there's supposed to be 17,000 ppl in this community, but i don't see them. instead, i met everyone in the municipalidad, i met girls and boys in the schools, a priest, an artisan, a baker, and more, all with the volunteer who will be leaving this site.
thank god.
had this guy not been around, i'm pretty sure i would have sat in a corner, staring off into space. predominately because that is precisely what i did when he wasn't around...
i really need to get this language thing under wraps. also, i need to not have this head cold that is now developing into a rasping cough.
i think i'm getting the black lung, pop.
it's difficult enough trying to intently stare at a person who's speaking to me in rapid, partially mumbled spanish without my ears going slight deaf and having interrupting coughing fits.
anyway, i have a feeling that i will be heading to trujillo whenever i can, to meet up with other volunteers and to do volunteer things (like discuss how i can work with another volunteer who is fairly close to my site, so that we can do some cross city activities with our students. that would be fun, eh? i wonder how a pen pal thing could work. i love pen pals. are you my pen pal yet? cause you should be). not only volunteer things, but also things just for me. like take up surfing. but before that, learning how to swim in the ocean. and even before that, buying a wet suit so i don't partially freeze to death and die as a popsicle.
speaking of death, sadly there was a terrible terrible car accident in my community the day before i left. the taxi and cars around here drive like maniacs. it's a game of chance every time you get into a car, and sadly this driver lost. from what i can tell, apparently the driver tried to pass the car in front of him but didn't see the oncoming bus (he was trying to pass them on a curve). by the time he noticed it and tried to swerve back, the bus slammed into the back part of the car and basically crushed it like a can of soda. three girls who attended the private school that is just a block from my new home were killed instantly. i believe there were two boys and the driver who are, as of yet, in critical condition.
i saw the wreck of the car and the bus, as they were both taken to the police station that is also about a block away from me. the wreckage left no doubt in my mind that those children had died upon impact, so at least they had not been in much pain. i said a prayer for the children and their families, and a prayer for the driver. if he lives through this, he'll most likely have to move immediately. the hate this community feels towards those who harm their children is almost tangible.
the next morning, i left and passed the flags at half mast in front of the municipality. i hoped that by the time i returned to my community, in a week, the sadness that laid heavily on the community would slowly be lifted as the ppl came together for these families.
when i got back to my house in lima, even my family had heard about the accident and had been super worried because they knew i was in the area. but no, i was well. i AM well and despite the tragedy, am super excited to start working.
which reminds me: i need to write a solicitude to paint a mural of the WOOOOORRRLLDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD! my first plan is to talk to the different schools, discussing with the kids if it would be possible to paint a world map somewhere. i need to talk to the municipality to figure out just WHERE i can paint this mural. i need to talk to a painter guy to see if he can help with all of this. and i need to talk to someone about finding a grant for all the paint we will be using.
if no grant, though, i'll probs just buy all the paint myself. i need to buy a lot of things, actually. like a bed. and a dresser drawer. and if i can save up some money, a projector! there doesn't seem to be a lot to do in san pedro, and rather than having the kids run around like hoodrats, i think it'd be fun to plan some things to do on the weekends. like movie nights, or small dances or something. if you have any ideas, throw em at me. i will also probably be teaching english, but more like a tutor. which means, i won't be teaching silly things like grammar and conjugation. i just figure, at some point they'll pick it up. i'm gonna teach em fun stuff, like slang and small conversational things. we'll see how that goes. maybe i'll teach a lil bit of korea too, even if my korean is the suck.
ahhhh, but i guess i should focus on the community diagnostic that needs to be completed after the first 3 months. i also need to do one for my time in training, plus write a 6 page paper for class. all of this is in spanish.
ay, lo molesto...
soon, though, i shall be an official volunteer! swearing in is this friday o.o
until then, my wonderful friends,
peace.
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