And she's out.

Thoughts from back on Nov. 2: We left today. It has been a whirlwind over the last few days and I'm very, very tired. I'm finished with Peace Corps! I'm missing so many people in Rinconada and I'm sad to leave all of them but I'm also feeling very accomplished. I was so hesitant to do Peace Corps in Peru when they told me we would have to live with host families and it certainly had it's ups and downs but now that I'm leaving I'm so happy to have Dora and Martin and their family as friends. I will miss Dora so, so much. I do feel like I've gained a sister.

Big news.

Big news. The big news for me lately is that Michael and I have decided to get married. My parents are less than overwhelmingly supportive of the idea and because I'm of the opinion that ideally, marriage is about the whole family and I'm close to my family, this is disappointing and difficult. But, they care and this is genuinely what they think so I appreciate their honesty. Hopefully we will resolve everyone's concerns in the near future. I think their biggest concern is just, "who is this guy?"

Also, we rode my neighbor's horse, I voted for Obama, I finished 2 big murals of the world map in two different elementary schools, we sat on the porch and hung out, and I finished the improvements on the water system at Llicuar Elementary with the 500 soles or so that were left over from the water system project in Rinconada Elementary.

At Llicuar Elementary have doubled the size of their cistern, replaced a faulty water pump with a higher quality model, and installed a metal box with a lock around the pump so that no one walks away with it. At the same time we've been working together to get their accreditation from the Peruvian Ministry of Health as a "Healthy School." Accreditation includes training for teachers and students in public health issues, like hand washing, and institutional improvements like getting a working water system and a plan for trash management. I am pleased to report that they now separate organic, inoroganic and recyclable garbage. We're still working on appropriate disposal, but you know, little by little. I think we've completed all the requirements so they should be ready to get their certificate early next year.

I have written almost nothing about the work at Llicuar Elementary. Apologies, but photos to come. I've been busy falling in love. In Peace Corps it seems impossible to untangle your personal life from your professional life, and I even struggle with this issue in the US.

Peacing out in 25 days

Moonrise in Rinconada.

The Devils Dance at the Fiesta de San Lazaro.

Goodbye party with my favorite Piurano and Tumbesino gringos!!

Finished the world map mural!!

Michael, me and friends at a town fiesta for the patron saint, San Lazaro.

I cannot believe it has been so long since I posted. The final days of Peace Corps are just flying by. 25 days to go! Apologies for not posting more often.

I'm content with the way that things are wrapping up. I have these flashes of complete disdain for my work when I think of the projects that almost happened or my pipe dreams that never came to be, but then I get to talking to my neighbors and friends or playing with my kids and remember that we have made some great progress. I'm writing arm loads of reports, going to Lima to get poked and prodded, checking for things like tuberculosis and parasites, and trying to come up with some good going away gifts for my friends in town. So far so good.

My new boyfriend, Michael has been in Rinconada for nearly a month now. He is a city boy from Lima, a city about the same size of New York. He's from Callao, the part of Lima near the airport. We recently decided that if Lima were NYC, Callao would be the South Bronx. If you live there you really like it and if you're not from there it sounds fairly intimidating. He is constantly saying things like "That chicken has feathers on it's feet!" and "Why do they start the loud speakers so early in the morning?!" Yes, my thoughts exactly. I just forgot that those things were novel and Peruvian countryside specific. It's an interesting moment for me to have an outside perspective because I'm reassessing my time here, my work, my relationships with people and so it has been wonderfully supportive to be able to show it all to someone else, another outsider trying to make a life here.

In other news. I'm working on the water system at one more elementary school, making their cistern bigger and installing a new water pump so that they will have running water 24 hours a day. We had a big going away pool party and BBQ this weekend for the volunteers living in Piura and Tumbes (states in northern Peru). Michael and I finished a world map mural at an elementary school with a group of kids that I work with and we're finishing one more in another school before I head out.

Lima, Lima, Bo-bina

Michael and me in the Plaza de Armas in Lima a few weeks ago.

