Why 27 months?

Why do volunteers serve 27 months? Whynot 25, make it a nice square-root number? There are reasons... and it actually makes a lot of sense. Click the link below to find out why.

 

Post by Peace Corps January 28th, 2014: Why do we need 27 months of Peace Corps service?

 

PS. I've had this blog for over a year now. That's a life-time first! Here's to finishing year #1 in the Peace Corps and all that year #2 has to bring!

 

Thanks for the support.

 

Love,

Cheyenne

Off on the right foot...

First day of the new year, 2014... and it's raining hard in Huamachuco. Here's my Plaza de Armas (main square) and even though the weather is feo/ugly, it's still a beautiful site. Huamachuco has one of the largest plaza de armas in Peru. There are topiaries in different shapes (including a cuy/guinea pig) and beautiful flowers, some of which I have never seen before. Way to go, Peru.

 

 

For New Years, went climbed in the back of a neighbor's pick-up truck and spent the next two hours coughing and getting covered in dust as we off-roaded it to Yanasara, a small town about 2 hours outside of Huamachuco. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention their main attraction is there hot-springs.



 

I feel guilty describing the thermal baths... they were hot and relaxing and I felt rejuvinated for 2014 needless to say. We also did some siteseeing in the town, and Oscar took me by an old Hacienda house (like a Plantation), which I really apreciate seeing these old buildings that still maintain their antiqueness/integrity. We had lunch and then headed back to Huamachuco (and real life, boooo).

 

 

January 7th was my birthday, and we had about 11 people over at my house. Of course snacks were involved. And cake. Let me tell you about this cake. I know they have delicious cake in the States, but I was never a fan of the too-sweet frosting, and here it's like a fluffy pillow of amazingness. And I am being modest about this cake, too. Sweet (not sour) lemon filling, delectable creamy white cake with a texture to die for. And it had my name on top.. how could you not love it? Sorry, I don't have a picture :-(

 

 

Needless to say, my host mom and dad were missing from my birthday celebration. My host mom fell down the gap between the staircase of a flight and a half of cement stairs in our house. She had a lot of bleeding from her head and she broke her collarbone.  She went to Trujillo, our regional capital, and waited in the waiting room for (GET THIS) 10 days. No joke. Ten days. There were no beds in surgery. After 10 days, the doctor came and said "Well you know, this will heal itself, there's nothing I can do." I had to hold my tongue when they told me the story. I didn't agree with ten days waiting (and still don't), but there was nothing I could personally do.

 

On a lighter note, my regional coordinator and one of my doctors Suni (yes, we have a team of 3 amazing doctors who take care of us), were in town and stopped by. Good times were had by all (and too many cheesetris to count). Here's to year 26!

 

Sandra, me, Suni Su

 

Oscar and I... how incredibly lucky am I?

Summer school starts in a few days... I've got a neat program put together making recycled crafts (weaved basket using old newspaper, making our own paper, etc.) while secretly working on critical thinking and creativity skills. Wish me luck!

Feliz Navidad

Where to begin? In early December, I the school year ended and I was stuck being super bored, also trying to organize my summer school details for mid-January. Remember that after-Christmas vacation in Trujillo? MAGICAL. Not really, it was just nice to be in the hot, humid heat for a few days, while the rest of the US was experiencing some sort of #PolarVortex. Sorry about that. That's why I don't have any pictures of the beach... I just felt too guilty.

Anyway, Christmas was tranquilo/quiet. A bit before midnight on the 24th, we made our way over to a family member's house. I was trying so hard to remember "OK it's Christmas... feel warm fuzzies," but it was difficult. Christmas in Peru is just not Christmas in the States. I was a little "over the whole thing," until the kids starting arriving, squealing with joy looking at all of the presents under the tree, just for them (Christmas in Peru focuses more on the youth). My host newphews and niece arrived, and I was in a better spirit. At exactly midnight, we hugged everyone (even the dog) and then sat down to a small dinner (oven-bbq chicken, apple sauce, and rice, and potatoes). After that, we opened presents. I got a nice towel and a warm fleece blanket for my bed (thanks Oscar).

On Christmas day, nothing much was going on, just a lunch with everyone at my house. I think the menu was chicken, rice, potatoes and some sort of wine. I partook in the first 3. I got to SKYPE with my aunt and grandpa (from my dad's side) who I never get to talk to. They met Oscar, too! Overall, it was a successfull first Christmas in Peru.

