Sunday, January 24, 2010

Simplemente...Blah!

I'm homesick...again. (Well, what'd you expect?? I have been away from home for almost 8 months now!!) These last 2 days have been awful! Probably some of it has to do with the fact that my dad turned 57 yesterday (and having finished that stupid book, "The Notebook"...Blah!) Anyways, I can't help but think...57 is so old! What am I doing here instead of spending time with him?

I spent all day Friday fighting the urge to mope in bed all day. Instead I did everything I could think of to cheer myself up...shopped (bought 3 adobe baked breads), did the dishes (I like it when it looks all sparkly afterwards), studied Spanish, went to work, and even smiled at all the passerbys on the streets--but then stopped when the men just started jeering at me and saying things equally as lewd. (This used to cheer me up in the states when people would return the smile and just say "hello." So simple, but really, try it for when you have bad days.)
Not to sound like a quitter, but I first started this Peace Corps thing, I never imagined that I'd be here this long. I always thought that I'd be sent home for medical reasons (for a while, I was convinced that I would get SARS) or for the inability to learn Spanish. But now, 8 months later, it's beginning to sink in that I'm here for the long haul and that I won't see my family and friends until freakin' AUGUST 2011. OMG!! (Capital letters, underline, underline, bold bold!!) I know that this realization should have hit me sooner, but anyways...

So, in case you're thinking of referring me to the Peace Corps suicidal prevention hotline, don't. Rational Katie does realize how lucky she is. I do have more good days than bad, but you understand, being away from people who genuinely care for your well-being is hard. One of my Peace Corps friends just came back from visiting her family in the US. While I know I have the option to do that, I don't think I ever will. If for nothing else than just the memory of my father standing at the door at 4 a.m. with heavy rain waving good-bye to me on the day that I left. I don't think I can have another memory like that again.

On the upside, I may have found an NGO who may be interested in working with me on opening up a student soup kitchen here. I interviewed with them last week and turned in my Business Plan for a grant application, still working on filling out the application in Spanish, and then hopefully, I'll be able to to form a board for the project, meet with the municipality if my grant application is approved, and then be able to oversee the operation. Lots of "ifs," I know, but I'm optimistic...Well, on most days anyway. :)
P.S. I uploaded a picture of my father and sister, just because we're in a melancholy mood... :( And because it cracks me up how freakin' happy my dad looks to be horseback riding.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Aranas y globos!

We have big spiders here. Like this tarantula was found in our backyard. Apparently, my host mom said that they're not poisonous...but it's the little ones that are everywhere that I should watch out for. Genial! So every night before I jump in to bed, I check for my unwanted visitors--fleas and spiders.

(And I'm actually quite scared of getting bitten by the small ones. If you've seen the sanitary conditions of my health post, you'd understand. On the day that I was there, I thought I might contract something just from sitting down on the bench.)

One last thing is that we're starting our Carnival in Cajamarca. This is like our Peruvian sierra version of Mardi Gras. There will be paint gun fights on the streets, drunken people, dancing, and all sorts of activities in the capitol city. My site will partake in some of that along with a roast to the leaders of the community. But for the time being, all of Cajamarca/Cajabamba is participating in the water fights. They sell these head size balloons and we fill them up with water, get on a balcony and drop them on people as they're walking by on the streets...Whoever started this tradition should be shot! It's been like a war zone here--dodging, ducking, and weaving. Oh, and did I mention that for extra fun, sometimes the balloons are filled with urine? Yep, this is all legal in Peru.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Gracias por todos los regalos...Estoy muy agradecida!

