July 20, 2009
I have been back in country since Tuesday and it has been busy as ever. I arrived in Lima thinking I would be there for a fair with my artisans only to get a call on Wed that my artisans decided to do a more local fair instead of traveling to Lima. So at 4:30 I grabbed a bus and headed up to Piura arriving about 8 the next morning. During the day I went to see the new Harry Potter movie with Karrie and spent some of the day with my artisans at the fair and decided to stay the night with a few other volunteers. We went out that night (so much for my 13 mo detox) to a local club and danced the night away. The next morning I headed back to site surprising my family since they thought I wouldn’t be home till after the Lima fair on Sat. I got to give them their gifts which they loved and also put the flea collars on my cats and dogs, which means I can pet them again. Lol. I passed out at about 4:30 in the afternoon and slept straight thru till 8:30 the next morning. From there I headed to the fair in Piura with my artisans. I got to give my artisans their presents and their kids, Sandro and Josie their cute outfits. I grabbed a video of Sandro cheering “Go Phillies!” with his new shirt on (Howard 6). I was at the fair till about 10 that night. But I did get away from the stand for a bit to dine with my good friend Marian who was down from her mountain site in upper Piura, Frias. Heading back to the fair, I hung out with my artisans and we talked about how my trip was. I got home at 10:30 pm and I thought my sister and mom were going to have a heart attack because it was “so” late. But I was safe because my artisan’s husband owns a car so I wasn’t using public transportation. Then went to bed waking up at 8:30 on Sunday and headed back to the fair this time with a notebook and cards to occupy my time. I also was able to go watch a movie and lunch with a few other volunteers who were in the capital that day. I headed back to the fair and we again were out till 10:30 but this time my family was okay with it. My brother Cesar was waiting at the house to say hello to me with his wife Meche and their kids CJ and Socorro. I gave the kids their gifts, sidewalk chalk, which they then preceded to use on all the walls and floors in my house. Believe it or not they do not have sidewalk chalk here.
I headed to bed about 11 and woke up this morning at 10, ate breakfast, and finally began to tackle my room which embarrassingly looks like a tornado hit it. Then I began to catalog my photos from my vaca home and here I am now writing this blog entry, since I got enough shit while I was home to start it again.
This week I will be working on writing a briefing of my artisan group for the Leeds School of Bus (Univ of Col, Boulder) I applied and was chosen to work with a MBA class this coming fall semester. They will be doing a case study on my artisans. I am extremely excited about this opportunity and want to do everything possible for my artisans to get the most out of this experience.
Also, I have a lot to do as far as working on my resume and emailing a few leads I have looked into for a job next year. Though some of you may think it’s too early to put focus on this area of my life, trust me its not. And even if it is, the number one difficulty in being a volunteer (as polled by RPCVs) is the reentry into the American Culture. There is a reverse culture shock that some volunteers can’t deal with, so I figure my best bet to avoid this situation is to have a job waiting for me when I get back, if not, at least a list of interviews… Okay I have to go eat lunch with my family because I have dared not to for the past 4 days and they are about to beat me. Then heading to my artisans, then Catacaos, which is where I will post this blog!
Love you all- ekh
Monday, July 20, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
The Hike.. duh duh duh
ohhh hellllooo it was freeeezing
cool tree
the donkey carrying our things
the eight of us on a bridge
our guide, I dont remember his name
group of us at base camp
group shot on the enterance to the park
YEH!! SNOW!! besides that reaction, I had the "oh shit-we are as high as snow"
Ancash trip and more Fair Fotos
5in the morning boarding the bus to the base of the mountian
I found lemons!
