Love, Love, Love

No, I haven't fallen of the face of the internet. I had to take my computer in for repairs and give it a little vacation too. I still have a week left in MN, but my computer isn't on vacation anymore.

Love, Love, Love. That is the greatest gift I received this Christmas. My mom with the Bedard clan planned a beautiful, crazy, full Christmas celebration this year with more than 40 people coming and going through our door within a 48 hr. time period. It was wonderful to see so much family and eat endless plates of Christmas cookies. I remember a year ago I was in Cajamarca with an awful cold celebrating the holiday with my new friend Paola and her family. They were so sweet and loving with me, but nothing compares to the warmth and love of your own family. Grandma came with her traditional Christmas cookies, my aunt Jeanne brought over the wine and folding chairs and later got stuck under the tree with all the presents, my cousins came over with their cute little kids, yeah pretty much everyone was present at one point or another.

We ate, caroled, drank, ate, went to church, ate, drank, played endless board games and ate some more. Yep, that sums it up. For me it isn't so important what happens when family gets together, it is the simple act of getting together that makes us family. And after having missed all those get togethers all year, it was very special and filled with that much more love to share this Christmas with everyone at home. Who knows where I will be next Christmas? But, I will be thankful to have filled this one with love to remember all year.

My vacation has been filled with other things besides Christmas celebrations. My dear friends from River Falls planned a reunion weekend in St. Paul and my mom treated the family to theater tickets. This means I have been doing cool American things recently, things I can't do in Cajamarca. Like order from a beer list that was at least 20 pages long (yes, a little ridiculous and stressful), see theater actors, eat Mediterrian food, catch up with high school friends, you know - those types of things.
The Bedard's waiting for the show to start.
My River Falls companions reuniting in St. Paul.

So if you are reading this, I send my love out to you because my cup runneth over.

Cheeseheads

I took my (longer than I remember) road trip to visit friends throughout Wisconsin (well, just Madison and Eagle River, but it felt like I went all over the state). It was a lovely and short reunion with a place I use to call home. My friend Erica, after visiting me in Peru, decided to host a fund raising event for Discover Hope Fund. So last Saturday we had an open house with all the hot winter treats and invited Madison folks to see what DHF women make and encourage them to make a donation. And, it was successful! Thank you Erica!!!

The only disappointing part of the trip was the -15 reading on the thermometer which kept me from using my X-country skis that I eagerly packed in the car. On the other hand, I can't complain, I am only here until Jan. 8th so I will deal with whatever Mother Nature decides, as long as I get to see loved ones.

Speaking of loved ones, I got to meet Trish and Mark's new baby, Iland, who was born in October. Precious. Precious. I spent my visit with Trish and Mark mostly squeezing their little baby bear (as he is called) and catching up with Trish in between cries, feedings and changings. Big stuff happens when I leave the country for a year. I wonder what I will find come next year's return? Anyone?

Thanks to everyone in Wisconsin. I had a warm bed and lots of yummy food while visiting with you. As my friend Jen once said about her visit back to WY, I felt like I got a big, warm hug from WI, warm despite the freezing temperatures.

Christmas everyday, all day

You thought I wouldn't blog while I was in MN? Oh, but there is so much to write about, this journey back to my old home, so much to take in.

So I arrived on Sunday and it has been like Christmas all the time. So many wonderful things happen every minute here in the U.S. (But do keep in mind I am on vacation, who knows what my cultural shock status will be next week, but I will enjoy my happiness while I can) Here is a small sampling of all the fabulous gifts I have experienced and received since arriving on U.S. soil...

- There is always, always food in the fridge (including ice cream) - I never have to run to the store for something I forgot to buy earlier that day. My parents have a constant supply of everything you would ever want to consume, including my most favorite homemade foods.
- I discovered "again" my old clothes, scarfs, shoes that had been in storage for the year. I feel like a gitty girl celebrating a new wardrobe.
- The bathroom never lacks toilet paper and nobody charges me 10 cents to use the bathroom. There are public bathrooms everywhere and they are usually really clean. What a gift!
- The snow blankets the earth, trees, houses, and paints a beautiful winter wonderland picture!
- I can talk in English on my cell phone to my family and friends and it is covered under my verizon plan and I don't need to buy phone credit every other day (let's just hope I don't go over those set minutes....)
- Juicy hamburgers, ginger ale, hot steamers, German chocolate cake, Beers besides Cusquena, etc....
-CHOICE!!!! (Everywhere!)
- Hot showers, day or night, no worries about the electricity disappearing mid-shower.
- Reunions, smiles, laughs, hugs with those I dearly love - the presence of loved ones. No greater gift - and it happens multiple times a day.
- These are just a few...more unmentioned, and I am sure, more gifts to come.

