Wool dying

It has been a crazy week with lots of trials and triumphs. I want to share one particular special moment I had this week. The same group that won first place in a wool dying competition (receiving literacy classes), well they invited me to witness the wool-dying process. It is an all day process. Pictured here they are preparing the wool. In the meantime there are 4 big pot boiling with different natural plants, all painting the wool different colors. The women "cook" their wool in boiling water and then rinse it out and let the wool dry. The colors were amazing, and the whole process is natural, organic and totally driven by these women. To say I was amazed doesn't even describe my feelings. The women participating in this process are part of an artesian project that is aimed to help poor women improve their wool and wool products. I am not sure how many women are participating, but there are at least 3 of our village banks represented in this larger group. My hope to be able to support more of the women involved, invite them to form more banks and who knows what else? Help them export? Lots of possibilities...

Vowel song

I am really not camera-video trigger happy, just happen to be using my video button lots lately. I went to visit the group Jehova es mi Pastor and check in to see how their literacy classes were going. This is what I witnessed: The Vowel Song. I was so impressed with our Literacy teacher, Lily, and the women too. The class started a little late because they had just come from a wool dying competition - and won first place. But after they showed off their wool, the notebooks were
out and everyone got to work. The kids were just as excited as their parents to participate in class. I hope the excitement continues, along with their wool dying success.

Easter with no cards or ham

So I talked with my family yesterday before they headed off to the big Bedard-o-rama for Easter weekend. It got me missing my family, holiday gathering and potluck feast, playing cribbage and other card games and betting my $1, to see if I get lucky to go home with $10. My Easter was very low key, in fact I would even say quiet. Many people go to the beach for Semana Santa (Holy Thurs. and Fri.), but after my last beach experience, I decided to stay cozy, warm in my rainy town. I did some hiking, taxes, and knitting. A nice combo, huh? Last night I went to an evangelical wedding in the countryside with my landlords. We arrived at 7pm, but it didn't start until 8:30. There was lots of singing and clapping and waiting. Waiting is the thing Peruvians know how to do best. The bride and groom came and did their civil and religious ceremony and then left. The crowd was confused about if there was more to come. I actually didn't stay to find out, but my landlords this morning told me they came back more than an hour later and then stayed until 3am. Normal. Dinner was served at 1am. Not normal. This morning I went to a catholic mass, that felt more like a evangelical celebration. The priest was clapping and singing. I feel comfortable with that, because my church in college was all about singing joyful songs, but it just struck me as strange in an old, spanish-style catholic church.

This afternoon I will teach my landlords how to make brownies (it's Easter, and I need some chocolate!) Then in the evening there is this celebration in Banos de Inca, the thermal baths out of town - it was rated as one of the top spots in Peru - so there will be some dancing in the street from what I hear.

Because my weekend was so quiet, I was able to reflect and contemplation about my purpose here, finding peace in my path, and just feel calm with my sometimes annoying and lonely surroundings. However, and if, you celebrate Easter I hope you were able to find the same.

Azucenas Meeting

Last week I held a meeting with our elected "Comite" (Women representing all the village banks) and the Presidents of all the 21 Banks. The goal was to improve communication with our office and the banks, invite all the women to participate in future activities and include them in the planning of future events. Many great things came from this meeting - new ideas, feedback, energy to plan bigger activities. The Comite members said that they want to be going to visit the different banks; introduce themselves, get to know the banks (they are representing them), and serve as the communication link between the office and the women. So here, Sofia is introducing herself to the village bank Azucenas and explaining the purpose of her visit.

Crosses and Cuys

Today was a very exciting, action packed, tradition filled day. Palm Sunday is celebrated with rich traditions in a small village, Porcon, just out of town from Cajamarca. Paola and I made our way to the bus stop at 7am to catch a combi out of town. We arrived in Porcon and saw busy entrepreneurs making their cooked guinea pig, fried potatoes and setting up fruit and bread stands to sell for the activities of the day. What happens in Porcon is that the surrounding communities in the countryside spend the night preparing their 70 kilo crosses to carry to the church in the morning. Different men take turns carrying the cross through the muddy mountain paths until they arrive at the church. When they arrive at the church the cross makes three bows in prayer and respect and then finds its place to rest in the church square. There are 40 crosses.

