I no longer drop my toilet paper in the water below by habit, instead of the small trashcans provided for this purpose. I greet people for the first time with a kiss on the cheek (or rather a kiss in the air, cheek to cheek) and a "mucho gusto." Peruvians would say I´m "costumbre" (accustomed); it feels nice.
A week or so ago I decided to focus on relationships rather than language. (Thanks Holly.) Focusing on language leaves me paralyzed and silent . . . I know there are grammer rules, I know where some rule should be applied, but often I can´t for the life of me come up with the correct application of that rule. So I don´t talk, and that´s just not fun. I´ve embraced Spanglish, deciding that it´s through this exchange that I learn most effectively. In fumbled Spanish and Spanglish I can at least show those around me that I want to communicate, that they are worth my time. And my relationships and my language are improving. Each day I speak a little more Spanish and hopefully each day it´s a little bit improved.
Yesterday we (SST group) spent the entire day together traveling to Chincha (epicenter of last years devastating earthquake). I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and realized how lucky I am to be in Peru with this group of people.
This week included some dancing, which made me happy. On Thursday we had dancing lessons after class - salsa, a dance where you wave a hankerchief around, and everyone´s favorites . . . the "chicken dance," and another that allowed us to flail a little bit - the only dancing we do well. You´d think that being in another country I´d pick up enough culture to know the names of the dances, but they´re escaping me (as most words do here) and descriptions will have to suffice. The "chicken dance" is one performed to "musica negra," which comes from the Afro-Peruvian tradition. We gave it this name because there´s a shoulder/torso jerking strut (with arms bent at a 45 degree angle, resting on the hips) that done of us can do . . . but looks really cool when done properly. The dancing came at the end of a frustrating week filled with the overbearing presence of machista culture and the strained interaction of an SST group containing 15 men and only 8 women. Although it didn´t solve everything, it helped to be in a room together, touching or close enough to touch, making fools of ourselves as we sweated and moved to music. It´s hard to stay mad when you´re looking people in the eyes and laughing.
Yesterday in Chincha we were able to see some more "chicken dancing," along with music comprised only by beats (drums, rattling donkey jawbone, and a rectangle wooden box that the player sits on and beats) and powerful singing. (I bought a cd to share with those at home and just to support the performers.) As luck would have it when it was time for the audience to join I was the first to be pulled onto the dance floor. My hips and shoulders can´t move like the girls who have been dancing like this from a young age, but I tried, and soon I was surrounded by equally uncoordinated dancers.
There is so much to write, describe, tell. But I´ll stop after this one last note.
For service (second 6 weeks) I´m headed to Cusco with Nick Good (TA friends - Matt Miller´s Goshen double). I´ll be working with kids, which is new for me, but leaves me excited all the same. I´m excited about the straighforward interaction of children as I´m struggling to learn the language. Laughter helps me feel comfortable, and with my blundering Spanish, I´m sure there will be plenty of times we laugh and learn together. Cusco is near Macchu Picchu, which we will be visiting as a group just before service. Nick and I as well as the 4 others (Luke Yoder, Mark Hershberger, Michael Neumann, and Phil Hosler) who will live about 45 minutes away will stay in Cusco while the rest of the group returns to Lima before heading to service.
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