Showcase

Just a little short note that I have proof, not visual proof, but take my word - women have used their new found knowledge of pinateria and balloon decorating this past weekend. I went to a 15th Birthday party for a daughter of one of our loan recipients this past weekend and she had the cement hall lined with balloon arcs. One of the arc wasn't perfectly made, but you got the idea. There was also cake (recipes from our bakery class) and appetizers (from our classes last year). I felt like I was walking into a DiscoverHope Fund showcase of class work.

The Birthday party was more like a wedding celebration - the birthday girl came down the isle in a huge princess dress and received 15 roses as she approached her alter, while simultaneously blowing out 15 candles that her girlfriends were holding. Before approaching the alter the elegant clown on stilts that accompanied her broke a pink bell that showered the poor girl in little plastic pink balls (not sure what that signifies). At the alter she gave away a baby doll to a younger cousin, signifying her goodbye to childhood. Her father changed her shoes and put on these silver delicate high heels, also representing her path into adulthood. She gave a speech, there was a long toast and many important dances that followed. I didn't stay for the midnight dinner, but I imagine the party went to sunrise, as they usually do here.

Long story short - I was able to see the fruits of our labor on Saturday night and it was a pretty good showcase.

Work and Tea

It has been a busy, crazy week with classes, meetings, activities and on top of that headaches with my new apartment that is out in the countryside - one day there was no water, the next my cooking gas ran out and that night I found myself running after the motorcycle gas guy with my flashlight so he would find my house. The little things make for a full week.

But instead of writing about apartment issues, or new classes, I had this cultural exchange this week that was so surprising and funny. Our fourth leadership workshop was held this past Thursday. We talked about Vision. It was a great session - and I thought to make it even more great I will offer the women some fruit tea from Minnesota and crackers while they work on their personal vision homework. We were mid-way through the session when I served the tea and crackers. As soon as cups were on the table, everyone put their pens and pencils down. Instead of motivating the women to do more work (while snacking), their work took a complete stand still. "We can't work and eat at the same time," were Aida's exact words.
As a die hard American I was ready to push them to continue, but thought, you have a point. Let's enjoy our tea.

When we finished our tea, we started again on our vision homework, not multiple tasking by any means. I have learned my lesson - don't mix tea and work in Peru.

Moving Day

Hugo and I are in the new apartment. Or maybe I should say, "Gallery." We moved everything we both own into a big truck, hauled it across the city, and paid a guy $8 to put tables, desks, suitcase on his back and take it up to our place. Before the furniture was in place, Hugo had placed his paintings strategically on the walls so that when we turn the lights on, the first thing you see is his paintings.

Hugo's mom called me at 6:30 am on Saturday, "are you up, the truck is on it's way." Well, I got up. We put everything downstairs in my patio and then waited for the truck. Once everything was securely tied in we made our way to the other side of the city. We unloaded our belonging on this patch of grass a little ways from the house and started hauling. A cow managed to place itself right in our path and use the path as a bathroom. This made for difficult maneuverings while carrying tables, chairs, etc...

Once things were inside the apartment we were cleanings, unpacking and organizing. Our first night we didn't have water, but yesterday the water came back. Nice homecoming? Things are more or less in place, we have to make sofa covers and get gas for our stove, but it is turning into a nice little countryside art pad. Are you all coming to the open house next month?

Long Division!

I am swimming in amazement and pride. Seriously. I went to visit one of our literacy groups this afternoon and they were working on long division! and writing official documents! (I just recently learned how to do that in Spanish). This group was only forming sentences last year. Truly, they have been working very hard. I definitely give credit to the 5 students that show up twice a week, do their homework and practice their new skills. But, I also give credit to Lily, their literacy teacher, who is amazing. She prepares every class with challenging, yet fun, activities that really engage the students. Our women often joke with Lily, but at the end of the day, she gets her job done. This month our two literacy circles will have completed 3 months of continued literacy classes and our verbal agreement was to test the women at 3 months, evaluate progress and assess commitment level to continue for another 3 months. My guess is that this group is going to want to continue.

On a personal note, this is moving weekend for Hugo and I. How stressful the process is. We don't have a truck to take us, but we will go early in the morning and look for one in the designated truck renting spot. Stay tuned for new apartment news!

Fun with Chocolate and Balloons

This week has been all fun for the loan recipients. We offered a Chocolate Making (and filling) course and a Pinateria (working with balloon decorations) course. Both of these courses offer the women an opportunity to learn something new where they can form a small business from their new skills. Apart from generating more income, women can also save money with these new skills. One of our participants is celebrating her daughter's 15th birthday (Quinceanera - the biggest birthday party in a young girl's life here in Peru) this Saturday. Instead of spending between $40-80 on decorations for her party, this loan recipient can do it herself. Furthermore, she can make the chocolates for the party too, since she came to both courses this week!

We definitely had kiddos hanging around the classes this week. For our chocolate making class the kiddos helped us clean the spoons and bowls. During our Pinateria class the kiddos wanted to take the flower balloons home. Since we still have another class today, our balloon garden will blossom for the afternoon and then we will 'cut' the flowers and let the kiddos go home happy with their flower balloons.

