What exactly am I going to do here?

Real quick I wanted to clarify exactly the type of work I'm doing. I've have some questions recently and realized it isn't super clear.

I am working in Chocta, Peru with the Health Post there. Our main goals are the following:

1. We will work with a group of about 30 parents (likely mothers) with children under the age of three. We will be teaching them about nutrition, disease prevention, and early stimulation. We will do this through individual house visits as well as  group chats.

2. We will be forming a group of teen "peer educators" to teach them about good decision making for the future and sexual health. The hope is for them to go on to be leaders and role models to their peers and community.

In addition to these goals, Peace Corps has the goal of intercultural exchange. I will be sharing my customs from the States and learning the culture and customs of Chocta, Peru. This will allow me and the people I interact with to grow as human beings as well as promote friendship between the two countries.

Secondary projects: In addition to these projects, I have the freedom to do my own projects of whatever I feel would benefit my community. For example I could teach English (check!). I'm excited for the possibility of starting a garden club and planting more veggies in town. I can't wait do a World Map Project and paint a big mural of the world, later teaching geography and world culture. I'm planning on working with the dentist to promote and teach dental hygiene (thanks for the idea, Mom!).

So that's a more detailed description of exactly what I'll be doing here for 27 months. Stay posted for updates on my progress!

Papa Culture

(By now I hope you all know that papa means potato!)

I was invited by my host sister, Nelly, and her husband to help harvest potatoes from their chacra (small farm). How it works here in Chocta (one of the largest potato exporting towns) is everyone practically has their own papa chacras on their private plots of land. When it’s time to plant or harvest they solicit the help of friends and family. It’s a really cool concept of the community coming together to help whoever needs it. When the potatoes sell, the owner somehow keeps track of who helped for how many days and pays them accordingly. At the beginning of a harvest day, everyone walks to the chacra together, which could be close or really far. If it’s really far, the owner of the chacra will bring pots and food to make lunch for everyone. Its custom to cook chicken when planting and fish when harvesting. (don’t ask me why, I asked and they told me that’s just how it is).

So Thursday morning the whole familyCommercial- to sell to the big potato companies (depending of the class of papa, each sac sells for about 50 soles, or 16 bucks), regulation- to bring home with us and sell to people in Chocta, and chancho- the tiny ones that go to the pigs to eat. When we got to the chacra, I was ask to help Nelly start cooking lunch instead of digging up potatoes because everyone said I would hurt my nails… I got really annoyed at them for that. Sometimes I get sick of being the outsider who no one thinks can do anything. I told them about my 15 hour hike to Half Dome in Yosemite and they hardly believed me. I just have to work a little harder at earning respect because of some stereotypes some people have developed. So after lunch, which included fresh potatoes straight from the dirt, I got into line with all the people and showed them I could dig up papas as good as anyone! I have to admit that my fingernails were quite sore for a few days from dirt and potato getting wedged under them.  However, I do feel like I gained a lot of respect that day. Even from people we walked past on the way home. They saw the gringa all muddy and sweaty from a day of their everyday work and I became accepted officially into the community, officially a Choctonian!

hiked out to Nelly and Jeramias’ chacra to harvest. The way it worked was a couple strong young men (in this case my 21 year old host brother and cousin) plow up the rows of potato plants. This usually exposes some, but then a row of people line up to dig up the rest and put them into piles. Later we go back to gather those piles into big sacs. There are three categories of papa.

This was an awesome experience and a gained a lot more than sore fingers, 20 soles, and a bit of respect. I also gained perspective. The potatoes that we eat in the United States come from farms like this. The majority of this world work hard labor jobs everyday. I never really thought about that or realized how much work goes into a sac a potatoes. Who would’ve figured I’d learn so much about the potato growing culture. I can never be grateful enough for this experience to open my eyes to different cultures that I would have never even thought about. And not only do I now get to know about them, I get to live them for two years. Pretty darn cool, man.

These are the papas I got to take home after a day of work, all cleaned and laying out to dry! Aren't they pretty? delicious too!