My friends Donald, Jamie and I went to the mall and had some delicious pizza. Sometimes you just have to indulge!



Feliz Navidad (Merry Christmas) from Peru!

A week or so before Christmas, Oscar's work had a live nativity scene in which he was one of the 3 wise men (he brought the incense). This took place in Wiracochapampa, a "suburb" if you will of Huamachuco. A lot of the campo people came out (dressed traiditionally, lives in the smaller cities, populations as small as 300) and the kids really enjoyed (adults too) seeing two white Gringas (me and my volunteer friend Julia) in attendance.

 

Live nativity animals made it too real...

Don't Join the Peace Corps (repost)

Stole this from another volunteers blog. Wanted to share it. PC volunteers are thought to "change the world," when in fact we change more of ourselves. We plant seeds that we will probably never see grow in our service. Everyday we see different things. Amazing, awesome, awstruck things. For those hard moments, I wouldn't give it up for anything. I know it might be hard to relate if you're not part of the PC family, but just here this volunteer out. Enjoy.

 

________________________________________________________________________________

 

Don’t join the Peace Corps

You heard me. Don’t do it. I’m telling you, it’s going to break your heart.

The Core Expectations for Volunteers states you are expected to “serve where the Peace Corps asks you to go, under conditions of hardship, if necessary…” What it doesn’t state however is just what hardship means.

Right now you’re thinking, “Oh. There’ll be no flush toilets or showers. I can handle that. I might have to squash a few spiders, but for the high calling of changing the world, I think I can put up with those things.”

But the truth is, hardship isn’t the quirky and fun hardship you’re expecting, where each new day brings adventure upon crazy adventure, more wonderful than the next. True hardship is much more sobering.

During your service you might have to bury a neighbor. Or watch helplessly as your host family is torn to pieces by corruption. You might show up to school to learn one of your students was killed by a classmate. Your host sister could be kidnapped and forced to marry a man she’s never met. You might witness abuse, violence and mistreatment. You may see your best student lose to a kid from another school because his bribe was the biggest. Your dog might be fed a needle, just to quiet it down, forever.

And if none of that happens, then something else will. There’s just no knowing how hard it will be or it what way. It could be dealing with other volunteers is your biggest challenge. Or that you can never live up to the expectations of your host organization. Or that the Internet is so accessible you spend your entire day trolling Facebook, jealous of all the lives continuing on back home.

And what about all the things you’ll give up? Your boyfriend might not wait two years for you. You’ll put your career on hold. Your familiar support networks probably won’t be around – there’ll be no gym, no fast food joint, no car to drive, no family to visit. The stress and diet could make you lose thirty pounds—or gain thirty—whichever you don’t want.

The Peace Corps uses phrases like, “Life is calling. How far will you go?” and in a breath you’re ready to sign your name on the line. But two years is a long, long time and in the middle you find the world you wanted to change is a confusing and complex puzzle of which you are just one, tiny piece.

So please, if you’re not ready for the heartbreak in the hardship, don’t join the Peace Corps.

Or do.

Because you might just find that all your blood, sweat and tears are worth it – worth the pain, worth the time and worth the investment in the people for whom your heart breaks. Because you might learn some of the most important lessons of your life – that a broken heart can heal stronger than it was before, that a softened heart has more compassion for the world, and that in between its cracks and fissures is the only place where true beauty and grace can grow.

Reaching out

So, we all that have special someone that we miss when we're long distances away. For me, it's my mom. She's my rock and my inspiration, and I down right miss her a ton. I want to her to come and visit me in Peru, but with this economy and her lack of a sustainable income due to medical bills, etc. she's set up a page on GO FUND ME to raise money for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Peru to visit her one and only child, me.

I can't say how much this would mean to me for her to come here around October, 2014. She's never been outside the US and I want to share with her my Peru. I want her to know what she has helped me achieve, being a Peace Corps volunteer. Below is the link. If you could donate $10, that would be super amazing. It's been 7 months since I've seen her, and it'll be a year and a half by the time if she comes in October, 2014. She's a blessing in my life and I want to share this experience with her.

Again, thanks to everyone who reads this blog and keeps up with me and my journey. Couldn't do it without you all.

LINK: Help my mom come visit me in Peru!

Milllllllllllion gracias,
Cheyenne

Long time, no see (with pictures!)

