Cheesy Independence Day Occurrences

Just as you all were celebrating Independence Day earlier this month, it was our turn in Peru. However, unlike in the U.S. where we take one day (or a long weekend if you are lucky), in Peru you take the whole week. This month has just been one long-hard-to-get-women-to-class month. The transportation strikes didn't help. The week long holiday didn't help either.

Monday we held our last class of the month and made plastic swans. Attendance was low, due to the Independence Day festivities. But, the women that came had a great time. Plastic swans, I know, it sounds a little cheesy. Cheesy sells here in Peru. These swans are a hit at parties. I had a number of women tell me that they are going to make more for their friends and families, including for a wedding coming up in August.

On the topic of cheesy (sorry, I get this humor from my Dad) and Independence Day, Hugo and I went to the 'country' fair yesterday. Hugo was participating in a cheese sculpture contest, the first of it's kind in Cajamarca. It reminded me of summer Minnesota state fair days when you go into the dairy barn and see butter sculptures of the Dairy Queens. So on that note I wish you all reminders of wonderful memories where ever your summer days make take you, however cheesy they may be.

Art Show

Hugo had an art show this past weekend. Together with his art school counterparts they put together a pretty good show. Before the show we had chocolate cake to celebrate (see mom and son photo!) There was a variety of art in the expo, but Hugo's paintings were by far the most provocative. He dives into social issues when he paints - Why does sex sell? Prostitution, Women and the Media. I think it left a lot of people confused and maybe a little taken back. Hugo was disappointed because no one commented, critiqued, or even wondered about the meaning of his paintings. As an artist he wants feedback. Cajamarca is still a very closed culture in terms of talking about taboo social issues. I love that Hugo walks alone in his art. Someone has to do it.

Probably the funniest thing for me during the art show was when an older gentleman tried to put Hugo's slanted painting straight. I kindly told him, "No the painting is suppose to be turned like this." Oh. And he walked away.

New Class, New Cut

Just a little peek into a new class that DiscoverHope offered yesterday: Cosmetology. I never would have thought in my life that I would organize cosmetology classes. Women asked for it and they got it. This month was the trial run for cosmetology course - starting with Hair Cuts - the most basic and the most difficult. Rosa, a loan recipient from the village bank Virgen de Guadalupe, was our teacher and had told me that most people have a fear of putting scissors to another person's hair. That was not the case yesterday. Our women were cutting away, laughing and examining one another's cuts. The motive for a lot of women to come to this course is based on the idea of saving money. "Instead of having someone else cut my daughter's hair or style it for a special event in school (which happens frequently here in Peru), I want to learn and save money."

We will have another Hair cutting course the first week in August, where we will all squeeze into Rosa's little salon again and practice, practice the details of the cut. After that, the sky is the limit. Colors, waves, hair do's, nails. I'll keep you posted on the new styles to come.

Scarves not Strikes

The transportation strike update is good. The strike is over. It ended on Tuesday night (earlier than what the rumors have indicated) - which means we have been able to continue with life as normal. That means having a full class yesterday. Here you can see I am modeling the scarf that our class participants learned how to crochet yesterday. It was a popular design that our women seemed to fall in love with right away. Our teacher Carmen suggested selling the scarf for 20 soles(= $7) together with a hat. Our women seemed to think this was a lot of money; but Carmen reminded them a lot of work goes into this model. Plus, it is a unique model to Cajamarca. I tried my hands at the crochet technique and failed miserably. But, since I now know 17 women that can make the same model for me I can just buy a beautiful scarf from one of them.

Transportation Strike

Work just got more difficult this week. There is a national transportation strike that is rumored to go on all week. Yesterday and today there was no public transportation. That is how our women get everywhere; that is how I get everywhere. The prices of taxis have gone sky high and make it close to impossible for some of our women to come to classes. I happened to plan 4 classes this week, one of which was cancelled yesterday. How convenient! Amazingly, 8 women and their kids came to our chocolate making class today. They came from far and wide.

Tomorrow when I look out my window and see no minivans or combis and only mototaxis the rumor will come true of the extended strike. It has been like a pilgrimage everyday. I see groups of women, men, children walking down the highway because there is no transportation. From the little bit I understand the strike is going on because of changes in the law that do not favor folks that live off of public transportation (for example, a new law states that you can not have standing passengers in your bus or combi, which is an everyday phenomenon here). Will keep you posted, that is after I make my pilgrimage to the office tomorrow.

Living in a Construction Site

So folks, the wedding site is under construction. It has been for awhile now and I am waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel. There is cement, pieces of scrap wood, and random saws in our front lawn. The chickens don't seem to mind, but I do. Hugo and his mom keep telling me everything will be done by December, but why does the pessimistic side of me come out and say, "Really? Are you sure?"
The construction in our apartment is done, but the construction workers are working on the first floor apartment below us. And the house next door to us, where we will have the post ceremony party still needs a (dance) floor and some kitchen work and a paint job. Not that much really. Right?

We planted some beautiful flowers yesterday in hopes of having a colorful garden surround us during the ceremony. I am on active flower duty to make sure the construction workers don't collide with our newly planted flowers.

The education behind the project

On Friday I went out with Tula to visit her and one of our groups during one of their educational sessions. The four groups that are participating in this health initiative gather every other week to learn about a new health topic related to improvements that each family can make in their houses to ultimately better their health. The educational session this past week was on Respiratory Infections - how to prevent and cure them - and one of the main factors helping the family do exactly this is the construction of better mud stoves to eliminate smoke in the kitchen. The session was held in Santos' house. The group of about 10 mother's and daughters gathered in her dark living room while Tula prepared a 'movie' that was broadcast through her laptop. Tula was very interactive and informative with our women. They asked questions, responded to her answers and in the end learned a thing or two about respiratory infections. Each family made a promise to work on 1 specific action to prevent infections in their family members; for example, provide more ventilation in their house to air out their "germs and bacterias" or to cover their mouth with their arm and not their hand. Simple things.

About mid way through the session the women had a difficult time hearing Tula speak because the construction workers entered into Santo's kitchen to work on her stove. It was great that they were there to make some progress, it just happened to be bad timing for the educational session. Regardless, everyone walked away from the session with their health homework and new information about the health of their family members.

Santos is pictured here in her kitchen while the construction workers make some advances on her stove.