I'm in Lima for a few days doing my final medical checks for Peace Corps and having a few meetings at the Peace Corps office. It's crazy there because all 113 volunteers in Bolivia were evacuated last Sunday and Monday. They've been in Lima all week trying to figure out what to do next. Apparently they have started the evacuation process by traveling to central cities about once a month for the past six months. Some thought that this would be just another consolidation, but the program in Bolivia has been indefinitely suspended pending resolving the political unrest. They kicked out the US ambassador recently so... it might be a while. In spite of the craziness for the poor folks at the office I'm there getting poked and prodded and pooping in cups.

Michael, Atari guy from Cuzco has moved to Rinconada. He is living in my old house and looking for a job. If he finds one he'll be able to stay there until I leave on Nov. 2. It has been fun to have him there. I've done everything on my own there for so long that I'm not used to having another outsider around to share it with. He seems to get it- my work, the lifestyle, etc... and he is respectful and understanding of the culture there. Even though he is Peruvian, being from a city of 9 million makes your life pretty different. So it has been refreshing, especially now that I'm just winding up my projects and going to a lot of ceremonies, to look back on everything in hindsight with fresh eyes. I'm not sure how well his job search is going. I don't imagine that it's all that promising, but I would love it if it worked out for him to be in Rinconada until I leave.

Sunday was Sept. 21, the 5th anniversary of my friend Kali's death. She was like a sister to my brothers and me and I still want to pick up the phone to call her every day. It's crazy. I went to church for a little while, just to be quiet and remember, and to send some positive energy to her son who is now 6 and is about to enter 2nd grade. Michael went with me and I know he was sitting next to me thinking more about the myriad of issues from his own life but it was still really supportive to have him there.

Finishing up with Lazarus

It's decided. My last day in Rinconada Llicuar will be November 2. I can't believe it's almost over. It's like I'm trying to speed up and slow down at the same time. I have an impressive to-do list to make happen before I leave, like finish the 2 murals that I'm painting and write about 10 reports to Peace Corps, and find a place for the new volunteer to live but, I mostly just want to hang out with my host family.

I also met this really cool guy when I was in Cuzco in May and I think he's going to be moving to Rinconada next Saturday. The plan is that he move into my old house and stay until I leave, so for about 6 weeks, which seems crazy, but feels right. I have a feeling it will cause quite a stir in town but, he's Peruvian and for 2 years now everyone has been asking me when I will marry a Peruvian so, I think that they'll be excited.

Next weekend is the fiesta for the patron saint of Llicuar, San Lazaro. There will be fireworks, dance expositions, these Peruvian horses called caballos de pazo,and my personal favorite cumbia bands playing until like 6 AM. There is also a procession in which they carry a statue of the saint around town and stop and different houses to pray.

I like that I'm leaving with Lazarus, coming back from the dead. I certainly wasn't dead before Peace Corps, but I do feel renewed. It's like having new lenses in my glasses, a new perspective.

Inca Kola

I think I'm in love. This very cute man just told me, "Being without you is like eating grilled beef heart on a stick without drinking Inca Kola."
Poetry by TV comercial. Nice.

Machismo in meetings... grrr

Some days Peace Corps does very little to rock my world. To be fair, other days it's awesome but, today I'm going to gripe. Recently, in Rinconada Llicuar we've been meeting about getting a new volunteer to replace me when I leave. The director of the health program for Peace Corps in Peru and the coordinator for my region came out to Rinconada to coordinate with the government and community groups so that the projects will be ready to hand off to a new person. My community partner at the health post was supposed to be there but unfortunately and somewhat surprisingly but, not overly so, never showed up. I presented a review in PowerPoint and turned in a preliminary written report of my work up to now. Then the Peace Corps folks, very helpfully, pushed the municipality folks to stop dragging their feet as they are wont to do. In doing so the male regional coordinator called a second meeting of everyone in the room without consulting me first, making me look at best unprepared and at worst incompetent because I'm a girl. I know this sounds extreme but the only women working at the local government plan the parties, clean the bathrooms, or write letters for the mayor to sign. I just recently got all the men there to start calling me by my last name, the same manner in which they address one another. Now we're basically drinkin' buddies. This is so much better than being someone who they cat call. This was a major breakthrough for me because they listen better when they're comfortable speaking freely. Although the lieutenant mayor does still think that I am "a radical liberal," he also says that cannot be helped because I am a North American woman. Worse things have been said about me and I like this guy so whatever, what are you going to do? So, imagine my surprise when the Peace Corps guy who is supposed to be backing me up makes it appear as though he is in charge of running the projects that I have been doing for the last couple of years.
I talked to the Peace Corps guy today. It certainly was not his intention to be undermining, it's just that he doesn't have to think about his gender creating a barrier to his work. Ever. He's a tall guy with a mustache, apparently the height of the power look. He thanked me for mentioning it and I think he was sincere. I really respect this guy. He's good at his job and hopefully his grasp of gender power dynamics is improving.

