Thanksgiving in Arequipa

I just got back from a much-needed vacation to Arequipa, a dynamic and stunning department in the South of Peru. I spent the first few days of my vacation in the Colca Canyon with Edson, John, Ryan, Jon and Matt. We hiked to a beautiful oasis down in the canyon where we took in the beautiful surroundings, swam in oasis pools, avoided Pishtakos and Fish Tacos, sunbathed, and hiked around (Ok, some more than others).

I celebrated Thanksgiving Day in Arequipa City with about 20 other PCVs from all over Peru. I started my day picking up an iced-coffee at the Cuzco Coffee Company with Ancash Shannon and then went for a beautiful tour at the Monasterio de Santa Catalina with Edson. Then Ryan and I took my God-Dog Chewy on a little stroll to the Plaza de Armas and watched him stumble over himself playing with the pigeons in all his adorableness. At around 10am, I met a bunch of volunteers in the hostal kitchen and helped make our Thanksgiving feast - complete with stuffing, cranberry, salads and pumpkin pie. Once lunch was ready, Julie and I made a small Thanksgiving speech... and then we ate, and ate, and ate. Although there was no turkey present, lunch was delicious and a great taste of home. We hung out on the hostal rooftop patio all afternoon and enjoyed the gorgeous view of the city and surrounding volcanoes. We played pass-the-ipod and ended the night dancing in the bars on San Francisco. All in all, Thanksgiving was delightful. :)


Most Arequipeños say that Areqipa is the REAL capital city of Peru, and now I know why. The second largest city in Peru, the colonial structures are built from a white volcanic rock called sillar that glistens in the sun. Arequipa City is gorgeous and clean, Arequipeños are very friendly, and Andean culture and history can be seen everywhere. From the Monasterio to the Cathedral and the Mummy Juanita museum, I truly felt the Andean and Incan roots living on in the city. At an altitude of about 2700 meters, Arequipa is sunny almost year round and barely effected by the rainy season. All I can say is Arequipa is amazing and they are definitely Arequipin' it Real. But Ancash is Better. ;)

I spent the rest of the weekend walking on the beautiful streets of Arequipa, getting my fill of iced-coffee and rocoto relleno, spending quality time with some of my favorite Peru 11ers, and watching the sunsets on a rooftop bar on the Plaza de Armas in a Poncho while sipping on Pisco Sours.

***
Total time in Peruvian buses this week: 72 hours, and well worth it*
Total doses of Cipro taken: 1
Number of Pisco Sours drank: Hmmm...
Total sunsets viewed from atop the Plaza de Armas: Not enough
Number of "That's what she said" jokes played out: I couldn't count if I tried
Number of new God-Puppies acquired: 1, Chewy

A link to my pictures from my trip
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2176808&id=7403642&l=3352d4a421

Projects Update

Work has been so busy lately! After the Social Theater In-Service Training in Lima, I came back to Tumpa and completed my Improved Stoves project. Now, 10 women are proud owners of their new stoves and will be cooking in a clean, smoke-free environment from now on. What's unique about this particular project is that my participants purchased their own stoves instead of receiving them for free as part of a grant or an NGO donation. The small and poor communities in Ancash receive so many donations, fueling the culture of dependency. I asked my participants to prioritize their finances, and instead of spending their hard-earned money on frivolous purchases, to spend it on something life-changing and worth while like an Improved Stove. They're happy, I'm happy.



This week, I'll be finishing the first draft of the Social Theater Manual. It involves a lot of writing and research and makes me feel like I'm back in college. I'm also finishing up a Peace Corps Partnership Program grant for my Healthy Schools Project. This project has the most potential to be sustainable and effective. I'm requesting a grant for materials and supplies to support healthy hygiene, nutrition and environmental practices among the youth in Tumpa. We're working with the Santa Fe school and its 500 students, training the teachers, giving classes and workshops on hygiene and nutrition practices, and forming student health promoters, all with the goal of improving and developing healthy lifestyle practices. Once the grant is on the Peace Corps website, I'll be sending out emails, blogs and smoke signals with more information asking for support and donations to my project.



