Saturday, September 22, 2012

Tacabamba Fest 2012


This past week was the Tacabamba fiesta. It was a big deal. Tacabamba was flooded with visitors. There were bullfights every afternoon for three days and nightly concerts. Peruvians are good partiers. The blasting sound systems at the fútbol field a few blocks from my host family's house that were converted to fair grounds where on nightly until around 4 or 5 am. I went to the fair grounds for the concerts a couple of the nights. Everyone groups up into drinking circles formed around crates of beer. There were also very large fireworks displays every night usually at around 1am, but the hour changed depending on the night.

Overall I am really glad that the party is over. It was really stressful to have so many out of towners around. I stick out. The stares and whispers get old. Since public drinking and drunkenness are not illegal people's inhibitions were down and my guard was way up. I remember when I was in high school I used to think it was kind of exciting to get a cat call from men-running on Dixboro road near my parent's house, but I have had enough of it for a life time. I mostly get called 'gringa', but I also get 'micha' which is Quechua for 'cat'. People with green eyes get called 'micha' here, because they have cat's eyes.

I was so excited when on Wednesday night my host brother and sister in-law asked me to go with them to the concert. Since my host dad Sergio is a police officer there are always tons of cops eating at the house (remember my host mom run's a restaurant out of the front of the house). So when we went to the concert my host brother Iban and a couple police officers that frequent the house bought a case of beer. I think I may have described a drinking circle in another blog post, but essentially big bottles of warm beer are cracked open and a small plastic cup is passed around. Depending on your company, men will pour the beer for the women. It is polite to-I want to call it salute, but I'm not so sure if that's the right word-the person to their left who has just passed them the beer. Then you drink what I like to think of as little beer shots and throw the foam onto the ground behind you outside of the circle. Finally you pass along the beer and cup to the person on your right.
I was excited to be invited by my host brother Iban and his wife Yanette, because I still feel like I have a lot of work to do with connecting with this new host family. Iban got kind of drunk and liked to brag to his friends that we are brother and sister, can't you tell? Also we danced a lot. I danced with all the men in the circle, even the police officer Luis who seemed like he hated every minute of dancing. My other host sister Paola came in for the party. She works as a police officer in Cajamarca (the capital city of this department= Cajamarca, Cajamarca). She is really sweet and patient. I was lucky she came with us to the party, because at 2 am when the guys bought another huge crate of beer she and I were practically falling asleep standing up so we went home.
The other days and nights of the party Ellie came in from the town about 30 minutes away. All 4 of us; Laura, Diamond, Ellie, and I, spent a lot of quality American time together. Laura showed us a music video called 'Gangnam Style' (sp?) and we practiced the 'horsey' dance from the video. We cooked good food, painted our nails, and just hung out. Laura is an amazing cook. She made quesadillas on homemade tortillas one night and lasagna with a loaf of homemade rosemary bread on the side. Carby and cheese city so good, yay!

There were 3 days of bullfights. I went with my host siblings for one of the days. I like bullfights, but they are very stylized and therefore repetitive. First the bull comes out and runs around for a while so everyone can get a good look at him. Next 2 men on horseback come out-both men and horses are heavily padded. The riders stab the bull in the back of the neck on a big fleshy part of the back behind the head. Then 2 men on foot; I guess they might be assistant matadors since they wear the same little outfits, run out into the arena and stab decorated foot and a half long sticks into the bull's back. These lances or sticks must have a hook or barb in the end of them because if they are stabbed correctly they stay in the bull's flesh for the remainder of the fight.
Then the matador 'dances' with the bull by himself. At this point the bull is usually heavily bleeding out of his back and his tongue is hanging out of his mouth with exhaustion. The bull charges, the matador jumps aside, and when he is ready the matador attempts to stab a sword into the same fleshy part of the bull's back. If he is a good matador his sword will go right threw the bull's heart and the bull will die pretty quickly. If he misses then they have another process. The matador gets one more stab and if he misses again they stab the bull threw it's skull instead.

It's not that a bullfight is boring. However, the fight I went to was 3 hours long and 6 bulls were killed. I just didn't feel the need to go back the next 2 days to watch the same thing over again and again. Sometimes I find myself cheering for the bull, because it seems cruel how they bleed out and run him around in circles until he is dizzy and tired. When one of the bull struck the matador I caught myself screaming with the rest of the crowd. I was happy to note that the meat from the bulls that are killed is sold in the street after the fights. Families can buy it to take home and cook up for dinner or buy some fried up right in front of you.
 
I forgot to mention that before the bullfights and concerts there were several days of fair.  People could bring in their livestock or vegetables to be judged.  During the typical plate contest Peace Corps and Predesci (a local NGO that works in ending malnutrition) teamed up.  First we tried to get the municipality to change the rules of the contest that plates would be judged on their nutrition, but they declined.  So instead we made healthy options and talked to anyone who would listen about nutrition.  Most of our vistors during the fair were kids that colored the vegetable pictures I made copies of to pass out.  Also Diamond and I were in a parade one of the days of the fiesta.  The parade started about 2 hours late and only lasted 10 minutes.  I was sunburned and kind of pissed off, but afterwards we had a fun lunch with the health post employees.  I guess the beer and shiringo (a typical plate from Tacabamba itself-basically a tuna omlette) made up for it and I laughed it off as another instance of getting perued.
 
