Pisco & Peanuts

This blog title is in reference to my dinner tonight (yummy) and because it sounds like a pretty Peruvian way to say "odds 'n ends."

I found myself today with some unanticipated Internet time, thus I spent my time as any lonely foreigner would do -- partaking in some good old-fashioned Internet stalking. Perusing some of my favorite blogs (and lurking creepily around on strangers' blogs), I realized my own blogging is a bit wan. Sure, it's hard to stay on top of an Internet-based journal when you live in a town with NO Internet access, but still, I feel like there's so much I want to say and should have said to document this crazy experience. Although if you've read any of the previous entries you can certainly attest to the difficulty with which I summarize or succinctly relate my Peruvian life. What can I say? I'm wordy. Hence, the roundabout introduction to what I can only call a random update.

Birthday 2010.

My first couple weeks back in site after my Charleston trip were kind of rough, I'm not gonna lie. It's hard to go from constant activity and everyone wanting to talk to you and see you to being alone in the middle of a Peruvian desert town. But I'm happy to report I've gotten over myself and am back to loving Peru. There's something about Peruvians that just won't let you feel sorry for yourself for long. For one thing, they are hilarious in a completely unintentional way. They're also incredibly generous and welcoming.

Case in point: I was sitting this afternoon in an unassuming restaurant, working on my laptop, and ended up engaged in a nearly three-hour conversation with the owner (my Pisco purveyor). We chatted about everything from weather to politics to Hollywood stars. When he found out why I was living in Peru, he called over the other waiters to share some Pisco in honor of me and my selflessness. Ha. If they only knew how much more I am getting/learning from nearly every Peruvian I meet. Honestly, their openness and generosity touches me when I need it most. Quality people.

Besides swilling Pisco with locals, I've been steadily working on some projects in site. My artisans and I recently participated in the annual U.S. Embassy-sponsored artisan fair in Lima. I traveled with Maria and Papy for the two-day event. Papy is a Peace Corps veteran these days. He has literally been to every PC-sponsored training event that exists in the past 18 months. He loves it. He introduces himself to other Peruvians as a Peace Corps employee. I overheard him coaching Maria (who had never been to a PC event) on what to expect, pointing out who's who of the staff, and generally acting the consummate pro. It was ridiculous and endearing. This year's fair was a smaller than last year's, so we didn't sell as much as I'd hoped, but it was still a good experience for the Bad News Bears from Huaca Rajada. Poco a poco.

Maria preps for the artisan fair.

Up next: continuing with my community bank and HIV/AIDS work (two separate projects), traveling to Arequipa for Thanksgiving, studying Portuguese (I've decided it's time I learn a third language), and counting the days until I'm back in the US of A for Christmas (yes, I love Peru, but nothing says holidays like home). Hasta pronto amigos!

Saludos from Huaca Rajada!

Work Week

Lest you think all I do is flit from one exotic locale to the next, I thought I'd take a minute to fill you in on some site- and work-related news. Generally, my vacations and misadventures on the road make for much more entertaining blog posts, but the real essence of Peace Corps is what happens when you're at site, alone, and without Internet to keep your loyal blog followers abreast of your day-to-day activities.

As you all know, (because I have proudly pointed it out numerous times) I've been in site now for more than a year, which means I'm now reliving events and occasions from last year -- birthdays, anniversaries, artisan fairs, etc. It's a really odd sensation to come back to these events from the perspective of a more experienced, less naive version of myself. Talking with my volunteer friends, it seems we're all having these mid-service musings, noticing that everything we thought was so weird and SO awkward last year now seems, well, normal.

The past few weeks have seen me enjoying the following activities: a super swanky, super professional gastronomic fair in Lima. I accompanied my crazy artisan friend who somehow scored an invite to display her algarrobina products, representing our department. We were so the campesinas at this thing. MISTURA, as it was called, makes the Charleston Food & Wine Fest look downright redneck. Seriously. There were apparently 40,000 visitors on day one, and chefs from all over the world. Maria and I were both a little overwhelmed, but we put on a brave front and ate our way through the next four days. And, on an exciting note, she sold all of the algarrobina she brought -- nearly S/. 2000 soles worth. It was a big deal for us, but I'm sure there were vendors there who were selling well into the tens of thousands.

Maria proudly displays her algarrobina

Hard at work. I promise she likes me.

Upon arriving back in site, I was greeted with the exciting news that it was time for the second annual livestock competition/fair in Pomalca. Loyal readers will recall my amazement at last year's inaugural event. I was so confused that whole time! I walked into an impressive number of admirers, all of whom remembered me from last year. I was immediately whisked away to the VIP stage, where I had to sit for hours upon hours staring out into the hot and dusty crowd. I judged a beauty pageant, pinned some ribbons on some prize heifers and tried to avoid the leers of the drunken cattle ranchers. I don't know what I expected, but somehow the second go 'round just wasn't as hilarious as I remembered. I think it has a lot to do with knowing the audience a lot better. Knowing that you can't be too friendly unless you want to be the happy recipient of 37+ phone calls a day. Knowing that the cattle round-up is going to take three hours. A minor dental emergency prevented me from participating in the weekend finale, which was when all the crazy stuff went down last year. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've learned my way around this country and its customs, for better or worse, I know what I'm doing (especially when you break out a drinking circle) and that is both reassuring and anti-climactic.

After a recent "shaman" night outside the museum. Papy, second from left, played the shaman's assistant.

We've also been prepping for several other artisan fairs in the coming months -- working on presentation of products, streamlining production schedules, and networking our little artisan arses off. I'm in the midst of the initial stages of starting a community bank in my town, kicking off an HIV-AIDS prevention campaign, and making over a dirt field into a community garden with the kiddies. As always, these projects prove more challenging than they sound. But with my year (hey, did you here? I've been here more than a year) comes patience, a higher tolerance, and hopefully a little wisdom. Just keep on truckin'.

Local dance troupe at a museum event

Speaking of exotic locales, I am writing this en route to the U.S. of A. Yep, This American Life is going back to the motherland for a quick visit, where I'm sure my idea of normal will be spun on its head all over again. Can't wait to see many of you in the flesh in just a few days! Don't worry about recognizing me -- I'll be the girl with the bad hair, wearing a slightly dazed expression, a can of Diet Coke in one hand and a Bud Light in the other.

Editor's note: I wrote this post before my American extravaganza, and I can't help but to leave that last paragraph in, mainly because it proved to be almost exactly true (Mom sprung for me to get my hair cut before the wedding festivities). I'll post a post-America post soon.