The association and consultants

I haven’t written much about the association I’m working with because I don’t find that it makes interesting reading…not as much as my other escapades. I do not think I’ve had much of an impact yet and I’m still understanding their issues. Although, an easily identifiable improvement is that more are showing up to meetings on time. I’ve also been on tv now twice doing interviews about the association and we received their largest order to date. (pic: the crest of Tarica)

Recently, we began working with consultants. These consultants are paid by the largest mine in Peru, which is in the mountains near me. This mine is required to spend a certain amount of money on the community, and these consultants are part of that deal, aimed at improving the local artisan associations.

These consultants have been great partners for me and I’ve been able to learn quite a bit from them. One of the problems I have is the communication barrier…but I also have the white/gringo barrier. Things I say can be easily dismissed because I must not understand. The world is a different place for them. Or…even worse, most look at me as a way to get money for free. There was an earthquake here in 1970 that killed over 100,000 people and destroyed about 85% of the area. Afterwards, this area received a lot of aid and created a generation of dependents.

These consultants are examples of educated Peruvians whom have good jobs and act responsibly. They do not have a communication barrier and obviously understand the Peruvian culture better than I do…albeit they are from the coast of Peru.

However, one benefit I have is time. I will be here until Aug 2009…while these consultants are only here for 5 months. One of the problems with aid work is just that, outsiders come in for a short time, do work that others are not willing to do, make/or give them some money, and then leave. After they leave, everything reverts back. Time and patience are needed to make lasting impacts. (pic: our electric oven...gets to 1000 degrees celsius)

Patience has always been the area my mom tells me I need to work on…and in the Peace Corps, it is vital. A source of anxiety for me is the feeling of inaction and/or incompetence. As I mentioned, I have yet to really see my impact. I will not, however, do work that my artisans are not willing to do or learn. Luckily, there are a few that want to improve…and I spend my time with them.

Currently, we’re working on changing the rules of the association to get rid of free-riders. We might start a business within the association to get around those who expect money when they haven’t worked all month. We’re also teaching inventory and book-keeping. This past Monday we went through the entire center and took inventory of what is made and being made. Also, I’m working on a catalog and a website which I’m teaching the president of the association. I get a new idea everyday about different products or ways to market them…but I need to wait for the infrastructure of the association…can’t build a city on nothing. (pic: Frank and I in Tarica's soccer field...we were playing frisbee)

Outside of the association I am working with the president of the youth group for my town. He is paid by the municipality and is running different programs for the youth (below 25 yrs). I’ll begin teaching English as soon as the room is ready…which could be 2 weeks or 2 months. There is also a group of women weaver’s that I hope to work with as well in the near future.

In my spare time, which is usually ample but less than I imagined before joining Peace Corps, I try to finish a book every week or two. I recently bought a guitar, which is great for passing time and relieving stress…and I’m trying to learn to sing, a sizeable undertaking for me. An even loftier goal is to write a book while I’m here…though it’s a lot harder than I anticipated and it might not get finished during my time here…

Thanks for reading.
Love,
Jake

(the pic is a buddy I met at a bar...yaaarrrr!)

2008 is the Year of the Potato!

Did you know the United Nations claimed 2008 to be the year of the potato?!

Now, you're probably thinking of how lucky Idaho is...since they supply a lot of the potatoes for the States.

BUT...did you know that the potato is large point of pride for Peruvians. Sometimes when someone calls me a gringo, I'll reply, "soy mas peruano que la papa", which is, "I'm more Peruvian than the potato". That'll usually get a chuckle or two. Apparently, peruvians eat about 90 kilos per head per year. Where I live, I think they eat more than that though... Here is a picture of "toquish", quite possibly one of the smelliest foods on earth but these mountain folk love it. They drop potatoes in a barrel for a month or two, let them get all smelly and rotty and ferment, then bon appetit. ugh....

Potatoes were domesticated more than 7,000 years ago in Peru and is home to up to 3,500 varieties of edible tubers, according to the International Potato Centre. They grow the standard boring, white type on the coast...but those do make for great french fries I suppose.

