Alas, I am settled in my new home of Buenos Aires, Argentina! I've been here for about a month and the time has just flown by. I'm living in a shared apartment with many other people, all here through the same organization, ranging from my age to mid-twenties, doing all sorts of things here. Some people are volunteering, some are learning Spanish, and many are taking the TEFL course (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), and are going to become English teachers here. They are from the U.S., Denmark, Australia, England, and Albania. It's a lively atmosphere and there is a constant energy as everyone bustles in and out of the house going along with their busy days.
The volunteering I do here is quite different than in Cusco. In Cusco I worked a lot with children, but I wanted to experience working with a new type of people, so now I am working in a soup kitchen called "El Comedor de Los Pibes." It's in La Boca, one of the poorest area in Buenos Aires. The comedor was started 14 years ago and began solely as a soup kitchen, but has now grown into an active community center. The idea of the comedor is that one must "work" for the food that they get.This basically means that the people must involve themselves somehow in an activity at the center. This can be taking an English or a computer course, helping out at the library or the office, sewing school uniforms that are given to the government, or even helping out in the kitchen itself. They are also in the process of making a radio station as well as a center for drug addicts to come and make art projects. It's an inspiring place, and it's neat to see what a sense of purpose it gives the people who come here. In terms of my job here, I arrive at 9 in the morning and help make the food. The most fun to make is Milanesa, a popular food here which is pretty much Schnitzel. Making the food takes a few hours, and then the 60 or so people that work at the center come in for food, and we're busy with serving the people, washing the dishes quickly so they can be reused, and just keeping everything moving. In the kitchen I work alongside several Argentine women, some who clearly love the extra pair of hands and company, and some who like taking complete control and don't like to involve the volunteers. Thus, some days are busier than others. I think that some of the women feel a bit inferior and intimidated to the volunteers and therefore have difficulty asking them to do things. It's interesting talking with the various people who work at the center and come for lunch. I've had several conversations with a wise old man, Mario. After telling me about the books he's written about the Inquisition, and how much Walt Whitman has inspired him, he asked me if I wanted to listen to his music. Turns out he's a big fan of New Zealand rap. Says it keeps him moving throughout the day.
The days that I'm not in the soup kitchen are spent tutoring kids in math in the slum called Villa 21. The area is poverty stricken and apparently very dangerous. After I get off the bus with the other volunteers, a security guard walks with us to the room in which we tutor the kids. Tensions are high now because at the beginning of March the kids will be taking tests in math and English, and if they fail they don't pass the year and have to repeat the grade. Tutoring is a difficult task. The other day I had to explain quadratic functions. In Spanish. But the kids are sweet and appreciative of the help, and it's definitely very rewarding.
When I'm not volunteering, I am getting to know Buenos Aires. It's a happening city, with a HUGE active Jewish Population. There is even a Kosher McDonalds! (The ONLY one outside of Israel!) I've been there about 5 times already, making up for my lack of meat while living in Cusco. The joke in the house is, "Where's Avra?" "I don't know. Probably at Kosher McDonalds." There is so much to see here. I've been to the MALBA, the modern art museum here, where there was an awesome Andy Warhol exhibit, the zoo in Buenos Aires, the zoo in Lujan, about 2 hours outside the city (that's where I got to ride an elephant and kiss a tiger. Anyone seen my facebook profile picture?), and everyday on my way back from work I pass the Casa Rosada, which literally translates to the Pink House, which is the Buenos Aires version of the White House. On Thursday I marched with the Mothers of the Disappeared in Plaza de Mayo which was actually quite an emotional experience. Here's an explanation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothers_of_the_Plaza_de_Mayo.
In terms of venturing outside of Buenos Aires, I took the ferry out to Tigre a few weekends ago, which is a nearby river. Last weekend I took a 17 hour busride and visited Iguazu Falls in the north of Argentina, which are these absolutely beautiful giant waterfalls. Apparently Eleanor Roosevelt visited them and her response: Poor, little Niagra...
And I can't forget to mention the little... adventure I had on the way back . Basically, I was told that I would definitely not need my passport because I'm not going out of the country. Just to be safe, I had a copy on me. Continuing along my path of awesome travel karma, the Argentine police came on our bus on the way back and asked to see everyone's passports. Apparently, my copy wasn't good enough, so the policemen told me to get off the bus immediately. I asked them what they were going to do once I got off the bus, and both the policemen made the handmotion for handcuffs and just stared at me. Somehow, one of the people that works on the bus came up and told me that I didn't have to get off, so I guess he saved my butt, so luckily I didn't have to spend the night in a creepy Argentine jail cell. Moral of the story- BRING YOUR PASSPORT.
So the plan is to continue living in Buenos Aires and then eventually make my way down to Patagonia in the South to do some volunteering there. I'll be sure to keep you posted!!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Machu Picchu... For a while
Hola,
So I don´t know how well you all have been keeping up with the news, but I sure picked the lucky weekend to go to Machu Picchu. The actual hike was overall quite a blast. The first day was biking, but the bike´s weren´t exactly... functional. As in, when I first got my bike and was trying it out, I noticed that it was nearly impossible to pedal. The guide told me my pedals were broken, but that I needn´t worry because it would be mostly downhill. That was, in fact, not the case at all, and my bike stopped working towards the end so I had to ride in the car with the girl who´s pedal just flew off. Not to mention that cars kept coming at every corner. No injuries though :) The next day we hiked about 7 hours to the hot springs in Santa Teresa, and they were BEAUTIFUL. And much needed. The next day was about another 7 hours, some of which was on the actual Inca Trail, until we ended up in Aguas Calientes and spent the night there. I use night loosely because we got up at 2:00 in the morning and hiked about two hours up to Machu Picchu. It was pitch black, and my friends and I relied competely on my headlight (thank you Honan family!), and it was also rainy and freezing, and we had to hike up these incredibly steep stairs. Once we arried, we waited in line (well, not really, because our group was FIRST!) to get tickets to Wynapicchu, which is the mountain you always see in the background of the postcard pictures of Machu Picchu. Only 400 people are allowed on it every morning because the path up is so narrow, so you have to get there really early to get tickets. Once we got our tickets, we climbed up Machu Picchu and it started pouring. We waited for the fog to clear up and then climbed Wynapicchu, which was absolutely beautiful. Then, we happily took the bus to Aguas Calientes and left for Cusco later that afternoon.
