Zapallel Arribo
13 April 2005
Up at quarter to seven, woke to the sound of honking horns and speeding cars. I am still suffering from a cold. My whole head feels clogged and I have quite an impressive bark of a cough. Nearly two weeks and I have had more than enough of it.
From what I gather, someone will be coming to collect me today to take me back to the refuge in Zapallel. I have now been told that it is about two hours away, I assume by bus which should be quite interesting with my monster pack. I had assumed it pretty streamlined in its contents but I am reconsidering a few items. I´m also tossing around ways of making myself ´blend in´ a bit more.
I left the church by myself this afternoon after lunch. I was a bit nervous to do so as everyone seems quite relieved that I have been quietly studying Spanish inside of the church. When I announced that I was going to exchange some money, Ursula didn´t look very happy and proceeded to make certain everything was zipped up properly and gave me the list of do nots, like don´t carry valuables, i.e. jewelery, etc., don´t put money anywhere but your front pocket etc. etc. and with that I left the always locked building...for a mere 45 minutes, a third of which was spent sitting peacefully in the San Martin Church.
No exposed skin, hair pulled back, no makeup or jewelery, no nice clothes...I still got ´meowed´ at...among other statements.
I have discovered that Dan and Ibar, the two volunteers in Zapallel at the moment, will be picking me up this afternoon to escort me to the refuge...I don´t say this often, but...it will be good to have male escorts.
Daniel and Ibar collected me from Padre Hilario´s home at around 6pm, at which point Hilario gave us all a tour of the other volunteer facilities within the church, the infirmary, the donations room (most of which is collected by Carole Hudson in the UK, one of the founders of the organization I am working with, and sent to the Padre Hilario for distribution.)
After exchanging $100 at the rate of 1 to 3 Neuvo Sol, a very bad rate because of both the bank we went to and because I was exchanging Traveler´s checks ( the current exchange rate for the dollar is 1 to 3.60 Neuvo Sol), Ursula helped us to get a cheap, safe taxi to Zapallel, which cost us 25 Neuvo Sol and took us approximately 30 minutes to get to the refuge.
We drove down congested roads and through the busier parts of Lima. The pollution is very bad and may be part of the reason for my continued coughing. Our taxi took us through poverty stricken areas, then down dirt roads and quiet disrepaired streets. All the building structures are enclosed by walls to discourage crime and there are tiny gated markets every once and a while selling sweets and pop.
When we got to the refuge we rang an exterior bell and we could hear the children singing and laughing within the gates and walls. A door, about five feet in height was opened by Manuel for us. Manuel and Lucy are the house mother and father for the children. When I walked in I was literally tackled by all of the children, a few dogs, Lucy and Manuel, pulled in every direction, hugged, chatted at by a dozen voices, and smothered in kisses....I almost started crying as the children offered up so much love immediately....
Sigh.
The children insisted on carrying my bags and Lucy showed me to a bed in the girls quarters. I left my bags there and proceeded to snuggle with the little ones and chat them up in my broken Spanish, or as they refer to it en Castellano.
The children went to bed shortly and Daniel, Ibar, Lucy, Manuel and I stayed up to converse a bit and sip coffee. Everyone goes to be quite early here as they all begin the day at five thirty in the morning.
14 April 2005
Up at half past five to chattering little girls and hushed whispers about the Senora. They tried very hard to let me sleep, I just lay there awake but with my eyes closed listening to them prepare for their day.
They wake up each morning and proceed to take turns in the bathroom, brushing teeth, washing their faces and splashing water in their hair. I waited in line with them as well. Then they move around all of the beds about thirty of them and sweep the floors clean, wash down the bathroom, then dress in their school uniforms, I helped them to brush their hair and put them into one or two ponytails or braids. Then we all sit down to breakfast at seven.
The children stand behind their chairs and give a prayer together, then sit for a breakfast of two white rolls with slices of meat inside accompanied by mugs of a warm cereal like drink called Quaker. The gents have warned me about trying this out! I have been given little extras for my meals like an apple or a glass of fresh juice which makes me feel guilty as the children don´t get any. I spoke to Ibar about this and that I might speak to the cook about it not being necessary to do this for me, but Ibar assures me it is just their way of welcoming me and that they experienced much the same in their beginning here.
After breakfast the children line up at the gate boys from small to big in one line and girls in the same fashion in a second line. The boys let the girls all walk out first and then they follow in line. They then madly scramble for adult hands and if they can´t get one then an elbow will do. Absolutely everything is accompanied by a barrage of questions in Castillano which, of course, I struggle through.
