The new volunteers (Seamus and Maureen) arrived here in little ole Tacna, Peru on Friday and we spent a fun weekend with them that included going out for a welcome lunch, going to a birthday party, and then capped it off with an introduction to Miguel Pro yesterday morning. I was included in that as that is where I will be next year, and it was very exciting to feel part of something new and all the energy around having new faces and new possibilities.
I also had a wonderful weekend because I was the godfather for the first communion of a close neighbor of ours. During the lunch that we ate at their house after, I felt very calm and relaxed and enjoyed sitting there for hours just talking. I spent quite awhile in the kitchen discussing everything from love to family to cooking with Edith (the neighbor, who also offers the step classes in her house that I go to). She made some chicken in a pineapple sauce (chinese food style) and kept talking about how many calories it had and joking about it being a ¨pecado.¨ She is a wonderfully kind and humble women, and at times it definitely pains me to see these effects of, what I interpret as, low self-esteem. It is quite fun though to go to her classes because when she is leading an exercise class, she turns into a much more self-assured leader. Maybe that is partly why she focuses so much on that part of her life.
Well, the craziness arrived yesterday when I returned to school after having missed some time there on Friday to welcome the new arrivals. I found out that a student (actually, whose name is Jesus, had played Jesus in the stations of the cross that we did, and generally is known as a humble, but good kid around the school) was found to be dealing drugs. The whole story is a long he-said-she-said rumor mill, but basically it seems like he was dealing drugs and one baggie was confiscated from a second year (equivalent of 8th grader) and then the police were called in.
The whole aspect of drugs being dealt within the school and this particular adolescent falling victim to it is sad, but to me the greater issue was in how the school handled the whole issue. I believe it was right to call in the police, but in the impromptu meeting we held yesterday for an hour (while the students had no one overseeing them) was basically filled with accusations, shouting, crying, and at the end, maybe some positive decisions about how to go forward. But there was no discussion about the fact that there is no structure of discipline or plan of what to do in such situations. There was discussion about some of the greater issues we have with letting the students be relaxed (arriving late, entering the school grounds after hours and hanging out in the classrooms, not doing homework, etc), but no progress was made on that front. Also, many of the secondary teachers simply used the meeting to launch personal attacks on others or defend themselves.
I felt moved a number of times to speak, but my opinion is definitely not valued in such situations (even though I have a number of ideas, especially because of the at least semi-successful discipline setups I see at Miguel Pro and Cristo Rey), so I kept quiet. I was also going to make my big announcement yesterday that I would not be coming back next year, but I decided to leave that for another day.
Oh, and then in my after school, extra English class, a fourth grade girl just collapsed on the floor and began to pee her pants. She had not indicated any previous need to go to the bathroom and I just thought she was playing around. I felt really bad for her and for her older brother, but I tried to just help her find a way to the bathroom and then push on to minimize the embarassment.
What a day.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Post Birthdays (Not mine) Update
Yesterday was both the birthday of Cara (my community mate who came down with Nate and I) and my mom. Even though it is a day late, I will officially wish them happy birthday here on the blog (don't worry, I did also do so yesterday).
On of the most striking aspects of celebrating these two birthdays yesterday was how I was struck by the fact that this is the second time I am doing so down here. I realized concretely that I have been down here for over a year. While it has passed quickly - especially when I start to think wow, it has been over two years since I first started teaching, it has been two and a half years since the end of college, the decade is just a couple of months from being over - obviously a whole lot has happened.
As a quick recap for those who have been following my progress this year:
November: Arrive, move in with host families
December: Celebrate birthday and Christmas, old volunteers (I love calling them voluntarios viejos in Spanish because obviously we are so young and viejo is quite a harsh word for someone old here, so it adds a fun bit of sarcasm) headed out, moved into the house
January: New Year's customs and celebrating on the beach, Mes de Mision. Enough said I think (or at least in my mind)
February: Vacation time and seeing lots of Peru, silent retreat in Arequipa, whole community adventure to Puno, going to Lima to get visas, getting excited for school year
March: Beginning of school year
April: Hearing that Father Jorge was being asked to leave Tacna for Lima, Holy Week with Viacruces and solemness (bloody Jesus' everywhere)
May: Hmmm, don't remember much right now about this month except that it was Nate's birthday
June: Waiting for vacations I guess.....but no, I think we had a good retreat in here and otherwise I remember reading a lot of news about it being summertime up there in the States and being jealous.
