Well it’s the end of September and I realized that this month has been fairly blog-less. I can’t think of an interesting anecdote in particular right now [my life in general has become such an anecdote…], so I will revert to the “old school” update of the past month or so.
A few weeks ago I accompanied a delegation from the Huascaran National Park to Lima for a parade. Now here’s a funny little quip about Peru: they absolutely love parades. I mean any sort of civil, religious, or other holiday there are parades. Not just the large cities like Lima and Huaraz but even in my site they prioritize the perfection of their parades over some things like say, latrines. In other words, parades are a big deal and we got invited to be in one. In Lima. I mean that’s like when Maximus and his crew get called up from the provinces to fight in the Coliseum in Rome [that’s Gladiator for those who are still confused]. The special event that called for the parade was the “Day for Cleanup and Citizenship”. Okay, an interesting theme for this environment volunteer and since I have been trying to work more with the park services I figured helping them out with their delegation would be good “face time” and a nice gesture. Plus, it was an all-inclusive trip to Lima: food, transportation, etc.
So we embarked on a night bus Friday for Lima and got in at 5:30 am Saturday. This left us with plenty of time to have a market breakfast feast and get into our costumes. Now the delegation consisted of 5 park guards, two of the engineers [tourism and education], a youth from a volunteer’s site, and us 3 Peace Corps volunteers. The park guards dressed up as, well, park guards. The two engineers dressed up as alpine mountain climbers and boarded a sweet float of a snow-capped mountain. The youth and another park guard dressed up in a bear and deer costume, respectively. So this left the 3 gringo volunteers. What better costume than the traditional regional dress of our communities?! So we got decked out in our traditional garb: hats, colorful skirts [they vetoed my desire to wear one as well], recycled tire sandals, colorful woven belts, vests, the whole nine yards. And this got us to about 9:15 am. So we milled around the city park and watched the other participants get ready. There were floats promoting recycling, the trash collectors of the area, lots of signs, and even a Peruvian scout troop. We milled in such a fashion until we started around 10:30. Before we started, the head of our group informed the 3 of us volunteers that there would be a band following us playing music for us to dance to. “Cool, we get our own band! Oh, you want us to dance huayno music. Ah. Yes, that makes sense. Damn it.” That was a sample of what went through my head. So off we headed dancing huyano [which for me is a combination of skipping and turning in a series of uncoordinated circles] for the next hour or so. It was a blast. We even got complimented by a professional marinera dancing couple, who asked if “we had taken lessons”. Well, most of my formal huayno training [by most I mean all] consists of being dragged into a group of people after a few too many beers in the campo and just trying to keep up with the rest of the folks in my community. So yes, in a way I am “formally” trained. Anywho, we finished the parade and had some lunch to close up the ceremony. A pretty fun(ny) day in Lima. Not what I expected, but that’s what makes life fun. We spent the rest of the day jaunting around Lima before heading back on another night bus.
Nothing helps you recover from two back-to-back night buses like going on a 3-hour day hike culminating in a frigid glacial lake jump. So that’s what I did the next day before heading back up here to site. A beautiful hike and, I repeat, a frigid lake jump was the best way to wrap up a hectic day in Lima.
I guess that turned out to be at least a semi-interesting anecdote. Cool.
In other news we started our HIV/AIDS prevention project the other week with a group of youth at the school. We are aiming for a series of talks regarding sex-ed , especially HIV/AIDS, some murals, and a puppet show. Nothing to exciting but it should be helpful for the kids. This week we [Alex and I] have prepared a pretty cool environment day for our schools with the guys from the park. They are coming up to give some cool presentations about the plants and animals we have, a puppet show [we love puppet shows], and other activities to motivate the kids to appreciate and protect our environment, especially the park. So that should be fun and hopefully run smoothly…fingers crossed. OH YEAH! I can’t believe I almost forgot to add this. At the beginning of the month my host mom told me something incredible: we ran out of potatoes. Yep, that’s right – no more papas until the next harvest. I was blown away. I thought such an event could never happen expect perhaps after a nuclear war. So yeah, this month has been potato free. We have been eating instead a lot of wheat, rice, pasta, and other tubers (!!) and cereals that we harvested. But fear not, the next harvest is supposed to take place in the next week or so and my beloved tubers will be back on the menu…in full force. Well I think that about concludes the excitement that has been the month of September. A year into this. Crazy.
Anywho, like always I hope things are well with each and every one of you. If you are every in the neighborhood don’t hesitate to give me a call!
Cheers,
Peter
10/02/2010
9/05/2010
another phlog!
A random selection of photos from the last few months. Enjoy.
Three great Peace Corps volunteers teaching about trash after a puppet show.
A view of my house and Huascaran (6,768 meters/22,205 feet) .
In the rock forest Hatunmachay in front of the campesino's houses.
The above mentioned rock forest of Hatunmachay.
Cave paintings from around 6000-8000 years old in Hatunmachay rock forest.
Taking the hair off of our freshly killed cuy.
Same as above. Note the blood tripping down the cook top.
The two volunteers and our little brothers at the start of the glacier of Huascaran. 4,800 meters high.
Me and my little host brother at the ice.
Marching with the school and the professors in the Independence Day parade in Yungay.
Harvesting wheat with the family. Donkeys, sticks, and a big black tarp are all you need.
The new baby cow. Taken only a few hours after her birth.
The trash truck right outside my house. Win.
One of the freshly painted trash cans. We have 10 of them now in the community.
Plowing to prepare for the community potato planting.
The potato harvest of the family. Bagged and ready for the market.
Yet another beautiful view of Huascaran. It just never gets old.
9/04/2010
one of the club...
I recently celebrated my birthday here in Peru. My actually birthday was spent with the rest of the environment volunteers during a training event on the coast. My birthday gifts included a really fascinating PowerPoint on northern Peruvian marine life [read with heavy sarcasm], a machete [good/bad idea while given at a bar], a sea lion canine cut out of the washed up beast [don’t worry environmentalists – we found it dead], and plenty of good wishes. However, before I left for the above mentioned training event I celebrated my birthday the good old campo way with my family: cuyes and beer. Nothing unusual, I have enjoyed plenty a guinea pig feast so far and love the little guys. This time however, I offered to step up and prepare the meal...from start to finish.
