A Third
Congratulate me. Today, August 3rd, is my 8 month anniversary as a volunteer. 8 months - a third of the way done. To be honest, I`m not sure how I feel about that. Sometime over the last few weeks, this - Jocos, Perù - has become my life; not what comes after this. The feeling that this is all unfamiliar and always will be has faded. The things I missed so dearly two months ago - carpeting, stop lights, drive-thrus, big comfy chairs - seem so vague now; I have trouble rememberting why I missed them. Being held up by a donky-jam on the path, washing dishes in a tub in my room rather than a sink, hitchhiking to Lluchubamba - it has all become so routine, so unquestioned. In the end, I`ve accepted my life here for what it is, I`ve stopped comparing it to life at Home.
There are still moments, however, that a rush of homesickness hits me so hard it knocks the breathe out of me, brings tears to my eyes and leaves me at a complete loss. These moments often linger - driving me to the solitude of my room until it passes.
And they do pass. And once they do, I find myself back outside - usually at Doña Paulina`s knitting and chatting. I spend nearly all my time with the family now. I knit with them, cook with them, go to their fields with them, chase chickens, pigs and ducks back into the yard with them. I`ve even been helping bring the cattle (4 head) back up to the house in the evenings! They make it look so easy, steering a group of cattle around Jocos - a few well tossed rocks (I`m finally convinced it doesn`t hurt them) and the occassional tug on the rope is all it seems to take. At least for experienced Peruvians. Not so for the Gringa! I can`t even make the "c-sssh" noise they use on all animals when they want them do to something. And I certainly don`t have the aim they do!
I`ve also been helping in the fields. Doña Paulina and family are harvesting frijol canario (yellow beans) right now. But its not just picking the pods; they have to be opened and the beans extracted. This is done by piling the pods up in big piles and whacking them with a stick. Its very theraputic - you can always tell who is having a bad day. The pods burst open, often sending beans shooting in all directions. The pile is then sifted through and all the un-opened pods either whacked again or opened by hand.
It often strikes me that here I am, a Gringa participating in centuries old activities. The techniques used in Jocos (and all over Perù) today have changed very little from the time of the Incas. Methods of farming - planting and harvesting - passed down from generation to generation. Living history.
Its also adobe making time. the weather is perfect for it - the only clouds in the sky these dars are wispy, scattered, wind-blown things. And more relentless than the sun is the wind. Dry and gusty it lasts all day - subsiding only after the sun has gone down. Perfect adobe weather. All over town, huge mud pits are forming - tended constantly. Stirred, dampened, added to ass needed. Once the mud is the right consistance, straw is folding in and the mixture poured into molds and left to harden for a few minutes. Its then dumped on the ground and left to dry for several days. The adobe will, of course, be used to build new houses or make additions to existing ones.
An incredible building material, adobe. Cheap to make, durable and easy to build with. And perfectly suited for this climate. A well constructed adobe room will maintain a near constant temperature day and night.
I`ve slowly gotten used to life without Kìon. Though I still haven`t been able to go on the walk we used to take every evening. The only thing of his left in my room is his blanket waiting to be washed. Thank you to those of you who have sent down treats. They will be passed on to another volunteer dog.
We still don`t have electricity. Sigh. Maybe one of these days. They did wire my room the other day. I now have a light buld and an outlet.
Work has stalled. Its mid-year vacations for the teachers in conjunction with Peruvian Independance Day on July 28th. Since the teacher are my main contacts, work will have to wait for them to get back.
There are still moments, however, that a rush of homesickness hits me so hard it knocks the breathe out of me, brings tears to my eyes and leaves me at a complete loss. These moments often linger - driving me to the solitude of my room until it passes.
And they do pass. And once they do, I find myself back outside - usually at Doña Paulina`s knitting and chatting. I spend nearly all my time with the family now. I knit with them, cook with them, go to their fields with them, chase chickens, pigs and ducks back into the yard with them. I`ve even been helping bring the cattle (4 head) back up to the house in the evenings! They make it look so easy, steering a group of cattle around Jocos - a few well tossed rocks (I`m finally convinced it doesn`t hurt them) and the occassional tug on the rope is all it seems to take. At least for experienced Peruvians. Not so for the Gringa! I can`t even make the "c-sssh" noise they use on all animals when they want them do to something. And I certainly don`t have the aim they do!
I`ve also been helping in the fields. Doña Paulina and family are harvesting frijol canario (yellow beans) right now. But its not just picking the pods; they have to be opened and the beans extracted. This is done by piling the pods up in big piles and whacking them with a stick. Its very theraputic - you can always tell who is having a bad day. The pods burst open, often sending beans shooting in all directions. The pile is then sifted through and all the un-opened pods either whacked again or opened by hand.
It often strikes me that here I am, a Gringa participating in centuries old activities. The techniques used in Jocos (and all over Perù) today have changed very little from the time of the Incas. Methods of farming - planting and harvesting - passed down from generation to generation. Living history.
Its also adobe making time. the weather is perfect for it - the only clouds in the sky these dars are wispy, scattered, wind-blown things. And more relentless than the sun is the wind. Dry and gusty it lasts all day - subsiding only after the sun has gone down. Perfect adobe weather. All over town, huge mud pits are forming - tended constantly. Stirred, dampened, added to ass needed. Once the mud is the right consistance, straw is folding in and the mixture poured into molds and left to harden for a few minutes. Its then dumped on the ground and left to dry for several days. The adobe will, of course, be used to build new houses or make additions to existing ones.
An incredible building material, adobe. Cheap to make, durable and easy to build with. And perfectly suited for this climate. A well constructed adobe room will maintain a near constant temperature day and night.
I`ve slowly gotten used to life without Kìon. Though I still haven`t been able to go on the walk we used to take every evening. The only thing of his left in my room is his blanket waiting to be washed. Thank you to those of you who have sent down treats. They will be passed on to another volunteer dog.
We still don`t have electricity. Sigh. Maybe one of these days. They did wire my room the other day. I now have a light buld and an outlet.
Work has stalled. Its mid-year vacations for the teachers in conjunction with Peruvian Independance Day on July 28th. Since the teacher are my main contacts, work will have to wait for them to get back.
posted by Kellie | 11:43 AM
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