July: Worries about Swine Flu and early vacations, Jayson's death, getting ¨Typhoid,¨ fire at my school that burned the estera, Peruvian independence day, trip to Curahuasi and Cusco.
August: Extended vacations, time in Colca and Arequipa with Nate, coming back to school and having my classes taken away because of post fire lack of direction at school, day of Tacna.
September: Another bit of a blurry month, but I did return to teaching my classes in a open-aired room with dirt for the floor, the school's anniversary and afro-Peruvian dance classes
October: Reo-Diso retreat at the beach, thinking and deciding about next year, a Halloween haunted house extravanganza, Cristo Rey dia familiar
Obviously, other things happened in here - from trips to Arica (Chile), other very life-giving retreats, and long cold winter nights and days - but I like the idea of doing this exercise and sharing this with you simply based on what I remember. It must mean these specific events impacted my mind and my time here in a particular way, no?
Who knows what this next year will bring, but at the least, I am sure it will be full of similar experiences I will remember for the rest of my life.
On of the most striking aspects of celebrating these two birthdays yesterday was how I was struck by the fact that this is the second time I am doing so down here. I realized concretely that I have been down here for over a year. While it has passed quickly - especially when I start to think wow, it has been over two years since I first started teaching, it has been two and a half years since the end of college, the decade is just a couple of months from being over - obviously a whole lot has happened.
As a quick recap for those who have been following my progress this year:
November: Arrive, move in with host families
December: Celebrate birthday and Christmas, old volunteers (I love calling them voluntarios viejos in Spanish because obviously we are so young and viejo is quite a harsh word for someone old here, so it adds a fun bit of sarcasm) headed out, moved into the house
January: New Year's customs and celebrating on the beach, Mes de Mision. Enough said I think (or at least in my mind)
February: Vacation time and seeing lots of Peru, silent retreat in Arequipa, whole community adventure to Puno, going to Lima to get visas, getting excited for school year
March: Beginning of school year
April: Hearing that Father Jorge was being asked to leave Tacna for Lima, Holy Week with Viacruces and solemness (bloody Jesus' everywhere)
May: Hmmm, don't remember much right now about this month except that it was Nate's birthday
June: Waiting for vacations I guess.....but no, I think we had a good retreat in here and otherwise I remember reading a lot of news about it being summertime up there in the States and being jealous.
July: Worries about Swine Flu and early vacations, Jayson's death, getting ¨Typhoid,¨ fire at my school that burned the estera, Peruvian independence day, trip to Curahuasi and Cusco.
August: Extended vacations, time in Colca and Arequipa with Nate, coming back to school and having my classes taken away because of post fire lack of direction at school, day of Tacna.
September: Another bit of a blurry month, but I did return to teaching my classes in a open-aired room with dirt for the floor, the school's anniversary and afro-Peruvian dance classes
October: Reo-Diso retreat at the beach, thinking and deciding about next year, a Halloween haunted house extravanganza, Cristo Rey dia familiar
Obviously, other things happened in here - from trips to Arica (Chile), other very life-giving retreats, and long cold winter nights and days - but I like the idea of doing this exercise and sharing this with you simply based on what I remember. It must mean these specific events impacted my mind and my time here in a particular way, no?
Who knows what this next year will bring, but at the least, I am sure it will be full of similar experiences I will remember for the rest of my life.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
ONE YEAR - WOOHOOO
Well, yesterday passed my one year anniversary of stepping off an airplane in the early morning sun of a quiet, humble, patriotic and southern Peru city of Tacna. Actually, I did not feel anything particularly special yesterday. If anything I was definitely having one of those days in which I was yearning a bit for home and the organization and structure of schools (in general) in the states.
I did, however, give myself a little one year present and I went to get my teeth cleaned. The dentist also told me I have three little cavities! I have never had any before in my life, and I most certainly blame eating habits down here. Well, if I were to be honest with myself, obviously it is partly my fault, but the do love their sweets down here and you really cannot say no to anything offered to you. For one thing, it is a bit offensive to refuse whenever anything is offered to you. Also, if you turn down any sweet or food, people automatically assume you are on a diet or are worried about getting fat and will not stop talking about it. But, I must admit, that is a pretty endearing part of the culture down here.