Well, not exactly.
As soon as we got to Aguas Calientes, we were informed that we would have to wait a little bit before leaving Aguas Calientes because the train tracks were dangerous from all the rain. Then, we found out that landslides from the rain had completely broken the tracks, and we were stranded because there are absolutely no roads leading out of Aguas Calientes. We waited for about 3 days until the U.S. Embassy and the Peruvian government sent helicopters to evacuate everyone, starting with pregnant people, families with little kids, and the elderly, and then moving down by age group. Finally, on Thursday, (day five) they started taking the 30 and under people so we got our butts in the long line to the helicopters and made it back safely Thursday afternoon. Not going to lie, the helicopter ride was AWESOME. It was about 15 minutes long, and then we arrived at the nearby city of Ollantaytambo where we took an hour and a half busride back to Cusco. Many towns were hit badly from the landslides, and this is definitely going to affect the tourism in Peru. Machu Picchu isn´t going to be open for 2 months.
So, that was my Machu Picchu adventure. I wonder if I´ll ever able to eat Nature Valley Yogurt bars again, because they pretty much made up my meals considering the restaurants only really had meat left (I´m a vegetarian here for kashrut reasons).
Next stop... ARGENTINA!!
So I don´t know how well you all have been keeping up with the news, but I sure picked the lucky weekend to go to Machu Picchu. The actual hike was overall quite a blast. The first day was biking, but the bike´s weren´t exactly... functional. As in, when I first got my bike and was trying it out, I noticed that it was nearly impossible to pedal. The guide told me my pedals were broken, but that I needn´t worry because it would be mostly downhill. That was, in fact, not the case at all, and my bike stopped working towards the end so I had to ride in the car with the girl who´s pedal just flew off. Not to mention that cars kept coming at every corner. No injuries though :) The next day we hiked about 7 hours to the hot springs in Santa Teresa, and they were BEAUTIFUL. And much needed. The next day was about another 7 hours, some of which was on the actual Inca Trail, until we ended up in Aguas Calientes and spent the night there. I use night loosely because we got up at 2:00 in the morning and hiked about two hours up to Machu Picchu. It was pitch black, and my friends and I relied competely on my headlight (thank you Honan family!), and it was also rainy and freezing, and we had to hike up these incredibly steep stairs. Once we arried, we waited in line (well, not really, because our group was FIRST!) to get tickets to Wynapicchu, which is the mountain you always see in the background of the postcard pictures of Machu Picchu. Only 400 people are allowed on it every morning because the path up is so narrow, so you have to get there really early to get tickets. Once we got our tickets, we climbed up Machu Picchu and it started pouring. We waited for the fog to clear up and then climbed Wynapicchu, which was absolutely beautiful. Then, we happily took the bus to Aguas Calientes and left for Cusco later that afternoon.
Well, not exactly.
As soon as we got to Aguas Calientes, we were informed that we would have to wait a little bit before leaving Aguas Calientes because the train tracks were dangerous from all the rain. Then, we found out that landslides from the rain had completely broken the tracks, and we were stranded because there are absolutely no roads leading out of Aguas Calientes. We waited for about 3 days until the U.S. Embassy and the Peruvian government sent helicopters to evacuate everyone, starting with pregnant people, families with little kids, and the elderly, and then moving down by age group. Finally, on Thursday, (day five) they started taking the 30 and under people so we got our butts in the long line to the helicopters and made it back safely Thursday afternoon. Not going to lie, the helicopter ride was AWESOME. It was about 15 minutes long, and then we arrived at the nearby city of Ollantaytambo where we took an hour and a half busride back to Cusco. Many towns were hit badly from the landslides, and this is definitely going to affect the tourism in Peru. Machu Picchu isn´t going to be open for 2 months.
So, that was my Machu Picchu adventure. I wonder if I´ll ever able to eat Nature Valley Yogurt bars again, because they pretty much made up my meals considering the restaurants only really had meat left (I´m a vegetarian here for kashrut reasons).
Next stop... ARGENTINA!!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Experiencias Nuevas en Cusco (New Experiences in Cusco)
Hi Everyone,
I´d like to preface this entry with saying that I´m sorry if this blog doesn´t seem to flow very well, I have to write it bit by bit because I just don´t have time to write it all in one go =)
For the month of January I am volunteering in a clinic called San Juan de Dios. I work in the section consisiting of about 40 children, ages 0-15, with a range of dissabilities. The majority of the kids have Cerebral Palsy and are in wheelchairs or walkers, some fully functioning mentally, and some very little. Some of the kids have Downs syndrome. Many of the kids live here until they are moved on to a clinic for older people, while others get picked up by their parents when they are older. I decided to volunteer here because I knew that it would be a challenge for me and like nothing I have ever done before. It certainly is, and it is also hands down the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I come in the morning, and we bring all the kids outside to the park to play. This is no simple task. My new nickname is Capitan Avra (Captain Avra), and here´s why. Pretty much everyday I man this giant swing in the shape of a boat. It is popular, so it takes about 15 minutes to get everyone settled. Other nurses and volunteers line up the kids, and one by one we place them comfortably in the boat swing, making sure all of their heads and limbs are well supported. Once everyone is in position, it´s full speed ahead. We spend over an hour pushing the swing, taking the kids to different countries, and trying to avoid the sharks (which is the job of other kids who don´t want to get in the boat but want to participate), and the giant waves when we are plagued by storms. Other times I practice walking with the kids, playing in the ball pit, and pushing them on the swings or see saw. These kids look forward to playing in the park from the moment they wake up, and it is a neat feeling to know that my job is to help them enjoy themselves. After a few hours of playing, the place turns chaotic as nurses and volunteers each grab a kid and wheel him or her inside to sit down at a table for lunch. Once all the kids are settled around their table, the food is brought out and the feeding begins. Many of the kids can feed themselves, but many of them cannot, and there is much crying, screaming, spitting up, and throwing food during the lunch hour. However, everyone has this awesome sense of humor about everything that is going on, and this chaotic part of my day is filled with energy and laughter. Afterwards, every kid needs to have his or her teeth brushed (some can do it themselves), many of them have to be brought to the bathroom (this particular task is certainly building up my arm muscles), and then comfortably placed in bed for a nap. The clinic is financially well off, seeing as the kids have a sufficient amount of clothes and food and there is a nice park to play in. However, there is definitely not enough help. There are only several nurses and not many volunteers, and I often find myself telling kids that I have to wait to take them to the bathroom because I am with another one. One of the best parts about working is the attitudes of the kids. The first few times I had to bring kids to the bathroom, I really had no idea how to do this, and it was especially difficult considering each kid has his or her own routine. However, as the kids tried to explain to me what I needed to do, instead of expressing frustration as I bumbled around searching for which size toilet seat to use, they laughed and encouraged me. This one girl thought it was absolutely hilarious that I put her on a toilet way too small for her. Slowly I am learning the ways of each kid, and I owe it to their patient attitudes and senses of humor.
