rat-a-tat-tats and sustainability.

so, med-checks went well. i haven’t seen my poop results yet (we all had to poop in a cup - fun stuff), but as far as everything else goes - i’m healthy!

i got myself a new little tattie-tat. we ALL decided to go a little loco for cuerpo de paz in my tattoo shop (if you’re ever in Lima - Zhimpa Tattoo Shop: www.zhimpatattoos.com). we all felt that our blood, sweat, and tears over the past year here in Peru earned us the right to document this rare time in our lives by getting some peace corps art on our bodies…

the official peace corps logo has an american flag on it - but instead of the stars on the flag, it has 3 symbols… a star that emerges into a dove. so, flowing up from the wind of my tree tattoo on my back, i got the star that emerges into the dove flowing up towards my right shoulder. and in respect to Peru, i used the peruvian flag colors (red, white, red). so - everything outlined in black - the star is filled in red - the thingy emerging into the dove is only outlined, filled with my skin color (white) - and the dove is filled in red. red - white - red! and it’s beautifully perfect. and to add symmetry to my back as a whole, i had my previously pink shooting star at the bottom of my tree roots filled in red, too. and i’m thrilled with the finished product!

getting my tattoo:

tah-dah…

my rat-a-tat-tat:

casandra got a beautiful, colorful tree (i’m a sucker for trees) - with some symbols of peru and the peace corps drawn into the leaves and branches.

getting her tattoo:

mama cas and her new tat:

tim came with us and brought some ideas to my little tattoo guy, who drew it up - and it’s pretty freaking awesome. it’s the beautiful embroidery of the artisans of Arequipa (where his site is). he made his appointment for next month. he’s still debating on where to put the art on his body. (it’s gonna be his very first tattoo!!!)

andrew messed up and got a tattoo covering his shoulder at another tattoo shop in the begging of the week - he bled like the dickens! (andrew said, “yeah, i guess you can say that guy had a heavy hand.”)

andrew’s first Peru tat:

(yeah, i said “first” - he got another...)

but then, he came to my shop and got an awesome, continuous tattoo. it’s the outline of Peru on his left side of his body, and the tattoo artist drew tiny little pictures representing everywhere he’s been (so far) during his service - and after every trip he takes, he’s going to get a new little addition.

andrew getting his new, awesome tat:

as a few of us waited for others to finished, we felt like kids in a candy shop… royce got his lip pierced.

royce - during and after:

and i got my nose re-pierced. (no worries - it’s so teeny that i have to point it out to people, because they don’t notice it.)

us with the Zhimpa Tattoo Shop crew:

it was weird not having omar there with all of us. so weird.

so, now i’m back in good ole Catache. i was feeling a little depressed at first - thinking about the fact that i only have less than a year to make a SUSTAINABLE difference, and with such little to work with here in my town. but after a pep-talk from kaysi, it got my wheels turning!

i just finished a detailed and solid work plan - including all of my projects i want to start, time lines, next steps, what kind of support i need from the community, anticipated results, etc etc… i had my host sister-in-law proof read my spanish, and then i marched down to the municipalidad to see if i could set up a time to meet with the mayor. so, this wednesday i have an appointment to meet with my mayor and present my plan. and while i was at it, i went by the directora of the colegio’s house, and we set up a time to discuss my second year project plan, too! we meet this monday!

the thing that i’m lacking here in Catache is support. i have projects - but i’m doing them all by myself - community partners come and go (for all sorts of reasons - they move, they change professions, they have no time, etc) - - so this brings me to my major concern of there being no sustainability after my service is up. i can just hear my town now… “yeah, there was a gringa here a few years ago… she ran a lot. and she taught english. and i think that was it.”

so, i figure: get the support of the mayor, show him i’m organized with my fabulous ideas for the community, stress the importance of sustainability, and maybe i can finally get things going. one of the popular sayings among the peace corps (and there are MANY popular sayings) is, “when most volunteers feel like they are finally getting things going in their town is when their two years are up.” i totally get it… feeling the fire under my butt to make a darn difference! with less than a year to go…

on another note - and completely off subject - freaking michael jackson AND andrew went on vacation to the US after med-checks - - my 3 amigos, who i usually speak to daily (i’m including omar here), are ALL in the US!!! this makes things that much more tough. and the very first thing i am going to tell michael jackson and andrew when they come back - is to NEVER leave the country at the same time again!

business competition, a lost friend, and thinking about the future...

i haven’t written in a while.. the entire last month seemed to have just zoomed pasted.  so, let me give you my little august-update..

after all of the months of preparation, the business competition in the US Embassy in Lima finally came and went.  two of my students participated in the event.  not only did they get to visit their country’s capital, but they also got the experience of presenting their business plan in front of an audience in the Embassy!  the entire process - from start to finish - has been rewarding and a wonderful experience for me and my students!

my students (victor and sandy):

me and my students:

at the embajada:

with their certificates:

after the competition, i had to accompany my students back to Catache, where i stayed for only a few days, and had to turn right back around to go back to Lima solita.  i stayed in Lima for almost 3 weeks, going to citas (appointments) everyday for 2 root canals.  the root canals themselves were awful - but to top it all off, i  missed my town’s anniversary and fiesta!  i missed the fireworks, dances, bull fights.. and, as if all of THAT wasn’t enough, for the anniversary this year, the Municipalidad of Catache was inspired by my daily runs to Munana and put on Catache’s very 1st marathon for me - which took place (you guessed it!) from Catache to Munana.. ugh.  my host family was so sad i was stuck in Lima and couldn’t beat the pants off of all of the participants!

what is even more awful is that my beloved friend and fellow volunteer, my dearest omar, decided that enough was enough, and called it quits the week after IST.  i was lucky to be in Lima for my dentist citas at the time, so i got to spend his last days in Peru with him.  he stayed for about 3 days, while he had his exit medical check-ups, interviews, and everything.  and then he was off to Texas…  things won’t be the same without him.  but, you know, it’s for the best.. he’s happy now.  we’ll all miss you, saucey-pants!

remembering omar:

last hour with omar:

with all of my free time in Lima, it got me thinking about the future (which is something that i don’t do enough here).  after COS (close of service), michael jackson (jeff) and i are toying with the idea of slowly making our way back to the states - seeing the sites all the way up to Panama - and then catching a plane to DC in time to make the RPCV (returned peace corps volunteer) job fair.  i’m thinking about maybe getting a job with the parks department (which has always been a dream of mine) - maybe in the great smoky mountain national park - and then opening up an english school for immigrants, too.  i’ve even re-written my resume, and written a federal resume for the government jobs i’ll be applying for.  so, my time in Lima wasn’t wasted time, that’s for sure.

so, i was back in Catache for only a few days… and, today i’m off to Lima (AGAIN!), for our annual med checks and IST.  at least this time i’ll be there with the rest of my group.  but, i sure as heck can’t wait to finally get back to site for good and start my second year project ideas!!!