Wednesday Things

May 29, 2013

¡Buenas tardes! ¡Tenemos internet en nuestra oficina!

It’s hard to believe I’ve already been here a full week, but we are now in the middle of our first week of work in Junín. As many of you know, geography is not my strong suit, but I can try to explain how Peru works and approximately what we’re going to be doing these next nine weeks.

Junín is one of Peru’s 25 regions, and also the name of one of the region of Junín’s nine provinces. We are staying in Junín, Junín, Peru, which is home to Lago Chinchaycocha (also called Lago Junín) and the Junín National Reserve. The Reserve is approximately 50,000 hectares and contains the entirety of the lake. There is a huge amount of biodiversity in and around the lake, and one of our contacts in Junín works for the organization whose job deals with preserving the many species native to the area. To the north of the lake, in Cerro de Pasco, are a number of mining operations (Peru is known for its mineral wealth), which are contaminating the river that runs into the northwest part of Lago Junín, depositing all sorts of pollutants. This river then continues from that point in the lago and flows south(ish) – I’m not exactly sure where it goes much beyond that, but I do know that it is a problem, because, as I understand it, that water then provides irrigation for the farmers of the (primarily agricultural) region.

So. Our project. Proyecto, if you will.

Obviously, we’re not exactly qualified as experts in any sort of water sampling or much of the hard science that is inherent in this project. However, as social scientists and generalists, we are qualified to do other things (or so I keep telling myself – I’d much rather stick with the math and hard science, but this isn’t about me!). We’ve developed some tools – a household survey as well as questions for interviews and focus groups – to get the input of the various communities said to be most affected by the water contamination. If you’ve looked at the map of Junín and the lake, you can tell we’re not exactly rocking beachfront property. We are also at the far end of the lake from the mines in Cerro de Pasco, meaning the cleaner side of the lake. Our work will be not only in Junín, but also in a couple of small pueblos along the west side of the lake. As far as I can tell, people in our community are aware of the problem, but not necessarily as acutely as those in closer proximity to the lake.

It’s hard to know exactly how much we’ll be able to accomplish in eight and a half more weeks, but I think we have some reasonable and reachable goals. I’ll for sure keep this blog as updated as possible since it also helps me process what is going on.

Tonight we’re apparently giving an interview. I’m not sure if it will be broadcast on both radio and television or just radio. Needless to say, we’re all a bit jittery. When we spoke with the mayor on Monday, he spoke so fast that none of us really understood what he was saying, so hopefully he’s not the one who will be asking questions! My speaking skills are by far the weakest in the group, so I’ll likely defer much of the speaking to my teammates. Still, it’s pretty exciting to be getting media attention (first time for everything, right?), even if it is in rural Peru – hopefully it will help with our work!

On a more personal level:

It is really, really cold here. Sure, a “summer” in Peru sounds fantastically tropical, but for one, we’re in the southern hemisphere where it is, in fact, winter. Also, as I’m sure I’ve mentioned, we’re at upwards of 13,000 feet above sea level (which is somewhere around 4,000 meters I’m told). This means that nights are incredibly cold (well below freezing I would say) and days don’t warm up until the sun has been up for a little while. To put it into perspective: I sleep in long wool socks, flannel pants and two shirts, on top of two blankets and underneath five or six (depending), hugging a hot water bottle. I’m incredibly lucky to have a “hot” shower in my (own, private) bathroom. It’s an electric shower, so I have to get up maybe 10-15 minutes before I want to shower in order for it to actually heat up, and then I have to switch between the “hot” and “warm” settings so as not to freeze or scald myself. Showers are fewer and farther between than they are in Minneapolis; I’ll leave it at that!

