The 2 Month Mark
7th November
Ahhhh today ended really badly with me wiping the rivulets of blood off Oscars head, another scar to add to the tens there he already he has. His left eye is swollen and Dante's knuckles cut and bloody.
We were all quietly doing homework (or some playing chess on the computer) when Oscar and Dante's conversation got really heated. Suddenly someone punched someone and it all went wrong from there. Although not tall both the 14 and 23 year old are equally muscle-packed and stocky so caused quite some damage, knocking metal plates and shelves over, slamming into the table. With their backgrounds so hard and rough these boys are immune to most things but all it can take is a word to set them off. Anastasia rang Alcides, and Tanya and I seperated the boys. For some reason Anastasia wanted to put wee on Oscar's head cut, in all seriousness, but we found an antisceptic wipe in time. Tanya didn't lend Dante her mobile for music later in the evening, a symbol of reward normally. The struggle for identity in a home where all come from terrible backgrounds and need equal attention and recognition means that there is certain tension here at times, the boys don't always get along, have their allicances and occassionally feel they need to defend themselves or prove themselves as a result of the psycological harm they've experienced before, if they feel threatened for instance.
Despite the fight we have had a really good week. Yesterday we took all the boys swimming in Lucre. Tanya and I weren't expecting anything amazing but as soon as we walked into the pool area (literally whitewashed dung-built walls surrounding some mud-huts for changing rooms, and pipes for showers) we both looked at each other. It was like 2 ponds! The clear water came up to my waist and had pretty green algae covering the pebble floor, imagine your typical dentist's fishbowl... The steps were really slippy but otherwise it was all safe. We helped Wilmer, Ivan, Carmen Rosa, Dani, Valerio all to swim, getting them kicking their legs while sitting on the side. Hernan and Oscar were like fishes whereas Dante and Neptali preferred to play football. The journey there was a bit of a trek. We had to walk to the plaza of Oropesa from Azul Wasi (20 mins), then down to the main Cusco - Puno road (15 mins). Next we waited for half an hour for the bus to Lucre, paid a sol each per person and after the 10 minute trip got off. It was then a 10 minute walked through the fields and tracks that make up Lucre village to the sports centre, nearly an hour in total to get to a village we can virtually see down the valley from Azul Wasi! On the journey home we stopped in Oropesa to get everyone a piece of cake, and got a free banana from Marixsol each. On the journey home we stopped in Oropesa to get everyone a piece of cake, and got a free banana from Marixsol each.
Tomorrow begins the construction of a new building out back towards the Oropesan end of the site, which will have 4 more beds and will gradually be extended. I have no idea where the money is coming from, possibly Alcides' pocket. He is hoping to increase the number of boys to 20 eventually, which I think is a good thing, some of the older ones will be moving on soon. For the next two weeks we have a young German couple volunteering, Judi and Bernand. They want to do some construction in the mornings and help the boys and start games in the afternoons. Hopefully we will get a couple of German lessons too! If the Prophet doesn't resist... We're starting a handwriting group with timers and races, fun books not ones on the particles of the atmostphere.
TEN DAYS TILL BOLIVIA ahhhhhhhhhh very excited to see Tim, Su and Toby who we were with on Training as they are all with Project Trust, and the German volunteers they are working with. We're heading to Parque Madidi and Rurrenbaque, and have a total of 6 nights in La Paz, some either side of the jungle bit, so a pretty indulgent visa trip but possibly our only chance to get to the Amazon... and an amazing part too, with glaciers and incredible wildlife! The bus to La Paz is £12, and that was a more expensive reliable bus company with a camera on board and a bed-seat each - we could have gone for under a tenner! What suave travellers we were to go direct to the bus terminal rather than the tour operators which also sell the tickets but at double the price in central Cusco for their commission.