It was absolutely amazing. The strength of (some drunk) men carrying these elaborately decorated cross, singing, praying and coming together into a beautiful, chaotic gathering was a sight I can't erase from my mind. We stayed for a squished mass - imagine a church for 200 people, but we fit at least 500. A donkey came in front of the church carrying "Jesus;" Men crowned with branches then placed Him in the front of the church. The words that come to mind from this whole experience are AWE and APPRECIATION.

After mass I left for a birthday party - my friend Vicky was making fried guinea pig, cuy, for lunch. I figured I have been in Peru now for more than 3 months, it was about time I ate some famous Peruvian cuy. And you know, it wasn't that bad. Kinda like chicken, but more chewy, less meat. Everyone told me that it is the best meat I can eat because cuys have a great, clean diet - they only eat alfalfa. Well, usually it is served on a plate whole - head, feet, arms and all. Here I just got a leg.

More Jewelry

We held our second round of successful jewelry workshops this week. Here I am pictured in my office, where we hold our jewelry workshops, with the proud women and their complete jewelry sets. This time the facilitator Rosario gave the women a general example, but encouraged them to use their creativity to finish their earrings and bracelets. So it was as if we took another step in the teaching process, and instead of saying, "do as I do," the message was : "Create what you can and want to produce with the knowledge you have." The other part of the workshop that was very touching for me was to hear a story from a returning participant. She said that her and her daughter, after the first workshop, made another jewelry set at home and then sold it for 15 soles ($5) and her eyes just lit up when she told me. I think she was surprised that she could make that amount of money on a jewelry set. Her plan is to turn this knowledge into a family business. And let me tell you she has all of my blessings.

On a side note, when I went to the market last weekend I saw one of my women (2nd from right) selling limes. But, I didn't recognize her face, but I did recognize her earrings. She was wearing the earrings that we made in the previous workshop. I told her how beautiful she looked and kinda skipped out of the market that day, thinking... if nothing else this workshop gives the women a chance to make something special for themselves and treat themselves. That too is a much needed and powerful thing.

Cake everywhere

It was Soledad's B. day today, so we celebrated in the office in true Peruvian style. We took a little chunk of our morning to sing Happy Birthday and then put Soledad's face in the cake. But, let me back up. Vanessa and I went to go get the cake on the motorcycle. Now I have carried lots of different things on this motorcycle with Vanessa : 4 fruit cakes, a guitar, live animals...but this cake was definitely the hardest item to carry. It was decorated so elegantly and it was placed in an open box, so I am sad to say when it arrived at the office, a good chunk of it was on my coat. Despite the coat filled cake ride and Soledad's face in the cake, there was still plenty to go around when we actually sat down to eat it. My co-workers work so hard, and now that I have been here 3 months, it is so fun take a break and celebrate with them, after all, they deserve it.

What is up with these lunches?

My friend Kenny invited me to go out to lunch in the countryside. Sure, how far away? He said it was like an hour. That's fine, we'll be home by dark, right? Well we left at noon and drove THREE hours, almost to the coast, to go out to eat. The drive was beautiful as we curved through the mountains, but it definitely was not a short trip. It was more like a road trip actually. We had a great seafood lunch, but the 6 plus hours of curvy road, feeling nausea, and getting stuck in night mountain rainy traffic wasn't worth the lunch. Next time when he invites me to lunch I am going to recommend a place closer to home.

So then this week I go out to eat a "menu," which is a cheap (3 soles - $1) prepared hot lunch. So instead of going to a restaurant and ordering something specific on the menu, you order what ever it is that has been prepared (usually includes potatoes, rice and some kind of meat, and if you are lucky some green veggies). Well I ordered a Peas Mexican Style Plate and instead of some kind of Mexican food, I got a Chinese plate of food. It was good, but my mouth was watering for some mexican flavor. That is just how it is sometimes. Lunch doesn't always turn out to be what I imagine, but that is all part of the adventure.

Crazy, busy week

This past week was great, crazy busy. I was finally able to introduce the first literacy teacher to her group. It is a small group of 4 women that live out of the city. One of them has had some schooling past 1st grade, the others are illiterate and excited to learn. We filled out the paperwork that the Ministry of Education needs to give them materials. I still have to figure out about teacher materials, but Lily - the literacy teacher, is a dynamic person and I know she will make the classes work with whatever resources she has. She even told the women that they would be singing in her classes to help with their lessons. They all laughed. The women agree that they want to have classes twice a week and go all year long. I mentioned that we would focus on these first four months, evaluate and if they pass their literacy test - send them to the university! They laughed - but I think it is so important to give them the idea the world is full of possibilities, they just need to believe it and believe in themselves.