Food has been pretty good, if a little starch-heavy. Lots and lots of hot beverages and soup. Lots of meat (much more than my semi-vegetarian stomach has digested in a long time), though I think we’re fairly privileged to even have that option. More potatoes and rice than I could ever hope to appreciate. For example, the other day, our lunch consisted of: some sort of meat/potato/weird thing soup, then a plate with a pile of white rice with mashed potatoes and some kind of meat thing (I believe it was chicken). I think there might have been some sort of mayonnaise-y salad as well. There is absolutely no shortage of food, and we’re incredibly lucky that the Parroquia cooks for us! Apparently every Tuesday is a huge market day – tons of market stalls all up and down the streets with fruits, vegetables, eggs, dried goods, clothes, live animals (ducks, chickens, gallinas (hens), rabbits, guinea pigs)… anything you can imagine, basically. I bought some fruit and a pair of knit tights to wear under my jeans. The funny thing about clothes made here though, is that they’re made for the people here, and the people here are short, like a foot or a foot and a half shorter than me. So the “tights” I bought actually fit me as capris, and the waistband is up well past my bellybutton. Super stylish :) but if I’m going to be here until the end of July, at least I’ll be warm!

I haven’t tried running yet. Every day gets easier (I didn’t have to take advil for my head this morning!), but I still find myself winded and slightly lightheaded just walking around. Everyone tells me I’m crazy to want to run here, but I really need it. (I will say that it has been nice to have a legitimate excuse to take several days in a row completely off, though I do wish I could choose when to start up again, and do my normal mileage!) Maybe tomorrow, maybe Friday… For sure sometime next week!

This weekend, Jose is bringing us on an adventure to Huancayo, a town several hours (I’m guessing) southeast of Junín and capital of the Junín region. Wikipedia says it is 10,692 feet above sea level, which should be a nice relief from our current altitude, if only for a couple days. I’m not exactly sure what’s on our agenda, but we do have a contact there with the Autoridad Nacional del Agua (National Water Authority), so we may try to meet up with him for an interview and to get more background information on the science behind the contamination.

On a more (strictly) cultural (but still fairly personal) level:

For some reason, I was especially tired yesterday. Even after an afternoon nap, by the time dinner rolled around, I was still drowsy and my reaction time was slow(-er than usual – I blame the cold). There was an especially large crowd at dinner, several of the boys who live at the Parroquia, several visiting nuns, as well as the usual crowd. The Padre asked one of the boys to serve him some meat and rice, and as the boy was scooping into the dish containing meat and potatoes, I saw a head, complete with teeth, tongue and nose. They served cuy last night at dinner, and (as in Africa) the head is not discarded. I was so shocked I nearly choked. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but it was definitely in very fast English, which prompted a lot of laughter and jokes about what other animals Peruvians eat (and don’t eat). At this point in my life, I know when to just laugh at myself, and this was definitely one of those times.

Well, it’s 5pm and time to go home (for more tea and another meal)! More updates to come, feel free to email :)

-k

Junín

May 26, 2013

We reached Junín this morning at about 5am after a long (but not too terribly uncomfortable) bus ride. As we got off the bus, I think the cold shocked me more than the altitude – definitely not the weather in Lima and nothing close to the summer I’d been anticipating in MN. Several small motorcycle taxi things met us at the bus stop and brought us to La Parroquia, a sort of Catholic Church boarding hostel and our home for the summer.

We had several hours of rest before breakfast and I think that was when I first realized the change in altitude. I’m used to breathing at a certain frequency, but that same frequency wasn’t going to cut it here. I felt winded after a few minutes and had to try to convince myself to breathe more frequently. Does that make any sense? Strange.

We had breakfast with the Padre and several other people who live and work here – Nancy and Pochita, the women who help in the office and kitchen, and David and Dennis, the young men (early 20s) who sing and play guitar at Mass. Everyone at la Parroquia has been incredibly warm, welcoming and accommodating. Initially they had the three of us in two rooms but after lunch insisted on giving us each our own rooms (which, I imagine, will help our sanities a ton since we’ll be working together all other hours of the day). I definitely landed the nice room – I have a small window to the outside (which must face North since the sun has been coming in all day so far, southern hemisphere and all), a comfy double bed, a television (that I don’t actually plan on watching, but maybe I will if there are telenovelas or partidos de futbol on in the evenings), and my own bathroom! Visitors are welcome anytime… :)

The climate reminds me of Lesotho winters. It’s not too bad outside when the sun is up, but none of the buildings have heat, so we each have a ton of blankets on our beds and everyone walks around in jackets. The sun is powerful though; I’m sure I’ll come home with an awesome tan on my face (and nowhere else).

