A little of Everything...

So, I've been a horrible blogger. Sorry. July has seemed like a blur. So you'll get the bullet point update of the past month or so.

*Fourth of July: Ate all sorts of yummy food at the center, including Grandmom's NoBake cookies. Then followed up with real celebration at Yaeel's house. A couple drinks later we were in Chosica eating burgers (YUM!) and then off to the dance club to continue the celebration. I don't know when we got home. But I know that as delicious as that burger was, my tummy rejected it :-(

*FBT: Another one of Peace Corps' acronyms (maybe I'll do a post on just that someday...) Field Based Training. An opportunity for us antsy Trainees to venture off into the field, visit volunteers' sites and put into practice our 6 weeks of language and technical training. My group was 7 of the Youth Trainees who were either Special Ed volunteers or had interest/experience in working with people with disabilities. We traveled north to Puerto Eten in Lambayeque and met Elizabeth and sat in on a session she was doing with a Psych intern on self esteem from the Quien Soy Yo? series. We played at the beach, ate some really good food, and then went to neighboring Ciudad Eten for a feria and some picarones- fried donut type things with syrup! Then we went to Pacasmayo in La Libertad where we were hosted by Kat, one of the two existing Special Ed volunteers from Peru 11. We were supposed to observe/help out at her school, do a parent session, and do a teacher session. Well, the swine flu is upon us. President Garcia mandated that schools leave for vacation two weeks early- coincidentally messing up our FBT plans. Being the resourceful and flexible volunteers and trainees that we are, we improvised and did a 2-3 hour session with the teachers about adaptations and accommodations they can use in the classroom. In Peru, Special Ed teachers are regular teachers who are put in special ed schools. All of the fancy training our Special Ed teachers get about working with different populations, they don't get. Also, they lump students with all types of disabilities together. So you could have a kid with severe autism in the same room as a student with Downs, in the same room with a kid with Cerebral Palsy, in the same room as a kid with Emotional disabilities. Despite this (and probably many thanks to their past year working with Kat) they are doing a good job with what they have. We ended up giving a lot of positive reinforcement, and explaining that things take a long time. There is no magic wand to make the girl with autism speak. But the fact that she has a set routine is amazing! Our second day with them was more informal answering their questions and showing them how to make some of the tools we showed them with the materials they have. We then went to Tembladera in Cajamarca to visit Milene and her students. We saw their organic garden and talked to a professor and then gave a sex ed talk to a group of 20 13 year olds. We talked about HIV and condom use by playing a game and then talking about it and then of course finished up with the old standby of the Human Knot to end on a positive note. We had a bonfire that night and I fell 3 feet trying to avoid getting burnt by the fire as some guy threw gasoline on it to try and get it to catch. I ended up with a bruised knee and an awesome bruised/swollen calf which my family is worried about. The swelling is going down, but I get a random cankle when a lot of fluid goes at once. :-)

*Site announcement day!!! The day we have been anxiously awaiting since June 6th when they told us when it would be. Last Friday we anxiously passed the first 2 hours of language class while the technical trainers and APCDs (program directors) were setting up. They had us gather around the decorative pool which had boats in it. Each boat had our name on it, and on the staff was a curled piece of paper with the Department written on it. One by one we went and fished out our boats and unfurled our paper. I was third to last. The last Youth trainee to go. I unfurled my paper and read LAMBAYEQUE! I'll be going to the first department we visited on FBT and I'll be about 30 minutes from Elizabeth (who coincidentally lived with my current host family when she was a trainee. I joke that now they'll have a reason to come north!). I'm about 12 hours in bus from Lima and only 1.5 hours from Lambayeque's capital city of Chiclayo. I'm 15 minutes (walking I was told) from my nearest volunteer neighbor, another girl we met on FBT. My town is called Cayalti and has 10,000 people. There are also 13 caserios-farm towns- that add another 6000 people. I have a special ed school, a disability association, and a youth group that is already formed. On Sunday, we go to visit our sites and I'll have more after that.