On top of this paperwork, I'm still going strong with my self-esteem workshop. I've been working with 90 kids between 8 and 12 years old for the past 4 months. The favorite part of my day is walking into that Primary school and getting bum-rushed by what seems like a million screaming kiddies smiling and yelling, "Sofia! Sofia!"
Last week, I celebrated Global Hand Washing Day by giving 5 different workshops on hand washing. The kids loved it - think: soapy suds, water fights, and squealing children. Soon the kids will have soap and soap dispensers in their bathrooms (thanks to the donors of my Healthy Schools grant!), so they'll be able to wash their hands every day.


This week I organized a Nutritious Food Competiton in the Secondary School to provide a fun and interactive way for the kids to learn about nutrition. 257 students participated in 10 different grade sections by creating the ideal and nutritious meal. I invited 3 women from the Health Post, Rabbit and our new Regional Coordinator Nelly to be my judges. We tried delicious and creative nutritious local foods including mazamora de quinoa, tortilla de chocho, causa de verduras y pollo, and aguitas de manzana y menta. The kids did a great job, and the winning class (5B) will receive a private cooking class with yours truly! I'm going to teach them how to cook my favorite comfort meal - Spaghetti with a classic tomato sauce, garlic bread, salad, and desert. I haven't decided what to make for the desert, so if you have any simple and delicious ideas, email me!



I'm having a great time these days and making the most of my productivity until mid-December when the school year ends. I'll celebrate Christmas in Machu Picchu with BOTH of my beautiful parents, reign in the New Year in Ancash with Grant Picarillo and his +1... and do everything I can to stay busy during the slow, rainy months of January and February - I'm hoping to take Round 2 of Quechua classes for a couple weeks and develop a Summer School program for the kids that decide to stay in Tumpa.
October is almost over, and I'm looking forward to celebrating Halloween Huaraz-Style. My costume is a SURPRISE, but I promise to post pictures after our Halloween celebration.

As always, Sending lots of Peruvian love,

Sophie

PS: For more pictures of my little rascals... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2171787&id=7403642&l=2391b14eaa

Here's to Family

On August 11, 2009, Carlos Alberto was born into this Peruvian world and became the newest addition to my host family!
...Here's the story.
Angelica is my 38 year old host mom and works as a farmer in Ancash. She never graduated from high school because she became pregnant at 17 to Juan Carlos, my host brother who is in Army school in Lima. A few years later came my beautiful host sister, Maria, 14. She's got a couple more years of high school to go, and if I have anything to do with it, she won't be getting knocked up like her mother, and will be going on to University in Huaraz or Lima to become a professional young Peruvian woman. Alberto is my host dad. He really doesn't bring much to the family, and I don't want to badmouth him on my blog so I'll leave it at that. So earlier this year, Angelica started to put on weight. We all just thought she was putting on weight, but around June, she discovered that she was indeed 5 months pregnant! (Sex-ed is severely lacking in this part of the world.)
At 7 months, Angelica's water broke, and she gave birth to a premature Carlos Alberto. He's now almost 2 months old, eats ravenously, sleeps like a Dila, and cries just enough to let us know he's a tough little man.
Last night, in our adobe kitchen, Angelica asked me if I would be Carlos' Godmother. I squealed, accepted, and gave her a huge hug - something she's still not quite used to yet. I'm going to lay so much loving on this little man over the next year, and as his Godmother, he and this beautiful family will be a part of my life for the rest of my life. So Here's to Family, all around the world.

Mid-Service Conference and Social Theater

I spent last week in Lima for my mid-service conference. I reconnected with my Youth Development Peru 11 group, I checked in with my doctors for a physical and a mandatory flu shot - ouch! and I co-facilitated a 3 day Peace Corps In-Service Training workshop with Alex, another volunteer. The week was a blast. It was great to be in Lima with my Peru 11 friends, catching up, eating great food, playing mafia (so fun!), watching a little American football, and relaxing.

But the highlight of the week was definitely the training workshop.

