EARTH DAY!!!

So April is quickly coming to an end, which means I’ll soon have completed 5 months here in Tomas. Time is going fast, and I’m enjoying my time here. Since my last update I’ve gone to the jungle (Holy Week) and been working a lot in the schools. Today, though, is a very special day. Since 1970, April 22nd has been recognized as Earth Day, and being an environmental volunteer it was the perfect chance to do something big here in Tomas.
Yesterday and today we had workshops with all three levels of schools in Tomas, Kindergarten, Elementary, and High School. Workshops involved activities such as drawings, discussions, High Schoolers watching part of the BBC series Plant Earth, and each grade/student making an environmental awareness sign for the main even, the pasacalles.
Pasacalles, literally meaning “street passing”, was our big event that brought all three schools and the teachers into the community. Each student or sometimes group of students had a sign about some environmental issue, and we paraded around Tomas for a little over 30 minutes. The event included many (unplanned) chants such as, “Queremos agua limpia!” (meaning, “We want clean water!”), and part of the high school band played as we walked. The event culminated with all students and many community members in the Plaza for a few short speeches.
One of these speeches, as it turns out, was given by me. I was unaware of this before the event started, but as Professor Fredy announced to the crowd to give a round of applause for our friend Jared, I had to think quick about what to say. It is one thing to give an impromptu speech in front of a small group, but it is another to give an impromptu speech in from of the good majority of a town…and in Spanish. The situation was made a little more difficult being that I had to follow two teachers who had already said all the most important things about Earth Day. Professor Fredy even went on a rant about the mines contaminating our river. It was quite the act to follow.
I ended up thanking the kids for their participation and challenging everyone to talk about what Earth Day means with their families and neighbors. I also tried to be encouraging by saying that we can overcome the environmental problems that we have in Tomas. I think my brief message was well received, I just hope that I didn’t say anything with exceptionally poor grammar or the wrong words to make me look dumb. If I did, oh well, it was a new experience.
Earth Day is an important day, and it does have a lot of importance here in Tomas. With all the commotion we had with the Pasacalles, people will be talking about this event for weeks. They might even talk about how “Ya-red” (that’s me, in Spanish) gave a speech. Hopefully it can be a springboard into action here in Tomas. The day was a success, which I hope we can continue into the future.

Kindergarten. Some of my favorite students in all of Tomas. It is hilarious when they try and say my name.

Second grade, nicely in line, followed by the masses of older kids.

This little guy sure was excited abuot not contaminating the environment!

Very creative Earth Day wear...quite the hat.

My quintessential PC experience...

So I’ve been in Peru with the Peace Corps for seven months now, but just yesterday I had that moment when I thought to myself, “this is it, you’re a Peace Corps Volunteer now.”

I was at my towns alpaca farm for a community work day to shear about 100 alpacas. Twice a year they shear the herd, one half at a time. I’ve never helped at or even seen a herd of anything get sheared, and I was in for quite the adventure.

The day started off with a 6:15 breakfast of instant coffee mixed with Matchka, a delicious powdery mix of different grains that they eat in the mountains when there isn’t any bread. The quick breakfast allowed me to have a few more minutes of sleep before getting in the truck for a 2 hours climb up poor mountain roads to 4,600 meters above sea level and our 600 alpacas. When we arrived, there was still snow on the ground from the night before, although it always melts once the sun gets high enough. We then eat a breakfast of Mote, which is a hearty soup made from corn, onion, parsley, and alpaca meat.

After breakfast, there was a short discussion/meeting about what to do with the alpaca wool, to hold it or sell it now, because the market price for alpaca is about 1/3 of the price from a year ago. I’m still not sure what decision was made. After the discussion I watch as everyone starts getting ready for work. This entails chewing coca leaves (yes, the same leaves used to make cocaine, but this form is the legal form and only a mild stimulant (again, I only watch, not participate in this)), smoking cigarettes, and drinking caña, a disgusting hard liquor. This preparation takes about one hour, but I’m used to it by now because every community work event starts in the same manner.

After everyone is ready, then bring the alpacas into the shed were the shearing will take place. The alpacas resist this, and it is pretty funny to watch as a group of men are literally hitting and carrying alpacas through the gate. Once inside, a group of boys bring the alpacas to groups of 3 men with large scissors, who tie down the alpaca and in little more than 5 minutes what came in looking like a large alpaca will look like a weak, naked little animal. The alpacas scream throughout this whole process, even though shearing doesn’t hurt them. With about 10 shearing stations and 200 alpacas in the shed, it is quite a madhouse of commotion.

My job throughout all this was to paint a big red mark on the back of each alpaca after they had been sheared to mark that they got sheared in April, since only half the herd is sheared then. This isn’t as easy as it sounds, as I was always on the lookout for the next alpaca to be released, because if I waited too long I had to chase the alpaca into the herd and mark it before it got too far away. The shearers would yell, “pintura!, pintura!” and that meant I had about 10 seconds to mark the alpacas before it was released. It was an exciting job.