On Friday, one volunteer organized a special trip to the zoo for the higher functioning kids. They haven´t left the clinic for a really long time, so they were bursting with excitiement. I was responsible for a 6 year old girl named Deysi who is nonverbal and has Cerebral Palsy. However, she is incredibly easy to understand, and is always using her hands to joke around. Deysi is one of the sharks when we play in the boat in the mornings, and she rubs her tummy to show that she is hungry for children, and puts her hands together above her head to show that she is about to attack. At the zoo, there were monkies, parrots, tigers, bears, deer, condors, and more. At the end of the kids all got goody bags, and when we wheeled them back for lunch, they were exhausted from their exciting morning.
Two weeks ago, I was invited by the Peruvian tour guide that worked with my family to go to some native Quechua villages. The first one we went to (I can´t even pronounce the name) is about 3 hours away from Cusco, and is one of the poorest areas in the entire country. I felt a strong contrast between walking along the bustling streets in the center of Cusco and being able to see the entire Quechua village from where I stood, dirt houses and all. When the car pulled up, there were about 100 boys and girls standing in line waiting to receive the gifts we brought, with dirty feet and clothes, but smiling faces. We provided hot chocolate, bread, candy, and toys. Afterwards, we went to the town of Ocomayu, another poor village but singifnicantly more developed than the previous one. We visited the Church, where the town was having a big celebration to honor Virgin Mary. Some of the towns people stood in a window of the second story of the Church and threw down apples for everyone to catch! This didn´t seem to face the eager people waiting at the bottom to catch the fruit, but I had a slight fear that some little kid who wasn´t paying attention would end up with an apple-sized bruise across his face. Luckily I don´t think that happened. After the apple throwing, we handed out, (on ground level), the goodies that we brought. It was an interesting experience because in my day to day life here, though I often go to non-toursity areas, I hadn´t yet seen the poverty of Peru and the native villages, and was lucky to have had this opportunity.
Another thing I am learning (or trying very hard to learn) is how to salsa dance. I have begun taking Spanish lessons again (Sra. Linda and Sra. Brejcha I hope you are reading this =) ). At the school, there are free lessons every weekend. They last 3 hours, and I am a sweaty mess by the end. However, it is quite thrilling to to be able to know what to do (sort of) once the music turns on. The cool thing about the classes is that they are open to everyone, so Peruvians come as well. I have had some really talented Peruvian dance partners. When we go salsa dancing at discotecas, and we are line dancing, I somehow always end up being the awkward extra girl that has to dance as the boy. Oh, well.
This past weekend we went white water rafing in the Urubamba River in the Sacred Valley, and the water was class 4 (the highest is 5). It was quite a thrill. Afterwards we went ziplining. A. Blast.
For the month of January I decided that though living in a host family has been an incredible experience, and has certainly helped me integrate into Peruvian culture, I want to experience living on my own, giving myself the ability to structure my own days. I am living on a hostel with two close girl friends, both 19, from Germany and Norway. It is an extremely different lifestyle than living with a Peruvian family. There is a free kitchen, so we make all of our meals, and have graduated from salads and garlic bread to French toast =)
In February, I will be going to Buenos Aires to volunteer at a soup kitchen, which I am really looking forward to. I was planning on staying in Cusco for longer, but I really feel like I got to truly experience life in Cusco, and I am ready to experience something new. A part of me has absolutley fallen in love with Cusco and with my lifestyle here, but another part of me is bursting with excitement to completely change settings. I still have lots to look forward to, such as going on a four day trek to Machu Picchu this weekend as well as another week at the clinic. I will be sure to keep you all posted on mis ultimos dias (my last days) in Cusco!
With Love,
Avra
I´d like to preface this entry with saying that I´m sorry if this blog doesn´t seem to flow very well, I have to write it bit by bit because I just don´t have time to write it all in one go =)
For the month of January I am volunteering in a clinic called San Juan de Dios. I work in the section consisiting of about 40 children, ages 0-15, with a range of dissabilities. The majority of the kids have Cerebral Palsy and are in wheelchairs or walkers, some fully functioning mentally, and some very little. Some of the kids have Downs syndrome. Many of the kids live here until they are moved on to a clinic for older people, while others get picked up by their parents when they are older. I decided to volunteer here because I knew that it would be a challenge for me and like nothing I have ever done before. It certainly is, and it is also hands down the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I come in the morning, and we bring all the kids outside to the park to play. This is no simple task. My new nickname is Capitan Avra (Captain Avra), and here´s why. Pretty much everyday I man this giant swing in the shape of a boat. It is popular, so it takes about 15 minutes to get everyone settled. Other nurses and volunteers line up the kids, and one by one we place them comfortably in the boat swing, making sure all of their heads and limbs are well supported. Once everyone is in position, it´s full speed ahead. We spend over an hour pushing the swing, taking the kids to different countries, and trying to avoid the sharks (which is the job of other kids who don´t want to get in the boat but want to participate), and the giant waves when we are plagued by storms. Other times I practice walking with the kids, playing in the ball pit, and pushing them on the swings or see saw. These kids look forward to playing in the park from the moment they wake up, and it is a neat feeling to know that my job is to help them enjoy themselves. After a few hours of playing, the place turns chaotic as nurses and volunteers each grab a kid and wheel him or her inside to sit down at a table for lunch. Once all the kids are settled around their table, the food is brought out and the feeding begins. Many of the kids can feed themselves, but many of them cannot, and there is much crying, screaming, spitting up, and throwing food during the lunch hour. However, everyone has this awesome sense of humor about everything that is going on, and this chaotic part of my day is filled with energy and laughter. Afterwards, every kid needs to have his or her teeth brushed (some can do it themselves), many of them have to be brought to the bathroom (this particular task is certainly building up my arm muscles), and then comfortably placed in bed for a nap. The clinic is financially well off, seeing as the kids have a sufficient amount of clothes and food and there is a nice park to play in. However, there is definitely not enough help. There are only several nurses and not many volunteers, and I often find myself telling kids that I have to wait to take them to the bathroom because I am with another one. One of the best parts about working is the attitudes of the kids. The first few times I had to bring kids to the bathroom, I really had no idea how to do this, and it was especially difficult considering each kid has his or her own routine. However, as the kids tried to explain to me what I needed to do, instead of expressing frustration as I bumbled around searching for which size toilet seat to use, they laughed and encouraged me. This one girl thought it was absolutely hilarious that I put her on a toilet way too small for her. Slowly I am learning the ways of each kid, and I owe it to their patient attitudes and senses of humor.
