day 93: a day of remembrance

On this day, 10 years ago, the Twin Towers and the lives of many came crashing down. The people of the United States found themselves united under tragedy, and we are still picking up the pieces today. Sadly, this unity has also resulted in a number of unwarranted fears and racist ideas as people frantically found a scapegoat that could provide an outlet for anxiety. Still, we march, hopefully forward, remembering the lives that were lost, the lives that were saved, and the brave men and women who put their own lives on the line to save those in need.

I just wanted to take a moment to remember what happened on September 11, 2001, because being in Perú means that many times, I'm very disconnected with what's happening back in the states. Still, I remember how horrible this day was, and how proud I am today to be a U.S. citizen. I only hope that from tragedy, we gain knowledge and understanding that transcends fear and hate. As a Peace Corps volunteer, one of my duties is intercultural exchange- to share with my site, the culture of the U.S. and to share with the states, the culture of Perú. Both are amazing and wonderful and rich in their own ways, and both have ideas about the other that are at times, spot on, faulty, and/or absolutely wrong.

So it's kind of a blast when I get to just chill out with some of the kids I know from around the area, and we get to talk about nothing. I'm not there to educate, I'm not there to explain myself, I'm there to just BE. Once you realize that people are people, it doesn't matter the culture or the location, that the same things make you laugh, the same things fill you with fear or shame, well... at that point, you sort of just accept it all.

Yesterday, I had lunch with a bunch of youth. Some were from my site, others were not. I knew most of them and was introduced to those I did not. We went shopping for ingredients with one of the girl's mom and returned ready to cook. Two girls and I went back to my house to boil and peels potatoes for a plate called "huancaina" which is a bed of lettuce, potatoes, an egg and a type of spicy, creamy sauce.

After that, we went back to the house doing the main dish (chicken and noodles) and ate tons and tons and TONS of food!

Unfortunately, one kid dropped a plate of his food. The culprit is the kid in purple. The hand is my sister's, who got cut while trying to pick up the pieces... such is life.

So it was just one of those days. I had a youth group afterwards with kids from the church, and I'm going to be doing the world map project with them. Turns out, their geography is super weak and they couldn't tell me where Canada or China were. Many pointed to the United States and asked me if that was India. This is  a problem that I can help with! I asked them to bring some friends, because I want to change this religious group to a social group. This projects means I'm going to be writing solicitudes to the municipality and calling on some art professors to get involved and help me out, so that'll be interesting. 

I have yet to start, however, on my community diagnostic. Week 4 is rearing to start, which means i have about 2 months to collect information and write it all up. I really do want to do a survey with all the kids and their parents in the schools, but I have yet figured out how to get into a few of the colegios around here. Usually I need a connection on the inside, because last time I went to one of the schools, I was told to write up a solicitude asking to speak with the director. Unfortunately, my brain got up on its high horse and went, "sorry, I'm not here to ask you to help me. I was just wondering if you wanted my expertise but it seems like you don't so I'm gonna go and work with all these other schools that want me involved instead. K thnx baii."

Gotta fix my attitude, I suppose. 

In other news, I was just in my first parade today! It's nothing much, a lot of volunteers get asked to walk in parades, go on radio or local t.v. shows and the like because we're new and u.s.american. I was asked to walk and my immediate response was, "ah! no no no no nooooo, I'm sorry, I really can't! There are hundreds of people watching this, plus at least 5 different local t.v. channels out there filming." Then I was asked again by about 4 other people, who proceeded to get my sister and her friends involved, which meant I caved like a new born's soft spot. Sorry, that joke was in pretty poor taste but the first thing that popped into my head...

So what was I marching for? Promoción 1978. I'm not entirely sure what a promoción is, but  they were dressed in either camouflage or a black shirt with a bright yellow jolly roger (except with a sword instead of bones going through it) on it. So either they're military... or pirates. 

They gave me a green shirt and then asked if it would be alright if they painted my face. 

"Just a little bit," they said. I responded, "if you're going to paint my face, you might as well paint all of it" to the cheers of everyone in the drinking circle. One of the men took out a circular can and proceeded to draw lines down my face. This circular can appears to be shoe polish. Did I just put shoe polish on my face?? Twenty minutes later, it stings. Yes, I definitely let them paint shoe polish on my face. 

Still, I had a blast and considering a number of people in this town now know me, including the alcalde, marching down the short way to their smiles and cheers was totally worth it! Afterwards, I returned to the restaurant to wash off the paint and was gifted the following: that shirt I'm wearing in the photo, a Pilsen (peruvian beer brand) hat, and a really pretty necklace made of rocks, which I was told was kind of expensive, good luck, and representative of a lot of different cultures and traditions that exist in Perú. I didn't at first understand that they were gifts, until I was told repeatedly that I must keep them and remember all of them, and that if I ever wanted to know more about this town, I shouldn't hesitate to call them up and say hello! The entire time I kept trying to say, "I can't accept this! It's too much!" but couldn't quite figure out how to portray it all and rephrase it, and ended up just saying thank you a whole bunch of times... So yea, I'll probably be wearing that necklace for as long as possible...

So yea, I started off kind of seriously and ended kind of ridiculously, but it is what it is! Thanks for reading all of that update on my life :P Keep writing me letters! I'm using them as wall decorations and so far, I have 3 beautiful, wonderful, smile inducing letters from the states adorning my wall. I miss all of you tons! Here's to having been in Perú for 3 months, and only having a little over 23 left <3 

Con cariño,

amor y paz <3