Hope you all have gifts that you discover every day before, on and after Christmas.

Home Sweet Home

Hello from Minnesota! From Snelling Ave. in St. Paul to be exact. What a cold embrace I received yesterday leaving the plane with only two layers of clothes on - my light sweater didn't protect me from the Minnesota cold. It was a lovely and tasty reunion, as my parents cooked all my favorite requested dishes of enchiladas, sweet rolls, and porkolt. We ate and talked all afternoon. I am so happy to be in the presence of family again and many more reunions with family and friends to look forward to...

My last days in Huaraz with Jen and Meche were nice and relaxed. We explored the town, ate good food, recovered from our many stressful high altitude hikes, and simply took in the incredible sights all around us. While traveling to another corner of Peru I realized how lucky I am to have lived (and will continue to live) in an amazing country with so much to explore. Having Jen around reminded me of our Guatemalan days and I came home a little confused; was I returning home after Peace Corps in Peru? Well, after two consecutive nights traveling (on bus, then on the plane) I guess your mind can get a little out of whack.

So I am transitioning now from one snowy tundra to the other. I feel like a little kid, seeing the snow for the first time here and aweing it. I even asked my Dad to take a picture of me in the snow; I am a tourist in my own home town! Augh. Jen also helped me transition to MN life as the day before I left Peru I brushed up on my cribbage skills so that I wouldn't be so rusty. It was a close victory, so now I am ready for all the Bedard cribbage tournaments.


For those of you reading this in the U.S., I am at the same house and cell phone number as a year ago. Hope to be in touch this month. A big hug to all - it is so, so, so wonderful to be home!

Snow Capped Goodness

It is times like these when I wish I would have read my camera manual. I am Huaraz, which is in the cordillera blanca in the Andes, roughly translated snow capped mountains everywhere you look. Every time I blink I am witnessing a postcard of beauty. Hence, I wish I read the camera manual so I could do justice and share with you all what I taking in here.

From Top to Bottom 1.Lagoon Llaganucos, 2.Nora and Jen taking a breather at nearly 5,000 meters above sea level, 3.Me resting at Laguna 69

Jen(my friend from Peace Corps)and Meche (my friend from Cajamarca) and I hit the trails the past couple of days. I think you could probably stay in Huaraz for months and still not venture out into all the beautiful mountain trails. We are just getting a little taste of what we can this week. We did some glacier climbing at 5,000 meters above sea level the first day. Why we choose the highest peak to visit on Day 1 I do not know, but the exhausting hike definitely reminded us we need to acclimatize and take it easy so not to do any damage. Oh, and as a side note, during our glacier trip we were accompanied by a school group of teenagers which made the whole experience...well, how do I say...unique. We went on a gorgeous smaller hike the following day to a male lagoon, Llaganuco, which was breathtaking. The altitude was not as high, so we enjoyed every minute of our rainy walk. I felt like I was in an enchanted forest with the foliage, hanging trees, and constant waterfalls surrounding us. The following day we passed by the same lagoon and his female counterpart to venture deep into the mountains and visit yet another amazing emerald lagoon. This hike was a three and half hours climb up and up and more up than I imagined we would go (we were told it was a 2 hour hike, yea right). Every turn was a different postcard. The altitude of Lagoon 69, our final and absolutely amazing destination, was 4,600 meters above sea level. We were breathing hard and maybe even doubted if we would make it, but seeing the lagoon nestled below the tip of the snow capped mountains made it all worth it. Thanks to climate change we witnessed an endless display of waterfalls throughout our climb. We have heard that the glaciers and the snow on the mountains is melting so fast that in a matter of decades there will hardly be a trace of this beauty left. At least the mountains are protected within the walls of the national forest, but still...it is a devastating and awful thought to think these majestic mountains have little time left to shine.

