O.L.(I).P.C.

Huancayo (where did you go)?

2009-07-31T12:48:00.001-07:00

Claire and I did the tourist circuit in Cusco and Macchu Picchu and returned to the location of my internship, the incomparable Huancayo. It´s good to be back in a town that isn´t completely oversaturated by white people asking ¨CUANTO CUESTO?¨. Last night we visited David and Pilar´s restaurant in Sapallanga and gave the both of them and their adorable daughter the shoes that Claire and her sister purchased in Oregon. It was very nice to give back to the family that was so hospitable during my first three weeks at the school in Miraflores. Claire and I head to the wedding celebration of David´s brother this evening and head back to Lima tomorrow afternoon to see her off at the airport.

The blog is close to retirement, I have been on the move so much over the past few weeks that updating ( i.e. finding a reliable internet connection) has become a challenge. I hope to catch a night bus either tomorrow or Sunday for Mancora a beach community about 2 hours south of Ecuador to sip Pisco Sours and soak up the sun during my last week here. Thanks everyone for following and I´ll do what I can to at least post a picture or a few more words about my trip. Also, don´t forget to follow the twitter feed in the top left corner, I´ve posted a few photos via tweetpic there.

Sad to leave Peru but excited to return and see friends and family back in the Pacific North BEST.

Before I got grumpy...

2009-07-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

Because 2k tourists answering their cell phones kind of ruins ancient sanctuaries, natural beauty and the general solitude of one of the wonders of the world.

It was a good day

2009-07-25T18:47:00.000-07:00

Breakfast in the park: an egg, coffee, toast and an english language newspaper. Lots of time spent in a taxi speaking Spanish while traveling about the city. Bought a snake skin belt and a custom pair of sunglasses. Saw a museum about the Spanish Inquisition in Peru and ate beef heart while listening to the roar of the ocean in Barranco. Now I'm leaving for the airport to pick up Claire. Do I really have to come back and work 40+ hours a week?

Whirlwind Tour

2009-07-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Pisco, Peru. We are in a community of about 80,000 that is still recovering from a 7.1 earthquake in 2007 that left much of the city in ruins. We saw temporary housing as we came in and many buildings show obvious damage from the quake. I've been busy during my extended vacation, hitting the beaches north of Trujillo and riding down dunes face first next to the desert oasis of Huacachina. As much as I brag about how great Oregon is these dunes were easily twice the size of those in and around Florence. Tomorrow we leave at 7 a.m. for Paracas National Wildlife Refuge where if we are lucky and the waters are calm we will take a boat ride around Islas Ballestas. If I don't make it up to Ecuador on this trip at least I will get the chance to see Peru's version of the Galapagos Islands. More later. I pick Claire up from the airport in 2 days!

YES!

Lima:

2009-07-21T05:29:00.000-07:00

Where the constant winter wetness and high pollutant levels make downtown one of my least favorite places in the world.

Where Becky and I finished data input and summaries and recommendations about our deployment locations, in turn completing our OLPC internship in Peru.

Where I ate Mexican food for the first time in 6 weeks and realized how its accessibility in the states is deeply rooted in the American sense of patriotism.

Where I sat at a computer and got rained on and wondered exactly why you would put a computer under a hole in the ceiling.

Where I meet Claire in just 4 days!

The XO meets microwave technology

2009-07-19T15:38:00.000-07:00

Just bumming away our last few hours in Huanchaco before catching a returning bus to Lima this evening. I stumbled across this video on twitter. Not entirely sure what happens in it because without sound it seems like a crazy Afghan dude just microwaving a XO laptop for the heck of it. Or perhaps it is just that, a crazy Afghan dude microwaving a XO laptop for the heck of it. I hope in his next field test they attempt a game of Buzkashi with OLPC's original model. Or, maybe I just prefer they leave the computers in class for the kids to use....

Greetings from (cloudy) Huanchaco

2009-07-17T06:13:00.000-07:00

We are in Huanchaco, next to Trujillo, in and around the surf capital of Peru. I've finally ate ceviche, and while my stomach has been bubbly since, it was delicous. Tomorrow we plan on visiting Chan Chan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site older than the ruins at Macchu Picchu. It's cloudy, but we're going to make the most of the waves today and head out for lessons in the surf. You have to wear a wetsuit here because it's a little chilly. So I'm surfing in Oregon like conditions?

My Peruvian teaching career is over. We return to Lima on Monday to work with the Ministry of Education and tie up all loose ends from our 5 weeks working in the classroom while in Peru.

Newsmaker

2009-07-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

The article says that Becky and I "dropped like angels from heaven." Unfortunately, this angel dropped with the Spanish comprehension of a 3 year old. Good thing his side kick taught ESOL in the United States.

Images from Chilca

2009-07-14T14:56:00.000-07:00

While the interns have no idea what happens next, (swine flu means no more school, but perhaps we will train teachers or members of the local education department whose accroynm is UGEL but I prefer to refer to them as OHELL) Becky and I do know that today was our last day with the kids from Chilca. Above are a few pictures with the students and in the classroom. The third photo captures me striking an attempted replication of the ever creepy mannequins of Peru. These chaps adorn the front of an apparel outlet next to our 1 star hotel. If dodging pickpockets smelly meat and dried goat heads isn´t enough I am greeted every evening by by a one eyed male mannequin and his female counterpart with a stringed noose around her neck. Oh, Huancayo.

While I have had a few bouts of homesickness I am having a great time. It's sad though, that the students of our second school won't have the opportunity to learn as much about the XO as the students of Miraflores. We did what we could with the 6 class days we spent with the kids of Chilca.

As soon as I have some clue as to where and what the interns of Junin will be doing next I will post an update.

Becky leads class

2009-07-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

This video comes from a class with the older kids on Friday. Tomorrow is our last day with students and then we will have either one or two days of instruction with the two teachers of the Chilca school. According to Becky I made the local newspaper after reporters visited on Friday. If I can turn up a link or picture I´ll make sure to update the blog.

Lazy Domingo

2009-07-12T16:17:00.000-07:00

Today we visited the Sunday street market and I bought a painted gord, some tiny hats, a hemp bracelet and a neat wall decoration with Incan symbols. Afterward I went to the mall and bought a chicken tender sandwich at Burger King. There is something weird about those two events being so closely related...

We have two days left in class and find out more tomorrow about what the plan is for the extra week and a half that we won´t be working with children. Rumors are spreading about either working with teachers or working on a tan on the Peruvian coast. You can probably guess which option I am lobbying for.

Get a Shot of Protection

2009-07-11T08:07:00.001-07:00

This Swine Flu Warning comes from 1976. 11 years before I bursted on the scene. 33 years before it cancelled schools in Peru and left 22 OLPC interns wondering what happens next.

Just Wash Your Hands

2009-07-11T07:45:00.000-07:00

Claire linked this video in the comments section. She´s a keeper.

