One Year

One year in site! One year in site! I actually celebrated this on November 30 but have been unable to truly reflect on the year until now. See, I wanted to give you a solid post that summarized the year, my experiences, my achievements, my frustrations and my thoughts and hopes for the upcoming year. But then I realized that a blog post like that would probably end up being the length of a novella. And who has time (or the retina strength) to sit staring at a computer screen for that long? So instead, I’ve got some top 10 lists for you. This time I did try to keep the lists at or below 10 items but as always, the order is irrelevant. Interspersed between the lists are some gems from my journal from the first four months in country. That’s right, you get to read my most private of thoughts. Enjoy it while it lasts. I apologize for the lack of photos but that’s what happens when I update from site. Maybe next blog I’ll give a photo review of the year. Anyway, here we go.

Top 10 Projects Completed

1. Summer School
2. Teaching once a week in the 5th and 6th grade classes
3. Eco-Club
4. Movie Nights
5. Recycle Contests
6. Creating green spaces in kindergarten and high school
7. Eco-camps - check out the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3KcAvDWcQk)
8. Peruanas Poderosas - it's a calendar of Peruvian women leaders from the towns of volunteers
9. Life planning talks in the high school of Tin Tin, one of our annexes (or as mom likes to call it - our suburb)
10. Green spaces and garbage cans in the plaza

“I am a lot busier here, a lot more independent and I have a purpose beyond just being here in Peru to experience the culture. I am here for that, yes, but also to learn, teach, work, improve, make change and encourage agents of change. And it’s because of that that these days have flown as I think about the month.” - October 14, 2010

Top 10 Books Read

1. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien (duh)
2. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson (who knew it would become so popular?)
3. Return to Sullivan's Island - Dorothea Benton Frank (I read it for Charleston nostalgia)
4. El Sueno del Celto - Mario Vargas Llosa (he's a Peruvian author who won the Nobel Prize for literature last year)
5. South of Broad - Pat Conroy (everone was talking about it...and for nostalgia's sake)
6. Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen (now that I've read the book, it's time to see the movie)
7. Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex - Mary Roach (the title says it all)
8. Fluke: Or, I know Why the Winged Whale Singe - Christopher Moore (sent to me from Marisa and an awesome and ridiculous read for any marine biology nerd)
9. Five Stories - Wendell Berry (recommended and sent by Mr. Jesse Flanagan from Peace Corps El Salvador)
10. A Place on Earth - Wendell Berry (also from Jesse and a good read for anyone missing some old timey Americana)

“I had my chat with Diego yesterday. He dropped lots of hints about my site including: high, Incan ruins, trout farms, replacing volunteers, protected area, electricity and water, probably internet, minimal phone. …my talk with Diego coupled with a chat with today’s visiting PCVs leads me to think I’m going to Yauyos.” - October 21, 2010

Top 10 Failed Projects (or yet to be completed, depending on your mood)

1. Proper use/separation of garbage in public garbage cans
2. Green spaces in elementary school
3. Compost in elementary school and kindergarten
4. Environmental education workshop for teachers in the region in coordination with SERNANP
5. Anything in coordination with SERNANP (SERvico Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas)
6. Anything in coordination with the municipality
7. School garden

But hey, I have one year left. Who's to say that they won't happen this year?

“In one of these activities the Americans and Peruvians each made lists of strengths and weaknesses of their own culture and it was interesting to see what we identified. Americans said that we value hard work and efficiency, that we have a si se puede attitude and among our faults were our emphasis on ‘time is money’, isolation through technology and weaker family ties. Individualism/independence landed on both of our lists as a strength and a weakness of the American culture…defending us saying that many of us [PCVs] had chosen to come here to get away from some of that culture.” - November 14, 2010

Top 10 Movies/Shows watched

I don’t even want to get in to how much I have watched. Seriously, even thinking about beginning to process the quantity of AV I have viewed is overwhelming.

