So, I have been here for about a month and my Spanish is definitely getting better. I mostly speak Spanish at my house, with the exception of one of my host mother’s brothers who is in love with Dolly Parton (he carries a cassette tape player with him everywhere), and really wants to practice English with me! The Spanish here did take some getting used to though. They put an affectionate ending “cita” on everything. So agua (water) becomes aguita, and I am always Katicita! I have heard it termed “cutesy Spanish”
And this is certainly an affectionate culture! When you enter a room you give a kiss on the cheek to everyone there. And even if you leave 5min later, you go around the table and give kisses again! It makes you feel like part of the family right away.
A red plastic bag hanging on a stick outside a house or store means that they sell chicha, the local corn beer. You see them all over town.
I can walk the entire length of Urubamba in about 40 min, but when I don’t feel like walking, I get around town in motto-taxis. They cost 1nuevo sol per ride which is about 30¢. Pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way here, and these little vehicles fly down the streets as fast as they can. Even going down side streets, they just blare their horns to let people know they are coming but never slow down! No collisions yet…fingers crossed!
I have gotten a lot better at it now, but at the beginning I always had a hard time remembering not to throw the toilet paper in the toilet…I had no idea how much of a reflex that is!
I think the weirdest cultural difference I have encountered is that people here rarely drink anything with meals. They might have a small glass of coke or refresco after lunch, but I am always the odd man out when I bring my water bottle to the table!
Well, I definitely don’t have the iron stomach that I was hoping for. I’ve gotten sick twice, both times from eating food from the more rural communities we go into, but I know that is going to be part of living and working abroad. For lunch, we always have a soup to start, and then a second plate. Lots and lots of potatoes here, and usually some meat. I didn’t think that I would encounter guinea pig too often here, as it is saved for special occasions, but the problem is that I have had four special occasions this past month! This last time I actually got an entire guinea pig, and had to eat it all with my hands! I tried to clean my plate, but man swallowing the insides is a little hard to stomach, ha-ha, and my digestion definitely did not appreciate it! I think I might be able to go on the show “Fear Factor” now!
Sheep, Pigs, and Bulls, OH MY! Instead of counting billboards on car rides, here, you can count the number of livestock you see on the side of the road. Maybe it’s because I am not really a country girl, but when I see little kids chasing after their bull down the side of the main highway, or when a heard of sheep crossing the road causes traffic to stop, I always laugh out loud!
Here are two links to photos on my facebook page. I added some new ones to the first album, and then there is a new album too! All you should have to do is click on them, but if that doesn’t work, cut and paste the link! Sending everyone lots of love and big hugs! I’ll post again on what I have been doing these past few weeks and on the big Easter festivities that we have here!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2089392&id=24500893&l=4f058b8a4e
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2092097&id=24500893&l=28a953b361
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Water Project
Sorry for missing a blog post last week. Everything was pretty busy, and it is easy to forget when I haven’t checked the internet in a few days. But last week I learned the first few steps in building the water filters. The filters look like really big flowerpots. We buy the barrow (not the same barrow that I work with for stoves…I stay a lot cleaner on filter daysJ) from Cusco, and first have to break up all the clumps and make thick smooth balls. It is actually a lot harder than it sounds…I guess it is like kneading bread dough, but it takes a while to make the balls smooth and ready to press. This step is really important because if there is even one small rock in the barrow, it might cause the whole filter to break. The father of a ProPeru staffer actually made the huge press that we use. My boss Mercedes is usually pretty good at slyly sneaking away to sift the sawdust when it’s time to press, and I jokingly say that I am off to the gym! It takes about 8 minutes to “pump” out a filter J and then we carefully smooth out EVERY crack inside and out with a two nail files. Mom, finally a project where my desire for perfection is actually a good thing!
Then we cover them up as best we can with big tarps, and they dry for at least a week before they are fired. Ideally we would have an enclosed space to let them to dry, but for the most part they are at the mercy of the elements, so it’s not uncommon to come back the next day and find that the two filters we spent all day making are now cracked and we have to start from scratch again.