In other news OLPC intern extraordinaire Becky Young (my partner in tutelage) spent 4 hours uploading pictures yesterday, she has some amazing shots of the kids in class and the jungle trip. You can find those pictures here

Post Script

2009-07-10T14:50:00.001-07:00

Dear Mom,

Yes, I will wash my hands more often.

Sincerely,

Lee

Swine Flu Haiku

2009-07-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

Oh damn you swine flu
You create panic and fear
and cancel our school

Yep, the government of Peru has decided to cancel schools across the country out of fear of the epidemic. 12 people here in Huancayo have been diagnosed and 1,431 cases have been confirmed in Peru. Instead of staying in our school in Chilca until the 24th of July our last day will be the 15th. A brief article about the outbreak can be found here (I am pretty sure the dates of original vacation are incorrect).

I guess I´ll be heading to Ecuador or trying to find something to do with the extra time.

The Grand Llama Migration

2009-07-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

For the first time during my three weeks in Peru I witnessed the enchanting, smelly, and oft spitting mammal (whose outline blesses all things tourist about Peru): the llama.

I was moved. A herd of 20 were being quickly directed past our school and into the mountains nearby. While I knew little about Peru´s treasured 4 legged beast I knew one thing, keep those sunglasses on. Thank goodness for the Synder Quality Llamas Brochure I recently read on the internet. From this quick read I feel I may harness the ability to herd llama´s in my free time. Maybe I´ll swing the idea by Claire and try to get a couple for our apartment next year. A few gems from the guide:

¨Before attempting any procedure which requires handling untrained Ilamas you will want to put on leather boots to protect the
top of your feet from injury if a llama accidentally steps on them with its hard toenails. Light gloves will protect your hands from incidental
scrape, and sunglasses or other protective eyewear will allow you to face a llama unflinchingly in the unlikely event of threatened spitting.¨

That´s cool, I tend to wear my sunglasses at night, during the day, and especially when around fuzzy wuzzy llamas.

¨Llamas instinctively oppose any pressure you apply against their body. It may be valuable to realize that pushing a Ilama to the
right will usually result in it leaning to the left.¨

So like backing up a trailer.

¨Catching a llama in a large field usually requires several people. ¨

Bring a friend!

For more lessons in the art of the llama click the link above.

Photo Update

2009-07-07T15:53:00.001-07:00

Sorry a few of the pics weren´t rotated. I´ll leave that job for you. A little constructivist learning.

La Sierra, La Selva, La Sierra

2009-07-06T17:15:00.000-07:00

Another Peruvian weekend is officially over. Today was a teachers holiday so Becky and I decided to visit a few of the other interns in the jungle this weekend. We left on Saturday and paid around 10 dollars for a 3 hour car ride east to a community called La Merced. We went from 11,000 feet in Huancayo to just around 4,000 feet and the trip back up into the mountains today has ment that I´m feeling a little elevation sickness. These conditions persist even though I took some medication recommended by the travel clinic at the Univeristy of Oregon for changes in elevation.

We stayed in a hotel called El Refugio, The Refuge, and enjoyed good company, good meals, and great scenery. I ate deer and mountain boar this weekend and also had tasty fruit smoothie made from apple sized fruit called cocona. I tried to find a link to more about this fruit but everything seems to be in Spanish, you can atleast see what it looks like. We visited waterfalls, a native amazonian community, and took a boat ride on a river where a few of the interns jumped in and swam around. I made a new friend, you can catch that video at the top of this post. I also ate immense amounts of oranges, mandarins and tangerines.

We are back in Huancayo now, and have found out that we will actually be staying in a hotel in the center of Huancayo for the next three weeks and commuting twenty blocks to a school in a community called Chilca. We saw the classroom today, and quite simply, it was depressing. It´s one room attached to a small storefront with dirt floors and around 40 desks crammed both inside and outside adobe walls. The conditions in Miraflores were definitely far superior. By the sounds of things the students at our next school are responsible for taking their XO´s home so that they can charge them because no functional power exists in the classroom for multiple computers. This could also be promising, meaning the students have spent more time with the computers that those at Miraflores, who were not allowed to take the computers home until Becky and I lobbyed the principal to start with the 5th and 6th graders.

From what I understood and was translated for me this school mostly caters to children of families that have migrated from the country side to the city looking for better employment. The majority of these families work in and around the market which I took photos of a week back. 2 teachers operate out of the tienda-school in Chilca.

We have our first day in class tomorrow, yet because of a series of national strikes against new government laws in Peru cars and buses may not run in Huancayo for the next three days. Class seems to be scheduled to go on as usual, but if things are anything like they were during a strike day last week we will have less students and less teachers than usual. I´ll try to keep the blog updated this weekend and give a better perspective of our experience in our 2nd and final school during this internship.

More Shad (new favorite music)

2009-07-02T17:49:00.000-07:00

So this isn´t about Peru. But I´m watching it in Peru. And this is my blog about what I do in Peru. I´ll bet you don´t have to wait 15 minutes for it to load like I do. Lucky you.

One Last Day in Sapallanga

2009-07-02T16:51:00.000-07:00

Well, three weeks in class comes to a close tomorrow when Becky and I have the fifth and sixth graders for one last time. The principal has informed us of a going away party at noon and afterward we pack our bags and head out to Pucara. Pucara is a town about 15 minutes away from Sapallanga, a little higher up in the Andes moutains, and a little farther from Huancayo. It´s been a good experience so far, like most travelers I´ve had my bouts of homesickness and food poisoning, especially following bad ice cream or after some chewy guinea pig.

Midterm report: I am having a great time and I feel that the trip has been beneficial for the kids in the classroom. We have introduced multiple programs that their teachers hadn´t even considered opening and brought to both the teachers and students attention the importance of technology in the advancement of not only Peruvian children but children everywhere. Today Becky had some great points when talking to the teachers about how everyone gets frustrated with technology but with some patience and some devotion it can be both beneficial and a great tool. She even mentioned to the kids that if they work hard with programs like Turtle Art, Etoys, and Scratch, they could one day make movies like Transformers 2 or Ice Age 3. It´s really about using these computers to put things in perspective for these kids. They do have a chance.

I´ve included a video of a few of the kids jumping rope today after class. I don´t think I ever really liked kids before this trip, I´ll miss the kids from Miraflores, even the banshees of segundo grado.

Another video

This video is from the first week. One of the girls brought her puppy to school and was keeping it in her sweater.

Getcha Meat and Potatoes

2009-07-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

I visited Super Pollon (Super Chicken, the rooster even has a cape on the sign) late last week and had quite the plate of food.

P.S. I finished everything but one bite of the chorizo, it was like a cold and especially firm hotdog.