Thank you once again for your support!

Ruth was showing me her excellent hand washing technique... until another kid grabbed the soap from her and went and dropped it into the toilet. Don't worry. I made him fish it out and then wash his hands.


Again, thank you so much to everyone who donated to the potable water project in Rinconada Llicuar. We made enough money to put running water in the elementary school in Rinconada and we still have about S/. 600 left over to fix up the system at the other elementary school in Llicuar.

We finished up construction in Rinconada in late July and we are in the process of a series of trainings to teach cistern maintenance, how to use a toilet, hand washing, and keeping the bathrooms clean. I know it sounds weird to teach someone how to use a toilet but, a lot of people don't have them so they do things like stand on the toilet rim to squat over, thus potentially falling off or in, or they put toilet paper in the toilet which will cause major plumbing badness. All over Latin America used toilet paper goes into a waste basket with a lid that is kept next to the toilet.

The principal in Llicuar is writing a work plan for his school and should give it to me very soon. Hopefully we will finish that fairly quickly. It is a matter of installing some valves so that when their cistern is low the pump doesn't lose pressure and stop working. He also wants to paint.

I have attached:
a translation of the thank you letter that the principal gave me. His version has a lot of official looking stamps on it. I'll try to scan it and post it soon.
a detailed budget.
a photo gallery of the project.

At the very end of the day we raised S/. 6,243.94. There are about 3 soles to the dollar and unfortunately the dollar was pretty low in July 2.7 - 2.8 but we still had more than enough. There were costs associated with Paypal and transferring the money here so we lost about S/. 300 there but all of the rest went to the project in Rinconada and we're left with about S/. 610.

So thank you once again to:

Alyssa Domsal
Andrew Walters
Barb and Jim Hudgens
Daniel Bauerkemper
David Carey
Denzil and Betty Bush
Don Brophy
Ed Menghi
Grace Carey
Jennifer Parish
Jeremy Daw
Jessica Hickok
Joe Hudgens
John Bennett
Kelli Crawford
Ken and Sue Davies
Lynn Berg
Megan Bartlett
Ned Ewart
Pamela Lovelace
Philip Sansone
Rebecca Widom
Robert Schley
Robin Lazara
Shaina Steinberg
Sharon Brown
Spire Press c/o Shelly Reed
Stephen Lesche
Tanya Stanger
Theresa Ebeling
Tina Trinh
Tom and Stacey Bush
William Wuertz
Wendy Bach

Donkeys and Skinny Leg Jeans: Preparing for Home.

I have to print the very supportive conversation that I had with my dear friend Pam about my coming home. This pretty much sums up how surreal it feels.

Pam: Just reading about everything you've learned and mostly your OPENNESS to learning (as I get older I realize that a lot of people aren't necessarily dumb but totally unwilling to admit that they have a lot to learn) is really impressive. Now that I have praised my most darling of Ellas and very bestest of buddies I feel it is my duty to tell you that the site of your crazy muddy jungle feet makes me want to run down to Peru, hose you off and stick you in terribly uncomfortable but awesome looking shoes. I know you just can't wait!!!

Ella: Awwww thanks! I have been fantasizing about a certain pair of high heeled knee high boots... Are those still in? Because I really want to wear them and probably will even if they're oh soooo last year.

Pam: Good news they are still in... one caveat though, the whole '80's thing where you get the skinny jean and tuck it into the knee high boot is back. So far I haven't seen any shoulder pads, but the layering, the flashy jewelry and tunics are back.

Ella: Dear God, no! I swear to you that I will not wear shoulder pads. And, skinny leg jeans?! Absolutely not. You've seen my calves. Those are such a bad idea, even for people with amazing legs. Flashy jewelry, well I actually do that anyway. What's a tunic? Oh God. I can't wait to go shopping.