This project is still sort of in the development stage. Pro Peru hasn’t delivered any to communities yet. Apparently there were several other filter models before this one that ended up crumbling when they were fired. This model is still very fragile. We have to take a lot of care when moving them the first few days. Next I know we add a fine mixture of saw dust and some special kind of silver paint which is what actually filters the water. It is a little frustrating having to spend so much time just to make one filter, and having to re-press, and re-press ones that break when I know that the need in the communities is immediate. Pro Peru has had so many requests for them, and there is just no way that the production is ever going to meet the demand.
How can the U.S. mass produce Brita’s in but somehow the technology down here is still in the flowerpot stage???
Then we cover them up as best we can with big tarps, and they dry for at least a week before they are fired. Ideally we would have an enclosed space to let them to dry, but for the most part they are at the mercy of the elements, so it’s not uncommon to come back the next day and find that the two filters we spent all day making are now cracked and we have to start from scratch again.
This project is still sort of in the development stage. Pro Peru hasn’t delivered any to communities yet. Apparently there were several other filter models before this one that ended up crumbling when they were fired. This model is still very fragile. We have to take a lot of care when moving them the first few days. Next I know we add a fine mixture of saw dust and some special kind of silver paint which is what actually filters the water. It is a little frustrating having to spend so much time just to make one filter, and having to re-press, and re-press ones that break when I know that the need in the communities is immediate. Pro Peru has had so many requests for them, and there is just no way that the production is ever going to meet the demand.
How can the U.S. mass produce Brita’s in but somehow the technology down here is still in the flowerpot stage???
Sunday, March 15, 2009
My First Public Health Campaign!
Saturday was AMAZING! Made me want to be a doctor, hehe! We met at casa ProPeru at 6:30am for a public health campaign in Churu, a VERY small town on the top of a mountain about 30 min. from Urubamba. There were five students from the ProPeru Cusco study abroad program, in addition to three NGO interns (me.) Three doctors, a dentist, a surgical dentist, and a gynecologist also came, and they deserve all the credit in the world for volunteering their time to do this!
First we drove about 45min, as far into this valley as we could...it was kind of like the Indiana Jones ride at Disney Land, almost flying out of our seats every time we went over huge rocks...it was quite comical because we had to keep stopping, getting out, letting the van go through obstacles without us, and then piling back in. We got to a point where the van couldn’t do it anymore, so we unloaded all of our stuff and started up...seriously, straight up! There was a trail at some points but it was still incredibly steep. Two hours later, we got to the top, and the views were, literally, breathtaking (gotta love that altitude)!! Being from Colorado is a blessing, but it would have been like doing an intense hike up in Breckenridge, and I’m not sure my lungs were quite ready for that :) and I am definitely feeling it in my muscles today!
But seriously, wow! Here we were at the top of a mountain in the Inca Valley! How cool is that!! And I have no right to complain because I only had to do it once...the people that live there have to go up and down on a regular basis! When I was huffing and puffing my way there, a 16 year old girl carrying her baby sister on her back passed me like it was no big deal!
Churu is home to about 100 people, and they very rarely get any good medical care. It was kind of amazing how fast we created a mock hospital out of nothing. One table was for dentistry, another for triage, another for taking basic measurements like blood pressure and weight. Someone was pulling teeth, while another was giving injections. Then there was a doctor writing prescriptions and sending people to the pharmacy, (where I worked.) Once I learned the names of about seven medicines that we were giving out frequently I was OK...but wow was it overwhelming at first! I had to try and find the correct medicines, and then decipher the correct amount of pills from the description on the Spanish prescription! Maybe now I can say I am a qualified pharmacist??
We also have to keep records of everything we give out. When I was in charge of having people sign to certify that they got the medicine, I thought it was very telling that most of the men could sign there name no problem, but almost all of the woman had to sign with their fingerprint instead.
It was a busy four hours, but we accomplished sooooooooo much! It is great to know that what you are doing will have a direct and significant effect on people’s lives in a few days!
So, have you ever eaten a hamburger while sitting next to a cow, or chowed down on some fresh chicken while starring at a rooster?? Because after the health campaign we were invited to lunch...and yep, it was a feast of guinea pig and potatoes! And while I was delicately trying to remove the toenails and trying to calm my gag reflex, there were about 20 more guinea pigs running around squeaking at my feet! By far the most interesting lunch I’ve ever had! I’m just hoping I don’t get sick later!