This week Diamond and I had an important meeting in the community where we want to do our project.  I was under the impression that the meeting was already happening in the community and that we were just going to tag along taking advantage of everyone being in one spot.  However, there was a big miscommunication.  Apparently in order for us to call an official meeting we have to write an official document to the Teniente (I'm not totally clear on his responsibilities, but he's the only kind of leader/representative for this tiny community.  I don't even think he is elected....I have no clue) and he will set off 2 fireworks which is his way of calling everyone to a meeting.  This community is tiny and the houses are all very spread out.  People don't have electricity, running water, or latrines, so I guess it makes sense that the easiest way to call a meeting is with fireworks.
 
So we hike up to Ayaque which is about an hour and a half straight up from Tacabamba and we find out that the people will not come to the meeting since the Teniente didn't call a meeting.  I was really frustrated, but we did get to talk to a small group of moms that were very interested in working with us.  Also we met the Teniente and promised to get him an official document next week so that we could have a real meeting next Thursday.  On the whole the people seemed very interested and also very friendly-quite encouraging.  Now we just have to wait for the municipality to decide if they have enough money in the budget to fund the latrines building project. 
 
Project work is looking good.  I feel like I am making some progress in getting in with my new host family.  Host mom Rosa went to the doctor last week and found out her blood pressure is too high.  Her homework is to go on a half hour walk every day and I am her new walking buddy.
 
Thanks for the mail; Sesame, Kwapis, Nana, Pat, and Yamo family! 
 
Chau for now.  With love,
kb

setting up with the awesome Predesci facilitators/promoters


Ellie and I looking official in our PC polos

just beyond our table set up were big make-shift bleechers for a futbol tournament

some neighbor girls with their little brothers, they were some of the first kids to come visit our table

healthy plates; banana bread (admitantly not so healthy, but everyone loves it), tortilla de verduras (vegetable omelette), papas con queso y higado (cheese, potatoes, and liver), and camote con leche (sweet potato with milk)


our table and beyond the huge crowd of kids coloring

the whole gang

men setting up for the fireworks.  Every night they would construct these gigantic bamboo structures with fireworks attached all over and the levels would light up one at a time.


some out of towners brought in this llama and charged 2 soles to have your picture taken with him

waiting for the parade to start

Lulu and Minina crying to me from the top of the stairs, so cute

the arena had a really awesome view of the mountain range all around us

the rest of these pictures Yossi took for me.  She was acting bored so I handed her my camera-she killed the battery and filled the memory stick.  I only kept some of the better ones though.

he already looks angry and he just got in the pen


kind of hard to see, but the guys on horseback are in this shot.  He's stabbing the bull with his lance thing.

The guy with his hands above his head is jumping out of the way, because he just stabbed those little decorated sticks into the bull's back.


here you can see the flag sticks hanging off the bull's back







Friday, September 7, 2012

Tragically I didn't get to eat Priscilla the pig


Last weekend I visited my San Juan host family for the first time since I moved sites. I was really nervous and excited to see them. I missed them a lot my first couple weeks in Tacabamba and I continue to call my host mom Dalila every week to check in. However, I was nervous that things would be weird or that they would ask me about building an improved cook stove. Previously it something we were discussing, but it was always a topic that felt uncomfortable for me. I knew that the family probably had enough money to buy the materials and build there own improved cook stove, but they wanted me to do it for them. It always left me torn between wanting to do something nice for this family that I love, but also feeling a bit used.

Lucky for me the stove building conversation never came up. I was only in San Juan for a quick visit. Apparently too quick for us to eat Priscilla. Now that was disappointing. I went out behind the house gave Priscilla a good belly rub and said my good byes, and we ate rabbit for dinner instead. When I asked Dalila she said she though I would be staying through Sunday and they were planning to kill Priscilla on Saturday. Boooo!

I got to hang out with Witman and Eduar. We played frisbee and read Harry Potter. It was really nice. When neighbors passed the house or saw me walking around they asked me where I had been. I felt sort of frustrated that my host family hadn't told people that I had left. Unfortunately I was unable to make a public announcement or really say good bye in my town since the move was rushed. It was sort of like Diamond and I were evacuated. Diamond wasn't even allowed to pack her own things for the move, her host family packed all of her things and sent them down from her town by ambulance. The week that we left people in Diamond's previous site were attacking unknown cars with rocks and so our regional coordinator was afraid to drive up to her site in the Peace Corps car.

So that was also disappointing to find out that nobody in San Juan knew why I left or where I had gone. People just kept asking me when the next volunteer was coming and I had to tell them that Peace Corps had shut down their whole district for volunteers. There will be no more volunteers in the Bambamarca area for until Washington decides it is safe again. I found out that all the kids in the district will have to repeat a year of school, because they have missed so much during these protests and strikes. It's really sad. Especially when I think of the 6th graders I taught English classes with, they were all going to have their promociones this December or graduation. It is a really big celebration. Kids get special presents and new clothes. There is a huge party and at night the whole community is invited for drinking and dancing all night long.

