Living in Yanacoto.

Hello to anyone reading this...which might just be you mom. Since my last entry i have arrived safely in Peru. The flight here was fine, without any complications. In fact, i was drawing in my sketch book, and a flight attendant asked me to draw something for the flight crew. They really enjoyed it, wich i could tell because the paraded up and down the aisles holding it up for everyone to see. On my way off the plan they also handed me a stack of free drink/food coupons for another flight on American Airlines. But lets be honest, if i even ever use them, it will be for the drinks. We were immediately greeted by the Peace Corp team. They tood us through customs and put us on a couple of rented busses. We drove for about an hour to a conference/retreat area in Chaclacayo (were our training center is located). We didn´t get there until around 12:30 AM. So we were pretty tired, and still cou´ldn´t go to bed until we were assigned our rooms.
The next day was filled with a lot of the usual orientation activities, like policies and procedures, and in the afternoon we had different interviews. The interviews were for our home-stay, language level, and a one-on-one with our project coordinators. I was pretty worried about the language test, but it went well, and was told by my interviewer that i had exceeded the minimum requirements for to be placed in site. I don´t know why she told me...maybe because she knew i was nervous, but it was really nice of her. So all i have to do is not become worse at Spanish in the next ten weeks to pass my spanish level test. I´m not too worried about that, because i´m already having thinking, and even dreaming a little, in Spanish. Anyways, that evening i went walking around and found a little place to have some beer with some other PC people. Others joined and made our party about 11 strong. We had to get back for dinner at 7, but after most people went to the little dance club at the center. I had a lot of fun that night. It started out with only a few people dancing, and a lot of Peruvians watcing...and even taking pictures ( i know because they tood one of me). Well i was just goofing around most of the time, but it seemed to work out great cause everyone was enjoying me being there. I was wearing my hiking boots, which i think REI should label as hiking/dance´n boots. My friend Chris and i were having a realyl great time and getting the other guys out on the floor with the other female volunteers.
The next morning came a little too soon, and much was said about mine and Chris´s dancing abilities. We packed up our stuff and headed out to the training center. It is a really beautiful home, in a well manicured compound. It was originally owned by some Italian business owner. We did more orientation activities, met with our language professors, and to my delight i found out Melissa (who i went to UP and Sain with) and my friend Chris are the only other people in our group. Chris and i usually are just making each other laugh, and Melissa is very sweet. After that our host families arrived. I believe there are 17 people in my town ( Yanacoto). I was greated by my oldest host-brother Juan Carlos, and my host-mother Lucia. Carlos is a prety tall guy, and luckily a very clear accent. He is always amped to talk with me and is really positive. My mama is a little bit harder to understand, but i´m getting better at understanding her. Most of the volunteers in my area and our families crammed into a little combi (bus) and drove to our town.
I am surrounded by other volunteers, and infact can watch many of the from the top of our roof is i choose to be creepy. My house is a lot nicer than i expected. I have my own room which is probably larger than any room i have ever had with a host family. It also so happes to be right next to a room which my family uses for an internet cafe. So for any of you with skype i could set up a time to use it if you would like. It is also kinda cool because my friends come over and i get to see them while they are here using the internet.
I began to unpack my stuff while Carlos and i talked. We had some great conversations about many different things. I learned that he has worked for several beer companies, and now is a part of a new (and hopefully upcoming) beer company named Franca. I walked around a little, and while doing so saw many other volunteers. I thought that they were playing soccer up on the cement court, but were actually playing Bingo. Apparently a Swiss woman donates various things to the comminty ever month and they have a Bingo game to win them. I walked back down to my house and chatted with my Carlos again. It was then time for dinner, which i ate with my host mother, and when they arrived, my host brother Raul and my father Agipito. By the way Carlos is 36 and Raul 32. I had a little bit of a sad moment when my host mother told my host father that i speak very little Spanish. I mean, i know i´m not a native speaker, but it´s not my fault i can´t understand her. But i thought it was funny. I sat up with my Carlos and Raul on the second floor balcony where i live. I started to watch some tv, but by 9 i was read for bed.
