Huancayo cntd....

Well, since the last time, Iv been working loads, teaching classes, buying stuff for the school, collecting things....

The altitude here is really making a huge difference, I have to go to bed at like 10 at night because Im just so tired...

Also I was sick the other night, those who know me will know that Im never sick (Im not talking about drink related sickness) so this was a hugly traumatic experience that I feel I must tell everyone about! The mothers, who being unbelieveably kind and wanting to give the volunteers back something in return for our work with them and their kids, they cooked us a meal last Thursday. (Theres another volunteer, steve, 19 from UK, hes very nice) The dinner was only potatoes and sauce (but the volunteers got half an egg each too, when I say meal, I mean we were all sitting out on the grass taking turns using the plates and spoons and washing them in the stram in the meantime) But afterwards I woke up the poor english guy throwing up in the middle of the night...Its four days later and Im still not right and still havent eaten enything else then bread.....

Otherwise, me and Steve made a BBQ for everyone on Sunday (it was decided before the sickness, which later hit Steve too) so it ended up being more of a sedate affair then we had planned because neither of us were able to drink more then one beer and we were in bed by 10.30...

But today we started work on the school in Matapukio, see photos.... Its a "storage room" in one of the mothers houses (mud bricks of course) so this morning we spent filling in the holes in the walls with more mud.... when I say mud, I mean out with our shovels and pick axes by where the cows were to get the earth to mix with water. I have to say, Im quite handy with some mud and a spatula, my part of the wall was definatly the smoothest, and Steves was all lumpy!!! So if anyone needs their mud walls touched up when I get back, Im yer woman.... it will cost you the use of your donkey for 2 days though and a sack of potatoes...

I know that obviously some people wouldnt be into that sort of thing, but as experiences go, I think that that one is going to be up there with the Manchu Piccu type ones for me....

Everything Iv seen here for the past 2 weeks has given me enough to think about for about another 2 months, about poverty, about development, about education....

Not to say that everyone here is destitute or anything, theres a lot of people that lead comforatble lives and have money, but theyre mostly in the cities and big towens. Where Peru Luz de Esperanza works, in the villages, its different there. But thats not to say that they donth ave the exact same hopes and dreams that we do, they want whats best for their children and they love eachother just the same and want to make as good a life as they can....

but its so obvious being here just how lucky we are. I know Ireland and a lot of other countries arnt perfect and a lot of the time not that exiting, but as the world population goes we really are at the top of the pyramid. I know we all know this, but I dont know to how much of an extent we realise it....We have so many opportunities and advantages. I mean some of these people will never see an airport, never mind go on a plane. and here i am on the other side of the world from home (and not even for nearly the first time) and I basicially have to owe it to my education... its the key to development and the solution to a lot of the problems in the world.... Im not just talking about university, obviously thats the major one, but any knowledge...

Today the government in peru announced (theyre obviously a stupid assface government) but that they couldnt afford the public schooling system the way it was, because the teachers wanted more pay (probably like 150$ a month or something) so they have shut down the public school system indefinatly. Shit as it was it was way better then nothing.... to make all the schools essentially their own entities, or fee paying....

While this dosent effect a lot of Peruvians, because they go to private schools anyway, it makes a huge difference to the people in the villages, who cant afford more then potatoes to eat, never mind paying to send their kids to school. So everyone is arranging marches to protest in the main towens. Its really shit because it just makes the gap bigger between the people who have some money and the people who dont have a chance. and I only know a few villages in a tiny part of Peru, you can bet that theres millions that its going to effect. Thats why organisations like Peru Luz de Esperanza are so important..... at least theyre doing something positive.
Things like that must crush some peoples hope, some of the parents arnt too bothered about sending their kids to school because they reakon that theyre just going to end up working in the fields anyway and they may aswell help them in the fields now and earn some more money... and then theres other parents who would give their right hand for their kids to be educated and to make a better life for themselves.... There was one woman, Señora Vilma, she was the lady whose house we had the school in. she was only 28, but was the president of the area, which is quite an important role and unuasual for a young woman... (Here some of the husbands wont let their wives go to the Peru Luz de Esperanza classes bcause theyre home late and dont have lunch ready on time.....) but she learns her kids homework to try and learn english and trys to speak english to the volunters and from that has a pretty ok vocabulary..... but still her family dosent have their own fields, they work in other peoples, but she still has dreams that one day she will mover her family to Lima and have a better life... I had great admiration for her, theres just some people you meet and have to admire....

Im sitting in the airport in Lima writing this and I hope my flights going to be ok because I bought it from the cheapest airline....but it was better then th e 24 hour bus journey, on top of the 8 hours back to Lima....BUt the past 2 weeks have been really packed in, we managed to finish the school in 3 days, not bad considering the state of it before hand and me and Steve had a decorating the place/sports day for the opening day (and my last day) so we had potato and spoon and sack rases and twister (home made of course!) and some wall signing...altogether I think we managed a good job on t he school, I was quite proud of the team! I even managed to put the lights in! Cause Im an "electrical engineer" they were like, woo, you can do the lights....I was abit aprehensive because I havent actually wired lights for a house before, even though the theory isnt hard or anything, but I seemed to manage ok and the lights worked and noone was electricuted! see photos!!

Being there and seeing all the different stories of people it makes you think what poverty really is.... Is it not being able to afford to educate your child, is it not having enough food to eat, is it working all day and still not having enough? is it when you´re trapped in a situation that you cant get out of because you cant afford to or you cant because you dont think you can or you just dont have the will power.... not all have to do with money, but I hope those of us who dont have to deal with these things never will....

Being in the airport its strange to see all the forigners, theres hardly a peruvian face in the place. Going from being the only forigner (and Steve, who Ihave to say made a huge effort at spanish) to Cuzco, which is ment to be totally gringolandia, is going to be a bit of a difference. But this is now my time for travelling .... Im going to be a backpacker and stay in hostals and meet other travellers and be in charge of what I eat!! (which is going to be meat and salad...no more potatoes and rice for me) and where I go and when I want to go.... South American people are great and look after you loads and are really nice, (even getting the taxi to the airport the lady I was sitting next to on the bus helped me get a good one with a good price!) but sometimes it can be a bit suffocating when you just want to do your own thing and its like Im nearly 25, I can do things by myself....but its also really great sometimes...

Otherwise Im off to Cuzco and Manchu Piccu...I dont really have a plan, Im just going to see when I get there...but I think its going to be pretty exiting...
Its strange because you´re sad to leave somewhere, but they you have so much more to look foward to....

Anyway, hope Im not boring everyone with my ranting, I want to email you all, but I just dont have the time to write to everyone individually.... but that dosent mean that I dont miss everyone!!! Thank you to all the people who wrote to me and left messages, keep them comming, theyre really nice to get when you´re away alone! I have never been lonely yet, but sometimes I wish one of my friends was here to so I could share the experience with them too....

anyway, hope youre all well and everythings good with all of you in your respective homes...... keep writing to me and telling me your news!!

kisses from Peru!