Update

Monday, July 25, 2011

Wow, so much has happened in the past week I don’t even know where to begin. I feel so honored and grateful to be here and to have had so many incredible experiences in our short week and a half.

Our project has been a lot different than we first anticipated because when we arrived we discovered that winter break was about to shortly commence. Instead we reorganized our time in Peru, and will be doing our project (see previous entries) in the last half of our trip. During the last two weeks we’ve been volunteering at the school, Fe Y Alegria, that we’re collaborating with for our project. Brianna and I worked in two different 1st grade classes during the morning session from 8 to 12:30. After teaching kindergarten for a year in Slovakia with 22 kids, I really developed a deep appreciation for teachers and also how stressful and hard it is to manage a class, especially young kids. I thought 22 kids were difficult, and then I stepped into this classroom. There were 35 six and seven year old's in the class. It wasn’t a complete mad house, but quite chaotic nonetheless.

We’re also working in Los Martincitos, a community-based initiative that started over 40 years ago. Three times a week—on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays—up to 130 poor senior citizens who are eligible for the program receive two hot meals, recreational activities, organized prayer, basic health care and an opportunity to socialize with others. To be eligible, one must be at least 65 years ol, and live below the poverty line of $2 a day for a family of four. (The "absolute poverty" line is $1 a day for a family of four.)

They also have a learning room with a literacy program set up by the government. Many of the abuelos that come are illiterate, and although the majority of them are over the age of 80, they still thirst for knowledge and are extremely eager to learn. The program’s slogan is “Nunca es tarde para aprender” (It’s never too late to learn). I got to work in this group last week with one of my favorite abuelas, Teresa, who’s about 85, 4’5, and as feisty now as I’m sure she was when she was 30. Together we made signs to decorate their room.

In the morning after clearing up from breakfast, I heard music blasting from their recreation room. After listening more closely I realized that everyone was boogying away to Ricky Martin’s “La Vida Loca”. Myself and the other volunteers all joined in for a few songs. If you're a self-conscious dancer, or just prefer dancing in private, I highly recommend this experience to break you out of your shell. Not only can you dance care-free, but all of the abuelitos encourage, hoot, holler, and kiss you on the cheek when you finish. Talk about a confidence booster.


The atmosphere at the center is wonderful. Although pretty much all of them live in abject poverty, they are so happy and content with what they have. I've really fallen in love with the place.

First Impressions of Peru

I have to be honest - of all the places in the world that I've really wanted to travel to, South America has never been at top of the list. It's not that I didn't want to come, but I always just figured I'd travel to south east Asia and Africa first. However, being as Spanish is now my second (closest) language, I was hoping that I'd really enjoy Peru, as I'm sure my work will keep me in this area in the future. After just our first four days, I'm trying to recall back to whatever prior reservations I held about South America and cannot remember one.

Brianna and I have become almost enchanted with Villa El Salvador, an impoverished (or more accurately I would say, slum) suburb of Lima that we're living in. It's so refreshing to leave so many of our "westernisms" behind and immerse ourselves as much as we can in the lifestyle and culture. How freeing it is to get up in the morning and not only pull on the same pair of muddy jeans and tee-shirt that you've worn the last two days, but to also not feel in the least bit judged by your rather frumpy, and grungy appearance! I know it sounds a bit cliche, but as a Westerner coming from such an image-conscious country (perhaps Spain ever more so than the US), I feel so much more like myself in my dirty sneakers than my heels.

While life in Villa El Salvador does in one sense feel much harder and taxing, at the same time I find it be richer in so many different ways. The streets are rough; uneven and half-constructed sidewalks incongruously line the partially paved streets; flea-infested, scavenging dogs haphazardly dart out from every corner, and "hostel" signs signaling prostitution houses occupy more buildings than any other business. By taking a quick glance, Villa El Salvador appears incomplete, underdeveloped, and impoverished beyond almost all Western standards.

However when you get out, start talking to the people, and making your way through the neighborhoods, your initial impressions quickly fade away and you're left with a population of proud, and contented people. The pride they have for their country, as well as their area, is incredible. Instead of dwelling on their problems, they have found a greater state of contentment and ease that always seems to be just beyond our reach. Everyone appears quite satisfied with what they have, although it may be very little, or as almost nothing, to us. Yet still they are happy, and enjoy life. Those that have so little, often have the most to give.