Yep, I got to kill my first cuy. Now I know this might not be exciting if you are accustomed to killing your own livestock i.e. chickens, pigs, etc. But for this guy it was an experience. I told my mom a few months ago that I needed to learn how to kill/cook cuy so that when I go home and buy them at the pet store [this is only 60% a joke] I could prepare them myself for all of my friends and family. When we planned to have the lunch for my birthday I thought to myself “what a perfect opportunity to master the art of cuy”. So we planned on me helping out with every step of the process. I awoke the morning of my birthday lunch and realized that the day had come to put my jabbering mouth to the test. I figure if I can raise and eat the little guys I should at least have the stomach to prepare one. We started preparing lunch around 9:45, giving a bit of time for breakfast to properly digest.
**I am going to keep this next part real. If you are from PETA or have a weak stomach tough luck, you’re reading this voluntarily**
Some people choose to kill cuy with a very dull rusting knife. I was glad when this option was thrown out for the easier snapping-of-the-neck approach. I hope to attempt the knife version at some point but if can get a little graphic when the “clean cut” ideal turns into a 3 minute struggle. So, we snapped the necks. My mom, as a professional, was able to hold the neck in one hand and use the other to forcefully snap the neck and quickly/painlessly kill our lunch. I’m still an amateur. My mom showed this amateur that the hard adobe ledge of our cook top could double as a cuy smashing station. You simply press the head down really hard until you hear a “snap”. Okay, I was up to bat. My mom killed two in a matter of seconds. I started without the ledge method but quickly moved to it when my strength was only enough to draw blood and whimpering from the cuy. The ledge method wasn’t immediately successful either. I was pressing pretty hard and heard a few “snaps” but the little dude kept squirming about. Finally, with my mom’s guiding hand I was able to find the right spot and complete step one of preparing the cuy. Not as bad as I had thought.
Next, you need to de-hair the critters. This is a pretty simple procedure that includes hot water and lots of plucking. We dipped the freshly killed cuyes into a pot of hot water and began ripping the hair out. It worked surprisingly well. Now, you had to clean and shave the naked cuy. We washed them in our sink/shower/faucet/generic water source and shaved the rest of the hair off with a knife. Next, you had to really clean them…all of them. Meat is such a rare commodity at the dinner table that every scrap is put to use. That means instead of just cutting open and tossing out all the inside goodness you need to spend a half hour cleaning all the nooks and crannies of the intestines and internal organs. After washing out all the feces from the innards we seasoned the meat. We used freshly ground garlic and salt. That’s it. We let them marinate for an hour or so and then threw all the meat into a frying pan until it turned crispy and golden brown.
Alex climbed up the hill for lunch and together with my family we sat down and enjoyed the delicious Andean treat. It turned out superb and now I can transform a PetSmart purchase into a tasty meal. I hope you are all ready for that when I return.
After lunch, my parents, Alex and I shared some beers and I even pulled out the Glenlivet scotch my dad brought from the states for a round of shots. A good campo birthday and a great learning/cultural experience in the preparation of our dear friend: the guinea pig.
I hope all is well with everyone, and that you enjoyed the above. Thanks for reading and feel free to shoot me an email whenever you want.
Cheers,
Peter
Yep, I got to kill my first cuy. Now I know this might not be exciting if you are accustomed to killing your own livestock i.e. chickens, pigs, etc. But for this guy it was an experience. I told my mom a few months ago that I needed to learn how to kill/cook cuy so that when I go home and buy them at the pet store [this is only 60% a joke] I could prepare them myself for all of my friends and family. When we planned to have the lunch for my birthday I thought to myself “what a perfect opportunity to master the art of cuy”. So we planned on me helping out with every step of the process. I awoke the morning of my birthday lunch and realized that the day had come to put my jabbering mouth to the test. I figure if I can raise and eat the little guys I should at least have the stomach to prepare one. We started preparing lunch around 9:45, giving a bit of time for breakfast to properly digest.
**I am going to keep this next part real. If you are from PETA or have a weak stomach tough luck, you’re reading this voluntarily**
Some people choose to kill cuy with a very dull rusting knife. I was glad when this option was thrown out for the easier snapping-of-the-neck approach. I hope to attempt the knife version at some point but if can get a little graphic when the “clean cut” ideal turns into a 3 minute struggle. So, we snapped the necks. My mom, as a professional, was able to hold the neck in one hand and use the other to forcefully snap the neck and quickly/painlessly kill our lunch. I’m still an amateur. My mom showed this amateur that the hard adobe ledge of our cook top could double as a cuy smashing station. You simply press the head down really hard until you hear a “snap”. Okay, I was up to bat. My mom killed two in a matter of seconds. I started without the ledge method but quickly moved to it when my strength was only enough to draw blood and whimpering from the cuy. The ledge method wasn’t immediately successful either. I was pressing pretty hard and heard a few “snaps” but the little dude kept squirming about. Finally, with my mom’s guiding hand I was able to find the right spot and complete step one of preparing the cuy. Not as bad as I had thought.
Next, you need to de-hair the critters. This is a pretty simple procedure that includes hot water and lots of plucking. We dipped the freshly killed cuyes into a pot of hot water and began ripping the hair out. It worked surprisingly well. Now, you had to clean and shave the naked cuy. We washed them in our sink/shower/faucet/generic water source and shaved the rest of the hair off with a knife. Next, you had to really clean them…all of them. Meat is such a rare commodity at the dinner table that every scrap is put to use. That means instead of just cutting open and tossing out all the inside goodness you need to spend a half hour cleaning all the nooks and crannies of the intestines and internal organs. After washing out all the feces from the innards we seasoned the meat. We used freshly ground garlic and salt. That’s it. We let them marinate for an hour or so and then threw all the meat into a frying pan until it turned crispy and golden brown.
Alex climbed up the hill for lunch and together with my family we sat down and enjoyed the delicious Andean treat. It turned out superb and now I can transform a PetSmart purchase into a tasty meal. I hope you are all ready for that when I return.
After lunch, my parents, Alex and I shared some beers and I even pulled out the Glenlivet scotch my dad brought from the states for a round of shots. A good campo birthday and a great learning/cultural experience in the preparation of our dear friend: the guinea pig.
I hope all is well with everyone, and that you enjoyed the above. Thanks for reading and feel free to shoot me an email whenever you want.
Cheers,
Peter
8/16/2010
mas obras!
08-10-2010
Everyone wants to be the mayor. Everyone wants to talk about the mayor’s failures. Everyone wants to paint the side of houses with their preferred mayoral candidate. Election time is upon us here in Peru.