Just arriving in Ancash after a 30 sole bus for 10 hours, that means i spent 10 dollars for a 10 hour bus ride, imagine how shitty the bus was...
very delicious bagel and french pressed coffee, found only in cafe in Ancash called California Cafe (1 block from the plaza de armas) now i understand why ancash is better :)
more fotos to shiwyou a 360 view of where our stand was
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
April went by so fast
Some photos
A mom weaving in her house
me and esther taking a photo after we completed the Pepfar workshop
Me, Naqui, and Mari at my brothers house for some food after we went to the mass for my dad at the cathedral
This is the enterance to fair.. pretty cool right
A mom weaving in her house
me and esther taking a photo after we completed the Pepfar workshop
Me, Naqui, and Mari at my brothers house for some food after we went to the mass for my dad at the cathedral
Me and Iris
Iris with a client at the fair
This is the enterance to fair.. pretty cool right
Well it has been awhile sorry about that. My mom yelled at me so I guess I should write some things to apease her. April was really busy for me. The first week was getting into the swing of things after my vacation and trying to set up dates for the new session of computer course with the artisans as well as preparing for the Peru Gift Show fair 22-24 of April.
Semana Santa was a blast, I went up to Ancash and climbed a 15,000 ft mountain with 4 other volunteers! That was insane and prob not the best idea for a first time hiker to attempt. We did 60 km, in 3 days of hiking and my feet can prove it. I{m officially minus 2 toenails with 2 more on their last leg. My feet look like dunkin donuts glazed munchins...its really ugly and i have to wear gauze around my toes and use socks and sneakers... that part sucks bc its so hot and sneakers are the last thing i would like to put on my feet. Plus my sneakers dont match any of my outfits so ive been wearing my yoga pants everyday or shorts. I know, who cares what i put on my feet, but i ask you people to allow me that vanity when i have so little in this line of work! So when i got back from Ancash, I had the Pepfar workshop, which was a weeklong conference on Aids in Peru. I went to this with 2 people from my town. It was really informative and I actually start work with these people tomorrow to do workshops for my town and in Narihaula (which is the town over). The Pepfar workshop lasted till SAturday adn then Monday I was on the bus again, but this time heading toward Lima, for the fair. Tuesday, we spent all day setting up the stand for the fair. Wed, Thurs, and Fri from 8 am till 7 we were at the fair selling. I had a great time because I stayed at an embassay house that was 1 block from where the fair was being held. I got to walk to work everyday and make dinner with a real stove, pack a lunch and eat cereal!! It was a perfect minivaca! Right now im sitting in the cabina as she writing back to clients from the fair itself. Okay thats the update for now, ill write more another time!!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
31 de Marzo
Helloooooo... sorry it has been so long since i have written... ive been travelling around Peru with the family and then busy with getting my life and work back on schedule! My trip was absolutely amazing and i took over 500 photos alogn with the 500 that my mom took and 400 that Grant took!! I really have to upload them and I promise I will when I put them on my USB but for those of you that have facebook, I did put up 3 albums (which includes all the photos i look good in!!) The sad part is that was a serious comment! lol ... anyway lately Ive been getting my group ready for the fair in April in Lima called THe Peruvian Gift Show-Peru MOda... this year they are combining the two fairs (because of the economy) ...which I mean can be for the good or worse.. we´ll see how our sales go.
Yesterday I did a inventory check for the molds that we have for the products can you believe the figures totalled to 6,000 soles thats 2,000 dollars of wooden figures... it really adds up and most of it is bought by the artisans and not the assoc. In the afternoon I did a Color Charla. Which is basically a presentation of the colors, what the mean, what they indicate and also what kind of combinations you can do inside the color reel (monocromatic, analogo...etc) This to help with the product collections we are bringing to the fair. THis year instead of doign a bunch of products from the house, we are going to plan what we want to bring and actually do those designs, well at least that is the plan... as far as the realization of this plan, ill let you know in a few weeks.
Okay well I have to get home for lunch, miss you all!!! Sorry about the delayed post!
