Life in Peru

This is my 4^th day living in Peru; the third living in Trujillo. I feel very blessed to have this opportunity, and the past few days have been really eventful and I’ve learned a ton so far.

Flying in from the States was a pretty hassle-free process; my flights were all on time arriving in Lima only a few minutes later than anticipated. The Immigration line at the airport in Lima was extremely long, and my patience was wavering after flying all day. But once I passed through immigration, the driver of Hostal Inquique was on the other side waiting for me amongst hundreds (maybe thousands) of other signs with names on them waiting to pick up someone. It was lucky that I spotted my name so quickly and made it to the hostal safely.

The next day I discovered that the bus line I had anticipated taking (Cruz del Sur) only ran in the evenings so I had to improvise with the help of greedy taxi drivers who took me to the bus terminal in Lima. I didn’t get to spend hardly any time in Lima, only seeing the city through the cab window, but from what I saw the city is DENSLEY populated, packed streets with cars, vendors, homeless, etc. The Futbol stadium was massive; I hope I will be able to get a closer look at it by the end of my time here.

The bus experience was interesting and again I felt lucky to find a bus to Trujillo without much difficulty. My Spanish is still fairly rusty, but managed to buy a seat on a nine hour ride. Being 6’2, the bus organizer placed me in the back row, middle seat with plenty of room to stretch out; again, Very lucky! I’m not sure if it was the traveling from the past day, but I think I was able to sleep about 4-5 hours total on the trip, only waking up to look out the windows at the ‘desert’/arid scenery of the massive Andes mountains. You would think it would be annoying to have vendors board the bus periodically to sell their peanuts, jugos, and empanadas; but having not eaten before getting on the bus, those Empanadas seemed like the greatest food on the planet.

The looks I got, being American, were not so intimidating, more curious as to what I was doing or how I acted. I tried to remain non-entertaining, mostly keeping to myself with limited conversation with my fellow bus riders. I arrived in Trujillo right after dusk, and took an unmarked cab to the address I was given in the welcome pack. The Volunteer house has no markings on the outside, appearing to be any other flat in the city, so I just rang the buzzer desperately hoping that I was at the right place; with it being dark outside and holding my giant suitcase, I was a little nervous to say the least. But once someone let me in, I was greeted by fellow volunteers who were incredibly friendly and were just hanging out on the couches talking. They seemed happy to have another English speaking male in the house now. The other volunteers are from all over the globe: Canada, Britain, Ireland, Colombia, Spain, Poland, etc. I liked the vibe of the place so quickly that I was sad when I remembered I wouldn’t be staying in the house for the first few weeks.

I met my current roommate Andrew; a 25 yr old guy from Ireland and our flat was only a few blocks away from the volunteer house, a shared bedroom, big shower, in a home belonging to a big gordo hombre named Richard. We met Richard that night and did most of our conversing in Spanish, mostly listening to Richard describe his work as a restaurant owner (One restaurant underneath the flat and one a half block down from the volunteer house).

The next day I was taken around by one of the volunteer coordinators, a 25 yr old girl, Barclay. She was super enthusiastic and a calming presence when first traveling around this manic city! We went to her favorite coffee shop after taking out money from the ATM, and sat down to discuss policies and procedures for Volunteers at SKIP. She did a great job of explaining SKIP and life in the city. I became frantic when I realized I had left my Debit card in the ATM that I had taken money out of an hour before our meeting. I began to slightly freak out thinking, “Grady, how the heck did you already lose your one source of money”, but the coordinator maintained her calming presence and we tracked back to the bank’s atm and hopelessly asked if they had my missing card, they did! We came back; feeling relieved and felt that my time here in Trujillo was going to be full of adventures like that day. That very same day, the afternoon group of volunteers was heading out to El Porvenir where SKIP is to do their afternoon shift, and Barclay asked if I wanted to go up and work with Juancho on homework with the kids. I hesitated in my mind slightly, but jumped the gun and went anyways (GREAT decision). At SKIP I just jumped right in, interacting with the kids reading and playing games. I felt at home for the first time when playing a made-up game with the sports director Roger (Spanish) and the kids were grabbing on to my shirt yelling ‘Profe, Profe”. It was an amazing first day, and gave me a lot of optimism as to what my time serving at SKIP would be like.  We piled back into a cab and headed back to the volunteer house.

                Happy To be here!

