The Rural Traveler

I just got back from another weekend on the island of Amantani. The community of Suncayani Alto welcomed me with open arms... 80 little arms to be exact. We are trying to develop this project with an emphasis on having Puno's local university students take the iniative in volunteering. Unfortunately, folks were a tad too busy this weekend partying. I must admit, I was a tad upset that no one would take the time to travel for a day to the island. One of my to-be companions showed up at the house around 1pm...a bit late seeing as the boat leaves at 8am on the dot. So I was alone to receive the hugs from the island's children.

After settling in Silverio's house and having lunch with two very shy Swiss tourists, I was off to the community's school. I hoped to meet roughly 20 kids, as that had been a relatively manageable number last weekend. Not surprisingly, word had spread about the activities and books that I had brought last Saturday. I was confronted with 40 VERY animated kiddies. We played a couple of games that drew lots of giggles. Afterwards (and I am still amazed about this), I read an entire book to the kids and actually kept their attention! Even better...the kids understood the story after I asked them some comprehension questions.

After finishing the story of Pinochio, I asked them what special tool the fairy used to turn Pinochio into a real boy. "A magic wand!" the kids exclaimed. "Very good!" I told them "Now, I don't have any magic wands, but today I have a very special magic box for you all." In my special box were 50 pieces of colored chalk. Each child got to pick the color of the chalk and draw the different characters from the story. They wrote the names of the characters and drew Geppeto, the fairy, the fox, the cat. One boy even copied the image of Geppeto and Pinochio in the boat fleeing the angry whale. This wasn't enough for the kids, and they wanted to draw more characters....Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf, Alice in Wonderland and the rabbit. Within an hour the entire patio was filled with blue, yellow, red, and brown images and words. Let me tell you...there were a LOT of mean-looking whales on the school patio yesterday!!! Project chalk....accomplished and quite fun.

The rumor had spread on the island that I was going to shower the children with books, notebooks, pens, etc. The goal of our work is not to dump gifts on the population. Instead, we are trying to work with them to promote a reading culture. When I met with the parents, the proyect was clarified in this sense. They had just finished building a kindergarden for the younger students. We discussed the option of using a small portion of the center for a library. I promised to make a deal with the community. As our intent was not to simply donate things in the community and run, our group would work with the community to create the library. If the community agreed to develop a communal fund for purchasing books, materials, as well as maintaining the local, the volunteers would help with the construction and purchasing of materials to begin the library.

To anyone reading this in the U.S., if you are interested in donating to our project please let me or my mom know! The easiest way would be to send money to buy products (chalk, notebooks, books). My hope is to also gather funds to purchase a stereo and buy basic English/French/German comprehension tapes so that the families can develop basic vocabulary in order to communicate with the tourists they house.

The parents were very upbeat, and decided that they would vote on the issue in the upcoming weekly meeting. They asked me how much money the project would demand of them. I told them that a) it was not my place to make that decision, but it would be an important issue to debate in the community, and b) I recommended that they designate a small monthly fund in order to consider this project as a long-term, sustainable resource for all to enjoy. Again, the important knowledge that we as volunteers will offer is how to create a space that is respected and enjoyed by everyone in the community.

The kids and parents were a bit upset that I won't be back on the island for three weeks. While I do enjoy spending a day in Amantani, I really think it is necessary that others in our group step up and get involved. Additionally, I have made some other committments for the next two weekends to share with you all later....but here is a quick preview:

next Saturday- writing party with the kids on the floating island of Kuntiki...the kids are going to make up myths about their island. Either I will go to their island or they will come to Puno and we will go do some shopping at a book store!

following Saturday- I will be donating my fertile youth to the fields of the island of Anapia. I will be working with one of our island coordinators, Jose Flores, on his land and getting to know his community.