Pictured here is another literacy teacher, Lucia who is working with a group of 6 women in the countryside, and is prepping the paperwork so that the group can get materials.

I also met with a non-profit clinic that has given me a proposal to offer dentist, psychologist, and pap smear visits at a very reasonable price. But, even better is that they are offering preventative, health educational talks, or "charlas." The Director of the clinic is very concerned about health prevention in Cajamarca, and wants to do everything in her power to get information out to women. The price tag for all three visits is 20 soles - or $7. DHF will cover most of the cost, but ask the women to pay a small co-pay. I know all the women may not want to go to a clinic setting, but I feel like my job here is to create opportunities that women may not have had previously. According to many of the women, they have had a negative experiences with the public hospital and clinics. So, by providing an alternative health location I feel like it is a chance for women to have a different experience in a health care setting. Those that choose not to participate, that is fine. I'll keep looking for other opportunities to bring health care to them, outside of the normal health care setting.

Among all this planning, I feel like there are so many possibilities. So many possibilities, it keeps me from sleeping at night. Like a clown I have all these plates spinning and I am keeping them spinning while trying to stay sane.

No more beach

The mountain didn't fall down, so I was able to go to the beach and explore another part of Peru. But it wasn't all sunshine and happiness. Actually, much of it was, and I was constantly in the presence of kindness of strangers, but a string of things happened that made it a difficult trip. Where do I start? I went to Huanchaco beach (north of Trujillo - Peruvian northern coast) alone, with a good book (1,000 Splendid Son's - same author of the Kite Runner), so I was excited to be a peaceful zone, different world, away from reality. The problem with going to the beach alone is that there is no one to put sun block on your back. So there I was all day reading my heart wrenching book on Saturday. I got burnt. Bad. Not only my back, but my shins - have you ever heard of such a thing?



The next day I decided to take a beach sun break and go to Chan Chan - "oldest abode village in the world, dated pre-Inca times." It was a short 15 bus ride from the beach, and very desert like - so I escaped the beach, but not the sun and the heat. It was incredible and I met some great guys along the way. We went back to Huanchaco in the afternoon to have the "best ceviche ever" and some cold beers while overlooking the crashing waves. When we were done drinking and commenting on all the passerbyers we decided to take a walk along the beach. There was a red alert out because the waves were so big and powerful, but we were just going to dip our feet in, walk along the shore. As we were walking a huge wave came and knocked me down, covered me and left me like a washed up fish in the water. Not only did it leave me like a dead fish, but it left my camera and phone dead too. So I left the beach a little bruised and battered with malfunctioning electronics.

Monday I spent the day in the colonial city Trujillo, although I didn't get to see too much of the "colonial" part of it, as I was fighting with the immigration officials and trying to get my phone fixed. Well both ended in a positive note; I was granted two more months of stay in Peru (after spending a pretty penny) and bought a new phone that uses my old chip/same phone #. I spent part of the day with my friends that I had met the day before, but they turned out to be your "typical sketchy Latin men" type. The overnight bus ride back to Cajamarca was bumpy, loud, and the guy next to me had no idea of personal space. I arrived in Cajamarca without a wink of sleep at 5am this morning and with some lingering ocean water in my ear. Needless to say, I am happy to be back in cold, rainy, mountain country where my Peruvian family helps me apply aloe to my back and I have clean clothes and can escape from sketchy people by coming back to the comfort of my home.

Really though I was in constant contact with amazing people. I sat next to a friendly 20 something yr. old girl on my bus ride to Trujillo who offered to help me get to Huanchaco safely. Then I met a nice gentleman on my Trujillo-Huanchaco bus ride who helped me find my hotel and gave me some good local tips on getting around. My sketchy friends were really great sudo tour guides in Chan Chan, and really great people in general - just took the turn of saying things like, "you are so beautiful, I want to steal your eyes," etc... I met some fun Peace Corps volunteers that gave me some inside scoop on PC in Peru (FYI Guatemala PC is better). And on my ride back to Trujillo on Monday, when the bus man wanted to charge me more than the locals, a nice old man paid the difference so that I wouldn't have to pay more. These kind of experiences happen when you travel, but I feel like when I travel alone, the kindness of stranger doors just fly open. Thanks be for that.