I know, I know. I am aware that it's been over 2 months since my last blog posting. Partly because I am a procrastinator and it's always, "tomorrow, tomorrow." Most of the other part is because it is quite impossible to share what I live. This isn 't a vacation. This isn't a 1 month mission trip. This is my JOB. And while I am quite familiar with what I do and experience, it's sometimes hard to relate that to other people, let alone in words in a language I don't use most days. Ok, apology done.

 

Let's get started:

 

 

This is one of the Lagunas that we have close to my site (about 30 min by car). It's one of the largest trout-producing lagunas in the area, too. (Pretty much the only seafood you should eat in the mountains) A group of us went here late October and had a picnic lunch. There are also restaurants nearby of which the boys took advantage of because my "American lunch" of "pan con huevo/egg sandwhich" was just not enough to llenar/fill them up.

 

In November, we came back to the Laguna for a "Fight against Women's violence" committee activity. We got members of the community together to form a laso/ribbon of the white fabric to represent that we say ALTO A LA VIOLENCIA!/STOP THE VIOLENCE! Overall, it was great to work with Enith, one of my main socias (community counterparts, with white scarf in front of serenazgo/security guard on the right). Can we give some PROPS to the wind that day making our bandera/flag super Peruvian?

 

Just posing for my new Peace Corps profile pic. Represent La Libertad!

 

Nov 25th was International Fight Against Women's Violence day, and even GOOGLE was celebrating! We had a desfile/parade around town and even the alcade/mayor showed up. Can I get 5 high-fives for great photo taking skills above? We had over 500 women from the casarillos (smaller communities that lay around Huamachuco), a band or so, and tons of balloons. Tons. The sun was fierce, and of course I didn't bring my sunscreen to the event, so I was off running to the nearest farmacia/pharmacy to grab a sachet/smallenvelope of sunscreen. It was a successfull mission (sunscreen attempt and the event overall) and we raised a lot of awareness to the 60,000+ people in my site.

In October, a group of us went to Markahuamachuco, an ancient archelogical site about 30 minutes away by car (and up a big mountain to an even-higher elevation, 3500 meters/11,300 ish feet) Breathing was a struggle, and the lack of oxygen made me feel a little sick, not going to lie. Others in our group are from the area, so they had no problem scampering around the rocks and darting up steep inclines. I, on the other hand, was breathing in, but nothing was reaching my lungs. Needless to say, it took me a bit longer. I would say "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," but here in Peru the saying is, "What doesn't kill you makes you fatter." I definietly feel that doesn't apply to my excursion. Overall, it was nice to see where people lived so many years ago. It's this culture that is embedded in Huamachuco's current culture that makes its traditions so rich.

Checking out the view.
 

In December, we visited Wiracochapampa, another archelogical site (and also where Oscar currently works, but more on him later). Again, it's just so amazing seeing stones that were put into these formations so long ago. It's INCREDIBLE and so enriching!

In the main plaza of Wira(cochapampa), on the principal stage

Passing through Wira, we continued walking through Payapampa until we reached the end of the road where it was nothing but down-hill slopes. (IE. PHOTO BELOW). We then continued (against my gut reaction) to scale down this (hill they call it, but I call it mountain), which had extra-slippery mud and no camino/road/pathway and we were literally BUSHWACKING it through the Peruvian Andes. Once reaching the bottom (after 1.5 hours), we crossed a river (formed by the waterfall we orginally came to see) by foot and began our journey climbing back up the other side. I know, it all seems a little tarzan to me, too. To be honest, this picture doesn't do it justice, and I still can't believe I made it. I have a cut on my foot, a nice 9-inch wide bruise on my left hip, and sore knees, but it was a great adventure, especially with good friends by my side (who I am very thankful for pushing me to continue). Seriously, I was looking for my helicopter rescue.

The backside of these jeans don't look too nice.

 

And now, I will introduce my very supportive and all-around good-hearted boyfriend, Oscar Ubillus.

 

I met Oscar in my site, Huamachuco, in mid-August. Another volunteer who lives on the coast has a host brother (Calo) who works in my site. Oscar is Calo's friend. I joked with this volunteer to have his host brother send me Coke Zero by way of Calo, and to my disbelief, he did it! Oscar tagged along that night, and we ended up talking, hanging out, etc. etc. etc.

