My first work week

I got sick for the first time spent a night with diarrhea followed by a morning of vomiting followed by more diarrhea, fever, chills, headache, fatigue, with more diarrhea and vomiting. Bacterial infection got on antibiotics much better now. Perhaps someday you will all have the pleasure of realizing how much solid poop is a joy in life. I graduated from training quite the emotional day. We had to say goodbye to our host families, our trainers, and our new friends all at once. Then pack up and get on the next 16 hour bus ride. The municipality came and took me personally from my capital city to my new home.That made me feel really important but I find myself passing a majority of my time with some sort of official. I found out it is over 100 degrees farenheit everyday here. Consequently, I am sweating frequently especially because I walk or ride my bike everywhere. I think Zeek is a good name for him. Definately a boy it is a mountain bike really tough for the rugged turraine. I organized a parade for World´s Aids day, December 1st. I am building improved cooking stoves next week as well. I am helping out in the library, and soon will be teaching English combined with self esteem and higiene during summer school. I have to start interviewing the community to determine what themes I should be working with. Anywho, the first week was very busy followed by one nervous breakdown on Thanksgiving. I feel it was well earned considering I had yet to cry since arriving to Peru. It is sad to be away from family and friends especially during the holidays and especially when everyone around me keeps asking if I love my family because I moved so far away. The answer is I am constantly thinking about all of you. Plus your pictures are plastered on my wall for inspiration.I am enjoying my new family however. They are immensely great people and kind. I think I now have 5 families in my life. So this week was the Aniversary of my town which is a big deal here. So yesterday I went to Mass, watched the parade from the VIP stand with all the authorities of my town, then there was a speech about all the projects that have been realized in 2009, lunch, then dancing and drinking with the priest, nuns, the directors of the schools, the presidents of clubs, and the Govenor. It was incredible, I of course won brownie points with my sweet dance moves. Today the parties continued as it was the birthday of our health center. More dancing and drinking with the doctors, mayor, nurses, and health technicians. Unfortunately, there is only loads of beer and this other drink called chicha which is kind of like corn beer but strong. Still hate beer by the way, but it is a right of passage to be a part of drinking circles here. Not to mention eating large portions of meat which my stomach is still uncertain how to digest. I never know exactly what meat I am eating and I suppose it does not matter it is just funny to me because I do not want to eat any meat. Also today there was a soup in which the women to my right had a quarter of the head of a pig and to my left half of the stomach and bowels. I lucked out and had the vegetarian portion, containing no actual vegetables. I am curious if this is how it always is here or if it is just because it is the aniversary. I guess I will figure that fact out next week. Everyone askings me if i am accustomed to living here. In my opinion it is a ridiculous question because no one can be used living anywhere in 3 days. I think since everything in my life is at lightening speed so will my adaptation. I am hoping within the month my spanish, my attitude, my understanding of culture and the organizations will be up to par. I hope to be able to do my laundry without help (no laundry machines here), to make friends, and have a solid work plan. I realize that is ambitious but well if I want to get shit done I need to feel competent as a human first. And so begins the next big change, the previous guy told me that I will get hit by the bus so many times and stand back up that eventually I will realize I am stronger than the bus. I am looking at this quote as a warning but also as an inspiration. I know I am strong but this experience is certainly a test physically, mentally, and emotionally. Here´s to giggling at your own sense of humor. (In my case laughing at myself and at things that are not really funny at all) Cheers. And a tardie Happy Turkey day.

Fish out of Water

We went on another training 17 hour bus ride. At the site I got to dig a mini landfill, teach a class on self esteem, hang out with pigs, do house visits, create a radio spot, help build a community garden. I took my first bucket bath, not so bad. I realize I will have many problems with bugs as I have gotten bitten so many times my legs are just hopeless. I also got stung by a bee in my pants random. At another point there were ants in my pants luckiy I was not wearing them. I met my site that I will be living in for the next two years. It is an overwhelming experience. I have multiple schools with about 500 students in each school. I have had to make two speeches in front of no less than 600 people. I met the mayor, governer, advisors to the mayor, and justice of the peace. I have met the health center staff doctor, nurse, technicians, and pharmacists. I have met professors and directors of schools. I have met my new host family. I have a nice home with a bathroom, shower, running water and electicity. My family also raises turkeys so we are not lacking in that category. We have chickens as well. I live by a loud speaker which is the only downfall because at 545 on the dot the annoucements for the day begin a full blast into my bedroom for at least an hour. I have cell phone service and am close to the internet. I basically live in a city that is more or less in a dry forest/desert. The sun is strong, the heat is intense. I sweat pretty much all the time. I will be able to have a bike so that is really exciting as I miss my bike at home. I still have to figure out exactly where everything is in my town and meet a boat load of people. I also need to set up my room. It appears I will begin working from day one which is not common. But the guy before me worked hard and accomplished a lot. The standards are high and I am going to do my best to match it. This is honestly not what I had in my mind because it is so much larger than I expected. But I will be a much better public speaker when all is said and done. My spanish has received complements but I need to build my vocabulary. I feel immensely supported by my community but slightly intimidated. I will be leaving to resume training for one more week and then I am official. These past few months have flown by and I can only hope that I have all the skills I will need to survive, no thrive. Just keep breathing and meeting new people I suppose is the best way to manage.

Adventure

Ok so I went on this trip to get work training and it was incredible and interesting. It completely rejuvenated me about my decision to do this for the next few years. So anyways we took an 8 hour bus ride on this super sweet ride through the country side. It was gorgeous and it actually did not suck at all. Which is important that buses are rides in style here because chances are I will have to ride for 20 or more hours at some point. That all depends on my site. But any who so we arrived late slept in a hostel woke up traveled to a small town at the base of the tallest mountain in Peru. Unfortunately, I was not able to see it because of cloud coverage but it was like you could feel its greatness. I built a latrine, and ate cuy (guinea pig). Tastes like chicken it is just much more work because of the small bone structure and minimal meat. Did home visits about early childhood stimulation and got to better know my co-workers. The next day we went to a different small town and learned how to build improved cooking stoves. It was a get dirty kind of week with lots of hands on work. So happy to get back to construction. The last day we worked with kids building pinatas and interviewing the community. I definitely feel better prepared now. I find out this week where I will be staying for the next two years. I will miss my host family because they have been amazingly warm, but I am getting used to goodbyes. This experience is going to be challenging and demanding but totally worthwhile. And this country is beautiful on so many different levels. I missed Halloween because we were traveling back on a bus to our homes. No worries though because yesterday I was able to celebrate Dia de los Muertos. It is all about paying respect to the dead and spending time in a cemetery. It is something that I think everyone should do. I also ate cow heart off a street cart and did not get sick. My body has done me quite well I hope my health stays in the positive. Because many other people have not been so lucky. And for now that will have to suffice as I would love to sleep. Tomorrow I am teaching English in a middle school. Hopefully the kids do not eat me alive. It has been a strange ride so far I keep learning new things. One day at a time, one new encounter at a time.