This evening I fixed Valerio's school trousers. They each have one pair and his had a huuuuuuge hole in the crotch so sewing that up will make a difference. He read me Pied Piper of Hamelin the other night (in Spanish), each of us with a kitten, all calm and tranquil till Dante sneakily pulled the wooden bed boards out from under Valerio's top bunk and we fell onto Dani, mattress and all. We have played lots of football and learnt some French from 15 volunteers who came from Quebec for two days. They were good fun with lots of cool game ideas with coloured marker pens, and we played a hectic game of ultimate frisbee at the stadium in Oropesa. Valerio this week also found the cutest puppy ever! Named Zorro, it was completely covered in fleas and ticks but we gave it a bath and a hair cut to get the matted bits out, then another bath and found it a home with Marixsol. The trip to Oropesa with Ivan and Valerio was hilarious: Valerio asked every passerby "Tú, perrito, comprar?" which means, "You, puppy, buy?" like he couldn't form a sentence, and wanted to sell it for 1 sol in order that we had 25 centavos each... 2 chippies worth of plata. Ivan just ate various sour clover leaves and hid and jumped out and hid again. He als o insisted on bringing an ancient wheel-barrow tyre from Azul Wasi for the whole trip. Tanya and I carried the infested puppy in a bucket. Quite a group. The next day Marixsol texted Tanya to say she'd changed her mind so we went to pick it up, except that it had disappeared, Marixsol couldn't find it anywhere so who knows it's destiny... it really was a very cute Puppy but AW already has three dogs.
For halloween we made masks with the boys which was really fun, and resulted in all sorts from rabbits to devils and Frankenstein hands... The only other news is that middle Edwin went to hospital with anaphalactic shock from a bee sting which was a bit scary...
In summary then, the first two months have been a MASSIVE learning curve, much helped by the m&ms from Aunty Ali, thank you! but now finally we have settled, understand the system of Azul Wasi, the boys, how they think, how it's funded, how Alcides works, how Peru works and it's people, how we can add to their lives and Azul Wasi. I no longer feel "new" as such with the various other voluteers coming, the boys get all shy and come to us when they come. We have all been enjoying the volleyball on telly... Peru aren't always in the World Cup but they CAN play volley! We have a favourite food, favourite days of the week, friends in Oropesa we could call on if something went wrong like Grecia and Marixsol, and it's these little things that make the food and beds and lack of creature comforts much, much more bearable. Lots of hope for the next two months :) and Christmas will be fun, I can't wait! Christmas songs on the pan pipes and flutes?! Cuy with gravy and sprouts...
Lots and lots and lotssssssss of love to all,
- Rach x
Ahhhh today ended really badly with me wiping the rivulets of blood off Oscars head, another scar to add to the tens there he already he has. His left eye is swollen and Dante's knuckles cut and bloody.
We were all quietly doing homework (or some playing chess on the computer) when Oscar and Dante's conversation got really heated. Suddenly someone punched someone and it all went wrong from there. Although not tall both the 14 and 23 year old are equally muscle-packed and stocky so caused quite some damage, knocking metal plates and shelves over, slamming into the table. With their backgrounds so hard and rough these boys are immune to most things but all it can take is a word to set them off. Anastasia rang Alcides, and Tanya and I seperated the boys. For some reason Anastasia wanted to put wee on Oscar's head cut, in all seriousness, but we found an antisceptic wipe in time. Tanya didn't lend Dante her mobile for music later in the evening, a symbol of reward normally. The struggle for identity in a home where all come from terrible backgrounds and need equal attention and recognition means that there is certain tension here at times, the boys don't always get along, have their allicances and occassionally feel they need to defend themselves or prove themselves as a result of the psycological harm they've experienced before, if they feel threatened for instance.
Despite the fight we have had a really good week. Yesterday we took all the boys swimming in Lucre. Tanya and I weren't expecting anything amazing but as soon as we walked into the pool area (literally whitewashed dung-built walls surrounding some mud-huts for changing rooms, and pipes for showers) we both looked at each other. It was like 2 ponds! The clear water came up to my waist and had pretty green algae covering the pebble floor, imagine your typical dentist's fishbowl... The steps were really slippy but otherwise it was all safe. We helped Wilmer, Ivan, Carmen Rosa, Dani, Valerio all to swim, getting them kicking their legs while sitting on the side. Hernan and Oscar were like fishes whereas Dante and Neptali preferred to play football. The journey there was a bit of a trek. We had to walk to the plaza of Oropesa from Azul Wasi (20 mins), then down to the main Cusco - Puno road (15 mins). Next we waited for half an hour for the bus to Lucre, paid a sol each per person and after the 10 minute trip got off. It was then a 10 minute walked through the fields and tracks that make up Lucre village to the sports centre, nearly an hour in total to get to a village we can virtually see down the valley from Azul Wasi! On the journey home we stopped in Oropesa to get everyone a piece of cake, and got a free banana from Marixsol each. On the journey home we stopped in Oropesa to get everyone a piece of cake, and got a free banana from Marixsol each.