*Family luncheon: There are 4 families in Yanacoto that have trainees and are related. Early on we were talking about wanting to bring them all together and do something for them to thank them for being such great hosts to us. Monday afternoon we realized that our time was running out, and that Tuesday would be one of the last opportunities to do it. So we scrambled to invite all the families, plan what to cook, and buy all the food. Tuesday morning we went to the market and did our shopping then came home and started cooking. I was in charge of bringing a pot of rice, NoBake cookies, tacos, tequenos, and guacamole. I started cooking at 10, and with the help of my host mom and sister, was able to finish by 1:15 and grab a quick shower. Lunch was planned at 1.. oops. We got there and I was elected to make the speech to the family, basically thanking them for having us and how happy we were to have them all together and to be able to share with them food that we prepared. Everyone ate a ton and there really were no leftovers. In addition to what i brought, we had lasagna, chili, 2 types of lo mein, egg drop soup, potato latkes, cheesecake, and PB&J sandwiches. When the taco meat ran out, they were making some funky combos for tacos- guacamole, chili, and lo mein is one that stood out. Everyone left full and hopefully happy. They kept telling us the food was good (even though most of it didn't turn out like we wanted it too). Granted, this a culture in which they'll make up directions if you ask for directions and they don't know... haha. Really though, I think it was a success and we're glad we did it.

That's pretty much the highlights of the past month. Oh, yesterday and today are fiestas patrias- their independence holidays. This means there is a feria (fair) in the park all last week and I hope for the rest of the week. In simple terms- you can get a delicious pisco sour for a whopping 4 soles. And the Senor del Pisco is right next to the Senora de Picarones (see above-fried donut deliciousness!) and make quite the combo.

I plan to do another post before site visit with pics from the past month or so and then another on post site visit with all the news of my future home. Pray that I won't have a band and parade- or have to make a speech.

This is My Life

There are some times when I'm riding the combi (especially if I'm by myself) that it hits me that this is my life. I really am living in Peru, and will be here for 2 more years. My life is narrated in Spanish and full of combi rides, rice and new foods. My life is a daily adventure, I hardly ever know what is going to happen the next moment. At the same time, my life is planned for me. It's like regressing to being in kindergarden. Being able to help set the table is exciting because I can show I am not completely helpless. My life is never being completely alone. Ever. Thursday night, my mom didn't come home because she had a school anniversary party until 4 am and the school is far away, my dad didn't come home til late, and my sister left because a friend had a family emergency and she took my other sister to our grandmother's house. I was COMPLETELY alone for the first time in a month. I could have ran around naked in the house if I wanted to I was that alone. It hit me then that even when I'm "alone" I'm not. There's always someone no more than 20 feet away. When I take the combi alone, theres at least 30 other people on the bus, at the center I'm not alone and never in my house. It was probably the most amazing 2 hours I've spent by myself. I was able to decide when I felt like eating and how much, and I even made a scrambled egg to go with the prepared food. It was in simple words, amazing!

This is my life. And I love it. I've waited over 2 years for this life, and now it's here. Yes, sometimes I miss my other life, but now, this is my life and I wouldn't trade it. Except maybe for a cheese pizza from Joe's Pizza Village.

Photos

So I had typed up something really short to paste here, but I put pictures in and used copy to move them around, and in the process lost what I had written and copied. whoops. next time maybe. For now, just some photos of our adventure with agriculture and the combi today and some photos of my town.

Gardening at Universidad La Agraria on the outskirts of Lima:

We learned how to turn soil, add compost, and plant. Cow or horse poop are the best natural fertilizers, fyi.

Planting lettuce seeds to grow seedlings which will later be planted in the field.

Combi ride home

It was an up close and personal moment we shared with about 50 other passengers

Part of the hill right before my house (view from my roof) it really doesn't do justice to the incline... the yellow thing is a mototaxi. Half dirtbike, half rikshaw.

View of Yanacoto (my town) from my roof. Black thing is our water tank. Water comes 1 hr Monday, and 1 hr Friday. It's supposed to fill and then we have water all week. It hasn't been filling all the way so aroung Thursday we've been running out of water.

Looking down on the lower part of Yanacoto (my house is way down) from Emily's balcony.

This dirt street leads to the back of my house.

Catholic church in Yanacoto, as seen from Emily's balcony.