I left the Amantani this morning at 5am on the communal boat and arrived in Puno to shower and repack my bags. This afternoon I am heading out to the rural province of Chucuito to begin my contacts, interviews, and setting dates for my focus groups following the new year. This week, I will be staying in the city of Juli with two German theologians and working with the contacts I have made through my host institute as well as the Institute on Rural Education. I will return to the city of Puno on Friday with lots of stories and hopefully lots of interviews/meeting dates. Keep your fingers crossed!

Well at least they know how to get their point across...

So, today I was suppose to give a presentation on ethnographic research methods to members of the Institute on Aymara Studies. The presentation has been postponed...hopefully until tomorrow. From time to time, classes or events are cancelled because of the unpredictability of weather. Normally because with too much rain Lake Titicaca floods over onto the highway. This was not the case today.

Wwhen I went downstairs for breakfast this morning, Jeny mentioned that four French tourists had left early this morning in order to compensate for the additional time they would need to travel to Bolivia. I thought it was a peculiar comment, and I asked why the trip would take extra time.

"Oh, because they were reporting on the radio that they are blockading between Puno and Ilave" she commented. I immediately dropped my bread and ran for my phone. I called Juan, my internship coordinator, and asked him if he had heard about the news. He had not, but would confirm it with me after he made a few calls. Sure enough, four of our participants had already emailed to inform him that they were unable to arrive because of the strikes. Juan called back, offering that we could attempt to pass through the blockade. As tempting as that sounded (pure sarcasm, Mom, I promise) I thought it best to wait until tomorrow.

Having been in Puno for two months, I am extremely use to parades and manifestations. There is some kind of march literally every day. It's really funny when the tourists that are spending their token day in the city of Puno witness one of the parades. "Wow, how lucky are we to be here on a parade day!" I have heard over and over again. Oh, if only they knew....

The primary purpose of these gatherings is to dance, or as they say here desfilar. Oh, I would like to take this opportunity to complain about the damn university next to my house STILL is practicing for a parade coming up on Friday. Every night for the past 2 weeks from 5-10 there is music blaring on the street. The worst part is that they play the same damn song over and over again...I am really, really looking forward the end of this week, and I also don't mind if I never here this particular song ever again.

Sorry, let me refocus....Occasionally, there is a march in protest of something. Typically here in Puno the protests focus on issues of education. I think teachers spend more time striking than actually teaching in the classroom. Take, for example, the professors who have effectively cut off the only viable route from Peru to Bolivia.


As you can see on the map-------------------> There is really only one road on the southern side of the lake from Puno to the border with Bolivia. It cuts through all the main cities of the southern provinces (Chucuito, Juli, Ilave, Yunguyo, Desaguaderos).

In reality, I am not quite sure how intense these strikers are today. From my knowledge of the culture of blockades in Bolivia, as well the information provided in the U.S. Embassy Security Briefing I attended in August (that effectively scared the crap out of me ), I don't think I am going to try to make my way through the blockade.

I want to share with you all my first outing to Amantani. Another little activity I am taking part in :) The proyect, unofficially titles "Por y Para los Wawas" (For the Children) is a volunteer program focused on developing literacy in rural island communities. Our team is made up of Peruvians living in Puno with mixed talents (teachers, doctors, nutritionists, sociologists). The travel agency, All Ways Travel, is coordinating our travels and contacts in the community.

Being considered the expert on motivating children (thank you Concordia Language Villages), I am making the first trips with Señor Victor from the agency to meet the kids and present the project to the parents. There are 9 communities on the island of Amantani. Yesterday we visited Sancayuni Alto. This comes out of my journal writing while I was on the island:

I feel like I am living in a scene from Little House on the Prarie. In the small, adobe house, I sit by candlelight writing my journal. Today I have witnessed the marvelous challenge presented by the difficult realities the Amantani community faces.

This morning the tour boat departed at 8am with 20 tourists in tow--4 Americans, 2 Spaniards, 2 Chinese, and a dozen Dutch, Señor Victor and me. I felt completely apart from the tourist pack. The first stop was on the floating island of the Uros. While the tourists listened to a presentation by their guide and an Aymara leader from the community, I sat with a group of kids on the other side of the island. They took turns reading from the only book they could find on in their houses. For about 45 minutes we had a lot of fun reading and playing games. It was obvioulsy very productive interacting with these kids while we work our way to our island destination.