We all walk the children to school, the younger ones go to school in the morning and we collect them again at around 1pm. The volunteers are pretty free in the morning and work on English lessons and various projects for the refuge and children during this time.
Today we met with a young woman about coming to the English class that she teaches on Monday morning to carry on conversations with them in English. Mostly about our interests, where we are from, our family, etc. etc.
Lunch is served at 1pm after the younger children are collected and is usually the largest meal of the day. Today is was a lovely vegetable curry and rice and served with a sweet fruity water.
Afterwards Daniel, Ibar and I went to Puente Pierdra to pick up a couple of items for a birthday party that was taking place in the evening for one of the girls, Mary-Lou. We purchased a jumping rope and some candles for the cake as well as a bunch of fresh flowers (for the equivalent of 33 cents) that we were planning on taking to a family that kindly invited us to their home for a couple of hours.
When we got there I was presented with a beautiful gift bag, another welcome gift, containing a leather wallet, a leather coin purse, and two hand made and painted egg cups. All of these gifts were made by her husband who has been imprisoned for the past five years...such a sad story.
We caught a bus back to the refuge for 1 sol 50 and prepared for dinner after some play time with the children. Dinner is usually a soup of sorts with a roll and a piece of fruit. After dinner a beautiful cake was brought out to celebrate Mary-Lou´s birthday.
After dinner we teach three English classes, sorted by age, to the children. Daniel and Ibar have brilliantly discovered new and interesting games to play with the children each day. The kids seem to love it and even the adults participate in the lessons which are completely voluntary. They are rewarded for their successes by sweets and lollies and sometimes small toys.
I am not sure how the gents have the energy it takes to teach all three of these classes each evening as it must be absolutely exhausting...we finished off the evening with a lovely Peruvian beer, Cristal, and a bit of discussion and went soundly to bed...How does that saying go? Early to bed, early to rise?
Up at quarter to seven, woke to the sound of honking horns and speeding cars. I am still suffering from a cold. My whole head feels clogged and I have quite an impressive bark of a cough. Nearly two weeks and I have had more than enough of it.
From what I gather, someone will be coming to collect me today to take me back to the refuge in Zapallel. I have now been told that it is about two hours away, I assume by bus which should be quite interesting with my monster pack. I had assumed it pretty streamlined in its contents but I am reconsidering a few items. I´m also tossing around ways of making myself ´blend in´ a bit more.
I left the church by myself this afternoon after lunch. I was a bit nervous to do so as everyone seems quite relieved that I have been quietly studying Spanish inside of the church. When I announced that I was going to exchange some money, Ursula didn´t look very happy and proceeded to make certain everything was zipped up properly and gave me the list of do nots, like don´t carry valuables, i.e. jewelery, etc., don´t put money anywhere but your front pocket etc. etc. and with that I left the always locked building...for a mere 45 minutes, a third of which was spent sitting peacefully in the San Martin Church.
No exposed skin, hair pulled back, no makeup or jewelery, no nice clothes...I still got ´meowed´ at...among other statements.
I have discovered that Dan and Ibar, the two volunteers in Zapallel at the moment, will be picking me up this afternoon to escort me to the refuge...I don´t say this often, but...it will be good to have male escorts.
Daniel and Ibar collected me from Padre Hilario´s home at around 6pm, at which point Hilario gave us all a tour of the other volunteer facilities within the church, the infirmary, the donations room (most of which is collected by Carole Hudson in the UK, one of the founders of the organization I am working with, and sent to the Padre Hilario for distribution.)
After exchanging $100 at the rate of 1 to 3 Neuvo Sol, a very bad rate because of both the bank we went to and because I was exchanging Traveler´s checks ( the current exchange rate for the dollar is 1 to 3.60 Neuvo Sol), Ursula helped us to get a cheap, safe taxi to Zapallel, which cost us 25 Neuvo Sol and took us approximately 30 minutes to get to the refuge.
We drove down congested roads and through the busier parts of Lima. The pollution is very bad and may be part of the reason for my continued coughing. Our taxi took us through poverty stricken areas, then down dirt roads and quiet disrepaired streets. All the building structures are enclosed by walls to discourage crime and there are tiny gated markets every once and a while selling sweets and pop.
When we got to the refuge we rang an exterior bell and we could hear the children singing and laughing within the gates and walls. A door, about five feet in height was opened by Manuel for us. Manuel and Lucy are the house mother and father for the children. When I walked in I was literally tackled by all of the children, a few dogs, Lucy and Manuel, pulled in every direction, hugged, chatted at by a dozen voices, and smothered in kisses....I almost started crying as the children offered up so much love immediately....
