Feliz Cumpleaños, Freseney!

I wake each morning to sunrise in the Andes mountains. At 10,000 feet above sea level it is a beautiful slow march for the sun, and then suddenly the sky is the most gorgeous deep blue. It is a blue I have never seen anywhere else; special only to this land. My room is small with a modest twin size wooden bed and a hard uneven matress. But my host mother is a wonderful cook, and the view from my room makes up for any lack of comfort. Today I had to wake early as I have my Spanish leassons again at the San Blas school. Then I must return home for lunch. In Latin America lunch is the biggest meal of the day. Although I could go eat elsewhere, I like the comfort and closeness of my host family. After my lunch I will go to the orphanage, and then later this evening a group of us will get a Peruvian cooking lesson.

I have decided to take a shower every other day since it appears we only have cold water. After my quick cold shower I amble downstairs to see what Violetta has in store for my tastebuds today. Yet another wonderful breakfast, my favorite eggs and sausage (well bacon is my favorite but this was close). After breakfast and a, Hasta Luego, I am off to try and get a taxi to the school on my own accord. I take taxis everywhere. This city is a bit like the wild wild west. Buses (read vans) that should hold 12 people hold 26, I know because I was on one. Taxis drive 4 deep on two lane roads and the honking never stops. It is a language all of their own. My taxi costs 2.5 Soles which equates to roughly 1$ US. I always try to take the cabs with official numbers, older drivers, and if possible a lot of Catholic Saint portraits hanging in the window. I certainly pray evertime I get into one. Today I take a younger driver. As he begins to enquire after the common questions, where are you from?, are you staying here long?, why are you here?, how old are you?, he asks if I am married. Now it is ok for me to say that I am divorced in the company of friends and mi familia, but to him I lie. Yes, I am married, my husband is Matt and he is very tall and strong. He is with our daughter in the States (with an intonation to let him know that he will come over here to kick your butt if you get fresh mister). It is best not to be honest. He seems to lose interest and finally we are at the school.

My lessons are private and Gustavo is a great and very patient teacher. I have been studying on my day off, and Gustavo is pleased with my progress, though slow, I am diligent. Jon and I agreed yesterday to get supplies for the orphanage after class, but he does not see me at school so he slips out on his own. I decide to write in my electronic diary (known as email) while I wait for him to return, and I lose half of everything after an hour and a half of writing. Computers here are like 13 year old girls, unreliable, slow when you need them to be fast, and moody as to when they will even work. Jon returns shortly before I head home for lunch with printer paper, colored pencils, and 4 balls. We are both incredibly excited about what this will mean to the kids. I am still determined to get things for baby Jessica.

After a delicious lunch of white beans, rice, and a thin beef steak I take a brief siesta. I need the rest before the orphanage. Not only is it physically draining it is incredibly emotional as I have mentioned previously. I should also mention that my host mother makes me chicha morrado for lunch. It is a local Peruvian drink made from maize morrado which grows only in Peru. In other words, it is a purple corn not good for eating that is boiled and then ferments in water. You drink the juice, as it were, with a bit of sugar. It is quite tasty actually. There is also another chicha which is made from a different type of corn left to ferment thereby turning into corn beer.

My taxi arrives at the orphanage. It is near the Plaza San Sebastian across from the Collegio de Virgen de Fatima. Some of the older kids who we have not met yet go to Collegio and do not arrive home until later. Immediately there are Holas and hugs and smiling faces. Everyone is downstairs eating lunch at a proper table this time. Jon is already there and holding baby Jessica. At 21 this young student of Micro Biology is one of several impressive fellow volunteers. As soon as you meet him you sense his compassion and good heartedness. The kids are amazed at him because he is blonde and about 6,3 in height. He asks me to teach him about babies since he has not worked with them, and since he plans to be a pediatric doctor he wants to gain more first hand experience. I assure him I would be happy to help, and my concern with Jessica is she is at about a 6 month developmental stage. In fact my friends baby, Keir, is more interactive at 3 months then she is at one year. I take baby Jessica into my arms, and I am happy to say she has a clean diaper and has been fed. I really want to work with her to make eye contact, smile, make sounds, and try to walk. Ironically the kids break out this drink that is like a Pepsi with vitamins. It is their after lunch treat, and little Jessica comes alive.