I just wanted to update everyone that it has been one year and that I am still alive and well. The most exciting thing to happen lately was a trip I took with the youth group to do some volunteer work at a retirement home run by some nuns. I really enjoyed talking and interacting with the elderly and I think they appreciated the energy the kids brought, even if the kids were pretty much having a dance party since they had not planned out well what they were going to do to entertain the adults.
I did, however, give myself a little one year present and I went to get my teeth cleaned. The dentist also told me I have three little cavities! I have never had any before in my life, and I most certainly blame eating habits down here. Well, if I were to be honest with myself, obviously it is partly my fault, but the do love their sweets down here and you really cannot say no to anything offered to you. For one thing, it is a bit offensive to refuse whenever anything is offered to you. Also, if you turn down any sweet or food, people automatically assume you are on a diet or are worried about getting fat and will not stop talking about it. But, I must admit, that is a pretty endearing part of the culture down here.
I just wanted to update everyone that it has been one year and that I am still alive and well. The most exciting thing to happen lately was a trip I took with the youth group to do some volunteer work at a retirement home run by some nuns. I really enjoyed talking and interacting with the elderly and I think they appreciated the energy the kids brought, even if the kids were pretty much having a dance party since they had not planned out well what they were going to do to entertain the adults.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
More Photos - Yay!
This is a good friend Rosa - who works selling breakfasts at the market near Viñani and who also cooked the wonderful wonderful food for us at the Reorientation retreat. She is a kind, loving woman and this was for her birthday.
Chelsea posing with Rosa while Nate feasts on Arroz con Pollo (which I also ate like three plates of and was amazing).
At the local corner store where we get a lot of our day to day needs. The womans name is Carmen and she is another amazingly kind woman who treats us very well. She also gets up every morning at 3ish to go to the market - and I went with her once in July to see what it was like (I had a lot of fun).
A day of Tacna picture (that is the mayor of Tacna to Caras left) - simply ridiculous the whole situation.
The famous artistas - as Carmen Rosa, my host mother who is to the left - loves calling us. Her sister, Wittis, is to the right of her. I had a lot of fun changing my Cusco shirt to a Tacna Pride one with some masking tape (though it isnt so visible in this shot).
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Gringo For Life
I had an interesting little moment yesterday that very starkly made me aware of the fact that I am a gringo and will never quite fit in completely down here (although I do not see this as a depressing thought, but rather just a reality).
I was sitting next to my housemate Christa in the Cathedral as mass was beginning (the celebration was to mark 75 years of a consortium of religious high schools and so the church was filled with people and school kids all decked out in their finest. Each school also had its color guard complete with Peruvian flag and school banner - and these militaristic little units lined the side naves). Out of the corner of my eye, I see the local crazy man (my host mom calls him Tarzan - check out a new favorite of mine that I hear a lot down here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r0n9Dv6XnY - but he is just a sort of odd, roundish and bald loco who can be often seen around the center doing odd things) walking up the side aisle. He was behaving like nothing was amiss and he was simply taking everything in and coolly observing the whole endeavor.
He continued until he came all the way up to the front of the Cathedral and then slowly crossed to the middle aisle and in front of the bishop, who was beginning the mass. As he turned and walked back toward the back of the church, he had about a ten second staring match with someone in the front row. Just as this finished and he turned his head back toward the entrance of the church, he spotted Christa and I. In a loud (almost shouting) voice, he bellowed something about ¨ahh, allí están los norteamericanos mumble mumble mumble¨ (I could not quite make out what he said after that).
I probably blushed and was feeling very awkward. As he continued on his way, everyone turned around or gave us a good stare. In a great moment of realizing I have been making some progress on the culture shock in my 11+ months here, I had to grin just a little bit and take the moment in.
The whole experience served as a good reminder that even though I may feel like I am growing accustomed to life here in Tacna and know more of the ins and outs of the city and parts of its culture, I will always be a little bit of a celebrity or an ugly duckling (depending on how you view the foreign influence) and that is something I must keep in mind.
