Now before everyone starts to quejar (complain) that I haven't written in a while... please, just see the title of my last blog... times were a-changin! I left my site of Shilla after two years, I had a wonderful month in August back in Ventura, and now am finally settling in to my new trabajo and living in Huaraz! The big city, hombre. If New York is The Big Apple... I guess Huaraz would be... The Big Cuy? 100,000 people. Movin' on up.
Now. No voy a mentir. It's taking some adjusting. I miss my campo lifestyle much more than I thought. Don't get me wrong! I love my daily (if I want to) hot showers, gym membership (yay for latin dance classes!), opportunity to eat what I want (if only I knew how to cook!), wi-fi in my room (skype 24/7 = more Matwee time) and new apartment (teal and yellow walls = awesomeness)... but I miss my host familia like crazy as well as my host mom's usually awesome cooking, going to recoger the burro with Floricta, reading to Itzel, Shilla's lifestyle, the kids and just plain living in an adobe house like it was nobody's business. One of my favorite pastimes was ducking in and out of my little door to my house and seeing the surprised faces of passing vehicles of peruvians and gringo tourists to see a tall white girl living there. Sigh. The little things. Now I'm clean, my hair is more manageable, my socios (the professionals I work with) have RPM (which means we can communicate for free via phone) and hey! I'm actually doing work! Looky there. In the last month I have been more productive than the last two years put together :) No joke. It's only a slight exaggeration. Slight. I like what I'm doing and I'm busy. Busy. Busy. Just being here for a month and a half as PCVL in Huaraz has given me a whole new perspective and respect for what other peacecordians are doing in their little pueblos (and what I did). If volunteers are truly living in there site, are present and making friends... then, hats off to them! It's a whole different kind of hard out there in the little mountain towns that I didn't truly understand until I came out of it.
Anywho. I wanted to take this opportunity to relay the list of things that I've learned now from living the city life since September 1st.
1. Don't pack a powdery white substance (in my case... pancake mix) in your luggage in a plastic tupperware. That can look a little sketch.
2. Do learn how to cook. I can only eat so many quesadillas.
3. You will continue to get dangerously ill in the city. Don't let Huaraz fool you... you're still in Ancash.
4. Re-learn how to use the internet. There are so many other things you can do/look up/read besides Facebook! The news exists!
5. The teens in a city are slightly different. i.e. The girls don't cover their mouths out of embarrassment when they talk and they like to contribute ideas! And the boys can still be little jerks.
6. The mamas I work with still appreciate Quechua.
7. Have friends over all the time. They sometimes cook for you! Invest in a colchoneta (little mattress).
8. Ask yourself "Why am I doing the Great Amazon River Raft race again?" BEFORE you go.
9. Decorate.
10. Appreciate being close to the mail box. Packages and letters and fun things... candy corn, cards from 1998, etc.
11. All birthdays should be celebrated by eating cuy.
I made the cake on the left. She only turns 5 once right? :)
I spend my evenings skyping Matwee. :)
There you have it! Just some things I felt the need to mention. Stay classy, San Diego. Thanks for stopping by.
ABRAZOS,
Em
That's awesome that you were able to stay in Peru! It does sound like a major change, though...good luck adjusting!
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