The name of the workshop was Social Theater in Service to Community, and Alex and I taught 27 Peace Corps volunteers and community partners from all over Peru how to use theater and improv with youth to boost creativity, self-confidence, and leadership skills in the youth and to address important social issues in a community. It was so exciting to use all the drama and voice skills that I learned as a student in Connecticut with Peruvian nationals and my peers in the Peace Corps. So during three days, the participants played and endless number of improv games and dynamics, developed characters, wrote and performed monologues, and created and performed 15 minute socio-dramas on common Peruvian social issues like domestic abuse, low self-esteem, malnutrition, and teen pregnancy. Social Theater is an excellent teaching methodology, and a great way to address issues in Peruvian commuities that prevent healthy development from occuring. Everyone loved the workshop, and I feel really great about it!

The next step is that I will help create a Peace Corps manual on How to lead an IST on Social Theater in Service to Community. The idea is to make this training session accessible and available to Peace Corps programs worldwide, so that volunteers can bring Social Theater to their communities.

Well that's all for now. Be well!

Sophie

Here's a link to more pictures from my week in Lima....
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2169375&id=7403642&l=3bb3b1b961

Campo Cooking

I live in a town with two small tiendas that sell basic goods like tomatoes, onions, carrots and oranges. Occasionally I’ll find mangos during the rainy season, or avocadoes or spinach. But those times are few and far between. When I go to Hauraz, I stock up on broccoli and other fruits and veggies I can’t find in Tumpa, but without a refrigerator, the produce doesn’t last long. And I don’t have an oven, so that’s out. I’ve had to get creative with my recipes in site, and I thought I’d share a few that make those cold nights just a little warmer.

Broccoli Soup (Not quite as good as Panera’s, but it does the trick)

1 onion

3-4 cloves of garlic

½ kilo of broccoli

Heavy cream

Water

Curry Powder, Chili Powder

Sauté the chopped onion and chopped garlic until soft. Blend with chopped raw broccoli, water and cream for 2-3 minutes until soupy in consistency. Add a pinch of curry and chili powder. Boil the soup for 20 minutes. Serve

Edam Cheese Sandwich with Tomato on “Pan de Piso,” Toasted in a Pan.

Place two slices of cheese and four slices of tomato on one “pan de piso” and toast over medium fire in your Teflon pan. Mix equal parts mayo and Dijon mustard as a dip.

Lentil Soup (Delicious and great source of protein)

½ cup Lentils

1 “Pollo” bullion cube

1 Carrot

2 Tomatoes

1 bunch Spinach

1 liter water

Boil lentils, grated carrot and chopped tomatoes in seasoned water for 30 minutes on medium heat. Add spinach at the last minute, stir, serve.

Simple Tomato Sauce (Inspired by Franceen, who started teaching me to cook at age 2 with pots and pans on the kitchen floor)

1 kilo tomatoes

1 large onion

4 cloves garlic

1 carrot

1 bay leaf and hongo packet

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt

Ground black pepper

In large pot, sauté chopped garlic, chopped onion and grated carrot with olive oil until soft. Add chopped or pureed tomatoes and bay leaf and hongo. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta, over chicken, or as a side to quinoa.

Tuna Fish Tacos

Sauté sliced onion, sliced tomato and sliced aji with olive oil over medium heat. When soft, add tuna and gently mix. Serve with salt and pepper in tortillas or bread.

Homemade Mac ‘n Cheese (are you that surprised?)

1 cup bowties or other short pasta

4 slices of Edam cheese

1 spoonful of butter or margarine

Evaporated milk (It’s hard to come by fresh milk in the campo, and this is the only option. It’s a blessing in disguise when it comes to Mac ‘n Cheese.)

Broccoli

Cook pasta, and add chopped broccoli to pot 3 minutes before pasta is al dente. Drain. Add cheese, butter and milk to pot of cooked pasta with broccoli and stir over low heat until desired consistency is reached. Curl up with a movie and enjoy.

The Best Chicken Noodle Soup Ever

¼ de pollo from your town’s Pollada OR ¼ roasted chicken

1 “pollo” bullion cube

1 small carrot

½ cup noodles of choice

Oregano and Thyme

1 liter water

Boil seasoned water with grated carrot, noodles and a pinch of oregano and thyme over high heat. When noodles are almost done, add chopped chicken with juices. Turn off the stove and serve.

Carrot Salad (You can add any vegetables to this salad - avocados, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers - but carrots are easiest for me to come by.)