I had sat Jessica down for a moment, and all of sudden she starts crawling to the table. Ahhh, she sees the drink and she wants some I realize. Now I do not approve of giving babies cola but this is their ritual. It also gets her excited, and I am in no position to resist. So I gently pick her up and hold her hands and we walk together to the table. We get her a cup and I have to spoon feed her the cola. She is very very pleased with herself! She does not have a bottle or sippy cup so I mentally add this to the list of things for Jessica.

The older girls start asking me if I like babies, if I want to have another, etc. They then tell me that Freseney, who is at the Collegio, is turning 13 today. They ask if we would buy her and the others something sweet so they could have a fiesta. You see nothing as far as I can tell has been planned. I tell them I will confer with Jon. After Jessica finishes her (gasp) cola I bring out the ball. She really likes it!! She hits it with her hands, and I roll it to her and she sort of rolls it to me. I tickle her and I get a smile. My day is already a thousand times better than yesterday; yet unbelievably, it continues to improve.

I go upstairs with baby Jessica to join Jon in the play room, and the kids have ripped into the paper and pencils. They are drawing and making pinwheels. The boys help the girls make their pinwheels that they then hold out of the window in order to watch them spin in the cool mountain air. I am drawing hearts on cards that the girls are making and everyone is having fun. Jon and I decide indeed we will go get a cake for Freseneys birthday, and I also determine that I will get milk, a bottle, and some baby food for Jessica.

One of the orphanage directors and Karin (13) walks us to the Super Market 15 minutes away. It is actually a very modern market in most aspects. As Jon and Karin look at cakes I get a princess castle bottle with handles so she can start practicing gripping and drinking. I get 2 litres of fresh milk (they literally pour it from a large vat into plastic bags) for $1 US. Then it is off to the baby food aisle. They only have fruit baby food in jars so I grab some of those and a huge jar of strawberry marmelade for all the other kids. Sum total of my costs for all of the above, $11. Jon scored an enormous fruit and chocolate cake for $10. We were going to have a fiesta grande!!

When we get back to the orphanage there is excitement in the air. The directors husband who just came into town helps us set up. We fix up a table with a table cloth, set benches enough for everyone around the perimeter of the room, and put out the cake. The husband fixes the stereo so there will be music, baby Jessica has been redressed in pink and now everyone is wanting to hold her, and Jon replaces the burnt out lightbulbs. The mood was contagiously exciting!!

The older kids get home from Collegio and immediately begin to ask Jon and I questions. The directors are in the kitchen making popcorn and some kind of chocolate drink, and Freseney is excited because she is going to have a great party! Unfortunately for Juan (as we call Jon) and I we have to leave for our cooking lesson. We keep pushing the time limit though, helping the girls with their English homework and playing with the kids. Finally at seven we have to leave because we are already late. We say good evening and leave feeling hopeful and even helpful after a much improved day.

Our cooking lesson was a short taxi ride from San Blas, and was held in the home of another host family. Dina a woman in her 50s was not only exceptionally beautiful and kind but an amazing cook. We made a dish that takes mashed potato which you stuff like a giant ostrich egg with sauteed chicken, onion, bell pepper, and spices. Roll it in flour and then fry it until golden. Serve with a side of steamed broccoli and a vegetable medely of beets, green beans, carrots, mixed in mayonaise. Add a little cocoa tea (not addictive but helps with altitude sickness) and Coca Cola to drink it was a delicious home cooked meal.

It was a wonderful evening sitting around the table eating and talking. The group formed from a collection of four college students from all over the US- Hannah, Andrea, Jon, and Russ, Dina our hostess, Rita (an ex-corporate worker from Morocco) and myself. We spoke Spanish and English and tried to laugh about the affront from a Peruvian man that happened to Hannah, 19, today after she left her project. See, unfortunately it is not uncommon for this to occur with women here in Cusco. Hannah confronted this man after he followed her for several blocks and as she did so he began grabbing at her arms. I told her in an appropriate woman-mother fashion to start screaming curses in his face, poke both of his eyes, and knee him in the groin. Let us just say after that everyone chimed in with their suggestions which reached the pretty hysterical culminating with unexpectedly funny suggestions from Dina our hostess (let us just say that she was making some mean faces and using a grabbing, pulling, and twisting gesture with her hands).