On Friday, one volunteer organized a special trip to the zoo for the higher functioning kids. They haven´t left the clinic for a really long time, so they were bursting with excitiement. I was responsible for a 6 year old girl named Deysi who is nonverbal and has Cerebral Palsy. However, she is incredibly easy to understand, and is always using her hands to joke around. Deysi is one of the sharks when we play in the boat in the mornings, and she rubs her tummy to show that she is hungry for children, and puts her hands together above her head to show that she is about to attack. At the zoo, there were monkies, parrots, tigers, bears, deer, condors, and more. At the end of the kids all got goody bags, and when we wheeled them back for lunch, they were exhausted from their exciting morning.
Two weeks ago, I was invited by the Peruvian tour guide that worked with my family to go to some native Quechua villages. The first one we went to (I can´t even pronounce the name) is about 3 hours away from Cusco, and is one of the poorest areas in the entire country. I felt a strong contrast between walking along the bustling streets in the center of Cusco and being able to see the entire Quechua village from where I stood, dirt houses and all. When the car pulled up, there were about 100 boys and girls standing in line waiting to receive the gifts we brought, with dirty feet and clothes, but smiling faces. We provided hot chocolate, bread, candy, and toys. Afterwards, we went to the town of Ocomayu, another poor village but singifnicantly more developed than the previous one. We visited the Church, where the town was having a big celebration to honor Virgin Mary. Some of the towns people stood in a window of the second story of the Church and threw down apples for everyone to catch! This didn´t seem to face the eager people waiting at the bottom to catch the fruit, but I had a slight fear that some little kid who wasn´t paying attention would end up with an apple-sized bruise across his face. Luckily I don´t think that happened. After the apple throwing, we handed out, (on ground level), the goodies that we brought. It was an interesting experience because in my day to day life here, though I often go to non-toursity areas, I hadn´t yet seen the poverty of Peru and the native villages, and was lucky to have had this opportunity.
Another thing I am learning (or trying very hard to learn) is how to salsa dance. I have begun taking Spanish lessons again (Sra. Linda and Sra. Brejcha I hope you are reading this =) ). At the school, there are free lessons every weekend. They last 3 hours, and I am a sweaty mess by the end. However, it is quite thrilling to to be able to know what to do (sort of) once the music turns on. The cool thing about the classes is that they are open to everyone, so Peruvians come as well. I have had some really talented Peruvian dance partners. When we go salsa dancing at discotecas, and we are line dancing, I somehow always end up being the awkward extra girl that has to dance as the boy. Oh, well.
This past weekend we went white water rafing in the Urubamba River in the Sacred Valley, and the water was class 4 (the highest is 5). It was quite a thrill. Afterwards we went ziplining. A. Blast.
For the month of January I decided that though living in a host family has been an incredible experience, and has certainly helped me integrate into Peruvian culture, I want to experience living on my own, giving myself the ability to structure my own days. I am living on a hostel with two close girl friends, both 19, from Germany and Norway. It is an extremely different lifestyle than living with a Peruvian family. There is a free kitchen, so we make all of our meals, and have graduated from salads and garlic bread to French toast =)
In February, I will be going to Buenos Aires to volunteer at a soup kitchen, which I am really looking forward to. I was planning on staying in Cusco for longer, but I really feel like I got to truly experience life in Cusco, and I am ready to experience something new. A part of me has absolutley fallen in love with Cusco and with my lifestyle here, but another part of me is bursting with excitement to completely change settings. I still have lots to look forward to, such as going on a four day trek to Machu Picchu this weekend as well as another week at the clinic. I will be sure to keep you all posted on mis ultimos dias (my last days) in Cusco!
With Love,
Avra
Monday, January 4, 2010
El fin de un capítulo (The end of a chapter)
Hola!
There is, as usual, a lot to report about! A few weeks ago, I traveled to Puno which is near Lake Titicaca. On the other side of Lake Titicaca is Bolivia. On Lake Titicaca, there are these neat islands that float, which are logically called the Floating Islands. They have been around for hundreds of years and were started by the native people. They are made using this mud that floats, and the island is built upon it. They last many years, but whenever one starts to sink, they build a new one. Families actual live there in huts, and they were really friendly to us. I also traveled to the island of Amantani and spent the night at a native´s house. The daughter, Flavia, was welcoming and showed us around and the ruins that are on the island. In the morning we put on the clothes of the native people, which, for girls, consists of a long, decorated skirt, a white blouse, and a big shawl that is worn on the head. All the native people wear this clothing. The next day we went to another island, Taquile, and did a hike around the island looking at the ruins. It was an awesome trip, minus the fact that our bus broke down on the way back and we sat on the side of a road for 8 hours. Oh well, thus is traveling in Peru =)
As Hanukkah was approaching, I decided that I was not going to spend a latke-less Hanukkah (the Chabad is still closed because the Rabbi and his wife are in Israel). Also, there was an important holiday that my friend from Norway celebrates, called Santa Lucia, in which you bake sweet buns and sing songs. So, we put our holidays together and threw a Hanukkah/Santa Lucia Fiesta. It took place at my host family´s house. We invited my whole Peruvian family, consisting of Oscar, Gretta, Nena, Franco, Nuri, Shirel, and the other Oscar, and also some other volunteer friends. There were actually two other Jewish people, Abby, from Australia, and Jo, from England, both of whom I met through Chabad. We all made latkes together in the kitchen, and then sat down for a delicious meal of fruit salad, latkes, and Santa Lucia buns for dessert. We lit candles and I explained the significance, and afterwards, we played the most competitive game of dreidel I have ever played, which lasted about 2 hours. Picture my Peruvian family shouting: Quiero Gimmel! (I want gimmel). It was certainly a Hanukkah to be remembered, and the most diverse one I have ever attended!