Sigh.
The children insisted on carrying my bags and Lucy showed me to a bed in the girls quarters. I left my bags there and proceeded to snuggle with the little ones and chat them up in my broken Spanish, or as they refer to it en Castellano.
The children went to bed shortly and Daniel, Ibar, Lucy, Manuel and I stayed up to converse a bit and sip coffee. Everyone goes to be quite early here as they all begin the day at five thirty in the morning.
14 April 2005
Up at half past five to chattering little girls and hushed whispers about the Senora. They tried very hard to let me sleep, I just lay there awake but with my eyes closed listening to them prepare for their day.
They wake up each morning and proceed to take turns in the bathroom, brushing teeth, washing their faces and splashing water in their hair. I waited in line with them as well. Then they move around all of the beds about thirty of them and sweep the floors clean, wash down the bathroom, then dress in their school uniforms, I helped them to brush their hair and put them into one or two ponytails or braids. Then we all sit down to breakfast at seven.
The children stand behind their chairs and give a prayer together, then sit for a breakfast of two white rolls with slices of meat inside accompanied by mugs of a warm cereal like drink called Quaker. The gents have warned me about trying this out! I have been given little extras for my meals like an apple or a glass of fresh juice which makes me feel guilty as the children don´t get any. I spoke to Ibar about this and that I might speak to the cook about it not being necessary to do this for me, but Ibar assures me it is just their way of welcoming me and that they experienced much the same in their beginning here.
After breakfast the children line up at the gate boys from small to big in one line and girls in the same fashion in a second line. The boys let the girls all walk out first and then they follow in line. They then madly scramble for adult hands and if they can´t get one then an elbow will do. Absolutely everything is accompanied by a barrage of questions in Castillano which, of course, I struggle through.
We all walk the children to school, the younger ones go to school in the morning and we collect them again at around 1pm. The volunteers are pretty free in the morning and work on English lessons and various projects for the refuge and children during this time.
Today we met with a young woman about coming to the English class that she teaches on Monday morning to carry on conversations with them in English. Mostly about our interests, where we are from, our family, etc. etc.
Lunch is served at 1pm after the younger children are collected and is usually the largest meal of the day. Today is was a lovely vegetable curry and rice and served with a sweet fruity water.
Afterwards Daniel, Ibar and I went to Puente Pierdra to pick up a couple of items for a birthday party that was taking place in the evening for one of the girls, Mary-Lou. We purchased a jumping rope and some candles for the cake as well as a bunch of fresh flowers (for the equivalent of 33 cents) that we were planning on taking to a family that kindly invited us to their home for a couple of hours.
When we got there I was presented with a beautiful gift bag, another welcome gift, containing a leather wallet, a leather coin purse, and two hand made and painted egg cups. All of these gifts were made by her husband who has been imprisoned for the past five years...such a sad story.
We caught a bus back to the refuge for 1 sol 50 and prepared for dinner after some play time with the children. Dinner is usually a soup of sorts with a roll and a piece of fruit. After dinner a beautiful cake was brought out to celebrate Mary-Lou´s birthday.
After dinner we teach three English classes, sorted by age, to the children. Daniel and Ibar have brilliantly discovered new and interesting games to play with the children each day. The kids seem to love it and even the adults participate in the lessons which are completely voluntary. They are rewarded for their successes by sweets and lollies and sometimes small toys.
I am not sure how the gents have the energy it takes to teach all three of these classes each evening as it must be absolutely exhausting...we finished off the evening with a lovely Peruvian beer, Cristal, and a bit of discussion and went soundly to bed...How does that saying go? Early to bed, early to rise?
posted by Rebel at 9:59 AM
1 Comments:
kristen - I will be heading out for the Inca Trail, Cusco and Machu Picho next Friday, I am getting really excited for it! Yeah, snail mail, let´s see how long it takes to find it´s way to this place, weeks I am certain!
traffic cone - thanks sweetie, definately on the pencils and any other art supplies, sweets, or tiny toys that you can think of that won´t be too expensive to ship. These children have so little and everything makes a world of difference to them. I will write much more on this soon...
burnt biscuits - thanks Pen, no need to be worried, I think that I might have been a bit tense in the beginning but I am beginning to get into the swing of things now and feeling more comfortable. I am surrounded by wonderful and very patient people here. Too many leads on a nephew or niece for you...I have been eyeing a brother and sister duo since I got here, more on them later. Once I figure out how to communicate it, I will find out how to smuggle them into the states in my backpack!
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