Feria en Huancayo

2009-06-29T07:29:00.001-07:00

This photo is from the open air market yesterday in Huancayo. Working at the Springfield Farmers Market next year, I was excited to check out the fruits and vegetables. The market went on for what seemed like miles. People were selling everything from sebiche to men´s thongs. While I didn't purchase a banana hammock I did get some fresh squeezed orange juice, a dollar fifty Michael Jackson cd and another with my favorite Peruvian song EVER ¨Ananau¨. It was reaaaal nice.

So, maybe I´ll float the idea of selling mens underwear at the market next year?

El Rey de ¨Pop¨: 29 de agosto de 1958 – 25 de junio de 2009

2009-06-29T07:08:00.000-07:00

Peru is great, but I need my darn rap music.

2009-06-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

I like the music, but in moderation. The yelping and flute eventually all blends and sounds the exact same to me. Many people would say the same about hiphop though, so for each his/her own. I actually bought a Michael Jackson cd today for a dollar fifty, sad he´s dead at 50.

I´ve been youtubing for an hour now. I love all the videos, getting a music fix by listening to hiphop from Canada. Great stuff. This guy named Shad is amazing. Listen to him here.

The end of the weekend is near. The weddings yesterday were fun, the first was a little dusty and I didn´t have a seat, the second I only remember looking at my watch and thinking it´s way to early for the numbers to be blurring the way they were. We drank copious amounts of Peruvian beer and celebrated like the majority of marriages don´t end in divorce. I got some chaufa and was sleeping by 10 p.m. Yep, I party hard here in Sapallanga.

Now I´m hanging out in Huancayo, Becky and I visited an open air market earlier today and while she attends a Church service I´m doing some blogging and uploading videos. Afterword, I believe we will getting some pollo a la brasa, delicious peruvian slow roasted chicken with french fries on the side. All for just over a dollar. Love it.

How about a couple more salsa making videos?

Part 2

Part 3

Nos vemos. Mas luego.

Pica pica

2009-06-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

Today I was offered the opportunity to make salsa the way the Inca´s did hundreds of years ago. I`ve uploaded part one of the three part series where I hang out on the roof of a local restaurant next to a chicken coup grinding up some peppers. I`m in Huancayo now and am hanging out waiting to go out to dinner with a few of the interns from Pasco who I haven´t met yet.

Learn to make salsa Inca style here: PICA PICA

I´m certainly no Anthony Bourdain, but I`ll keep practicing.

Still to come, bizzare foods: I long to find guniea pig down here, I hear it is very popular and I´ll be trying to get my first few bites on video in the coming weeks.

3 day weekend, we have Monday off for the national recognition off for the day of the worker. My props to them. Teaching is exhausting.

One dollar haircut...

2009-06-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

But maybe, just maybe, worth a lot more. Although I haven't really looked in a mirror, I'm almost positive it's better than the majority of the cuts I get in the states for $15 or more.

After getting over some type of bug that had me making frequent bathroom trips and wishing kids were a little less voicetrous, I'm back. Back to enjoying Peru and really getting a kick out of working with these kids. Today we had the first grade class at the beginning of the day and 3 teachers working with 12 kids isn't even enough. Every 5 seconds a kid from one direction or the other is screaming AYUDAME! Which is help me. I understand now why Claire can come home from work tired and ready for a glass of wine.

I wish I could find a single keyboard in Peru that worked like the last but I guess I'm not so lucky. Imagine quotation marks around AYUDAME! Beyond that I've gotten to know the family that we eat with pretty well. The husband and wife have a 5 year old daugher who is absolutely adorable but has become acccostomed to receiving either stickers or a treat everytime I come by. Thanks mom for all the gifts, she's going to be one of the main recipients. Anyways, they have invited Claire and I to the wedding of a brother in late July, I'm hoping we can see Macchu Picchu and get back here to Sapallanga to take part in a Peruvian boda.

On the theme of Peruvian weddings: Becky and I have been invited to TWO this Saturday. And we are supposed to go see some ruins with our inn keeper Roman, the same great guy who took us to see a market and museum about the War of The Pacific last Saturday. I really wish I spoke better Spanish so I could learn more about him. Tonight in passing he mentioned that he fought Shining Path when he was younger. Now he designs, builds, and paints exterior fixtures around Sapallanga. I took some pictures of the things he's done. Pretty impressive.

Anyways, I managed to get placed at the computer closest to the bathroom at this internet cafe and I think they must have ran out of urinal cakes because it smells something fierce. Miss the states, but I'm having a great time here too.

Chicken noodle soup, Chicken noodle soup, Chicken noodle soup...with some Frank´s Redhot on the side

2009-06-25T12:45:00.000-07:00

So I´ve uploaded a video of breakfast yesterday morning. While I did sleep for 14 hours the night before, I probably hadn´t showered for 140 hours.

You can find my video here.

Of course with a little tricky youtube labeling I will have people watching my video instead of the Queens anthem ¨Chicken Noodle Soup¨ If you have any interest in tuning in, the official ¨Chicken Noodle¨ video can be found here

hooolahooophooolahoooophooooolahoooop. NOW LET IT RAIN!

Get crazy......

Get stupid.....

Now shake it, now shake it....

Tone wop for me....tone wop for me...

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP WITH MY HAMMER ON MY SIDE...

(I have no idea what that means...)

Another Blog...

2009-06-22T15:15:00.001-07:00

Man and Brian are a father-son team interning in Peru as well. About 3/4 the way down the front page of Man´s blog you can find pictures and information about their visit to the school Becky and I are deployed in.

The link is here.

Notice his perfect punctuation and grammar. He´s a Harvard Grad.

For the record:

2009-06-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

CRN
Subject
Crse
Course Title
Grade
Credit Hours
Earned Hours
GPA Hours
Quality Points
GPA

32711 HIST 382 Latin America A+
4.00
4.00
4.00
17.20

37069 INTL 407 Sem SE Asian Soc Film A
4.00
4.00
4.00
16.00

32898 INTL 444 Dev/Soc Ch SE Asia A
4.00
4.00
4.00
16.00

34701 PS 409 Prac Peer Advising P*
1.00
1.00
.00
.00

Term Totals:
17.00
13.00
12.00
49.20
4.10

That 4.10 at the bottom of the page is my term GPA. Meaning, I got a whole butt load of A´s (well, three to be exact) my last term of college. Straight A´s for the first and last time at the University of Oregon. Thank you film class!

ANANAU: Waking me from naps since June 15th

2009-06-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

This riveting specimen of Peruvian music woke me when I was on the bus heading to Huancayo a week ago:

Ananau-Alborado

I was moved so much when I heard it again today that instead of rolling over and going back to sleep I went outside and sang ¨ANANAAAAAAU¨ at the top of my lungs. Oddly enough a giant eagle came and asked me to ride on his back to Machu Pichu where we had a fine feast of human flesh, chicken soup and Peruvian fried rice called chaufa¨. I awoke from this livid dream in a cold sweat with a craving for chicken soup and ¨chaufa¨, but not human flesh. I hope you are as equally moved.