October 3 marks the local elections all over the country and the buzz of who will take the throne come the new year is ragging through all areas. Here in Ancash is no exception. For my small district of Mancos we have 11 mayoral candidates. 11. For an estimated population of about 20,000 people. The political system differs from the DNP/GOP dominated US politics. Each candidate or platform (district, provincial, regional, etc.) usually creates their own party with creative slogans. However, the 11 candidates for our small district in the Andes seem to be campaigning on one of my favorite slogans in Peru: MAS OBRAS, or “more works”.
We (my site mate and fellow volunteer Alex) have gotten into the habit of exhibiting the well-perfected cynical smirk/chuckle when we see every sign and banner promising more public works. (That coupled with an outstanding picture of ever candidate giving an awkward “thumbs up”). Nothing speaks success like a big new water reservoir or a cement soccer field. Now I understand that infrastructure is an important topic especially in developing countries like Peru, and I am not saying we shouldn’t focus on necessary public works like latrines, electricity, and potable water systems. I myself would possibly run a campaign promising more essential public infrastructure. I recently had an enlightening talk with my host-dad however about why candidates might want “more works”. **As a disclaimer I am not implying every politician in the zone is corrupt or focuses on the following process….only a few are.**
So why more works? Why does every alcalde (mayor) want to run on the same agenda? Well for one I do feel that here the people get more excited over a big cement project than a talk about hand washing or new text books for the school. [side note: this theory is furthering my rationalization for a giant cement statue in my likeness for the town square.] So the “MAS OBRAS” slogan will theoretically help you win votes. Okay, I feel you Peruvian mayor, votes are definitely a must for winning. Here’s the good part. My host-dad and I were discussing the whole “mayor thing” after we found out our beloved alcalde was being charged with embezzlement charges. Big shocker right? It’s always the politicians. Anywho, I asked my pops what for, and he told me it was about a scandalous “obra”. How can building stuff for the public be scandalous? Isn’t that a generous act of public service? Well apparently here in Peru when an obra is carried out the mayor receives 10% of the total budget for him and his crew. So lets say the mayor builds a new water system under his term for 30,000 USD. That means he gets 3,000 USD for his own good work to share among his regiadores, cabinet type underlings. Aha! So you mean to tell me that the more obras you do the more money you get. So the mayoral position is paid largely on commission. Well that explains it. But then why isn’t my district scattered with shiny new bridges and such? Now, I don’t want to launch into an anti-corruption tangent so I will let you smart folks think out the rest from here. One legitimate reason is that our district is also fairly small and the yearly budget is not enough to support the “shiny new bridge” theory. Anywho, bottom line is that I now understand why everyone – mayor and people – want MAS OBRAS!
So, with the electoral buzz making its way all over the mountain things have been pretty exciting. You can at least turn all the “weather” and “what’s the US like?” conversations into a heated political debate, and just step back and enjoy. Or you can wander around and make small talk with all the crews of people painting the sides of houses with candidates’ names (no yard signs here). Who knows who will win? My only hope is that they care passionately about the environment and want to help me pick up garbage.
Everyone wants to be the mayor. Everyone wants to talk about the mayor’s failures. Everyone wants to paint the side of houses with their preferred mayoral candidate. Election time is upon us here in Peru.
October 3 marks the local elections all over the country and the buzz of who will take the throne come the new year is ragging through all areas. Here in Ancash is no exception. For my small district of Mancos we have 11 mayoral candidates. 11. For an estimated population of about 20,000 people. The political system differs from the DNP/GOP dominated US politics. Each candidate or platform (district, provincial, regional, etc.) usually creates their own party with creative slogans. However, the 11 candidates for our small district in the Andes seem to be campaigning on one of my favorite slogans in Peru: MAS OBRAS, or “more works”.
We (my site mate and fellow volunteer Alex) have gotten into the habit of exhibiting the well-perfected cynical smirk/chuckle when we see every sign and banner promising more public works. (That coupled with an outstanding picture of ever candidate giving an awkward “thumbs up”). Nothing speaks success like a big new water reservoir or a cement soccer field. Now I understand that infrastructure is an important topic especially in developing countries like Peru, and I am not saying we shouldn’t focus on necessary public works like latrines, electricity, and potable water systems. I myself would possibly run a campaign promising more essential public infrastructure. I recently had an enlightening talk with my host-dad however about why candidates might want “more works”. **As a disclaimer I am not implying every politician in the zone is corrupt or focuses on the following process….only a few are.**
So why more works? Why does every alcalde (mayor) want to run on the same agenda? Well for one I do feel that here the people get more excited over a big cement project than a talk about hand washing or new text books for the school. [side note: this theory is furthering my rationalization for a giant cement statue in my likeness for the town square.] So the “MAS OBRAS” slogan will theoretically help you win votes. Okay, I feel you Peruvian mayor, votes are definitely a must for winning. Here’s the good part. My host-dad and I were discussing the whole “mayor thing” after we found out our beloved alcalde was being charged with embezzlement charges. Big shocker right? It’s always the politicians. Anywho, I asked my pops what for, and he told me it was about a scandalous “obra”. How can building stuff for the public be scandalous? Isn’t that a generous act of public service? Well apparently here in Peru when an obra is carried out the mayor receives 10% of the total budget for him and his crew. So lets say the mayor builds a new water system under his term for 30,000 USD. That means he gets 3,000 USD for his own good work to share among his regiadores, cabinet type underlings. Aha! So you mean to tell me that the more obras you do the more money you get. So the mayoral position is paid largely on commission. Well that explains it. But then why isn’t my district scattered with shiny new bridges and such? Now, I don’t want to launch into an anti-corruption tangent so I will let you smart folks think out the rest from here. One legitimate reason is that our district is also fairly small and the yearly budget is not enough to support the “shiny new bridge” theory. Anywho, bottom line is that I now understand why everyone – mayor and people – want MAS OBRAS!
So, with the electoral buzz making its way all over the mountain things have been pretty exciting. You can at least turn all the “weather” and “what’s the US like?” conversations into a heated political debate, and just step back and enjoy. Or you can wander around and make small talk with all the crews of people painting the sides of houses with candidates’ names (no yard signs here). Who knows who will win? My only hope is that they care passionately about the environment and want to help me pick up garbage.