Here in the mountains though, they grow all kinds of colorful and tasty varieties. For some reason, they aren't considered delicacies around the world...but they should be. My Dad would go nuts over some of the colors they come in. A little inside into the DeBerry family is that my Dad will often put 'garnish' on our plates when we're just having a family dinner. When we mention that he doesn't need to go to such lengths when it's only us, he replies the plate could use some more color!

The hope of the government this year though is to use the momentum of this being the 'potato year' and get some acknowledgment and turn it into profits. Right now, Peru exports a lot of asparagus, paprika, and artichokes...but only about $500,000 of potato exports. That's one of the problems with the agriculture in Peru is there is no organization. This country should be exporting avocadoes, flowers, bananas, peppers, mangos, lots of potatoes, and lots of other produce but they lack the organization...but they are working on it!

That's all for this one. Thanks for reading!

Love,

Jake

1/4 over...some pictures

Hola! I hope everyone is doing well. Here are just a bunch of photos from training till now. I'm now through with a quarter of my service in the Peace Corps. The weeks go fast, the days go slow. Doesn't make much sense, does it? Welcome to Peace Corps life...a lot of it doesn't make any sense...but I guess that's part of the fun.


Beautiful sunset on Huanchaco, one of the beaches that is relatively close (8 hour bus ride). Great ceviche here, relatively relaxed, great atmosphere.

During our swearing in night - Frank, Drew, and myself smoking some cubans, drinking some scotch and celebrating the end of training. The guy with the teacup is Greg...I don't think his wife would let him smoke.

Who wants a mustache ride??? Tom and I on mustache day. Yes, I look ridiculous...

For the past three months, the kids have been on summer vacation and every Mon, Wed, and Fri, the kids in the community would come to our center to play with clay and learn a little bit about ceramics. They're great kids. For some reason, little kids speaking Spanish sounds much cuter than little kids speaking English. Subjective analysis...yeah.

Meet Eleodoro, one of the harder workers of our group. He's reliable for 2 things...making good products and always ready to down some beer, canaso, or whatever we can afford at one of watering holes or street corner.

This is the hostel we stay at when we go to the above beach. Hammocks...amazing. I don't know why everyone doesn't have one.

Tranquillo...

During Quechua classes, I was absent one afternoon and the assignment was to write a song or poem. Hence, my two best buds here wrote a song about me...

Since my initials are JED, and I have a country boy side, they enjoy calling me Jed...so this is "Merica!, The Ballad of Jed DeBear!" If I thought you could translate, I wouldn't put it on here...it's pretty raunchy.

It's impossible to take a bad photo here when the skies are clear. This is the town I live near, Huaraz with the world's highest tropical mountain pearing down at us. I'm about 4 miles north of the city. I use the word 'city' very loosely...it's an Andean city - which is much different than anything outside.

This is just a neat photo, in a city called Chimbote. Peruvian waters are very abundant with sea-life due to the current coming up from Antartica. These are all fishing boats heading out for the day.

I think I mentioned in an old post that I got a tattoo. It's hard to see the details in this photo, but it's a sun, a condor, and a snake, and a bunch of cool lines.

If you're curious about the symbology, I ripped this description from a website: "The Incas believed that to live completely in the present is the Inca ideal. Each day should be taken for what it has to offer, and this way of life can lead, the Incas believe, to an appreciation of the beauty in life. They believe that paradise is possible through simple appreciation of life in the contemplation of the current moment and of nature. The most important are Pacha Mama and Pacha Tata (mother earth and father heaven). Their main god is Inti...which is the sun. The snake represents intellect, knowledge and the past. Of course, the Spanish destroyed most of what they came across, but they left the snake symbolism intact, because they saw it as proof that the Incas were evil devil-worshippers. The condor represents what people should strive for -- balance, and also represents the future and the possibility of life in another dimension, free, balanced, and soaring the heavens." The puma is also an important part of Incan culture representing the present tense and strength, but the design didn't have a puma...so if I want a well-rounded tattoo full of symbology, I'll have to add that sometime. For now though, my dad has a tattoo of a puma on his shoulder, so between the two of us, we got it covered. .

Thanks for reading!

Much Love,

Jake