I haven't had a strong urge to write here until the past day or so. I was really sick with the gripe two weeks ago. Then this past week I've been having a hard time. I think my body was still recovering, so I was really low energy and didn't have the gusto for a lot of extra activites. I was also pretty sad. The past week has been the darkest since I've been here, which isn't saying too much since I've been pretty fancy free. I've been kinda lonely and fretting about the things I've left behind. I've been reminding myself that the things that are important will still be there when I get back. And the things that are gone may have been lost even if I was in the states. I don't have any serious thoughts about leaving. What I miss in my mind isn't what I'd find if I went home. I don't actually want to go home. This is an awesome opportunity and I'm really enjoying it for the most part. There are just times when I want to be with someone I know and love, when two years seem like a million, and when I wonder what the hell I'm doing.
I had a mini internal meltdown on a combi this week. A combi is a bus that doesn't have any specific stops, so you can get on or off whenever you'd like. A lot of people got on and I gave an older lady my seat. I was standing toward the front of the combi with a bunch of people packed around me. None of the windows were open because people are afraid of purse snatchers reaching through them. From the perspective of this ride, you'd think Peruvians are allergic to walking. It seemed like the combi stopped ever 30 feet to let someone off or pick somebody up. And the driver would slam on the gas and the break at each one, like he could make up some serious time by swinging the contents of my stomach from the front to the back. I did my urban surfing, looking at this little boy, being certain I would throw up on him, cursing in my mind everything I could think of, wondering why I was there instead of with my family at home or on my porch in Missoula. We got back to the training center and I had a nap and was fine. But it was quite a time.
At the very beginning, our environmental program director Diego gave a talk. He's awesome, by the way. He has a moustache and an accent like Puss in Boots from Shrek. Anyway, he was talking and said, "In Peace Corps, you will have high lows and low lows." He meant high highs and low lows to emphasize the extremes one can feel during service. Still, it was funny. I'd call the combi ride a medium low.
On to more fun things. Pirated movies are widely available here and you'll often find a bunch of movies on one DVD. I rummaged through my hermanito's collection and found this gem. Many of the descriptions don't match up with the movie they advertise. I can't imagine Karate Dog is a Nicolas Cage action thriller. Though I've never seen it, so who knows? But I also read the box for Dinotopia and I can't imagine that movie involves Jullianne Moore and terrorism.
Yesterday morning I went to the baptism of my primos Diego and Camilla. Here's Camilla and her dad Sergio.
We went to the church and then all piled into the car to go hang out at our abuela's house.
We stayed and chatted for a long time. It was nice to be included and feel welcomed. They asked me lots of United States questions, but I'm starting to feel like less of a sideshow and more as somebody who can be interesting as an individual. I think they're liking me for more than my novelty. My host mom said that I'm "muy cariñosa." Very nice.
It was also great to sit around and speak Spanish and not have to think about speaking Spanish. It flows much better these days, though I still have to back up sometimes to correct my grammar. And it can be an interesting game to try to talk about a concept I don't have the vocabulary for. Nobody has a better grip of acupuncture after I try to explain it in Spanish. Or neoliberalism. Thankfully, I have lots of sympathetic listeners who will try to suss out what the heck I'm blabbing about. Though this evening, I explained the greenhouse effect (efecto inverdadero) to Lilli and she totally got it. That's a self-esteem booster.
I've been having lots of good talks with my host mom lately. I learned all about her childhood. How they were poor and she had to take care of her siblings because she was the oldest sister. She cooked meals for everyone when she was 9 and had to go fetch water. She's pretty progressive now. She only has two kids and is all about them getting a good education. It shows that she's really supportive of them because they're very bright and inquistive. Unfortunately, the university system here is worse than the states. Very expensive and hard to get into. I hope Yessica and Jose can break in if that's what they want to do.
After the baptism I went home for a siesta and then off to David's birthday/Halloween party. There were some great costumes and I was really proud of the creativeness of my gringos with little time and fewer resources. Green man was there along with a tourist, ghost, cat, Frida Khalo, and a couple of thugs. Sadly, lots of folks thought I was a bunny, which is crazy because I was clearly a llama. I had false eyelashes, made ugly faces, and had ribbons in my ears (people put them in llama's ears for good luck).
Taking this year and last year into consideration, I don't think other people like my Halloween costumes as much as I do. One aspirante, SaraB, really liked and understood my llama. Last year, only Bridget loved Lil' Jon and none of my male friends would look me in the eye.
Occasionally, we'd move the party under Andrew's ghost costume.
Tomorrow is the long-awaited site placement day. There's been a lot of chisme (gossip) about placements, but I've been pretty superstitious and don't want to get attached until I'm told for certain. Then on Wednesday we split up for regional training and head off for our areas. We're in small groups for a few days and then get sent alone to our site for a few more. Then back here. We'll be gone 10 days all together. It's so nutty that I'll be seeing my new home for the next two years. Training has had it's challenges, but it's basically been like a really nerdy camp. The real thing is coming up. I'm excited and apprehensive. I think I can do a good job. I wonder what it'll be like to come back for three more weeks of training after I've had a taste of the campo.
Fun Facts/Events
-I had fried chicken hearts for dinner the other day.
-I ate a whole raw carrot and my family acted like it was the weirdest shit they've ever seen.
-Peruvians think black people are good luck.
-There are a ton of Peruvians in New Jersey.
-Sunday is the day to be drunk. All day. Especailly if you're going to the local futbol game.
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