After we finished with the shearing and a lunch that was prepared for us, we followed the annual tradition and had a small 6 on 6 soccer tournament. This is a great idea, although it turns out that playing soccer at an elevation over 14,500 feet is a little more difficult than normal. We played for a few hours then got back in the truck for the 1 hour 40 minute descent back to Tomas.

While playing soccer, I looked around and realized my surroundings. There were mountains, alpacas, and a group of Peruvians that though nothing of it that I was playing soccer with them. That was when I realized that this is my Peace Corps experience. These people, none of whom look like me, all thought it normal that I would participate. They treat me like a community member, they don’t call me gringo, but rather by my name, and they know me on a personal level. It was a great realization that doesn’t just happen to everyone. It’s the moments like that that make this job amazing.

Aplacas before being herded into the shed.

An alpaca being sheared.

This shows how thick the wool is, and how tiny the body is.

Rolling up the wool from one alpaca.

This shows the big red spot I marked on every newly sheared alpaca.

Work Happens!

So it has been a while since my last post and a lot has happened. I had my 3 month reconnect with all of the volunteers from my training group at the wonderful, though slightly dangerous, Northern beach town of Pacasmayo. We had 3 days of meetings, presentations about our sites and work, and some more training sessions over various topics. It was really refreshing to talk to the other volunteers and to learn that even though I may have felt like I wasn’t accomplishing much during my first 3 months, I’m in the same spot as most other volunteers. So things are going well.

Since returning from reconnect and a wonderful but brief 4 day vacation with my friend Heather (see pictures below!), things in Tomas have been going really well. School is back in full force, which means there are more people than ever in Tomas (well, at least during the weekdays). I’ve observed a few classes and even taught my first English class (it was a surprise 30 minute class, for which I hadn’t prepared anything ahead of time, but it went fine). I’ve helped construct a multi-family micro landfill, started a compost pile, and worked with our nursery.

Then, I received a visit from my boss, the associate director of Peace Corps Peru, and a Director of Programming from the Peace Corps office in Washington D.C. It was a fun visit and I proudly showed Tomas and the work we’ve been doing to all three.

I’m beginning to teach more English and starting with Environmental Education. In addition, I’ve got a busy month of meetings and planning to start a garbage/recycling program in Tomas. It is an exciting time to be a volunteer in Tomas, and I have really high hopes of coninuted successes in the months to come.

On a side note, 4 months ago today I officially swore in as a Peace Corps Volunteer, so that means 20 months of service to go. Time sure is going fast.

Humbolt Penguins at the Islas Ballestas

The sunset at Cerro Azul

Islas Ballestas: Covered with birds and therefore rich, bird poo fertilizer.

A somewhat eccentric Peruvian playing his Cajon for a few soles. He yelled a lot.

Heather and I in Huacachina, a desert oasis

Snadboarding...no big deal.

The dune buggy we rode in: loud, fast, and fun.

The micro-landfill for a few families that my host dad and i constructed. Also, the inagural trash being responsible thrown away!!

The nursery in Tomas. There are currently two beds of Eucalyptus and a spot for a compost pile.

My first Yauyos Wedding

Hey everyone,
So February has past and as of March 2nd I've completed 3 whole months of living in Tomas. The time is going fast. It hasn't always been easy but each day is better and I really enjoy the People of Tomas. Work is getting underway, with projects that even include making a school used micro-landfill and starting the collection of recyclables on the school level. People are back in Tomas after the 2 1/2 months in either Lima, Huancayo, or at their farms at the higher altitudes. Tomas has a very different feel now with so many more people, but that is a welcomed change.
On February 27th I went to my first wedding in Tomas. It was a civil union, meaning there was no church, priest, or even much of a ceremony. The ceremony was held in the upper level of the municipality building. After a 2 minute talk by a member of the municipality and another 2 minutes of vows, we had a toast and the celebration began.
We began by toasting with wine; very very sweet, sugary wine (a Peruvian favorite, although i have a different opinion). After/during this toasting all of the parents, godparents, and local authorities said a few words about the couple. We then ate Pachamanca, which consists of meat (in Tomas almost always alpaca), potatoes, sweet potatoes, avas (a large bean in a pod) sometimes corn, cheese, and a dipping sauce for the potatoes. Which traditionally is wrapped in a bunch of flavorful herbs and placed on top of hot rocks, then covered with dirt for a few hours to cook. This underground style of cooking is very traditional in Peru and is often used for special occasions. (More often, a large pot is used but all the same ingredients are cooked, but it's much easier than cooking underground). It's a very delicious meal and i highly recommend it when you visit Peru.
After eating we began the dancing and passing the beer bottles and common cup. We danced to Cumbia, and of course, whino (a very typical style of music in Yauyos, that involves everyone holding hands and dancing in a circle). The evening was quite fun and as I left at 1:00 a.m. people were a little confused why I wanted to leave so early. Peruvian parties often go all night...literally.
It was a good experience and a great change of pace from my normal friday night in Tomas (going to bed early after reading for a few hours!)