My Summer (or winter!) Plans

After completing a terrific school year in Madrid (3 down 1 to go. Yahoooo!), I'm currently back in Oregon visiting the fam for a bit.

For those of you haven't heard, I'll be heading off to Peru in a week for the rest of the summer. While there, my friend Brianna and I will be conducting a service project (explained below) that I will be getting college credit for (no, that is definitely not why I'm doing it! It just happens to work out conveniently :)). So this being the case, I'll be using my blog to update, record and track our progress through the project (which I will hopefully be writing in both Spanish and English if I'm up to the task!)

A little about the project - Brianna and I applied to conduct our project, "Intergenerational Harmony Through the Arts" through the Davis Peace Project Foundation. Most fortunately for us, we have been selected and will now be carrying it out from mid July to mid August. (Shout our to the Davis Peace Project Foundation - Thanks so much!)

During this time, we will be located in a slum outside of Lima, Peru. By collaborating with a local school in Villa el Salvador (the slum), we will be taking a group of kids each week as an after school program to a local residencia,, or nursing home. The elderly population living there, made up of a primarliy indigenous population, has been largely marginalized and forgotten. Additionally, their native culture, language and heritage has been suppressed and continues to be lost more and more with each passing generation. With this in mind, the kids (who are also mostly indigenous) will accompany us to the residencia every day after school for an hour or two. There they will be paired with one of the residents of whom they will spend the week getting to know, learning their stories, their culture, and about the history of the founding of their home, Villa el Salvador. At the end of the week, the kids will share their stories and discoveries through different artistic mediums such as a drawing, a skit, a dance, or something else. During this time, we will have a party for them to present their art and share what they've learned with the residents, the other kids, and hopefully their parents.

Our project aims to engage the younger generation living in this area to get involved and create connections with the elderly, providing a wonderful service to the residents, and also themselves. We also hope that through this sharing process the children will learn more about their own heritage, helping to preserve it and keep their culture and language alive.

Each group will go for one week, with four groups in total. In our spare time Brianna and I are hoping to serve in whatever capacity we can - whether it be at the children's school or at the residencia. I've also been in contact with the Baha'is of Lima and we're hoping to get involved in the Baha'i activities and to get to know the community.

While not exactly a typical summer vacation, I am thrilled to have such an incredible opportunity. As I am studying international relations and plan to pursue a career in international development, our time in Peru will be a terrific opportunity to get great experience in my field and to develop both intellectually and spiritually. This kind of service is something Ive always been hugely passionate about. I am absolutely antsy in anticipation to get started!

The only thing about this trip that I'm sad about is that I'm leaving summer...for WINTER! If you know me, you know how much I hate the cold, and love the warmth. Thankfully Peru is reasonably close to equator so I don't think we'll suffer too much :)

Hasta Peruuuuuuu!

New Found Love

I was just introduced into the band Mumford and Sons....a london-based bluegrass eclectic group of great lyrics and ridiculously good sound. I dont know how I've missed out on their incredible music for the last four years! Nonetheless, they're my music love of the month. If you havent looked them or heard them yet, do it now!

Until then....Play these songs!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6rYPHmSzcE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd8tOAJMA8Q&feature=channel

Month of Love

Ok, so I must admit I'm stealing this idea from a dear friend, but she inspired me! As it's the month of love...(really? February?? May or June feels much more lovey to me), I will be posting things throughout the month that I love : )

for today...I'd like to begin with my one and only thing I do not love! Ok, there are many more things I don't love, but this one is takes first place at the moment...

and the winner is.....

MATH! it's possible I actually hate it.

Ok, back to something I truly love

Today's winner:

She's long, and lanky, and as a sweet as ur old banky!

It's... Sally! My true love.

If there's one thing I wish I could fit in my pocket, it'd be her.

Preggo, preggo! O Italia, you treated us too well

O winterbreak, as you come to a close, I can definitely say this has been one of the most agreeable encounters we've had! After a few painful week of finals, I moved across town and now live with 3 wonderful Baha'is in a terrific, yet rather frigid apartment. It's ok -Ill take the cold for amicable compañeros. After a lovely Christmas spent in Madrid with a few friends, I headed out to Verona for a Baha'i Youth Conference...

