As Anonymously Requested...

Some updates:

I recently spent 10 days in Chicago and St. Louis/Collinsville. It was a little quest to see if I really want to go to Chicago and to get a feel of the city as a living destination instead of a place to visit. (I also got to speak a little Spanish as Dora the Explorer at a fun cartoon-themed costume-birthday party!) I like that there are soooo many things to do in Chicago, that public transportation is much more readily available than it is here in Columbus, that I know several people already. So. We’ll see.

During my visit with Matthew, we kept busy and tried to avoid the hot, hot heat. We dodged killer wasps at a holy site, tried on paper mache hands at an art museum, celebrated his mom’s birthday, and danced our feet off during a wedding reception at the City Museum. (That's a photo of us looking awesome!)

I got back to Columbus Sunday evening in time to celebrate my “little” sister’s 20th birthday with a delicious [steak] dinner and ice cream cake. Lots of laughing, being loud, and funny pop-culture references from dad (thankfully, he’s been over the word “bling” for a bit...). It’s good to be home, back with my family, and events like the Sunday’s dinner are one reason I longed to come home to something familiar.

And now, more blogging on Peru:

I waited a long time to write about what we did in the classrooms in Oropesa, where we spent the final 2-3 months of our trip. Now that I have photos of the projects all together and I’ve been back in the US for about 2 months, I think it’s about time.

The first few weeks in Oropesa were tough. We mostly substituted in classes of very naughty kids until we had a regular schedule and assisted teachers however they wanted. Sometimes this meant covering cardboard boxes with wrapping paper to make them more aesthetically pleasing or sorting markers. Most times, though, we taught. Many of the teachers wanted us to teach English because Oropesa is near Cusco, one of the major tourist cities in Peru and English is a huge plus for the industry. (One teacher even told her kids that they needed to pay attention unless they wanted to grow up and be cart pushers. lovely, huh?) However, the kids got bored copying down vocabulary words and we didn’t make much progress there. We started giving the kids the choice between an art or English lesson and mostly ended up teaching art, which was fine with us!

Matthew and I brainstormed kid-friendly art projects we could teach in Spanish with few supplies. The first project was blind contour, which required only paper and pencils. It was basically teaching kids that art doesn’t have to look like real life. We made references to Picasso that flew over their heads then partnered the kids up and demonstrated the process ourselves. It doesn’t sound difficult: face your partner, draw him or her without lifting the pencil from the paper and without looking at what you’re drawing. It was difficult for the children, even after we demonstrated. They kept peeking at their papers and drawing legs and feet and things they thought were “supposed” to be there, though they couldn’t actually see them. From my experience, it seems that Peruvian children aren’t encouraged to be creative. For example, a young girl we knew was coloring animals from a coloring book and she was told which colors to use and was corrected when she wanted to use colors like purple for a monkey. We praised the kids who actually listened and created wacky lines, weird versions of people. This is my blind contour drawing of one of the students.

I should thank my 8th grade teacher for what I thought was our most brilliant project-the face project. It was brilliant because the supplies needed were minimal- paper, pencils and erasers, colored pencils, tape, and one half of a straight-on face shot from a mgazine. Finding the faces was the most difficult part, but we managed from old magazines Roxana had. When I did the project as a student, the faces we used were pretty much life-sized, but we just did what we could with any sized face. I cut each one in half vertically and we did a lesson about symmetry. I know faces are not completely symmetrical, but the students worked hard replicating the half face they were given; it was a concrete task they understood. For a "creative" bonus, I asked the students to invent five sentences about the person they drew. [Photos: 1.) A pile of the faces cut in half. Students chose at random, without seeing the fronts first. 2.) Examples that Matthew and I each drew using 2 halves of the same man. My recreation is on the left. As you can see, faces really aren't symmetrical. 3.)What I thought was the best job. 4.) I changed my mind about best job when we did this project with a second class. 5.) Another example.]

A teacher got word of a mosaic project Matthew did with another class and she wanted to do the same thing in her class, but didn’t have the same supplies. We modified the project using colored paper. The kids got into groups and had to come up with an animal/nature design they’d make in the mosaic style. I was doubtful about how it’d turn out, but it really took off. One particular group of boys who appeared to be disconnected and undirected developed an octopus/under-sea scene, complete with coral and fish that had eyeballs. Wow. [Photos: 1.) A pair works on their flower. 2.) Four girls work on their moon mosaic. 3.) The octopus design]

Matthew’s friend who worked at an art camp suggested we make flip books. It started off great, though explaining how cartoons/animation works was a little fuzzy. Unfortunately, we only worked on this project for one week before we threw ourselves into painting the two murals before flying back to the states. [Photos: 1.) Matthew counting out piles of 12 pieces of paper. 2.) We left a pile of started flip books with the teacher.]