7/24/2010
Autographs and stamps…
Well it’s 6 am and I have some time to kill while I drink my coffee before work. No better way to kill time than to describe/rant/elaborate about a Peruvian process seen by those of us here on a regular basis. I am referring to the the great and mighty Peruvian paper trail and the steps behind it. Everything here in Peru, be it a document asking for millions of dollars of international aid or the simple work plan you propose for teaching a 6 week environmental class in the primary school, has to come with the right paper work. This includes solicitudes used for the asking of some thing, oficios for the declaration of some thing, invitations, work plans, etc. Every step of the way comes with an official form to document the process. Nothing unusual, I understand.
The next formality lies within my personal favorite, the sello or stamp/seal. Everyone in Peru has a sello. If you don’t have a personalized stamp with at least your name and title most of this paper work is laughed at or treated with minimal importance. The sello. I for one love them. Everyone has their own unique (well, as unique as copying your friends and fellow peers can be) style and design. At the end of meetings, the formation of such documents, or an other “official” business everyone takes turns stamping their approval. [As a side note I am in the market for a new sello, mine currently has my name and Peace Corps only….clearly not formal enough to hang with the big guys]. Nothing too crazy either, just part of the process.
To continue, the next logical step is that all of these documents need to be “signed, sealed, and delivered” to seek proper approval. A document normally appears more “professional” with an array of stamps, colors, and signatures. So naturally when I take it upon myself to write these documents I like to include the authorities whenever possible, specifically when it is something for the district or provincial municipal governments. As you can imagine, the municipal governments are the entity I work with most that simply love and need the sello/document combo to get anything done.
A quick recap: you need to create an official form document for any and everything and this document best include at least one sello if not more for the government.
Now a personal anecdote relating to the process in general…
I have recently been working to get the provincial municipal government of the nearby city Yungay to amplify their trash collection service, reaching my town. The process was complete: Alex (site mate) and I had written the soliciting document, ran around getting the necessary signature/sello combinations, asked for an authorization document from the district municipality, and finally (!) been approved for the trash collection service. Fantastic. We were both ecstatic as new environment volunteers looking for that first big project. The truck finally came for its first run through last week, passing through Alex’s town and then climbing the hill to make its rounds in mine. A few problems emerged however. Being Peru and the Peace Corps this was to be expected. The engineer who tagged along to pick out the most efficient route informed me that we had only but the name of Huashcao on the document and not the 5 surrounding caseríos, or neighborhoods, where the majority of the population, myself included, live. Ah, the fine details. Where was my lawyer father when I needed a proofread? So problem number one is that until we turn in a new document specifically asking for the service in these areas as well they will continue the trash collection only in the “city center” of Huashcao: a booming metropolis with about 40 houses and the school. Problem number two is that the bridge connecting the two towns and their new trash service is broken. The engineer told me we need to fix said bridge before the next go around of collection. Right now the only route from Alex’s town to mine is by driving up the mountain another 15 minutes, passing through a neighboring town, and then driving back down the mountain 15 minutes. This is a waste of time and gas. So two new problems that will need the proper documentation and stamps have arisen.
This was last week. As an individual with my own schedule I was able to draft up the documents the same day and arrange with the mayor to go down to the municipalities the following day to print, sign, stamp, and turn in the documents in a hope to expedite the process. Now, like the process calls for you need at least one authorities stamp/John Hancock to be approved. This being a matter of the legal reaches of Huashcao; the mayor is the one I need. A brief tangent to bring you to speed with our current mayoral administration: despite his friendly attitude our mayor has acquired the nickname of “machete” by some due to the amount of times he has cut meetings or skipped out on important dates. Now this is not the end of the world when you are working on the hora peruana, which calls for things to happen when the happen and not on any sort of deadline. I can normally afford to meander down to his house a few times, passing off notes, attempting the phone call that won’t go through, before getting the stamp. However, the engineer told us we need to fix this bridge within a week’s time in order to continue with the service. What the [expletive]!!! Not the best time to go all “time matters” on me. Whether or not this an exaggeration I do not want to take any chances losing the new trash pick up…that would suck.
So I have been attempting to corner the mayor on short notice to get these documents ready and the bridge fixed. I feel like that nature photographer from “Planet Earth” that staked out a rare bird species for weeks before catching him in his mating ritual. [Apologizes for those not savvy to the “Planet Earth” series…it’s fantastic; you should pick that one up.] The other day he pulled a normal stunt of not showing down the mountain to assist in the printing and more importantly the signing of the documents. So we try again. Yesterday was market day and the time was spent selling and buying bulls until late in the evening out of site. Another failed attempt. So we decided on an early morning meet today before we missed the deadline. I found myself walking the 30 minutes down to his house at 4:30 am guided by the stars in search of the mayor’s coveted sello. Now I don’t mind getting up and leaving early but it is during these wee hours of the morn that the people open up the irrigation canals and channel water to their fields, this being the dry season and all. “Channeling” water to their fields mostly entails flooding the footpaths that one would take to reach a certain mayor’s house. So I found myself stumbling and traipsing through the dark and muddy paths carrying the documents, attempting not to fall. The mayor has a pair of vicious dogs that have still not recognized me as a friend that “welcomed” me as I arrived at the house with barred teeth, plenty of barking, and the occasional sneak attack. After a 5-minute standoff between the dogs and this crazy stick wielding gringo the mayor woke up and realized we had planned an early morning rendezvous. He invited me in and asked me to help him with his stamps. So, I ended up stamping the papers myself after the 4 days of back and forth coordination. Now, with the proper stamps in order I can go down once again to the municipalities and hope for a quick approval. Ah, the process. I do enjoy it; keeps things interesting.
If you want a piece of paper with my stamp let me know, I can get it mailed out in no time…
Hope all is well and that you enjoyed Bastille day.
Best,
Pete
Well it’s 6 am and I have some time to kill while I drink my coffee before work. No better way to kill time than to describe/rant/elaborate about a Peruvian process seen by those of us here on a regular basis. I am referring to the the great and mighty Peruvian paper trail and the steps behind it. Everything here in Peru, be it a document asking for millions of dollars of international aid or the simple work plan you propose for teaching a 6 week environmental class in the primary school, has to come with the right paper work. This includes solicitudes used for the asking of some thing, oficios for the declaration of some thing, invitations, work plans, etc. Every step of the way comes with an official form to document the process. Nothing unusual, I understand.