Butterflys in Business

Today is Corpus Christi, a holiday that no one told me about - until just recently on Monday. I thankfully only had to reschedule one activity, our leadership workshop, that was scheduled for tomorrow. The past two days we didn't have to cancel any classes - actually we had a record number of women at our class - 25! DHF held a Earring Holder class - very HOT right now, everyone is making them, selling them, buying them. Our women love making jewelry and this is a natural skill for them to learn how to make earring holders; a presentable and decorated butterfly that holds their jewelry creations. Many of our women sell jewelry from their homes or little tiendas. If they have a better presentation of their jewelry, we can only hope that sales go up. The women and their daughters loved this activity - it was a hit! I hope their butterflys translate to improved presentation and sales.

House Health Tour

So I am in my almost full swing of work here in Cajamarca. It feels good to return and jump into a moving schedule instead of a empty week. It was a lot of work to set up classes for this month before I left in May, but I organized the schedule to continue as if I wasn't even gone, which makes things easier on this end.

On Saturday I went with our health partners GyC to take 20 of our families on a House Health tour. The families that are participating in our health project were invited to visit families that participated in a similar project that recently ended in March. You could call it an interchange of ideas (which sounds better when you say it in Spanish). We had families of the previous project share with families in the current project their experiences with the changes/improvements that were made in their houses including; the new mud and brick stove, organizing their kitchen items, seperating parent and children's bedrooms and creating animal cages. Good stuff that makes for a healthier household.

We visited 7 families homes. Inbetween the visits we ate bananas, drank IncaKola (the bubble gum soda drink of choice here in Peru) and talked about how beautiful, clean and organized the houses were that we visited.

Just as we wove our way up the mountain, we wove our way back down. The roads we took were made for smaller vehicles, but our driver managed to transport us through the endless curves and bumps just fine. It definitely made my heart skip a beat as we curved around the mountain and on each turn the mountain seem to drop off just a little more.

Safely we arrived back to Cajamarca for lunch time. The women enjoyed their 3 course meal that was prepared for us at a little restaurant. Hungry and Happy. I could tell the women were motivated to take the new ideas, exchanges, and motivation back to their houses. I hope to visit some of their houses this month to see what kind of motivation turns into action.

The Home tour left me exhausted. But not so exhausted that Hugo and I couldn't work on our apartment or that I couldn't go to visit some hot springs on Sunday. Little time for rest this weekend, but that is fine, I need to get back into the groove somehow.

The other universe

I have arrived safe and sound and tired to my home in Cajamarca. It feels familiar, yet distance still. I still have thoughts of Minnesota running through my head. I am missing the full fridge, the perfect weather, my bike, my family, English, toilet seat covers (toilets in Peru don't have seat covers), lazy mornings, the endless food choices. Oh.

But, when I saw Hugo in the airport parking lot I knew I was home. His embrace was my security and my heart was comforted in peace and an enormous wave of love. I forgot all the trials of my travels.

It was a really difficult trip back to Peru. This is what was going through my head at 3am in the Lima airport that somehow made it onto my computer:

Who would think one could be so lonely in an airport full of people? I remember being so comforted in the presence of only myself. My leaving MN was harder than I thought. When am I going to come back here? Will it be more than a year? That will be my longest time away. A tear. I love Hugo and I can’t live without him, but I can’t live without my first home either. I am a women inbetween 2 worlds. I am stuck in this weird universe here in the airport and I am not in either of those worlds.

I have done circles here, my head is spinning from starring at the circular round tables, the sterile walls, the other tired passengers sharing my alternative universe with me until we all enter into the universe we are waiting for.

This indeed has felt like the longest day of my life. My red overweight carryon has been my shadow all day. To get coffee, to the small little bathroom stall, to the internet cabin, and to get more coffee. I have done more than my fair share of laps in this small, circular airport. I look at the clock on the wall – no movement, did someone turn it off? Are the batteries low?

Thank goodness I can put that behind me and be in here in Cajamarca for awhile. Those of you that are interested in the yellow apartment update: it is Gorgeous! Beautiful! Hugo put in the second floor, windows, circular staircase, light fixtures (strategically placed to show off his paintings), and kitchen sink. And the living room yellow walls are now accompanied by alternating dark wine red walls. I will try to post some pictures this weekened. Gorgeous (did I say that already?) !

Almost to Cajamarca

This is just a short entry, although I have plenty of time. Travels, oh the adventures of traveling. I am now in the Southern Hemisphere.

Welcome back to Peru. Last night I entertained myself by watching the welcome video Peruvians show you as you weave back and forth while waiting for your turn in the immigration line. One of the tourist recommendations was to avoid getting into taxis if the taxi driver is shouting-yelling at you to use his service. I thought, I am in Peru. Then I thought, Thank Goodness, I am leaving in the morning so I don´t need to worry about taxi drivers shouting at me.

Well, it is the morning and I am not leaving for Cajamarca quite yet. I am currently living in the Tom Hanks world - the world where he gets stuck in an airport. My arrival into Lima last night happened only after a long delayed flight. I was exhausted, but anxious to get on my Cajamarca flight early this morning, so I rallied all night pounding away at my laptop with some past months DHF documents and catching up on the podcasts I still hadn´t listened to. When I went to check in this morning I had a little surprise at the check-in counter. Your flight isn´t leaving until 3pm today. They gave me a breakfast voucher, but what I really want is a bed. Any bed, really.

Good news is that I will be in Cajamarca today. Not-so- good news: it is taking a really long time.

Welcome back to the Peru adventures folks!