If we weren’t teaching art, or had some time to fill, I was singing crazy songs with the students. I explained the words of the songs and sang in English and they participated with the motions (even the naughty kids!). I used “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” to teach body parts in English. I also sang “I’m a Little Tea Pot” and “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” with the younger children. All of the students loved the baby shark song that I learned as a camp counselor in Florida. It’s about going swimming and ends with a shark attack and loosing a leg. They also liked my favorite little birdie song that ends in kids making “beaks” with their arms and chirping like baby birds. The shark song was by far the favorite.

where will life go?

I feel I have made full circle now. I am writing to you all from a St. Louis Bread Co. (Panera) in Collinsville. A little over a year ago I was working for Panera to fund my trip to Peru and now I have returned, not to work but to borrow their internet to find work. And what a grueling task it is. How can you take experiences and knowledge gained from travel and apply it to measurable and employable skills? How can you transition from having your own work schedule and being your own boss while traveling to succumbing to the social norms and expectations of a professional world? Let me tell ya, it's hard. I am basically experiencing the same emotions I was a year ago knowing that my year of volunteering was coming to a close. I suppose life is just a series of changes and the willingness to adapt and accept the change is just one challenge life offers.

Now I know the last time I was in this situation people thought I was dreaming a bit. Some of the things they said was "How are you going to afford going to Peru? Shouldn't you start thinking about grad school or a job?" But here we are a year later and I have been to Peru and am now full of new world views and ideals. Really all I did was allow myself to go with the flow and now is no different.

One thing Peru has taught me is that I really enjoy travel, being in strange surroundings, meeting interesting people, and sharing the experience with others(writing/blogging). It has opened my eyes to new global topics and made certain opinions swell up inside of me. It has lead me to challenge the views of American ideals. So right now I think the clear path forward is to keep traveling. I return to the States (a country full of opinion) confused about how we choose to live life, wondering why, since day one, people have been criticizing our leader. I find myself asking the question "Who are Americans?" What are the fundamental believes that fuel our existence as a nation? Why is our educational system declining? Is it really declining? Why is it that 100 years ago, The U.S. of A was patenting things left and right, but now most new breakthroughs come from outside of our borders? I think the only way to find the answers to these questions is to meet some strangers spanning our massive country and search for some answers.

If you are thinking that one idea I have for life would be to go on a road trip to all 50 states to see what this country is like, you are crazy, but correct. If I was to go with the flow, I think I would start a domestic adventure to learn about the country I live in, visit every state, see what binds us and what separates us. Blog about it and if the stars are perfectly aligned make a book. Right now I will call this Plan A. I just have not removed my travel bug, and I think this adventure would put it to rest, for a bit anyway, and answer some questions (and create new ones I'm sure).

Some slightly more traditional ideas are grad school for art administration, which would help me start my own business sometime in the future (which is already formed in my head) Find a salaried job somewhere in the US dealing with art, youth and/or community (this idea is why I am currently sitting in a Panera). Apply to artist residencies. I think that covers most ideas at this point, if anyone wants to throw some more ideas into the mix, let me hear them, I am pretty open. And if you know of a way to make Plan A a reality, I am all ears.

Well back to writing cover letters. Argh.

P.S. For those interested here is one job I am applying too, bikesfortheworld.org to give an idea of what I am looking for.

You're Invited . . .

Dear Reader,
I fondly remember fill-in-the blank invitations for parties when I was younger. Here's one for you.

You're invited to a party!

Where: Sara's house 

When: Friday, June 25, 6 p.m.-?

Why: To party (sort of) Peruvian-style to celebrate Inti Raymie, our safe return to the US, and Matthew's golden birthday.

R.S.V.P. Please send a note to sara.wells2@gmail.com so we know how much food to make.

Although many of our friends are far away from Columbus, for those of you who are nearby and want a psudo-Peruvian party experience, come on over! We'll be serving delicious non-meat foods (no guinea pigs or chicken feet) and the famous Pisco Sour. We have plenty of party music that we bought in Peru for about $1 at what Matthew claims was the black market, so dancing will be encouraged.

We hope to see you there!

Home, again

As Matthew said, the posts will keep coming. I don't feel compelled to write as often as I did when I was in Peru, probably because I can share stuff easier than before. Anyway, there is more to write about, so here's my turn:

Towards the end of our time in Peru, I surprised myself by how homesick I started feeling. Because I was excited to return home to my family, I didn't put much attention towards leaving our small community with some closure.

Matthew and I spent our final week painting furiously with our new English friends (and I fought a stubborn migrane), instead of volunteering in the classrooms. We tried to take advantage of the sunlight as much as possible because it was dark by 6 p.m. Aside from talking with curious children who constantly checked in on the mural status, we didn't hang out with the students very much. Late Friday night I realized that we didn't make any official announcement about our leaving and Saturday morning was particularly difficult for me because our sobrina Dana didn't have a clue we were leaving that afternoon. I felt awful.

