Libros Para Los Ninos

We started a book drive in Yanacoto...one of our first Peace Corps projects! We solicited, made up flyers, announced it in the town speaker system...and ended up with about 15 books. Not a stellar success by any means, but we'll donate the books to the local school.

Depending on the needs of the community, it would be great if I could do something like this in my future site and maybe on a grander scale. My ultimate goal would be to have a children's library--like a safe haven for children to go to. I have no idea how to even begin such a project though so we'll see what happens in the next two years.

Mi vida antes Cuerpo de Paz

Some volunteers and I were just reminiscing today about how spiffy we looked before the Peace Corps.

In two months time, I´ve given up on regular showers, make'up, shaving, jewelry, regular washing of clothes...overall personal hygiene. But look what I stumbled across from my sister´s wedding. What a hottie I was! (I´m to the left.)

Mi nueva familia anfitriona

A picture of me with my new host family. The father is the director of education, the mother is a professor, and my host brother is 14 years old and really adorable. They were very kind and warm to me when I stayed there last week.

Still, I will really miss the old family. In truth, if I had a choice, I probably wouldn´t leave. Old host dad made a really touching speech that I will always be his daughter here in Peru and Yanacoto will always be my home. :, ( ¡Que triste!

Anyways, I also posted a pic of the new room below. This is the before-photo and I will post the after-photo after I get done with the makeover.

Soy una estrella!

So about the mayor... He came to pick us up and I felt like a big celebrity! (Even though it was only his pick'up truck...and we picked up some hitchiker along the way...but he did have his own driver...and this is Peru, after all!) The horrible thing is that I got really carsick because his driver was driving really fast through all the hairpin turns, but I was able to keep all my vomit in. Funny enough, in the midst of my carsickness, the mayor stopped at a restaurant for lunch and after a plate of Peruvian duck marinated in a beer sauce, I felt loads better.

Anyways, I did have to give a speech later on at a townhall meeting...in front of the general public, while the mayor was present, and with the local television station there. Yep, that´s right...I was on Peruvian TV giving my speech in my broken Spanish! Later my new host family and I watched it on TV and we had a good laugh about it, because apparently, I talk with my hands a lot.

I posted some pics of Cajabamba below. It´s a really interesting place. It´s a mixture of the Peruvian countryside and the beginning of a ¨city.¨ Cajabamba is a town of 8000 people, yet, we have the woods, a coliseum, a market, a jail, bulls just hanging out in someone´s backyard...All in one place.

Fotografias de Cajabamba...

En un carro con el Alcalde...

Only in Peru... Another volunteer and I are both volunteers in Cajabamba. We were supposed to get there on a bus.

But plans have changed.

The mayor of Cajabamba is now sending a private car for us. WTF, right? There´s also talk that we´ll have to give a speech to the town when we get there. I know that I was the Secretary of the Spanish Honor Society in high school (and all we did was sell burritos), but uh really, I´ve only had, like, 2 months of Spanish. ¿Como se dice, ¨overwhelming?¨

It´s times like this that I really can´t describe my life here...

Estoy seguro en Cajamarca!

Just wanted to write a quick post that I am safe in Cajamarca. We got here a couple of days ago and already I met my host dad, some government officials, a lawyer, etc. In a few hours I´ll be traveling to my site in Cajabamba approximately 3-4 hours away to meet the rest of my host family, see my house for the next two years, etc. I´ll post pictures as soon as I can.

Already I have some ideas of how I want to live my life here. It´s funny, in the states, you simply get a job. But, here, you have to find projects and work that will define your life for the next two years. It´s a lot of pressure, because there´s a lot that I want to get out of this experience. If yáll have any ideas, let me know!

But in the meantime, thanks for all your good wishes. I have received so many e'mails that have uplifted me on my days of homesickness. :) It really helps a lot. And, Amy, I do take time to read your comments as well. Thanks, guys! I wish you all the best in the states.