One-Year In

Well, I never believed that I’d be able to say this, but I’ve been in Peru for a year. ONE YEAR. Somehow those two little words don’t begin to cover it. 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8760 hours, 525,600 minutes- okay, no we’re getting somewhere. In any case, I promise that it’s a LONG TIME. Peru 9 is now home or traveling, Peru 10 is finishing their last couple of months, Peru 13 is already at site, and Peru 14 is here in country! I mention this because we recently received the Peace Corps Peru magazine, Pasa la Voz, which comes out every time a group closes their service (COS). Among other things, this magazine publishes the COS profiles of the leaving group. As I read through the Peru 9 COS profiles I thought about all of the things that I hope I’ll be able to say in mine. A few of those things have already happened, but the vast majority have not- time to kick my butt in gear. Also, I noticed how nostalgic Peru 9 was already, and it reminded me that we only have two years to do this out of our whole lives, and while it’s hard sometimes, we have to take advantage of every minute. I thought I’d be jealous that Peru 9 gets to go home, but I found myself feeling sorry for them. Their Peace Corps service WAS. Mine IS. I still get up every day with the distinct possibility that something absolutely unbelievable or amazing or inspiring is going to happen to me that has never happened before (this is true in the States too, of course, but I think probability is on my side here). I still live the “simple” life that people in the States dream about as they run around in their crazy lives. I still live with the other PCVs, who are the only other people who will ever understand this thing that I’m doing. I’m still experiencing the stories that I’ll be telling for the rest of my life. Really, I’m the lucky one. Still, I thought it would be interesting to write my own one-year profile. A year from now I’ll be writing for Pasa la Voz. I wonder how much will have changed?
1. What’s the best compliment you’ve received?
a. I was at Machu Picchu with my parents and I was annoyed at our guide. He spoke English, but I spoke to him in Spanish to let him know that I understood the snide comments he was making to his friends. I walked away. He turned to my dad and asked where I learned Spanish. My dad said that I lived in Peru, and he said, “Ah, I thought she sounded Peruvian.”
2. What’s the strangest thing that’s happened to you on a combi?
a. Once while I was getting on a combi I clipped my Achilles heel on some rusty piece of metal sticking out from somewhere. I was so shocked watching the blood pour from my heel and pool in my shoe that I forgot to get off at my stop. By the time I finally yelled, “baja!” I had no idea where I was. I had to call Mike, my sitemate, to come find me and bring bandages because I was trailing blood through the street.
3. What’s the best gift you’ve received from a Peruvian?
a. Robyn and I were admiring earrings at a restaurant where we sometimes go for menu, and the lady who owns it gave us each a pair!
4. The most interesting thing that’s fallen on your head?
a. I was at Jessi’s, from the health post, birthday party and a snake fell from the ceiling onto my head as I was sitting eating lunch. I jumped up very quickly, and Manuel valiantly came over to kill it. It wasn’t a huge snake, but it was big enough.
5. What keeps you sane in site?
a. Writing. Whenever I feel like I just can’t do it anymore I sit down and write an e-mail or a blog. Afterwards my life seems okay again. Also Daniela, my 10-month-old host niece. She can always make me smile.
6. Peruvian custom you enjoy?
a. Kissing people hello and goodbye. It’s such a nice greeting.
7. Favourite Peruvian holiday?
a. My birthday (the day of Santa Rosa de Lima)! Claro. But if not that then New Years. Nothing says, “this year is gonna rock” like stuffing a life-sized effigy full of fireworks, lighting it on fire, and watching the ensuing explosions chase children down the street.
8. Biggest Success?
a. So far? My host family talks to me and appears to actually like me. It took me 6 full months for my host mom to respond to anything I said to her.
9. Biggest language blunder?
a. When my host family in training asked about my religion, I said, “Soy Quaker.” I meant that I am a Quaker- you know- the Society of Friends? It came across as a combination of “me cae Quaker,” which is, “it was really awkward,” and “I worship a breakfast cereal.” My host dad laughed so hard that he nearly fell over.
10. Favourite place in Peru?
a. Peru is full of magical places. Nonetheless, as cliché as is may be, I pick Machu Picchu. There’s a reason it’s one of the 7 wonders of the world.
11. Why do you love your site?
a. Because my host family lives there. Also because there are wild parrots and at least four types of hummingbirds that live outside my house. Plus it’s almost always sunny and I love how unbelievably neon green freshly planted rice can be.
12. What do you love/hate about Lima?
a. I love all of the food, the fact that there are always other volunteers around, Tania, and the cliffs by Larco Mar. I hate the traffic and the fact that it takes forever to get anywhere! Also, I’ll admit it, when I’m in Lima I miss cumbia.
13. Craziest health problem:
a. This one time, some jerk dragged me down the street behind his mototaxi because he wanted my wallet and broke my pelvis.
14. Best comment by a Peruvian child:
a. Child, “Sarah, do you hate children?”
b. Me, “No! Of course not!”
c. Child, “Then why don’t you have any?”
15. What was the most useful thing you learned in training?
a. How to eat rice like it was going out of style.
16. Favourite/least-favourite Peruvian dish:
a. Favourite: CEVICHE, chupe de langostino, anticucho, ají de langostino, crema de ají on anything
b. Least favourite: Lomo saltado, sudado de pescado, pork laced with triquina
17. First meal you’re going to have in the States: Pork green chili burrito with good beer and the biggest fresh salad of my life.
18. How many cell phones/ bank cards did you lose?
a. Lost my cell phone at Reconnect, and, as Karrie puts it, was “violently separated” from my bank card during the mototaxi incident.
19. What do people in your site consider your strangest behavior?
a. Drinking cold drinks when I have a cold, reading, eating raw vegetables.
20. What was the weirdest Peruvian remedy that actually worked?
a. My host mom told me to put rubbing alcohol on a super-swollen ant bite that I had. It stopped the itching immediately!