And thus ends my first full week here in Urubamba, I am settling into a routine, and embracing this new, beautiful, and constantly surprising place! Below is the link to view some more pictures. If it doesn´t work, just cut&paste the URL.
Lots of love and hugs to everyone! Oh ya, I know that it is very hard to leave messages on this blog, so if anyone wants to write me an e-mail at klilly4@gmail.com, I would LOVE to hear from you!! That’s all for now, adios!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2089392&id=24500893&l=4f058b8a4e
First we drove about 45min, as far into this valley as we could...it was kind of like the Indiana Jones ride at Disney Land, almost flying out of our seats every time we went over huge rocks...it was quite comical because we had to keep stopping, getting out, letting the van go through obstacles without us, and then piling back in. We got to a point where the van couldn’t do it anymore, so we unloaded all of our stuff and started up...seriously, straight up! There was a trail at some points but it was still incredibly steep. Two hours later, we got to the top, and the views were, literally, breathtaking (gotta love that altitude)!! Being from Colorado is a blessing, but it would have been like doing an intense hike up in Breckenridge, and I’m not sure my lungs were quite ready for that :) and I am definitely feeling it in my muscles today!
But seriously, wow! Here we were at the top of a mountain in the Inca Valley! How cool is that!! And I have no right to complain because I only had to do it once...the people that live there have to go up and down on a regular basis! When I was huffing and puffing my way there, a 16 year old girl carrying her baby sister on her back passed me like it was no big deal!
Churu is home to about 100 people, and they very rarely get any good medical care. It was kind of amazing how fast we created a mock hospital out of nothing. One table was for dentistry, another for triage, another for taking basic measurements like blood pressure and weight. Someone was pulling teeth, while another was giving injections. Then there was a doctor writing prescriptions and sending people to the pharmacy, (where I worked.) Once I learned the names of about seven medicines that we were giving out frequently I was OK...but wow was it overwhelming at first! I had to try and find the correct medicines, and then decipher the correct amount of pills from the description on the Spanish prescription! Maybe now I can say I am a qualified pharmacist??
We also have to keep records of everything we give out. When I was in charge of having people sign to certify that they got the medicine, I thought it was very telling that most of the men could sign there name no problem, but almost all of the woman had to sign with their fingerprint instead.
It was a busy four hours, but we accomplished sooooooooo much! It is great to know that what you are doing will have a direct and significant effect on people’s lives in a few days!
So, have you ever eaten a hamburger while sitting next to a cow, or chowed down on some fresh chicken while starring at a rooster?? Because after the health campaign we were invited to lunch...and yep, it was a feast of guinea pig and potatoes! And while I was delicately trying to remove the toenails and trying to calm my gag reflex, there were about 20 more guinea pigs running around squeaking at my feet! By far the most interesting lunch I’ve ever had! I’m just hoping I don’t get sick later!
And thus ends my first full week here in Urubamba, I am settling into a routine, and embracing this new, beautiful, and constantly surprising place! Below is the link to view some more pictures. If it doesn´t work, just cut&paste the URL.
Lots of love and hugs to everyone! Oh ya, I know that it is very hard to leave messages on this blog, so if anyone wants to write me an e-mail at klilly4@gmail.com, I would LOVE to hear from you!! That’s all for now, adios!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2089392&id=24500893&l=4f058b8a4e
Carnival en Chacan!
I can’t believe that I made 10 stoves this past week! It really seems like I have been here for way longer than a week! But on Friday we finished the last stoves in the section of Chican that we were working in. That afternoon, the town wanted to throw a carnival celebration to inaugurate the stoves. So around lunch time, about 10 guys come into the main square dragging a pretty big tree. Then they stood up said tree, and planted it in the ground. Next, it was time to climb in the tree and tie several games and prizes to the branches! And of course we had to get decorated too! They painted our cheeks with pink and yellow powder and wrapped streamers around our necks.
