hurts), I slept well until about 3:30. From then on, between my own restlessness and the gallos going cockadoodledoo all the live long morning, I pretty much slept terribly. At 5:30, I went for a short run, which was both rough, but very enlivening. As I was finishing up, I passed by one of our neighbor´s houses and stopped to talk to her a bit as she was gardening out front. After I nice chat, I went back to our place. About half an hour later, her middle daughter showed up asking if we had a pitcher they had lent to us the other day (I couldn´t find it). Then ten minutes later, one family member (though I didn´t see which) brought over a gallon jug filled with this awesome banana shake stuff. Ten minutes later, her younger daughter showed up asking for two plastic coca-cola bottles (had to be coca cola). Meanwhile, one of my community mates was in the bathroom with a bit of an upset stomach, which I mentioned to the girl. Almost as soon as she left, there was a knock on the door again, and this time it was the mother who had come by to see what was wrong and offerher advice on how to handle a rough stomach.
Wonderful, without privacy, action-packed--I think this is pretty much what life is going to be like.
Other things of note:
- On the way from my host family down here on Sunday, we passed by a passed out drunken guy on the side of the street and the taxi driver and I spent a couple minutes getting him into the shade and getting him awake and alive with some water. Always scary to see something like that - and from what I hear, happens quite often here.
- I have become a baking master. At the host family´s, I made a banana bread, a carrot cake-bread, a chocolate banana bread, an apple banana bread and a chocolate strawberry cake. I have been loving it. The other day I also helped make some ceviche - which is incredibly easy to do (just a helluva lot of dicing) and incredibly incredibly tasty. I have been talking so much about different cooking things and am so excited. I will promise to post about how my X-Mas baking plans go.
- Spent a last great day with the host family and we laughed, talked about the times I got frustrated, talked about all the ¨silly¨ things I did - which to me were just innocent cultural mistakes, but they find overwhelmingly hillarious (like when I say policia with the accent in the wrong place or made some joke about the host father being papasnatas - long story - which apparently means stupid or dumb here) - and went to eat some grilled cow´s heart for the last time with them. I will definitely miss them, but am planning already on doing a bunch with them (including eating Christmas dinner there).
- The former volunteer at Santa Cruz left and so today it was just me. In a weird way it gave me a boost of confidence, though it was also a bit tough to handle at times with the students (who are already sort of checked out anyway). But I definitely comfortable in my own skin there, so to speak, which I think is a real plus.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Almost Community Time
Instead of talking about what I have been up to (nothing super exciting - a going away party for the ex volunteers, doting over the package my brother sent me that had everything from the useful - reading materials - to the fun - chocolates - to the head scratchers - instant mashed potatoes -, teaching some classes, going to a huge mass that was given by the bishop and had the atmosphere of a southern revival), I figured I would just briefly talk a little bit about what I am thinking about on the horizon.
Next weekend, I move out of living with my host family and into the place where I will be permanently for the next two years. Needless to say, I am super excited and pumped to do that. Life will be much simpler - at the host family´s, everything has been given to me that I asked for, we have gone out to eat at restaurants a bunch, they are almost insulted when I try to help out, and while I have felt very welcome, I have just generally felt too like I was a visitor. Now I will be settling down into much more simple digs where I will have to cook, do my own laundry and work with others - but also will benefit from (and I guess at times struggle with) having people that I feel like I can talk and share things with from my own own culture and with similar struggles.
But just to give everyone out there an idea, the house is pretty small, we always have flies about, always have visitors (often students or family connected to Miguel Pro - the school in this area where three of the volunteers teach) from the community dropping in to talk or just generally hang out with the gringos, we do everything ourselves, and perhaps most importantly, we live simply. That means everything from doing it all ourselves to intentionally not using many creature comforts to being conscious of our water usage. It will be both a real challenge and a real learning experience - I am sure.
And I guess when it all comes down to it, I can always give the old host family a buzz when I want to enjoy some of the benefits of the life I have led for this month - which is a true testament to their openness, friendliness and kindness.
p.s. Sometimes I definitely feel my english slipping away - like the other day when I spent hours trying to think of the word non sequitur.
