And then none...for a week.

I really thought I was on some kind of a roll with the last couple of blogs, but apparently it can be just as easy to slip back into apathy.

Here, many communities have a summer vacation program called vacaciones utiles or "useful vacations". In Jangas teachers are teaching traditional dance, theatre, soccer, volleyball, math, and yours truly is teaching nine (count them - nine) computer classes. This started out as one of my favorite things to do, but as kids don't come or come on weird days, I'm starting to get a little bored with it all. Not to mention I have students that can do some of the most advance work and some students that don't know how to turn a computer on.

But one of my bigger successes has taken place. Since I arrived in Jangas, I have been trying to start a Youth (& Young Adult) Health Promoters Group. And it finally is in action. I have about 6 active young adults and adolescences that attend a weekly talk on everything from nutrition to first aid to STIs. I hope this group will grow and we can use it to go into the communities and teach others what we are learning. At the very least there are 6 more people who know how to help a burn victim. I love it when I have good things to report, and this is an even sweeter thrill because I didn't think it was going to actually happen. I was about to give up on it all.

So there is a quick update. I'll keep answering your questions in the next few posts. Keep them rolling in.

Elections, elections, and more elections

Many people ask if we PC Volunteers keep up with what's going on with the U.S. elections, and the truth is we can be as involved and aware or uninvolved and ignorant as we want to be. I actually watched much of the Democratic National Convention from my hostel room in Lima. And I get email updates about the elections where I could watch the speeches at the Republican National Convention. So I know what's going on. It's not as in my face here, and I do have to do some research, but I appreciate those people or organizations in which I am a member that keep me posted on all the important political and entertainment issues happening around the world.

In this new time of massive globalization I can't really walk down any street in Peru without being asked about the United States elections, and even more specifically I'm often asked about Barak Obama which I think demonstrates that the world is watching us during this election, and people from other parts of the world find Obama intriguing and his nomination as ground breaking and interesting. People rarely ask me about McCain. Sometimes I'm asked about Bush, but more and more people want to know about Obama and if I'll be voting for him. We're not supposed to take a political side being PCVs, and I'm pretty private about that kind of thing anyway. But it has helped me develop some more political vocabulary. And it's a topic that opens up doors to hear their opinions on their own President (Alan Garcia for those of you not paying attention), the Free Trade Agreement between the US and Peru, and their ideas and thoughts about the US. Sometimes where I live, people are a little closed off from stating their opinions and critical thinking isn't really taught in schools here. So I enjoy when my friends or students or co-workers (non-PCVs - because they have no problem stating their opinions) in Jangas talk about their thoughts.

In other news, I have been doing exceptionally well lately. I have been working on my Work Plan for the next four months and the truth is, I'm overwhelmed. I have so many potential projects, all of them are something I'm looking forward to working on, but it's a question of time and whether or not my community partners are excited on working on them. One of my newest frustrations is that I'll set a meeting, show up to meet, and then have to set another meeting because either everyone forgot or are busy or in another activity. So with a few organizations I have had multiple meetings to try to create new projects and activities. It's kind of crazy, but asi es la vida. In the grand scheme, it's such a minor frustration.

More to come...with pictures. I couldn't upload them today.

Finally, we're talking about...sustainability

It feels like my life has taken on somewhat of a comfortable continuity, except that the internet isn’t working so I haven’t been able to check my email in a number of days or update my blog. I would be frustrated by this if I actually felt like I had something to write about, but lately it’s been the same ol’, same ol’. Yet something fantastic happened the other day. During a cancelled meeting, five members of the CAID committee and I met and talked about the future goals of the CAID. Now I didn’t set these goals, but surprise of all surprises…one of the main goals is sustainability. Apparently, they have been listening, and many people had ideas about how to accomplish this. I am so excited. My work is not in vain.

Now it’s never easy to take a step back and let someone else be in charge of everything, but I’m learning to give up me ego in that respect. During my courses last year, we spoke frequently on the importance of an international volunteer learning to be second in the eyes of the people they help. Especially if that volunteer will only be in that country for a short time. This can be difficult for a control freak like me, but I’ll take it over the crazy thought that as a volunteer from another country I should be doing all the work and assuming all the responsibility of a foreign institution.

On a personal note, I haven’t seen my host mom since before Christmas. There’s a lot of gossip around town that her and my host dad have split up. I don’t know that I believe that. I also haven’t seen my host dad in over a week. I leave for Cajamarca to attend a wedding on Thursday. One of the workers at the Health Center is getting married after being in a civil union for over 11 years. I am very excited for her. Also, coming up is the big, huge pre-Lent festival…Carnaval! More details on that soon.