Paper Airplanes

In the past week:

·         I was asked to be the “Madrina” of a soccer tournament in Arenal.  (Madrina = godmother).  When I asked what that meant they all just shrugged their shoulders and said, “I don’t know.”  It didn’t sound too bad so I agreed.  Little did I know that when I arrived at the tournament I would be asked by the mayor to give a welcome speech to everyone present.  I tried to talk my way out of it, but they were insistent.  So as my youthies were laughing at me, I made them help me prepare a speech (guess I got the last laugh).  When the time came I was presented to everyone with the mayor by my side and I shakily spoke into the microphone.  Note to self: Never volunteer to be a madrina again.  Ever.

·         I have been gifted 27 pieces of folded paper with everything from “I love you,” to “I like cats,” to “Never leave,” written on them.  Also included were pictures of various shapes and scenes.  Gotta love first graders.

·         I have collected 9 paper airplanes from the boys in my English classes.

·         I helped the health post give surveys to teenage girls in which I had to ask them about their breasts and menstrual cycles.  I may be 23, but it turns out I’m just as immature as a 14-year-old because I giggled with them every single time.

·         More than 20 children have asked me to give them my hair.  I don’t know how that’s possible, but they still ask.

·         I attended a theater performance in my town by University of Piura students.  I understood the silent acts, but as soon as they started talking I was lost.  Turns out it’s pretty easy to fake understanding as long as you laugh when everyone else does.

·         I caught my 14-year-old niece making out with one of my 16-year-old students in the alley by my house.  Talk about an awkward Monday morning in English class.

·         Work was begun on a window for my room.  Hopefully in a few days I will actually have some air flow in my otherwise brick oven of a room.

·         I started learning a typical Peruvian dance with the local dance group.  They definitely look a lot bigger than the giant gringa flailing her arms around.

·         I was visited by our regional coordinator and volunteer leader.  They helped whip my socios into shape.  I think they’re going to be a lot more helpful in the future than they have been thus far.

·         I found a new cell phone spot in my town.  I no longer have to sit on a cement slab on the side of the road to make and receive calls.

·         In Paita Kyle and I ran into an ex Naval Pilot from the Korean War.  He sat down for lunch with us and told us tons of cool stories.  He was quite an interesting man.  He lives in Paita so I’m sure we’ll see him again sometime.

·         I was asked by a strange man to go on a horseback ride with him through the chacras (crops).  Alone.  I refused as politely as I could.

·         I was offered motorcycle driving lessons.  I had to say no because it’s prohibited by PC (and because I know my mom would freak).  ;)

·         I found my own “private beach” in Arenal.  Ok, so it’s not exactly a beach and it isn’t really private.  Basically it’s a sandy piece of land that’s tucked back in a cove along the river that runs through Arenal.  I have claimed this as my getaway spot when I just need a break.  It’s especially nice after I get done running and want to cool off in the river and lay out for a while.  It’s quickly becoming my sandy sanctuary. 

·         Bucky, Grandpappy, and Earl were reunited for a few short minutes.  What a glorious occasion that was.

·         I found out that my big brother has a new girlfriend J Yay Scott!

·         I walked out of the shower just in time to see my host mom killing a chicken for dinner.  For some reason the chicken just wasn’t as appetizing that night.

·          I have received numerous calls and texts from fellow Volunteers asking me what they should do about fleas.  Turns out that having over 300 flea bites on your body makes you the go-to flea girl.

·         I have been named the new coach for the primaria volleyball team.  Now, I don’t exactly know how to coach volleyball in English, so you can imagine how practices go in Spanish. 

I’ll leave you all with that.  Hope things are going well back home- please keep me updated on your lives!  I love nothing more than hearing about what is happening in your neck of the woods.  Missing you, loving you, thinking about you daily.

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover.”
                             -- Mark Twain