Next weekend, I move out of living with my host family and into the place where I will be permanently for the next two years. Needless to say, I am super excited and pumped to do that. Life will be much simpler - at the host family´s, everything has been given to me that I asked for, we have gone out to eat at restaurants a bunch, they are almost insulted when I try to help out, and while I have felt very welcome, I have just generally felt too like I was a visitor. Now I will be settling down into much more simple digs where I will have to cook, do my own laundry and work with others - but also will benefit from (and I guess at times struggle with) having people that I feel like I can talk and share things with from my own own culture and with similar struggles.
But just to give everyone out there an idea, the house is pretty small, we always have flies about, always have visitors (often students or family connected to Miguel Pro - the school in this area where three of the volunteers teach) from the community dropping in to talk or just generally hang out with the gringos, we do everything ourselves, and perhaps most importantly, we live simply. That means everything from doing it all ourselves to intentionally not using many creature comforts to being conscious of our water usage. It will be both a real challenge and a real learning experience - I am sure.
And I guess when it all comes down to it, I can always give the old host family a buzz when I want to enjoy some of the benefits of the life I have led for this month - which is a true testament to their openness, friendliness and kindness.
p.s. Sometimes I definitely feel my english slipping away - like the other day when I spent hours trying to think of the word non sequitur.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Birthday and Continuous Parties
Lately, everything has seemed like it has been celebrations after celebrations. At times, I wonder how all of this celebration (and along with it partying, at times a bit of drinking - though mostly tasty homemade wine, and generally not working as much) fits in with my mission here, but I keep telling myself that I just need to enjoy the good times and embrace all of the cultural experiences that come with it.
My birthday went really well and I probably danced for about 5 hours. We had an afternoon party up in this chacra-farm and danced there. Then we had to end that to go to dance practice for the traditional cumbia dance that we performed at the big school party day on Saturday here at the school that is in the community where the JVI house is (this school is called Miguel Pro). From there, we went to a bar to drink a bit and then to a night club where we danced even more. I probably have danced more in the last five days then in the five years before it. Tiring, but fun for sure.
Saturday brought the birthday party of one of the volunteers who is leaving and the evening brought some cake baking and learning different dances and dancing around with the host family on their patio. There is one ridiculous one that is african influenced (I think) and is basically hips in and out and hands pumping the air - I definitely look the most ridiculous trying that one.
Sunday was the day of the big school party here and our traditional dance went off pretty well. I promise at some point to have pictures up from it (though I am finding it frustraitingly hard to get photos online). We did our little dance and then in the evening danced a whole bunch more when we were invited to the Promocion of the seniors (which is kind of like a mix of graduation ceremony and prom).
On a more reflective note, I have been noticing some of the growing pains of culture shock. I love the host family I am with and am really grateful for everything they do for me (and all the good times they are showing me), but am also starting to notice all the little things and how much they annoy me at times. Everything from how they taunt me about any mention of any female (long story, but trust me, it was nothing at all to do with a relationship and it was real frustrating to get it constantly from them) to how they tend to repeat a lot of times what I just finished saying without actually listening to it or how they call me Gabrielito all the time (especially annoying when they have nothing to say and just go ¨Gabrielito¨in this real cutsy voice). It feels a little nice right now to be able to just vent a bit, but like I said, I am very grateful and they have been awesome. For instance, after the dance, they were cool with taking me to the nicer chicken place in the center again so that this time I could try anticucho (cow´s heart). Man, that´s some tasty tasty grilled meat - probably my favorite.
I guess I just have to keep that in mind - new cultural experiences have to have their ups and downs and that even during the lows, those awesome moments that I would never have otherwise will return.
My birthday went really well and I probably danced for about 5 hours. We had an afternoon party up in this chacra-farm and danced there. Then we had to end that to go to dance practice for the traditional cumbia dance that we performed at the big school party day on Saturday here at the school that is in the community where the JVI house is (this school is called Miguel Pro). From there, we went to a bar to drink a bit and then to a night club where we danced even more. I probably have danced more in the last five days then in the five years before it. Tiring, but fun for sure.