We also walked around town a bit – up to the central market, greeting people and taking in the sights. The sun felt absolutely glorious when it was out! Most of the streets seem to be one-way, though I don’t think they get much traffic. As we walked south, we went uphill, and coming back north was downhill. Lago Junín (also called Chinchaycocha, and the one contaminated by the mines) is to our northwest, and I’m hoping we’ll be able to see it sometime this week. We’re situated not too far from la municipalidad – the municipal building where I’m guessing we’ll be meeting with the mayor tomorrow or sometime early this week.

After being here several hours, I can definitely feel the altitude. I’m thankful to be in such good shape and am very much hoping to be able to run at some point this week, but for now I’m a bit dizzy and my head hurts; running can wait a few days. Right before lunch, Nancy also brought us a vial of some sort of strong-smelling thing. She instructed us to put several drops in our hands, rub them together and inhale deeply several times, then rub the rest on our forehead. I was hesitant to take a whiff at first (for obvious reasons), but it did help a bit with my headache. Then again, warm soup, potatoes and hot tea also helped tremendously. At lunch, they also served us “agua de coca” – a tea made with coca leaves, which was supposed to help calm our stomachs and heads.

It’s incredibly heartwarming to see how much these people care for us already. They know so little of us (they weren’t sure if we would be men or women and how many would be here until this morning when we arrived!) and yet everyone here has bent over backwards to make sure we’re comfortable and taken care of; already it feels a lot like a family.

Hasta luego,

-k

Lima, Peru

May 25, 2013
Today I paid $6 for a thing of peanut butter. Off-brand peanut butter! Not even a big container of it, just the standard container size (whatever that is) of crunchy peanut butter. I’m not someone to skimp on peanut butter (I have been known to eat it with a spoon), but $6 was definitely a new low (or high).

As you may have guessed, I am no longer in Africa. I am also no longer in America...

¡Saludos de Lima, Peru! This summer, a couple classmates and I will be in Junín, Peru, for ten weeks for the field work that is required as part of my degree. There are several mining operations near the lake that have been polluting it for years, so our plan is to conduct an assessment of how the water contamination is affecting the peoples' lives and livelihoods. As of right now, it's still fairly fluid, so I'll keep you posted as things become clearer.

In the meantime, I can give an update of the past few days! I made my way down to Lima (via Chicago and Atlanta) on Tuesday, and managed to score a first-row seat in Business Elite from Atlanta to Lima (thank you, Delta!) - talk about luxury. I watched the stand-by list for quite a while, texting Brian to see if the numbers he saw were any different from what I could see, and with a few minutes to take-off, I approached the counter. They called my name not even 3 minutes before departure so I hustled onto the plane. I apparently missed the champagne they serve at the very beginning of flights since I was the last one to board, but I was still treated like a princess. A nice flight attendant brought me a menu as I was texting family and friends back home (and crying, as is my tradition before international flights) and asked me what I wanted for dinner. Apparently in Business Class, there's a menu. Not one or two choices with a soda, but an entire menu! And the meal comes in courses! I got a bowl of mixed nuts with a glass of wine, then a salad, a (warm) dinner roll (that the flight attendant told me he had baked that morning, ha), and finally some sort of squash risotto. Oh, and dessert. Did I mention wine? I tried several kinds of wine with my meal and by the time we'd been in the air an hour, I was absolutely stuffed.

After arriving in Lima at almost 11pm, I made my way to baggage and through customs, mustering up as much energy as I could manage in order to understand everything (my Spanish was a bit rusty and I was exhausted – sitting first class is hard work!). 

I found my way out into the main receiving area of the Lima airport and somehow managed to locate a small Peruano who did not look particularly enthused to be holding a sign that said “Kaytee Shepare, Delta.” He (my taxi driver) brought me to a small hotel and shortly after midnight, I crawled into my (incredibly firm) bed and fell asleep.

