Where the streets have no names

I’m here! After two and a half months of preparing, learning, and waiting, I’ve gotten to my site, and I’m not planning on going back to Lima until next March. It was a funny feeling, getting here with my suitcases in tow and preparing for the next stage of service. They say this is the hardest part and I have no qualms with that statement. While I am in relatively close proximity to other volunteers unlike in other departments, I’m still living in my community alone, trying to keep up with the accent people speak with here and focusing on taking baby steps as to not get overwhelmed (which is pretty easy to do). I got in on Monday afternoon after saying au revoir to Jeremy, Pilli, my grandparents, the rest of my family, neighbors and friends. It was really cute. My grandparents (Saturlina and Marcario) were precious and I heard the phrase “No te vayas” a lot more than once. It was def. bittersweet. I had arroz con leche as my going away dinner (it is my favorite food here- everyone google the recipe and make it- it’s like rice pudding but so much more). I really didn’t want to leave Tres! I think that even already, I’ve grown so much since getting here. I remember the first day when I got driven to my house in Tres and I remember thinking ( I hope no one from tres is reading this) that it kind of looked like a scene form slumdog millionare, not to mention I thought I was going to get aids from using the bathroom (politically incorrect, I know). But after two months, I felt as comfortable living there as I did in the states. I really hope that I am able to get that comfortable with my family here in San Juan de la Virgen.

So back to the present. I live in a town called San Juan de la Virgen, in the department of Tumbes, which is right on the Peru- Ecuadorian border. Yesterday I met up with the other volunteers to walk around Tumbes (the capital city) to get to know the post office, restaurants, the plaza de armas and such. I bought a portable oven which I am super pumped about because I am going to make beer bread in it today for my family and for thanksgiving tomorrow! Tumbes itself is pretty ugly, not to mention extremely muddy after it rains (which it did yesterday), but it offers a bit of a respite from living in the campo. Yesterday when I got home, my brother offered to play me in a game of chess (called ajedrez here). This sounded like an extraordinary idea because a. it required no interchange of language and b. I “knew” how to play. I say “knew” because I have never been more humiliated by a 17 year old in my life. I was put into checkmate in less than seven minutes. I had no idea what was happening until Pol, my brother called out “hockey” (which I think means checkmate) and I was cornered like a turkey at thanksgiving. I lost my dignity for the second time when I agreed to play again a little later. What have I learned form that cultural interchange? Peruvians= good at chess.

I think Pol is out to get me because he also is a wiz at using Google Earth. The first night I was here, I was understandably depressed and missing Chaclacayo, Pilli and the states in general. In perhaps an attempt to cheer me up, we Google- Earthed my house in Maryland. I was able to see the Fitpatrick’s car in their driveway (they’re my next door neighbors) and I showed my family where I slept. They were astonished by the pools in people’s backyards and the space that existed between houses. For me though, it was kind of like turning the knife around that was already stuck in my back. It made me feel like I was just SO CLOSE and I wanted to beam myself through the screen and back into my turquoise-painted room on High Meadow Way where I don’t have to sleep with an ugly mustard-yellow mosquito net that doesn’t work. What have I learned from this cultural interchage? Don’t use Google Earth the first night you are at your new site. It will make you depressed.

However, I definitely am counting my blessings! Since they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here ( I’m not sure if there ever was a positive interchange between the Spaniards and the natives here), people are starting to get ready for Christmas!!!!! It’s funny seeing fake Christmas trees in a town where cactuses and palm trees run rampant. My mom went out and bought a tree yesterday and we are going to put it up on December 1st. I can’t believe we’re that far into the year already! It feels like I have been permanently living in a state of summer.

I’m sure you all are getting ready for Thanksgiving and that’s so exciting! Like I said, they don’t celebrate that here, but I am! Tomorrow, all of us Tumbes volunteers are going to stay in a hostal in Zorritos and cook a Thanksgiving dinner! I bought a portable oven at the market yesterday and am going to make beer bread and no-bake cookies. I’ll put both of the recipes up later because they both are really good. A volunteer that has been here for a year bought a turkey from her mom and we’re going to cook it somehow at the hostal tomorrow. Not to mention, Zorritos is right on the beach so I will be getting some sun tanning in as well. (with spf 70 on of course, mom). So yeah, my first Thanksgiving in Peru will be interesting!

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving with all of your family and friends and for all of you going shopping on Friday morning, Bueno Suerte! Love you all.

P.S.!!! The phone number I gave you all in my old blog is SO WRONG. MY NEW ONE IS 01151072972896466. Please call!!!! I would love love love more than anything in the world to talk to you. I also have a new postal address. It is:

Lindsey Kane, PCV
Apartado Postal No. 5
Cuerpo de Paz
Serporst, Tumbes
Tumbes, Peru

Love you all!!!!!