Now all that was all prep for the big finale…now just picture a REALLY big piñata!! All of the volunteers and a lot of the town’s people made a circle and started dancing around the tree…we danced for a while, and then they brought out the axe. Two at a time people would go up, dance around the tree a few times, and then take three good whacks at it! And that was the general idea for the next 45 min! I got to go up with the older Peruvian man standing next to me, and I don’t think I stopped laughing the whole time, even when I was swinging the axe…it was just one of those “am I really doing this?!” moments. The scary part was that when someone finally gave that last good swing to make the “piñata” fall, you didn’t just have to worry about candy spilling out, but a huge tree falling on you! The director of ProPeru, Jonnie was right in the line of fire, and actually got hurt a little bit! Anyways, it was an incredible day, made even better by the fact that on the bus ride home, the view of the Chican glacier was crystal clear!
Now all that was all prep for the big finale…now just picture a REALLY big piñata!! All of the volunteers and a lot of the town’s people made a circle and started dancing around the tree…we danced for a while, and then they brought out the axe. Two at a time people would go up, dance around the tree a few times, and then take three good whacks at it! And that was the general idea for the next 45 min! I got to go up with the older Peruvian man standing next to me, and I don’t think I stopped laughing the whole time, even when I was swinging the axe…it was just one of those “am I really doing this?!” moments. The scary part was that when someone finally gave that last good swing to make the “piñata” fall, you didn’t just have to worry about candy spilling out, but a huge tree falling on you! The director of ProPeru, Jonnie was right in the line of fire, and actually got hurt a little bit! Anyways, it was an incredible day, made even better by the fact that on the bus ride home, the view of the Chican glacier was crystal clear!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Urubamba!!!
Just an hour taxi ride and I am in a different Peru. Urubmaba is situated next to the Rio Urubamba in the heart of the Sacred Valley. This peaceful town sits at an altitude of 9,419 feet, and rests below the spectacular Chicon glacier. With a population of 18,000, Urubamba is the largest town in the sacred valley. There are many smaller rural villages close to Urubamba, but is the only one that offers comfortable amenities such as hot water, electricity, restaurants, and internet cafes. I have to admit, I am going through a little bit of culture shock…this place is beautiful, but I am just overwhelmed by new sights, smells, and lots and lots of dirt!
Casa ProPeru is the home-base for all of the interns, and that is where I had my orientation. It is sort of a converted little farm, with a few offices, a kitchen, bathrooms, and BOTTLED WATER!!! A big plus! There is a group of about 30 students and teachers from a high school in Canada here for an alternate spring break. I will be working with them on the stoves project for the next two weeks, and then I will learn the water filter project.
After orientation I got picked up in a moto-taxi by my host mother Dulia and her daughter Allison. Allison is a very animated and energetic four year old, who just started her first day of kindergarden on Monday. Dulia is wonderful too! She welcomed me into her home with open arms! The house is great, very big and spacious which is rare in Urubamba. I have my own room, which is kind of attached to their house so it is my own space which is really nice. Oh ya, we have gallenas!! Or chickens…she raises them herself so that they are organic!
My first full day I went for a Spanish interview. Just a 20 min. conversation to see what level I am at. It will be just me and a teacher for 6 ½ hours a week!!! So I am bound to learn a lot J then it was off to el festival de choclo with my host family. The once a year grand celebration of corn! What an experience! The festival was in the next town over so we took cambys to get there…vans which seat 10 but fit 30!!! They are really safe though mom J I tried some choclo. Delicious and about three times as big as our corn at home! Description of market: 70 year old women carrying 40+ lbs. of food on their backs. Crowds. Noise. Trading of goods. Beautiful colors. Babies carried in slings. The only gringa in a sea of local Peruvians. Lots of potatoes, and delicious fruits. The line to get to the church and say a special prayer for the corn crop was a ½ mile long. Wiping wax of the candles on my face to receive a special blessing. Pure Peru I think!!
Ok, I will surely write more about my stove project in following blogs, but basically we drive to communities even more rural than Urubamba and install ceramic brick stoves. People in these small towns have always cooked without chimneys and the walls behind their kitchens are full of soot and the houses, full of smoke. So these stoves are really a blessing! Wish you could have seen me this morning trying to learn how to make the stoves!! It was quite comical, with guinne pigs running around everywhere at my feet and slapping barro around for hours (mud,guinne pig hair, salt, and animal crap :) together with a large group of highschool kids from Canada, we will be working with them for two weeks, we made nine stoves, in about 4 hours. But even though i was tired and covered in barro, I felt great, and felt like I really did work that will make a huge difference today.