Vacaciones Utiles (Summer School)

Peace Corps recommends that volunteers teach a class during summer school for a couple reasons. It helps us get to know the people in the community, it helps with learning Spanish, and it gives us something to do during these sometimes slow first months. Because I didn’t feel my vocabulary was sufficient for teaching really anything other than English, an English class it was. So here I am, jumping into facilitating a class, which I’ve never done alone before, and in a foreign language no less!

It’s been a relatively good experience so far! This week I completed my third week. I’m teaching elementary school kids Monday and Tuesday mornings and high school age kids in the afternoons on those days. I take role every day and so far I’ve had a great turnout: in both age groups combined, I’ve had a total of 46 students come. Some have come to every class, others just once or twice. It’s been fun but I have to say choosing healthcare was a good choice; I don’t think I could be a teacher. I have so much respect and admiration for teachers especially at the elementary level. Kids are tough. I do understand that it’s even tougher because of my Spanish level. I can’t image I’m very intimidating when I’m reprimanding them with broken Spanish and a gringa accent. I did send a few students out of class for being disruptive and one has yet to come back, I feel kinda bad… oh well.

But despite the challenges it’s been pretty fun and rewarding. The kids are quick learners, I’m very impressed with their retention. I've been doing a lot of interactive activities instead of straight lectures, so that helps with the attention span issues. And some of those guys will just warm your heart with their questions or when they rush to show me the notes they took in their notebooks or when I get to class early and there’s already a big group of students waiting by the door. One day when I was walking back home after class, I saw a little girl showing her dad her notebook and he put his arm around her giving her a little squeeze. So cute! And yesterday they wrote “Mi maestra Mis Alexis” with chalk on the sidewalk in front of the school and decorated it with flowers for me. Those little moments make it really fun.

It’s also been really beneficial for my integration into the community. Lots of people on the street now ask me how the classes are going or if I’m on my way to my classes, etc. I still have parents asking me if their son or daughter can come. I just say yeah of course bring them Monday! The most student’s I’ve had was 25 and that was a lot for me. Hopefully it doesn’t get too much bigger! I had a meeting the other day with a group of mothers and my PC Coordinator. He asked if they knew why I was here and a few shouted out “to teach English!” So I gotta work on that a bit and make sure people know I’m there for more than that! Once my work with the Health Center takes off, I’m sure everyone will catch on that I’m here to promote and educate about healthy living as well J

Seis de Enero

Apparently the 6 of January is a huge holiday in the Catholic community here. From what I understand they celebrate the Three Kings on this day. I had started my English classes the day before, which I´ll be doing while the kids have a break from school until March. But my host sister told me I have to cancel class for the day because we´ll be dancing all day long. So the dance is pretty much the same as the once they do for Christmas. Only this time they somehow convinced me to join in. I tried to get out of it by saying it`s for the kids. But they found a teenager to do it so I wasn´t the only big kid. I was still the tallest (and oldest) by far and it was quite embarrassing. But it made my host family and everyone so happy that it was worth it. So January 6^th I put on the hat and skirt that was made for me and headed to church.

We started with a mass at 9am. Then we did some dancing and singing in Church. Afterwards we marched out of the church and up the street to the Health Post, singing the whole time. I embraced the laughs of the people we passed as we marched. After the Health Post we marched in line to the other side of town where someone had prepared a delicious lunch for us.

I was happy to get out of the outfit and even happier that we won´t have to go to church at night anymore to practice. But I´m really happy I did it. My regional coordinator, Miguel Angel came to visit yesterday and told me doing stuff like that is a key part of the Peace Corps Mission of promoting friendship between Peruvians and the United States, because it shows that we, as people from the US, are open and willing to integrate into the culture here. Because I embarrassed myself all over town, the people of Chocta now have the idea that people of the United States are open-minded and willing to try new things!

You´re welcome, Amurica.

New Years in Huanchaco

What better to cure the “Holidays Away from Home Blues” than a trip to the beach?? That´s right, nothing!

About 30 Volunteers headed down their little mountain towns to spend New Years together on the beaches of Trujillo. It was a great get-a-way, we all had an amazing time. Hauanchaco is a town famous for its surfing. It was very touristy, and more importantly-hot! We got to wear our shorts and skirts that were collecting dust in our rooms. The short two days consisted of lounging on the beaches, swimming in the ocean, eating ceviche (heavenly), and chatting/gossiping/storytelling with each other until many of us lost our voices.

