If nothing else, my time in Peru has made me more thankful. I realize now more than ever how indebted I am to the family, friends, pastors and teachers who shaped my character in ways I can never fully appreciate. To borrow a Chuck Palahniuk cliche: ¨Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everybody I’ve ever known.¨
My Thanksgiving was spent, in typical pilgram-style, on the beach with a bowl of fruit salad. It´s Mango season in Peru. Thanksgiving is obviously not a Peruvian holiday, so school and work were both open last Thursday.
The school is challenging my in ways I never expected. My work with the mentally and physically handicapped is teaching me patience, humility, and a myriad of other virtues. I am thankful that I can tie my shoes, say my own name, and walk in a straight line.
Originally I thought the center was a daycare, but nominally it´s a school. We don´t teach classes like Math or Reading, but we try to work on practical skills like how to brush your teeth or knit. The hope is that these kids (there are about 12 of them) will someday be somewhat self-sufficient.
I work for a few hours a night at a vegetarian restraunt in town. In exchange I get free Spanish lessons and comida gratis. It gets me out of the house and I get to meet interesting characters like the professional online poker player from Germany, or the Berkely grad who is globe-trotting to collect library cards.
I´m no longer living with Skip and Rain. They had another friend (Columbia) who needed a place to stay so I moved in with a professor in the local school. I have my own room and bath (for about $40/month) and I get unlimited Spanish practice.
My Spanish is coming along well. I´ve heard that stressful situations increase the speed of language learning, and I can personally confirm that this is true. Volunteering with a dozen, special needs kids who don´t know English and working in a restraunt owned by an Austrian woman who enjoys conjugating command forms have taught me Spanish faster than you can say ¨Hola.¨
When I´m not volunteering or working, I run on the beach, read novels, or go to the market and find new fruits. There are several down here that there are no words for in English, literally and metaphorically. Time is running away from me and I´m exactly where I´m supposed to be.
3 comments:
Thanks for writing about what you are doing. It is an encouragement to me in my wealth and spoiledness here in Alabama. I pray that the experiences will be engrained in you so that you will not forget them when you come back and that they will guide you towards whatever is next for you in life.
caleb, love, you're adventuring! it's wonderful. i'm so happy you're learning Spanish through immersion, too, because that's the best/most fun way. don't forget that every person you meet has something of worth to share with you.
love, raleigh
austrian! does she speak german? you should learn that while you're there too :)
i'm happy for you, but i want more pictures, of course.
love, love, love, yellow and blue make green, you know who this is.
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