Saturday brought the birthday party of one of the volunteers who is leaving and the evening brought some cake baking and learning different dances and dancing around with the host family on their patio. There is one ridiculous one that is african influenced (I think) and is basically hips in and out and hands pumping the air - I definitely look the most ridiculous trying that one.
Sunday was the day of the big school party here and our traditional dance went off pretty well. I promise at some point to have pictures up from it (though I am finding it frustraitingly hard to get photos online). We did our little dance and then in the evening danced a whole bunch more when we were invited to the Promocion of the seniors (which is kind of like a mix of graduation ceremony and prom).
On a more reflective note, I have been noticing some of the growing pains of culture shock. I love the host family I am with and am really grateful for everything they do for me (and all the good times they are showing me), but am also starting to notice all the little things and how much they annoy me at times. Everything from how they taunt me about any mention of any female (long story, but trust me, it was nothing at all to do with a relationship and it was real frustrating to get it constantly from them) to how they tend to repeat a lot of times what I just finished saying without actually listening to it or how they call me Gabrielito all the time (especially annoying when they have nothing to say and just go ¨Gabrielito¨in this real cutsy voice). It feels a little nice right now to be able to just vent a bit, but like I said, I am very grateful and they have been awesome. For instance, after the dance, they were cool with taking me to the nicer chicken place in the center again so that this time I could try anticucho (cow´s heart). Man, that´s some tasty tasty grilled meat - probably my favorite.
I guess I just have to keep that in mind - new cultural experiences have to have their ups and downs and that even during the lows, those awesome moments that I would never have otherwise will return.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Bautismo and more food
The old volunteer at the site I will be teaching became a double godfather this past weekend. It was a pretty interesting experience all around - from the fact that it was a mass baptism of 10-12 people ranging all ages, to the fact that the priest arrived late, to the way he had to ask for volunteers from the audience to do the readings on the spot. On a random side note, the lack of timeliness and the way I am mocked for mine is starting to get to me at times. I have to find a way to adapt or work around this aspect of life here - its so different than what I am used to.
But all in all, it was pretty incredible - this humble, poorer family clearly was very happy and excited by the event. They invited me, Brad, and my host family - who came to support Brad since they know him well - to dinner at their place afterwards. They of course gave us these giant portions of choclo (the type of corn they have a lot of down here), big potatoes that came from the highlands and were indeed more delicious, and chicken. It was one of those tough situations where they clearly served themselves less, but as a guest, you are almost madated and it does make them happy when you finish it all off. We talked for a couple of hours and they come from the highlands and basically are just good people trying to get by. The father is away all week working at the beach and was lamenting that he didn´t have any friends there and how life is just kind of passing him by. I will need to make sure to stop by from time to time on Sundays or to invite them over - their openness and hospitality were just touching, and I think very common in the sierra.
On another food note, I had cuy (Guinea Pig) on Sunday and it was served spread eagle and fried (also with big potatoes and choclo). We had it at this nice touristy restaurant, though you still go at it with your fingers and inevitably make a mess. Also, you eat everything - and I mean everything. Probably strangest part of the meal for me was riping the testicles off of the little body and dousing it with some of the hot sauce in order to make myself brave enough to try it. But all in all, it was a tasty and awesome experience. I probably should have saved the head for posterity´s sake, but I did take pictures and will get those up online at some point.
But all in all, it was pretty incredible - this humble, poorer family clearly was very happy and excited by the event. They invited me, Brad, and my host family - who came to support Brad since they know him well - to dinner at their place afterwards. They of course gave us these giant portions of choclo (the type of corn they have a lot of down here), big potatoes that came from the highlands and were indeed more delicious, and chicken. It was one of those tough situations where they clearly served themselves less, but as a guest, you are almost madated and it does make them happy when you finish it all off. We talked for a couple of hours and they come from the highlands and basically are just good people trying to get by. The father is away all week working at the beach and was lamenting that he didn´t have any friends there and how life is just kind of passing him by. I will need to make sure to stop by from time to time on Sundays or to invite them over - their openness and hospitality were just touching, and I think very common in the sierra.