We brought in 2015 inside of a beachside discoteca where Gillian and I got to yell the countdown (in Spanish thank you very much) into the DJ`s microphone, followed by lots of hugs and Champaign. A few minutes after, a group of about 15 of us jumped into the ocean for a midnight swim. It was pretty insane, and the thought of walking around in the middle of the night in sopping wet clothes gives me goose bumps now that I´m back in site. But it was just the refresher I, and many of us needed after the holidays.

The support group we have here with the other Volunteers is so great. It´s important for our experience and crucial for our sanity. I usually will call and talk to someone every other day as calls between volunteers is free, thank goodness. Love ya`ll!

Navidad in Chocta

Festivities started a week before Christmas. Every night the week of Christmas, my extended host family went to the church with all the other Catholics in Chocta (most, to be honest are my extended family as I seem to be related to everyone in Chocta). We didn´t go there to have mass but to watch the Little kids dance a dance they call Baile Pastoras. There´s a Singer and the kids repeat what she sings and then my host dad plays the violin and someone beats the drum as the Little kids do a simple dance. It was very cute! After we practiced in Chocta, some of us walked up to the neighboring town, Cruzpata, to practice some more with the kids there. Each night someone brought coffee and rolls of bread that we enjoyed after the dancing. On Christmas Eve the kids put on their skirts and hats to do the dance. Afterwards, around 11pm, we had a mass that ended with my host mom squeezing a doll to produce a crying sound: baby Jesus is born!

Christmas day I went to Luya and was able to spend some time with Austin, TJ, and Hilary who live there. It was nice to talk in English and watch a Christmas movie together. Not the festive Christmas we´re all used to, but it was a nice afternoon with good company.

So it was quite a different Christmas and, I´m not going to lie, it wasn´t easy being away from home. In my family, Christmas is about our whole big crazy family being together. It´s about traditions of watching The Grinch and getting presents from “Santa” (who was it this year guys?). It´s about eating lots of food and even more dessert. It´s about being too loud and laughing all afternoon.

This year for Christmas Eve I ate the same potatoe soup I eat every night with just my host mom and me. It went without The Grinch and without dessert. It went without my family. But if this experience of being away from family has taught me anything, it´s how freaking lucky I am to have the family I do. I honestly can feel the love from them all the time. I think about them everyday as I know they think of me. I could not imagine being here without that support. I´m so lucky to have Christmases like the ones I´ve had. And guess what? I`ll get to have plenty more. For that I´m extremely fortunate and grateful. Many people have no family to celebrate with at all. Most don´t get to enjoy Jim Carey in an obnoxious Green suit. Most people don´t have the pleasure of feeling sick from the amount of “Sheeshee cookies” they indulged in. Many are completely content with a quiet dinner, watching children dance, and celbrating the birth of Christ in mass.

Sorry if this post was depressing, and I´m really sorry if I made you cry, Mom. But I decided I wanted to be honest and true to my Peace Corps experience on this blog. And that means writing about the good and bad. Peace Corps life is not all fun and games. It´s not all easy. It´s actually often really hard and many of us go through lots of struggles all the time. But we are completely willing to do so, because all the great days, the learning, and the growth we get to experience are worth those struggles ten times over. 

Getting to Know Chocta

I'm sitting here in our Peace Corps office in Luya. I haven't been able to get to internet in a few weeks, so sorry about the lack of posts!  I'll let you all know that I'm doing great and poco a poco (bit by bit) I've been adjusting to life in Chocta.

My first weeks have been a lot of meeting people, hanging out with my family, spending time in schools and the health post. I sat in on a music class and sang with the 5 year olds. I helped my host cousin plow her field across the street from my house. I shadowed our obstetriz as he assessed a 17 months along pregnant woman. Yesterday a baby was born (they took the mom to Luya to give birth). They call giving birth "dar la luz" which translates to "giving the light." Very poetic! I've learned how to chop up lettuce without a chopping board, peel potatoes with a knife, and cook over a fire like a pro! We actually just got a new cookstove that we'll be able to start using in a few days. It's still with firewood but traps the smoke through a chimney so it doesn't fill the room. There have of course been ups and downs, but overall, I've adjusted very well so far and have been kept very busy!