Then I went home and attended a procession of la Virgin de Socorro the Virgin of Aid. There was an army of little girls dressed like angels throwing flowers and about 10 strapping, but very exhausted looking men carrying this very heavy statue around town for more than 4 hours. And I helped chase my neighbors escaped donkey back into its corral.

Peace Corps Magazine Questionnaire

So, Peace Corps Volunteers put out this magazine with profiles of volunteers who are leaving. A friend tells me I should share my profile:

In Rinconada Llicuar I worked as a trash cheerleader and camp counselor, taught yoga once in a while, did self-esteem and leadership work with youth in jail, coordinated previously non-existent communication between local groups, read stories to kids, stamped of all sorts of documents, painted murals, and my favorite, became a professional nudge of people who are not particularly interested in outside input. We started a trash project with the local government, youth health promoter programs in two elementary schools, and a hygiene promotion program that included installing running water in a school. It was quite a ride and totally worth it.

1. Most useful thing you learned in training
A Peru 4 guy whose name I don’t remember came up to Sta. Eulalia and we were hanging out in the cancha de fulbito when he told me, “Just don’t do anything that you don’t want to do.” Oddly miraculous.

2. Most amusing misconception about the U.S. that you’ve heard at your site:
Mister Kennedy, from the WWF is apparently my next door neighbor in Texas.

3. Least favorite project in your Peace Corps experience:
Hands down, my least favorite project happened when the club de recreación that I started formed a volleyball team. Just say no to organized sporting events as I don’t think that there’s a word for “sportsmanship” in Spanish.

4. What movie most resembles your PC experience?
Christmas Vacation. It hurts at the time, but is hilarious after the fact, and like Chevy Chase I just keep bringing it upon myself.

5. Why your host family made your two years more enjoyable/interesting/survivable:
My host mom made me cucumber salad almost every day AND listened to me cry AND loves to gossip. She’s awesome.

6. Why your host family made you want to run and hide in your room:
My host mom is very concerned about my getting married, preferably soon, preferably to her brother or the mayor. 30 too old to be single and beautiful... Thanks?

7. Most share-worthy puking story:
My wee neighbor Milagros loves to swing really high in my hammock but I usually don’t let her for fear that she’ll fall out. One day, were playing football with the kids on the block and she disappeared. I went into my house looking for her and found a little puddle of puke under my hammock. Using my keen detective skills, I followed the puke trail across the street to her house and found her there looking green. I asked her what happened and she said that she wasn’t going to swing too high in the hammock anymore. I had no idea I should have been worrying about her getting motion sick.

8. Most share worthy story involving your underwear:
When I moved in my host family’s only connection to the public waste water was their new toilet and we were dumping all waste water down there. One day as I was washing clothes I went to dump out the grayish soapy water and I saw a white cotton pair of undies rush out of the bucket into the toilet and disappear into what should be never-ever land. Of course I tried to catch them because as we all know cotton underwear that actually fits is no easy find in Peru. Sadly, my white cotton undies slipped off the tips of my fingers and went right down the toilet. I already had my hand in the toilet from trying to catch them, so then I tried like hell to fish them out, until I started to retch because I recovered my wits and realized where my hand was. Then I had to go tell my host dad that I backed up the plumbing for his household of 7. He listened kindly to my garbled story, turned bright red, and started to giggle as he asked me, “You really put your hand down the toilet?!” Then he went next door and told the whole story to the neighbor.

9. If you could change one thing about Peru, what would it be?
People would have enough self-esteem and confidence to express their creativity. (I plan to work on making that change in the US too.)

10. Why your province is obviously better than all the rest:
Piura! The land of eternal sunshine, awesome beaches, Costabella, ceviche, mangoes, Cappuccinos, Aaron, Tessa, Alyssa, Lizzi, Patrick, Tania, and I’m there.

11. Any meal item you tolerate in Peru that you would never have eaten back in the States?
Did you know that it is actually possible to eat a cow’s hoof?

12. Peruvian cuisine that you’ll get a craving for when you’re back in the States:
Ceviche, cremoladas, my host mom’s sudado, maracuya, little tiny bananas, fried sweet bananas, limones, lime juice as the world’s most versatile condiment, limas, habas, cremoladas, guanabana, lucuma, cremoladas, guayaba, ciurela, cremoladas, pepinillo dulce, cremoladas, queso fresco, mangoes by the quintal, cremoladas, cherimoyas, vinagre de chicha, pollo a la brasa and did I mention cremoladas?

