Day 1 with My Host Family

After a night at the discoteca we assembled for the walk up to the Training Center.  The training center is a beautiful large home that was once part of a larger tract of land that got sold off into smaller parcels.  It’s gated with tiled roof and a large back yard with a decorative pool.  We had a briefing about living with a host family and had lunch.  At about 1 in the afternoon our host families started arriving and taking us out to our communities.  Five of us are in a community called Huascata.  One by one folks started leaving.  By the end, it was me a couple of others.  I kind of felt like one of the last dogs at the shelter waiting to be adopted.  Finally my host father showed up to take me to my new home for the next 10 weeks.

My host father is a retiree with a son and a daughter and two grandkids ages 6 and 9 who all live in the same house.  There’s a main living room that has a little electric keyboard where the kids took turn playing Happy Birthday and Fur Elise.  Someone was  playing a song that sounded a lot like Sinatra’s Chicago.

My penthouse suite is up on the roof has a bed, desk, lights and is pretty comfortable.  The bed has a Super Heroes comforter complete with Superman, Spiderman, Wonderwoman and a couple of other muscular, manly, masked do-gooders.  I’m sure they had to wrestle it away from the 6 year old.

I spent a little time unpacking and getting settled in before me and the other volunteers in the area walked around, met the other host families and checked out each other’s room.  Caleb, a fellow from Virginia is right next door which is nice.  I imagine that our little group of five is going to be pretty tight the next couple of weeks. 

Off to Peru

Departure day. Day started out at 8am when we loaded the buses in the driving rain and headed to the airport. At the airport I was reminded that the Peace Corps is a government agency. Everything was organized but there was an element of “hurry up and wait” (kind of like the Army except people weren’t yelling at us). We got all checked in with our new passports with Peru visas and waited around until about 1pm for our flight to Miami.
From Miami, we flew into Lima and landed about 10 at night, loaded up a couple of buses and drove to Cajamarca which is about an hour outside of Lima. This is where we will spent the next three months training and living with a host family.

Day 1 of training we met the PC staff down here and were evaluated for our language skills. I think mine went pretty well until the questions started getting kind of philosophical like “Some people feel that capitalism and the development of a country leads to rich getting richer and poor getting poorer. What’s your position on this?” I know they weren’t trying to trick me into a whole political debate but I kind of felt uncomfortable and I couldn't just say “Well that sucks” or "Eat the rich" so I kind of bumbled through.

There was also a question that went something like you had a good job, good life, nice place to live, etc. why did you want to come here and volunteer. Quite frankly I was starting to get a little bored, wanted a big adventure and wanted to do something productive that could lead to greater opportunities in the future. I liked the mission of the Peace Corps so here I am.

(I wasn't trying to get fancy with the picture I just couldn't figure how to take it off sepia)

Tomorrow off to meet my host family with whom I’ll live for the next 3 months.

DC Staging

After one cancelled flight, two gate changes and a delayed arrival courtesy of United Airlines I'm in DC for our staging prior to heading down to Peru.  I brought 1 bag with clothes, one backpack with camping gear and books, and a carry on.  I kind of feel like I overpacked but being 6'6" with a size 14 shoe I figured I'm a bit outside that 3rd standard deviation down there and would have a hell of a time finding stuff that fits.

Peru 14, my training group, is 57 people strong and seems like a great bunch.  Most of the group is younger and graduated from college fairly recently.  I looked around for the retirees and other mid-career folks but there are none apparently making me the old man of the bunch.

We had a 4 hour orientation where we got to know each other, went over some of the basics and expectations, and filled out paperwork.  I though we were going to get shots today but we get that when we get in country.

We're staying in a hotel tonight and head out tomorrow.  Somehow I got a room to myself.  Alot of folks went out for dinner but I stayed in to rest up, tie up some loose ends, call home, and enjoy some "me time"  (which meant eating McDonalds and watching Bikini Destinations, uh, I mean football.)

I also fiddled around with my very first Ipod given to me by Adam, Alli, Laurie, Jonas, G, and Patty.  Pretty damn sweet.  Thanks gang!