Kuyay Wasi

2009-06-21T16:01:00.000-07:00

Kuyay Wasi: Quechua for ¨house that hugs¨....I feel like something has been lost in translation. This is the name of the hotel we have been staying in.

Here is a look at my room: 4 concrete walls, but I´ve tried to make it my own

And a pic with a few students in front of the cafeteria. One of the other girls took it. The kids love looking at and taking pictures with my digital camera.

After going out dancing....

2009-06-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

I realized again I have only one move. It involves me having my hands in front of me and stepping back and forth. I really should learn some tango or salsa or something....especially while traveling Latin America.

Also THIS is an interesting article from the LA Times about getting hosed in Peru at ATM machines. According to the Selco website I am supposed to look for ATM's that have a Visa sign and I won't pay much more in transaction fee's than I would at a non Selco ATM in the states. Earlier this week I had a 7 dollar transaction fee on my account, but it has since disappeared. I'll be keeping an eye on my transactions while down here.

Picture Update

2009-06-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

Goodness, gracious, gran pelotas de fuego. I figured out how to upload some pictures. The first is a municipal sign as you enter the community from the east (if the compass on my watch is functional). The second two are students from class. They were taken during lunch break/recess time around 10:30 a.m.

I'd upload a few of me, but like I said....no shower for about a week. My hair was sticking straight up and even the street dogs thought I smelled a little peculiar.

30 cents to Huancayo

2009-06-20T15:42:00.000-07:00

Back in Huancayo now. I woke up this morning around nine (so nice to sleep in) and went to take a shower. Turns out the power was out throughout Sapallanga so my shower was postponed yet again because after my cold shower on Wednesday I wasn't trying to take another. Even the places that advertise hot showers tend to be more like luke warm showers here. But now that Im staying in hotel in Huancayo for the night (10 dollars) I have hot water.

Anyway, our inn keeper in Sapallanga is named Roman and he took us up to a museum that celebrated the war between Peru and Chile this morning. It was very intesting, especially because I studied the Guerra de Pacifica in my Latin American History class this term. There was even a flag that flew above a Peruvian war ship during the war, some 100 years ago. The war was started over access to guano, and it was the reason why Bolivia no longer has access to the sea. We talked about many things, including General Alvarado, the Peruvian military President who attempted to bring leftist change to Peru in the 50's before he was overthrown because of claims of communist influence. It was a fun trip.

Well...I'm going to try and post some pictures here. So let's see what happens...

Sorry, I really wish I could figure out how to load more, but I have problems in both Facebook and Blogspot. Just imagine me in Peru for now.

Video Update

2009-06-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

I´ve uploaded a video to youtube. While I was hoping to post it directly here I think I´m going to have to use a link instead.

So click HERE.

The quality will get better in a couple of hours. This is the second grade class I worked with on Wednesday (before they made their transformation).

Enjoy!

UPDATE NUMBER TWO

I found a way to upload directly. This is along the path that we walk home when we don´t catch a ride from a moto taxi. Claire would remember them as "tuk-tuks" when we were in Guatemala!

UPDATE NUMBER THREE

Technology doesn´t always work. In this case I can´t upload the second video so the link above will have to do for now. After two hours I have to call it a day and find some beer. Mas luego.

Gracias al Dios es Viernes

2009-06-19T12:28:00.000-07:00

One week in and I feel like I am already growing attached to the kids, yet I´m happy to have a couple days off. The second graders were much better behaved today and before class with them we taught the 1st graders how to use the XO´s calculator program. Becky and I left early so that we could get some rest this afternoon. She may have some type of bug and feels both tired and sore. I feel like a million Peruvian Nuevos Soles or about 335,607.34 US Dollars. Im in a new comp lab, and because I have been keeping well hydrated I visit the bathroom often. The first time using the bathroom in this internet cafe I did it in the dark. The second time I turned on the light and wished I would have done my business in the dark. I actually wish I had a bathroom as clean as in my house this past year. And anyone who saw that beast knows that say´s quite a bit.

I´m uploading a video now from class the other day. I´ll post it soon.

2nd Grade: 1st Grade Terrorists

2009-06-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

Today I awoke to rooster at 6:00 am and it was quickly followed by pop rock from the US blared over a rickety sound system in our hotel. Hmm, how pleasant. I managed to fall back asleep until 7:00 when I was woke up by Becky saying it was time to get breakfast and head to the school.

So, omelets everyday? Not so much, today I had chicken noodle soup for breakfast. While most in the states would consider this a dinner dish the Peruvians apparently have turned the table. Peruvians enjoy this meal because it warms the heart, and also because it warms the soul. In seriousness the meal helps the men who work in the field by putting protein and a warm meal in their stomachs before an hour long trip out in the country to pick and plant potatoes and corn. I was alright with it and it was free because the mayor and the city are covering our food costs, but I could have gone for an omelet too. Meh, maybe tomorrow. Or perhaps tomorrow I'll be having Spare Ribs with mash potatoes for breakfast?

At this point I must confess Im ready to chuck this keyboard out of my tiny internet cubicle and yell profane things in my native language. None of the keys work as they are labeled, apostrohes, semicolons and question marks are a challenge every time.

Alright, the second graders. Grade A terrorists, revolutionaries, and a fine reason for me to ask at the pharmacy after classes today "Tienes Xanax?" Of course I didn't, but I could have. Or I could have drank a little tequila. Or I could have drank a lot of tequila. Things started out fine the children were calm and participated when we introduced to them the memorizar game. A matching game with letters, one boy Juan Carlos, was especially sharp and finished matching letters very quickly. I told him he needed a challenge and changed the matching game to simple addition (one card 9+9, the other 18). He didn't like the challenge and proceeded to throw a fit, about this time one of the program leaders came to visit and Becky left me to run the class with a simple "I have faith you can do it" type pep talk.

Faith, sometimes it's not enough. My spanish immediatly hit a wall when I tried to tell the kids to close the memorizar program and open the hablar program. I wanted the students to type the name of an animal and share it with a friend, I offered the example of "vaca", which is a cow, and which every child wrote down. After this I tried to convince them to write others but Raphael thought it would be funnier to make his computer say "pee pee" and walk around the class showing if off. A few became distracted by and suddenly two of the other volunteers were taking pictures with the children. I've discovered that this is, and will continue to be, an issue. I too have taken out my camera in class, but it is a terrible distraction and we really need to limit encouraging the children to act foolish at first sight of a camera. Anyways, Becky returned and I left to try and fix a computer in another classroom.

