Eat, Nap, Sweat

So we have been living in Chulucanas for almost a full week now and are starting to get the hang of things! Shannon and Hannah returned back to the U.S. a couple days ago, so we're on our own now to figure out the rest. They came to show us where we would be working and living, and to introduce us to everyone. Small problem....almost every single person we were supposed to meet while they were here has been on vacation! So now we are waiting, which we have gotten used to by now, for them to return so we can introduce ourselves. However, there have been a few people we've met at the Obispado (the Bishop's house where we have been staying) that we didn't expect to meet but have been a huge help to us!

Bishop Dan is usually a very busy guy, so we were told he wouldn't be around too much, but he was actually here when we arrived. He is the bishop of the whole diocese of Chulucanas, and is basically a huge celebrity here. We went to mass and people of all ages surrounded him during the Sign of Peace. It was quite a scene, especially because he is about 6'4", a foot and a half taller than most Peruvians. Every house we have been in has a picture of him meeting the pope, and every time he leaves the Obispado he stops and talks to every person he sees on the way to wherever he is going.....he is late a lot. He is originally from Chicago but has been living here for 45 years! He has been so accommodating to us, and is one of the most caring and compassionate people I have ever met. While there are a lot of things I think the Catholic Church still struggles with, Bishop Dan gives me hope for how leaders of the Church can really affect people and inspire people to care for each other. There is also a couple here, Ed and Pat, who are from Chicago as well. They were originally a nun and a priest, but left their orders, met and got married. They are quite the firecrackers! Their witty banter is amusing and they have given us a lot of advice! They also hold a Happy Hour for English speakers every Sunday at 3 with beer and gin and tonics. They say it is part of their ministry to give us a time to relax and not have to be constantly translating in our heads. I agree!

Our first full day here we were supposed to walk around the city and ask people how to get to certain places like our work sites, our house, and the university. Naturally, the three of us accidentally found a "tour guide"instead. Juan is basically the night guard at the Obispado and he offered to walk with us and take us to all the places on our list...we accepted. We walked around until we were nice and sweaty  and decided we have a whole year to wander Chulucanas. Another day we went to the orphanage where we will be working during the summer since they can always use the help. Not three seconds after I walked into the building, a little girl wrapped her arms and legs around me, and my new little mono (monkey) did not let go until I had to pry her off of me when we were leaving. This morning we went with Lydia, one of the cooks at the Obispado, to the market to try to learn her expert ways of buying and bartering. She moves fast and doesn't put up with much. We saw your typical fruit and vegetable stands, and then came the meat. We watched the beef get carved, the fish get de-scaled and filleted, and the chicken get chopped up. I'll spare you the details. The meat is very fresh. The other day we walked by the dirt lot by our house where they sell live chickens and turkeys and ducks, and saw a man riding his bike carrying two live turkeys upside down, one on each side of his handle bars. We have started concocting a plan to set them free.


Another thing we've noticed is how much Peruvians like to celebrate. Not only do they have discotecas for young adults to drink and dance and party, they have "chicotecas" for kids from age 10 to 17 so they can party without alcohol. Standard. There was also a huge party in the plaza across the street the other night. They were celebrating the 77th anniversary (random?...they clearly do this every year, not just for the big ones) of the creation of the providence of Morropón, which Chulucanas is a part of....not the country, not the city.....the providence. Apparently it is a solid excuse for a huge party here. Starting around 8 pm there was a band, people cheering, make-shift restaurants set up in the plaza, and people selling carnival-like toys. Around 12:30 the three of us were about to fall asleep when we heard huge bangs, seemingly gun shots right outside our windows. That went on for about 7 or 8 minutes, and we finally realized they weren't gun shots, but actually fireworks and dynamite going off!

While it may seem like there has been a lot of action going on, we've actually really been doing a lot of nothing. It's their summer here now and it is so hot that no one does anything besides sleep between the hours of 1 and 4 pm. We've been eating breakfast, then trying to meet people (who have all been on vacation), sweating from walking around, then eating lunch, then napping, then sweating, playing some cribbage, then eating dinner, then going to bed. It's basically a cycle of eat, nap, sweat...the most exhausting week of doing practically nothing in my life.

Hope all is well back home! Today we move in with our host families so my next post will update you all on that experience!


¡Ciao!