December already? I can’t believe it. The school year is coming to an end here and people are preparing for promociones (graduations), Christmas, and for their impending rainy season vacations. I think I’ve mentioned this before but most people head to the coast or their chacras (farms) during winter.* I’m currently making plans for things to do with the kids who do stay during winter. One of the big projects my site mate and I will be working on during vacation is overhauling the town library. Points for Contumazá for even having a library at all but unfortunately it’s stocked with old books most adults would never read much less any youth. Our library can also brag about having 10 computers! Well caveat on that, 5 working computers that are so old they use floppy disks. Do the middle schoolers reading this even know what a floppy disc is? In researching our project I also visited the school libraries, talked to the directors, and looked at their libraries. Most people told me there is a serious lack of reading (which I knew) and the school libraries are mostly rooms with old encyclopedias collecting dust. My favorite was one of the primary school libraries where the librarian insisted kids use the library and read all the time. They even had quite the collection of novels but something tells me these elementary school students aren’t actually checking out War and Peace or the complete works of Mario Vargas LLosa. Where’s the Peruvian Ameilia Bedilia? Goosebumps anyone? Some of you have commented that you would be interested in helping with this project and as soon as details are worked out I will definitely get you all involved.

I also recently visited the Special Education School in Contumazá. Special Education and rights for the disabled is, in general, pretty pitiful in Peru. The legislation for the disabled is actually very similar to the states, mainly because the laws here are modeled after those in the US. Unfortunately these laws aren’t really carried out and the current culture and attitude towards the disabled, especially in rural areas, is appalling. In most cases these people are kept indoors and away from people their entire lives. 

As for Special Education, those cities that are large enough have a Special Education school but these schools lack supplies much like other Peruvian schools and have teachers with absolutely no experience with children with special needs much less teaching them. Peruvian teachers in their first few years don’t have a choice as to where they teach, they are sent to a school by the government and are often sent out to rural or poorer areas because that’s where the need is because thats where other teachers don’t want to go. The school in my site is no different. As with other Special Education schools they receive no support, financial or otherwise from the government. The director of the school as well as the teachers use their own money for supplies and even provide a more nutritional lunch for the students because they, again like most Peruvians, don’t receive a balanced meal at home. From what I’ve seen the school in Contumazá is actually quite good compared to other special education schools I’ve seen or have heard about from other volunteers and i’m looking forward to trying to help them out during the upcoming school year.

New fun fact about rainy season, poles go down and electricity goes out. Apparently last week we had some practice. We lost it about midday one day and through the night then again the next night it went out around 7 until the following afternoon. You know what caught me off guard? The darkness. Now you’re probably thinking “Duh Kim, lights go out and it’s dark” but what you forget is that in general if the lights go out in the states it doesn’t result in absolute darkness. There’s light coming from somewhere whether it be from neighboring towns or the McDonalds with a backup generator. With a lack of things to do my host sister (I finally met my host sister who studies in Lima)and I went for a walk by candlelight and I even couldn’t see my own hands. It was freaky. The blackout also caused my host mom to reminisce about the time of terrorism. History lesson for those of you unaware, for years Peru was plagued by the terrorist group Shining Path. It was a really horrible time in Peru’s past and it’s had lasting effects on the culture. It was really interesting to hear her talk about it, especially because it’s not something people really talk about here. She told a story about how one time she was working as a secretary in a hospital and had to hold a lantern while the doctors stitched a young man’s ear back on amidst a blackout. Then they asked about 9/11 and I shared that experience with them. Swapping terrorism stories…really makes you think about what kind of world we live in.

As not to end on a negative i attended my first Peruvian wedding! The bouquet throwing at a Peruvian wedding is even more awkward then it is in the states. Especially when the giant gringa is obviously trying to avoid catching it.

* A quick note on seasons in Peru, as Peru is in the southern hemisphere we are in summer while the US is in winter but there exists an exception to this. The sierra at some point decided to rebel against this and considers this point of the year winter due to the rain. So if you followed that; US-Winter, Peru-Summer, Peruvian sierra-Winter.

Huaraz

Huaraz

Finish Line at the Turkey Trot 5k

Start line for Turkey Trot 5k

5k Participants

Peelings kilos of potatoes

Flower Market in Caraz

Actual Thanksgiving Dinner-Pizza, Mac & Cheese, Fruit Salad, and Brownies

Prepping the Turkeys

Mashed Potatoes!

Making Applesauce

Basting the Turkey!

The Spread

Apple Pie!

Dinner!

Inside the Adobe Oven