Before heading to Cusco for the 21 hour bus trip to Lima, we made our way around Oropesa taking photos of important places. Eventually we headed to school to photograph the murals. As we walked closer, we heard the familar sounds of recess. What? On a Saturday morning? Apparently I hadn't understood the conversation that had taken place the day before among the teachers. The students had to make up a day of school that had been canceled earlier in the month.

We photographed the murals and made our way to see what was going on with the students and their athletic-themed make up day. We were fortunate enough to see the preschoolers play a kindergarten class in a 10 minute soccer game, and to have the opportunity to talk and visit with some of our favorite students and teachers. The realization that Matthew and I were leaving without finishing the murals or really saying goodbye made me feel like we were abandoning our volunteer positions in the middle of the school year, although I had planned to leave in early June when we started our journey in January. I am thankful we got to see the students one last time.

So here I am, home again after a crowded combi, a taxi, a long overnight bus ride, two flights, a short train trip, and finally a megabus.  I'm back where I started, in the house where I grew up, living with my parents and one of my younger sisters.

I made it to Marie's graduation (the reason I wanted to come home at such a specific time), where I saw both of my sisters and all four of my grandparents again for the first time since January. It's to be expected that I have been experiencing mixed feelings about being back. I cried saying goodbye to our family in Oropesa and got teary seeing my family again. It's been nice to have hot water just by turning a faucet, to have an immense amount of reading material at my disposal, and to have a coffee pot in the kitchen. It's been strange to flush my toilet paper (or to have a toilet seat at all), to be able to drink water that comes from fountains and faucets instead of buying bottles, and to be able to put on functioning seat belts.

I'm working on adjusting my whole thinking process. The other day I didn't realize that if I bought a gallon of milk (non-evaporated, actual cow milk!) at the gas station on the way to the library, I'd have to take it home to refrigerate it. What? Refrigerate the milk? Oh yeah, refrigeration, and it's summer. I also couldn't wrap my mind around the need for a can opener, much less an electric can opener. Wow. In Peru (this is how I begin many of my sentences now), the only cans that were opened contained evaporated milk and we opened them with a knife, most often one missing its sharpened tip.

I'm back in Columbus, where the scenery is exceptionally flat, reflecting on my crazy experience in Peru, reconnecting with people I haven't caught up with in a long time, and deciding how to live my life. Not surprisingly, I'm drawn towards work with children. Poco a poco, I'm making progress and figuring things out.

last day in Oropesa

Matthew, Matthew and Matthew painting the Ocean (Matthew 1 failed to get the memo of blue shirt grey pants)

Today was our last day in Oropesa. It feels sad to know that our time here is over, mainly because now that I have finally started on my mural projects, I feel useful here and part of a community. I love the feeling when I walk into school, paint brushes at the ready, and nearly every kid who walks by says "Hola Mateo, ¿Que estas haciendo?" They all know my name and are throughly interested in what I am painting. I feel the mural of the world (now labeled with every country) is the most useful and touching painting I have ever created. Nearly every kid walked by after school, stared at the map, and wanted a geography lesson. Many times I walked back to the mural after cleaning my brushes and found Sara or one of the Matts (we met 2 volunteers from England, both named Matt, and they have helped greatly with the two murals) with their arms stretched out telling the students where one country or another was located.

Sara giving a geography lesson.

My idea for painting a map of the world as accurate as possible, with labels for every country, came from seeing that there was not a single current map in the school, and very few extremely outdated maps. And also some kids were unaware of which country they lived in. They now have a 11ish feet (I measured the map in centimeters) by 9 ft map of the world painted on the wall as they enter and leave school. With another mural facing it on the opposite side with the theme of cleaning the earth.

Our World completed. (Though I now hear its missing a few minor countries)

A week has passed since I wrote these first two paragraphs. Blogging is a bit difficult at times because keeping the mood and feelings of a week ago is so difficult now that I am in a setting so very different. I am now sitting in Glenview Illinois, in an air conditioned house, wearing shorts and using a very sluggish internet that barely works. (I have also taken three hot showers and brewed my own coffee) A week ago we were saying our tear filled good-byes to teachers and students at our school and to our Peruvian family in Oropesa. We were also lucky enough to talk to them on the phone before our flight. I knew this trip was time well spent when I heard the voice of Dana our niece say very cheerfully "Hola tio Mateo!" It is odd to think that right now on this same earth, the same land mass (though now split by the Panama canal) is a landscape 12,000ish feet high containing a lifestyle so very different than mine now.