To view pictures visit: http://picasaweb.google.com/JBrandell/AWeddingInTomas

Things are going well, peace and happy Lent.

My life as a cowhand...

February has been kind of a slow month, hence the lack of new blog posts. Therefore, many of my best adventures thus far have involved cows or alpacas in Tomas. My family has a few cows and we produce cheese every day. I've gotten to help out with vaccinations of cows, which is quite the experience. To vaccinate a cow you follow these simple steps:
1.Rope the cow by the horns...they are often pretty hesitant to let this happen and sometimes involves running around the corral of field trying to get a good ropin'
2.Grab them by the horns. Sometimes you just need to grab the bull by the horns.
3. Use the big metal pliers and grab the cow by the nose. This causes big discomfort to the cows and allows us to immobilize them so we can give them their vaccination
4. Wrap their tail around their legs and pull so that they can't run forward.
5. Give the Vaccination
6. All let go of the cow at the same time and hopefully they peacefully walk away, but keep a close eye and be ready to run a few steps.

Six months ago I had no idea that my life would involve vaccinating cows in a rural setting, but with this economy i guess every little resume builder helps!

Life in Tomas is going fine, and work is starting to get moving. I've been a little frustrated with the lack of people in my site because this has prevented much actual development work from being done. On March second classes begin and the people will begin to come back, so i'm very excited to have things get moving a little. I'm staying positive and i love the few people that are still in Tomas. Things are going to be busy in March, and I was expecting the first 3 months in site to be the slow. All is well and i love hearing from the states!

http://picasaweb.google.com/JBrandell/CowAdventures

Peace and Love, Jared

A little more from January

So, from my capital city I have real internet and I can upload videos! Now that i know this i'll start taking more videos. This video is from Heather and Terri's visit, at the waterfall about a kilometer from my town, call Angel Falls. This video is actually from underneath the waterfall. I hope you enjoy it. Come to Tomas and see it in person, it is more impressive!

Take Care and God Bless

January Excitment

It has been a while since we’ve last talked, but i’ve been busy and a lot has happened. Work continues to move along, and now I’m beginning to translate some documents into English for the Ministry of Environment, and we have a big clean up campaign that we’re promoting on February 15. I’m also beginning to plant tree seeds with a group of youth. So all is going well.

Last weekend was our monthly regional meeting, so I got to warm up on the coast for a few days. I also went to Lima to gather travel information of how to come to the protected area that I live in, the Reserva Paisajistica Nor Yauyos Cochas. It was energizing to talk to some other volunteers and share some ideas. Then while I was in Lima my friend Heather Brook, who I know from Camp, and her mother Terri arrived.

We spent one day in downtown Lima, which was when I was able to gather travel information, and that evening we headed up into the Andes Mountains (on the rustic overnight bus) to visit my site of Tomas and the region of Yauyos. The overnight bus somehow arrived in the town nearest to Tomas about 5 hours early, around 1:30 at night, but fortunately the local doctor was also on the bus and he offered us 2 beds in the medical post, so there our Yauyos adventure began.

Around mid day on the 26th we arrived in Tomas and we saw all the sites, including the “Angel Falls”. We met many people, toured the health post (as Heather will soon be a nurse), and had a dinner with my family. My family was a little timid to eat with the foreigners, but with a little persuasion they warmed up and we had a fun, local, dinner. Tuesday (Terri’s birthday) started with us waiting for the van that goes to Vitis, a town about 40 minutes from Tomas (where another volunteer, Brad, lives). After the van passed through Tomas without stopping (even though I chased it), we asked my brother to take us with my families car, which is an adventure in itself on mountain roads.

By chance we met up with Enrique and Suni, the security officer and doctor of Peace Corps Peru, who happened to be doing site visits that day. We were able to ride with them and we had a blast visiting Brad’s site and seeing some of the gorgous waterfallls and lakes of the region of Yauyos.

Wednesday morning all 4, Heather, Terri, Enrique and Suni, all left and life is getting back to normal. It was wonderful to have all of them here in Yauyos and I learned a lot about what we need to do in Tomas to improve our tourism services (a goal of my town). I’m feeling recharged and ready to work, and this February we have many things planned within our region. Garbage management is getting moving, along with some tree planting activities. And I only have one month left to plan my Environmental Education for the next school year. Things are busy and life is good, even though it is still raining and cold.

From the left: Terri, Heather, Me, Brad, Suni

This is on the road to Vilca, a tiny little town that is surrounded by some of the most beautiful lakes and waterfalls i've ever seen.

Terri and Heather at the best spot to see all of Tomas

Heather and Terri at the enterance to Tomas. There are boots because people wear them while working in their fields and they've become sort of a symbol of my town.


Peace and Love,
Jared