I sparked the match, by the time I returned even Becky was becoming irritated with the kids. They identified a box of individual pouches of milk that the government gives to support the children outside the classroom and many started grabbing and hiding them in their backpacks. Some fought over the milk and created small tears in the packaging spraying milk about. By the end of the class we returned the majority of the milk and the principal arrived telling the kids they needed to apolize for their heinous behavior. They sincerely apologized and while I was still upset I accepted a few hugs and told the kids we'd see them soon. Probably sooner than I anticipate, in the form of nightmares as I sleep in my four cornered room.

Boy, I've typed too much. I've also discovered a way to change my computer setting from Spanish to English, so while my posts are still plagued by spelling errors, my spelling proficiency plateaud (is that a word?) at 4th grade, I can at least find commas, explanation points and quotation marks.

Well, I promised a girl who lives in the restaurant next door stickers last night and she's arrived looking for her payout. I forgot those stickers....wonder how I will approach this situation...

Still need to post pics and videos.

Still need to see if the toilet swirls the opposite way.

Still need to change my boxers.

Maybe tomorrow?

Estoy en Peru

2009-06-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

(Im back to using a Spanish keyboard so please bear with me while I try and figure out puncuation and symbols on it)

Well, here I am. Some 38 hours after leaving Eugene I arrived in Huancayo last night around eight in the evening. The bus ride wasnt too bad, minus the showing of The Son of Mask and some crappy TNT movie about Crazy Horse (or caballo loco for the Peruvian faithful), and the fact that someone managed to pee everywhere except in the toilet when we curved around the Andes mountains, making the entire first floor of the bus smell like urine and mints. Anyways, today was my first day in class and I'd like to speak more to what happened today:
I woke this morning with a light headache so continued my attempts at offsetting elevation sickness (I am at 10,000 ft...but went as high as 14k yesterday) by finishing off a half gallon of water before heading to breakfast. At the cafe next to our hotel I was able to get an omelet, mate de coca and toast for 6 soles or 2 dollars. Can you imagine buying a ham, cheese and tomato omelet for less than a dollar fifty? So nice, I may have to eat an omelet for breakfast everday here.

We met the mayor of the town of Miraflores, a small community outside Huancayo who seemed far from excited to see us. Apparently, noone informed him of our intent to work in the school in his township and our terms: A bed and three meals a day. Needless to say he asked for more time and tonight myself and my partner are staying in a hotel with concrete walls, a single bulb hanging from the ceiling for light and a dog in the yard who still has not been convinced Im a guest and not a burglar.

We went to our deployment school where after a meeting with the prinicipal and the students we were given the afternoon to hang out with the 5th-6th grade class and see what they know about the XO. Playing a supporting role I walked about the classroom attempting to talk to the kids about their favorite programs and we taught them how to use both Speak (a computer voice that says whatever you type, including the number 127648759393058375957843, which took quite awhile to finish saying when one of the children entered it) It was a great experience and while the children have had the computers for awhile it seems to be that they were only taught how to use two programs, a writing program and a video recording program. This means we have plenty of material to teach these kids over the next 3 weeks before we transfer regions.

I am working with a woman named Becky, and am super excited because not only can she speak fluent Spanish but she also has a background in teaching- early on elementary education and currently a high school for adults in Virginia. We will be working together in the classroom from now until when we finish in August.

After class we returned to the mayors office to be told by his secretary that he was in a meeting. We proceeded to his meeting, which turned out to be him and 10 other middle aged men drinking beer in the main street of the town while listening to very loud Peruvian music. I had a meeting with minds in what Becky called "Beer diplomacy" and participated in the ritual: pass around a cup and a 22 oz beer pour, drink, pass. By the time we had showed the old men our laptops and proceeded to lunch, myself with a nice buzz, nearly 15 empty bottles sat in a box on the ground.

Ill post more later. If you have questions please ask and I will try to address them. I will also attempt to put up pictures and videos of my trip so far as soon as possible. Tomorrow we work in a class of first graders, the teacher was initially apprehensive but has decided to allow us some time to teach the computer tomorrow. Love.

Que onda "tweeps"

2009-06-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

When I can't make large posts I'll be updating by "tweets." You can follow these off to the left of this entry. I'm borrowing free iternet in Mexico now, waiting for my connecting flight to Lima. I'll be deployed in Huancayo. Mas luego!

9 hours until departure...

2009-06-13T21:02:00.000-07:00

Things packed:

Franks Redhot
Whoopie Cushion
Jelly Beans
Albuterol inhaler
XO Laptop
Mismatched Wool Socks
Water purification drops
beef jerky
bug repellent
malaria medication
pepto

If only I could fit Claire inside my Jansport backpack as well....

I'll update as soon as I can after touching down. Here's what my itinerary looks like:

Eugene 6:00 am
Medford
Los Angeles
Mexico City
Lima 5:40 am (next day)

Bus from Lima to Huancayo 1:30-8:30 pm (June 15th)

I may have another 7 hours after Huancayo to my deployment site. Much love, thanks for following and thanks to everyone who showed up for the BBQ today, I had a great time!

Satipo, Peru

2009-06-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

Home of some 15,000 and the gateway to the Amazon. According to a contact at the ministry of education I'll be interning in the department of Junin in the small town of Satipo. Sounds like it will be a bus ride of 16 hours after flying for 23 hours. Elevation is about 1,800 feet....which means altitude sickness should not be too big a problem. But I do drop from some 10,000 feet from the department capital of Huancayo. Hold on tight...

A google search of "Satipo" turned up the gringos pictured above. Do check out their stylish Peruvian bags.

(Not) to Ucayali!

2009-06-07T09:04:00.000-07:00

As it turns out the Ucayali region has been canceled. Why you ask? Well, a little thing called "popular uprising". I'm now heading to the Andes mountains where the local high will be 29 degrees Fahrenheit! I bought shorts 2 days ago, certainly won't be needing those. Also I'll be going so high up into the sky that I'll likely suffer shortness of breath and a brain filling with water. I'm truly excited, even if this blog doesn't seem to convince you of it. So, while I'm not entirely sure where I'm going in the Andes I know I'm going to the Andes.

I mean, the Andes aren't that big and long right? Shouldn't be that hard to figure out where I'm being deployed? You'll know more as soon as I do. In other news my passport is still somewhere between here and Washington D.C.... let's hope that shows up soon.

Optimism and confidence with a dash of realism

2009-06-03T22:02:00.000-07:00

The OLPCNEWS wiki has proven to be a great resource in prepping for this trip . If you haven't been following the link I posted in the Update post a week ago then you, my friend, need to catch up. This article is especially interesting as it details the obvious challenges that exist within the one laptop, one student program. It highlights what the author calls "The Miracle Transformation Fallacy"

In a nutshell: OLPC hasn't saved the world yet.

To Ucayali!

2009-06-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

I'm heading to the Peruvian Amazon. We received word via email today of our deployment locations and I will be participating with 7 other interns in the Eastern Province of Ucayali.

Some exciting things about Ucayali:

-Three Toed Sloths can be found in trees!

-River Manatees and River Dolphins!