I am done volunteering at both the kindergarden and the orphanage because of the summer holiday. The school is closed, and there are only a handful of girls left at the orphanage because many of them have relatives to go to. My last day at the kindergarden happened to be the huge dance festival that we have been preparing for for the past two months. Each class, 3 year olds, 4 year olds, and 5 year olds, performed a dance and sang a song. My 5 year olds sang the song that I taught them, Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. The costumes the kids wore were UNBELIEVABLE! (I have no way of putting up pictures yet but I am working on it =) ) The school was packed with parents and siblings.
My last day at the orphanage was quite sad. We had all the girls sit around the table, and we explained to them that this was our last day. Then, to lighten the mood, we brought ice cream and home made cookies, but they were eaten quietly and with sad faces. Then we put on music and had a dance party with everyone. I will certainly miss this place. I plan on visiting a few times in the next months to hang out with the girls who do not have a place to go over the summer. This place is just heaven on earth. The girls are all sisters (one day they called me their aunt, which I thought was very cute). They look out for each other, they are all incredibly mature, and everyone of them will grow up to be a beautiful person. It was such a blessing to be able to volunteer there.
Also, the family visited! It was quite an adventure. We visited both the kindergarden and the orphanage, and also spent a few days touring Cusco (which my family has FINALLY learned to pronounce. They have come along way since Cosco, or K-mart as they liked to joke). Then, we went to the jungle in Puerto Maldonado where we saw various animals, walked on canopies, went fishing, and did several nature hikes. We stayed in these cabins literally in the middle of the jungle. We spent the last day touring Lima, thus concluding the Shapiro Family Adventures.
I am not sure exactly where I am volunteering next, but I will be sure to keep you posted!
Love,
Avra
P.S. For those of you who have not seen the facebook pictures yet, I got dreadlocks =)
There is, as usual, a lot to report about! A few weeks ago, I traveled to Puno which is near Lake Titicaca. On the other side of Lake Titicaca is Bolivia. On Lake Titicaca, there are these neat islands that float, which are logically called the Floating Islands. They have been around for hundreds of years and were started by the native people. They are made using this mud that floats, and the island is built upon it. They last many years, but whenever one starts to sink, they build a new one. Families actual live there in huts, and they were really friendly to us. I also traveled to the island of Amantani and spent the night at a native´s house. The daughter, Flavia, was welcoming and showed us around and the ruins that are on the island. In the morning we put on the clothes of the native people, which, for girls, consists of a long, decorated skirt, a white blouse, and a big shawl that is worn on the head. All the native people wear this clothing. The next day we went to another island, Taquile, and did a hike around the island looking at the ruins. It was an awesome trip, minus the fact that our bus broke down on the way back and we sat on the side of a road for 8 hours. Oh well, thus is traveling in Peru =)
As Hanukkah was approaching, I decided that I was not going to spend a latke-less Hanukkah (the Chabad is still closed because the Rabbi and his wife are in Israel). Also, there was an important holiday that my friend from Norway celebrates, called Santa Lucia, in which you bake sweet buns and sing songs. So, we put our holidays together and threw a Hanukkah/Santa Lucia Fiesta. It took place at my host family´s house. We invited my whole Peruvian family, consisting of Oscar, Gretta, Nena, Franco, Nuri, Shirel, and the other Oscar, and also some other volunteer friends. There were actually two other Jewish people, Abby, from Australia, and Jo, from England, both of whom I met through Chabad. We all made latkes together in the kitchen, and then sat down for a delicious meal of fruit salad, latkes, and Santa Lucia buns for dessert. We lit candles and I explained the significance, and afterwards, we played the most competitive game of dreidel I have ever played, which lasted about 2 hours. Picture my Peruvian family shouting: Quiero Gimmel! (I want gimmel). It was certainly a Hanukkah to be remembered, and the most diverse one I have ever attended!
I am done volunteering at both the kindergarden and the orphanage because of the summer holiday. The school is closed, and there are only a handful of girls left at the orphanage because many of them have relatives to go to. My last day at the kindergarden happened to be the huge dance festival that we have been preparing for for the past two months. Each class, 3 year olds, 4 year olds, and 5 year olds, performed a dance and sang a song. My 5 year olds sang the song that I taught them, Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. The costumes the kids wore were UNBELIEVABLE! (I have no way of putting up pictures yet but I am working on it =) ) The school was packed with parents and siblings.
My last day at the orphanage was quite sad. We had all the girls sit around the table, and we explained to them that this was our last day. Then, to lighten the mood, we brought ice cream and home made cookies, but they were eaten quietly and with sad faces. Then we put on music and had a dance party with everyone. I will certainly miss this place. I plan on visiting a few times in the next months to hang out with the girls who do not have a place to go over the summer. This place is just heaven on earth. The girls are all sisters (one day they called me their aunt, which I thought was very cute). They look out for each other, they are all incredibly mature, and everyone of them will grow up to be a beautiful person. It was such a blessing to be able to volunteer there.
Also, the family visited! It was quite an adventure. We visited both the kindergarden and the orphanage, and also spent a few days touring Cusco (which my family has FINALLY learned to pronounce. They have come along way since Cosco, or K-mart as they liked to joke). Then, we went to the jungle in Puerto Maldonado where we saw various animals, walked on canopies, went fishing, and did several nature hikes. We stayed in these cabins literally in the middle of the jungle. We spent the last day touring Lima, thus concluding the Shapiro Family Adventures.
I am not sure exactly where I am volunteering next, but I will be sure to keep you posted!
Love,
Avra
P.S. For those of you who have not seen the facebook pictures yet, I got dreadlocks =)
Friday, December 11, 2009
Mucho Mucho Mucho!
Hi Everyone!!
