Barack.

I’m going to give you a rundown of today because it is worth it. So, my day started off with a one hour hike (it’s one hour each way!) to a nearby town. This hike was actually one of the most beautiful that I’ve done near my site because there was a mini forest. I loved walking through the trees and sweating my ass off. Well once I got to the nearby site we began working on a small mural outside of the health post. The mural is encouraging that community to wash their hands with soap and water. It’s pretty simple but I think worthwhile. When we finish it, maybe I’ll post some pics on here but don’t hold your breath. Well, the most interesting part was the story that my counterpart shared with me. The story was of a little boy that was recently born. Guess what his name is? Yup, Barack. I was fucking laughing my ass off because there is a boy in Peru called Barack. Uhuh, that’s right! After this discovery, I decided that I have to meet him. I will be meeting Barack of Peru in the upcoming weeks. Aren’t you excited too? Haha. So, yea…that’s my story of the day. :)

The one present and a date with milk and cereal.

Original title, ay? So Christmas was pretty blah but that’s ok now. I was pretty Grinch like with the exception of giving one gift. The gift was a set of 100 blocks, Lego-like but way cheaper and bigger, to my host brother of 3 years old. As it turns out, it was a success! I remember I always loved Lego’s growing up and I kinda still love them. It was a success among the 3 year old, the neighbor’s kids, and even the Dad. They are just so addicting and want to build! Haha. So, besides that…nothing much was done on Christmas; ate some Paneton, which is like fruit cake, and oddly, also got a chicken leg at around midnight. Then I went to sleep and got awoken by a phone call from the land of amazing. Thank god for friends( and snacks)!! So yea, lesson of this story: Kids, parents, and EVERYONE love blocks of some sort!

If you are wondering about milk and cereal, well it is pretty much my favorite meal. I was left home alone today with boiled milk and had to make a meal. Luckily, I had been looking forward to this day for a very long time. I had bought cereal (Corn Flakes baby!) the last time I was in my regional capital and had not been able to eat it properly. I was snacking on it but had yet to make my dream come true. It was actually annoying considering how much milk my host family has; we have 2 cows!! Milk straight from the nipple is delicious. Haha. So yea, that was my success story for the week. Now, looking forward to getting through New Year’s day…should be interesting. I won’t jinx it by saying it should be fun but we shall see.

XOXO…Barbarita (that’s what they call me here)

Christmas Eve..Christmas blah.

It’s Christmas Eve and it doesn’t feel like it; AT ALL. It’s not bad, it’s not good; it just is. So what have I been doing on this merry day? Ha. I am almost embarrassed to tell but here goes…I’ve been watching Gossip Girl while babysitting my 3 year old and 10 month old host nephews. That was NOT a joke. GG is an escape and so are those little monsters. Festivities might be big in Peru but not really in my household. I mean it’s not midnight yet so that could be why I haven’t felt the merriness. I’ll keep you all posted.

Can I just say that Christmas music doesn’t do it for me these days? It’s just not the same but I like to torture myself a little. “I’ll be home for Christmas if only in my dreams.” Go, Josh Groban!! It’s the most appropriate Christmas song, for me at least.

Keeping my fingers crossed with hopes of merriness on what can be such a great holiday.
…………
Dear Old life,
I miss you today. Thank goodness for god sent Cheez-it white cheddar or this Christmas could have been even harder. Peace out!
Love,
New Life

So, it is a few days before Christmas; 8 to be exact. It’s my first Christmas for a couple of things: 1. Being outside of the USA. Never had I ever passed a Christmas, with or without my family, outside of the States. 2. Being far (and I mean far) away from my family and loved ones. Yup. 3. I think it’s my first Christmas without a Christmas tree. I hope it’s up at my house in Jersey or that would be a true tragedy. 4. Being in Peru! 5. Being in the campo in Peru! Haha. 6. Eating dinner made in a firewood stove. Well, get my point? The list can go on…

So maybe Christmas isn’t what I’m used to. I’m not going to lie but it doesn’t even feel like Christmas here. It could be that I didn’t get to go Willowbrook Mall and see the North Jersey madness while listening to Christmas music in every store I entered. Yea, as much as I hate that shit..it’s part of me and I definitely will NOT be getting that here. Haha. So yea, it’s going to be different (sometimes sad too) but it’ll be fine. Experiences are all we got and I’m just filling myself up with more of them…it’s kinda like getting a shitload of presents. I said..kinda.

Well, I hope that everyone in the land of amazing has an awesome holiday season.
Fo’ real. I am doing well and I can’t wait for the next year. 2010 is going to be the shit. It’ll be the first year I spend more time in Peru than in the States which would naturally mean I’ll have some awesome stories to tell.

Love you all! <3

Dreams and reality.

What used to be just dreams are now nightmares. This sounds horrible and sometimes it is but, for the most part, it is just a statement. All that is familiar is not a part of my daily life which includes the people. I don’t wake up in my room in Jersey and eat cereal and go to work at HD. Now, I wake up in the campo to the yells of my name by newly found friend, my 3 year old host brother (Kevin). I eat sometimes soup for breakfast or maybe just some potatoes along with a drink of some sort – it can be milk or hot water with tea or nesquik (that I bought when I went to the supermarket 6 hours away- haha). I must say when it is milk it is delicious and straight from the cow. I’m going to milk cows soon or at least when my host family stops laughing at the idea. As for work, it’s really a 24/7 thing. I am a role model and therefore must perform at all times which means being conscious of what I do when I do it…at least while in community. ;) So, yea…at first, the opening phrase sounds tragic but it’s more that things are different now. At first, dreaming of life before PC seems like nightmares until I got to sit back and realize that it’s just that things aren’t what they used to be. I am ok with that and, most days, in love with THIS all. Get it? Ha.