-Pucallpa, the Capital of Ucayali, is one of the most progressive cities of the Peruvian Amazon

-A festival celebrating Saint John the Baptist will take place during the week of my arrival (more info here)

After finding an English Language Brochure created by Prom Peru I've discovered I may be lucky enough to snack on some baked Amazonian Rat during my time in Ucayali....other tasty treats include:

- Patarashca (fish wrapped in banana leaves and roasted over a fire)

- La Sarapatera.

- Inchicapi (chicken soup with peanuts, coriander and cassava).

- Juane (mushy rice cooked with Peruvian saffron and chunks of chicken wrapped

and cooked in bijao leaves)

- Picadillo de Paiche (Cured paiche fish, shredded with onions, tomatoes and hot

chili peppers).

The Ucayali Tourism Brochure can be read here.

Finally, it's worth noting that there has been some conflict between the Peruvian government and the Indigenous populations regarding land rights and socio-economic equality in the Amazon. You can find a link to that story below:

http://www.greenleft.org.au/2009/797/41023

XO- Thirsty for some more?

2009-05-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

So I've heard the XO is rugged. Turns out it takes a little rain, but you probably shouldn't put it under the tap and let it run. Here's the video, and check out the link at the bottom of the page for the full story as to what happen to the ole XO after a little water play.

http://www.olpcnews.com/hardware/keyboard/olpc_keyboard_water_test.html

Visa Situation

2009-05-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

I've sent out my passport and other identity nabbing documents (including a nice letter from the Peruvian Ministry of Education saying I'm working on their behalf from the 1st of June through the 15th of August) to a visa company in Washington D.C. Let's hope I get my Visa back before my June 14th departure.

In other news, anyone who checks or stamps my passport will still be fortunate enough to see a picture of 15 year old Lee pouting with a Beatles style mop top combed to the side to show off his rather expansive forehead. Anyone interested in a further laugh can refer to my lazy eye, documented nicely on my Oregon drivers license.

I'm heading down to the Eugene Saturday Market here in an hour or two, could be my last chance to inhale the sweet smell of armpit and patchouli oil for a few months.

UPDATE:

2009-05-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

Where did the year go? I graduate in just over 2 weeks and a day later will be flying down to Peru to participate in an internship with One Laptop Per Child. To learn more about the organization check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtZLbTR29WM

and check out their mission statement here:

http://laptop.org/en/vision/index.shtml

I've found out that the areas of deployment have been narrowed down to 3: San Martin (cold and way up in the Andes), Pasco (less cold, still up high) and finally Ucayali (deep in the Amazon jungle). I'm hoping for the jungle, but will be happy anywhere I end up, so long as the elevation doesn't make my head fill with water and my brain explode.

I'm interviewing for an Americorps position today in Eugene. Keep your fingers crossed, it sure would be nice to have a job lined up when I return from Peru in August. Thanks for reading and keep checking out the blog. I've ordered a lightweight collapsible keyboard that is a little larger than the XO keyboard. Hoping to keep everyone updated a litte more frequently than last summer in Mexico and Guatemala.

Paradise Found

2008-09-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

Greetings from San Pedro,

We are on the shores of Lago Atitlan, once called by Aldous Huxley the most beautiful lake in the world. The past few days have been very busy but I wouldnt have it any other way, because I can-t figure out this keyboard dont expect gramatical excellence! This morning Claire and I woke up to quite the amazing sight, the sunrise from hundreds of feet above the valley that Antigua lies in. Last night we stayed in a treehouse that overlooked a small grove of avocadoes. We had a delicious full vegan meal for dinner, that I actually ENJOYED, and sat amongst others who were enjoying the Earth Lodge. The place is owned by a Canadian and American couple but to Claire and my surprise there was a girl volunteering there from Cottage Grove, Oregon! The place was amazing, and some of the children of the caretaker came down and we played with a deflated volleyball as I tried to explain the theory of spiking. This morning on our way back to Antigua, to catch the shuttle here, two more children came up and we played with a bicycle tire for 30 minutes waiting for our late shuttle. OUR shuttle, just so happened to be a pick up truck with a bar across the top that we held on to with dear life as our driver manuevered over a dirt/mud road. At many points you could see where the last storm had washed another couple feet off the road into the embankement below and Im pretty positive I watched Claires grip tighten on the overhead bar with each close embakement we passed.

We hung around Antigua for an hour or two and then caught a real shuttle, full of other tourists, to the town of Panajachel, the gateway city to Lago Atitlan. The drive from Antigua to Panajachel was almost surreal watching the famous Guatemalan Chicken Bus swerving in and out of lanes of traffic and passing on double yellows heading up hills. They are essentially the old yellow school bus I rode to 3rd grade, converted to look badass with multiple flames and possibly the national bird, the Quetzal. At one point during the ride I watched a younger boy jump from the moving bus and then do a bow to his friends, showing off how brave/stupid, that he was. Anyways, if I thought the grip Claire had on the bar in the truck earlier this morning was white knuckled the fingers she dug into my thighs on a few of the turns this afternoon proved she had anything but a wet noodled grip.

We arrived at Panajachel and were quickly stormed by locals asking whether or not we needed a hotel, a boat ride, or one gentleman in particular was very foward in annoucing that he knew where I could smoke some weed. I attempted to kindly disregard all of them but one gentleman was especially pushy and after much discussion we lowered the price of a lancha, boat, from 300 quetzals down to 175 quetzals for 3 of us. The ride across the lake was MISERABLE, it was pouring rain and at least once I feel like Claire gave me the much missed during our 10 weeks apart look...did you really take me on this boat into the middle of a hurricane? Anyways, we made it safely and now she is facebooking while I type this message. I hope to swim tomorrow in the lake and then if all pans out we will catch an 8 hour shuttle to Semuc Champey in the waining days of our trip. Hope all is well back home, I have been especially jonesing from some home cooked pasta lately and cant wait to italian sausage and meatballs back home. I would post pictures, but unfortunately I did not bring my cord....they will have to wait until the trip is over, but they are most definitely worth the wait.

Off to Guatemala

2008-09-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

I haven't updated in awhile, sorry! Tomorrow I leave for Guatemala for 11 days of rain in paradise! Check the link in the earlier post for newer pictures, including last night where I drank entirely too much but had a great time hanging out with some amazing Mexicans I met while taking classes here.

I'll try to update at least once or twice from Guatemala, more later foks. Now I must try to go to sleep so I can catch my bus to Mexico City at 6am tomorrow.

Rain, rain, rain....

2008-08-21T06:31:00.000-07:00

It has been a very rainy week. All day Monday and Tuesday it rained, yesterday started clear and rained most of the afternoon and then it downright poured in the evening. The majority of the students in the program have been complaining about it, but I've really been enjoying it. The natural beauty of Mexico is really impressive, and the nightly thunder and lightening that with the backround of the rising valley Queretaro lies in, has been way cool. Two downsides to the rain...My papers have been drenched twice this week hanging out next to my bedroom window and the drainage in Mexico is awful. Everytime it rains the city smells a little funky and I'm convinced sewage floats up and runs down the street with the rain...not a great time to be wearing sandles, or stomping around in puddles.

