Dia 6/ 0 Llamas

Well I have nearly finished my first week in PCT (Peace Corps Training)! The week went quickly but at the same time it feels like we’ve been here soooo much longer than a week. For clarification, I’m here in PCT for the first three months then in August we will move to our sites. Our sites are where we actually spend our 2 year service. Here in Peru there’s really 3 different kinds of sites; coast, sierra (mountains) and jungle. There’s only a small area in the “jungle” where PC serves and most volunteers serve along the coast. Of 24 departments (think states) PC is in 10. In case you want to google them they are Tumbes, Piura, Cajamarca, Ancash, La Libertad, Lima, Arequipa, Ica, Lambayque, and Junin. So why doesn’t the PC serve in the other departments? A lot of the jungle in uninhabited or the inhabitants are really dispersed and there are more safety concerns there. Also, PC only goes where they are invited. So no, I won’t we serving next to Manchu Picchu because the department of Cusco never asked for volunteers. Too bad


So what have I been up to? Well on a typical day the rooster starts crowing at 4am and I wake up at 6:30 to get ready for the day. I figured out how to get the hot water in the shower (actually make that tepid water) to work but only after one FREEZING cold shower that amounted to me quickly sticking my head in and out of the water. Then at 7:30 I head down the hill to catch a combi to the training center. Combis are small buses that pretty much just go up and down one major road. At 7:30 everyone and there mother is on it so it’s a bit like a sardine can. There isn’t really a set price and they have no problems charging whatever they want so that makes things interesting… Then we walk to the center where we spend the day. Half the day is lectures or classes related to our programs SB or YD (small business or youth development) or just being a Peace Corps Volunteer. We’ve had some interesting medical lectures about what diseases are found here (don’t worry we’ve also been getting some of our many shots) and proper nutrition. Apparently ¾ of our plate is not supposed to be carbs but tell that to  a Peruvian. After that lecture I had a dinner of rice, french fries, and a fried egg. My family is cute though and they won’t give me things like salads for a couple of weeks because they don’t want me to get sick. I think by week 5 ill be eating more veggies....not much more but more.

The second half of the day is language classes. We’re all separated in like a dozen language classes based on skill level. You need to be at least Intermediate Mid to be sworn in and that’s what I placed into. There are only 3 others in my class and we’ve been doing grammar review and some culture stuff. On Tuesday we went to Chosica (a neighboring city) to learn how to bargain prices for combis, taxis, and collectivos (carpooled cars that go to places like Lima). We also went to Plaza Vea which is basically a Wal Mart. It was sooooo weird because outside of Plaza Vea there aren’t places like that at all. It was like being transported to America, although, if I had to be transported to America it wouldn’t be to Wal Mart.

We get off at 4 or 5 and then I head home to eat dinner and watch TV with my family (there are like 5 shows similar to Dancing with the Stars that they watch).Im usually so exhausted at that point i go to bed at like 9.

On Thursday I went to a birthday party for my host dad’s twin 1 year old nieces. It was our family, my host brother, his girlfriend, his baby, and a cousin with her little girl. Apparently it’s a custom here to name twins Maria_ and Maria_. So these two were named Maria Paz and Maria Belen. It was quite a party. All the parents sit around the sides of the room while the little kids are entertained by a clown and by the end its sensory overload with streamers, silly string, confetti, balloons, music, and dancing. I took some pictures although apparently my flash was off so they didn’t all come out. Ill post those later.

This morning I woke up at 6 am to the sound of continuous booms. Yeah, I went back to sleep. I asked my host family and since my community is having a fiesta tonight for Corazon de Jesus (The nice thing about a really Catholic country? They celebrate every single saint’s day and anything else that comes along) they start “advertising” at 6 in the morning with those bombs. Tonight should be fun! I believe the other 13 volunteers who live here are going with their families so I wont be the only gringa there.

Yesterday’s Menu
Breakfast:
A drink with water, milk and quinoa
Bread and an Avocado

Lunch:
Lomo Saltado (right after they told us how unhealthy it is)
Rice
Mandarin and an Apple

Dinner:
Rice
Papas Fritas (French Fries)
Fried Egg