We arrived back to our homey hostal just dead. I have come down with a throat infection of something or other, so I am out of commission to hike or do anything today. The girls went on a tour to Chavin to see some pre Incan ruins or something cool like that. I am going to chill in town and look at the mountains all day. Those of you considering a trip to Peru next year, put Huaraz on your list of places to visit. You will not be disappointed if you love to hike and see snow capped mountains and emerald colored lagoons.

I am leaving the computer now, I have mountains to look at.

Last Day

A year has come full circle. Excited. Disbelief. Exhausted. Extremely happy. I am on the verge of leaving Cajamarca tomorrow and just filled with lots of emotion. I am ready to venture to another part of Peru, but not ready to close this chapter in my life. I am ready for a break, a good, long break, which is what is happening starting this very minute. For those of you (all 5 of you still reading this blog) that are unclear about my future village bank work; I am taking a rest the month of December and will be stuffing my face and putting smiles on my face at home in MN and then returning to Cajamarca in January for another year of work (aka providing educational and training opportunities to village banks loan recipients in and around town). I am excited about what may be accomplished in the coming year with women I have grown to support this year. I won't have to come back to Cajamarca and start from scratch. The foundation has been laid and now we build the house, or businesses in this case. No doubt I will be a cheerleader again next year, rooting and supporting the women loan recipients in any way possible, but now I know who I am rooting for.

Next year?! There are still days to fill this year. Jen, my old Guatemala peace corps bud, was here this week. We went to visit one of the groups in the countryside and see all their newly born spring animals (including a day old piggie - love at first sight). It was our own little personal, live zoo. We ran errands, went to good-bye eating engagements and wandered around town like tourists. There is still one last event tonight - an Andean music fusion rock concert. So we won't leave Cajamarca on a quiet note. This week we are heading to Huaraz, Ancash: snow-capped mountains, crystal blue lagoons, artisans towns, etc....I will get my week of full Peruvian tourism in before I touch U.S. soil. Hope to share some last Peruvian photos this coming week before all the midwest family and friend reunions begin. Do stay tuned and in touch. See you soon!
Chao (for a little bit) Cajamarca!

Despidida

Hugo's mom threw a little BBQ good bye party for me in the countryside on Sunday. I tried to turn it into a potluck, but the concept of potlucks doesn't translate very easy into Peruvian language. Anyways, we had some good food, weather, conversation and dance. And, of course I had to give a little speech on the fly.


Jen, my last visitor for 2008, made it safely into town today and so the few days I have left in Cajamarca I will drag her with me to run errands, buy things, and wrap up my literacy test documents and do some fun things in between. Speaking of literacy tests: 7 out of the 9 women that took the test on Saturday passed and therefore will receive a certificate in January from the Department of Education stating that they are literate! Yeah for Andrea, Elena, Precila, Casimira, Maria Cruz, Sebastiana and Angelica!!!! Good work to all.

Many, many cups of tea

Let sorrowful longing dwell in your heart.
Never give up, never lose hope.
Allah says, "The broken ones are my beloved."
Crush your heart. Be broken.
-Shaikh abu Saeed Abil Kheir

Maybe you all have already heard of the book, Three Cups of Tea, but way down here in the Andes we don't get the newest (2007!) New York Times releases. I finished it this month and thought it had an extremely powerful message about creating peace in this world. If you are looking for your next book read, check it out. You will not be disappointed. Or, at least check out the website:
http://www.threecupsoftea.com/

Finishing...

I don't know where to start as I share my final thoughts about Discover Hope work that is unofficially finishing today. I don't want to bore you, but there were many computer glitches that made the week eventful and turned yours truly into a spaz. I have actually become more of a spaz in these past couple of months than I have in all my life. It takes a lot of energy to be a spaz and I don't especially enjoy it. Maybe it is cultural differences, huge work load, feeling burned out, any number of little things. Yesterday I was on the verge of finishing my 20 page year end report when I realized I accidentally erased microsoft word from my computer. Why would I do something like this? There is no good answer, because I surely didn't do it for the adventure and thrill to see how long it would take me to replace the program.