The tourists were curious about my relatively abnormal behavior and a few of us began to chat. I am quickly realizing how knowledgable I have become about Puno culture and realities that are difficult to pick up without having been around the region for a while (p.s.- today marks month #2!!!!)

Three hours later, our boat arrived to the dock of Sancayuni Alto. Señor Victor was immediately flustered because no one was present to meet us. The leaders were very busy delegating the tourists to their homestays and had an additional burden with and NGO whose representatives wanted to do house surveys of homes serving to tourists. Jonatan, a little 7 year old boy took us to the school where supposedly 100 kids were waiting for us. We found no one in the school house. This, of course, set Señor Victor off a bit. I convinced him that we should find housing and eat lunch before we continued.

We found housing with Silvanio, one of the community leaders. As our visit was unexpected, his daughter, Alicia, quickly made a lunch of soup and a plate of rice, fried egg, and potatoes. While we ate, Martinez, another community leader gathered 20 children (ages 5-13) to meet us at the school. This was a perfect group as we had purchased 20 books (stories like Pinnochio, the 3 Little Pigs). Each book cost 2 soles, and the purchases came out of Señor Victor and my pockets.

I led a couple of warm up games like we do at camp. The purpose was to let the kids get to know me a bit more. Luckily, they were EXTREMELY responsive and participated...giggling the whole time. Sometimes I had to wait while the older children translated what I was saying in Spanish to their younger siblings in Quechua. Spanish is only a second language they speak in school. Next, we shared the books with the children and performed two skits (The Cat in Boots and Snow White). The kids were very excited to act...especially the 7 dwarfs.

The bigger challenge came, though, once we tried to read in the classroom. One boy participated in the reading, and actually did relatively well. Unfortunately, the others had little interest in listening. To regain their attention and make sure they were comprehending the story, I stopped every paragraph or so to act out the scene or draw on the chalkboard. Fortunately they understood my drawing of the whale that swallows Pinnochio. The approach proved extremely effective.

After the kids ran home with their new gifts, we again struggled to hunt down the parents and community leaders. I don't believe it was a lack of interest on their part as much as being uninformed. On our part, we also lacked an understanding of the schedule of the community for properly sequencing our activities with them. Once we got the parents (manly the men) together, Victor began to give a speech about our work. The women had to return home to cook for the tourist who were returning from their hike to the island's peak.

Being a foreigner and young woman, I never spoke directly or forcefully. I left this to Señor Victor. It is definitely not my place to challenge the community leaders. I presented myself and then took pictures at the permission of the meeting participants. Afterwards, I went to sit down, and realized I had sat in the row of the men. I quickly got up and walked over to where the women and children sat. This gesture was evidently appreciated, especially by the women.

Señor Victor was very firm in his presentation of our project. I worry, though, that he went a bit over the top. I will NEVER discount him for his passion and determination in the work, but I am concerned that he is speaking down to the community a bit too harshly. I was then asked to add a few comments. Trying to counter Señor Victor's intense comments, I spoke more meekly and thanked the parents for allowing me to spend time with their kids.

The meeting was productive. The parents were animated about me returning this coming Saturday to work with both the kids as well as a group of parents. The primary idea is to create a puppet show with the characters from the books. Additionally, with the parents, we will discuss how to incorporate reading in the home. I hope that I will have 1 or 2 other volunteers with me next week. Señor Victor is helpful with the transportation issues, but is a bit rough with both the kids and the adults. Another positive from the meeting was our new community coordinator. Flavio, the elementary school teacher wants to help us coordinate and plan activities.

So, I will return to the island next Saturday with my toilet paper, flashlight, handwash, 4 layers of clothes, sunscreen, toothpaste, and deoderant. For the family I will bring fruit as a present to thank them for their hospitality and a book for their daughter.