13. Favorite coping mechanism:
Calling up one of my amazing, fabulous, hardcore, funny PVC compañeros and ranting. Playing football (American football a la Nerf) with my neighbor boys. Chocolate. Reading trashy novels.

14. Advice for the newbies:
See number 1.

15. Biggest surprise encountered during your service:
When my friend Rosa asked me if I knew what yoga was and if I could teach it. I’m serious. That really happened.
Or, when during my first visit to Rinconada I was forced to sing the Star Spangled Banner in front of 200 people.

16. What´s your legacy?
I ran every day (we’re talking legend, not reality). We put in running water at the elementary school. I did not marry the mayor.

17. What´s next?
Job. Will work for bagels.

18. Craziest thing a Peruvian has tried to convince you of:
Chucaque, an illness you get from being embarrassed, gives you a cold. To cure it, you rub a newspaper all over you and then set it on fire on a cement floor. Read the burn mark it leaves so that you know what gave you chucaque and you can either get revenge or avoid it. My cold did go away afterwards. I just couldn’t go to the police station anymore.

19. Any random first impressions you had of fellow Peru 8ers:
Andrew very kindly offered to help me carry my luggage when I arrived at the Holiday Inn in DC. I think Mike sin barba hid those moccasins with the fringe under his bed in Tumbes.

20. Will you listen to cumbia in the US?
YES! I’m not ashamed to admit that I sing along to Grupo 5.

21. How will you spend your PC readjustment allowance?
Traveling and I expect I’ll have to buy a suit. Okay, actually I have a whole wardrobe already in mind. It does not include anything made of fleece.

22. Best compliment you have received in Peru:
Really, really good looking man at Queens discoteca: “You dance well, for a gringa.” Also, I’m almost convinced that I am both tall and blonde.

23. Favorite discovery in Peru:
Cremoladas de maracuya and pod casts. Also, trekking is super fun.

24. What your community/host family considers your strangest behavior:
Running, eating vegetables, putting trash in bags, reading, not being married, and moving to Peru without my family.

25. If you could do it all over again, would you? Would you change anything?
I would start slower, talk less and listen more. But, for all my mistakes I had a really, really good time and made amazing friends.

26. What made your site tolerable?
The afore mentioned amazing friends, my hammock, my bike, my host mom’s sudado de pescado, and the amazing maracuya.

27. What makes Peru 8 PCVs stand out?
Tame is better and involves more singing around campfires.

28. Most amusing pick-up line given or received:
A taxi driver told me, “Baby, marry me and I’ll take you wherever you want to go!” Uh, couldn’t I just pay you the S/.2? What an embarrassingly low bride price.

29. Favorite Peruvian holiday: Velaciones. Definitely.

30. What story of yours most frightened family members back home:
Hi Mom, I’m teaching a leadership seminar to some guys at the jail. No, they’re just first time offenders.

31. Did folks from home visit your site? What happened?
My mom and dad came to visit and the kids at the school where I work put on a show of traditional dances for them: marinera, huayno, and a lip-sync to Shakira. It was also my birthday so they sang me happy birthday and them made me dance a waltz with every male in attendance. And since it made me cry they all love to tell that story.

32. Favorite Spanish word/phrase/dicho:
Sí o sí. Yes or yes. As in: Today we're having a meeting, yes or yes (no matter what).
Encamotarse: to sweet potato or to fall in love

33. Fullest that you have ever seen a mototaxi/combi/bus:
It’s a tie. In both instances the mototaxis had their backseats removed: 1. Two hog-tied full-grown, alive horses. 2. Two calves, that’s right live baby cows. Folks in bajo Piura can do amazing things with a moto.

34. Most text messages that you have received from a Peruvian in love in 1 hour:
45. I wish that I were exaggerating. To be fair, I returned about 20 of them. He was cute until he was crazy and I had a lot of time on my hands, okay?

35. Most beautiful place that you have encountered in your time in Peru:
Either the sunset over the Rio Marañon on the way to Iquitos or Catarata de Gocta in Amazonas. Breathtaking.

Chachapoyas and beyond

Feet of Jungle Ella. Getting unstuck from mud in Chaco sandals makes very interesting noises.


