There's food...and a white girl!

Leaving Piura to go back to my new home Pambarume was more different than I expected. Usually when I am out and about in Piura, I yet to anticipate running into someone I recognize, much less a Peruvian. I mean after all, I am only working on my second week and I haven’t met that many people. While waiting for the bus to load I catch eyes with a man and then realize it was my bus driver I had to cozy up with! We immediately walk to towards each other and he asks me if I am headed back to Pambarumbe on his bus. I break the news that there weren’t any tickets and that I am on another bus company, but I will be returning to Piura on Saturday again and it would be darling of him to either reserve me a ticket or have me a seat prepared. He claimed he would do so, but part of me thinks it just won’t happen due to Saturday being 4 days away and let’s face it, he is Peruvian.
After that chance encounter I happen to recognize the socios of my friend Brittany. They realize I am a volunteer and we casually talk and catch up. They are headed on the same bus as I am to also help Brittany with her things to Santiago, the town right after Pambarumbe. The bus began its barreling around the mountain and we made a stop in a slightly smaller city to pick up and drop off some more people. I was sitting in the front of the bus to welcome with a smile everyone who left and entered, but my smile became even larger when I noticed my host dad, David, hopping on the bus with bags of food. I explained how I didn’t return yesterday because I bought my bus ticket to late and needless to say, he didn’t seem fazed at all.
Due to the fact that my size 8 jeans are a little tighter than I fancy I explained to my family that all I want for breakfast is fruit or tortillas and let’s just say, they listened. One breakfast I had papaya juice to drink and some coffee and milk. Then to eat they gave me a mango, guava and an apple. Eating all of that after my 30 minute run felt pretty, well, healthy.
I would also like to inform you dear reader that I have officially read 5 books since I have been in Peru and I have started my 6th. When I am not reading or listening to my new music for entertainment, I am probably watching the latest episodes of House or Grey’s Anatomy. I have started season one of How I Met Your Mother because the PC library in our hostel has every so I thought why not start now? They also have The Office which will be next.
Well I finally got to see my one-eyed, two toothed host grandmother naked…well almost naked. I returned from eating breakfast to wash my clothes and she was standing naked behind my house taking a bucket bath. We have a shower, but I guess that’s a little too new age for her. She mumbled something in her cartoon voice and I ran to my room in horror.
Another “first” for me was going to mass. I’m still not sure why we went to mass in the middle of the week, but we did. I sang the hymns and played along like I have done this all my life. It’s interesting the differences between a church here and a church in the US. For example, here, breast-feeding is totally okay in church. Also, wearing mesh belly shirts is also ok. Now all those times I was told by my mother I wasn’t dressy enough for church, who would think it’s totally acceptable in parts of the world to wear a belly shirt. Gosh mom. Soo picky. (Love you).
I have noticed that I am basically making my 14 year old sister, Etel, my best friend. I love doing everything and anything with her and her friends. There are two girls in particular I spend time with that are friends of Etel and they are Sessi and some other girl whose name I can’t remember because it’s so different. They are sweet girls and little do they know I am reeling them in with my American white girl charm to be a part of my future girls youth group.
After talking with Rocío about how I need to be participating in things with the community, I think I was able to get across to her. I have since then gone to a meeting at the school and attended her sessions about health, which are strangely similar to mine. At the pre-school we talked to the kids about nutrition (side note: it took me almost 10 minutes to remember how to say and spell nutrition in English…I could only think of it in Spanish…weird!). I noticed once the charla (lesson) was over, the moms who happen to be there were very interested about proper nutrition for their kids. I see a door opener! I explained to them that after I completed my community diagnostic in February that I wanted to have a charla each month with moms who have children 5 and under. They seemed pretty excited when I threw out some potential themes. It’s things like that, that make me excited to be here and have hope that my work might help. I need more moments like that.
I also need more moments like I had with my sister and her friend A (whose name starts with an A, but I forget because it’s hard to pronounce). Tonight we watched New Moon and gawked at the site of Jacob’s muscular body. My host mom even got involved and then 30 minutes later she walked away laughing and saying she can’t believe she is watching a teenage vampire movie. That’s right folks, I am in Peru converting people to join my Twilight fan club. So far we are all Team Edward and it’s good. That’s what Peace Corps is about right…whether people are Team Jacob or Edward…?