Excursion to Lima

I will try to make this one shorter than the last (sorry it was 3 pages long…)

This weekend we had our first trip to Lima. We were in our language groups and had to go walk around and ask random people in Lima Centro about random topics (security, and some tourist attractions- we had the Naval Museum that pretty much nobody knew about). After that we went to Miraflores (the tourist section) where we had to ask people how to get back to our town. Then we reconvened and the tutors made tried to make sure we knew how to get home, and then they left us to our own devices. A group of us went to LarcoMar, the touristy mall in the cliff in Lima where we ate lunch. I spent S/.15.50 soles, about USD $5.00 for lunch. This is like 2 days pay, so it was a lot! I had bought a donut and a breakfast sandwich earlier and spent another S/.6. I also bought some queso fresco and pita breads (which were DELICIOUS!) for about S/.3. After we walked around forever and went to the beach we decided it was time to leave. Lima is too expensive for our PC budget and after being in a very tranquillo town for 2 weeks, it was a lot of people and a completely different atmosphere.

Crazy things in Lima:

- Our first bus got pulled over. I think because the door was open while we were moving. The driver took S/.5 from the guy who collects the fares (cobrador) and paid off the cops.

- We got off at the wrong stop (the right one if we were taking the colectivo taxi like I thought we were) and had to ask around for how to get where we needed to go. We had to get back on the same bus and keep going pretty much.

- While figuring this out, we saw a car being broken into. In midday with tons of people around.

- Got off in sketchville, where the first thing we heard was Robalos!! Which means Rob them!!

- Had to ask where to get the bus, again. A nice lady told us, and also cautioned us to be very careful, because it was very dangerous. We hauled ass to the bus stop.

- Finally got a bus to home! It got pulled over after about 15mins. Not sure why, but this time it took forever, and the bus was packed and hot. I think the driver finally paid off the cops and we left.

- At some point, my amigos in the back of the bus saw a taxi get robbed by 3 teenagers. I was sitting next to the cobrador’s girlfriend near the door and didn’t see this happen.

- Later the cobrador got off to let someone on, and the driver took off without the passenger, and without the cobrador. Even with people yelling to stop, he went 2 blocks before stopping and letting the cobrador catch up.

- After 3 hours, we finally got home. Had we taken the colectivo, it would have been 1.5hrs max and poor Evan wouldn’t have had to stand half the way home. But we got home safe, and that’s what matters. I even took my first mototaxi ride up our mountain since we were all so worn out from the day and from the trip home.

Saturday night was the BIG FIGHT! I think you have to have been in Peru the past weeks to have heard anything about it… The super-pluma (super featherweight) female world champion boxer is Peruvian (though she has her title for some other country). She was defending her title Sat night and was fighting for Peru AND the fight was in Lima. It was kinda a big deal around here. Well, 29 yr old Peruvian Kina Malpartida whooped the 19 yr old Brasilian’s ass. I’m not much for boxing but it was one of those hay que aprovechar things, and I promptly passed out after the fight.

Sunday was Father’s Day and we went to my host dad’s parent’s house. We (me included!) made anticucho, which is heart kebobs. I helped defrost the heart, marinade it and put it on the skewers. It wasn’t too bad and I have yet to get sick from it. I also tried one piece of ceviche, and I’m not yet sold. I was uber full and there were lots of flies, which made me nervous about sanitation. Also, host grandma kept wanting to cut the lemons with the same knife we were cutting heart with. At least my mamá rinsed the knife before cutting fruit…

I think that’s about it exciting going on. We have 2 youth groups we’re supposed to form (one for YD and one overall), and my language group is supposed to be doing chats (charlas) with kids at a local school next week. So in my free time that’s what I’m supposed to be doing. And homework.

Here are some pictures (for you Uncle Bill!—which means you’d better leave a comment! Haha)

(ok, so they popped up in the wrong order-- apparently what you add first goes to the bottom..)

Police guard in front of the National Palace during the changing of the guard ceremony. They are actually nice and will talk to you. They'll even hit on gringas. Emily knows about that one...

More police. Minutes before this they were all propped against a wall playing on their cell phones/MP3 players..

my language group (minus Evan, plus the PCTs from intermedio-medio)

John, Emily, Dario, Vann, Me, Alana, Karim

My little 5 yr old sister Vivi and I playing with the hats we got at the quince that first weekend.

My room. It's huge. I had my luggage under my bed, but it was pulled out and is now hung on the wall and my duffle is on a chair. I can guarantee that through that window I will hear a cat fight, dogs barking like crazy, someone elses music, or roosters crowing, at any hour of the day.