Morning came, and i had my first cold shower. Quite...invigorating to say in the least :) I had breakfast, and then was ready to head out for the center. The father of a volunteer that is my neighbor accompanied all of use to the center to help us know the stops. I seriously live within a block of 4 other volunteers, and only a few more blocks to many others. When we leave in the morning it pretty much looks like a Gringo exodus.
Wel the day was pretty boring to be honest. A lot of orientation activites, like a class on security. I am really happy with my Water and Sanitation team. Both co-volunteers and trainers are really cool. It also seems to be more laid back than the Health and Environmental teams have to be. I learned that there are only around 11 other water volunteers already working in Peru. Also, that we will most likely be working in only three different states (Departamentos): Lima, Ica, Piura. If i could choose now i would pick Piura, on the northern border. I have been told many times the north is the best, and my host brothers said they would pick the same.
I came home and walked around with a couple of volunteers. That night Chris came to use the internet and ended up hanign around with me and my host brothers. We listened to music and drank beer on the veranda for several hours. I tried to translate a lot of songs for my brothers. Chris went home around 9.30, but we kept talking until around 11.
Finally i am almost up to date!!! This morning i had another wonderful shower, ate breakfast, and met the with my traveling buddies outside my house. Carlos walked down the really steep road that we have to go down to get to the highway. You have to watch out for the Mototaxis that go flying by you all the time. They are basically a covered motorcycle with two back wheels. Just a side not, my family rents a room to a young mother who has two really young children: Josef, and Leslie. They are probably only 2 and 3 respectively. They are right next to me playing, and they are incredibly cute. They really like hanging out with me. Anyways, this morning started out with some actual Spanish classes!!! Yay. We mixed in with another small group and played a couple games. The first game was called Titanic. We all chose cards with various famous people on the opposite side, and then had to make an argument for why that perso should not be thrown out of the only remaining lifeboat that is already too full. Well by luck of the draw, i was Ronald McDonald...and you can pretty much deduece that i didn´t last long against the likes of Princess Diana, the Oprah, Shakira, and Daniel Craig. But it was fun. Next we went out into a little park and played dodge-ball. If you got hit you had to answer a question in Spanish. It was a lot of fun. We separated into our normal groups and continued with a normal Spanish class. Then we had lunch, and proceeded to have several hours of what i would say was very boring classes on how to better collect information when in our sites.
Many people have said that they want to start doing a lot of excersise activites after training each day. We went running today. Although i didn´t really want to mob out in a group of aroudn 13 people, so i ran by myself for some time, but met up with Melissa and Nate. We went through the streets and up a pretty steep hill. I hadn´t ran for quite some time, so it was good to get in almost an hour´s worth of excersise. Melissa and another volunteer are also going to lead Yoga classes (thanks Kim for telling my to bring a mat), and i think Nate is going to teach us som Brasilian Ju-Jitsu (?). We all made it back to our bus stop without any guidance, and then proceeded to hike up the massive hill. Tomorrow our professor Ivan, will be coming to our community for spanish class. This week we are having it in Melissa´s house. So i walked with her and Chris, and another volunteer named Steve, to her house. We stopped off to meet Chris´s family. He has several kids running through his house at all times. We were almost attacked by several dogs, but made it to Melissa´s. I got home, tired, and hungry, and ate a lot. This made my mother very happy. She made me a dish that is very similar to chile relleno. So i was really happy too. My host brother is showing me that he just put a Journey music video on his Facebook page. I´m eating meat once again, and so far it really hasn´t been too bad. It makes me feel a little strange at times, but i think it´s ok (again, thanks kim for the probiotics!). Carlos just got home, and Chris is here using the internet, so maybe we´ll hang around a bit and talk. But after that i need to get to bed!!!!! Ok, well i love you all. Thanks for reading. I´ll try to be better about getting on here !

Patrick