Thank you so much for all your gifts, everyone! I would take a picture but there was so much and, quite frankly, I've eaten a lot of it. :( But I want you to know what I've done with your gifts:
  • Amy: I think you know, but my family is erecting a wall for the laundry wringer. They are so excited because my host mom actually pays someone to do the laundry that she cannot wring by hand.
  • Wendy: I am so glad that you sent the Halloween candy. You know how excited I get when I hear of nifty ways to save money! Well, I still have some of the candy left, but it's been a struggle not to eat it all. Everyday I wake up to a Kit Kat bar or Butterfinger. But that'll last for, like, two more days but I savor every bite. As for the Britney CD, I actually take it to the Peruvian gym with me. You'll be happy to know that I go in 10 minutes early each time just so I can dance to "Hit Me, Baby, One More Time!" Gaw, after all these years, I still love that song, and, Britney, if you happen to stumble across this blog, I am still your biggest fan!!! Anyways, moving on...
  • Danny: Thank you for indulging in my "Harry Potter" nerdiness still. Really funny, I just started a movie "theater" in my town, so the CD came at the perfect time. You'll be proud to know that in two weeks you will have helped to spread "Harry Potter" nerdiness in the fine town of Cajabamba, Peru!
  • Father: Would someone let him know that I am sipping on my cup of Chinese green tea right now even as I'm typing this. Yes, that was one of the things I definitely missed from home. (I'm so protective of it that I actually drink it in secrecy.)
  • Becky: Awesome, awesome, awesome! I, of course, have finished my "People" magazine (I so want Taylor Swift's dress just to be able to walk around Cajabamba in it), have become very protective of my granola and 100 calorie bars (You really know me too well...neither of which exist here) and I just washed the socks today. You don't know this, but I was really excited to get socks! Because I wash my own clothes, I've been having trouble getting the dirt stains out. So I soak them, scrub them with soap and then scrub them with a brush, but then that just create holes. So then I leave out the scrubbing, but then my socks just get browner and browner. Ugh. It's either holey socks or dirty-looking socks. So getting new clean socks was like a little piece of sunshine! :)
  • Willie: I'm still in awe that your beef jerky made it through Peruvian customs! You know how I've been craving meat (and liver) like a vampire lately, so thank you so much! I know I should be ashamed that I finished both packages in one sitting (while flipping through Becky's "People" magazine, no less), but it was seriously one of my best food memories ever!!!! I am not ashamed to admit that I miss beef jerky so much that I actually licked both bags! Anyways, thank you so much.

So to say thank you to y'all really doesn't express how grateful I am for everything you've done for me. I really wish I had the competency to convey it into words, because little things like getting presents while I'm up in small-sierra-Peru makes me feel so special. It's made me appreciate each and everyone of you in ways that I probably never did before. So, in sum, I am grateful for all your thoughtful gifts in making me feel special. As a Peace Corps volunteer, that's the best gift of all.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Trujillo, La Libertad, Peru

Trujillo is a big, coastal city that is about 8-10 hours away from Cajabamba. It is a land of magic where I can get things like McDonald’s, soft serve ice cream, visit more ruins, while later, walking on the beach.

Lowlights: My guidebook said that the ruins sites of Chan Chan were really dangerous near the entrance way. (“Do not loiter. Do not go at night. Do not go by yourself and always ask the police man on duty to escort you directly to the door.”) So I asked our fellow policeman to escort us to the door, to which, he just stood there and laughed. Hmm…I think I’ll write to my guidebook about this. Fortunately, we made it up to the entrance without his help.

Highights: (1) The beach because it was gorgeous despite it being a little cloudy on this day. (2) McDonald’s and fresh seafood (“ceviche,” ie, raw fish prepared Peruvian style) for lunch. (3) Being in the big city all over again!!



Yep, we're lovin' it!










El bote de remos: Huaraz V

We went boating one day along the side of the mountains. As we were leaving later that day, I got my fix again of a vegetarian burrito again for dinner and then we hopped back on an overnight bus to a city called Trujillo to make our descent back to Cajabamba.

Lowlights: Saying good-bye to our Huaraz and friends. It was one of the best vacations ever and, like my other experiences in the Peace Corps, I got to do stuff that I normally would never have the chance to do.



Yo monte a caballo: Huaraz IV

I rode a horse on the Peruvian countryside and saw some amazing views.

Low lights: Manuel, my horse, I’m sure is very good on most days. But on the day that I got him, he got way too closed to a parked truck and rammed my right knee to the edge of it (where the metal rim stuck out). He happened to be trotting when the collision happened so, for one scary moment, I thought my knee had shattered. It’s been 3 days now and I’m still limping along, but fortunately, I don’t think anything’s broken.

Highlights: (1) Sushi lunch complete with miso soup and chai tea. (2) My friends also surprised me with a chocolate coffee cake to celebrate my birthday in December…Sweet!