Our Peru family. Yes I am wearing a cowboy hat, it was a departing gift. 

A quick game to play as my internet connection is so poor I might loose it at any moment. Can anyone guess what was the first thing I noticed upon arriving to the States? No it was not diversity (though there is quite a lot when compared to Peru), it wasn't the lightness of peoples hair. It was the obesity of Americans that I noticed first. My goodness our younger population is LARGE.

And a brief note, just because we are now home, does not mean the blog updates are going to stop. They might be a bit more infrequent, but we still have a lot of writing about cultural exchange, differences and grievances to do. As well as talking about how a simple trip to volunteer in a foreign culture can change your views for life.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

I´m coming home in 6 days...count ´em...SIX!
And it´s not even that far, right?
43.5 centimeters, according to my giant ruler.
Love you and see you soon <3

Coming Back, and Answers to Some Questions

After leaving Columbus and before departing for Peru, Matthew and I spent a few days in Chicago doing last-minute errands before the big trip. I was nervous. I was scared to go through customs and thought I didn´t know enough Spanish to survive. The way my body decided to cope was by letting a giant rash break out on my neck that didn´t go away until we landed in Lima. Great.

Now that I´m only a few days away from making the return trip, the migrane that started last Friday and decided to make itself known more forcefully for the better part of the following 5 days has finally gone away. I think. Who knows? Maybe it´ll be like the fickle water situation we had in our house and it´ll come back. Maybe I´m stressed about transitioning back? I know it´s going to be tough to buy stuff after spending the equivalant of 30 US cents on a soda, or on a small tube of toothpaste. I don´t know what I´m doing "next." I do know that I´m excited to see my family again.

Here is a list of interesting questions I received the other day, and my responses.

What do you miss about US cities that Peru doesn't have?
Trash cans that are conveniently located.

Do you miss anything?
Things to read that are in English! At home, I have the newspaper, magazines, and a huge shelf of books I have been "too busy" to read. Here, Matthew and I share English books that we carefully choose at book exchanges. I´ve read a few good things, but am holding off on our last book until our 21+ hour bus ride and the plane rides. I haven´t been reading enough.

Also, coffee drinks and regular sized sidewalks without random holes/broken concrete/drop-offs.

Are you turning into Mark Twain and now that you know all about other cultures, you're not nearly as enamored by them?
I didn´t know much about Peru before coming, except for what I learned looking at some library books. I don´t know what I expected. I can say that I´m absolutely still amazed by the Incas. Although I´ve seen enough old rocks for a while, the technology that the Incas incorporated into their architecture is incredible. The current lifestyle in Peru is tough. I´m so impressed with the work that people do day-to-day without complaining. For example, on my way to school today, I saw 3 donkeys strapped with giant bundles of reeds and a woman with her own enormous load tied to her back walking to who knows where. People work so hard. I do want to learn about other cultures, but am ready to return to my own for a bit.

How hot is it RIGHT now?
It´s cold, but that´s because it´s night. It sounds obvious, but in the sun it´s really hot and in the shade it´s really cold. I was sweating painting one of the murals today, but in the late afternoon the sun disappeared and we got a little sprinkle. I was freezing!

What is the temperature at night?
Really cold. My bed has a sheet and 3 heavy blankets. When I get into bed, it does not feel warm enough, so sometimes I sleep in my hat, gloves, and socks. Always with socks. If I leave my room to walk to the bathroom or kitchen (or anywhere), it´s outside. Peruvian house structures have an interesting combination of indoor/outdoor architecture, which is really cool, except when it´s the middle of the night and I need to use the bathroom.

How much does it cost to live on a weekly basis?
Oropesa is pretty inexpensive because it´s a small town, but Cusco is much more expensive, especially now that it´s tourist season. However, our experience is that Peru is generally much less expensive than the US. I don´t know how much I spend each week, but to give you an idea of what things cost here (divide by 3 to get the US price)...
 · Lunch (includes soup, main course, and a drink) s/3
 · Internet (one hour) s/1.50
 · Three eggs s/1
 · Five pieces of bread s/1
 · Ice cream s/1-2.50
 · Bootlegged Beatles 2-disc CD s/7
 · One month´s rent for a large, fully furnished room s/200

Are you excited to come home?
Yes. For reasons already listed, and additionaly because it´s summer in the states.

Are you ever going back?
Maybe. Lots of people are shocked that we´re leaving and ask if we´re coming back. (Today one girl told me I should go home and come back in 10 days. I told her I´d think about it.) We didn´t take any trips to the jungle, which has it´s own wonders. There´s definitely plenty more to see and do here and lots of kind people we´ve met.

How tall are you in comparison with average women your age?
Taller. Except sometiemes when they´re wearing giant hats. And even though you didn´t ask, I´m taller than lots of the men too.