Love,
Elizabeth
Yesterday I did a inventory check for the molds that we have for the products can you believe the figures totalled to 6,000 soles thats 2,000 dollars of wooden figures... it really adds up and most of it is bought by the artisans and not the assoc. In the afternoon I did a Color Charla. Which is basically a presentation of the colors, what the mean, what they indicate and also what kind of combinations you can do inside the color reel (monocromatic, analogo...etc) This to help with the product collections we are bringing to the fair. THis year instead of doign a bunch of products from the house, we are going to plan what we want to bring and actually do those designs, well at least that is the plan... as far as the realization of this plan, ill let you know in a few weeks.
Okay well I have to get home for lunch, miss you all!!! Sorry about the delayed post!
Love,
Elizabeth
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
3 de Marzo
I am over the moooon right now!! K emocion! Family comes in 4 days and by the time I post this 3 days!! I can’t wait!! I haven’t seen them in 9 months, 9 MONTHS!! I feel like it’s been years!! Thank God, Grant is basically done growing or I’d prob being sentimental about that as well! Well, nothing new here, I’m working really hard and trying to tie up all the loose ends so no one calls me on vacation, I would love to turn my cell off during my vacation, but I think PC would have safety/security issues with that.
Well other than boring day to day I have a really funny story for you, that I wish I had captured on video but I ddin’t have battery!! Grrr!! Well my mom has been killing a lot of animals lately to mail to relatives and give as gifts for those who have visited for vacations. So this week she killed 4 birds, 1 turkey, 3 chickens. Well of the 4, three I had the luck of missing the killing, bleeding and defeathering of. But the 4th I didn’t escape, it was today and one of her stepsons was leaving to Lima 2 weeks early and she didn’t have a chicken prepared for himto take with him, so obviously she had to kill one. As we go into the corral she called me to help her, with what I wasn’t too sure, but excited to help. So I get out there and immediately the chicken we need to corral has like a 6th sense and knows God is calling him home therefore frantically running around. Well a neighborhood boy, Marvid is helping to gather it and it was my job to get it my the wings as it was cornered toward me, so I’m thinking I can do this right, I mean its only a chicken, I’m not a priss, I was a pretty hardcore tomboy when it came to outdoorsy things. Well, the second that crazy chicken was headed in my direction I gave a scream and started running from it, which only antagonized the thing to come at me!!! I was in fact having the chicken chase me instead of me chasing the chicken, all the while screaming like a little girl! (pause to imagine it)
It was one of the funniest experiences I have had here, now that I look back on it, at the time, it was the scariest.
PS my mom was so ashamed I couldn’t corral the mad chicken, I mean honestly, I’ve adapted to feeding and then 1 day later eating these animals, seeing them hang from our clothes line and have eaten out of the same bowl they use for draining… I think I have done enough “acustombrar-ing”, they can stuff it. (haha i guess they could actually do that with the chicken they killed)
Well other than boring day to day I have a really funny story for you, that I wish I had captured on video but I ddin’t have battery!! Grrr!! Well my mom has been killing a lot of animals lately to mail to relatives and give as gifts for those who have visited for vacations. So this week she killed 4 birds, 1 turkey, 3 chickens. Well of the 4, three I had the luck of missing the killing, bleeding and defeathering of. But the 4th I didn’t escape, it was today and one of her stepsons was leaving to Lima 2 weeks early and she didn’t have a chicken prepared for himto take with him, so obviously she had to kill one. As we go into the corral she called me to help her, with what I wasn’t too sure, but excited to help. So I get out there and immediately the chicken we need to corral has like a 6th sense and knows God is calling him home therefore frantically running around. Well a neighborhood boy, Marvid is helping to gather it and it was my job to get it my the wings as it was cornered toward me, so I’m thinking I can do this right, I mean its only a chicken, I’m not a priss, I was a pretty hardcore tomboy when it came to outdoorsy things. Well, the second that crazy chicken was headed in my direction I gave a scream and started running from it, which only antagonized the thing to come at me!!! I was in fact having the chicken chase me instead of me chasing the chicken, all the while screaming like a little girl! (pause to imagine it)
It was one of the funniest experiences I have had here, now that I look back on it, at the time, it was the scariest.