The next formality lies within my personal favorite, the sello or stamp/seal. Everyone in Peru has a sello. If you don’t have a personalized stamp with at least your name and title most of this paper work is laughed at or treated with minimal importance. The sello. I for one love them. Everyone has their own unique (well, as unique as copying your friends and fellow peers can be) style and design. At the end of meetings, the formation of such documents, or an other “official” business everyone takes turns stamping their approval. [As a side note I am in the market for a new sello, mine currently has my name and Peace Corps only….clearly not formal enough to hang with the big guys]. Nothing too crazy either, just part of the process.
To continue, the next logical step is that all of these documents need to be “signed, sealed, and delivered” to seek proper approval. A document normally appears more “professional” with an array of stamps, colors, and signatures. So naturally when I take it upon myself to write these documents I like to include the authorities whenever possible, specifically when it is something for the district or provincial municipal governments. As you can imagine, the municipal governments are the entity I work with most that simply love and need the sello/document combo to get anything done.
A quick recap: you need to create an official form document for any and everything and this document best include at least one sello if not more for the government.
Now a personal anecdote relating to the process in general…
I have recently been working to get the provincial municipal government of the nearby city Yungay to amplify their trash collection service, reaching my town. The process was complete: Alex (site mate) and I had written the soliciting document, ran around getting the necessary signature/sello combinations, asked for an authorization document from the district municipality, and finally (!) been approved for the trash collection service. Fantastic. We were both ecstatic as new environment volunteers looking for that first big project. The truck finally came for its first run through last week, passing through Alex’s town and then climbing the hill to make its rounds in mine. A few problems emerged however. Being Peru and the Peace Corps this was to be expected. The engineer who tagged along to pick out the most efficient route informed me that we had only but the name of Huashcao on the document and not the 5 surrounding caseríos, or neighborhoods, where the majority of the population, myself included, live. Ah, the fine details. Where was my lawyer father when I needed a proofread? So problem number one is that until we turn in a new document specifically asking for the service in these areas as well they will continue the trash collection only in the “city center” of Huashcao: a booming metropolis with about 40 houses and the school. Problem number two is that the bridge connecting the two towns and their new trash service is broken. The engineer told me we need to fix said bridge before the next go around of collection. Right now the only route from Alex’s town to mine is by driving up the mountain another 15 minutes, passing through a neighboring town, and then driving back down the mountain 15 minutes. This is a waste of time and gas. So two new problems that will need the proper documentation and stamps have arisen.
This was last week. As an individual with my own schedule I was able to draft up the documents the same day and arrange with the mayor to go down to the municipalities the following day to print, sign, stamp, and turn in the documents in a hope to expedite the process. Now, like the process calls for you need at least one authorities stamp/John Hancock to be approved. This being a matter of the legal reaches of Huashcao; the mayor is the one I need. A brief tangent to bring you to speed with our current mayoral administration: despite his friendly attitude our mayor has acquired the nickname of “machete” by some due to the amount of times he has cut meetings or skipped out on important dates. Now this is not the end of the world when you are working on the hora peruana, which calls for things to happen when the happen and not on any sort of deadline. I can normally afford to meander down to his house a few times, passing off notes, attempting the phone call that won’t go through, before getting the stamp. However, the engineer told us we need to fix this bridge within a week’s time in order to continue with the service. What the [expletive]!!! Not the best time to go all “time matters” on me. Whether or not this an exaggeration I do not want to take any chances losing the new trash pick up…that would suck.
So I have been attempting to corner the mayor on short notice to get these documents ready and the bridge fixed. I feel like that nature photographer from “Planet Earth” that staked out a rare bird species for weeks before catching him in his mating ritual. [Apologizes for those not savvy to the “Planet Earth” series…it’s fantastic; you should pick that one up.] The other day he pulled a normal stunt of not showing down the mountain to assist in the printing and more importantly the signing of the documents. So we try again. Yesterday was market day and the time was spent selling and buying bulls until late in the evening out of site. Another failed attempt. So we decided on an early morning meet today before we missed the deadline. I found myself walking the 30 minutes down to his house at 4:30 am guided by the stars in search of the mayor’s coveted sello. Now I don’t mind getting up and leaving early but it is during these wee hours of the morn that the people open up the irrigation canals and channel water to their fields, this being the dry season and all. “Channeling” water to their fields mostly entails flooding the footpaths that one would take to reach a certain mayor’s house. So I found myself stumbling and traipsing through the dark and muddy paths carrying the documents, attempting not to fall. The mayor has a pair of vicious dogs that have still not recognized me as a friend that “welcomed” me as I arrived at the house with barred teeth, plenty of barking, and the occasional sneak attack. After a 5-minute standoff between the dogs and this crazy stick wielding gringo the mayor woke up and realized we had planned an early morning rendezvous. He invited me in and asked me to help him with his stamps. So, I ended up stamping the papers myself after the 4 days of back and forth coordination. Now, with the proper stamps in order I can go down once again to the municipalities and hope for a quick approval. Ah, the process. I do enjoy it; keeps things interesting.
If you want a piece of paper with my stamp let me know, I can get it mailed out in no time…
Hope all is well and that you enjoyed Bastille day.
Best,
Pete
7/03/2010
distract yourself for 10 minutes...
Did I miss all of June? I apologize on behalf of the dedicated readers.
Now it’s July. Another month has drifted by and before long the one year mark will be upon us. So how was June you ask? June was great. June was busy. June was fun.
Why was June great? Well a lot of productive work actually came out of the month as well as some seminars and workshops that may or may not have generated some future ideas for projects. The last month or so I have been working to get a trash collection service in my sight. The current municipal government on the bottom of the hill doesn’t come up and after a few meetings decided they also didn’t have the budget to expand the collection program and climb up the mountain twice a month. Not to worry, we took our request to the provincial municipality (county vs. city kind of thing) and they have agreed to come up to the top of the mountain and pick up trash. Damn, that’s a win I think. Along with the service the two municipalities have pitched in and donated some old metal petroleum cylinders to act as communal garbage cans…yeah those didn’t exist either. This coming week the trash truck is going to make its first trip through the community to check out a route and start picking up trash. Awesome. We are going to paint the cylinders and place a few out for the test run of the service. Now what do you need? Ah that’s right the organization of 1000 Peruvian farmers who understand the risks and benefits of trash management. It’s a good thing the tax dollars are paying me to do just that. We have already spoken with most of the local authorities about the new trash day and have programmed a meeting to discuss the general basics of trash management such as the harms that contaminating the rivers and burning plastic bottles can cause to the environment and us. So, a bit of work is on the plate for this upcoming week and probably into the future with more meetings, trash talks, and the hopeful formation of a trash committee. I am going to keep my fingers crossed for now that the whole thing works out semi-smoothly. You can never have a perfect first run at things but I’m hoping for good results. June was also great because we attended a workshop on designing and managing projects. Now the workshop itself was a bit grueling and long but the result and overall message was positive and helpful. I was able to sit down with my counterpart and think over some future project ideas in the context of writing up project plans and budgets and applying for funding. So all in all a good workshop that will hopefully lead to some bigger things.