Ok, I am out of internet time and have to get to Spanish class, but I will write more soon….hopefully this link to pictures works!
Lots of love and hugs! Kate
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2089392&id=24500893&l=4f058
Casa ProPeru is the home-base for all of the interns, and that is where I had my orientation. It is sort of a converted little farm, with a few offices, a kitchen, bathrooms, and BOTTLED WATER!!! A big plus! There is a group of about 30 students and teachers from a high school in Canada here for an alternate spring break. I will be working with them on the stoves project for the next two weeks, and then I will learn the water filter project.
After orientation I got picked up in a moto-taxi by my host mother Dulia and her daughter Allison. Allison is a very animated and energetic four year old, who just started her first day of kindergarden on Monday. Dulia is wonderful too! She welcomed me into her home with open arms! The house is great, very big and spacious which is rare in Urubamba. I have my own room, which is kind of attached to their house so it is my own space which is really nice. Oh ya, we have gallenas!! Or chickens…she raises them herself so that they are organic!
My first full day I went for a Spanish interview. Just a 20 min. conversation to see what level I am at. It will be just me and a teacher for 6 ½ hours a week!!! So I am bound to learn a lot J then it was off to el festival de choclo with my host family. The once a year grand celebration of corn! What an experience! The festival was in the next town over so we took cambys to get there…vans which seat 10 but fit 30!!! They are really safe though mom J I tried some choclo. Delicious and about three times as big as our corn at home! Description of market: 70 year old women carrying 40+ lbs. of food on their backs. Crowds. Noise. Trading of goods. Beautiful colors. Babies carried in slings. The only gringa in a sea of local Peruvians. Lots of potatoes, and delicious fruits. The line to get to the church and say a special prayer for the corn crop was a ½ mile long. Wiping wax of the candles on my face to receive a special blessing. Pure Peru I think!!
Ok, I will surely write more about my stove project in following blogs, but basically we drive to communities even more rural than Urubamba and install ceramic brick stoves. People in these small towns have always cooked without chimneys and the walls behind their kitchens are full of soot and the houses, full of smoke. So these stoves are really a blessing! Wish you could have seen me this morning trying to learn how to make the stoves!! It was quite comical, with guinne pigs running around everywhere at my feet and slapping barro around for hours (mud,guinne pig hair, salt, and animal crap :) together with a large group of highschool kids from Canada, we will be working with them for two weeks, we made nine stoves, in about 4 hours. But even though i was tired and covered in barro, I felt great, and felt like I really did work that will make a huge difference today.
Ok, I am out of internet time and have to get to Spanish class, but I will write more soon….hopefully this link to pictures works!
Lots of love and hugs! Kate
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2089392&id=24500893&l=4f058
Hola Mi Familia Y Amigos!!
Well, I am here in Urubamba safe and sound! The travel from Colorado to Peru couldn’t have been easier! Every flight was on time, and no luggage was lost. The sun was just rising on my flight from Lima to Cusco. When we started to land, I looked out the window at a world more beautiful than I imagined! Jagged snowcapped Andean peaks. Lushes green hills and valleys.
The city of Cusco is shrouded in Inca history. On the taxi ride to my B&B we had to stop at a big construction site. They just wanted to widen the road but found Inca ruins when they started digging, so now it’s an excavation site! Slept for a bit at the hotel. Went exploring around the narrow cobble stone streets of San Blas, the art district. Dinner at a pizzeria in the central Plaza de Armas. (The most popular food here is either Chinese or Italian pizza or pasta??) Looked in a couple of the 12 churches in Cusco. All of them look as big and grand as cathedrals! Pretty much just a couple of days of rest before my trip to Urubmaba on Saturday!
The city of Cusco is shrouded in Inca history. On the taxi ride to my B&B we had to stop at a big construction site. They just wanted to widen the road but found Inca ruins when they started digging, so now it’s an excavation site! Slept for a bit at the hotel. Went exploring around the narrow cobble stone streets of San Blas, the art district. Dinner at a pizzeria in the central Plaza de Armas. (The most popular food here is either Chinese or Italian pizza or pasta??) Looked in a couple of the 12 churches in Cusco. All of them look as big and grand as cathedrals! Pretty much just a couple of days of rest before my trip to Urubmaba on Saturday!
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