So it has been a little while, as it has been quite a busy few weeks. I figured I´d share some highlights from what I´ve been up to. In the orphanage, a lot of the girls are learning how to read, so I spend a few hours in the library each day practicing with them, and it´s exciting to see their reading skills take shape. I also spent 2 hours the other day trying to teach Sylvia, an adorable 7 year old, how to multiply. Math doesn´t come easily to her. It took the help of 2 other volunteers, a lot of cut up paper, and the promise of some cookies to drill into her head the idea of multiplication, but eventually she got it, and I must say we all felt quite accomplished. It was my friend Laura´s last day, so Yohannah, Laura, and I baked cookies to bring to the girls. We forgot to follow the instructions for high altitudes baking, so they ended up being paper thing, but quite delicious. Seemed people were extra friendly that day. Hm.
English lessons each day are also a highlight, as the receptionist and house keeping people went from knowing absolutely nothing about three weeks ago, and can now all tell you how much it cost to stay per night, where laundry can be done, how to get to different tourist attractions, and a lot more, all in English. My family is hopefully going to stay at this hotel when they come visit!
Being at the kindergarden 4 hours a day is definitely teaching me to have patience, but it is rewarding. Right now we are preparing for next week´s dance festival, and also making lots of Christmas decorations in class. My name in class varies from ¨English Professor,¨ ¨Abra¨, ¨Teacher,¨ and, my personal favorite, ¨Avrita.¨
I have also been having some fun with my host family. The other night we played a game called ¨Tuti Fruti,¨ which involves writing down different categories at the top of the page, such as first name, last night, fruit, color, object, profession, etc. One person picks out from a bowl a letter from the alphabet, and everyone has to write something from each category that starts with the letter, as fast as they can, and as soon as one person finishes, everyone has to stop, and then the points are added up. Elke, a Belgium woman who is also another volunteer living in my house, and I were on a team, and were able to bring in some major points with our Jewish and Belgium names. We came in 3rd. This game is really funny because all of the calm and kind people become aggressively into the game, and debates come up often. There was a major debate on whether ¨prostitute¨ was a legitimate profession. It passed.
In terms of my weekend adventures, 2 weeks ago, I went with 3 volunteers way south to the desert of Peru to a place called Ica. We stayed at a hostel at the one oasis in the desert. We went dune buggy riding, and the way our driver drove probably wouldn´t be legal in the U.S. The best part was sandboarding. Basically, you get this piece of wood with two pieces of velcro on it for your feet, and you go down these HUGE mountains of sand. You can either go on your stomach, or do it like a snowboard. I did it with my feet, like a snowboarder, and it was SO exhilirating. I can´t wait to try snowboarding! You go down sooo fast down this tall mountain of sand, and then when you wipe out, you just go spinning and sand is flying everywhere.
Last weekend, I decided to stay in Cusco for a ¨calm and quiet¨ weekend. I figured it would be nice to relax for a little. Nope, hehe. I ended up going to my teacher´s house (from the kindergarden) for lunch and singing Michael Jackson karaoke with her and her husband. Then, I went straight to a birthday party. Dani, the receptionist I teach English too, has an adorable boy, Fabian, who was turning 3. The party involved a clown, a pinata, five cakes, and lots of kids dancing. The girls from the orphanage were also at the party and it was fun to see them in a different setting. Straight from there, I went to a special dinner that Colette, a friend of mine from Holland, made. Last weekend was a special day in Holland, known as Sinter Klass, and she cooked traditional Dutch food and handed out presents and we listened to traditional Dutch music. I also met up with a nice Jewish lady named Jo from England. She got my email from the Chabad (I told them they could give it out to people if they are looking for fellow Jews since the Rabbi and Rebinson are in Israel until February). We went shopping for toys and games for the kids at our orphanages. There´s talk of making latkes next week!
I also took some time to check out a center for kids who are deaf and blind, and got to go into the classroom and communicate with the kids. I even learned a little sign language. The kids come from all over Peru and live at the school during the year, and go home for the summer holidays. I met a volunteer there from Spain who is studying special education and is here for the year through a University program, and we met up for dinner and I got to speak a lot of Spanish with her and her friends who are also here. Their accents are quite different from here, but are actually easier for me to understand.
I hope everyone is doing well, don´t hesitate to send me a message! There are also a few pictures up on facebook taken by some friends of mine. I´ll write again soon!
Love,
Avra
So it has been a little while, as it has been quite a busy few weeks. I figured I´d share some highlights from what I´ve been up to. In the orphanage, a lot of the girls are learning how to read, so I spend a few hours in the library each day practicing with them, and it´s exciting to see their reading skills take shape. I also spent 2 hours the other day trying to teach Sylvia, an adorable 7 year old, how to multiply. Math doesn´t come easily to her. It took the help of 2 other volunteers, a lot of cut up paper, and the promise of some cookies to drill into her head the idea of multiplication, but eventually she got it, and I must say we all felt quite accomplished. It was my friend Laura´s last day, so Yohannah, Laura, and I baked cookies to bring to the girls. We forgot to follow the instructions for high altitudes baking, so they ended up being paper thing, but quite delicious. Seemed people were extra friendly that day. Hm.
English lessons each day are also a highlight, as the receptionist and house keeping people went from knowing absolutely nothing about three weeks ago, and can now all tell you how much it cost to stay per night, where laundry can be done, how to get to different tourist attractions, and a lot more, all in English. My family is hopefully going to stay at this hotel when they come visit!
Being at the kindergarden 4 hours a day is definitely teaching me to have patience, but it is rewarding. Right now we are preparing for next week´s dance festival, and also making lots of Christmas decorations in class. My name in class varies from ¨English Professor,¨ ¨Abra¨, ¨Teacher,¨ and, my personal favorite, ¨Avrita.¨
I have also been having some fun with my host family. The other night we played a game called ¨Tuti Fruti,¨ which involves writing down different categories at the top of the page, such as first name, last night, fruit, color, object, profession, etc. One person picks out from a bowl a letter from the alphabet, and everyone has to write something from each category that starts with the letter, as fast as they can, and as soon as one person finishes, everyone has to stop, and then the points are added up. Elke, a Belgium woman who is also another volunteer living in my house, and I were on a team, and were able to bring in some major points with our Jewish and Belgium names. We came in 3rd. This game is really funny because all of the calm and kind people become aggressively into the game, and debates come up often. There was a major debate on whether ¨prostitute¨ was a legitimate profession. It passed.