Hasta luego!

Ups and Downs

Ups and Downs

Saturday night I went to a quinceañera, which is a coming of age party for a 15 yr old girl in the Latino community, much like a Sweet 16 in the Sates. It was for a cousin on my host dad’s side of the family, some girl I’ve never met before. At first I was hesitant about going, nervous about being the token gringa, and worried about stepping on toes since I was never actually invited except by my host family. Then I realized that this was one of those “hay que aprovechar” moments… a moment that I had to take advantage of. I figured I should get used to being the only gringa and that my family wouldn’t have invited me if they thought it would be a problem. Saturday in the day I had a project to do for training and I wasn’t sure when the party started, though I asked earlier in the day and was told 9 or 10, but I thought maybe my host mom misunderstood me and thought I asked when it would be over. I came home around 5 and we ate dinner. Around 10, it was decided that it was about time to start getting ready. Mind, you my sister and parents all had to shower still. I was ready to go by 10:20 and then sat around for a very long time. Funny side story- I used my duct tape while getting ready. I realized my dress pants are too long with flats, and didn’t have the desire or time really to sew them up, so I hemmed my pants with duct tape. Luckily, no one noticed (or at least didn’t say anything) and it lasted the whole night! Yay for duct tape!

Ok. So about 11:15 we finally leave my house, and luckily the party is just down the road maybe 8 minutes and my dad borrowed a car from some family member. (yes, I have internet in my room, but we have no car- he just bought one that’s being painted, and there’s also public transport to get you everywhere). We got there just after the girl made her entrance and began dancing with every male family member just about. Then it was time to take pictures. With groups of friends. With each family group. Etc. It was decided that since I’m part of my host family’s family, that I would be in their picture. Really, it wasn’t decided, it just was. I protested some, but acquiesced since it really wasn’t up for discussion and it was a very nice gesture. I just feel bad for the girl that she now has some random gringa in her Quince photos…

After the photos, there was music and dancing and appetizers, just like any party in the states. Then it changed. Out came 2 clowns jumping around and one on stilts. They had silly string and passed out long balloons and pirate hats and clown hats and blew whistles and got everyone animated and dancing. I had to literally pick my jaw up off the floor. They call this the “hora loca” crazy hour, and believe me, it was!! My parents had gotten me to “dance” a little earlier (picture me and my host parents in their mid-late 30s and my dad’s mom who is in her 70’s dancing in a circle. It was kinda hilarious really). But the clowns had me jumping around, going in circles and laughing hysterically. I almost sprained my ankle. The Peruvians got a kick out the gringa dancing with the clowns and it admittedly was fun. Then there was more normal dancing. Well normal for 14-16 year olds aka sex on the dance floor. Around 1:45 they brought out the main meal of chicken and rice (big surprise here… not!). There was some sort of alcoholic drink being served all evening and we even got pisco sours, which are never as big as they should be.

About 2:30, my parents decided it was time to go home. I think this was partly because of me. Earlier in the day or Friday even, they asked me if I liked to amanecerse. Amanecer means dawn, so I’m thinking this means get up early. Anyone who knows me even slightly knows I do NOT do mornings and I do NOT like getting up at all early. So, I ferverently said no. Later in the convo, I realize that amanecerse does not mean get up early, but rather stay up til dawn. I’m quite a night owl so my answer shout have been more along the lines of yes, sometimes. Though here, 10:30 is a late night… At this point, I try explaining that I usually don’t go to bed until midnight or later in the States and that I don’t like mornings. Too late. All they heard was I don’t like to amanecerme. Since I wasn’t dancing (I don’t really dance much and I had done my dancing duty earlier) I was sitting at the table, watching people and enjoying the cultural experience. I think they thought I was bored. They did say that the party probably goes until 5 or 6 in the morning, and that they leave around 2 or 3, but my host sister was still dancing and enjoying herself and I felt bad having to have her leave. Pues, it was an all around good time in the end.