On another food note, I had cuy (Guinea Pig) on Sunday and it was served spread eagle and fried (also with big potatoes and choclo). We had it at this nice touristy restaurant, though you still go at it with your fingers and inevitably make a mess. Also, you eat everything - and I mean everything. Probably strangest part of the meal for me was riping the testicles off of the little body and dousing it with some of the hot sauce in order to make myself brave enough to try it. But all in all, it was a tasty and awesome experience. I probably should have saved the head for posterity´s sake, but I did take pictures and will get those up online at some point.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Belated Feliz Dia de Accion de Gracias
Just wanted to wish anyone reading a belated happy thanksgiving day. Rest assured - we had a good feast of epic proportions with grilled chicken, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, apple sauce, apple pie, stuffing, a casserole of sweet potatoes and bananas (delicious), wine, beer, some milky type fruit drink (I have no idea) and good company. My stomach was so full afterwards - I honestly do not think I have eaten that much in a long time.
An interesting Thanksgiving related side note, it was sort of fun to explain the holiday to the different classes. But I did also think more than once that I could have totally lied to them and told them some bogus reason for why we celebrate it. Not that it would be particular funny or useful, but if for instance if I had told them that it celebrated the day when the first Americans expelled a ravage horde of rabinous spider monkeys from the country, I am pretty sure most of my students would believe me. I guess it just shows how much my word will probably be taken as gold as an embassador of other cultures and how careful and responsible I need to be.
Oh, and as has become par for the course, I had to teach a forty five minute lesson on tag questions without having ever seen the material yesterday when the teacher told me she had to leave the room all of a sudden to meet with a parent who showed up. I might stop mentioning these moments since they have become so common.
An interesting Thanksgiving related side note, it was sort of fun to explain the holiday to the different classes. But I did also think more than once that I could have totally lied to them and told them some bogus reason for why we celebrate it. Not that it would be particular funny or useful, but if for instance if I had told them that it celebrated the day when the first Americans expelled a ravage horde of rabinous spider monkeys from the country, I am pretty sure most of my students would believe me. I guess it just shows how much my word will probably be taken as gold as an embassador of other cultures and how careful and responsible I need to be.
Oh, and as has become par for the course, I had to teach a forty five minute lesson on tag questions without having ever seen the material yesterday when the teacher told me she had to leave the room all of a sudden to meet with a parent who showed up. I might stop mentioning these moments since they have become so common.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Jergas
A lot of what I have been experiencing has felt at times overwhelming, but one thing that I have definitely loved while being here so far is that I feel very much like I am learning so much everyday. Whether it is simply a word here or there in Spanish (like codicioso today in the 4th grade class I observed - it means greedy) or something more profound about Peruvian culture or myself, I am always playing the role of student.
One thing that I have been really picking up on is the use of slang here. On Sunday, we had a party at the house of my host mother´s sister and as we sat around and drank Herbalife (the name my host mother gives to this delicious fruit milkshake with a splash of pisco - which is a hard liquor made out of grapes), I learned from the younger kids all about the words. As I soon came to realize, everything has to do with sex. Even the word ¨cosa,¨which literally means thing, is a word used for a woman´s vagina. It is quite astounding how many basic words relate back to sex in this culture.
What might be the most interestng, however, I gleaned from a conversation I had later with my community mates about this. In general, Peruvians are very weary to talk about sex and sexually related things - as I learned during my man talk I had to spontaneously give to a class of seventh graders the other day - and sex is sort of a taboo. But in certain ways, this sexual frustration or reticence, or whatever it is, really comes out strongly. It´s sort of like the whole culture is stuck in mid-teenage adolesence when it comes to this.
I don´t want to be judgmental about it, but it is interesting nonetheless.