So the visit was nice. It felt good to see my family and I fit right back into my spot. I just felt a little sad for leaving them all over again. I hope that Witman and Eduar can make it to University some day and I worry about how will I keep in contact with them all. I almost forgot that I very briefly saw my enamorado or boyfriend while I was in San Juan. Good old Delphin; 105 and still walking the streets (err- it should be street, there's really just the one), and I gave him a good hand shake. I know his daughter better and her I gave her a greeting cheek kiss with a hug, but him I've have only met once for an interview about the history of San Juan. Anyhow, my host family thought it was hilarious that I went up and greeted him. I only wish I had thought to ask for a picture with him-it would have been super awkward to ask him, but I bet he would have gone along with it and I'd have the evidence.

I came back to Tacabamba and Diamond and I had a big meeting at the municipality on Monday morning. It turned out not to be such a big deal as we thought it would be. We had to wait for an hour and a half to be seen. When we were brought in it was in front of one regidor instead of all of the regidores and the mayor was also not present. We talked to the regidor Lisandro about our project plan and budget. He told us he could have an answer about the funding by mid-October. So it leaves us still waiting to get started, but things move slowly here and I try to keep telling myself that we now have a foot in the door.

This week the teachers went on strike. It is a nation wide strike, because the Peruvian government has passed some kind of law that the teachers need to take an exam every year. This new round of teacher strikes has brought up a lot of interesting conversations with neighbors around Tacabamba. Teachers only work about 25 hours a week here in Peru. Most public schools have classes from 8am to 1:30pm everyday. There is vacation from mid-December through March 1st as well as 2 weeks off in August. What my neighbors tell me is that a lot of the teachers in the public schools lack any type of higher level education. In Peru to qualify to be a high school teacher, you only have to have graduated high school. Now the rules are changing and the government wants to move towards hiring teachers with bachelors or masters degrees. The trouble is what will they do with all the teachers that are working right now? It seems unfair to me to toss them out of their jobs, but also not really so fair to the students to have a teacher that doesn't have higher than a high school education.

So with the latrines project on hold and no sex-ed classes happening with the teacher strike it's been slow around here. Also next week is the town party in Tacabamba and everyone is just getting ready this week. Everyone is making last minute improvements on their homes so that they look nice for the fiesta. Also from what I hear lots of families will be opening up their homes to rent rooms to accommodate the huge influx of people that will visit for the fiesta. I haven't heard anything from my host family about people staying at the house with us, but there are 2 extra rooms that could potentially be filled for the fiesta next week.

This week I finished up with my secondary applications to 3 schools in Chicago; Loyola, Rush, and University of Illinois, and the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. With all this free time I have been obsessing and worrying about getting in somewhere. I'm pretty sure I won't hear back for months so I am trying to stop thinking about it in every free moment. It is just so exciting to fantasize about coming back to the states, going to school, having an apartment, and feeling like I have control of my life.

Here in Peru most of the time I feel powerless. It feels like I can't do anything right and I don't understand how things work. I still don't feel like I can express myself when I want to have a meaningful conversation with someone. It's like in the US when someone doesn't speak English very well and you know they aren't stupid, but it is so difficult to look beyond their bad language skills to give them a chance to show you who they are. I totally understand people's reactions to me here in Peru and I just wish I could take back all the times I thought a certain way about people I met in the states that weren't totally fluent. I guess this means I should crack open my grammar text books once in while here, huh?

Also this week Diamond and I made pickles. It turns out pickles are surprisingly easy to make! In 2 weeks we'll be feasting on pickles, yeah!

Thanks for reading and chau for now,

kb


here's a list of some foods I miss:
cold drinks and drinks with ice
cereal and cold milk
bread; sliced bread, whole wheat bread, rye, sourdough, toasted bread
cheese (that isn't wet farmer's cheese, I'm talking stinky cheese that tastes so good and gives you terrible breath)
baby carrots and peppers
hummus
salsa
pickles*but in 2 weeks I'm gonna eat some
Mexican food, Thai food, Indian food, Middle Eastern food-any kind of spicy foods
BBQ anything, hot dogs taste weird here-I just want to go to a baseball game sometimes
greek yogurt
good beer
mom's lasagna, chili, black bean soup, that pasta salad with the artichoke hearts, homemade jam
brewed coffee- not that instant nescafe, yuck!
root beer
and mostly I miss cold drinks or milk with cereal


foods that I know I'll miss from Peru:
choco sodas
humas
aji
all the delicious new kinds of fruit that I've never seen before in the states; grenadillas, guanabana, surco, lucuma, maracuya, that weird cactus fuzzy fruit,
beet salad
chicarrones
cerviche if it's done right
maybe cuy...but chicken is probably better


With my boys Witman and Eduar, plus a couple favorites from english class Dresli and Nelver


Harry Potter times

in Tacabamba



the street where I live
 

I live here!  At Restaurante Yossy.