Why was June fun? Well every month in Peace Corps is fun in its own interesting and often times odd ways, but June was lots of fun. We (the environment volunteers from Ancash) were able to host and then visit another group of environment folks from the highland region of the department of Lima. They first came to Ancash to see some of our sights and have meetings with local park services and sustainable tourism companies along with other events. The tech exchange then moved to Yauyos (the mountain region south of us in Lima) and we were able to see alpaca farming, lake trout nurseries, go horse back riding, and view some great artesian work. More than anything we were able to see Yauyos, which is an unbelievable part of Peru. It is made up of small mountain towns dropped in the narrow valleys of the central Andes, continuously intersected by waterfalls, raging rivers, and forests. A very cool place with lots of interesting work being done by volunteers. So we were able to relax with our friends and travel a different part of Peru. These weeks of tech exchanges coupled with the “regular” life of a PCV made June fun.
Why was June busy? I just explained 3 different trips out of my site in one month, the constant hassle of going back and forth to municipal governments, and finally starting a large-scale project. That’s why June was busy.
So that was June. I hope you enjoyed reading about it as much as I enjoyed living it. As we move on into July things should calm down…maybe? …a little bit. The end of the month brings about a two-week vacation in the schools due to the Peruvian Independence Day. A 4-day trek is also on the horizon for the month of July, which will be amazing, but perhaps not relaxing. Other than that I hope to start a world map mural in the school this week as well as a biogas science experiment with the kids. The work is starting to pick up and things are falling into place. Peru 15, the newest group to PC Peru, has arrived and is in training in Lima. They should be out to their sites by the end of August. Alas, I am no longer the n00b. It is crazy to think I was in their shoes last September and now sit here writing a blog 10 months later in my site. Boy the time does fly. Anywho, that is the June update/July forecast. I hoped you enjoyed reading and that life finds you all smiling with good health. Keep sending me updates on your whereabouts. If I don’t respond right away fear not, I will get to it when I have a free minute. Okay guys, thanks again for the support and keep in touch.
Best,
Pete
Now it’s July. Another month has drifted by and before long the one year mark will be upon us. So how was June you ask? June was great. June was busy. June was fun.
Why was June great? Well a lot of productive work actually came out of the month as well as some seminars and workshops that may or may not have generated some future ideas for projects. The last month or so I have been working to get a trash collection service in my sight. The current municipal government on the bottom of the hill doesn’t come up and after a few meetings decided they also didn’t have the budget to expand the collection program and climb up the mountain twice a month. Not to worry, we took our request to the provincial municipality (county vs. city kind of thing) and they have agreed to come up to the top of the mountain and pick up trash. Damn, that’s a win I think. Along with the service the two municipalities have pitched in and donated some old metal petroleum cylinders to act as communal garbage cans…yeah those didn’t exist either. This coming week the trash truck is going to make its first trip through the community to check out a route and start picking up trash. Awesome. We are going to paint the cylinders and place a few out for the test run of the service. Now what do you need? Ah that’s right the organization of 1000 Peruvian farmers who understand the risks and benefits of trash management. It’s a good thing the tax dollars are paying me to do just that. We have already spoken with most of the local authorities about the new trash day and have programmed a meeting to discuss the general basics of trash management such as the harms that contaminating the rivers and burning plastic bottles can cause to the environment and us. So, a bit of work is on the plate for this upcoming week and probably into the future with more meetings, trash talks, and the hopeful formation of a trash committee. I am going to keep my fingers crossed for now that the whole thing works out semi-smoothly. You can never have a perfect first run at things but I’m hoping for good results. June was also great because we attended a workshop on designing and managing projects. Now the workshop itself was a bit grueling and long but the result and overall message was positive and helpful. I was able to sit down with my counterpart and think over some future project ideas in the context of writing up project plans and budgets and applying for funding. So all in all a good workshop that will hopefully lead to some bigger things.
Why was June fun? Well every month in Peace Corps is fun in its own interesting and often times odd ways, but June was lots of fun. We (the environment volunteers from Ancash) were able to host and then visit another group of environment folks from the highland region of the department of Lima. They first came to Ancash to see some of our sights and have meetings with local park services and sustainable tourism companies along with other events. The tech exchange then moved to Yauyos (the mountain region south of us in Lima) and we were able to see alpaca farming, lake trout nurseries, go horse back riding, and view some great artesian work. More than anything we were able to see Yauyos, which is an unbelievable part of Peru. It is made up of small mountain towns dropped in the narrow valleys of the central Andes, continuously intersected by waterfalls, raging rivers, and forests. A very cool place with lots of interesting work being done by volunteers. So we were able to relax with our friends and travel a different part of Peru. These weeks of tech exchanges coupled with the “regular” life of a PCV made June fun.
Why was June busy? I just explained 3 different trips out of my site in one month, the constant hassle of going back and forth to municipal governments, and finally starting a large-scale project. That’s why June was busy.
So that was June. I hope you enjoyed reading about it as much as I enjoyed living it. As we move on into July things should calm down…maybe? …a little bit. The end of the month brings about a two-week vacation in the schools due to the Peruvian Independence Day. A 4-day trek is also on the horizon for the month of July, which will be amazing, but perhaps not relaxing. Other than that I hope to start a world map mural in the school this week as well as a biogas science experiment with the kids. The work is starting to pick up and things are falling into place. Peru 15, the newest group to PC Peru, has arrived and is in training in Lima. They should be out to their sites by the end of August. Alas, I am no longer the n00b. It is crazy to think I was in their shoes last September and now sit here writing a blog 10 months later in my site. Boy the time does fly. Anywho, that is the June update/July forecast. I hoped you enjoyed reading and that life finds you all smiling with good health. Keep sending me updates on your whereabouts. If I don’t respond right away fear not, I will get to it when I have a free minute. Okay guys, thanks again for the support and keep in touch.