Two Saturdays ago I went to Karajia, a tourist attraction very close to my house. I went with my host mom and brother, a few primas, and some random kids. We walked up to the next town, Cruzpata, where the entrance to the hike was. After walking down a fairly steep path, we come across an opening to an incredible beautiful canyon where the path continues off the side of the mountain. As we walked, we looked up the side of the mountain to see the famous sculptures. I fount the hike to be more interesting than the actual sculptures. As we finished the walk and started to head back, it began to rain pretty hard! We scurried up the path, passing tourists (from Spain we guessed) on foot and a few on horseback. By the time we were back in Chocta, the sun had come out again and we basically dried. I really liked the hike, and recommend it to whoever's planning on visiting!

Turns out my family is very Catholic. Which is great! Being involved in the church is a great way for me to be seen in the community and meet people. My host dad is the pastor who holds mass on Sundays. The priest only comes up to Chocta once in a while. The first Sunday I was there, he asked me to read one of the readings. I didn't want to say no, so I agreed. It was pretty rocky trying to read Spanish bible verses in front of a a room full of Peruvians. But I got through it. Who knows if anyone could actually understand any word I said. When I told my host mom I am baptized and confirmed Catholic, she was so excited! We talked about how beautiful the Catholic religion is for three days after that.

Last weekend, I spent a nice Saturday playing with my host brother's 18 month old daughter Marllely and cleaning the Church in preparation for the 1st Communion/Baptism the next day. The pastor was coming to town so they were going to hold both during the same mass. That night, while hanging out with my host brother and sister in law and their kids, my host dad asked to speak with me. Very sweetly and officially he asked me to do the honor and be Marllely's god-mother. There's no way I could say no to that! Plus I've grown to love that little girl after just a few weeks and she finally warmed up to me after days of just staring at me when I talked to her. So I agreed and held my god-daughter as she was baptized last Sunday! And guess what? She didn't even shed a tear. She loves me. The only awkward part was when the priest told me to hold her with her head down I didn't understand and it took a while for everyone to get the message across to me. It was a very proud moment and I feel very honored and special to have had that honor. And now I have a god-daughter!

Almost every afternoon I play volleyball (voli) for an hour or so with some kids. It's been good to do a bit of exercising and just let off steam. Jessica is the jefa de voli in her class and loves it. She's a super sweet 12 year old who's very patient with me and helps me with my Spanish as she wants to learn English. I've also gotten to know her mom pretty well who has a house next to the plaza where I enjoying sitting and chatting sometimes. Everyone is seriously so nice and invites me to everything!

Everything including promotions! There have been tons of promotions (kindergarden to primary, primary to secondary, completion of secondary). They consist of the kids dressing up really nice, a "Madrina" paying for a party with cake and balloons, everyone dancing, kids drinking soda, adults drinking whiskey... It's been really fun! I love to see they kids all dressed up and it's been fun bonding with the community.

It's nearing Christmas, and I really can't believe it. It doesn't feel like the holiday season right now and I'm sure it's because I'm away from friends and family back home. I'm very lucky to have a community hear in Peru that is warm, welcoming, and caring. Half of the town is related to my host mom so a bunch of kids call me tia or prima. It's amazing to feel so much a part of the community even after a couple weeks. They tell me already how much they'll miss me when I leave in two years! The spirit of Christmas is very much alive here as well. Yesterday I sat in the garden singing Christmas songs in English as some neighborhood girls sang Christmas songs back to me in Spanish. We all joined in to sing Feliz Navidad, apparently they have that song here as well!

I miss all my friends and family back home but I hope you have a Merry Navidad and a Happy Ano Nuevo. Love you guys and I'll be thinking about you all over here!

Happy Birthday, Dad :)

PS. sorry there's no photos, when I get better internet I'll upload them here and/or onto facebook:)