In terms of my weekend adventures, 2 weeks ago, I went with 3 volunteers way south to the desert of Peru to a place called Ica. We stayed at a hostel at the one oasis in the desert. We went dune buggy riding, and the way our driver drove probably wouldn´t be legal in the U.S. The best part was sandboarding. Basically, you get this piece of wood with two pieces of velcro on it for your feet, and you go down these HUGE mountains of sand. You can either go on your stomach, or do it like a snowboard. I did it with my feet, like a snowboarder, and it was SO exhilirating. I can´t wait to try snowboarding! You go down sooo fast down this tall mountain of sand, and then when you wipe out, you just go spinning and sand is flying everywhere.
Last weekend, I decided to stay in Cusco for a ¨calm and quiet¨ weekend. I figured it would be nice to relax for a little. Nope, hehe. I ended up going to my teacher´s house (from the kindergarden) for lunch and singing Michael Jackson karaoke with her and her husband. Then, I went straight to a birthday party. Dani, the receptionist I teach English too, has an adorable boy, Fabian, who was turning 3. The party involved a clown, a pinata, five cakes, and lots of kids dancing. The girls from the orphanage were also at the party and it was fun to see them in a different setting. Straight from there, I went to a special dinner that Colette, a friend of mine from Holland, made. Last weekend was a special day in Holland, known as Sinter Klass, and she cooked traditional Dutch food and handed out presents and we listened to traditional Dutch music. I also met up with a nice Jewish lady named Jo from England. She got my email from the Chabad (I told them they could give it out to people if they are looking for fellow Jews since the Rabbi and Rebinson are in Israel until February). We went shopping for toys and games for the kids at our orphanages. There´s talk of making latkes next week!
I also took some time to check out a center for kids who are deaf and blind, and got to go into the classroom and communicate with the kids. I even learned a little sign language. The kids come from all over Peru and live at the school during the year, and go home for the summer holidays. I met a volunteer there from Spain who is studying special education and is here for the year through a University program, and we met up for dinner and I got to speak a lot of Spanish with her and her friends who are also here. Their accents are quite different from here, but are actually easier for me to understand.
I hope everyone is doing well, don´t hesitate to send me a message! There are also a few pictures up on facebook taken by some friends of mine. I´ll write again soon!
Love,
Avra
Monday, November 23, 2009
Mi Clase de Ninos
Hi everyone!
This has been such a great past few weeks. Now that I´m done with Spanish in the morning, I volunteer from 9-1 at a Kindergarden. I´m a teacher´s aid in a class of 10 five year olds, and they call me the English Professor. We´ve recently been working on counting to 50, and also I´m in the process of teaching them the song ¨Head, shoulders, knees and toes...¨. It´s quite a different experience than the girls I am with in the afternoon because when 7 out of the students 10 are boys, it can get pretty crazy, hehe. Today we practiced a Peruvian dance. I can pretty much say with certainty that each of the 5 year olds was a better dancer than I. Oh well.
I absolutely love walking into the orphanage every afternoon. I´m really feeling like it is becoming a home to me. Everyone is so nice and it´s so comfortable. Today another volunteer and I brought construction paper and glue and scissors to make Christmas decorations, which they absolutely loved. I am constantly amazed by the sense of family that these 40 girls have created for one another. The older girls look out for the little ones, there are 3 older girls living in the house with the little ones, and these girls are each others´ best friends and sisters. Many of them are incredibly mature for their age. When they tell me they are 15, I am utterly amazed because really, they act much much older. These girls don´t have much, but they truly appreciate what they do have and their capacity of selflessness is unbelievable.
After spending time in the orphanage, I have begun teaching English. The orphanage is connected to a hotel, and many of the girls who used to live in the orphanage but are now too old have jobs there as receptionists or maids and need help with their English. It´s one hour everyday and I do it with another volunteer. The class started out with 1 person, and now it´s grown to almost 10 some days, with new people joining. We talk about all sorts of hotel topics, and write down what we say, and then one of the receptionist makes copies for everyone. The copies are becoming packets that grow each day, and they really are learning a lot. It is gratifiying to practice something, and then when English speaking hotel guests walk in, to see the receptionists use their English.
Over this past weekend I flew to Lima with some other volunteers to see the Killers concert. It was fantastic! We also went paragliding, which is something everyone should try. We also saw the musical ¨Cabaret¨. It was in Spanish of course, and lots of fun to see, especially because we did that play at Camp Ramah 2 years ago. I was the pineapple lady, and I was singing along in Hebrew as she was singing in Spanish. Lima was a great place to vacation for a little, but it was nice to return to safe and small city of Cusco Sunday night.
I hope everyone is doing well! I´ll post again soon!
Love,
Avra
This has been such a great past few weeks. Now that I´m done with Spanish in the morning, I volunteer from 9-1 at a Kindergarden. I´m a teacher´s aid in a class of 10 five year olds, and they call me the English Professor. We´ve recently been working on counting to 50, and also I´m in the process of teaching them the song ¨Head, shoulders, knees and toes...¨. It´s quite a different experience than the girls I am with in the afternoon because when 7 out of the students 10 are boys, it can get pretty crazy, hehe. Today we practiced a Peruvian dance. I can pretty much say with certainty that each of the 5 year olds was a better dancer than I. Oh well.
I absolutely love walking into the orphanage every afternoon. I´m really feeling like it is becoming a home to me. Everyone is so nice and it´s so comfortable. Today another volunteer and I brought construction paper and glue and scissors to make Christmas decorations, which they absolutely loved. I am constantly amazed by the sense of family that these 40 girls have created for one another. The older girls look out for the little ones, there are 3 older girls living in the house with the little ones, and these girls are each others´ best friends and sisters. Many of them are incredibly mature for their age. When they tell me they are 15, I am utterly amazed because really, they act much much older. These girls don´t have much, but they truly appreciate what they do have and their capacity of selflessness is unbelievable.
After spending time in the orphanage, I have begun teaching English. The orphanage is connected to a hotel, and many of the girls who used to live in the orphanage but are now too old have jobs there as receptionists or maids and need help with their English. It´s one hour everyday and I do it with another volunteer. The class started out with 1 person, and now it´s grown to almost 10 some days, with new people joining. We talk about all sorts of hotel topics, and write down what we say, and then one of the receptionist makes copies for everyone. The copies are becoming packets that grow each day, and they really are learning a lot. It is gratifiying to practice something, and then when English speaking hotel guests walk in, to see the receptionists use their English.