Also of note lately: they really really hate fruit flies here. Last week, some people from the government (including two dressed up in a big costume of a fruit fly eradicator and one as a fruit fly) visited the school to educate the kids on the dangers of fruit flys and how to eliminate them. This entire week has then been devoted to reinforcing these things. So, if you ever cared to know: la mosca de la fruta can lay 10-12 eggs in one fruit, the best ways to deal with an infected fruit are to burn it, put it in a bag and bury it, or to drown it, and the only two provinces in Peru that are currently free of la mosca de la fruta are Tacna and the neighboring one. How interesting, no?
One thing that I have been really picking up on is the use of slang here. On Sunday, we had a party at the house of my host mother´s sister and as we sat around and drank Herbalife (the name my host mother gives to this delicious fruit milkshake with a splash of pisco - which is a hard liquor made out of grapes), I learned from the younger kids all about the words. As I soon came to realize, everything has to do with sex. Even the word ¨cosa,¨which literally means thing, is a word used for a woman´s vagina. It is quite astounding how many basic words relate back to sex in this culture.
What might be the most interestng, however, I gleaned from a conversation I had later with my community mates about this. In general, Peruvians are very weary to talk about sex and sexually related things - as I learned during my man talk I had to spontaneously give to a class of seventh graders the other day - and sex is sort of a taboo. But in certain ways, this sexual frustration or reticence, or whatever it is, really comes out strongly. It´s sort of like the whole culture is stuck in mid-teenage adolesence when it comes to this.
I don´t want to be judgmental about it, but it is interesting nonetheless.
Also of note lately: they really really hate fruit flies here. Last week, some people from the government (including two dressed up in a big costume of a fruit fly eradicator and one as a fruit fly) visited the school to educate the kids on the dangers of fruit flys and how to eliminate them. This entire week has then been devoted to reinforcing these things. So, if you ever cared to know: la mosca de la fruta can lay 10-12 eggs in one fruit, the best ways to deal with an infected fruit are to burn it, put it in a bag and bury it, or to drown it, and the only two provinces in Peru that are currently free of la mosca de la fruta are Tacna and the neighboring one. How interesting, no?
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Chevere
I feel like the blog might just turn into me relating a series of random moments I find interesting, but it is hard to find time online that I do not feel at least a bit rushed. Anyway, here are two more fun things from yesterday:
1) I was observing a religion teachers class and when it ended there was a 15 minute recess. As I went outside to hang out with the kids, she called me back in and proceeded to ask if I could give a talk on my experiences with finding the meaning of life (el sentido de la vida) in her next class, which was on personal development. She handed me the teacher´s edition of the textbook so I could read through it.
To say the least, I was a little bewildered. In the end, however, I was saved because she didn´t even have class thanks to two visitors from the Ministry of Agriculture who came to speak to the students on Fruit Flys and the importance to the Patria on keeping them out of Tacna and Taquenan fruit. It was a bizarre half hour of unexpected surprises, to say the least.
2) At night, I went with my host family to their friend´s place which was only a few minutes out f town in an area that has a lot of touristy restaurants. The area itself, however, is very rural and has a lot of fields with different things growing. About a two minute walk from the Panamerican Highway, we entered this farm with figs and grapes and all sorts of things growing everywhere. It felt like we were entering a different world and when we reached the house, there was a party of about ten people. Wine was passed around (serving each from the same little cup as seems to be a Latin American mainstay), gringo jokes were made (especially about dancing), some roast lamb (like the ribs of the lamb - which were delicious) was brought out, and generally a good time was had in celebration of this one guys birthday. Oh, and especially important - the wine was homemade - footpressed on premises - delicious, and apparently only brought out by this guy on special occasions.
The highlight of the night, however, came when this guy´s friend, who we had passed on the way in, came on the main radio station for Tacna (Radio Uno) and wished the guy a happy birthday. As the guy was doing this, he also put in a shout out to all the guests, and did not forget to mention the Gringo who was with them (me). He even mentioned me a second time to say how strange it was to see one and that he didn´t know where I came from.