Today marks the second day of my prospering modeling career in this country. About 3 weeks back a couple of students and I volunteered to be in a government sponsored pamphlet highlighting the benefits of studying Spanish in the State of Queretaro. Last week I hung out for nearly 3 hours and spent a grand total of 20 minutes pretending to read a Spanish text book with a 26 year old newlywed from Michigan. Afterwards I got on the wrong bus and spent an extra 30 minutes trying to get home, eventually giving up and taking a taxi (which are really cheap here, usually nothing over 40 pesos or $4). Today we take our action shots, which should be hillarious because I felt strange enough acting interested in a Spanish text over my level, who knows what ridiculous things the photographers will suggest today. In honesty, I am a little convinced that they simply tell us to do things soley so they can laugh at how awkward we are. Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss in my near future? While anything is possible, I think I'll just finish up my last year of college and see if the circus is accepting applications for fire eaters or tight rope walking.

The program heads off to San Miguel De Allende and Guajanuato this weekend, but I've decided to hang in Queretaro. The decision was made mostly out of financial forecasting, I know I need to curb my spending a bit so I can enjoy Guatemala and still have a little money to buy Top Ramen and hot dogs when I get back to the states (oh, the life). It's a little disappointing because I just found out they will likely be visiting hot springs, but whatever, USA plays Argentina Friday night (Olympic basketball) and the championship game is on Sunday, plus I have a fair share of work I could do in preparation for my final week. AND if my understood my host brother correctly he wants to go to a club or bar Saturday night. Well, that is all for now. Suddenly none of the apostrophes are working, so I guess this is a good time to sign out. Hope all is well. Only 2 weeks now until Guatemala and seeing Claire again for the first time in 3 months!

Oh and by the way, what the hell is this I hear about Obama only having a 1 point lead in the polling right now in the states? Please, please tell me after the convention he gets a huge bump! 2 entirely un-winnable wars, a faltering economy, human rights abuses all over the world, rampant ignorance of international opinion and treaties, gasoline at 5 dollars a gallon...all this under a Republican President and Obama only has a 1 point lead!? Tell me they are polling only the most backward rednecks. Hopefully, Obama gives Biden the nod and all the naysayers about his foreign experience give it a break. But then Biden did vote for the war in Iraq (more ammunition for the GOP)....ahhh...1 point....seriously...1 point?

wow

2008-08-18T16:03:00.001-07:00

grammatical and punctuation errors galore in the last post. Lo siento todos.

Photo UPDATE

2008-08-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

Back in Queretaro from a weekend trip to Mexico. Yes I am in Mexico, and when in Mexico and you make a trip to the city of Mexico you simply call it "Mexico."Crazy, I know. I had a lot of fun and saw some amazing things, it really is too bad I couldn't take pictures in the National Art Museum because there was a Diego Rivera mural that (for a student of Political Science) was just awe inspiring. It was a depiction of a man trying to change the world from the two possible directions it was heading, capitalism on one side, socialism on the other. Diego was of course, a little one sided and had many more negative images on the capitalism side than the socialist...in my opinion. The piece though, was simply amazing and it's history was very controversial as well. It was originally supposed to be in New York but because of Lenin's depiction it was never shown. Wikipedia for more info, it is very very interesting. I wish we had 2 more hours for both the Anthro Museum and the Art museum, but when in Mexico with 20 tired gringos sometimes things don't pan out. We also visited the site of the 1968 shooting of a number (still disputed) of students protesting the government in anticipation of the Summer Olympics. The city has so much history, it is amazing yet completely believable that its 25 million people make up one quarter of the population of all of Mexico. (After writing that statistic I just asked my host sister and her friend and they claim it has 20 million, either way it is HUGE!)

I am keeping very busy at school and am pleased to report that I got a 9.8 out of 10 on my presentation over Mexican weddings last week in my discussion class. It was 15 por ciento of my grade! I don't especially want to talk about my midterm in grammar class, but have a feeling Object Direct and Indirect kicked my butt a bit. Whatever, just inspiration to study a little harder before the final. Anyways avid followers, here is a link to a number of photos I just put up, hope you enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2179705&l=ba7b3&id=11512554

2008-08-10T21:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend was ridiculously busy as we visited the State of Michoacan and attempted to visit every point of interest that the state can possibly offer. It started out bad because of my losing battle with some watermelon I ate on Thursday, but ended up being pretty fun. We saw some awesome things and overall had a great time, my only complaint is our total lack of Spanish while traveling in a big group...I hope on future trips we try to speak a little more Spanish. Anyways, here are some pics that I have taken so far....

La Lucha Libre Etiquette

2008-08-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

Last night marked my first foray back into the world of professional wrestling. While I can't completely feign ignorance of the oft considered white trash sport (yes, I watched Raw and Smackdown in Middle School...yes...I was verging on obsessive) it had been a number of years since I fully took in the spectacle of two waxed men in singlets grappling one another. Let me say this: It's probably one of the most macho things I can ever consider myself to be apart of, and really freaking sweet. A number of students from the group studying Spanish here attended last nights match at the Queretaro Arena. Funny, the arena from the outside looks more like the Wow Hall in Eugene, and from the inside looks like a dingy version of a high school gym. The point I'm getting at is that I doubt it will be hosting U2 the next time they pass through on World Tour, but it hosted nicely for the Luchadores and the ever popular Dr. Wagner.

I arrived a little late with a few people I've met through the program and picked a rail around the top to initially take in the acting and acrobatics. The wrestling here has a lot more stunts involving jumping off the turnbuckles and in and out of the ring, and on multiple occasions people in the crowd either caught or were suddenly blind-sided by a sweaty 300 lb masked man who was thrown from the ring into the first 3 rows. I quickly found myself invested in the luchador in red and was hurling insults at his opponent shortly after entering the arena. Markus gave me a few looks of bewilderment but fell along with me in yelling when I pointed out that the woman a row in front of me, the one chain smoking and verbally accosting the luchadors, was simply translating my rugged English into its Spanish counterpart. I apparently have terrible luck picking luchadores (much like my terrible luck with directions and gambling) and red suffered the most embarrassing defeat possible in the wide world of La Lucha Libre when his opponent ripped off his mask, revealing his face for the crowd to see. The grown man who I had just seen chop blocking and suplexing like a pro was quickly desecrated to nothing more than a whimpering crying 250 lb baby as he begged for his mask back.

