Two weeks at site, and I have found that interesting experiences pop up in short bursts when I least expect it. This blog post is dedicated to such moments.
That time the plaza was turned into a theater
The elementary school held their Día de Logros (Day of Successes) when the students showed off what they have been learning all year. The main event was when each grade put on a short play, complete with masks, costumes, fake trees, and one girl who was painted entirely blue.
That time I got a ride in the back of our ambulance
It's actually a glorified pick-up truck with a metal box put on the back and a thin mattress for whatever poor patient needs transport. Honestly it is used more for transporting health center personel to the annexes of Tantará, which is probably good because the idea of having a broken bone and being jostled while the "ambulance" rushes around winding mountain roads makes me really want to never break a bone. Ever.
That time speaking English for a whole afternoon never felt so good
After our first week in site, us three Huancavelicanos got together in and sat in a church courtyard, ate chocolate, and spoke nothing but English. Awesome.
That time my best friend was a 3-year-old girl
Her name is Nayeli and she follows me everywhere. It generally goes like this:
Me: I can't play right now because I have to work.
Her: OK, let's go.
Me: No, I can't play, I'm going to do work.
Her: I'm going to do work too, let's go.
That time I walked 2 hours through the Peruvian sierra with a bag of guinea pigs over my shoulder
They're actually quite cute if you can get over the fact that you're going to eat them later (for the record, they were delicious).