Sunday morning, I wanted to sleep in. I woke up around 8:30/9 to my littlest sister screaming and running past my door. I tried to roll over and go back to sleep, but as I would get asleep, she’d start again, or the dogs started fighting outside or the rooster would crow- something would wake me up. So 10:00 rolls around and my host mom yells through my door- Sara!! Sarita!! I begrudgingly get out of bed to see what she wants. Tomamos desayuno? Let’s eat breakfast? Sure. Whatever. I’m up already. Bad decision. I was grumpy as it was, then had to face a barrage of questions, I don’t remember what about. And I barely ate any breakfast. It was some sort of corn soup- something about a relative was fixing their roof and when you fix a roof you eat this soup because it gives you energy to work all day- and a cup of condensed milk that had been sweetened flavored and cooked, so it had a nice chunky texture. Wasn’t feeling it. I wanted a bagel and a family that knew I don’t like mornings and that I’m not too responsive to questioning when I just wake up. I think they realized, because my mom offered that I go upstairs and rest some more. So I went back to bed until about noon and then got up feeling better and did some homework, read and wrote in my journal. It was quite in my house, so I thought my family had left- maybe to go work on that roof or something. Nope. They were all taking a siesta too. The rest of the day I was asked if I was feeling better, if my stomach bothered me, etc etc. It was just one of those days. I had a tastykake, but it didn’t quite take the place of being with your own family that knows you and your oddities and it definitely wasn’t the mommy hug I had needed to get rid of my funk.

Monday morning, I got up feeling quite better, ready to see my companeros and speak some English. I was waiting outside my house for people to come down the hill and meet up to catch the bus and go to class. I saw a group a bit up the hill, but then they got into a mototaxi that one of the guys’ brothers drives. I was kinda bummed, but figured maybe they’d wait at the bottom for me. I had no idea if they were the last to go down and I’d be left alone or if there were more up top. I got to the bottom and no one was there. Great. I took the bus myself on Saturday, so I knew I could do it. But it wasn’t what I needed after the previous day’s funk I was still getting out of. I get on the bus fine. Then they ask for my fare and I gave them my 2 sol coin (it was the smallest I had) and I only got back 1 sol. The fare is usually 50 centimos (1/2 a sol) and so I asked for my other 50 cents and he was like no. I argued that I do this every day its 50. (sometimes it’s 70, but usually 50). He said, well, today its 1 sol. I got charged the gringo tax. Strike 2. I suck it up since I don’t have the desire to argue and it’s the difference between paying US 0.15 or US 0.30. Granted, I get only like $2.50 a day. I tell the guy my stop, and he doesn’t let me get off. He goes another 4 blocks or so and makes me get off there (I think because there was no one getting on at my stop, but there were people waiting at the other one). I got of the combi (bus) nearly in tears from the past 30 minutes, completely frustrated and spent. I got to class and saw the group that left me and said something and started to cry. Then got embarrassed and frustrated that I was upset. I know they didn’t mean it in a mean way and they had no way of knowing, but it was a compilation of my funk from Sunday and then everything else that happened that day. I got over it and my day got better.

We presented our mission impossible projects from Saturday and my group won (yay!). I love my sticky note cards and thank god my gallon of markers fit in my luggage. J Also, props to my host parents who are both educators and talked with me for about 2.5 hrs about education in Peru, making our project uber inclusive!

Final highlight of Monday was that I didn’t pay the combi driver on my way back home! They don’t make you pay as you get on, they shove you all on, then collect your fare en route or as you’re getting off. Well, he waited til we got off, but was shoving us off, so I got pushed off basically and had to move out of the way so I didn’t have someone on top of me. I was gonna pay, but he moved on to the next person. Had the guy in the AM not been such an ass, I would have likely made sure I paid, but I figure this way it evened out and I paid a fair price each way!

It’s been a rollercoaster. The new sheen is wearing off, we’re settling into a routine, and I’m having to get used to being back in class and having homework. I’m excited for what lies ahead, but sometimes feel like I’m already over this whole training thing. Times like Monday morning make me miss being able to just get in my car and go to work and being around my people- people who know me and my quirks and understand me. I miss being able to turn myself off. I’m always on. All day in class, at home with my host family and I still sometimes don’t feel quite like I can relax completely around the other Trainees. It’s tiring. Though I’m not really DOING anything eall day, having to think in Spanish, to be culturally aware, and having people watching your every move is rather tiresome. Sometimes, I’d like to be able to walk into the kitchen and make dinner when I want and what I want. No one can prepare you for this. No previous experience can prepare you. It’s amazing and awful all at the same time. I keep reminding myself how long I’ve waited for this opportunity and how great it will be once I’m in site and have a little more autonomy. Training is like being back in kindergarten in so many ways.