Janelle (teammate) was to arrive on the same flight the next evening, so my Wednesday was a day alone in Lima. I woke up to a phone call (telling me that I had a phone call) from one of our contacts here, Jose. He was absolutely instrumental in arranging arrivals, hotel rooms and transportation. He wanted to make sure I had arrived and that all was well. After breakfast, I received another similar call from a different contact, Dilma (equally helpful), who also wanted to hear “todo bien.”

I’ll spare you all the details of my days in Lima, but suffice it to say, they’ve been good. Zoila (teammate) also made it to Lima safely. Temperatures have been around 70, mostly cloudy skies and incredibly humid. Our hotel was located right on a sort of park in the (very wide) median of the road, so I managed to run every day – one of my favorite ways to get to know a new place. My Spanish still has a ways to go, but listening and understanding has gotten easier; it’s returning slowly but surely, and I will, without a doubt, continue to learn over the next 9-10 weeks.

Jose and Dilma both were wonderful too; Jose took me/us to lunch three of my four days in Lima and acted as our own private chauffeur as we ran errands and bought everything from water bottles to cell phone SIM cards to peanut butter – turns out he knows a guy who knows a guy (actually he just knows the right store in Chinatown). He’s originally from the region of Junín, though not necessarily where we’ll be, and has connections there, as well as plans to visit and show us around more. Dilma helped in arranging a tour of Lima atop one of those obnoxiously touristy double-decker buses. I had never been on one of those tours before, but it was pretty entertaining. The tour guide must have had too much caffeine pre-tour because she was overly theatrical in both English and Spanish (sort of dizzying listening to her flip flop between the two languages). It was a fantastic excuse to bring out the big guns: my nice camera and new lens. I looked like a serious tourist carrying that thing around, but it was totally worth it.

Today (Saturday) was one last day of shopping and lunch with Jose, and then a good chunk of time to relax and repack our bags. The three of us are currently sitting “bus-cama” (sort of like first class, but on a bus I guess?), en route to Junín; we’re scheduled to arrive somewhere between 4 and 5am (5+ hours from now). I have no problem with overnight buses (especially when I have a seat that reclines as much as mine does, even if the bus does smell a bit like urine). The real kicker is that Lima is at sea level and Junín is at upwards of 13,000 feet above sea level. The only other time I’ve been at serious altitude was when climbing Kilimajaro, and yes, that was 19,000+ feet, but only for a short while, and I had been living at probably 5,000 feet for over a year at that point. Plus we had several days to reach and adjust to those altitudes instead of several hours. I guess I’m anticipating feeling sort of sick for a day or so?

Even though I feel like I have plenty more to write, there will be time for that. I’d better wrap this up and try to sleep a bit.

Abrazos de Lima,

-k

Super brief update on my (still) no-longer-African life...

When my father asked last September if I wanted to go to Cancun in January with the family, I admit, I was initially pretty hesitant. Crazy, I know. Not because I didn't want to go hang out on the beach and see awesome Mayan ruins, run in shorts and get a tan. I hesitated because I didn't know how that kind of an experience could fit in to my life as a student of international development; something felt incredibly contradictory about it. Rather than going to a developing nation to get to know a community for what it is, we would be going to the tourist "strip" (think Vegas in "Espanglés," the form of English/Spanish spoken to the overwhelming number of tourists that have congregated along a 24km strip of some of the biggest, most impressive resorts and hotels I have ever seen). After being assured that we would explore ancient Mayan ruins and spend time on some of the paths less traveled, I agreed, telling myself that we would at least be supporting the economy, right? Plus, when I tried to think about what I wanted from my winter vacation, all I could think of was paid work with no school work and complete relaxation. Perfect.