PS my mom was so ashamed I couldn’t corral the mad chicken, I mean honestly, I’ve adapted to feeding and then 1 day later eating these animals, seeing them hang from our clothes line and have eaten out of the same bowl they use for draining… I think I have done enough “acustombrar-ing”, they can stuff it. (haha i guess they could actually do that with the chicken they killed)
Friday, February 27, 2009
Carnavales
February 26, 2009
Well today I started off good and motivated then all of sudden, I got horrible stomach pains and have been sick all day which sucks and think I have a fever too. Which I have concluded is a combination of the cold that Maria, Iris and the kids had last week combined with eating at their house this week. Sometimes, when families invite volunteers, we get sick because that family didn’t get the talk about our weak stomachs and also how to prepare foods so we don’t get sick. (Which host families get).
Yesterday I was busy making CDs for ALMA, finally the last thing for the camp from January. I’m glad to finally have that done annnnd just in time for the camp of VALOR (which is the boy version of ALMA) to start their committees and planning. I already got a call to help out and I was like umm, I will but what I do shall be limited. It was just too much work laid on top of me the last time, with me being the closest to the city and all. And I know that if I get too included in the beginning the same thing could happen again and I don’t want to deal with that much stress and responsibility.
Later in the afternoon, I had the business plan course in Piura but my artisans called and said they weren’t going so I didn’t have too, therefore I just went to the market bought paint to finish my world map on Friday (tomorrow). I also got some letters in the mail and an amazing birthday gift from my great uncle dave, a book about the Emperors of Rome. This is perfect for a history person like me. Speaking of good books, my aunt ba sent me a bunch of classics which I’ve been reading and have gotten into. It’s ironic that some of the most enjoyable writing I have read recently has been classics and not so much the so called Chic Lit. I’ve also been reading a lot of British Historical Fiction, which I always find fascinating. Secretly, I think, entering their world, I get to be part of that royal family or high level of society, which I always fantasized I would live like, if I had been born then. But isn’t that the point of books, to escape and enter an entirely different world and experience line for line the lives of these characters. And many times believing these personalities are parallel our own and discovering ourselves, in each character, of every novel. I read a really interesting book called the Yellow Light-Lighted Book Shop. This book goes in depth about the pastime of reading, historically and presently. Also, the book disputes the current belief of the “dying” hobby of reading books, as is stated through facts and figures, not only are libraries and bookstores more apparent than any other time in history, more books are being bought, published and written than ever before.
I’ve just been so busy and can barely get everything that has been happening all on paper, nor do I want to sit and write on my free time that I have! But, here are a bit of the details from the weekend.
I went to Carnavales in Catacaos with my sobrina (niece). Carnavales, they say, is the real version of Mardi Gras. I don’t know if I agree, personally I think it is like Spirit Week (from high school) on crack! Catacaos divides up into 6 bandillas (gangs) of colors. The separation is according to the streets that you live on. I participated in the Bandilla Roja (Red gang). This is considered the best one of the bunch, because the neighborhood is the wealthiest, thus can obviously prepare the biggest and most extravagant performance in the concorso and largest floats in the desfile. The concorso of bailes was on Saturday. I went with Lichy my niece and sat in the red section. There we watched each color compete, each color was a certain traditional theme of Peru and they danced the traditional dance of the culture/place they represented. I did take fotos, so I will explain each group a little more when I do the foto captions. Yellow went first which are our biggest competition every year, they did the local ruinas of Narihuala with a marinara. Then next was Red, we did Cusco and did a cusquena traditional mountain dance. Then went the Multi-color who did another costal ruin and did a dance with a machete…. I looked intense and dancing with sharp machetes just made me close my eyes thinking an arm was going to be the next thing getting flung thru the air instead of their dance partner. The green group from monte sullon did the same thing. The other green group did a dance from the selva (jungle) and even built a house during their dance, it was amazing, and they should have won. And then the other groups were small in comparison and did do that great of a display of fireworks or presentation. There seem to be some scandal (as always) and the red team didn’t win, didn’t even place in top 3 (first time ever) and came in 4th. This the judges said was because they weren’t dancing, they were just jumping. I think it was a completely ignorant thing for them to say. I’d like to see the judges go to Cusco and tell the people there that their ancestral and traditional dance isn’t a dance and just people jumping. They also made the same comment about the dance that the selva group did. Now, I have seen videos of these traditional dances done by professional dancers and also by the people of these locals themselves, and trust me ask them and they will tell you that this is their traditional dance. Therefore I think these judges were in no place to decide what a dance is and what isn’t. Okay well after that ended at about 11:30 pm I went out to chifa (Chinese food) with my sister her husband their kids, Lichy and Diego. It’s like common on the weekends for people to go out and then eat at like 11:30 at night... kinda like college students and late night eating, but family style.
