Teaching Update

After a month here, we've taught some interesting subjects to our grade school kids. We've done nutrition, hand washing, dental health, and organic vs inorganic trash. It's been really fun and we've done some cool activities like skits, games, and songs. Here are some pictures from the past few weeks.

Neil and some of the girls from our classes during recess. 

Neil as Luis the Loro during our dental hygiene skit. 

Neby teaching the kids how to use the hand washing station.

Neil and "Sr. Banana" during recess.

Neby and Detti super excited before we start
teaching for the day.

I’d like to title this entry The Little Things.

Because I feel like we talk about all the major things that happen (Incan ruins, hikes, restaurants, presidential conflicts, detti’s bowel issues) but some of the most influential aspects of this trip are those cosas that mark the difference between life in the states and living in Peru. Por ejemplo, Asia and I have the cutest Rugrats bedsheets-except some of the characters have Spanish names like Carlitos for Chuckie. Or when we shower (as often as that may be) we have a specific procedure just to get the water running, whether or not it is warm. Get in, turn on water, get out, flip switch on, attempt to shower, switch flip off, then turn off water. Can’t mess that up or else we’ll make the electric showerhead explode…but actually.

The Little Things. Like how when I was sick in bed during the earlier weeks, I would be awoken by people on the streets dragging carts with a megaphone to announce the fruits/vegetables of the day. Imagine that being your job, to walk around neighborhood streets selling fruits and vegetables out of a wooden cart that you built yourself.

The Little Things. Like how it is not considered rude to eat before the rest of the people at the table have received their food. And when the meal is over, we announce that we are content by saying provecho, and then resume to get up from the table.

The Little Things. Like how drinks at meals are served warm. Sometimes I even feel that our lovely host mom warms the juice or chicha morada before meals. Chicha morada means purple corn, and is made from Peruvian maize that’s purple and boiled in water with spices.

Or how instead of milk, they use yogurt to eat cereal. I encourage you guys to try it! Pour a bottle of Danimals in your Cap’n Crunch and you are basically right here in Cusco.

There are tons to be added soon, just part of getting the full experience and what not. #GettingEngaged

Her footwork was ridiculous^

New additions

We're introducing 3 new elements to our blog:

1. The Neby/Neil Files: a group of unflattering pictures of the group. The name comes from our two members with the most pictures in the file
2. The Detti Quote Wall: so we all say dumb things, some of us more than others. This is the place where we're gonna showcase these gems. Named after our own accidental-funny guy Detti.
3. The Asia Sassometer: self-explanatory 

Hopefully this will liven up the blog a bit :)

Peru and Politics

Tomorrow is the 2011 Peruvian Presidential Election and we've noticed some serious differences between US elections and Peruvian ones. First, voting is mandatory for all Peruvians: if you don't vote, you get a sizable fine. Second, there is a national law that you can neither buy nor sell alcohol (to prevent rowdiness and protesting?). For non-Peruvians, this low-key sucks because all the clubs and bars are closed. But as my host mom explained, people drink in their homes so I'm not sure if the law is truly necessary, but who am I to question customs?

Aside from the cultural differences, there is something quite distinct about this election: the choice of candidates. First there's Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of the past president. Problem is, her dad was involved in SERIOUSLY shady stuff, including death orders, sterilization of thousands of women without their consent, lying about being born in Peru, and he quit his presidency after hoping a plane to Japan. Now people feel like they can't trust Keiko because she was acting First Lady (after her dad kicked her mom out) and there are countless campaign posters of Keiko and her dad. This is the first choice.

The second choice is Ollanta Humala, the socialist that plans to do the whole Robin Hood thing: take from the rich and give to the needy. Or as Niloy says, he's Hugo Chavez round 2. There's also fears that his proposed policies will cause foreign businesses to withdraw from Peru. Needless to say, tomorrow's gonna provide interesting conversations over the next couple of weeks.