We returned from an amazing week in Cancun late on Friday night and although I found being treated as a tourist rather disagreeable, there really was no other way to do it. We did have a wonderful chance to explore several sites of Mayan ruins (Tulum and Coba), wander around (and literally get lost in) Downtown Cancun, snorkel, cliff jump and zip-line at all-inclusive Xel-Ha, and spend hours on the beach and in the ocean. It was my first international trip with my good camera (picasa update to come I hope!) and I realized how nice it would have been to have a DSLR with me in Europe and Africa, but also how amazing it will be in Peru. My Spanish is not as rusty as I'd thought, but I have a long way to go in brushing up before this summer! I'll spare you more of my rambling and sum up: Cancun was amazing. I am so lucky to have been able to spend that week with my family!

The rest of my holiday break was similarly wonderful. I got to work a bunch and relax plenty. My roommate and I hosted several evenings of dinner, games and/or boot hockey at the nearby rink. I found out that I will be in Peru (my first choice) for ten weeks this coming summer, working in the community of Junín with several other students in my graduate program. I spent a day with my grandma organizing her basement. Even though the end of January may be a bit late for reflections on 2012, it was a pretty great year, full of transitions and changes, new people and friendships, and a few disappointments and challenges. With the exception of a day in Canada, it was the first year since 2007 I have spent entirely in the U.S. It was a year of beginning to realize what I want to do with the next chapter of my life, and (for once) really feeling like I'm in the right place for me.

Second semester begins tomorrow, and even though I'm not particularly looking forward to the piles of pages to read and write, I think it will be nice to have a bit more of a set schedule. I've never dealt with transitions very well - today is rough just anticipating the semester, but by the time next week rolls around, I'll be totally fine with being back in class. Somehow I managed to avoid scheduled class on Fridays AND Mondays (though one of my classes is online, so that will likely intrude on Mondays). I'm hoping to be able to keep working a couple days each week and train for a few races this spring as well - nothing as time-consuming as marathon training last summer/fall, but I need running like I need sleep, so it'll definitely have a place in my life.

Time now to make sure all my notebooks and pens are ready for another semester. I hope 2013 finds you well! Love from the frigid north!

Hello again...

Okay, okay, so I'm not in Africa anymore... I sure do miss it though.
I've been home for almost 10 months now (where does the time go?!), and my life has changed (a lot), but I think about my time in Africa frequently, and miss it terribly. I can give a quick update on life since I last posted (I read through it - what a crazy sensation: I was in Cape Town preparing to leave)... Here's a (very) brief update on life since then:
Winter 2011-2012:
The holidays were wonderful. Truly there is nothing better than being at home for the holidays. To be with my family again, going through all the old traditions, making cookies and lefse... was perfection. I was disappointed at the lack of snow, but I got my fill in February when, after being home for over a month, I decided to leave again. This time I crossed no oceans, and only 3 time-zones. I got my fill of snow and winter in Alaska, saw parts of Washington State and the lovely Orcas Island (and even made it to Canada, eh?!), and concluded my west coast adventure tour in San Francisco. All this reaffirmed that I love traveling... I just don't think I'm meant to be stationary in a place for too long at this point in my life. Too much to see and do!
Spring/Summer 2012:
I started working a couple jobs in March, tutoring math and selling running shoes. It was really nice to have some sort of structure (and income!) in my life again. A friend and I found a place to live and signed the lease for June. I signed up to run the Twin Cities Marathon with an ambitious goal and, with the intense training plan help from a coworker, trained hard all summer.
Fall 2012:
School started! I was accepted to the Masters in Development Practice (MDP) in International Development program at the University of Minnesota (which is good, because it's the only place I applied). We've been in class since Labor Day and even though my stress level has gone through the roof, I am loving it. I'm still working at the running store (which I love); my coworkers are awesome and the bosses treat us fantastically.
Even though the MDP program is different from my background in math, I am seriously loving it. It's a completely new way to learn, and I'm re-learning how to learn. There's something really wonderful about being a student again (but it's definitely not the homework). There are so many opportunities to attend talks and symposiums in such a variety of topics. It's also been great to be around like-minded people. The other students in my cohort have such a spectrum of backgrounds and experiences; I have so much to learn from them in addition to the pages and pages of text we read.

I'm going to end this for now, but anticipate writing again soon - I've missed it as a way to keep track of my life, and keep in touch (although indirectly) with friends and family.
Love from Minneapolis (doesn't quite have the same ring... )
-K

Farewell, Africa!