Best,
Pete
6/02/2010
the blank's tackle peru
05/29/10
The rains are gone….at least for now. The sun is shining and the nights are cold. A good time to be in Huashcao. So what’s new you ask? Well just hold on a tick, I am going to explain everything.
The biggest news since my last blog (which was put up about two weeks late….yikes) is the Blank family vacation that took place a little over a week ago here in Peru. It was a success. Everyone tried cuy and no one got too sick. We started off at the Lima airport…where all great things begin. We held up one night in the airport hotel and the family was able to decompress after a long trip and enjoy their first of about 43 free, complimentary pisco sours, the national cocktail of Peru. The next day we flew to the jungle city of Puerto Maldonaldo, the capital of the southern Madre de Dios department. We were greeted at the airport by the friendly staff from the lodge we stayed at. After a brief check in and some time in a butterfly house we were herded onto a river boat and started the one hour journey down river to the beautiful and secluded Reserva Amazonica. It was gorgeous. Little screened in bungalows with little to no electricity surrounding a bigger lodge/dining area of the same design all in the middle of the Peruvian rainforest. Not a bad set up. We spent our time here taking various day excursions into the jungle such as a canopy walk at 90 ft on rope bridges, a night walk looking for tarantulas (I would say my brother’s favorite), and a hike/canoe excursion to a huge jungle lake in the Tarampota National Reserve. While we weren’t sweating and hiking through the impressive rainforest we were again enjoying free pisco sours and amazing food at the lodge. A great few days were spent here in la selva (rainforest).
The next leg of the journey took us back to Cuzco and into the Sacred Valley of the Inca. We spent a few nights in a city outside of Cuzco in the Sacred Valley and had an awesome, and a bit strenuous, mountain bike tour of some surrounding Inca sights and the beautiful Andes of Cuzco. By the end our energetic guide had to watch or help as the tired and beaten Blank family walked their bikes down the last section, which to our defense was pretty much a mountain. We enjoyed some great meals here in Urubamba and then started bright an early the next morning on our section of the Inca trail. We did a one day section of the Inca trail that passed through some impressive Inca sites and lead to the Sun Gate, the end of the trail overlooking Machu Picchu. The hike was beautiful and we had a perfectly clear and sunny day with which to appreciate the surrounding beauty. We arrived at the Sun Gate around mid-day and took our lunch overlooking one of the Wonder’s of the World. It was incredible to finally see Machu Picchu in person and not just google images. We were able to hike into and around the Incan city thank to the quick thinking and anti-rule attitude of our guide Elkin. We found ourselves exploring the city and enjoying the amazing beauty and history that lies there. We also had time to sneak in the inevitable family Christmas picture…sorry to spoil it for you all. We spent that night in the small pueblo (or should I say the once small pueblo and now the large tourist hub with nothing but restaurants, an artesian market, and hotels…and one out-of-order ATM) of Aguas Calientes. We found another beautiful hotel tucked away on the outskirts and set into the natural surroundings of trees and rivers. We enjoyed a good session of artesian shopping and bargaining for all the necessities like linen pants and alpaca hats. The next day we took the bus back up to Machu Picchu and had an extraordinarily thorough tour of the city. Our guide really helped us understand what went on there during the Incan time, after the Spanish conquest, and the eventual “discovery” by Bingham in 1911. A good day. We then took the train/bus back to Cuzco and spent one last night there. The following day we had a city tour of the same caliber with Elkin and then it was off to Lima and the night bus to Huaraz…my turn.
We got on the bus after an hour delay or so and arrived in Huaraz at 8 the next morning. We left most of our things (or the family did at least) at our hotel for the following night and after a breakfast started the “day in the life” part of the trip. We took public transport all the way to my site. I think my dad enjoyed the small Peruvian bus with people constantly climbing over you so much that he decided to take a taxi back instead. We got to my house around 11am. Don Julio was waiting with open arms to show us around the house and make us (or them rather) feel at home. We had some awesomely awkward introductions with the language barrier and then lunch was served. After a quick nap we hit the town with Julio. We hiked around and saw the fields, the place where we keep the cows, more fields, the mountains, the forest, and all the other goodies that Huashcao has to offer. We came back from the walk around and settled in for the live huayno show. It was a little late to start so in the mean time we watched some on DVD and my two moms attempted to converse about the cooking of the dinner. It looked like a very profound conversation. Finally the band arrived: Julio on violin, my brother on harp, and some other neighborhood folk on guitars and accordion. We bought a few beers and taught the family how to pass the vaso. We also brought out some of the scotch my dad brought down…just enough for a taste though. So with that the night wound down and the music came to an end. We were in bed by 9 in true campo fashion. The next morning we awoke and went out with my brother-in-law to meet up with my dad in the field. We got the taste of farming life and harvested some potatoes in the morning light underneath Huascaran. My two families loved the fact that everyone was harvesting papa. We came back to a mid-morning feast of potatoes, rice and the famed cuy. My mom wasn’t going to try the little guy but in the end she had a good amount and really enjoyed it…or at least that is what she claims. After the great and filling lunch we waited for our car that didn’t come. So we decided to walk down to the town an hour away and get a car there. From there we made it back to Huaraz and enjoyed a good meal and a drink with some other volunteers and then headed for bed. The next day the family got on a plane bright and early after a round of goodbyes and the trip was over, at least for me. They arrived in Lima that morning and had to spend the day there until their 12am flight back home.
It was an amazing trip overall. We got to see some truly amazing parts of this amazing country. More importantly we were able to spend 10 days together for the first time in 8.5 months. That was the best part of the trip. And like I said before, we all made it through alive and ate guinea pig, so in my mind the trip was a success. Now my family understands a little more of the Peruvian culture, how I live, what I eat, and what life is really like apart from emails and phone calls. I wish I could upload some pictures but my camera seems to have lost itself. It’s a shame but I am glad that was the only fall back to the trip. So for now no pictures but if you know my mom, or even if you don’t, I’m sure she will send you all of hers in a lengthy email. If you want anymore stories or updates on the trip don’t hesitate to ask.
Due to the length of this post I won’t bore you with the usually “work” update. Just know for now that things are going well and I recently received 4 big trash cans for my site from the district municipality. Yeah you might not think that’s a lot but these are going to be the first 4 trash cans in the whole town and they were free. You have to start somewhere! So for now that is about the only really cool and exciting thing in besides the family visit.
