Bienvenida A Mi Nueva Casa: Cold Showers, FBT, Site Assignment

It has been some time since my last post and the truth is that so much is going on with very little down time for writing and very little Internet access for posting. My apologies. I promise, though maybe I shouldn't depending on how my Internet connection will be, that in about a month I'll start posting so frequently the ideas will become repetitive. Mid-August is when I move to my site, my home for the next two years. When work really begins while downtime simultaneously increases in abundance. But I am getting ahead of myself. As you can imagine, much has happened in the last number of weeks. I am here to tell you about some of the interesting, and even odd things I have experienced thus far in Peru. I also apologize in advance. We are all experiencing this lovely phenomenon where the more Castillo we acquire, the less English we can think/speak/write. Now many of us can barely communicate at all with a limited Spanish vocabulary and our first language slipping through our fingers. C'est la vie.

Ah! Donde esta el agua caliente?
The lovely cold shower. Luckily until this incident we have had hot water in our shower thanks to this nifty mechanical box on the shower wall. That is when we have access to water, which is usually between 6:00am and 10:00pm every day. Still, thi sis more luxury than I had anticipated. Entonces, one day I tried showering after having gone a few days (I promise you don't want to know - the dirty hippie rumors are definitely true for some of us here, myself included. I simply argue that I'm preparing myself for what may be to come). I stepped in after trying to let the water heat up. It never did. 'Tough shit,' I told myself, 'You waited this long to wash your hair. It is time.' I washed one part of myself and then another hoping that at least for my hair the red light on the mechanical heater would kick on. It didn't. I have to tell you, this water was so cold that it literally was stinging my scalp with every drop. My head felt like it was being targeted by a paintball squad of angsty teenagers with something to prove. The craziest part is that I am currently coastal and the idea of having to bathe in mountain runoff water in a month may keep me up at night. Thank you Solar Shower[insert trademark here]! *Fingers crossed*

Dat FBT Do
My program, Desarrollo Juvenil, sent half of us to tour current volunteer's sites, talk with them, and host charlas (teaching sessions) in la sierra in the department of Ancash. The other half did the same in another department on the cosat called Lambayeque. This lovely experienced is called Field Based Training (FBT).

I was sent to the beyond beautiful department (deparmento=state in Peru) of Ancash (see photos below) for one week with 12 other trainees. Before leaving, our itinerary seemed really intense and daunting. I will say that some days did feel a bit lengthy and as jam-packed as the schedule said, but it was wonderful leaving the training center for a change of pace and scenery. I really enjoyed getting to see people's homes, their projects, and acquiring a better sense of where I could fit in. Hard days are sure to come, but right now I feel I am where I should be.

FBT definintely finalized that I want to live in la sierra. After being in Ancash for only one day, I already felt more clear-headed, healthier (the decrease in smog helps), and more content. The days were pretty busy at the start, but as the week progressed we were less overwhelmed with the experience and/or things to do. Of course, Friday came around and I suddenly didn't feel great. 'Could I be experiencing altitude sickness for the first time? Yo no se.' Such was the Spanglish conversation I had with myself while laying in my hostel bed on a firm mattress with a lumpy pillow. Turns out I had a bacterial infection and was put on the ever-dependable Cipro after three days of body aches, chills, fever, and finally my first encounter with bouts of diarrhea. Yay! My buddy Cipro cleared me up not three days later.

I think I was most bumped that I was stuck in bed in the hostel while everyone else got to work with a volunteer's photography club doing a photo-taking scavenger hunt. The fact that such a thing could be a potential project made me so elated I almost rallied to participate that day. I wanted so badly to talk with the volunteer about how the logistics of the program because I am incredibly intrigued and hopeful to start something similar in my site. In addition to this group/project, I would love to hold an exercise/yoga group as a side project, potentially work to build up a school library, create a woman's/mother's group, host a 'summer school' program, and a bit of sex education. Some of these are on the mandatory side, others are simply of my interest for now without knowing what is needed in my community. It all sounds like more than it probably will be, but I am excited!

Ancash :)

Oh you know, just the view from a volunteer's house in Ancash. And John playing with her host cousin.

Drum Roll Please...
I found out my site last week. I had a final interview with the director of our program, Desarrollo Juvenil, on Monday and our sites were announced last Wednesday. I am headed to the land of green rolling mountains, leche, y personas amables (nice people). Looks like I am stuck living in the positively gorgeous department of Cajamarca for two years. Even better, I have been paired to live with my wonderful friend de Houston tambien, Brooklynn! That's right. We're sitemates. I can't believe we will be in such a beautiful place...together! We are headed off for our site visit for a week in a few more weeks and then wrapping up things here and headed out for good. I have been talking with my current host family and I am truly sad to leave them. We are all looking forward to when I come back to visit - hopefully my family de los Estados Unidos can drop by here with me for some cebiche since we will be in the area initially. My host family is insistent! I absolutely adore them. They are such beautiful, generous, helpful, and patient people. I am happy to have this connection here and am excited to meet my family in Cajamarca soon enough! La sierra awaits!