Week 5 of PST

I can’t believe how fast this week went by.  Last week we had language interviews and this week the classes were updated based on our new levels-I am now an intermediate medium…I think.  We had a lot of tech training this week; early childhood stimulation, nutrition, professionalism in Peace Corps, training on home visits, learning about the structure of MINSA (Ministry of Salud/health).  On Thursday we got to visit a local Centro de Salud.  We were able to observe a doctor on home visits and ask several different health professionals about their work.  In Peru there is nationalized healthcare, but I am a little fuzzy on the rules.  The people that are recognized to be at the poverty level or below in extreme poverty receive free healthcare.  The people that can afford to pay are responsible for paying for services, but not for consultations.  The way it was described to me was that walking in the door is free, but if you get stitches you will be charged for the cost of the supplies.  Our trainers also told us that rich people often have private healthcare insurance, and that if a volunteer needs medical attention they are sent to private clinics.

Ohh, I almost forgot, we got cell phones this week too.  So far I am not able to make calls except to other volunteers, but when I know more information I will update my blog with contact info.  Just incase people want to call, because it is tricky to coordinate skype sometimes.

Yesterday our group learned about small animal husbandry; specifically raising cuyes or guinea pigs!  I’m so sad I forgot my camera for crianza de cuyes.  The cuy class was in some guy’s backyard.  He gave us lots of advice on how to feed and raise cuyes in a healthy sustainable way.    His set-up was quite impressive and when I asked him he told me that it started out as a little hobby with only 3 cuyes.  Now he is up to his ears in cuyes and he says he eats cuy about 3-4 nights a week, because he has so many.  After this local man showed off his cuyes to us, we got a presentation from a current volunteer who did a big animal husbandry project in her site with guinea pigs.  It was both interesting and very scary.  The problems she was describing with her communities lack of interest was a bit disheartening, but I’m always glad when the volunteers tell it like it is.  I think it’s better for me to have a realistic idea of how to judge success in my future projects. 

With all these presentations from current volunteers I am getting more and more excited about finding out my site and getting to know my community.  Also I am getting scared to leave Chaclacayo and Pre-service training.  I have a giant security blanket of Americans around me almost at all times.  I have little to no responsibilities and I get to live in a super structured schedule-something that I thrive in.  I knew that when I signed up for Peace Corps one of the hardest parts for me would be the lack of structure when I get to my community and it is a goal of mine to become more flexible.  Some days two years sounds like such a short time and other days I feel like two years is forever.  I have to admit I have already started daydreaming a lot about when I would like to visit home.  I think maybe Christmas 2012 would be a good time, but in Peru December through February is summer vacations and there may be certain projects that I will want to do during that time. 

After the guinea pigs on Saturday I went with my family to Metro; the new grocery store that opened last week.  It’s a pretty big deal around here, everyone is very excited about the new store.  I have to admit that I was pretty impressed by the moving walkway that takes you downstairs into the store-like the walkways at airports except at an incline, because the store is underground.  The fact that Metro is underground in itself is pretty impressive considering that Peru has a lot of earthquakes.  I told my family I wanted to buy a pumpkin and show them how Americans decorate for Halloween.  There is Halloween stuff here in Chaclacayo, but I think it is just because of the proximity to Lima.  According to the Peace Corps staff (who are Peruvians) celebrating Halloween started around 10 years ago.  At my family’s store there are decorations and masks for sale-so it seems fairly mainstream here.  My grandma told me that kids trick-or-treat in my neighborhood.  So I’ll see how the Peruvians do Halloween and report back. 

Anyhow, I bought a pumpkin and peanut butter.  Both of which were pretty expensive.  I got my family to try apples with peanut butter and they loved it!  They told me they had never heard of fruit with peanut butter, to which I responded we need to have chocolate and peanut butter next time.  I wanted to have my brother and sister carve the pumpkin, but after talking it over with mama Vicki and Charo we decided it would better just to draw on faces.  They told me that if we put a carved pumpkin outside someone in the neighborhood would most likely take it.  Also after I explained that I could not make a pie if we carved the pumpkin, it was decided that pie trumps that particular American tradition. 

Next week our group is going to Ancash-the department north of Lima-for field based training.  It sounds like fun.  We are going to learn about how to build latrines and improved cook stoves.  We will also get to shadow some current volunteers and see the work that they are doing.  The schedule sounds crazy busy, but I think it will be exciting to see a new parts of Peru.  Plus, several people in my group are going to be assigned to this particular region, so this could be were I’m going to live for the next 2 years! 

Next Sunday I’ll promise to write all about adventures in Ancash!

*Mail call:  thanks for the letters Mom and double from Nana, all the other volunteers were so jealous when I had mail.  Also Mom, that package still hasn’t made it, but I’m crossing my fingers for tomorrow.  I’ll let you know when it comes in.

**Little known fact: guinea pigs only have 2 nipples.  When the cuy guy told us that I asked him ‘like humans’ and he thought that was a really weird question/statement, but I honestly cannot think of another animal that only has 2 nipples (discounting monkeys/apes).  

my brother Sting in the family store relaxing behind the counter.

Pre-pumkin decoration.

The final product.

Sting was pretty excited.

Sting trying to scare me with his costume.

Family lunch on Sunday.  From Left to Right: Sting, Miller, Miller's dad Roberto, Me, Mama Vicky, Karina, and Charo.  Leslly took the photo, because she's 13 and she doesn't like to have her picture taken.