First email out - alive and well

I’ve been down in Peru now for about two weeks and unlike some of the other volunteers…I haven’t had to chug any peptobismol (the food has actually been great!). This is one of the first opportunities I’ve had to get on the internet and send the obligatory email that I am, in fact, alive, well, and happy…but very busy.

I won’t send out any more mass emails – I’ll just update my blog (http://www.jakeinperu.blogspot.com/) or send one-offs. I won’t be updating the blog much during my training because I won’t have the time (through Aug 24). Below is a little more info if you have the time to read…otherwise, check out my blog when you have the time. My phone no longer works – but I’ll be getting one down here at the end of training.

-Jake

For the next three months, I’ll be going through a fairly intense training schedule, involving a LOT of Spanish class (4 to 5 hours per day, not to mention any other moment spent with my family or venturing out in the town). Training for Peace Corps is intense and there is a lot thrown at you quickly. I’m currently getting large doses of case studies in development work and business in Peru and Latin America. We get a lot of training on other stuff (agriculture, water sanitation, third world diseases, etc), but the primary focus for me is Spanish and business.

Nothing too interesting yet…and there won’t be anything terribly interesting for the next two months, since I’ll be studying most of that time. Once I get out to my site then the world is my oyster and I’m on my own and that is when the interesting stories will start building up.

As you imagine, there is a plethora other material I could write about…host family, cultures, times-Jake-gets-laughed-at, food, customs, other volunteers…but this is a short email to let everyone know I’m doing well. The mental stimulation of a new country, language, friends, home, and job, is quite exhausting - but in a good way. I love waking up everyday (other than the damn roosters that wake me up an hour before sunrise everyday, but…eating chicken never tasted so good).

My mailing address at the moment is:
Jake DeBerry
Embajada Americana/Cuerpo de Paz
Calle los Cedros 647
Chaclacayo
Lima 8, Peru, S.A.

Hold off on sending anything big. Once I get out to my permanent site I will readily accept anything anyone is willing to send. Anytime you send anything, it has to be marked as a gift…always under $100. I’ll send more instructions when the time comes that I can receive large packages.

Thanks for reading, I’ll make sure the blogs are more funny.