First time I have ever been given a shout out on the radio....
1) I was observing a religion teachers class and when it ended there was a 15 minute recess. As I went outside to hang out with the kids, she called me back in and proceeded to ask if I could give a talk on my experiences with finding the meaning of life (el sentido de la vida) in her next class, which was on personal development. She handed me the teacher´s edition of the textbook so I could read through it.
To say the least, I was a little bewildered. In the end, however, I was saved because she didn´t even have class thanks to two visitors from the Ministry of Agriculture who came to speak to the students on Fruit Flys and the importance to the Patria on keeping them out of Tacna and Taquenan fruit. It was a bizarre half hour of unexpected surprises, to say the least.
2) At night, I went with my host family to their friend´s place which was only a few minutes out f town in an area that has a lot of touristy restaurants. The area itself, however, is very rural and has a lot of fields with different things growing. About a two minute walk from the Panamerican Highway, we entered this farm with figs and grapes and all sorts of things growing everywhere. It felt like we were entering a different world and when we reached the house, there was a party of about ten people. Wine was passed around (serving each from the same little cup as seems to be a Latin American mainstay), gringo jokes were made (especially about dancing), some roast lamb (like the ribs of the lamb - which were delicious) was brought out, and generally a good time was had in celebration of this one guys birthday. Oh, and especially important - the wine was homemade - footpressed on premises - delicious, and apparently only brought out by this guy on special occasions.
The highlight of the night, however, came when this guy´s friend, who we had passed on the way in, came on the main radio station for Tacna (Radio Uno) and wished the guy a happy birthday. As the guy was doing this, he also put in a shout out to all the guests, and did not forget to mention the Gringo who was with them (me). He even mentioned me a second time to say how strange it was to see one and that he didn´t know where I came from.
First time I have ever been given a shout out on the radio....
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Lo Bueno y Lo Malo
So, why not start off with the positive aspects of life these last couple of days. I have moved in with a host family who could not be nicer and more generous. The mother has gone on and on about wanting to adopt a new son (not really, but one of us volunteers) and has already in two days taken me walking all over the city. She has taken to saying that God has given her an angel (since I tend to introduce myself here with a joke about being like the Angel Gabriel) and also calls me Gabriel Light because I am not too big on the sugar and am concious about what I eat. She, in turn, is the closest thing to a Peruvian health nut that I have come across here, so I am happy as a clam.
The one sort of odd thing is that the family is definitely on the upper end of the class spectrum here. Although I will only live with them for the next month (while the friendship and visits will last the entire two years, for sure), I still feel a bit uneasy. I think the best perspective to take is really that this allows me to get a fuller perspective on life and the people here - one that will provide me with a better understanding of the way poverty shapes the life of my students and also remind me of all the blessings and true struggles that I have committed to once I return to our modest home in Habitat.
To move on to the more negative news, I will return to my work at Colegio Santa Cruz. Hopefully many of you have gotten a chance to check out my facebook photos and seen a little bit of what the poverty and situation is like. I am now there everyday helping out the current volunteer Brad, talking to other teachers, getting to know the students, and just generally showing my face to try to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Yesterday, I learned of a horrible situation, however, that has befallen the community there. A few weeks ago, one female student and four male students from the fourth year of secundaria (kind of like middle school and high school combined) were all drinking and partying. The girl passed out and then the boys video taped themselves raping her. The video eventually ended up on a computer somewhere in Vinani - the neighborhood where the school is located. By now, the news has spread to the whole school, and only yesterday, after a few weeks, were the parents even brought into the school.
I know that I need to try to keep my judgments - especially with such minimum exposure to everything so far - in check, but I can´t help but feel appalled both by what happened and by the way the school has handled it so far. And while I could go on for hours about this, I will leave it at saying that there is definitely a culture of domestic abuse and machismo outside of the school that shaped this event and there is definitely a lack of structure and discipline within the school that made the response so ill-fitting (at least so far) to the situation.