After my no-good, very bad morning I had a complete change of heart in the afternoon. A group of some of our loan recipients organized a small surprise little going away party for me in the office. There were speeches, a toast, singing, poems, gifts and let's not forget the food and dancing. I was thrilled that the women I have been working with actually organized themselves enough to pull this off. And, it was so nice to show up and not do a thing. Although I was feeling tired and defeated earlier in the day, the women lifted my spirit and put me in very tranquil state. They showed me that among all the classes and activities that were held this year, there has been a spark of love, caring, and confidence that has grown between all of us. So I leave my Discover Hope work this year exhausted, but proud and extremely happy - with more hope for next year.
Last jewelry class this year with loan recipients from various village banks. The women insisted I be in the middle of all of them. Why? So that they could use my camera memory to develop this picture for me, frame it and present it to me.

P.S. Keep checking back at this blog - as there are still the final literacy exams to report and travel in Peru to post, among other surprise along the way...

Clarin competition

What a great start to a difficult day. We went to witness a musical event unlike any I have ever seen before. The Clarin is an ancient instrument that is used throughout Peru, but with origins here in Cajamarca. It sounds a bit like the saxophone and requires a serious amount of strength and balance as the instrument easily is longer than 6 meters (if I am doing my conversion right). It has a deep, resonating sound that is so fun to listen to. There was a Clarin competition this morning in front of the old, famous Belen church where more than 20 musicians came to boast their talents. All ages, similar songs, but good, wholesome entertainment. To top it off a Cajamarcan rock band (that also uses the Clarin, among other native instruments) rocked the crowd with a fusion of Andean beats and electric guitar sounds. Very cool is kinda an understatement.



So that was the great part of the day. Afterwards I found out some bad news that the highway that leads from Lima to Cajamarca was filled with protesters yesterday. The Peruvian government hasn't repaired the rocky and bump highway for who knows how long. So the protesters decided to make a statement and they destroyed a bridge that connects us in Cajamarca to the rest of the world. I guess buses can go to the bridge, you can get off with your luggage, cross the river and get another bus. Of course this happens as I am on the verge of buying my good friend Jen a bus ticket to come to Cajamarca in exactly a week. Augh!

So since it is Sunday and I can't buy any tickets or communicate with Jen, who is in a small village in Mexico right now with no internet, ... so with Hugo's family we decided to venture into the countryside on this beautiful sunny afternoon. We went to this holy hill that holds petroglyph's and a beautiful view of the countryside. Because we didn't bring an offering to the holy hill we were cursed for the afternoon. Both yours truly and Hugo's little bro., Sebastian, got the runs. Imagine leaving that on the holy hill. It only resulted in an accident for Hugo's little brother, I was saved the humiliation. Poor Sebastian also fell into a cactus plant that scarred his hand. I got home anxious for a shower, but alas there is no hot water. And, I can't even make a cup of tea because my cooking gas just ran out. Double Augh!

goodbye lunches

Yes, my time (this year) in Cajamarca is down to it's last days. As of yesterday I had two weeks in Cajamarca left on my calendar. I can hardly believe that a year has passed since I arrived in this beautiful and strange city in the Andes. Kinda like my Peace Corps site back in the day, I feel like Cajamarca has made a mark on me and even the annoying things have become so familiar that I think I will miss this little city come December. But, don't worry, those of you who are reading this in MN or WI, I am so excited to get on the plane on Dec. 6 and spend the month with all of you. I just realize I have come to this comfortable, weird place where I feel like home is not only St.Paul, MN. Home is (I am not trying to be cheesy) where the heart is. And at this point I feel like my heart is all over the place.

I have had a couple goodbye lunches with my women and it has been very humbling. Let me try to paint a picture: I arrive in an adobe kitchen with smoke escaping from the small windows. Women are gathered around clay pots cooking on the floor. I sit at the table alone catching up on the updates of animals, weaving projects and sick kids. I receive a heaping plate of rice and chicken while the women hurry to serve all the little brown faces that come running into the kitchen. We must have been 20 people in that smoky kitchen. If I don't finish my food they will place the plate of left-over food over my poor little head (a well-known custom in the countryside). I finish. There is no room for a sweet, warm cup of arroz con leche, but I make room anyway. We continue to chat, there is some yelling, kids asking for more, a little piggy that runs into the kitchen. It is a happy chaos, feeling like I have been invited to participate in an ordinary family event, that to me feels so very un-ordinary. It felt like the most special moment I could have experienced right then and there in an old, dirt house with a group of women that are united by family ties, but also the desire to better themselves. This group that lives in the most humble conditions presented me with a small gift before our lunch came to an end. Like I said, my heart is all over the place - excited for my reunion with family and friends in the midwest and also touched by the grace and gratefulness of my women's groups here in Cajamarca.