As we said our goodbyes and headed to catch our respective taxis home I began to think how much this is a place of extremes (at least from my perspective). Sometimes the only way to cope with them is through half a measure of common sense followed with hard work, and half a measure of humor and laughter. However upon further reflection, I find that all this seems to be the case at home though as well, now doesnt it?

>What they need is love

There is a singing outside my window. They are clanging bells and wailing a sad tune. I dont know why, or what they are saying, but it matches my heart. It is heavy with todays work. I want to write a lot about my experience, but if I begin to tell you about the 20 or so orphan children crammed into the 3 story apartment in a less than desireable neighborhood I may not be able to keep it together. Or maybe you do want to know about the one year old, Jessica, who was fed broth for lunch and was crying incessantly. How I went and picked her up and realized she had been crying because of a dirty diaper. That the dirty diaper full of caca had started to dry on her bottom, and they had to go buy diapers because they were out. After a 10 minute wait, Flor, an 11 year old little girl helped me change her diaper and redress Jessica on a bed. Flors bed in fact because there is no changing station. Jeanetta who co-operatively runs the orphanage said when I arrived...mainly what the children need is love. I agree, there does not seem to be enough love or attention to go around.

Yes, I would rather tell you about the Plaza de las Armas, my wonderful host family, the effects of cocoa tea on altitude sickness, insane taxi rides, my Spanish lessons, my fellow volunteers, and much more but I can not. As a mother my heart is breaking. As a mother I want to grab my daughter and squeeze her til she bursts.

Tomorrow my fellow volunteer Jon and I will go buy paper, crayons, pencils, maybe some books, and I knew there was a reason I brought baby wipes. I am certain I will be buying Jessica some milk and baby food since she has none. I brought some cash to cover additional expenses and to purchase some small gifts for friends; I am afraid my friends that Jessica will be getting your gift. I hope you wont mind. Yes, they need love and protection and shelter; isnt that what we all want at the end of the day. To be loved so we are not alone in this challenging life. I will give them my love gladly; please go give someone yours.

Am I Ready Yet?

No I am not ready yet!! I can't wait to get on the plane so I can stop getting ready to get on the plane!!!

Before I go a last minute shout out to two more donations!!

Suzy Trotta (aka La Mayor)
Mike Bensey (once again thanks man!!)

I will announce who won what with the bids when I return and get everyone their prizes...yay!!!

Ok, well back to packing, CD burning, and last minute panicking. Hope to blog again soon...and wow I really am going to Peru!!!

Mothers' Love

Wow, I had a great time at my "Kick Me Out of The Country Party" on Saturday night! Thanks to everyone who was able to attend and those who sent their regards. I still have the Silent Auction going through Friday so get your bid in and get something awesome for yourself or a loved one!! A shout out to the following folks for their support:

Kate Moore (of Kate Moore Creative...she also designed my uber cool auction poster!!)
Keir Woods (of the Woods clan)
Anonymous (thanks for the X's and O's whomever you may be)
Mike Bensey (of Impulse Inc and also a giver of beef jerky aka the perfect travel food)

I am so grateful for the support and well wishes from all of you!!

