Still Going
I´m officially over 3/4 of the way done! And I´m sure you can guess that this is bittersweet for me (like so much else about this experience). I´m excited to be done with my 2 years here and start heading Home, but I also can´t imagine my life outside of Jocos. Sigh.
Well now, what has happened in Jocos, Peru and my life since I last wrote? On June 4, Peruvians elected a new President - Alan Garcia. Given the 2 choices they gave themselves, I think this was the best option. He will take office sometime in July (I hear everything from July 2 - which didn´t happen, by the way - to July 28, Peru´s Independance Day)
There was also the big Fiestas Patronales in Jocos. Despite my best efforts, I was in town for the partying - at least for one night. And luckily I wasn´t alone - Meredith came down for moral support. I certainly needed it! Especially once it became clear that all my pleading was to no avail and they set the sound system up right in front of my house. Literally 10 feet from my window! Now, fiestas in Peru tend to be extremely loud and go until "las ultimas consequencias" - meaning 4-5-6am is not unusual. Oh boy. Meredith and I made it until about 12:30am and actually managed to fall asleep around 1:00am. Amazing what you can tune out when you really want to. Luckily for us, the guy running the sound (our good friend Percy) call it a night around 3:30. Early by Peruvian standards. Even so, we took advantage of a car going to Lluchubamba the next morning and hopped town.
Its lentil time again in Jocos. There are lentils everywhere in various stages of drying. What I thought was quaint last year, I now find rather annoying. There is lentil dust everywhere and its making everyone stuffy - including me! I find lentil beans all over my room and there is a fine layer of lentil dust covering everything.
The latrine project is moving right along. They started making the adobe bricks for the walls late in May and the funding request is now out of my hands. I dare to hope we will have the money by early August.
I have been put in charge of giving talks at the school in Santa Rosa as part of the Escuelas Saludables (Healthy Schools ) program through the Health Post. I give short talks to the 3 classrooms 2-3 times a month on things like handwashing, brushing teeth and nutrition. I just started but will continue until I leave. I will be taking the program to Shocorco this month.
My boss, Emilia, came out to visit last week. It was her second visit to these parts and all went well. She liked Jocos and the work I am doing there, though says there will not be another volunteer coming after me. I whole-heartedly agree with her on this. Jocos just doesn´t seem able to take advantage of a volunteer. They seem to want more of an NGO to come in and just hand them things rather than work closely with a volunteer to accomplish their projects. With Emilia came my boss from Cajamarca, the South American security coordinator and his boss from the States. Not to mention my friend Jeff from Cajabamba. It was quite a full car!
I´ve been thinking about starting my return-to-the-States preparations. So far, I have been very good about not actually doing anything as it still seems a bit early (though I have just recently sorted out all my clothes - what stays, which is most, and what goes). I still have several months, but the mental lists of what goes where are getting longer and longer. Most of the actual giving away won´t happen until the day before I leave, however. I´m amazed at how much crap I´ve accumulated over the last 2 years!
Well now, what has happened in Jocos, Peru and my life since I last wrote? On June 4, Peruvians elected a new President - Alan Garcia. Given the 2 choices they gave themselves, I think this was the best option. He will take office sometime in July (I hear everything from July 2 - which didn´t happen, by the way - to July 28, Peru´s Independance Day)
There was also the big Fiestas Patronales in Jocos. Despite my best efforts, I was in town for the partying - at least for one night. And luckily I wasn´t alone - Meredith came down for moral support. I certainly needed it! Especially once it became clear that all my pleading was to no avail and they set the sound system up right in front of my house. Literally 10 feet from my window! Now, fiestas in Peru tend to be extremely loud and go until "las ultimas consequencias" - meaning 4-5-6am is not unusual. Oh boy. Meredith and I made it until about 12:30am and actually managed to fall asleep around 1:00am. Amazing what you can tune out when you really want to. Luckily for us, the guy running the sound (our good friend Percy) call it a night around 3:30. Early by Peruvian standards. Even so, we took advantage of a car going to Lluchubamba the next morning and hopped town.
Its lentil time again in Jocos. There are lentils everywhere in various stages of drying. What I thought was quaint last year, I now find rather annoying. There is lentil dust everywhere and its making everyone stuffy - including me! I find lentil beans all over my room and there is a fine layer of lentil dust covering everything.
The latrine project is moving right along. They started making the adobe bricks for the walls late in May and the funding request is now out of my hands. I dare to hope we will have the money by early August.
I have been put in charge of giving talks at the school in Santa Rosa as part of the Escuelas Saludables (Healthy Schools ) program through the Health Post. I give short talks to the 3 classrooms 2-3 times a month on things like handwashing, brushing teeth and nutrition. I just started but will continue until I leave. I will be taking the program to Shocorco this month.
My boss, Emilia, came out to visit last week. It was her second visit to these parts and all went well. She liked Jocos and the work I am doing there, though says there will not be another volunteer coming after me. I whole-heartedly agree with her on this. Jocos just doesn´t seem able to take advantage of a volunteer. They seem to want more of an NGO to come in and just hand them things rather than work closely with a volunteer to accomplish their projects. With Emilia came my boss from Cajamarca, the South American security coordinator and his boss from the States. Not to mention my friend Jeff from Cajabamba. It was quite a full car!
I´ve been thinking about starting my return-to-the-States preparations. So far, I have been very good about not actually doing anything as it still seems a bit early (though I have just recently sorted out all my clothes - what stays, which is most, and what goes). I still have several months, but the mental lists of what goes where are getting longer and longer. Most of the actual giving away won´t happen until the day before I leave, however. I´m amazed at how much crap I´ve accumulated over the last 2 years!
posted by Kellie | 8:39 AM
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