Tomorrow begins the construction of a new building out back towards the Oropesan end of the site, which will have 4 more beds and will gradually be extended. I have no idea where the money is coming from, possibly Alcides' pocket. He is hoping to increase the number of boys to 20 eventually, which I think is a good thing, some of the older ones will be moving on soon. For the next two weeks we have a young German couple volunteering, Judi and Bernand. They want to do some construction in the mornings and help the boys and start games in the afternoons. Hopefully we will get a couple of German lessons too! If the Prophet doesn't resist... We're starting a handwriting group with timers and races, fun books not ones on the particles of the atmostphere.
TEN DAYS TILL BOLIVIA ahhhhhhhhhh very excited to see Tim, Su and Toby who we were with on Training as they are all with Project Trust, and the German volunteers they are working with. We're heading to Parque Madidi and Rurrenbaque, and have a total of 6 nights in La Paz, some either side of the jungle bit, so a pretty indulgent visa trip but possibly our only chance to get to the Amazon... and an amazing part too, with glaciers and incredible wildlife! The bus to La Paz is £12, and that was a more expensive reliable bus company with a camera on board and a bed-seat each - we could have gone for under a tenner! What suave travellers we were to go direct to the bus terminal rather than the tour operators which also sell the tickets but at double the price in central Cusco for their commission.
This evening I fixed Valerio's school trousers. They each have one pair and his had a huuuuuuge hole in the crotch so sewing that up will make a difference. He read me Pied Piper of Hamelin the other night (in Spanish), each of us with a kitten, all calm and tranquil till Dante sneakily pulled the wooden bed boards out from under Valerio's top bunk and we fell onto Dani, mattress and all. We have played lots of football and learnt some French from 15 volunteers who came from Quebec for two days. They were good fun with lots of cool game ideas with coloured marker pens, and we played a hectic game of ultimate frisbee at the stadium in Oropesa. Valerio this week also found the cutest puppy ever! Named Zorro, it was completely covered in fleas and ticks but we gave it a bath and a hair cut to get the matted bits out, then another bath and found it a home with Marixsol. The trip to Oropesa with Ivan and Valerio was hilarious: Valerio asked every passerby "Tú, perrito, comprar?" which means, "You, puppy, buy?" like he couldn't form a sentence, and wanted to sell it for 1 sol in order that we had 25 centavos each... 2 chippies worth of plata. Ivan just ate various sour clover leaves and hid and jumped out and hid again. He als o insisted on bringing an ancient wheel-barrow tyre from Azul Wasi for the whole trip. Tanya and I carried the infested puppy in a bucket. Quite a group. The next day Marixsol texted Tanya to say she'd changed her mind so we went to pick it up, except that it had disappeared, Marixsol couldn't find it anywhere so who knows it's destiny... it really was a very cute Puppy but AW already has three dogs.
For halloween we made masks with the boys which was really fun, and resulted in all sorts from rabbits to devils and Frankenstein hands... The only other news is that middle Edwin went to hospital with anaphalactic shock from a bee sting which was a bit scary...
 |
| Carmen Rosa's pumpkin mask |
 |
| Dani and mask |
In summary then, the first two months have been a MASSIVE learning curve, much helped by the m&ms from Aunty Ali, thank you! but now finally we have settled, understand the system of Azul Wasi, the boys, how they think, how it's funded, how Alcides works, how Peru works and it's people, how we can add to their lives and Azul Wasi. I no longer feel "new" as such with the various other voluteers coming, the boys get all shy and come to us when they come. We have all been enjoying the volleyball on telly... Peru aren't always in the World Cup but they CAN play volley! We have a favourite food, favourite days of the week, friends in Oropesa we could call on if something went wrong like Grecia and Marixsol, and it's these little things that make the food and beds and lack of creature comforts much, much more bearable. Lots of hope for the next two months :) and Christmas will be fun, I can't wait! Christmas songs on the pan pipes and flutes?! Cuy with gravy and sprouts...
Lots and lots and lotssssssss of love to all,
- Rach x
posted by Rachel at
03:25
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