I don´t want everyone out there to think that this school is so terrible though - there are a number of teachers and the director who are very much invested in making it a stronger and wonderful school and many many of the students are good, warm-hearted and friendly kids. But as my fellow new volunteer Nate would say, I have had my ¨not in Kansas anymore¨moment.
The one sort of odd thing is that the family is definitely on the upper end of the class spectrum here. Although I will only live with them for the next month (while the friendship and visits will last the entire two years, for sure), I still feel a bit uneasy. I think the best perspective to take is really that this allows me to get a fuller perspective on life and the people here - one that will provide me with a better understanding of the way poverty shapes the life of my students and also remind me of all the blessings and true struggles that I have committed to once I return to our modest home in Habitat.
To move on to the more negative news, I will return to my work at Colegio Santa Cruz. Hopefully many of you have gotten a chance to check out my facebook photos and seen a little bit of what the poverty and situation is like. I am now there everyday helping out the current volunteer Brad, talking to other teachers, getting to know the students, and just generally showing my face to try to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Yesterday, I learned of a horrible situation, however, that has befallen the community there. A few weeks ago, one female student and four male students from the fourth year of secundaria (kind of like middle school and high school combined) were all drinking and partying. The girl passed out and then the boys video taped themselves raping her. The video eventually ended up on a computer somewhere in Vinani - the neighborhood where the school is located. By now, the news has spread to the whole school, and only yesterday, after a few weeks, were the parents even brought into the school.
I know that I need to try to keep my judgments - especially with such minimum exposure to everything so far - in check, but I can´t help but feel appalled both by what happened and by the way the school has handled it so far. And while I could go on for hours about this, I will leave it at saying that there is definitely a culture of domestic abuse and machismo outside of the school that shaped this event and there is definitely a lack of structure and discipline within the school that made the response so ill-fitting (at least so far) to the situation.
I don´t want everyone out there to think that this school is so terrible though - there are a number of teachers and the director who are very much invested in making it a stronger and wonderful school and many many of the students are good, warm-hearted and friendly kids. But as my fellow new volunteer Nate would say, I have had my ¨not in Kansas anymore¨moment.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Moments that Make You Think
So, just as a quick update while I have a few minutes online - which I am realizing may be precious, especially in the first couple weeks here as I move in with my host family today - I wanted to relate a bizarre story from last week.
The two other new volunteers and I were discussing the history of the colegio where I will teach (Santa Cruz) when our discussion was interrupted by a six-year-oldish student. The student politely asked for permission to interrupt and it was granted. The little cute kid then proceeded to ask for a whip. The head of the school - a priest of the Santa Cruz order - kinda of looked at us and smiled and then asked the student what he needed it for. The kid replied that the teacher wanted to hit a student and that sounded reasonable enough to the director that he reached into his desk and pulled it out to give it to the student.
Apparently, corporal punishment down here is illegal, but.....
On another note, I have been recieving a whole lot of information on the people down here and the levels and statistics of poverty. I will go more in depth with this later, but just an interesting stat to throw out there: 70 % of the families in the area where we are living make less than 500 soles (about 3 soles to the dollar) per month. If you use an average of a family of four for this group, it means that the higher end of this group has a per capita per day income of around $1.25. A per capita per day income of $1 is extreme poverty - so these families aren´t starving, but they are struggling definitely to get by.
P.S. For photos, please check out my facebook page - and if you cannot get access to it, just email me and I will make sure you can.
The two other new volunteers and I were discussing the history of the colegio where I will teach (Santa Cruz) when our discussion was interrupted by a six-year-oldish student. The student politely asked for permission to interrupt and it was granted. The little cute kid then proceeded to ask for a whip. The head of the school - a priest of the Santa Cruz order - kinda of looked at us and smiled and then asked the student what he needed it for. The kid replied that the teacher wanted to hit a student and that sounded reasonable enough to the director that he reached into his desk and pulled it out to give it to the student.
Apparently, corporal punishment down here is illegal, but.....