Now for the Peru preparation update. So, I actually went and had a non-Cosmo related Spanish lesson with my friend Peggy last week! To celebrate Cinco de Mayo we went to La Esperanza for some truly authentic Mexican food. Located at the junction of Whittle Springs and Washington Pike the diner is tucked in the back of the grocery store. I am telling you it is now my favorite Mexican food in Knoxville. The quality is outstanding and the environment is as real as it gets (in Knoxville anyway). Our waitress who was from Ecuador spoke Spanish so it was a great opportunity for me to listen to Peggy (a Spanish teacher) and her converse, and I also practiced a bit myself. I am happy to say although I can not speak Spanish very well (yet), I understood a lot of the exchange. I mention this experience for many reasons. First because I really want some folks to try out the food, but also because the conversation between the waitress and Peggy got me thinking. She was telling Peggy how she came to be in the states. How her ex-husband got deported and that her ex-boyfriend is in jail for domestic abuse. How she has a two year old child that she is now caring for alone. You know as mothers and as women it does not matter where you are from we all have many hurdles to overcome. Not only does she have to worry about providing for her son (all the while she is away from her folks in Ecuador), but she also has a new language to learn; much like the situation I will be in soon. After I went home that evening and broke out my books to study more about Incan/Andean culture the thought of motherhood and it's challenges were heavy on my mind. As I dug a little beyond my Lonely Planet guide and into the history of the area this is some of what I found.

Although Catholicism is the main religion these days, there are still many festivals and traditions that are celebrated relating back to the beliefs from long ago. One of these is in regards to Mama Pacha or Pachamama. Defined as: "a goddess revered by the indigenous people of the Andes Pachamama is usually translated as "Mother Earth" but a more literal translation would be "Mother world" (in Aymara and Quechua mama = mother / pacha = world or land; and later spread fairly modern as the cosmos or the universe).[1] Pachamama and Inti are the most benevolent deities and are worshiped in parts of the Andean mountain ranges, also known as Tawantinsuyu (stretching from present day Ecuador to Chile and Argentina)." - Wikipedia

It is interesting that the Andean people jointly worship the Virgin Mary and Pachamama (who has also been revered as the Virgin de Candelaria) side by side with no thought that one should eradicate the other. Mama Pacha giving nourishment to us through the harvest/earth and Mary nourishing our soul/spirit. Both mothers, both giving of themselves in similar, yet slightly different ways. One of the traditions is to sprinkle a libation on the ground before a meeting or festival in honor of Pachamama. I don't think you have to believe in any religion to know that mothers (and fathers) give of themselves all of the time. I find the idea of Pachamama appealing as I have set a goal for myself to keep the balance by always giving back as much as I receive. I find that at times I have been all to willing to tip those scales in my favor.

So, after my daughter and I went to our garden plot on Mother's Day to harvest our first set of strawberries, I thought of Mama Pacha and all mothers. As we ate the berries I tipped a little of my water to the ground in honor of the love of all mothers including (but not limited to) Pachamama, Virgin Mary, my mother, grandmothers, and even our Ecuadorian waitress. I hope that when I get to Peru I can give back in a way that all of the Mama's would be proud of and help to keep the scales a little more balanced.

Cosmo Says...

First and foremost THANKS to the following folks who have bid/donated this week:

Vania Smrkovski
Concord Title- Trevor Piety
Kevin Simcoe

and a big thanks to Bernard Aurthur for the remaining 5,000 Marriott points!!  Now I have a great hotel to stay at in Lima the night before I head home!!

Don't forget to bid on your item at: http://www.firstgiving.com/shannonfoster

Well, like I said in my last post I have got to get a move on with the Spanish language studying!!  So, I rented three movies.  So far I have only watched one, but it is one of my old favorites, Like Water for Chocolate.  The one and only Lawson McGhee library has it in Spanish with English subtitles, for FREE!!!  This is one of the many reasons I love the library.  Unfortunately, all the movies I got are tear jerkers.  I need to go rent something funny or ya'll may find me sobbing in a heap on the floor.

However, the most fun I have had so far is "reading" a Spanish Cosmopolitan magazine.  I will admit it is a lot more fun to learn the language with a Cosmo in hand than a grammar book.  I mean I seem to instinctually translate the phrases about shoes and makeup...hmmm??  Anyway, my friend Maria and I poured over the Cosmo the other evening before a rousing game of Scattergories at my best friend Jen's casa (and yes I won Scattergories again thereby retaining my undefeated title).   Maria lived in Mexico as a student and so we had a lot of fun translating the magazine together.  (Read: Maria had a lot of fun watching me try to translate the magazine as she so deftly read and understood all of it while laughing at my attempts).  Even though I may only be able to speak phrases that you see in the Cosmo quizzes like "You know he likes you if he brings you coffee at work" or "Let me tell you how to keep your romance alive" I don't think anyone will mind all that much!   They might say "Ma'am please pay for your meal now" and I will sweetly reply, "Let me tell you how to keep your romance alive".   Ok, well maybe I need to get those Vis-Ed cards out too??  Until next time, buenas tardes mis amogos...