While we were there a few of the Spanish Baha'is got together to perform some Spanish songs. We were forgotten from the performance :( however, it was great nonetheless! While in Verona, we headed into town to see what Veronan (?) culture was all about. This was the best we came up with.
However, since we were in Fair Verona, we couldn't skip on the obligatory stop at Juliet's balcony and statue. We uh, did skip out on the "good luck for love" rub of Juliet's hoo-hahs though. I'm pretty sure the luck works a lot better for the guys.
Downtown Verona: A nice contrast between old and new...
Mm didnt't mean to upload this photo, however I can't figure out how to delete it haha. This would be the only really authentic Italian food I ate for the trip - a fried chickpea specialty of Livorno, on the west coast of Tuscany. Also, EstaTHE, Italy's finest flowery drink! Livorno, Italy. Sunset on our last day
Myself, Sohrab, Desirae (both currently living in Mardrid as well), Emma (our wonderful host that we met at the Baha'i conference - from Pisa, and Carmel from Australia
O my dearest Carmel, how happy this face makes me! Pure bliss
Florence, Italy. A brisk day in January
Jumping photos are obligatory when traveling. Florence, again
In person, this statue was art. As a photograph, we felt it appropriate it to keep it a bit more chaste :)
Italian dinner party! Emma invited a bunch of friends over for dinner. Emma taught us how to make tirasmisu and the others made pasta. Perhaps it was the atmosphere influencing my tastebuds, but pasta really has never tasted so good! After dessert we then proceeded to play an authentic, but internationally renown game...Mafia!!
Carmel and I hard at work with the tiramisu
The travel companions. The four of us traveled together from Verona to Venice, Florence, Pisa and Livorno. Honestly could not ask for a better travel group. We're planning a travel reunion in Australia or Amsterdam next winter :)
More of Florence
Leaning tower and accompanying church
Yeah, we leaned on

Our day in Venice! Our group as well as a bunch of other Baha'is from the conference headed over to Venice for the New Years (best place for New Years ever... we literally had the perfect night!) and the next day as well. No gandala rides for us, hopefully another time when we're not all students and dirt poor!

Our travel group in Florence.

Well, that's all she wrote for now!

An incredible trip with wonderful people. Italy, I'll be back soon...

Lost in Translation

A few weeks ago I opened up my book of assigned reading for an English Nationalism class and was very surprised by what I read in Lost in Translation. At first I thought it was the book the movie was based on, but as soon as I began, it became very clear that it was something much different. Lost in Translation is a book of a collection of phrases and signs that have literally been, lost in translation.

It was probably one of the more enjoyable homework assignments of my semester, as I skimmed through 50 pages of painful, preposterous and down-right baffling mistranslations.

The next morning when I arrived to class, proud of having completed my homework assignment and ready for discussion (I must admit, Spain has made me much less studious…there’s just too much to do and see! Also I think it’s the Spanish attitude rubbing off on me…), I was quite distraught to discover that I’d bought and read the wrong book! (We were supposed to be reading Lost in Translation – but by Eva Hoffman - a provocative biography about the role of language in the formation of identity. I highly recommend it).

While I didn’t have much to add to class participation on our actual assignment, we all got a kick out reading from my book. From having my own experience of new a learning language and fumbling along through Spanish, I could definitely appreciate both the humor and genuine problems of a non-fluent speaker translating into another language. My most recent equivoque was just the other day as I trying to say that I didn’t have any complaints about something (quejas). Alas, my tongue betrayed me and out slipped the word “cajones”! Well, I definitely don't have any of those either, so I guess my error wasn’t that bad : )

Anyways, for all of you that have a lived in another country or learned another language, this blog is dedicated to you. May you all find some of the humor in these English faux pas as I did. Here are a few of my favorites from the book. Disfruta!

Air China Brochure

Dear Passengers, Wish you have a joyful journey! When you are in public talking and laughing and drinking and singing living a happy life, suddenly you feel some part of your body is too itchy to endure. How embarrassed! Please dial dax 01-491-02338, you will gain unexpected results!

Czechoslovakia

Take one of our horse-driven city tours. We guarantee no miscarriages

Mexico

Grilled Potties

In a Paris guidebook

To call a broad from France, first dial 00

Barbershop inTokyo, Japan

All customers promptly executed

Madrid, Spain

If you wish disinfection enacted in your presence, cry out for the chambermaid.

Advertisement for a Hong Kong dentist

Teeth extracted by the latest Methodists

On a Japanese tourist map

Shitseeing Bus Stop

France

Swimming is forbidden in the absence of the savior.