I hope you are all well and safe wherever life finds you. Feel free to send my candy and books whenever you like. Until next time…
Cheers,
Peter
The rains are gone….at least for now. The sun is shining and the nights are cold. A good time to be in Huashcao. So what’s new you ask? Well just hold on a tick, I am going to explain everything.
The biggest news since my last blog (which was put up about two weeks late….yikes) is the Blank family vacation that took place a little over a week ago here in Peru. It was a success. Everyone tried cuy and no one got too sick. We started off at the Lima airport…where all great things begin. We held up one night in the airport hotel and the family was able to decompress after a long trip and enjoy their first of about 43 free, complimentary pisco sours, the national cocktail of Peru. The next day we flew to the jungle city of Puerto Maldonaldo, the capital of the southern Madre de Dios department. We were greeted at the airport by the friendly staff from the lodge we stayed at. After a brief check in and some time in a butterfly house we were herded onto a river boat and started the one hour journey down river to the beautiful and secluded Reserva Amazonica. It was gorgeous. Little screened in bungalows with little to no electricity surrounding a bigger lodge/dining area of the same design all in the middle of the Peruvian rainforest. Not a bad set up. We spent our time here taking various day excursions into the jungle such as a canopy walk at 90 ft on rope bridges, a night walk looking for tarantulas (I would say my brother’s favorite), and a hike/canoe excursion to a huge jungle lake in the Tarampota National Reserve. While we weren’t sweating and hiking through the impressive rainforest we were again enjoying free pisco sours and amazing food at the lodge. A great few days were spent here in la selva (rainforest).
The next leg of the journey took us back to Cuzco and into the Sacred Valley of the Inca. We spent a few nights in a city outside of Cuzco in the Sacred Valley and had an awesome, and a bit strenuous, mountain bike tour of some surrounding Inca sights and the beautiful Andes of Cuzco. By the end our energetic guide had to watch or help as the tired and beaten Blank family walked their bikes down the last section, which to our defense was pretty much a mountain. We enjoyed some great meals here in Urubamba and then started bright an early the next morning on our section of the Inca trail. We did a one day section of the Inca trail that passed through some impressive Inca sites and lead to the Sun Gate, the end of the trail overlooking Machu Picchu. The hike was beautiful and we had a perfectly clear and sunny day with which to appreciate the surrounding beauty. We arrived at the Sun Gate around mid-day and took our lunch overlooking one of the Wonder’s of the World. It was incredible to finally see Machu Picchu in person and not just google images. We were able to hike into and around the Incan city thank to the quick thinking and anti-rule attitude of our guide Elkin. We found ourselves exploring the city and enjoying the amazing beauty and history that lies there. We also had time to sneak in the inevitable family Christmas picture…sorry to spoil it for you all. We spent that night in the small pueblo (or should I say the once small pueblo and now the large tourist hub with nothing but restaurants, an artesian market, and hotels…and one out-of-order ATM) of Aguas Calientes. We found another beautiful hotel tucked away on the outskirts and set into the natural surroundings of trees and rivers. We enjoyed a good session of artesian shopping and bargaining for all the necessities like linen pants and alpaca hats. The next day we took the bus back up to Machu Picchu and had an extraordinarily thorough tour of the city. Our guide really helped us understand what went on there during the Incan time, after the Spanish conquest, and the eventual “discovery” by Bingham in 1911. A good day. We then took the train/bus back to Cuzco and spent one last night there. The following day we had a city tour of the same caliber with Elkin and then it was off to Lima and the night bus to Huaraz…my turn.
We got on the bus after an hour delay or so and arrived in Huaraz at 8 the next morning. We left most of our things (or the family did at least) at our hotel for the following night and after a breakfast started the “day in the life” part of the trip. We took public transport all the way to my site. I think my dad enjoyed the small Peruvian bus with people constantly climbing over you so much that he decided to take a taxi back instead. We got to my house around 11am. Don Julio was waiting with open arms to show us around the house and make us (or them rather) feel at home. We had some awesomely awkward introductions with the language barrier and then lunch was served. After a quick nap we hit the town with Julio. We hiked around and saw the fields, the place where we keep the cows, more fields, the mountains, the forest, and all the other goodies that Huashcao has to offer. We came back from the walk around and settled in for the live huayno show. It was a little late to start so in the mean time we watched some on DVD and my two moms attempted to converse about the cooking of the dinner. It looked like a very profound conversation. Finally the band arrived: Julio on violin, my brother on harp, and some other neighborhood folk on guitars and accordion. We bought a few beers and taught the family how to pass the vaso. We also brought out some of the scotch my dad brought down…just enough for a taste though. So with that the night wound down and the music came to an end. We were in bed by 9 in true campo fashion. The next morning we awoke and went out with my brother-in-law to meet up with my dad in the field. We got the taste of farming life and harvested some potatoes in the morning light underneath Huascaran. My two families loved the fact that everyone was harvesting papa. We came back to a mid-morning feast of potatoes, rice and the famed cuy. My mom wasn’t going to try the little guy but in the end she had a good amount and really enjoyed it…or at least that is what she claims. After the great and filling lunch we waited for our car that didn’t come. So we decided to walk down to the town an hour away and get a car there. From there we made it back to Huaraz and enjoyed a good meal and a drink with some other volunteers and then headed for bed. The next day the family got on a plane bright and early after a round of goodbyes and the trip was over, at least for me. They arrived in Lima that morning and had to spend the day there until their 12am flight back home.
It was an amazing trip overall. We got to see some truly amazing parts of this amazing country. More importantly we were able to spend 10 days together for the first time in 8.5 months. That was the best part of the trip. And like I said before, we all made it through alive and ate guinea pig, so in my mind the trip was a success. Now my family understands a little more of the Peruvian culture, how I live, what I eat, and what life is really like apart from emails and phone calls. I wish I could upload some pictures but my camera seems to have lost itself. It’s a shame but I am glad that was the only fall back to the trip. So for now no pictures but if you know my mom, or even if you don’t, I’m sure she will send you all of hers in a lengthy email. If you want anymore stories or updates on the trip don’t hesitate to ask.
Due to the length of this post I won’t bore you with the usually “work” update. Just know for now that things are going well and I recently received 4 big trash cans for my site from the district municipality. Yeah you might not think that’s a lot but these are going to be the first 4 trash cans in the whole town and they were free. You have to start somewhere! So for now that is about the only really cool and exciting thing in besides the family visit.
I hope you are all well and safe wherever life finds you. Feel free to send my candy and books whenever you like. Until next time…
Cheers,
Peter
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