Los glaciares: Huaraz III

There are glaciers up in Huaraz, Peru, which is known for its hiking and climbing trails. Although we didn’t make it to the top of the glacier, we saw some amazing stuff. Highlights:
(1) Guess which one is me: (a) One of us took off our shoes, socks, and rolled up our pants in order to cross over the glacier lake and have her picture taken sitting on top of a large rock in the middle of the lake; (b) One of us stripped bucked naked and took a 10 second swim in the ice cold waters of the glacier lake; (c) One of us had to pee really badly while hiking to the the glacier and took a pee by (not in) the glacier lake. If you guessed “c,” ^ding ding ding,* you would be correct! And I get bragging rights to that, too, for leaving my mark.
(2) While coming down the mountain in a taxi, an angry bull (with her youngins’ nearby) blocked our way and was ready to charge us. Fortunately, my brilliant friend, Lisette, had the right idea to throw a rock in its direction and it finally left us alone so that we were able to get back down the mountain again. Whew!
(3) I ate grilled chicken made with a pineapple and peach sauce for lunch. And then for our New Years Eve dinner, we cooked back at the hostel…curry noodles, smores, banana boats, wontons, artichoke dip, heavily spiked fruit punch, chicken parmesan, and of course, panetone, etc…Just a little taste of home.









Un camino a las ruinas: Huaraz II

We took a hike to the ruins in Huaraz. I forgot to bring my camera with me on this day, so the highlights of this day were:

(1) Me hiking up to the ruins while really needing to pee so I kept trying to find an appropriate place to cop a squat (there were none unless I wanted an audience of farmers or children). So I finally ended up at a health post where the inside rooms were being remodeled and the construction workers told me to just do my thing in the corner of a room of what will later become the bathroom. I refused and left, especially after the workers were curious to know if I was going to be doing #1 or 2. Ugh…

(2) I am such a tourist sucker and bought 2 “magic” pottery. I was told that they were “magical” because, instead of pouring water in from the top, you can pour water from the bottom of the pottery (where there is a hole) and when you turn the pottery rightside turvy, it doesn’t spill and you can use it as you would a normal teapot. Outstanding invention!

(3) Oh yeah, the ruins were great, fascinating, and historic, too, but did I mention my “magic”pottery that I bought for only 10 soles each ($3.50)…

(4) Being that Huaraz is also a tourist town, I got a vegetarian burrito topped with chili for lunch. So good! My first time having tofu again in 7 months!!!

Vacacion por Ano Nuevo 2010: Huaraz I

I just got back from my New Year’s vacation from Huaraz, Ancash to visit some other volunteers. It was about a 17 hour bus ride there, but it was amazing!

For those of you who are wondering what a long bus ride is like in Peru, it’s actually not bad. For the most part, we book the most expensive buses that exist in Peru. So we’ll generally get on the bus around dinner time, watch a movie over dinner and drinks (non-alcoholic…derr…because we don’t need a drunken bus driver driving along the Peruvian mountainsides), and then we’ll recline our seats and go to sleep. We wake up to a sandwich breakfast and more non-alcoholic drinks, and then we’re pretty much at our destination. Easy, right? I generally sleep like a rock on buses…none of the usual roosters, donkeys, sheeps, bulls, farmers to wake me up. But if you book the cheaper buses, it’s generally not as comfortable, no reclining seats, bathroom breaks at absurd hours of the night (since the cheap buses do not have a built in bathrooms), and, yes, there might be roosters on board to wake you up.

Oh! And I also do not recommend making bets with others to see who can withstand to not go to the bathroom for the entire duration of the bus ride. Yes, you get extreme bragging rights but the damage to your bladder is everlasting. Read on…

Anyways, I have a ton of pictures from New Year 2010 so I’ll try to break them up…

Feliz Navidad 2009!

So I figure that I should post my holiday pictures already from my first Christmas in Cajabamba.

In Peru, we celebrate Noche Buena or Christmas Eve and the families eat dinner at midnight to ring in Christmas. (Then on the actual Christmas day, we just rest up.) For my first Christmas meal in Peru, my host mother made homemade apple sauce, beet salad, hot chocolate, and roasted chicken. There were also an assortment of pastries and panetone. Panetone is like a fruit bread that you see in the pictures. It’s fatty, they cut it in huge chunks that you eat with butter…and oh so heavenly!!!

Later on that weekend, I went down to the capitol city to celebrate with some of the other volunteers. We cooked and, look, I even made some homemade Pigs in a Blanket without the help of the Pillsbury Doughboy!
My family also made a mini nativity scene (as is the tradition) in Peru. So I got to be the “Madrastra” this Christmas and put Baby Jesus in its crib.