I’ll leave you with a few pictures from my town, the “big” city of Chosica that is nearby, and of the quince from this weekend. I love and miss you all. If you feel like sending anything, those notecard that stick to the wall are absolutely amazing and small dark chocolates (Dove or something like that) make the day wonderful (and can't be found in Peru).

Jess (another PCT) and I in front of the White Jesus in Chosica

Cristo Blanco, or as I like to call him, White Jesus

La Quineanera- Crazy Hour

The clown guy on stilts. I had to dance with him. They thought it was great.

My host dad, Eduardo, his mom, and my host mom, Rebeca

Dancing with the payasos (clowns)

I'm in Peru, holy crap!

We are the 13th PC group to come to Peru since they re-entered the country in 2002. This is the wonderful  welcome we got at the training center:

I have made it to Peru in one piece. Made it throught the seminars at the retreat center, and now am at my host family's house, where I will be for the next 11 weeks during training. It was kind of weird leaving the other Trainees, since we've been together since Wednesday all day every day. 

My luggage for 2 years. It was 94 lbs plus the smaller blue backpack, which weighed probably another 20-30 lbs: 

I brought too much stuff. I think more nice clothes than I will need. I hope that I can use some of this stuff in site, b/c right now it's just taking up space and making my duffle not fit under my bed. My host family is wonderful. I have a mom and dad, and 2 sisters, who are 15 and 5. My parents both work as teachers and are eager to help me with my homework and offer me advice for Youth Development. Our house has two stories and my room is probably the same size as my room at home in NJ so I have lots of space. There is a living room and dining room downstairs along with the kitchen and bathroom. Upstairs are 4 bedrooms, a sitting area w/ tv and the washer. I have internet IN MY ROOM! One of the other trainees is living with my host Uncle, so she is my cousin. Other relatives all live nearby.  I kind of miss carpets. Our floors are concrete and at the retreat they were tile. 

5 year olds are a lot. I was unpacking and the youngest of my sisters kept popping in, asking que es esto? what is this? She loved my Swedish Fish. I had to cut her off at two (the big fish) otherwise she would have eaten them all. She is learning to read, so I got to listen to her read a bit. She also wanted to watch me type this. I told her it would be in English, and she wouldn't understand it, to which she replied that she can read in English also. Cutest little thing. 

It is hot here. Like a hot Spring day. There is a nice breeze once and awhile, but I won't be wearing that sweater or hoodie I packed. Yesterday it was chilly at times and I put on my light jacket, but today the sun is out in full force, which I'm told is the normal weather. Here, by the way, is Yanacoto. It's outside the training town of Chaclacayo, which is about 1 hr from Lima. 

Our plane was held up in Miami, about 100 yd from the terminal for FOUR HOURS. There was a storm and they closed the gate because of lightening. Then, when they opened it, they realized the plane in front of us was carrying the luggage of a passenger that never showed up. So we had to wait for them to unload ALL the luggage and find that persons luggage. In the process, it started lightening again. So, we were supposed to land in Lima at 9:45 Friday night. We landed at 2am Saturday, and got to our retreat center at about 3:30 am. Then had to be up for breakfast that started at 7:30. And sessions went until about 7pm. 

I'm sorry this is so scatter brained, I'm just typing as I think. 

I found out today what our walk-around stipend is during training: 8 soles a DAY! 3 soles= $1 so, thats a little more than $2 a day. 

Oh, Andrea- at the retreat center, there was a sign that said ChachiKart. It made me think of you. I had someone take a picture of it since i didn't have my camera on me.

ok. I'm going to play memory with my little sister for a bit. and look at pictures of my family.

Questions and such

I’ve decided that to put off packing for a little bit, I’m going to try to answer some of the most common questions I’ve gotten about the Peace Corps and what I’ll be doing, etc.  If there’s a question I haven’t answered, leave a comment and I’ll do my best to answer it!

 

Q. Where are you going? Do you know where you’ll be for the whole 27 months?

A. I am going to Perú. First, I go to a hotel in Arlington, VA for what is called staging. It's a mini orientation and get to know everyone. Staging is June 4th- 5th, and we leave for Perú via Miami on June 5th. Until August, I will be in a town about 1 hour outside of Lima (the capitol of Peru).  Lima is in the southern part of Perú on the coast. During this time, I will have extensive cultural/language training, technical training, and instruction on health/safety/settling in. I won’t know my site (where I will serve for 2 years) until August, at the end of training.

