What we have learned
Is like a handful of earth
What we have yet to learn
Is like the whole world.
-Avvaiyar
I am ridiculously tired right now but I realize that this is probably the last time I will have steady internet access. Therefore, I am going to do my best to update this blog in a way that makes sense.
On Wednesday, Elisabeth and I headed to Pronoei for our third day of service. By Wednesday, I think we were finally starting to get the swing of things. My main project for the day was to create some vases for Sra. Vargas and to help the students color and paste different parts of the body and teach them the names in Spanish. Unlike in America, the schools here are not shy about what differentiates a male from a female. In the afternoon, classes were cancelled so we could go to a soccer game! It was a big game, so I was surprised by how few people were in the stands. Despite the big size of the stadium, As everyone who knows me knows, sports aren't exactly my strong suit, so I didn't understand exactly what was going on. It was definitely very intense though . . . the fans were very into the game. The most memorable moment for me was when one player jumped over an opponet and landed on his shoulder, dislocating it. In America, it seems like most players would simply shake it off, but he was writhing in pain on the field. It was crazy. Another intense moment came when one player tried to grab the ball from the opposing team's goalie, and then fell which definitely looked fake. He received a penalty which the goalie believed was unfair, and before anyone knew what was going on a fight broke out on the field and the police became involved. In the end, Cusco won the game by one point. Apparently the team they played had gone through the season undefeated, and Cusco's win put the team in the lead for the championship. Needless to say, the fans were thrilled. After the game, I headed back to the market to do some final souvenir shopping with my friends Adam, Jackie, and Stephanie. Afterwards, I walked home to grab Elisabeth (she decided not to go to the game) before heading back to the academy for a movie night! The academy provided popcorn and we watched The Tourist, a movie I highly recommend that keeps you guessing.
Yesterday was my last day of service learning. =/ It turned out to be very interesting. Since things can be a little chaotic, the doors were left open while all of the adults were preoccupied. I noticed and ran after them immediately. One boy, Sebastian, only lived a few minutes down the road and he managed to go home. When I got there, his grandparents laughed and expected me to take care of the situation. I had to climb a ladder to get to his room, a small space with dirty cement floors, two beds, and one shelf of toys. I tried to coax him into coming back to the school, but he would not come at all. He was crying, but I couldn't understand what he was saying. Eventually, his grandma tried to help, but when it was apparent that he didn't want to come she just asked me to go home. Expectations are much different here than in America. I left a little downtrodden and wishing that I had the ability to communicate more effectively, but it definitely taught me a lot about expectations. Education is something that is so important to me and ingrained in my mind that it is hard for me to understand when others do not feel the same way. However, I need to accept other cultures and be open to their wants and needs. After that, I came back to the classroom. Sra. Vargas asked me to make her some copies, but there is no photocopier in the classroom. I had to go to a shop a few blocks up the road, but I had no idea where it was. I asked three people along the way in my scattered Spanish, and I could tell that I was confusing them. One adult actually took me to a back room to show me her child because I mentioned "ninos" in my explanation. When the people finally understood what I was talking about, they went out of their way to try to help me as much as possible. One teenager actually left her shop unattended to try to point it out to me. However, they talked so fast that I couldn't comprehend what was going on and finally went to another school with Alma volunteers to try to get some insight. The teacher there slowed her speech way down so that I could understand what was going on. It made me truly appreciate human kindness and the fact that even though I may not be able to communicate fluently with other cultures we can find a way to make it work. I spent the rest of the morning finishing up vases and helping students learn the parts of the face. When that assignment was done, I took orders for animals that some boys wanted. Although I tried to teach them what the words would be in English, most were adamant that one thing could not have two names. I loved working with all the students, but it was the younger students like Lizandra, Anyela, Ruth Karen, and Diego that really stole my heart. These students were only 2-3 years old and most didn't say too much, but they were so cute! The experience of working in the classrooms here definitely taught me not to take education for granted and to try to connect with students in whatever way I can--even if it is only through a few words. After service learning, we returned to the school for our final day of classes and a beautiful closing ceremony complete with certificates and a meal. After that, we headed to the theater to watch some native dances. I was amazed at how the costumes played such a huge part in each dance and also the ability to keep the traditions going for such a long time. I then came home before heading out to Mythology, a club, where I went dancing for the night with a group of about 10 other girls. I did have my first scary encounter in Cusco last night. Since Elisabeth didn't want to go out dancing, I stood on the corner to wait for Alexa and LinLin, who only live a few blocks away. They were running late, and a man in a white car saw me. After parking and watching me for a while, he came and asked me to wait in his car with him before they came. He said he was a taxi driver, but his car didn't have the yellow and black checkers that signify an official cab. After many "No, Gracias's" and a pointed attempt to look anywhere but at him, he finally left. I was proud of the way I handled myself and the fact that I was ready to run at any time, but it also taught me a valuable lesson--I need to learn to be more assertive and also realize that there are always dangers. For the first couple of hours at Mythology they had salsa, and Alexa did her best to teach me all of the right moves. After that, they had contemporary American music. It was nice to just relax and have fun. We finally left at about 12:30 a.m. when the dancefloor became too crowded.