Top 10 Podcasts

1. Stuff You Should Know - puts me on track to knowing everything
2. NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me - keeps me up on world news in an entertaining way
3. Radiolab - they talk about cool stuff...the end
4. Mouth Off - for my a cappella fix
5. The Moth - bringing back the art of storytelling (thanks for the recommendation Jesse)
6. Stuff You Missed in History Class - interesting stories that actually happened
7. Stuff Mom Never Told You - hitting the hard topics of sex and gender in our society
8. How to Do Everything - putting me on track to know how to do everything

“We came around a bend and I had the first site of my city. I nearly cried. It’s beautiful. It is on a hill nestled between two mountains with Andean terraces on either side. We had to drive 9 km up switchbacks, across 2 bridges and through a gate to get there.” - November 14, 2010

Top 10 Peruvian friends (in site, just in case Norma, Dany or Frank are reading)

1. Silvia
2. Isabel
3. Miguel

OK so I only have 3 Peruvian friends. But it's quality over quantity our our friendship is high quality.

“And I waited to write this frustrating part in the middle so that I could end this journal entry on a good note. Because – life is good, just frustrating at times.” - November 21, 2010

Top 10 Peruvian foods eaten

1. Aji de Gallina - shredded chicken in a chile sauce that isn't too spicy because it's mixed with cheese and milk
2. Ceviche - some would say it's raw fish but we all know it's cooked by the acidity of lime juice. It's best eaten oceanside.
3. Mazamora amarilla - basically a cornmeal pudding but so much better than that
4. Locro - I ate it today and couldn't be happier about it
5. Mazamora de calabaza - pumpkin pudding sweetened with cinnamon, sugar and cloves
6. Tallerines verdes - basically a spaghetti in pesto with a Peruvian twist
7. Pan con huevo - I know what you're thinking; this is way too basic. But I think a simple fried egg on bread is something whose deliciousness we've forgotten
8. Cuy - this had to make the list simplybecause it's guinea pig. Certainly not one of my favorites.
9. Jugo especial - this is a hot fruit smoothie augmented with a raw egg and algorrobina. Simply delicious.
10. Caldillo - the signature dish of Laraos parties; pretty much a hunk of meat in its own broth - nothing else.

“I got the task of tagging the fish after the gutting and the cleaning. I stabbed my hand twice – just like finger pricks – and I laughed at the idea that I was already giving my blood to Laraos. …I also laughed at the fact that even in the sierra of Peru, miles from the coast and a university, this marine biologist was still tagging fish.” - December 1, 2010

Top 10 Vacations

1. Paracas - Semana Santa trip to camp on the beach
2. Huaraz, Ancash - Required trip for training but way cool and deserves a return trip for some terkking and micro-brews
3. Chiclayo, Lambayeque - Also a required training trip. Very hot, very pretty and made me appreciate living in the mountains.
4. Huanchaco, La Libertad - A very touristy beach town that satisfied my ceviche and beach craving for a spell.
5. Palatine, IL, USA - So good to be home and celebrating love. Twice.
6. Charleston, SC, USA - Also, so good to be home and visiting friends and old haunts while still discovering new treasures.
7. Lomas de Lachay - it's a Dr. Seuss world. Stay tuned to Facebook or this blog for pictures.
8. Lima, Lima - who knew that the city would grow on me?
9. Huancayo, Junin - My most frequent getaway for a break and a relax from site. Also where I pick up my mail, do my banking and have my most successful skype conversations. Most of you probably already know this.

“I’ve walked up and down the hill a few times and am looking forward to more." - December 10, 2010

Top 10 Reminders of Home

1. Sign on pink paper that Mom sent in October of last year. All it says is "Love you much."
2. Photos of the actual house in Palatine and Queen Street in Charleston.
3. Teas sent in a care package from Mom.
4. A series of photos from Iris in which she reminds me of how awesome she is while simultaneously affirming me.
5. A certain music video made with two special Hubbards the summer before I left.
6. Holding pancake Saturday complete with Sara Bareilles, garbage television and mom's recipe.
7. Cards and letters from all of you lovely people that now decorate my wall.
8. Singing very loud along with any of my music.
9. Reading scientific journal articles or blogs and talking about them online with Iris, Marisa or Robby
10. Crossword puzzles

“But let’s talk about the power of walks for a minute. They are incredible. I have always been in favor of them and that support has only grown here. Don’t know what to do? Feeling blue? Need a change of pace? Scene? To move a little? Go for a walk.” - December 25, 2010

So there you have it; when in doubt, take a walk. So it's been a good year. It has had its ups and its downs and has gone both slowly and quickly. Now there is a little under one year left to go and I have no doubt that it will go just as quickly. It's time to get to work and to get to enjoying the time I have left here. But I won't deny that now, especially in this month, I am missing you all at home.

Blessings.