January 1, 2009

Dear St. Andrew's 6th Grade,

Greetings and happy new year! I've been in my community at Poerecillo, Peru for almost a month now, adjusting to my new home and family. I have been experiencing the Peruvian holiday season. New Year's Eve was yesterday, and in celebration my host family burned a large life-size straw dummy, signifying the death of the old year. I've sent some pictures ahead by e-mail of the burning . . . everyone was surprised to learn that we don't do the same thing in the States! Christmas was also different from my usual family celebration at home in Jackson. It was still a family affair, with relatives coming together and toasting the birth of Jesus at the stroke of midnight on Dec. 24. My host family also served a meal, to which I added a cucumber and tomato salad. I thought it added a touch of flavor to the chicken and noodles! While fruits are relatively plentiful here (plums, mangoes, papayas, apples), vegetables are harder to come by . . . people just don't eat lettuce or salads. I've been thinking about a garden project behind the local health post, possibly to grow vegetables that people would not normally eat. It's still only an idea now (a good deal of planning will be necessary to make it a success!) for I hope to talk it up with community members, especially mothers.

Next week, I'm having the sign ups for my summer course that I think I mentioned in my last e-mail. I have been coordinating with the local school since my first week . . . I want to get used to walking in the institution, so that when the next semester starts I can plan some more long range health programs. This summer's program will be a course for adolescents (life skills: self-esteem, communication skills, thinking about the future, etc.), which I hope will be popular. Also, I am offering a singing/music course (which ties in with my own interest in music) and a mini-English course, which I'm thinking will be the most popular. People are VERY excited that I'm teaching English, but I don't want it to get out of hand. I came to be a health volunteer and giving little English classes in the summer for me is just a secondary activity. While I have some ESL (English as a Second Language) teaching/tutoring experience, this part of the summer course makes me the most nervous. So, be wishing me luck with my first little project!

I've been going to meetings and visiting neighboring casieros (villages), but I have had a good deal of down time. I've been reading, journaling, and even trying to bake. I made banana bread yesterday for New Year's, which I thought turned out quite nicely.

Before I close, I wanted to give an alert for a possible new dimension to our correspondence in the future. In the next two years (at least!) there are plans to bring computers to Poerecillo, through the local district municipality. Neighboring towns with computer centers sometimes have Internet. What if we could start an exchange between this class and a Peruvian class? Another idea may or may not work . . . I will keep you posted if the prospects look bright. In any case, I hope this update was enjoyable, and that I have more exciting news in the next. Good luck this semester, we'll be in touch.

Sincerely,

Douglas M.