2nd Post!

31 Agosto 2008

The first week in site…

Okay well for starters, I ended up not going to that meeting, instead went to another meeting on Wednesday with my socio-comunitario to discuss with the Regional Engineer (Head) of the Artisans in Piura the problems my association is having with the other “rival” paja associations. Apparently this has been aggregating over the past couple of years and is now at its peak, basically people… shit’s about to hit the fan lol. But in reality, there is a lot of disunity among the artisans and even within my group. I have determined that this will be my first challenge with my group the disunity and cohesiveness of the group itself in regards to communication and even capacitaciones (of skills and so forth). I think I’m having some reservations about starting with my associacion/my primary project and have decided, well, please take into account that this is the first week, hence first impressions, but I think I’d rather focus on something else here and that being my 3 objective of Small Business the Youth entrepreneurship and development. I think maybe working with the youth here, I can ease myself better into the community and at the same time I am starting my exercise class this week that will consist of, lets face it, my friends at site and my sister, who will feel bad if no one shows up overlooking the fact that they hate exercising and most of them don’t need it!

I don’t know really how I feel about the situation with my association, I think I may be a bit intimidated by the whole picture/all the problems I do see within the association itself that I am dreading to encounter. If that is me cowering, then so be it, because honestly as of the first month I think I’d just rather have pilates class and have the kids plant some trees. No really it isn’t that simple that was just a joke. But I am doing pilates and something with the kids to plant trees!! It’s actually pretty interesting what I came up with. The town wanted some sort of beautification project started to introduce more green into the community, because I’m in the desert/coast so there isn’t much unless you tend to it. And the youth organization wanted me to of course approach the temas of liderazco and autoestima to the children here in my community, as well as, violencia familiar and other topics. I came up with the idea, multi-tasker that I am, to have each child who comes to the class for ambiente plant a tree in town as their own, this they will have to care for and learn the value of being responsible for something else as well as making sure the area around it is clean, hence keeping the area clean of trash, another problem here, and then talking about the temas of leadership and autoestima attached to having something to call your own. Also, to earn money for this I was prob going to write a solicitud to the Univ. de Piura Agraria to get the semillas to start it, but then after for the following groups teach them how to replant trees from the ones that are existing already, which I learned myself during the session at the Univ of Lima Agraria. But this is all just random plans that who knows if they will ever unfold. I mean I’ll let you all know obviously. This is just one projectI have written in my project plan I have about 7, therefore I swear I’m not sitting on my butt during my time here (though I would like too!!) But shhh, I do love the people here and I’m glad my community is so motivated because I did talk to some volunteers who are having difficulties in this area and have gone to their site and the people are like um alright there’s a gringo and let’s continue on with our lives.

Right now its 10:30 prob one of my latest nights I’ve been up here, except for last night I did go out dancing. But I’m going to go to bed, because I have to be up at 6 am because I have a 7 am introduction ceremony at the Secundaria y Primeria. And also, for the record, that whole Latin hour or so called Latin hour when if you say 7 they come at 9…I don’t think my town got that memo they love to be en punto and then tell me, “Mira! We are here at 7 (big smile) American time!” (me not smiling at 7 in the morning) “Yeh!” Haha… no but seriously, this aspect is just another reason my town is the best and I’m so happy to be here because you don’t find this type of town often! After the school thingy I am heading to the Muni (Municipalidad) to talk with the alcalde about my plan de trabajo here as well as my CDA which I have to hand in at the end of 3 months along with my tri-annual report… yes this is a job people, we have tri-annual reports in the PC. And I kinda, no that’s a lie, I sneaked my way out of not doing my artisan’s groups book review tonight, so now that’s my project tomorrow night. Followed by the ultimate show-down, aka the meeting with all 4 paja groups on Tuesday with the Engineer himself (drum-roll please!). I can hardly contain my excitement. Haha I’m awful. Okay well obviously this is a pretty big week for me so I’m going to bed my dearest. I wish you all the best on this Labor Weekend, hoped the annual bbq was amazing and everyone jumped in the water for me! (Because that’s the only thing I falta the water, as I was sweat today standing in the sandy group at site I realized this is the same feeling I have right before I jump in the water, oh instant gratification, well en vez de eso, “Sand in my shoes, Jersey shore in my heart.”

Te quiero! Elizabeth