On Saturday’s, those of us in the Health (Sauld) and Environment (Medio Ambiente) program’s are bussed out to the University of Agraria in Lima. We are very lucky to have the opportunity to study there once a week. There is always a bilingual, renowned agricultural professor that comes to talk to us about trees, plant life, and agriculture in Peru. I have learned a lot of interesting things about Peru. Besides the fact that most people know that there are three biomes, I learned that the upward current in the Ocean that borders Peru brings cold water from the South. The water is too cold to evaporate, which contributes to the lack of rainfall on the coast. Furthermore, the Andes Mountains block clouds coming from the East, stopping more rainfall. Therefore, the Peruvian coast line deserts are some of the driest in the world. And it looks like I will be living in one! I’m not too worried because I am already in a desert right now, and it is not bad at all! However, the medio ambiente coordinator keeps warning us to “be prepared to live in a cave” so I really don’t know what to expect in terms of living conditions when I leave Lima.
Another interesting fact I learned was that in the old days, there was a type of potato among some Peruvian cultures in the sierra (mountains) that was called and is still called something like “to make the sisters in-law cry.” The story is that this particular potato was used when a man wanted to find a wife. He would go to a family and the sisters of the family would peel this potato. Whoever peeled it the best, would win the hand of the man, causing the other sisters sadness and shame. While that tradition has ended, the story remains. I thought it was really cool. Especially since the one time I tried to help my host Mom peel a potato with a knife, I butchered it so badly and the all laughed my host Mom called it her “poor potato”
And finally, I learned that the different hats people wear in Peru and symbolize where they are from. Apparently, if you are Peruvian and see someone wearing a certain hat, you can tell which province they are from, or if they live in the mountains or the Sierra. Very cool!
In most of my posts, I mention things that are funny or fun about Peru. I’m sure some of you might be interested to know if there are any challenges. Of coarse there are! But they are far from discouraging. For example, there is no hot water, ever, and there is no running water from 10pm at night to 5am in the morning. It makes me Saturday nights interesting if I go out with friends because I don’t have any running water to wash my face or brush my teeth when I get home. Also, it is challenging to have to be cautious about food and water all the time. I cant eat fruits or veggies that were not boiled or were not cleaned by my family or me. Also, being cautious about being robbed is a constant dark cloud. Our training staff says we are all innocent and trust everyone, and they proceed to tell us stories about volunteers getting robbed of all sorts of things. But I guess the most challenging thing at all for me is trying to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. Unlike most people, I have really enjoyed almost everything I have eaten. I don’t mind the rice and potatoes and chicken at all! But, I am lucky because my host family keeps a fruit bowl stocked just for me to bring for snacks and eat whenever I want. They also use more veggies then I think a lot of other families do. Friday night I ate my favorite dinner so far. I looked at my plate and it was a pile of purple (actually bright purple, no joke) with rice on the side. I was looking at a plate of white and purple. As usual, I dug right in. It was AMAZING! It had a mix of cooked beets and diced cooked fish. It was so delicious and simple. My host Mom is going to show me how to make it on Thursday this week, so I will be sure to let you all know how it goes!
If you were wondering what Peruvians do for fun, the answer is mostly dance and play soccer or volleyball. I am amazed by how important dancing is in this culture! Everyone, boys and girls, adults and kids dance all the time. It is so great. Last night, the third of October, I went out to a festival at a town called Tres de Octubre (Third of October). Everyone was out in the town and the kids all had planned organized dances. Some of them were cool Peruvian dances in bright colored outfits. But, as one of my volunteers put it “you think Pan Flute music is the music of Peru, but really it is Michael Jackson.” I have hears SO much Michael Jackson here. Last night, several groups of kids performed dances to Michael Jackson, including four boys who did classic Michael moves. It was great! They had the white glove and everything. Then today, I went to a Parade celebrating the anniversary of another town and most of the pictures in this post are from that event.
Oh Spanish. Some day’s I feel great, other days I feel like I have gotten worse. But, there is no doubt in my mind that I understand more than I did before. This coming Friday I have an interview for re-placement. One of the main problems with out learning is that we spend about 4-6 hours a day speaking English. Not just with each other, but in our technical training groups (like environment). It is important they do this, because it is important we all understand the technical language that we might not know in Spanish, but it definitely puts you out of the Spanish speaking groove. However, starting next week there is going to be a lot more Spanglish or pure Spanish classes and I am nervous, but really looking forward to it. I think it will help a lot to have Spanish all the time.
As usual, I love you all! Keep me posted!
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