I was sitting next to my housemate Christa in the Cathedral as mass was beginning (the celebration was to mark 75 years of a consortium of religious high schools and so the church was filled with people and school kids all decked out in their finest. Each school also had its color guard complete with Peruvian flag and school banner - and these militaristic little units lined the side naves). Out of the corner of my eye, I see the local crazy man (my host mom calls him Tarzan - check out a new favorite of mine that I hear a lot down here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r0n9Dv6XnY - but he is just a sort of odd, roundish and bald loco who can be often seen around the center doing odd things) walking up the side aisle. He was behaving like nothing was amiss and he was simply taking everything in and coolly observing the whole endeavor.
He continued until he came all the way up to the front of the Cathedral and then slowly crossed to the middle aisle and in front of the bishop, who was beginning the mass. As he turned and walked back toward the back of the church, he had about a ten second staring match with someone in the front row. Just as this finished and he turned his head back toward the entrance of the church, he spotted Christa and I. In a loud (almost shouting) voice, he bellowed something about ¨ahh, allí están los norteamericanos mumble mumble mumble¨ (I could not quite make out what he said after that).
I probably blushed and was feeling very awkward. As he continued on his way, everyone turned around or gave us a good stare. In a great moment of realizing I have been making some progress on the culture shock in my 11+ months here, I had to grin just a little bit and take the moment in.
The whole experience served as a good reminder that even though I may feel like I am growing accustomed to life here in Tacna and know more of the ins and outs of the city and parts of its culture, I will always be a little bit of a celebrity or an ugly duckling (depending on how you view the foreign influence) and that is something I must keep in mind.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Back from the Beach and Reenergized
We just finished up our five day retreat at the beach with the two members of Jesuit Volunteers staff who came down to Tacna.
I feel refreshed (even though I could´ve used a little more sun in order to motivate me to frolick in the water a bit more) and filled with new ideas and excitement. We covered a lot of topics (doing a social analysis session, talking about the highs and lows we have felt from the last year, beginning to plan ahead to welcoming the two newbies in November, and spending a day in silence reflecting and for me, writing letters to people at home).
One great moment was reading my application from about a year and a half ago. At first, it made me feel a bit old (I mean, shoot, I am about to turn 25 in December. Not old, but definitely starting to internalize that in no way am I a child nor adolescent anymore). I also laughed a bit at some of the ways I phrased my ideas. Overall, however, it reminded me that I was seeking a program that would not simply give me the space to experience living and working in Latin America for two years, but would push my personal development and support me (through community and through prompts and spaces for thinking about the different ways of living, the difficult stories, the everyday challenges, and the everyday joys that I knew were to come). While I was sitting on the deck of the house watching the waves one morning (feeling good after a morning run and enjoying my coffee and a crossword puzzle), I felt very content with the choice of JVC. Retreats and aspects of the program like this are quite powerful. And after all, who does not enjoy a little r and r at the beach to recharge the batteries.
Also, my application contained a number of little nuggets that struck me. This quote from C.S. Lewis especially jumped out at me after almost a year of ¨experiencing¨ (which I know can be a very broad and general term): ¨Experience is the most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God, you learn.¨
I feel refreshed (even though I could´ve used a little more sun in order to motivate me to frolick in the water a bit more) and filled with new ideas and excitement. We covered a lot of topics (doing a social analysis session, talking about the highs and lows we have felt from the last year, beginning to plan ahead to welcoming the two newbies in November, and spending a day in silence reflecting and for me, writing letters to people at home).
One great moment was reading my application from about a year and a half ago. At first, it made me feel a bit old (I mean, shoot, I am about to turn 25 in December. Not old, but definitely starting to internalize that in no way am I a child nor adolescent anymore). I also laughed a bit at some of the ways I phrased my ideas. Overall, however, it reminded me that I was seeking a program that would not simply give me the space to experience living and working in Latin America for two years, but would push my personal development and support me (through community and through prompts and spaces for thinking about the different ways of living, the difficult stories, the everyday challenges, and the everyday joys that I knew were to come). While I was sitting on the deck of the house watching the waves one morning (feeling good after a morning run and enjoying my coffee and a crossword puzzle), I felt very content with the choice of JVC. Retreats and aspects of the program like this are quite powerful. And after all, who does not enjoy a little r and r at the beach to recharge the batteries.