Today was our free day! Instead of going mountain biking, I decided to spend the whole day looking at museums. I met Dr. Molina and Heidi, my partners for the morning, at 8:30 a.m. We headed to the Cathedral of Santa Domingo which is next to the Temple of the Sun. As always, I was amazed at the intricate details and gold leafing surrounding everything involved. This particular temple had paintings for the 12 stations of the cross and also an altar to the Incan Jesus, a darker-skinned version wearing a loincloth of traditional Incan colors and symbols. When the Spanish came to overtake the Incan population, their ruler told them to go with it but to keep their own religion in their hearts. To this day, many indigenous people find two meanings for every symbol in the Catholic church--one for the old and one for the new. After that, we headed to the Museum of Contemporary Art, a small museum full of paintings that signify both the old and new culture of Cusco. It was interesting to see them and discuss what they may have meant. Dr. Molina treated us to traditional hot cocoa and pastries before taking a taxi to the zoo. The zoo was very small and some animals, like the llama, had free reign. It was definitely not as well-kept as an American zoo, but they had some very intersting animals. I was able to see an Andean Condor, which is an endangered species, and hold hands with many friendly monkeys! After the zoo, I headed home to make lunch for our host family. I made one of my favorites, Tomato Basil Pie, but it made me realize how much I take for granted at home. Cheese does not come pre-shredded and pie crusts do not come ready made. Shane, the student from Denmark, also made a local favorite (Key-nah-wah: I don't know how to spell it) and Rafael made garlic bread. It was my last lunch with my host family and Shane leaves today as well. It was absolutely delicious! Afterwards, I headed to the Inca Museum with Heidi, LinLin, and Dr. Molina. I loved it! There is so much history in Cusco, going back beyond the Incan times. It is truly amazing to say. The Incans were the most famous because they were like the Romans--they were good at expanding their territory. In many ways, this was their downfall. The Spanish were ridiculously outnumbered, but they married into other tribes that didn't like being under Incan rule and therefore gained leverage. We were able to see many artifacts, but there are only three books with Incan history in existence. The rest is guessing. We were able to see many skulls though, and something that really interested me was the fact that Inca rulers elongated their heads, much like the Chinese would shorten feet, to differentiate themselves from common people. After the museum tours, we headed out with a group of people to exchange money and get ice cream before heading home. When we got home, Adam stopped by and needed to go to the Plaza de Armas but didn't know how to get there so I walked with him there and back. Amazingly, I was good with directions for once and didn't get lost! When we got home, Rafael got out his telescope and we had an amazing night. He is a true stargazer, and with his technology I was able to see the craters of the moon and Saturn's ring. You can imagine how excited I was!! I have never been able to see either one so closely before, and I love the stars! After that, Adam headed home and I said my final goodbyes to Rafael, one of the nicest people that I have ever met. I then started packing my stuff for the weekend and now I'm here.
Tomorrow, we head out for Machu Picchu. I have to be at the school by 6 a.m., so I have a long day ahead of me. We will spend the day in Aguas Calientes, a small town with hot springs near Machu Picchu, and get an actual tour of Machu Picchu on Sunday. To climb to the top, I have to wake up at 3 a.m. I'm slightly nervous, but I should be okay and Dr. Seals and Adam have agreed to take it slow with me. :) We will return to Cusco Sunday at 10 p.m. before heading out to see the rest of the country. I am slightly sad to leave Monica, Rafael, and the beautiful city of Cusco behind, but also excited to visit Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, and the many other wonderful sites of Peru.
I don't know when I will have internet access again and it seems like I am constantly busy, but I will try to stay in contact as much as possible. I love you and thank you for reading!
Love always,
Chels
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