Ghana Pre-Arrival Post

I am writing this blog post on the plane on my way to Ghana. The topic I will be covering is why I am taking a trip to Ghana to do service for two months. When I have told my American friends and family that I am participating in this experience they often do not understand and seem confused. Most people seem to imagine me in a rural village, living in a hut, and taking care of small African children, they tell me, “It is so good that you are doing this work,” or they say, “It’s nice of you to make such a sacrifice to help those needy people.” While I agree that it is always good to help a community, if you are actually helping, these people could not be more incorrect in their assumptions.

I am travelling to Ghana in order to get outside the box. Growing up, we are all taught to think outside the box, but so many of us actually step outside of the box that we seem enslaved in. I am in Ghana to absorb the Ghanaian culture and way of life, to step out of my little Western box into the rest of the world. I want to live amongst the locals and try to understand the world through their eyes. The two months that I am in Ghana I will be working with locals and community and education leaders training them how to use the computers, assist them with their needs and help to shape computer education in Ghana. The organization I will be working with is run by a local Reverend so it is effective at addressing the actual needs of Ghanaians. Through working with this project I hope to form a close connection with the community of Cape Coast.  

This is the real reason I will be spending my summer living in Cape Coast. I hope I can share my experience with others and that they will take it to heart. I just hope to help push the world to a more understanding one.

Peru Got the Best of Me

I missed posting last week because I became violently ill... Bienvenidos a Peru! What happened was that I started to feel quite tired and began having slight stomach pains thinking I just ate something my stomach didn't agree with. Going to bed early I woke up in the middle of the night having to run to the bathroom and throwing up in a bag I set next to my bed in anticipation of such illness. For the next 24 hours I was trying to sleep through the pain, which was convenient since I could manage a comfortable fetal position. Though I slept almost the whole day away every hour to two hours I was woken up by extreme stomach pains, having to go to the bathroom, and almost passing out on the way. I became dehydrated, was afraid to eat anything in fear of throwing it up or causing digestive pains.

I ended up calling my mother back home via FaceTime to have someone to sympathize with me. She reminded me of the antibiotics my doctor at FSU gave me for situations just like this and she also mentioned the Ayurvedic medicine I was given by my holistic doctor as well. I went with the holistic medicine and was much better within a day. This doesn't mean that I was 100% feeling better, but I was able to get up, shower, and eat an apple, my first food in about 36 hours. The day after I was still kind of dizzy, out of breath, and feeling faint, but I managed to make it down to la Plaza de Armas for Corpus Christi, a Catholic celebration of the saints and a feast.

I have been at my destination now for about two and a half weeks out of twelve and I am not too homesick or unable to cope with the changes. I keep a separate blog other than this one, documenting my everyday activities and other thoughts, check it out at Wanderlust In Her Eyes. I just experienced one of the other volunteers that had been here for six weeks go home and she really couldn't handle being away from her friends, family, or familiarity. It frustrated me that she was always on her computer, frequenting sites like Facebook, Pinterest, and Tumblr. She never let herself go and succumb to the needs and culture of Cusco and just witnessing that made me want to be okay here for the whole three months.

Undoubtedly I have my moments like when I got sick where I would rather be in the comfort of my own home, with heat, comfort food, and easy access to medicine, but I also have my moments where I fall completely in love with Cusco over and over again. The partner that I am with. Healing House, is perfect for me and I am so grateful for the opportunities I am presented through it. I write so much more in my other blog because not all of it is appropriate for a university blog, but if you want to be thoroughly entertained, check it out! It also has more about how connected I feel to this organization and what I want to do in returning home in just under ten weeks.

Good vibes from Cusco! Ciao for now.

From Matthew--Pre-Departure Blog

As I look at one fully packed suitcase and the long list of last minute things to do there’s this knot in my stomach that is far from being alleviated.  Probably a physical manifestation of my excitement, nerves, and fear of the unknown, this knot has been my only connection to the place I will be visiting 2600 miles away. Thinking of the small town of Urubamba my mind is flooded with ideas and fears of how this eight-week experience will challenge me, and augment my understanding of others. Maybe my expectations are too high but I have another list, being the list freak I am, of all the things I’d like to accomplish while here, personal and pertinent to this culturally immersive experience.

            With only two days left till departure I am finding myself somehow reflecting or overthinking everything I do. Dinner with my family now becomes this sacred moment, being 300 miles away, means a pricy plane or extended car drive away from the people I love, being 15 hours in travel time is another. Now I analyze the affection, the type of food, and the conversation realizing that while my experience with my new family may be pleasant it will never be the same as the dynamic of my own family. These two days are filled with emotional instability, anxiety, and appreciation. I have never felt so immersed in such a familiar and casual setting, this newfound appreciation for my family indicated that Peru only holds more opportunities to broaden my perspective and appreciate my lifestyle.