Momma Madrina

Yes, yours truely is a Madrina. What is a Madrina you ask? The woman that holds a candle and touches the child's shoulder during her baptism and then buys 50 guinea pig for the feast afterwards. Roughly translated = Godmother. Aida, one of our loan recipients in an active village bank asked me to be the Madrina for her middle child, Catalin Stephanie, a couple of weeks ago. At first I was a little hesitant about the great task, but after some deep thought and conversation with Aida I came to the conclusion that it is a honor and job I am up for. Catalin getting baptized at age 10 is symbolic because I was baptized only recently as an adult in college. Aida and her village bank (many who are family also) have been very supported of me and DHF work and this is an amazing way for me to remain connected to them. Never in the states could I become a Godmother to a client I was working with - conflict of interest. But I am not in the states. In Peru my life is work and work is my life, boundaries that we create in the U.S. do not exist in the same form here in this beautiful and sometimes annoying country. So yesterday I entered more deeply into the life of a Peruvian family that had already entered into mine.
As a Peruvian Madrina one of your most important tasks is to buy cuys (guinea pigs ) for the celebration feast. I told Aida I would help out with the dinner costs, but wasn't especially excited about buying 50 guinea pigs. No problem, we had steak. But, I did complete my other task as a Madrina - I danced to typical "wino" countryside music all night with just about every guest.

A world away, A world connected.

Shattering news that the U.S. and the World felt yesterday with Presidential Elections was also felt in my little mountain apartment in Cajamarca. I was glued to my laptop - listening and anxiously waiting as state after state announced Obama on NPR. I stayed up, like probably many of you, to hear the speech, cry with joy, and lay in bed with my eyes wide awake with no sleep to be had. I was alone, but didn't very lonely. I felt very much connected to other (North) Americans and the frenzy of political and national excitement. Of course it would have been fun to have a little toast with another English-speaker, but I raised my cup of tea and shouted in tune with the Chicago crowd nonetheless.

In the past people have asked me, "why do you work abroad when there is so much work to do at home?" Good question. I feel like I have a duty to represent the U.S in positive light; our country has done so much damage to other cultures and nations I feel the need to repair. Or in other words, as you might say in the green and energy conscious world, instead of carbon offsetting, caring offsetting. And Obama said last night "we are one people, with singular stories yet a common destiny." The good that one person does in one place in the world doesn't stay put. It ripples. Even across country lines. I am hopeful after Obama's victory that there might be less of a need for "caring offsetting." And, I am hopeful for many more things beyond that.

To the coast and back

A fast, furious and tiring weekend to the Coast and back. Hugo and I went with Kirsten and Erica to Chiclayo (my officially least favorite city in Peru). We went to get Hugo's passport and make sure the girls were set to go on their way to Ecuador. The passport trip was unsuccessful as Hugo was missing some paperwork and the guy at the front door was trying to bribe Hugo into paying him a tip to get the deal done. No deal. The sad part of the whole thing is that I guess the bribing is common place here and, well, there is no other town that is closer to Cajamarca that he can get his passport. After getting pretty visibly frustrating we left feeling defeating and totally unsuccessful.
We didn't let this little blooper get in the way of enjoying all that Chiclayo has to offer. We all headed out to Pimentel beach, just outside of town, to watch fisherman bring in their fresh fishes on homemade straw canoes. We got to the beach just in time to see the fish frenzy. We had a fresh seafood lunch accompanied by the one and only Inca Kola. The restaurant didn't understand the term "vegetarian" and Kirsten waited a good bit for them to figure out how they were going to make her lunch. Erica had already gotten sick in Cajamarca and now it was Kirsten's turn.