The de-masking ended the match and Mexican women wearing small bikini´s crossed the ring with signs declaring round number. I'm convinced no one actually pays attention to what the sign says, it could easily read "You are all pigs" and the guys in the crowd would hoot and holler just as loud if not louder. At this point the three of us who came together spotted our party and walked around the other side to sit down with the very obvious group of gringos.

There was now one match left before the main event and I myself was getting very excited. I picked a luchador in black and quickly began my verbal beat down of his green singlet wearing opponent. About half way through the match a small child a row in front of me and a few seats down turned around and in perfect English said: "God, you are annoying! Shut up!" I was shocked. Everything I had invested in this match was suddenly stifled by the judgement of one 12 year old boy. In response to his behavior his father gave him a high five and I quickly realized that I was far from being a legitimate lucha libre enthusiast. It dawned me on at that point that, really, no one was cheering as loud as I was, and everyone was laughing at me. I was like the drunk guy at a concert that really digs the opening band when everyone else wants them to finish their set and get the hell off the stage. After realizing I was actually a terrible spectator, and fielding nasty looks from buzz kills mother for the next 20 minutes, I was happy to move farther away from them before the final match. I found that during those 20 minutes of awkward embarrassment, wrestling is really ridiculous if you are not screaming your head off.

Doctor Wagner took the stage to much pomp and circumstance and the crowd went absolutely berserk. Things got a little weird when a woman with only one leg was passed through the ropes and Wagner carried her around on stage while people took pictures. I just figured it was the equivalent of Make a Wish Foundation, but was in general agreement when another student in our program pointed out there are millions of disabled Mexicans that don't even receive the benefit of ramps into most public buildings. Anyways, the match was entertaining and despite getting his butt kicked the entire contest Doctor Wagner came out victorious and the crowd went wild. I went looking for a taxi and made it home about a half hour later. I watched a telenovela called El Fuego en La sangria, or something like that (think really corny Mexican soap opera) and fell asleep with thoughts of Mexican fruits and vegetables dancing among my thoughts.

I unfortunately still forgot what the words for peas and watermelon were in Spanish on my quiz today. Anyways, more later. I'm off on Friday to visit Michoacan and will be gone until Sunday afternoon. Hopefully I'll post pictures sometime in the near future...for your viewing pleasure.

Pollo Poco (o pequeno? no se)

2008-08-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Mexico!

This night seemed like a better night than most to put off doing some homework (only one page about an old friend, thinking I'll write about Mike) and physical activity (ignoring the invite to salsa dance) and start up a little correspondence with whoever may have an interest (albeit likely limited) with what it is I'm doing down in Mexico. So honestly, mom, this is for you. But feel free to tell your friends if you want...

After one week here I venture to say I have become acclimated to my new home in the center of Mexico. The city I am studying Spanish in is named Queretaro and it has a population of nearly a million people. It doesn't at all feel that large though and compared to the 24 hours I spent in Mexico City it is a very laid back and relaxing atmosphere. It is considered to many Mexicans a tourist destination because it is the locale of a number of historic buildings and events in Mexican history. It is also popular because of the remnants of an aqueduct that once transported water to the city. One old tale says that the ducts were built by a rich man vying for the heart of a nun in the local convent. She promised to give her hand in marriage if he could bring water to the people of the town. I am very lucky when you figure that now a days all you have to do to get a girl's hand is hold a job 9-5 and not get caught staring at too many other women. But I digress...

Considering the fact that I hadn't studied Spanish for a year before coming here, and also that I completely disregarded my promise to watch copious amounts of Telemundo and Univision before arriving, I feel that things are going just about as well as they possibly could for a tongue twisted Gringo in Mexico. After a week I am finally feeling more comfortable talking with my host family and was able to spend a half hour last night discussing food, and sushi especially, with my host brother. He has offered to make sushi Thursday and wants me to invite friends from the program. Exciting huh!? Maybe dangerous aswell considering I'm in Mexico and hundreds of miles from a body of water....but lets get to some juicy details of my stay...

Among other things that have happened here two stories tend to stand out:

1. The story about the time I told my host family the sky fell on my neighbors head
2. The story about the time I left with a group of Mexicans in an overloaded car for a city I didn't know at 11:00 at night.

Story number one requires little back story, simply the fact that Paul (a member of our group) had his ceiling fan fall on his head last week while he was reading a book in his room. He was not sure whether or not he suffered a concussion but came to the conclusion that SINCE he fell asleep, and since if you fall asleep after a concussion you are supposed to die, that he is actually alright.

When I heard this story I found it wholly hilarious and decided I must share the humor with my host parents. So while eating comida (the big meal of the day, it comes around 3pm) I attempted to tell the story of the time Paul was:
"leeindo sus libre y el cielo (at this point I stood up and made a crashing impression) golpen en el cabeza" (So now you are starting to understand, really, how terrible my spanish is).

In response, a little confused, my host father said:

"La lluvia ayer?" Implying that perhaps I meant "the rain" fell on Paul's head.

"No, no, no." I responded. "El cielo!"

A dumbfounded look crossed both my host father and mother, but being the patient people they are they proceeded to maybe help explain that, unless Paul was merely a nick name for Chicken Little, it is impossible for the sky to fall and hit someone in the head.

"El granizo?" My mother asked. Maybe hoping that she could pull me away from the edge of ignorance by suggesting that it was hail that hit Paul in the head.

"No!" I exclaimed. I proceeded to make a spinning motion with my hands, impersonating a fan and declared "El cielo golpen Paul en la cabeza!" Then continued to laugh...

They both looked completely bewildered by the increasingly louder American standing in their kitchen (while they were sitting) , pointing at the ceiling and declaring that yesterday, in total flagrance of all known science, the sky fell and hit Paul right in the cabeza. After awhile I came to the conclusion that perhaps, just maybe, the term for "ceiling" was not actually "el cielo" and went upstairs to find my dictionary. As it turns out the proper word for fan is "ventilador" and when I was trying to explain how it fell out of the ceiling the word for ceiling is "techo" and "el cielo" is indeed "the sky."

After realizing I had made a huge ass of myself they laughed and my host father had me repeat "techo" very slow a number of times, probably hoping I wouldn't make such a ridiculous claim again anytime in the near future. I started talking in English, saying how stupid I was and how they must think I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing in Mexico before realizing that, yes, they do live in Mexico and speak only Spanish and me telling them a bunch of useless information in English really isn't going to accomplish anything. I ended my rant of English with "Lo siento" and thanked my host mom for comida and went upstairs to take my daily siesta.

As embarrassing as the entire thing was, it has proven to be an entertaining story to tell to the people in the program and I was even able to relive the experience with the Mexicans I travelled with to San Miguel De Allende Saturday night and they found it as funny if not more funny than my host family when it happened. The story of the trip to SMDA will have to wait, because I've been typing for way too long. But, (yes I start sentences with But, take that 4th grade English) now I must watch some television and continue to write down words that are new to me. Oh, actually now I have to finish my homework. More later!