            I am moments away from leaving my house and preparing to board my long flight to Peru. I am excited. That knot in my stomach seems to have exploded and its contents some sort of naturally occurring caffeine.  No, I’m not just awake I’m jittery eager to have my passport stamped in Bogota, Columbia, the place of my layover. I said see you later to my best friend today, my mom, that was probably the hardest part. I am excited to explore my new family dynamic and hope that all goes well with my luggage and travel.  While I realize my preparation list is not 100% complete the essentials are, and for that I am grateful. Peru, I will see you soon.  --Matthew Prince

June 3rd, 2013

This is a much overdue post!!!  I apologize for the lack of updates but there is almost never a working internet connection available to me at Sevalaya.  I am currently in the beach town of Mamallapuran with a few of the other volunteers for a couple of relaxing days before classes start on the 10th.  We have been enjoying eating some different foods, seeing monuments, and relaxing (in full dress) on the beach!  Here is the third blog post I prepared:

Things have begun to feel much more familiar around Sevalaya since my last entry.  The summer camp schedule, hanging out with the resident kids at the hostel from 8:20-1:00 and then again later in the afternoon, is tiring with all the little hands tugging at me and calls-out of "sister" or "akka" (Tamil for sister), but it has been very fun and rewarding.  I've gotten the chance to practice English letters with a few of the children and even read them storybooks, though their comprehension based on the looks and questions that I get at the end of a tale.  Reading and writing are my favorite things to teach in America so I am excited to get the chance to practice teaching them (to whatever extent I can) in an environment unlike any other I will likely ever teach in again.  The other volunteers and I pass evenings by going into town to go shopping some nights and have gotten to take a couple fun adventures to neighboring areas of Tamil Nadu, such as to an Indian wedding and to another school/small monastery several hours away (where we visited a 2,000 year old temple and feed monkeys at the top of a mountain!).

Mealtimes are sometimes the most exciting and interesting parts of my days because they give me a chance to do some observing and also to talk with some people I usually don't get the chance to interact with much (i.e., tall people).  During mealtimes, there is not much familiar but much of it is tasty.  Every meal is based around rice, which is the staple here, with some sort of vegetable sauce.  Usually, it is very thin and watery (samba) but on my lucky days it is creamier and a little less spicy (these are called chutney).  There will sometimes also be some sort of rice-bread and a sweet, usually mango paste or dates.  I find that my palate has the most luck at breakfast, when the sauce is least spicy and more filling.  We eat with our right hands here, and specifically our righthand fingers.  I like this part very much.  Before each meal, everyone picks out a large metal plate and small metal cup from the drying rack and rinses them in the faucets along the outside of the dining hall, which trickle out ground water.  The "aunties" come around with big metal pails and shovel each ingredient for that particular meal onto your plate.  When you are finished, you dump any leftovers into a bucket next to the faucets outside which will be fed to the animals, and rinse your plate and cup once again.  Sevalaya offers the chance for families or individuals to sponsor meals any day of the year, and occasionally a sponsor will come in on a certain day (often the birthday of someone in their family) and bring extra foods to share.  These have been such treats as bananas, little chocolate candies, birthday cake, and even ice cream cups!  I am a big fan of these days, as are the children.  I also try to seek out the coffee that adults partake in throughout the day as much as I can, which is tasty despite its hot temperature in the blistering heat of the day.  It is concerning that the diets here contain next to no protein and the visiting doctor is helping to teach us some of the most common sicknesses in the area.

Even though they are cute, the children can be hard to deal with at times.  During the summer, when the resident kids only have their "summer class," all of them are in one room all morning.  They pay attention to their main teacher, a young local guy, for about 30 minutes but then things can start to get out of hand.  The other volunteers and I lead the later half of the morning and teach cultural things like songs and then mostly play with the children.  It is very hard to communicate ideas like "one at a time," "raise your hand," or even "wait" when such phrases are often idiomatic or simply not a part of classroom culture here as they are in the US.  It can be very overwhelming, especially during the largely unstructured summer weeks when all the children are seeking as much attention from us as possible anyway.