I slept there on Sat bc there are no cars back to Pedregal after 8:30, then woke up amidst a rain storm (crazy, right?!) …cancelled plans to head up to the beach for the day for sophies bday and went with my old plans of participating in carnavales with my niece and nephew. I was clean for about umm 2 blocks of walking from their house to the plaza… within 2 feet inside the plaza some guy ran up to me and put shoe grease all over my face…then 2 feet after I was sprayed head to toe with water. And it begun… lol I was out all day playing. The point is either to throw paint at other people or have it on your hands and rub it on their faces. Then as you walk past houses the people inside throw water from the roofs on top of you. Then by 8 I was in the house again and done with the games. By the time night came, people were getting pretty drunk and ruff with their contact. So I went to my sisters, stayed there for the night then headed to a meeting on Monday at 9 till 2 at Cite about preparing our groups for the fairs in 2009 and also creative ideas for stand preparation. Then had my LAST computer’s course with the artisans, it was nice because we gave out certificates to those who completed the course and those that finished the exam advanced to intermediate, the others get a certificate but also are encouraged to take the class over. It was a proud moment for me!
Okay I’m tired, will write more another time and will put up the pics probably sat or Monday from carnavales. 1 week and 1 day till my familyyy comes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So excited!
Xoxo elizabeth
Well today I started off good and motivated then all of sudden, I got horrible stomach pains and have been sick all day which sucks and think I have a fever too. Which I have concluded is a combination of the cold that Maria, Iris and the kids had last week combined with eating at their house this week. Sometimes, when families invite volunteers, we get sick because that family didn’t get the talk about our weak stomachs and also how to prepare foods so we don’t get sick. (Which host families get).
Yesterday I was busy making CDs for ALMA, finally the last thing for the camp from January. I’m glad to finally have that done annnnd just in time for the camp of VALOR (which is the boy version of ALMA) to start their committees and planning. I already got a call to help out and I was like umm, I will but what I do shall be limited. It was just too much work laid on top of me the last time, with me being the closest to the city and all. And I know that if I get too included in the beginning the same thing could happen again and I don’t want to deal with that much stress and responsibility.
Later in the afternoon, I had the business plan course in Piura but my artisans called and said they weren’t going so I didn’t have too, therefore I just went to the market bought paint to finish my world map on Friday (tomorrow). I also got some letters in the mail and an amazing birthday gift from my great uncle dave, a book about the Emperors of Rome. This is perfect for a history person like me. Speaking of good books, my aunt ba sent me a bunch of classics which I’ve been reading and have gotten into. It’s ironic that some of the most enjoyable writing I have read recently has been classics and not so much the so called Chic Lit. I’ve also been reading a lot of British Historical Fiction, which I always find fascinating. Secretly, I think, entering their world, I get to be part of that royal family or high level of society, which I always fantasized I would live like, if I had been born then. But isn’t that the point of books, to escape and enter an entirely different world and experience line for line the lives of these characters. And many times believing these personalities are parallel our own and discovering ourselves, in each character, of every novel. I read a really interesting book called the Yellow Light-Lighted Book Shop. This book goes in depth about the pastime of reading, historically and presently. Also, the book disputes the current belief of the “dying” hobby of reading books, as is stated through facts and figures, not only are libraries and bookstores more apparent than any other time in history, more books are being bought, published and written than ever before.