My last post from Africa.
What an incredible two years and a fantastic vacation.

Updates from last time:
I completed my graduate school application - University of Minnesota's Masters in Development Practice program... it felt so good to get that submitted! It was pretty neat being able to write about my experiences in Lesotho for something other than a blogpost. I now have to wait for a month or two to find out, but I think I'll be pretty busy readjusting to life at home, so it certainly won't preoccupy my mind.

On Thursday I went driving around the Cape Point peninsula with friends - Kalk Bay, nice beaches, Chapman's Peak and Cape Point (not necessarily in that order though). The first time I was here we drove down to Cape Point but, as cheap PCVs, opted not to go all the way to the point. This time we just did it. It was beautiful. Every once in a while along the drive to the point we'd see an ostrich neck and head popping up, looking around - they are so funny looking. No babboons but plenty of seagulls and even a couple seals.

That evening, I went out with (and stayed with) the girls on Long Street. Just another great part of Cape Town - very fun and I'm glad to have spent time on Long again. Then Friday (my last full day in Africa), I went around town, shopping for gifts for friends and souvenirs for myself. The vendors are so anxious to sell their wares, making friendly conversation... "Where are you from? How long have you been in Africa? ..." etc. They all seemed pretty impressed I'd been there so long and promised they were giving me the "African price," though I'm sure I still paid way too much for the stuff. On the minibus taxi back to Obs (where I've been staying), I apparently landed in the wrong seat. About five minutes after we started driving, people in the back started poking me in the back with their money and saying things in strange accents (the places they intended to get off the taxi). Usually in Lesotho I recognize the destinations but here I had no clue. I looked and felt like a tourist, but it was pretty funny.

Last night my gracious host and two other friends and I went to a beach to watch the sun set over Signal Hill. Stunning. I was pretty close to tears sitting there thinking back on my week and past two years, knowing it'd be my last evening in Africa for a while. Though Africa isn't perfect, it has become my home and I am really truly very sad to be leaving it without knowing when I may return. I've learned so much about myself and would not be the person I am today without it (I realize it sounds hokey, but it has never been more true). I love this place so much.
Almost time to finalize packing my bags and get a taxi to the airport... cross your fingers I make it on the flight tonight, then I'll be in Atlanta tomorrow morning and home in time for Sunday dinnner!
Thanks again for your love and support, sending my last bit of love from Africa...
-K

Katie Shepard, RPCV

Greetings from Cape Town!
Last week Thursday (December 8th) I earned my R and my pin and became an RPCV (the R is for returned). That afternoon I left Lesotho for Bloemfontein to catch a bus to Cape Town.
I cannot believe my two years of service are over. They flew and dragged at the same time... so many ups and downs - even a few sideways - and finally I'm done in Lesotho. Really, words don't do the rollercoaster I've been on these two years any justice.

My last few weeks at site were pretty unbelievable. I felt like everything fell into place. I somehow managed to pack up, sell or give away all my belongings. Even selling and donating most of my clothes, it was a struggle to fit everything from my African life into my massive suitcase and backpack. The photos came down from my walls, leaving my house incredibly empty. I got rid of most of my American things and packed my many memories from my travels in Lesotho, South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland and Tanzania.

My time in Cape Town has been very refreshing. I've been able to relax in a place that is not much like my life in Lesotho or the States. On Monday some friends and I did a wine tour and even though Mom and I did that tour when she was here in June, it was beautiful to see the vineyards in the summer (and nice to taste the wine again too!).

My flight out of Johannesburg is now scheduled for this Saturday (the stand-by numbers didn't look good for today or the rest of the week so I switched it to stay in Cape Town a while longer) and I'm crossing my fingers that they have a seat for me! For the rest of my time here I'll continue my relaxation stint, eat more delicious sushi, probably taste some more wine and just generally enjoy being on this crazy continent.
Thanks for all your reading support these past two years - I'll try to do a big post again at some point but for now my mind has been focused on my graduate school application, not so much on my blog!
Love from Africa,
-Katie