 

Q. What is the weather like?

A. Because Perú is south of the Equator, seasons are flipped- this means that when I get there in June, it be the start of winter. When it’s winter in the States, it will be summer in Perú. Also, Peru has many climates: the arid desert like coast, the cool and damp Andes highlands, and the tropical Amazon Rainforest. The Northern part of Perú is hotter, since it close to the Equator and cooler as you go South (opposite of here). Still, Lima will be in the high 60’s low 70’s with partly cloudy skies when I get there in June. Perú also has seasons, though the further North, the less drastic the change in seasons. On top of this, I could be placed in any of these climate regions, so I have to prepare for all of it. Think of it as preparing to spend 2 years somewhere in the US between Florida and New York out to the Mississippi with some desert thrown in for good measure.

 

Q. Where will you live, what will your house be like?

A. I will live with a family during training and then when I am place at a site, I will live with another family. This is for security reasons, to help with integrating into the community and because living alone is odd in many Peruvian communities. My house will likely adobe brick covered in stucco with a tile or corrugated tin roof. My invitation pamphlet says I will have electricity and some source of running water. I will have a private sleeping area. This might be a room that is part of a house, or a guesthouse/room on a family compound.

 

Q. Will you have internet access? What about a cell phone?

A. I may or may not have internet access and cell phone coverage at my site. I will have internet access at least every two weeks by going to a capital city. I will likely have a cell phone and will post that info when I get it.

Q. What type of food will you eat?

A. On the coast, seafood is big. Ceviche, raw fish “cooked” by the acids in lime juice, is a big thing. Cuy (pronounced Kwee) is popular also, especially in the highlands. Cuy is Guinea Pig. Since they are small, they don’t need a lot to eat, unlike cows that need a lot of grass. They are also high in protein, which is often hard to come by in Perú. I will likely eat rice AND potatoes at just about every meal. There are something like over 2000 indigenous varieties of potatoes in Perú.

 

Q. What will you be doing?

A. My Program is Youth Development and my Job Title is Special Education Trainer. So what does this mean? My program is part of an initiative by a disabled congressman in which the years 2007-2016 have been designated as the decade of the disabled to focus on providing formal and nonformal education to those with physical and developmental disabilities.  I will work directly with students, with teachers/administrators to develop curricula and trainings, and with the community to raise awareness and acceptance of people with disabilities. I might work on a school to work program, help teachers identify students with disabilities, help parents learn how to best help their children, working with groups of students to develop life skills, self esteem, and socialization. It is also recommended that I take on secondary projects, so this could be teaching English to youth and adults, teaching technology, starting an environmental group, or whatever the community shows an interest in.

 

Q. Do you get paid?

A. I get paid a living stipend of around $300 a month. This is to pay my room and board and for small things like transportation costs. I get two vacation days a month which I can save up to travel or can use for a weekend away and I get paid a small travel stipend to help offset travel costs. I also get medical care and prescription drugs included. At the completion of 27 months of training/service, I get a $6000 re-adjustment stipend to help get resettled in the US. I can also use it for travelling after service. They also pay to get me to Staging and to Perú and back at the end of my service. They do not pay to send me home, except for a family emergency. If I get sick they are unable to take care of me in Perú, they will medivac me to the US or another closer country that can provide treatment. Another bonus is that when I get back, I can go to grad school for cheap or free.

 

Q. How much luggage can you take? What are you taking?

A. I am allowed 2 checked bags, which together cannot weigh more than 100 lbs and neither can be more than 50 lbs. When you add the length, width, and depth of both bags, it cannot be more than 107”. I am allowed 1 carryon of no more than 45” (length+width+ depth) and a personal item. I am taking my computer. I can at least watch DVDs, write emails, and do work on it if I don’t have internet at my site. I am taking a lot of clothes- Peruvians tend to be much smaller than I am so finding clothes in Perú would be tricky. I’m taking good socks and underwear because everything will be hand washed and I don’t think good socks get the kudos they deserve J

 

That is all I can think of for now; like I said, any questions, post it in the comments and I’ll answer!