I think I should start with the shower because that's become an important part of my life here in Peru.
I have two issues with the shower.
1. It's freezing cold
2. It doesn't always work.
We actually have two bathrooms but we've written one off as a bad job because it smells and it's generally a bit gross.
It's actually gotten to the point where I have to fight an internal battle in the morning over whether or not I should have a shower. Sometimes the decision is made for me because it doesn't turn on. However, on mornings when it does work it becomes almost like a sport trying to gear myself up for a shower and then tactically having a shower in a way that will be the least traumatic.
I've tried just going straight in and facing the water like arch enemy... but that just shocks me so much that I can't think and I forget why I'm there. At the moment I'm trying the 'poco a poco' technique (little by little) which involves just inching my way in to the shower. (Poco a poco is something people say to here us a lot in relation to learning spanish. That seems to be the only advice they have. Or at least the only advice we can understand).
I'm sort of banking on the idea that the summer will be so ridiculously hot that I'll be thankful of a cold shower. This is sometimes the case when we do sports with the kids after which we quite fancy a cold shower. I've even taken to goin outside in the midday sun and doing a few starjumps to make it feel like I want a cold shower. Unfortunately these are the times when the shower doesn't feel like working. It also likes to cut out when I've just put shampoo my hair which is helpful. It's a source of frustration for Cass and I but it's quite funny when we come out of the shower covered in soap looking like we're going to punch something. All part of the Peru experience I suppose.
Linked to the shower anecdotes I can also tell you that we have a definite problem ants in our house which appears to originate in the shower. The wall is quite cracked so stuff can get through there and it's a bit... anty - for lack of a better word.
We've also discovered a tree just outside our house that appears to be the home of an ant nest (is that the right word? I wanted to say ant family or ant village but they definitely aren't right). Some of the ants on this tree are MASSIVE!! I'm not even exaggerating. Some of them have heads so big you can see their eyes moving around. It's horrible. And I'm sure they smirk at me when I look at them as if they know im scared of their weird little faces. Anyway, the ants of the tree have made a habit of coming into our house in groups and we sort of freaked out a bit and bleached all around the edges of the house but all that did was make everything smell of bleach. I think we're going to get some Raid (insect repelllent/killer stuff) so they can't come in. Honestly they're disgusting. I've taken to tucking in my mosquito net all the way around my bed so nothing can get in at night. I might be slightly paranoid.
Just thought I would mention some of the stuff going on at the aldea too.
There seems to stuff going on all the time. They have parties for the younger children with sweets, dancing and little games which they all seem to love. The children in the baby house get all dressed up for the parties and they look so cute. We spend a lot of time in Casa 5 (baby house) and they're possibly the most gorgeous children I've ever met - a bit of a handful at times (I imagine this is a bit like being a mother of 5) but still cute.
The baby´s party...
For example the other day we were sat with Tia Paquita and the 3 four year old boys who were doing their homework. They had two squares; one for colours they liked and one for colours they didn't like. When asked which colours he didn't like David couldn't come up with any so had to put all the colours in the 'colours you like square'. I just thought it was really sweet that he couldn't bring himself to dislike any of the colours and he looked really sad when Tia Paquita made him put brown in the square.
After the baby party they sometimes have a disco for the older kids in the auditorium. Yet another opportunity for Cass and I to embarrass ourselves with our dancing. It was fun though because they all just laughed at us. All the lads here can dance. All of them. And they all want to. It's so different from home where most teenage boys would be reluctant to dance properly with a girl. It's like a whole culture of gentlemen.
Us at the disco with Gloria...
We've been going to some classes with the kids for the last couple of weeks which is really good because we can get to know the kids a bit better.
We've been to cosmetology where they learn to cut and style hair. It soon became apparent that as soon as you enter that class you consent to having your hair cut because in our first lesson Cassie was given a pair of scissors and was also asked to cut my hair. It was a tense moment to be honest. For both of us I expect. It was alright though because the other girls helped her. They only thing is they have quite a small number in these lessons so will undoubtedly want to practice on me again which makes me think that if I keep being their model then I'll be left with less hair than my dad by the end of the year. Wahey!!! (Sorry Dad!)
We've also been to 'costura y manualidades' which we've guessed means sewing and needle work. This can be quite difficult because we struggle to understand instructions when we're learning new things. Trying to learn how to crochet when the instructions are told to you in spanish is definitely one of the most challenging things we've done so far. I'm serious. When the teacher had finished speaking and handed it over to me I literally was just left with no idea where to even begin so I'd just aimlessly twist the thread around the needle hoping that it would miraculously turn out alright. It didn't for a while but eventually I finally made progress. Very slow infuriating progress but still. I actually really enjoy it but it does get to a point where I feel like I'm going to throw it across the room which is when I have to put it down.
You may have noticed that we do stereotypically 'girly' things like hairdressing and sewing. The boys do carpentry which we really want to have a go at but we aren't allowed because it's considered a 'boy thing'. But we get our nails done by the girls which is nice. They really love to paint nails and have practically used up all of Cassie's nail varnish.
We also go to the sports lessons which are really fun. I get really sweaty and gross but it's ok. I've even played football which I've never really played before. I was awful but it was so much fun.
Outside the aldea there always seems to be lots going on too. Piurans seem fond of setting off flares late at night or early in the morning to celebrate saints days. The resulting bangs are so insanely loud and wake us up at ridiculous hours in the morning. The other day we heard them and there was a procession making it's way along the streets. We aren't entirely sure why but everyone gathered to watch it as it stopped in front of the aldea. Unsurprisingly it was something religious and we spotted a life size black Jesus being carried along. We were shocked as we'd never seen a black Jesus before. We think everyone did a little prayer or something and the procession moved on. I'd never seen anything like that before but I think they happen a lot around here.
We've also experienced a peruvian club or 'dicsoteca' as they are called here. Just another place for Cass and I to dance badly except here complete strangers ask you to dance with them. This was a bit awkward actually because it's so different from places at home where you can just pretend it hasn't happened but here you have to actually reject people and it feels a bit weird. Our friend Lia had to say no for us to start with and we just danced with her which was really fun.
At the moment we have stuff planned for Halloween which we are really excited about. We're doing a little party for the younger kids with sweets, face paint and stuff like apple bobbing. The tias are getting very excited about it and so far we've helped make some costumes for the kids in the baby house. Leylie is going as a witch and Angie as a princess. The only flaw is that they're made entirely from crepe paper. We didn't have the heart (or the language) to tell them that they would probably break almost instantly. They're really cute though. I'll try to get some pictures before they're ripped to shreds.
We've also set up English lessons for the older girls which theyre really looking forward to. We're a bit nervous but really excited and proud that we've managed to set it up.
Some happy news for you now. Baby Miguel Angel has been adopted. Apparently the process takes about 8 months but has now finally gone through. We met his new mummy and daddy and they are really lovely and they adore Miguel. Miguel seems to love them too. They took him home last week and whilst Tia Paquita was sad to say goodbye she agrees that it will be better for him... although we do all miss his cheeky face.
Tia Paquita went to visit him the other day amd said he was very happy and very well cared for so I'm happy that he'll get a proper family.
One last picture of Miguel because he´s cute...
It's quite easy to forget whilst you're here that it is an orphanange and that all these kids haven't got proper families and as we learn more about their backgrounds we find each story just as sad as the last. So it makes me sad sometimes to think that all these amazing kids have experienced such terrible things but still always have a smile on their face. They're all brilliant and so is the aldea.
I think that's a good place to end this one.
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