Aprovechar [a-pro-veh-CHAR]: take advantage of (I need to aprovechar my time in Peru to better my Spanish.) Life is about taking advantage of what you are given. Don't let it be filled with regrets. When I am in my regional capital, I aprovechar and drink an ice cold (with ice)** Coka Cola Zero (no diet coke here in Peru).
** Refrigerators seem not to exist in Huamachuco. Also, there is an issue with drinking anything cold (ever) and taking showers (which are normally cold bc most people don't have hot water heaters) at night will make you sick. This is a very prevalent belief/custom (costumbre) in Sierran culture. I'll make sure to address this in another post.
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| Plaza de Armas, Huamachuco, La Libertad, Peru |
Todavia [toe-da-VEE-ya]: not yet/ still (Have you done your community diagnostic yet? Todavia, no. Todavia, I haven't done it.) The first 2 weeks in site, this was my answer to everything. It's 8am, have you woken up yet? (Todavia). Are you teaching any classes yet? (Todavia). Are you feeling better? (Todavia, no). Site is so different from training and honestly the first two weeks I just want to decompress. I've been productive, but remember that sometimes taking personal time IS productive.
Polvo [POLE-voh]: dust (There is a lot of polvo in Lima) Basically, running along the coast of Peru are mountains that block moisture from getting to the other side. That's why in Chaclacayo, where I was for training, the mountains (they call them "cerros" here which are more like hills) were pure rock and the wind blows the fine dust around, coating everything.
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| Example of dry mountains in Chaclacayo |
De repente [deh rey-PENT-ehh]: unfortunately (I went to the post office 11am on a Thursday, de repente, it was closed) More specifically speaking about holidays (feriados) in Peru, there are so many! I have seen here that when a feriado falls on a weekend, the vacation extends into the prior week. For example, I went to visit a school on a Thursday and (de repente) they had chosen to cancel classes for Thursday and Friday to add on to the feriado already planned for Saturday. Sometimes the local government also gives "optional" feriados and who's not going to say YES to that?
Poco a poco [POH-coh a POH-coh]: little by little (Poco a poco, I might (might not) learn to love soup with fish heads.) Really though, this whole Peace Corps experience I am taking little by little. How do you eat an elephant? Bite by bite. You can't jump into a culture and not expect to chocar (literally means to crash, like with cars, but here it means to have a problem with). With time, things plan out.
And just to sum up previous weeks, I swore in as an Official Peace Corps Peru Volunteer (PCV) on Friday, August 16th, 2013. Less than 2 years to go!
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| August 16th, 2013: Officially a PCV |
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| PC 21 with US Ambassador in Peru Michael Fitzpatrick (8th from back left) and country director Sanjay Mathur (9th from back left) |