I’ve just been so busy and can barely get everything that has been happening all on paper, nor do I want to sit and write on my free time that I have! But, here are a bit of the details from the weekend.
I went to Carnavales in Catacaos with my sobrina (niece). Carnavales, they say, is the real version of Mardi Gras. I don’t know if I agree, personally I think it is like Spirit Week (from high school) on crack! Catacaos divides up into 6 bandillas (gangs) of colors. The separation is according to the streets that you live on. I participated in the Bandilla Roja (Red gang). This is considered the best one of the bunch, because the neighborhood is the wealthiest, thus can obviously prepare the biggest and most extravagant performance in the concorso and largest floats in the desfile. The concorso of bailes was on Saturday. I went with Lichy my niece and sat in the red section. There we watched each color compete, each color was a certain traditional theme of Peru and they danced the traditional dance of the culture/place they represented. I did take fotos, so I will explain each group a little more when I do the foto captions. Yellow went first which are our biggest competition every year, they did the local ruinas of Narihuala with a marinara. Then next was Red, we did Cusco and did a cusquena traditional mountain dance. Then went the Multi-color who did another costal ruin and did a dance with a machete…. I looked intense and dancing with sharp machetes just made me close my eyes thinking an arm was going to be the next thing getting flung thru the air instead of their dance partner. The green group from monte sullon did the same thing. The other green group did a dance from the selva (jungle) and even built a house during their dance, it was amazing, and they should have won. And then the other groups were small in comparison and did do that great of a display of fireworks or presentation. There seem to be some scandal (as always) and the red team didn’t win, didn’t even place in top 3 (first time ever) and came in 4th. This the judges said was because they weren’t dancing, they were just jumping. I think it was a completely ignorant thing for them to say. I’d like to see the judges go to Cusco and tell the people there that their ancestral and traditional dance isn’t a dance and just people jumping. They also made the same comment about the dance that the selva group did. Now, I have seen videos of these traditional dances done by professional dancers and also by the people of these locals themselves, and trust me ask them and they will tell you that this is their traditional dance. Therefore I think these judges were in no place to decide what a dance is and what isn’t. Okay well after that ended at about 11:30 pm I went out to chifa (Chinese food) with my sister her husband their kids, Lichy and Diego. It’s like common on the weekends for people to go out and then eat at like 11:30 at night... kinda like college students and late night eating, but family style.
I slept there on Sat bc there are no cars back to Pedregal after 8:30, then woke up amidst a rain storm (crazy, right?!) …cancelled plans to head up to the beach for the day for sophies bday and went with my old plans of participating in carnavales with my niece and nephew. I was clean for about umm 2 blocks of walking from their house to the plaza… within 2 feet inside the plaza some guy ran up to me and put shoe grease all over my face…then 2 feet after I was sprayed head to toe with water. And it begun… lol I was out all day playing. The point is either to throw paint at other people or have it on your hands and rub it on their faces. Then as you walk past houses the people inside throw water from the roofs on top of you. Then by 8 I was in the house again and done with the games. By the time night came, people were getting pretty drunk and ruff with their contact. So I went to my sisters, stayed there for the night then headed to a meeting on Monday at 9 till 2 at Cite about preparing our groups for the fairs in 2009 and also creative ideas for stand preparation. Then had my LAST computer’s course with the artisans, it was nice because we gave out certificates to those who completed the course and those that finished the exam advanced to intermediate, the others get a certificate but also are encouraged to take the class over. It was a proud moment for me!
Okay I’m tired, will write more another time and will put up the pics probably sat or Monday from carnavales. 1 week and 1 day till my familyyy comes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So excited!
Xoxo elizabeth
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