Week 1

I feel as if I am finally starting to get a hold on the new life I have tumbled into...The mornings begins around 7:00 AM where volunteers leisurely mosey down for a breakfast (rolls, butter, jelly and warm hardboiled eggs). At 8:00 we pile into a silver van and begin the 25 minute drive from San Borja (where we live) to Villa El Salvador. There is a stark landscape change from our middle class neighborhood to the poor neighborhoods in Villa El Salvador. The roads become broken and jostle us around, the houses begin to look worn, sagged, slanted and decorated with graffitied. Large dogs are walking through the streets rustling through the strewn garbage and all around, people are vending, yelling, honking, speeding, and sweating. Everything is dusty. The houses seem to be built into the hills of dirt and sand and broken brick (Villa El Salvador is in the desert region of Peru). My site is high up on one of these hills. The door is low (or I am tall), so you have to bend to enter. There are always parents and children crowded outside in the mornings and we have to push to get through.

The school is broken into four classrooms each branching off of a large open center space--one dedicated to the three year olds, one to the four year olds and two for the five year olds. The entire school is walled, so even if children "escape" from the classroom (which they do frequently) they are safe inside the school yard.

My first day, Jennifer and I were greeted with the sound of loud music and dancing children. The teachers where dressed in party hats and clown suits (which I found extremely entertaining)--the celebration was meant to be a welcoming party for the children starting school. The teachers don't speak English and Jennifer and I struggle with Spanish, so I ended up laughing and pointing and nodding a lot. I helped blow up balloons (los globos), put up streamers, and hand out candy. The children sat along the wall of the school yard and were called up to play games (musical chairs, a spin-off of hot potato which involved a hat...). In between songs and games, we passed out los dolces (sweets) and drinks. One little girl kept whispering in my ear that she wanted Ole Ole so I hummed the chorus "Ole Ole Ole" several times. I came to realize that she meant the candy Ole Ole (a rich marshmellow candy covered in chocolate). Oops. Lastly the teachers herded everyone into the center of the room. All the kids were waving balloons and jumping up and down, by now moms and dads had gathered to pick up their kids and a few had joined the dancing circle. All of a sudden this white dust started to fall-someone was spraying foam into the crowd and it fell like snow and dissolved. It felt like a scene out of a movie, really a magical sight...

Volunteering at the school is not usually a fiesta though. Everything is chaotic. I am asked to teach English to the children. I wrote down some songs in English on large poster board to try and make the sounds easier. Most kids are shy, but they try really hard. One of my favorite kids is a five year old named Christopher who goes around the class and asks me, "Como dice se [insert object] en inglas?"

Wednesday the teachers had a strike so I helped at the senior center. The abuelos are beautiful people. I visited some in their homes on Thursday, it was a sight to see. The poverty in this country is unbelievable. The people here are strong. I will save my stories on the abuelos for another post.

I also went to see a local jazz concert with a fellow volunteer. We sat in the back on barstools, which he said would give me a "true jazz experience." I felt pretty cool. The place was very cozy with warm lights and the music was excellent.

Anyways it is getting dark so I must hurry home. Food!

I miss you guys, feeling a little home sick...
(working on posting some videos too...get psyched!)