P.s...There is NOTHING more amazing than walking on the island with nothing more than the moonlight from the sky and the lake's reflection guiding you as clearly as in the daytime.

Thank you Teacher

I do kind of cringe when they call me "Teacher". I am not sure whether it bothers me more because I would prefer my students to call me Laura, or because as a student in the US we never addressed "Ms. Gabriel" or "Mr. Hrabe" as "Teacher". Yes, I have another activity in progress here in Puno, Peru. I am teach English! Kind of funny, no? I have never taught English...always Spanish!

The director of the Peruvian-North American Cultural Center and I met during our chit-chat with the U.S. Ambassador a couple of weeks ago. He commented that the institute would really like to have a native speaker to teach the advanced students. Seeing as I don't have any formal TEOSL skills, I explained a bit about the types of activities we do at Concordia Language Villages. He was thrilled, and asked if I was interested in using the CLV methodology in a type of conversation class with students.

So, now I teach an interactive class every Monday and Wednesday for 1.5 hours. We play games, create skits, watch movies, etc. The idea is to present American culture in the context of interactive language participation. In general, the institute faces a challenge with a culture of very shy students. This is VERY difficult when the purpose is to learn to communicate with the English language! Most of the students grasp the grammar, reading comprehension, and I think they have a good listening comprehension. The downfall is in oral comprehension.

So far, my class has been receptive. John, the director, claims they love the style of the class (which we have titled "Free Chatroom"). A couple of the professors in the institute are my students, but I have a healthy mix of highschooler and adults. I am REALLY pushing them to be active in the room. They are not receiving any formal grading beyond class participation. But the way I have designed activities...well, they have no choice BUT to be involved (hehe).

"Random" Urban Development

Okay, I must comment on the peculiar approach to urban development that occurs here in Puno. I don't really know how construction planning is implemented and/or controlled, so to be culturally sensitive, I will not jump to conclusions and call it "poor" ...we'll just say it is, well, "random" urban development.

The city of Puno is relatively small and quite easy to manuever by foot. Still, that doesn't mean that you can let down your guard ONE BIT. Very, very important note...pedestrians do not have the right of way. No way, no how. I think I've mentioned this three or four times to my parents, and I will repeat again and again: cars do not stop for you. Even if you are crossing the street and a taxi is going to take a left hand turn behind you as you are crossing the street...he has the right of way. Luckily there aren't too many cars in Puno (and it isn't the insanity that Lima's traffick presents). Still, with high quantity of taxis, tricycles, and motobikes it is important to look both ways about seven times before crossing the street.

Another unique feature of Puneñan streets are the sidewalks. Walking down the road reminds me of old school atari games. Remember the little dude with the cowboy hat who climbed latters, jumped over rolling barrels, and fell through the holes? Yeah...it's kind of like that minus the barrels. It is very important to be completely aware of where you are taking your next step. Sometimes a house has been built all the way out to the curb of the road and you have to walk in the street. Other times, there is a hole in the sidewalk or a pole or two or dog poo (lots and lots of dog poo). If a group of people are walking towards you, it is the best bet for the person walking against the traffick to challenge the oncoming tricycle.

Today, I could not help but laugh as I walked home. It was a bit colder than I expected and I planned on going home to snuggle in bed and practice my Aymara. As I rounded the corner to my street, I found that the entire road was blocked. In front of my house were roughly 50 students practicing a traditional dance...in the middle of the street! I am talking these guys were LITERALLY blocking the entire road. The leader had a whistle in his mouth (reminded me of the Music Man) and the troop behind him followed diligently left-two-three, spin, right-two-three. A boom box BLARED the music on the street and the sidewalks were lined with about 100 interested spectators. I guess I am going to have to find a quite restaurant to study in for the night. There really is no where else to practice...no space besides a street I guess! Interesting urban planning, huh?