We happened to be staying in a cheap, dark hotel in Chiclayo. This didn't help make Kirsten feel any better. In fact some problems in the bathroom make the situation all the more annoying and difficult. She rested that night and then rallied all her energy to join us to visit pre-Inca pyramids. The pyramids are nothing like you would imagine. The pyramids were constructed out of adobe (mud and dirt) and have eroded with the rain. So it is interesting because you can see the skeleton of the structure, but there is no fully erect pyramid in sight. We didn't hire a guide, so beyond the beauty of the desert, I can't share any fun facts with you about Tucume pyramids or culture.
I think the sun and desert walking did us some good. We all returned to Chiclayo tired and hungry and in good spirits and health. The girls were on their way to Ecuador today and Hugo and I returned to rainy Cajamarca, ending my little va-ca with the Madison crew.

Relax, Stress, Relax

Since we didn't have water this past weekend we had to relax and bathe in the hot thermal pools just outside of Cajamarca on Sunday. Relaxing. The next day the water came back to our apartment, so my bucket entertaining days ended. I then put Kirsten and Erica to work picking our jewelry and bags at our Discover Hope Fund Buy Day in the office this week. This proved to be more stressful than planned. We had a huge turn-out of loan recipients hoping to sell their goods to us. We spent a good almost 3 hrs. working hard at choosing, picking, placing money in envelopes and just basically trying to keep 15 women and their children under control in a very small space. Kirsten and Erica were a huge help, but the whole event tested my patience and prepped me for a stiff drink by the end of the afternoon.

Then tonight the Madison crowd headed to the hot springs again to receive the full sauna and spa treatment. Again, relaxing. So we managed to squeeze some stress in between our relaxing thermal water nights.

Timing!

Yes, folks it is all about timing. My good friends and roomies from Grad. school in Madison came down to visit - they had a safe arrival yesterday on a beautiful sunny mountain morning. Only minutes before their arrival I was yelling from my patio at my landlord,"I don't have any water." No water in the kitchen, bathroom, anywhere. So I thought to myself it will come back on a little later in the day. I went to pick up my friends, brought them back to my waterless apartment and we were catching up already on all the past year's events. There was no luck with getting water later in the day - or today for that matter. I filled up a couple of buckets from my landlord's faucet this morning, so now I am entertaining guests among buckets of water (hey, at least now we can flush the toilet and wash the dishes). But Kirsten and Erica are in good spirits - look at all they have done this weekend (without water); we - very randomly - got to see a kinda cool procession and a sawdust carpet just right outside of my house, they checked out the meat market and found a fresh cow head, and hit my favorite bar in town that has music and storytelling that will make you lose track of the hour and clap until your hands hurt. I think this afternoon we will need to bath in the thermal pools outside of town, because I am not counting on having water tomorrow either. Lovely timing, really.

Photovoice

I kinda put behind me the fact that I am soaking wet, cold and tired... when I see the faces on women that have taken pictures of their lives, themselves and things important to them, all the other stuff kinda fades away. DHF is doing a type of Photovoice evaluation with some of our village banks. We give a group of women a camera and they take pictures of their lives. The women have seen me take pictures all year. They turn their heads, smile, show a grin of embarrassment. I show them the photo on my digital camera, but that is where the photo stays. The idea of photovoice evaluation is giving the women another way to express themselves besides just answering evaluation questions. And I have been surprised because all of the groups (6 so far) that I have approached this year, not one of them has used a camera before. I told them this is their chance to become a photographer, show the world their world. At first there was some hesitation and uncertainty(from the women) about being able to take pictures. But so far we have had a decent turnout and good conversation around the photos. (Note the great pig photo from Angelica in La Perlita Village Bank)!

Ridiculous B.day Bash

I need a weekend rest after my weekend. I worked on Sat., which is nothing new. But then on Sunday I went to Hugo's little brother's 7th Birthday party. I have only been to one other kid's B.day party here in Peru and I didn't realize until yesterday that they are all the same - the same level of crazy, ridiculousness. I'll give you a little play by play. The party was in the countryside, so that the kids could run around and go crazy without breaking anything. Good thinking mom. The party invitations said 10am. Kids came with their parents between 11-12. Lunch was served at 1:30. We sucked lolipops and painted faces until 3:30. Then the "animadores" (women that dress up in a million different outfits and sing, dance, and make the kids look so cute and ridiculous for 3 hrs. straight - great entertainment for the parents!) started their show. There was no electricity, so the party wasn't as loud as it could have been, but I was still exhausted when Hugo and I escaped at 6pm. By then they still hadn't sung Happy Birthday or broke the pinata or served the cake. Hugo's mom told us today that they left the house at 9pm last night. The party went until 8ish. Do we have parties for 7 yr. olds in the states that go from 11am - 8pm? I don't have kids, so I guess I don't know. But, to me it seems a bit long...and ridiculous (oh, wait I mentioned that already).