Grate carrot. For mustard vinaigrette, mix 1 dollop mustard with 4 teaspoons vinegar and 6 teaspoons olive oil. Drizzle over carrots and crack a little pepper on top.

Spinach Salad

Serve avocado and cucumber over a bed of chopped spinach from your Organic Garden (don't forget to bleach the spinach!) and drizzle with your favorite vinaigrette. FYI, my host mom is hooked.

The 2009 Pacasmayo Marathon

I just returned from Pacasmayo, a funky costal town known for its world-class surfing and fantastic ceviche, where I ran a 10K alongside fellow PCVs, Peruvian nationals and international visitors. It was a great way to celebrate the 4th of July

 weekend and the passing of my 1 year in-country mark. 

Training for the 10K was almost impossible, living at 10,000 feet in a rural farming town with no paved roads, b

ut I was looking for a challenge, and figured that if I survived 1 year in the Peace Corps, I could survive a 10K. I was right!

Sunday morning was cool and overcast - Winter in Peru. I gathered with about 150 runners at the starting point and off we went at 8:30am on a challenging concrete, dirt, gravel and sand course. 

The physical challenge was exhilarating, hitting different types of terrain, taking in some spectacular Pacific Ocean views, and running farther than I'd ever ran before.

 

I thought about the past year.... how far I'd come and how much my life has changed. I've met the most incredible people and built life-long friendships. That gave me energy to keep running. I thought about my loving and supporting family, all congregated together in Massachusetts celebrating the 4th of July, and felt the good vibes they were sending me while my feet hit the ground, one foot in front of the other. 

When I hit the 5K turn around point I smiled, laughed and choked 

up for a second, realizing that this is exactly where I am in my Peace Corps service, embarking on the 2nd half. I finished the course in 63 minutes happy, sweaty and was greeted by cheers and applause by a crowd of friends and strangers. It was a fantastic experience. I feel fit, grounded, loved, and I'm thirsty for more of this life I'm living.*

Visit the Pacasmayo Marathon Website at http://www.maratoninternacionaldepacasmayo.com/index.html

 

Dad's visit! And other tales.

My amazing Dad was just in Ancash for a quick weekend visit. We had a cuy feast with my host family in Tumpa, a picnic at the glacial Laguna Llanganuco, strolled through the outdoor markets, and indulged in a spa session in Huaraz. 

He also accompanied me to my "hair salon" where I got an ob

noxiously short hair cut (they shaved my neck!) for 5 soles... you get what you pay for, I guess! We had a blast, and I was sad to see him go. One lesson of the weekend was that it is SO EASY to visit Peru, even for a long weekend! Flight prices are super low and fly direct from JFK. Just saying...

Just before Dad was here, my counterpart Feliciana and I attended a Peace Corps conference in Chiclayo called Project Design and Management. We designed a project called Escuelas Saludables, or Healthy Schools, that we will implement in 

Tumpa over the next 6 months. The main objectives are to train student health promoters to educate their peers on healthy hygiene and nutrition practices, to make the school a greener place by planting more vegetable and flower gardens, to educate the students and teachers on environmental protection, to construct a micro-landfill to bury the school's trash instead of burning it, and to install large jugs of drinkable water in every classroom to keep those kids hydrated and parasite-free! I'll also work in the lower school on a self-esteem workshop with a motivated teacher over the next 6 months. It will be fun and refreshing to work with the little guys. So I'll start those projects right when I get back from an unexpected trip to Lima...

One of the major frustrations of my experience has been getting sick. The beginning of my service was characterized by unending gastro-problems. Besides the constant diarrhea and vomiting, I was treated for giardia and bacterial infections. In Canada, giardia is more commonly known as "Beaver Fever," because the hikers drink from seemingly pristine lakes, and unknowingly consume Beaver feces. The side effects aren't fun. But lately, it's been sinus infection after sinus infection.  Being sick in Peru is so much more inconvenient than in the States. It means I loose a lot of time being out of site, which is a bummer. So I'm heading to Lima to see a specialist so I can return to site in good health and focus on my projects! 

That's all for now. Thanks for reading! As always, sending you lots of Peruvian love.