After the movie I talked with my dad and some of his friends. I told them about how I was headed to Tunály tomorrow (city I almost died getting to because it’s stupidly far away) and I mentioned how last time I saw a snake with the girth of a bat and the length of a car. They then busted into laughter saying it would be hilarious to see me with a machete over my shoulder. (FYI, machetes are a thing here…men just walk around with a machete over their shoulder…just in case they need it?). Anyway, there is a possibility a potential horse and machete are in the works for my future trips to Tunály (because I am going each month). I have also decided that there are bugs here so big that they look like they could smash me with a shoe.
We ended up not going to Tunály for a reason I didn’t really understand, but let’s just say I wasn’t that upset not getting to walk numerous hours in a jungle-like forest. We did go to some other city and take a botiquin, which is basically a giant first aid kit. The reason, because during the rainy season (December-February) it’s possible people can’t walk all the way to Pambarumbe for simple medicines so they “train” a random lady on what medicines cure what and they leave the kit with them. I know that it’s easier for people to do things that way, but it’s still a little bizarre in my mind. I don’t even know what amoxicillin can take care of, most likely these women don’t know either, but they have it!
One thing I am going to have to learn how to do is stop speaking in English to people’s faces and saying hateful things. I am really getting sick of my socio, Rocío, laughing at my Spanish. Sometimes when I ask her to repeat something she just starts laughing at my face and then says it like she is talking to a 2 year old. I usually end up responding back when I understand and then I say something terrible in English like, “At least I speak another language,” or, “At least I am not stuck in this hell hole forever like you,” or, “You’re just jealous because I’m white and American and the city responds better to me than you.” I know it’s terrible, but who gets the last laugh? Me. Don’t worry, she can’t understand what I am saying, but it’s really frustrating. Everyone else is super patient with my Spanish and they encourage me so much, but she can treat me like a kid sometimes.
Have you seen Aladdin? I hope so, but anyway, you know Iago, the bird that is friends with Jafar? Well if you recall, Iago is constantly having crackers shoved in his mouth by the Sultan and he hates it. Sometimes I feel like Iago, but it’s rice and potatoes.
Another first for me, watching the cows run through the street in the city. I was sitting in my sweet spot for cell phone service when all of a sudden a bunch of cows got loose from a truck passing by and went running down the street. It was hilarious watching all these men chase these cows and my family found it even funnier how hard I was laughing. After all calmed down and the cows were tied back to their trees because yes, we tie cows up like dogs, the two cows right below me started having angry looking cow sex. Needless to say it was a little distracting while trying to read.
Friday night was pretty amazing. My sister and I watched the two hour season finale of Al Fondo Hay Sitio and screamed in joy and fear. Al Fondo Hay Sitio is my favorite soap opera and it’s local to Peru. It’s overly dramatic and there are around 15 different characters who are all related in one way or another, but it’s so addicting. It not only helps with my Spanish, but learning the slang too! We now have to wait until January or February for the new season and the only good part about that is hopefully by then my Spanish will be even better! Etel doesn’t usually have to explain anything to me because I don’t understand the language…usually it’s because of an event that happened in the past that I don’t know about. Hearing the Spanish and then being able to watch what’s happening allows for me to understand a lot more. Oh and we also drool over the super cute actors. I am torn between Nicolas and Júel on who is the cutest.
My bus ride to Piura on Saturday morning barely happened. My parents had to pretty much yell at the driver that they paid for me a ticket. The driver was not happy about letting me on the bus, but he finally did. Sadly, it wasn’t the bus driver I had to spoon or else I doubt it would have been a problem. What’s crazy is that there was TONS of room for more people, he was just being a lazy hateful..ahem…person. I talked to Glenn (the volunteer who was in Pambarume before me) and he said getting on these buses will be the death of me. His advice: hitchhike to Morropon and then take a bus from there to Piura. Now I know some of your hearts just sank reading that I should hitchhike in a foreign country as a girl, but hitchhiking here is WAY different than in the US. It’s a common way of transportation and usually fairly safe…especially if you know people who know people…which I do now. Glenn said that because I am a girl that people are going to want to take care of me a lot more and help me with things that would be more difficult for a guy and NOT in a dangerous way. Sooo if worse comes to worse I can always stick my genetic hitchhikers thumb out and see what happens!

Last thing: friday night some people dropped by to eat at my parents restaurant and before they came in, their kid came running in and said, "There's food...and a white girl!"