Over this past weekend I flew to Lima with some other volunteers to see the Killers concert. It was fantastic! We also went paragliding, which is something everyone should try. We also saw the musical ¨Cabaret¨. It was in Spanish of course, and lots of fun to see, especially because we did that play at Camp Ramah 2 years ago. I was the pineapple lady, and I was singing along in Hebrew as she was singing in Spanish. Lima was a great place to vacation for a little, but it was nice to return to safe and small city of Cusco Sunday night.
I hope everyone is doing well! I´ll post again soon!
Love,
Avra
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Mi Primer Mes (My first month=
Hi Everyone!
So I have officially been in Cusco for one month. So much has changed since the first week. I switched host families, mainly because I realized that I wasn´t feeling surrounded by people, and one of the main reasons I wanted to live in a host family in the first place was to try to connect with the Peruvian people and their way of life. I am in a new home, and if any of you want to write me, just facebook me and I´ll give you the address. They are lovely people. My mama is Gretta, my papa is Oscar, and then they have 5 kids, one of which is named Oscar, and then they have several grand kids, one of which is named, well, Oscar.
My typical day is pretty much wake up at around 7:30, walk 45 minutes to Spanish lessons, which I have for 4 hours with my teacher Alfredo. I have a book, but lessons are pretty much what I make of them, for example, sometimes we just talk in Spanish using rules I learned, sometimes we listen to Spanish music and then talk about that, go over vocab, work in the book, the usual. The neat thing is that I am excited for class and enjoy sitting in a classroom and often times I even ask for homework. Pretty much a big change to the senioritis felt last year. Spanish goes from 9 untill 11, with a half hour break in between which consists of walking around the mini square or sitting. Last week my friend from Norway, Yohannah, was also in my Spanish class, and during our break, we would sit on the steps of the Catedral and just relax... or so we tried. It was very difficult to have an actual conversations with all the Cusquenean sales people coming up to us trying to sell stuff to the Gringos. So, one day we decided to make a sign that says "No Gracias" (No Thank You) and we just sat in the steps holding it up. People thought it was very funny, we even got our picture taken a few times. The next day, a kid came to us with a sign that said "Why not?" Naturally, we had to buy some finger puppets from him for his wit.
Then, I come home for lunch and me, Oscar, Gretta, and often times some of their kids and grandkids join us. We eat and I try to follow their conversations. They often respond to my blank look by explaining to me, slowly, what they are talking about. Then, I had to the orphanage and am there from 3 until later in the evening, depending on when they eat dinner and such. It is such a great place to me. I work in the smallest "casita", which consists of 7 girls ages 5 through 7. They are absolutely adorable and so happy to see us. We pretty much help them with their homework, read books, run around and play, art projects. I also spend time with some of the older girls, and often we all end up playing hand games and such outside together. The orphanage is relatively well funded because it is connected to a Church, and also gets proceeds from a nearby hostel. There are 40 girls in total. They call Yohannah Yohannah Montana, and they call me Avra Cadavra, and then go into this whole magic spell thing that I´m trying to learn. For one week these 2 volunteers were here form Colorado, and brought with them a lot of tiles to make a big mural with all of the girls. It was a big success. After the orphanage, I head home for dinner with the family or spend some time exploring the Plaza. A few weekends ago I took a trip with some other volunteers to a nearby town called Pisac where there are a lot of Incan ruins. This past weekend I went horseback riding to Pukapukara and other nearby towns, and also saw the Temple of the Moon, which was a really holy place to the Incans. Halloween was crazy here and a ton of fun.
Missin´ everyone,
avra
So I have officially been in Cusco for one month. So much has changed since the first week. I switched host families, mainly because I realized that I wasn´t feeling surrounded by people, and one of the main reasons I wanted to live in a host family in the first place was to try to connect with the Peruvian people and their way of life. I am in a new home, and if any of you want to write me, just facebook me and I´ll give you the address. They are lovely people. My mama is Gretta, my papa is Oscar, and then they have 5 kids, one of which is named Oscar, and then they have several grand kids, one of which is named, well, Oscar.
My typical day is pretty much wake up at around 7:30, walk 45 minutes to Spanish lessons, which I have for 4 hours with my teacher Alfredo. I have a book, but lessons are pretty much what I make of them, for example, sometimes we just talk in Spanish using rules I learned, sometimes we listen to Spanish music and then talk about that, go over vocab, work in the book, the usual. The neat thing is that I am excited for class and enjoy sitting in a classroom and often times I even ask for homework. Pretty much a big change to the senioritis felt last year. Spanish goes from 9 untill 11, with a half hour break in between which consists of walking around the mini square or sitting. Last week my friend from Norway, Yohannah, was also in my Spanish class, and during our break, we would sit on the steps of the Catedral and just relax... or so we tried. It was very difficult to have an actual conversations with all the Cusquenean sales people coming up to us trying to sell stuff to the Gringos. So, one day we decided to make a sign that says "No Gracias" (No Thank You) and we just sat in the steps holding it up. People thought it was very funny, we even got our picture taken a few times. The next day, a kid came to us with a sign that said "Why not?" Naturally, we had to buy some finger puppets from him for his wit.
Then, I come home for lunch and me, Oscar, Gretta, and often times some of their kids and grandkids join us. We eat and I try to follow their conversations. They often respond to my blank look by explaining to me, slowly, what they are talking about. Then, I had to the orphanage and am there from 3 until later in the evening, depending on when they eat dinner and such. It is such a great place to me. I work in the smallest "casita", which consists of 7 girls ages 5 through 7. They are absolutely adorable and so happy to see us. We pretty much help them with their homework, read books, run around and play, art projects. I also spend time with some of the older girls, and often we all end up playing hand games and such outside together. The orphanage is relatively well funded because it is connected to a Church, and also gets proceeds from a nearby hostel. There are 40 girls in total. They call Yohannah Yohannah Montana, and they call me Avra Cadavra, and then go into this whole magic spell thing that I´m trying to learn. For one week these 2 volunteers were here form Colorado, and brought with them a lot of tiles to make a big mural with all of the girls. It was a big success. After the orphanage, I head home for dinner with the family or spend some time exploring the Plaza. A few weekends ago I took a trip with some other volunteers to a nearby town called Pisac where there are a lot of Incan ruins. This past weekend I went horseback riding to Pukapukara and other nearby towns, and also saw the Temple of the Moon, which was a really holy place to the Incans. Halloween was crazy here and a ton of fun.
Missin´ everyone,
avra
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