Gocta Waterfall


Red drawings by peoples unknown in times unknown.


6 people in a 4 person tent trying to sleep...


Gocta


Kuelap petroglyph

Peruvian independence day recently passed and the schools get a two week break for the holiday. It's their break in between the semesters. Excellent timing for me because I get a good excuse to go on a little vacation. Six of us Peace Corps Volunteers set off for Chachapoyas, a town on the edge of the Amazon Jungle. It's an interesting ecosystem. People call it the jungle, but it doesn't look like the Amazon looks in Iquitos at all. It looks like a cloud forest, maybe with more mud.

We went to a pre-Incan archaeological site called Kuelap. We also hiked up to Gocta, either the 3rd or 16th highest waterfall in the world, depending on who you ask. It's so beautiful. Skinny-dipping was frigid and short lived fun. The waterfall was "discovered" in 2006, very recently. I say "discovered" because there are lots of little towns around there, but no one thought of it as a tourist destination and they hadn't really measured the waterfall. There's apparently another (larger?) waterfall sort of nearby in the same province, but it's more remote and more difficult to get to. In any case, Gocta is more than 700 meters tall. It's sort of like two waterfalls, one underneath the other. The first fall is just over 100 meters and the second is 600 plus meters. We hiked up and camped between the two falls. It's breathtaking, so unbelievably beautiful. The camping was an intimate experience with 6 of us crammed into a 4 man tent. Being one giant human spoon seemed like a good idea until we tried to sleep on one side without moving all night long.

On the way up we walked by some ancient red colored drawing on the rocks. The "guide" (I use that term very loosely) pointed them out, but didn't know who made them or anything about them. The next day we hiked down the other side and the whole time my hiking partners were very kind about the fact that I am as slow as Moses. After we got lost in the jungle on day 2 I know I was trying their patience, but in the end we found our way out of the jungle and had a great time. Then I went to another archaeological site called Karagia. It's these cool sarcophagi built on the face of a cliff where God only knows how they got up there. I still need to do some research on the archaeological sites. There isn't a lot of information or guides, even in the provincial archaeological museum in Chachapoyas. It's only slightly less comic than the American Museum of Natural History's North Atlantic People's exhibit with all Boas' artifacts where labels like, "stick with hook on the end" abound.

Runnin' in Pacasmayo, La Libertad, Peru

The mighty 13 minuite mile :) Fun times.

We filled the cistern today!

The water system should be in working order by Monday!!! I can't belive it's finally finished. Thanks so much to all of you who made this dream come true. Rinconada Elementary has RUNNING WATER!

Handwashing. The Key to the Universe.

Okay, so maybe that's a little extreme but, it's just so true that here and in much of the developing world. My dear friend Tina sent me this article from the NY Times today.
This is sooo true. It's tough to get people to WANT to have clean water, eat vegetables, go to college, have babies at a hospital or just near to emergency care, etc... This lady is brilliant!

Immigrants and Food Stamps Pub!

I almost forgot! I have a new publication coming out tomorrow in New York. I'm only the third author and I haven't been working on this stuff for a while, what with the living in Peru and all. It's from my old job at the Urban Justice Center. The supervisor that I had there, Rebecca was just a rock star, very intense, but very good at her job. We did research for advocacy purposes about the implementation of the Food Stamps Program in New York City, so basically we were just trying to figure out how to get more Food Stamps to more people efficiently and legally. In New York there are a lot of new immigrants and a lot of new immigrants are really struggling financially so some are eligible for Food Stamps. The report makes some suggestions to the city about how to make Food Stamps more accesible to immigrants.

There are all kinds of issues with people being weird about immigrants getting Food Stamps. "Those people come here and take advantage," kind of bologna. But, after interviewing a hundred immigrants or so about food stamps I feel like I'm in a position to say that it is a very rare person who is willing to ask for help if they don't REALLY need it and a lot of people who do really need it are still too proud or too scared to ask for help. Also, the eligibility guidelines are very strict so a lot of documented immigrants aren't eligible and if they're not documented, well that's a total lost cause. Anyway, I think Nourishing NYC: Increasing Food Stamps Access in Immigrant Communities will be available at this link starting tomorrow. It's a lot less polemical than I am here. You know, data and all.