I feel very lucky to be doing what I am doing though, even when things are difficult to process as they often are in a culture so different and a society made up of largely extremely poor and underprivileged children and adults.  During my daily duties at Sevalaya, I am able to lend my hands and my mind to do a little bit of good.  I feel even luckier at the end of the day when I say "okay, see you tomorrow, bye-bye" and little Sati exclaims, "noooo, seeeeestaaaa!"  A few days ago, I couldn't leave her at that, so I taught her the farewell that I teach to all the children I babysit in the US.  When I see her at breakfast now, I hold up one fist and say "pound it," and she smiles and bumps me back.

Mi llegada

I left the U.S. on Friday (5/31). My first flight was at 6:30 AM, so naturally, I was unable to sleep the night before and was antsy to make sure I was simultaneously not packing too much and not forgetting anything important. Getting to LIR (Liberia, not pronounced like the African country) and getting to my host-stay family's house was relatively easy and pain-free. Because I was traveling by myself and I look Hispanic (which I am) a lot of people assumed I could speak Spanish, but on three or so hours of sleep I could barely string together words in English.

For my first official day in Sámara, I did not do much. I met my home-stay family and went to a supermarket known as Palí. Briefly, I officially met the directors of CREAR, the organization I am working for. I know the gist of what I am to do for them and what they do, but I will not get a tour of their inner workings until Monday. Also, I figured out the basics of what to expect for home-stay and that although I have always loved air conditioning, it's not hard to get by with all the windows of the house open and a powerful fan. Weather here is more tropical than northern Florida, and every time I go outside I want to run into the shower or into the sea.

Saturday was more fun, in that I got to talk to my host family more and I went to CREAR's fundraiser known as CREAR Combate. A combate is a race; CREAR made this into a sort of mini-triathlon,  with events like racing on bikes, running, swimming, surfing, wheel-barrow, and ranitas (leap-frog.) This event allowed me to get a picture of what the CREAR community looks like more so than the community - there were not many ticos and ticas (Costa Rican men and women), but lots of foreigners mostly from either the United States or Germany. The area is touristy in general, which I read about beforehand, but it's interesting to see the dichotomy between the rural area of town (where I live) versus the areas pandering to tourists. There are no resorts and no large differences in wealth between various areas in the small town, but the community appears friendly to U.S. and European tourists. A couple of Duke and Vanderbilt students working with CREAR showed me around the town more and made sure I did not get lost again.

Tomorrow is my first day at CREAR, in which I will get a fuller introduction the community (and El Torito nearby) and my exact responsibilities for CREAR. 

Pre-trip preparations are over…Ghana, here I come!

May 30:

As I sit at the JFK airport awaiting my connection to Accra, I begin to reflect upon my trip to Ghana. Although I have yet to set foot on this country, the past four months have been filled with great anticipation and preparation. From booking flights, getting vaccines, sorting paperwork for my two scholarships, writing proposal projects on youth leadership research and execution, taking a 12 week online course on international development, writing two papers on globalization and development in Ghana, and getting acquainted with my placement agency, Sankofa school; the amount of time I have spent in making sure that I am prepared and equipped for this journey has been abundant.

Yet, one of the biggest lessons of this journey has already been revealed: flexibility is a must! Last Wednesday, I was sent an e-mail from ProWorld Ghana telling me that my placement agency had been changed because the director of the Sankofa school would not be present during most of time that I would be there. I must admit I was pretty shocked and upset about this. I had already envisioned myself at the school, and had talked to the PeaceJam headquarters in Colorado and the chapter in Ghana to see how I could possibly develop a small group of PeaceJammers in that area of Ghana. I was eager to work on this project and learn from the staff, and the youth at the school.

My new placement organization is called Progressive Excellence Youth Organization (PEYORG).It's goal is to "minimize hunger, poverty, ignorance, disease, and illiteracy in order to improve quality of life" through self-help especially for women and children. One of the things I will be doing is outreach on health preventative measures with malaria and HIV. So, although this agency provides me with a spectrum of opportunities that I have never encountered, I am hoping that I will learn a lot on this issue. I have no prior knowledge or experience with anything related to public health, but I will be expanding my horizons! Who knows, perhaps I will find a new passion?

Needless to say, I am extremely anxious and nervous about this experience, but I am sure it will be worth it and unforgettable. One of my biggest concerns in soaking in the culture is the food; Ghanaian food is said to be quite spicy…and well, I can barely tolerate pepper on my food! I will keep you all posted on this! I will be arriving into Accra, Ghana at approximately 1pm GMT and from there I will meet other participants and a ProWorld Staff member will drive a van to Cape Coast (approximately 2.5-3 hour drive). Next time I write, it will be from Ghana!!!!!

Let the journey begin!