Also, my application contained a number of little nuggets that struck me. This quote from C.S. Lewis especially jumped out at me after almost a year of ¨experiencing¨ (which I know can be a very broad and general term): ¨Experience is the most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God, you learn.¨
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Coming Storm
The title of the post makes it sound more daunting than exciting, but the next three months are going to be a whirlwind of activity and movement through our humble little Tacna.
First, in the middle of October, our bosses from JVI will be down here to visit. More than an observation, I understand the visit to be a chance to share with them how everything is going, reflect on the past year, and think ahead to challenges and goals for the second half of this experience. We will be going on a six day retreat to the beach, and they will be stopping by for a site visit to my school. I have been thinking a lot lately about this visit and my site in general, and I believe I will be discussing with them the possibility of being somewhere else next year. I do not feel like I recieve enough institutional support (well, its hard to feel that I do when there is not even a director of the school around), which has affected how I view my own projects I have created and the animo I have. I will keep all updated on this front. On the positive side, I am helping to organize the plans for food over the retreat, which will be a medley of Peruvian dishes cooked by an awesome cook and amazingly sweet woman who is a good friend (she sells jello cups at the market near my school so I stop by and talk to her from time to time).
Next, at the end of October, we are going to do a haunted house in our humble abode. Nothing like sharing some cultural fun from the United States and getting to be silly and scare some kids in the meantime.
On November 16th, the two new volunteers will be making their way down here. I am very excited to meet them. Even though I am not so excited to see the old volunteers go, it will be very interesting to see how our community evolves and changes with new faces and personalities in it. As long as I have my early morning times to myself to run, do my crossword, and, on Saturdays, drink coffee, I am good.
December will be probably the most hectic. My birthday is the 4th, Christmas is the 25th, my mom comes on the 22nd (I am incredibly ready to share this experience and place with loved ones in a more real and tangible way than one can simply do in letters, calls, and pictures), and mushed into all that will also be the end of the school year, Nate and Cara´s respective families coming down, the newbees moving into the house after spending a month with host families, and the old volunteers leaving. Wild wild wild. And then comes Mes de Mision all over again.
Wow - its quite a lot even just sitting here early on a Tuesday morning and thinking about it. Well, I am ready for it (even though I was in a little bit of a funk Sunday and Monday) - and keep checking for updates on how it all goes!
First, in the middle of October, our bosses from JVI will be down here to visit. More than an observation, I understand the visit to be a chance to share with them how everything is going, reflect on the past year, and think ahead to challenges and goals for the second half of this experience. We will be going on a six day retreat to the beach, and they will be stopping by for a site visit to my school. I have been thinking a lot lately about this visit and my site in general, and I believe I will be discussing with them the possibility of being somewhere else next year. I do not feel like I recieve enough institutional support (well, its hard to feel that I do when there is not even a director of the school around), which has affected how I view my own projects I have created and the animo I have. I will keep all updated on this front. On the positive side, I am helping to organize the plans for food over the retreat, which will be a medley of Peruvian dishes cooked by an awesome cook and amazingly sweet woman who is a good friend (she sells jello cups at the market near my school so I stop by and talk to her from time to time).
Next, at the end of October, we are going to do a haunted house in our humble abode. Nothing like sharing some cultural fun from the United States and getting to be silly and scare some kids in the meantime.
On November 16th, the two new volunteers will be making their way down here. I am very excited to meet them. Even though I am not so excited to see the old volunteers go, it will be very interesting to see how our community evolves and changes with new faces and personalities in it. As long as I have my early morning times to myself to run, do my crossword, and, on Saturdays, drink coffee, I am good.
December will be probably the most hectic. My birthday is the 4th, Christmas is the 25th, my mom comes on the 22nd (I am incredibly ready to share this experience and place with loved ones in a more real and tangible way than one can simply do in letters, calls, and pictures), and mushed into all that will also be the end of the school year, Nate and Cara´s respective families coming down, the newbees moving into the house after spending a month with host families, and the old volunteers leaving. Wild wild wild. And then comes Mes de Mision all over again.
Wow - its quite a lot even just sitting here early on a Tuesday morning and thinking about it. Well, I am ready for it (even though I was in a little bit of a funk Sunday and Monday) - and keep checking for updates on how it all goes!
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