First of all the last few days have been so much fun. We had our STD talk on Friday with the doctors, and it was very informative and VERY fun. We got to play STD Jeopardy and our team won :)
In the afternoon on friday all the youthies led activities in our spanish groups. My group did role plays about drugs alcohol and the reasons to practice safe sex. It was so much fun and all the activities of the day were a blast. After school we all went to Lucia's house, that is our boss...we had a bbq with the closest thing to a hamburger i have seen yet. It was so much fun, we play some dinamicas and then we all went our separate ways.
The next day, Satruday, we all got up and went to Lima, to go to Educadores de la Calle. It is an educational program for kids that work on the streets. It was definitely an eye opening experience, and i was so happy to have had the chance to participate. We split up into two groups, and we went to the center for the program in La Victoria Peru. We talked with kids and the staff about the program. Many kids in this area wake up at 3am (sleeping in the streets) and start to move their stuff into this massive market, where they vend vegetables and other such foods. They then go to school later in the day, it was so informative to talk to these kids and see the poverty in which they live. It was very humbling. Then our group could chose to stay at the center with the kids who were there, walk through the market, or go and play soccer with some of the kids. I of course chose to play soccer, so i went with some others in my group and a few staff members to this massive dirt area, where there were kids from the program already playing. We made teams and i got to join in, i immediately used my head, and got mud and dirt all up in my hair..ha, and my jeans were covered in dirt. We had to say goodbye to the kids, and i had to say goodbye to my little friend LoLo, who stuck by me the entire time, (we even had our own handshake!). After this i proceeded to eat my feelings, by going to Pizza Hut and Pink Berry. Both were excellent.
Saturday night a bunch of us went out to a discotec, and went dancing and had a blast.
On Sunday i made food again for my family, we had fajitas with fresh guacamole and it was so so so good. After lunch Chris, Amanda and I had our first youth group meeting. We had invited the kids in the Santa Eulalia area to a fun meeting at 3:00, and around 4:30 they showed up. We made flags about ourselves, had a talk about the food groups, and kitchen cleanliness and we cooked tacos! It was so much fun and a huge success.
The fourth of July was yesterday and that was one of the best days i have had in Peru. We had to be at this park at 8:30 in the morning, so we made our way up to Santa Eulalia, where we were joined with the business volunteers. We play games all morning. I got run over in soccer, and have a very swollen upper ankle which is bruising nicely. We ate some more hamburgers and sang our national anthem while we stuffed cake in our mouths. Afterwards we all headed to Chosica, where we celebrated the fourth of July as a group and watch the Peru soccer game. Afterwards we went on the most sketchy carnival ride that has ever existed in the plaza in Chosica. Everytime i have had to describe the 5 minutes we were on this ride, i have had tears come to my eyes, it was that hysterical. I cannot explain how the fear for my life, was yet the most ridiculously fun experience i have had in Peru, and i think many others would give accounts of their "ride"experience in a similar way. Oh and i had Anticucho (cow heart) from the street, and i am still alive :)
It was a great fourth of July and I so happy to have celebrated it in Peru, I am so lucky!
Happy to hear you had a good 4th of July! I was thinking about you all day... pineapple never sounds as good as it does on the 4th ;). Love you.
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