Some random thoughts

I've been in Peru now for a full week and I'd like to share some differences I've come across. First in the language. I'm mexican and although I don't claim to know spanish already, there are some words that I'm not used to. One of those is that a trashcan is el tacho here and I'm used to hearing basura. A novio here is like someone you're engaged to or promised to and enamorado is just like a boyfriend where I'm used to hearing novio for boyfriend. And marido is just someone you're sleeping with while esposo is husband. I'm used to hearing those two words as the same thing. And I was asking my host Mom about avacados and used the word aguacate but they use the word palta here. She had heard of the word aguacate but said it's not used here. So there's just a couple.

Now some differences between Peace Corps Tanzania training and Peace Corps Peru. Peru is way more hard core and intense with their training. I know just the fact that we had to meet a language requirement to come here makes a difference because they aren't starting everybody off at the same level which was no language level at all in Tanzania. Here we come in and are expected to at least know some basics. In Tanzania, we all started at the beginning with our language levels and were totally pampered and taken care of the entire time. I think we went out into the nearby town once the first week and were escorted by language facilitators the whole time and walked there and back with Peace Corps staff. Other than language class, everything else was done in english. Here in Peru, we've already had assignments that have us out wondering around the surrounding areas by ourselves and doing interviews all in spanish. All in the first week! Some of our sessions are done in spanish already and they already have us up and doing presentations for our training group. It took weeks in Tanzania to get to the point in training that we're at already. But then again, in Tanzania we were much more isolated and didn't really have surrounding towns or communities to go visit and swahili is so different than spanish. And Tanzania is way less developed than here in Peru. I do know that I like being challenged more here in Peru with the training, but I liked the remoteness and more simplicity of the training lifestyle in Tanzania.  I like that our homestay communities in Tanzania were very, very similar to what we would all ended up having in site where as I feel like a lot of us are living a life of luxury here in training compared to what we might have in site. But then again, I don't really know what to expect when I go out to site here. Definitely much more structured here and that has it's good and bad points to it.

One more thing. I experienced my first hora loca last night and I hope it won't be the last. I'm pretty sure it won't. It's this wonderful thing at a party where a whistle blows and for an hour, it's all madness. It's an hour of non-stop dancing, party favors, crazy assessories, and all out good times. Ours had clowns involved and I'm not sure yet if that's normal but it should be if it's not. It was crazy fun and I can't wait for my next one!

Oh Peru, keep surprising me.

Peace Corps Take 2

Hello friends. Welcome to my blog. I'm getting ready for my second round of service as an environment volunteer for the Peace Corps. I served in Tanzania from 2005-2007 and am now headed to Peru as an environment volunteer once again. I'm often asked why I decided to join the Peace Corps again. Didn't I have enough intestinal issues already? Don't I hate being in the bathroom all the time?! Why do this to myself again? Mostly, I'm just restless. For most of my life I have moved every few years. When I was younger, it was because my Dad was in the military. California, Virginia, the Phillipines, Virginia again, California again. As an adult, San Diego, Fresno, San Diego again, Fresno again, Tanzania, San Diego again, Fresno again, then San Diego again. And now Peru. See a pattern? I can't keep still but I end up going back to the same places. I just seem to have about a two year limit and then I start going crazy. And being back in the 40 hour a week non stop lifestyle of the U.S just didn't feel the same as it did before Peace Corps.  I'm not looking to say that I spent 20 years at the same company. Nothing about that appeals to me. I want to say that I did as much as I could with the time I had. So the time has come again for me to hit the road for a couple years and I hope and expect that Peru will be just as amazing as my last Peace Corps experience.  Here we go again!