On another note, I have been recieving a whole lot of information on the people down here and the levels and statistics of poverty. I will go more in depth with this later, but just an interesting stat to throw out there: 70 % of the families in the area where we are living make less than 500 soles (about 3 soles to the dollar) per month. If you use an average of a family of four for this group, it means that the higher end of this group has a per capita per day income of around $1.25. A per capita per day income of $1 is extreme poverty - so these families aren´t starving, but they are struggling definitely to get by.
P.S. For photos, please check out my facebook page - and if you cannot get access to it, just email me and I will make sure you can.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
First Impressions
So, while I have my first minute online, I figure I will knock off a quick update.
It is really deserty down here, and I have no idea why that surprised me as much as it did. It is super hot and sunny during the day and chilly at night. The terrain - and I promise I will get some photos up soon - is very flat, big sand dunes in the not to distant landscape, lots of rocks and sand and garbage everywhere. Our community house is in this little bizarre suburb that is about five minutes from downtown Tacna. It is a bit of a strange place - maybe five blocks by six blocks in area, and then around it is just the sand, rocks, and garbage, with a few of these invasiones - or impromptue huts of brick and straw that people build on government land and take over as essentially squatters.
The area where I will be teaching is a whole neighborhood of these invasiones and the school itself is actually half real buildings and about half of these huts made of estera (as it is called en espanol). They have a plan to make all the classrooms real buildings by next year (when they will also have their first graduating class) and generally seem like they are well on their way to making the school more established and official.
The politics are super interesting as well down here and we are right now in a cease-fire between the government and these strikers in the city who actually burned out the national government building in the middle of the city last week. The whole back story is complicated and I will detail more as I learn it, but basically apparently we are waiting right now to see what happens today to know whether or not it will start up tomorrow. If it does, school will be canceled probably and each day canceled has to be made up at the end of the year in late December. So much exciting drama.
The area where I will be teaching is a whole neighborhood of these invasiones and the school itself is actually half real buildings and about half of these huts made of estera (as it is called en espanol). They have a plan to make all the classrooms real buildings by next year (when they will also have their first graduating class) and generally seem like they are well on their way to making the school more established and official.
The politics are super interesting as well down here and we are right now in a cease-fire between the government and these strikers in the city who actually burned out the national government building in the middle of the city last week. The whole back story is complicated and I will detail more as I learn it, but basically apparently we are waiting right now to see what happens today to know whether or not it will start up tomorrow. If it does, school will be canceled probably and each day canceled has to be made up at the end of the year in late December. So much exciting drama.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
The Beginning
Just two days ago, I left Jupiter, Florida after a whirlwind week of knocking on doors, coordinating rides to polls, being inspired by Barack Obama and the people he in turn inspires, and sleeping very little. I now look forward to my trip today down to Tacna, Peru. It's suitably long and includes an overnight stay at the Lima airport - all of which I feel is a legitimate and needed passage that will really force me to realize that this is finally happening as well as give me a mental transition from life as it has been to the upcoming future.
I will especially try to keep this updated and with my many new experiences and adventures in the early-going, as it will be an exciting and hectic time. But for the general time frame for the next few weeks, it will work like this: get there early in the morning (if the state of emergency declared in the province doesn't shut down the airport: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7712257.stm), have some chocolate chip pancakes with the volunteers already down there, get some real sleep, eventually move into a homestay for the rest of the school year (which goes until mid-December) , visit my school and the other schools, do some practice teaching, and enjoy the December holidays.
For now though, wish me good luck on my flights - and my next post will be from Tacna, Peru: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacna.
I will especially try to keep this updated and with my many new experiences and adventures in the early-going, as it will be an exciting and hectic time. But for the general time frame for the next few weeks, it will work like this: get there early in the morning (if the state of emergency declared in the province doesn't shut down the airport: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7712257.stm), have some chocolate chip pancakes with the volunteers already down there, get some real sleep, eventually move into a homestay for the rest of the school year (which goes until mid-December) , visit my school and the other schools, do some practice teaching, and enjoy the December holidays.
For now though, wish me good luck on my flights - and my next post will be from Tacna, Peru: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacna.
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