T Minus -16 Days

Wow!  I am leaving for Peru in two and a half weeks.  Frankly it is hard to believe that the dream of this trip is finally here and bearing all its reality hard upon me.  Everyday I feel like I am running from the world of Real Estate to Peru planning and back again.  Frankly it has been exciting and at times a bit overwhelming.  Funny, I now realize how very much out of international travel practice/planning/execution I have become in the last ten years!  The good news is the internet has been a wonderful source for information, ability to purchase needed things (like airline tickets and hotels), and also an instructional tool.  So what is left to do in T-16 days... hmmm let's see:

Online/telephone orientation with United Planet folks
Pick up Cipro in case of an antibiotic needed emergencies (I am told by my new Peruvian expert friend John "if it can't be peeled and/or boiled don't eat it!)
Continue fundraising efforts
Pack clothes
Finalize house sitter
Exchange some cash before I leave
Book hotels for flight layovers (yeah does anyone have any Marriott points they would like to donate?)
Write a new Will (I know this is a good excuse to get it done though)
Relearn Spanish

Wait!!  It is true...I have been completely neglecting my Spanish lessons.  Out of everything on that list this is probably the most important item, don't ya think?  Well thank the lord for Mr. Tim Ferriss.  I read his book about a year ago and have implemented many of his suggestions, but this guy is pretty amazing!  An expert at business, sports, physical fitness, he is also a language master (or freak whichever you prefer).  Believe me if you want to learn what efficiency is there is NO better teacher.

So after reading his article on How to Learn Any Language @ http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/01/20/learning-language/#more-1077

this is what I am going to be doing:

Watching one movie a day in Spanish with subtitles, reading a fashion magazine in Spanish for 20 minutes a day, reading a Spanish phrase book on my layovers, and working with Vis-Ed cards 30 minutes a day.  So off to the library I go and maybe I should go get a bartenders manual in Spanish and knock out two goals at once!!

A Little Bit of Easter Week Luck

What a great week the last one has turned out to be for me.  I hope everyone else had a fun holiday with friends and family, and that you have also had a minute to enjoy this spring weather we are having!  I am happy to report "a lot a bit of luck" has been thrown my way regarding my upcoming trip.

First off thanks to everyone who came to Preservation Pub for my fundraiser last Wednesday.  I had a lot of fun being a "celebrity" bartender, and Danielle the real bartender was a great sport.  I ended up raising $100 towards my trip.  Like I said before every bit helps, and I am really grateful to everyone who gave.  I am working on another event in late April so stay tuned.  It also looks like I may be able to get my flight/travel cost down significantly.  "Luckily" I discovered if I leave out of Miami directly I can get a ticket for $500 as opposed to $1300 out of Knoxville!!  The catch is I will need to get into Miami on Friday night and I won't leave for Peru until Sat night.  Anybody know some folks in Miami who can let me crash on their couch for a Friday night??

Now onto to my Easter luck.  I was out enjoying a Sunday brunch with my friend Mieke when the table that we had been sitting next to on the patio overheard me say that I was looking at flights to Peru.  The young man with them perked up and asked "did I hear you say you are going to Peru??".  Sure enough he studies (and teaches) Andean/Incan history and has spent a large amount of time living in and around Cuzco.  Not only that but my best friend Jennifer sold him his house IN MY neighborhood!!  What "luck" that I sat down next to (probably) the most knowledgeable person in Knoxville on where I will be spending two weeks of my life!  So, John and I are scheduled to have coffee next Tuesday to discuss my trip further.  He was also kind enough to bring his Lonely Planet book and a book on Machu Picchu to my house on Monday morning.  So how is that for some great Easter week luck?  Got to love serendipity...