 

Oscar is orginally from Lima, (notice those beautiful green eyes and favorable skin complection?) and recently turned 27. He has worked in Huamachuco for the past 3 years in different archeloegical sites (Marcahuamachuco, Wira) drawing the ancient walls before they are excavated. He is really passionate about what he does, and puts his Bachellor of Plastic Arts to use. In his spare time, he likes to collect antiguidades/antiques, sculpt, draw, etc. I've only seen a bit of his work, but he is very talented.

 

Oscar is one of those people who give give give give and give, and he gives me so much joy in how he is so supportive of my work here in Peru. He really understands my role as a Youth Development volunteer, and is always looking for opportunities to help me advance my projects. We also both know in two years I finish my contract with Peace Corps, but we are open and honest with each other about the future and where we see ourselves going. A lot can happen in two years!

 

We made 3 months on December 17th, 2013
 

Until the next time! Which hopefully won't be another 2 months. :-) Let's hope not.

Time Keeps on Slippin'

 

Welcome to Huamachuco

 

How does a month slip by so easily? These days seem to drag by (the productive and the not-so-productive ones) but the weeks, months, (and soon to be years) keep on slippin' slippin' slippin'.

 

I'm rounding about two months in site. 22 more to go, right? 4 months ago, when I was fresh off the boat, 24 months in site seemed like an eternity. Now, I'm wondering if I'll have time to start, monitor, and finish all the projects that keep popping into my head. Huamachuco needs apoyo (support), and everyday I ask myself, how in the world is this gonna happen?

 

2 months in, however, I'm starting to gain a bit of confidence. I'm starting to get to know my community and when I come back after a couple of days at the regional meeting, my feelings are warm and fuzzy. This is my site. I wish others could come visit (6 hrs from the coast/regional capital tends to do that to you), but for now I'll settle for the 5 chickens that always escape their pen and surprise me at my door. You have to take the early wins.

 

As far as projects...  Not too much has changed. I'm still teaching my Tutoria one hour a week to 40 students. We touch on topics such as self esteem and making good decisions. It's a challenge, definitely. Their learning styles are different than what I'm used to, so every class, I have to figure out how to adapt to that, without freaking them out too much.

 

I help out with two English classes and another Tutoria class during the week as well. Mainly just observing in those classes. It's amazing how much you can take in when you just sit and listen. Oh I can imagine my mom doing a hard head nod in agreement right about now.

 

A future project I'm interested in would be the new library. The municipality (muni for short, like the local government) has a brand new space to move the library into, but they have no action plan and quite frankly, the whole project lacks a lot of pilas (literally means batteries. more like OOOMPH/GUSTO). I feel like I am the sole person who has an interest in it, but that's just the way it works. I've been designated (thanks to my sitemate, Lindsay) to create an action plan complete with design examples and research articles to present to the muni to prove to them I can make this space AWESOME but still functional. Change is hard... and it seems especially so in the Sierra.

 

The rainy season has begun in Huamachuco. Meaning it is partly/mostly cloudy all day with some serious downpour in the afternoons that sometimes lasts into the night. Temps during the day average around 65 or so (it's hard to say, really), but at night I can see my breath and often go to bed in multiple layers. Traditionally in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are opposite that of the northern sphere (including good old Amuurrica), but in the Sierra, it's opposite of Peru's "normal" and more like what I know. So while the coast is now entering the season of "summer," Huamachuco is creeping into "winter." It doesn't bother me too much, but I'll be requesting my flannel pajamas and bedroom slippers for Christmas.

 



Rain with hail (granizos)

 

Recently in my site, they discovered an ancient water canal system underneath my plaza de armas. Sorry, the site is in Castellano (what Peruvians call Spanish), but it's still worth the read. DESCUBREN ANTIGUO CANAL

 

In early October, my town celebrated Dia de Los Negritos, which includes people decorating the plaza de armas with tinted sawdust such as below:

 

 

In honor of San Francisco de Asís, barefooted walkers wear a maroon cape with a white collar, and a matching maroon hat. Carrying red carnations in their mouths, they dance interpretively to classic Huayno music. The procession is compiled of women, men, and children, all of whom are devotees of the Saint.

 

 

Well, it seems strange to summarize a month in less than 800 words, but these are just the highlights. I could tell you of all the NCIS and CSI marathons I have had, but that won't be important to remember in two years. :-)

 

Love to everyone in the US of A and everyone abroad.

 

Cheyenne