A Couple Little Earthquakes

We've had some eathquake action this week in Peru. The one that was biggest in the news was in the far south of the country, in Arequipa where Colca Canyon is located. I was just there in May with some friends and it is a spectacular place with a rich heritage and history. Fortunately, I think that there was only 1 death and a small number of injuries.

I didn't even feel it up north here in Piura. I found out about the quake when I recieved several kind emails from worried friends. I'm happy to say that I'm fine and everyone I know is fine.

I did run the 10K over the weekend and had a blast down in Pacasmayo, famed for its giant cement factory. "Run" might be a strong word for what I do, but I did jog the whole way and it was a lot of fun. I actually usually run a slightly longer loop, but I never actually run the whole way. I usually start walking and getting distracted by pretty red and green parrots and cool bugs about 3/4 of the way through.

Runnin' and Dancin' for the 4th of July

In my Peru life I run, well okay I jog. I do NOT run in my US life, although I'm thinking that may change when I return if I can find a pretty outdoor place to do it. I started running here becasue I couldn't make it to my eliptical machine at the YMCA and it's warm all year long. I run through the rice paddys and cotton fields at sunset among stunning coconut palm trees cutting tropical silhouettes into the firey setting sun. Being there makes running a lot easier. Don't get me wrong, the first 10minutes or so are still torture, beautiful torture, but still torture.

This weekend a couple of fellow Peace Corps volunteers are helping to put on a run to raise money for their town's library. It's taking place in a town called Pacasmayo, located between Chiclayo and Trujillo. There's a marathon, half marathon, 10K, and 5K. Anthing involving the word marathon is just silly so I'm just doing the 10K. I hear that there are free t-shirts involved.

So, that'll be my 4th of July celebration. The run AND I taught my Youth Health Promoters to line dance to Dwight Yoakam today. The kids always ask about traditional dances in the US because traditional dance is such a big deal here. Every festival and anniversary celebration includes a traditioanl dance celebration. I don't think that you can leave elementary school without being able to dance huayno and marinera. I figured the electric slide was a close to a traditional dance and this native Austinite has.

Potable Water Project Moving Right Along

Cool kids learned thumbs up from a Jackie Chan movie.



The chief mason Senor Juan and his brother break ground for the cistern.



Principal Niko, Profesora Betty, and Student Body President Kike roll the rooftop water tank into the school yard.



The cement and rebar truck came and everyone helped unload. It was so heavy that the truck got in the door of the school okay, but after it was unloaded it was like 10 inches taller so it couldn't get back out under the low entry way. So all the adult neighbors and the folks walking by climbed up into the bed to weigh it down so they could drive the truck back out!



Before! Professora Betty and Principal Niko collect water in trash cans and big aluminum pots.


We're making good progress on installing the potable water in Rinconada Elementary. We have the cement tank and we're working on attaching all of the pipes and electrical stuff once the cement hardens. It needs to sit for a week or so.

Nuptuials a la Peruana

Last night my dear friends Tessa and Manuel got married! Tessa came to Peace Corps with me and in October, a mere 8 months ago, met Manuel at her town's anniversary celebration. She lives in this teeny tiny town in the mountains and Manuel was there doing his year of rural service as a doctor, required of all Peruvian medical grads. It was a privilege to be there to celebrate with them.

Condors in Colca Canyon

Check out this link to a video that I took of the condors in Colca Canyon! This image has really stayed with me. These birds are so beautiful. It's weird they're basically just enormous buzzards that float around on updrafts all day, but they're also majestic dinosaurs. It was a breathtaking experience. Today I'm planning my classes for the jail. The goal of the administration is really to develop self esteem and leadership skills and I have great materials for that. However, the guy in charge to the technical programs told me that the inmates learn all these carpentry and artisan skills but lack business management skills, so he asked if could I teach some business stuff. I of course said sure. I'm now supposed to combine the two, which in theory is really a good idea... In theory. Now I'm just freaking out that business is not something that I actually know anything about. In the words of Homer Simpson, "Doh." I think I'm going to do a class on double entry bookkeeping, which is easy enough to figure out from a book and two more sessions on writing a business plan, which I'm hoping is also easy enough to figure out from a book. Hopefully, my limited business skills can still be helpful. Eeek.