Hungry?

Give you a little taste of classes this week (pun intended). Our same super bakery teacher from last month offered a cooking (appetizer) class this week. Two days. 10 appetizers. We had a small group of 9 women. They worked hard getting their hands dirty to produce some really delicious appetizers, through the direction of our teacher Luisa. Like our bakery class, the women hope to use these new recipes as an additional income generating activity. Of course they won't start off right away this weekend being contracted for parties - but if they start practicing with family and friends the "word will pass" that they are good cooks and can hopefully start a domino effect to attract more paying customers.
P.S. on an unrelated cooking note - 6 out of 8 of out literacy students passed their first literacy test with flying colors last week. That is SUCCESS! The two didn't quite ace the test don't feel so bad, because as they say, "at least now I am write my name and my ID number - I couldn't do that before." Again, SUCCESS.

Bags for export, Literacy tests, and everything inbetween

The past couple of days have been filled with lots and lots of stuff. It all blends together and becomes part of the struggle to create hope.
Evaluation starts. Interviews. Questions. Reflections.
How has Discover Hope changed your life?
I have more skills. I can make a little bit more money.
Sewing artesian bags - another skill, another group of chaotic women and screaming kids.
One sewing machine breaks.
I take the combi back to Cajamarca late at night with our teacher, Socorro. Pay her in the dark.
The group starts to take their test just as the rain decides to fall.
The rain finds it's way through the tin roof that has sporadic holes.
What, you don't like the color of the ribbon? That's the only color we have.
These are the colors that North Americans like.
Hope you participate in our Buy Day - we want to show the world what you are learning.
Walking down a dirt road - hoping all the students are present today. Big day. Test day.
One women struggles with her literacy test - she can not finish, but she can write her name.
Exhausted with videos, pictures, and small stories of hope.

Treasure, Trash, Treasure

Today was a random holiday in Peru, so I took the morning off to go hiking with my friends. I should know by now when my Peruvian friends say we're going to go for a hike for 2-3 hours, that usually means the hike will probably take twice the amount of time. But no matter, I went along with the hiking plan like happy dog, following my tour guide friends as they lead the way to where-ever we were going.

We hiked along the northern part of the Inca trail and it was a treasure. We got a little lost in the beginning, but really, the first Inca's that paved the way here I am sure got lost too. We walked through pine forest, along a clean, bubbly river, and scald a couple of mountains. It only rained for a short bit of time, which was lucky for us, since the rainy season is starting to pick up speed and hit Cajamarca in full force.

I came home exhausted and happy. And just as I was getting ready to relax and sip a cup of tea, I heard the trash bell. Three times a week the trash pick-up truck comes around and everyone runs out of their houses with their small plastic trash bags to leave it on the curb. I joined the "running with trash" crowd and brought my plastic bags out to the curb; where there were three little smiley kids waiting for me at the curb. I knew it before I left my trash, they were there to find some treasures. I see this all the time. Kids, adults, and yes dogs too, going through the trash. Looking for food for their pigs, bottles to reuse, and who knows what else. I could be sad and dishearted by the whole thing, but one person trash is another person treasure. True statement.

Sushi in Peru!

Another sign of a globalized world - sushi in Peru (and Cajamarca for that matter). Everyone told me that I would love Peruvian cuisine, and I do, most of the time. But I miss certain worldly flavors; to a name a few... Thai, Ethiopian, Mexican, Salvadorian, Hungarian and just good old midwest food. So when I heard about a new sushi bar in town I convinced Hugo that we had to go and try it. It doesn't compare to Maki & Shusak's delicious sushi, but it was pretty good. Hugo didn't totally agree with me, he would take his raw fish in ceviche (one of the many national dishes here) over sushi any day.