Well, tomorrow's the big day.  We arrive in Lima at around 10pm and drive out to some kind of resort for a 2 day retreat.

Lunch and one last walk around downtown

Went and grabbed some lunch with the boys from the shop.  The two Toms from the Risk Consulting group and Iven & Will from AVMA/PLIT.  We went to some hole in the wall called G&G on Will and Iven's recommendation.  They know food and have never steered me wrong.  Ate and laughed.  They went back to work and I took a walk around downtown one last time.

Oprah was taping the opener for her 24th season.  They closed down 5 or 6 blocks on Michigan Ave right at the river.  People had apparently waited overnight to get into the show and did they ever look miserable.  It's not all that hot out but they were penned into small areas and looked hot, hungry, thirsty and bored.

I worked in the black building in front of Big Red.

Blow-out at Monsignor Murphy's

Twenty-four hours later I'm finally "well" enough to function, somewhat.  The fine folks at Monsignor Murphys, my local watering hole, threw me get the hell out of town fiesta.  The fete was organized by Alli and Adam (pictured above) who put on great parties.  Tons of people showed up from my various walks of life - work, basketball, softball, long time friends, denizens of Murphy's, etc. 

Party started about 5 and rolled on until ?  I left early because there was more than one "one last shot".  Good food, great going away cake with the Peruvian flag, a bumbling farewell speech and an all around good time.  Check out the Facebook pics.

Again, my friends here in Chicago are the best.  Chicago is the greatest city in the world and I will miss being here dearly.

Taste of Peru

One of my former co-workers, Julie Kilzner and her husband, Cesar Izquierdo, own a Peruvian Restuarant called Taste of Peru in Rogers Park.  She was kind enough of to invite us to eat there.  My first thought was that I'm going to be eating Peruvian the next 27 months so I need to be hitting as many Chicago-style places for pizza, beefs or dogs.  Then she said the magic words "on the house".  Went with Susan and Sam.

The place is small and kind of smells like cat piss when you first walk in (Julie explained to us that this was a freshly grown herb that they use alot).  There are pictures everywhere of celebs (including one of her husband's niece who placed 3rd in some sort of Ms. World beauty contest in China).  Diners, Dives and Drive-ins filmed there a few months ago and Guy signed the wall.  The place filled up pretty quick and a traditional Peruvian band played (I'm seeing lots of pan flutes in my future).

Food tried - Anticuchos (marinated chicken and beef hearts grilled on a skewer), Ceviche Pescado (fish marinated in lime juice with onions, corn), Aji (spicy green sauce you put on your dishes), Lomo Saltado (beef sauteed with onions with a side of rice), Arroz con Marisocs (seafood paella essentially), flan.  Food was delicious! 

The place is BYOB but Julie gave us a six pack of a Cuscena beer.  She said there were a number of them but that this was the best.  Step aside PBR your ass has just been replaced.  She also brought out a bottle of pisco but we weren't brave enough to try it. 

Don't think eating in Peru will be much of an issue in fact I can't wait to try some other things i.e. guinea pig!

If you're up on the north side of Chicago check it out Taste of Peru website

Going Away Party at the Albu's

The mighty Albu and his lovely wife threw me a going away party.  Albu is the ultimate host.  Plenty of beer, great food, mayonaise-based salads, deviled eggs.  Fiestas at Albu's have changed a quite a bit over the past few years with the marraiges and the breeding and what not.  Still, it was a great time.

Dick Paulson brought a Peru survival kit which included a flash light, emergency blanket, a couple of jars of liquid that he called natural tanning oils so I can blend in with the local populace, and bag of leaves which he called Peruvian toilet paper.  Liz, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, said the were too dry to be of any use.  I don't think she was kidding.

Beer pong.  Enough said about that except that I'm too old for that nonsense.

I love my friends here in Chicago and will miss them alot while I'm gone.  Fortunately for me, I'll get to kick it with the Mighty Albu in Peru or surrounding countries while I'm down there.