Average.
Sometimes, I feel like I am not exceedingly good at anything. At the same time, though, I am not exceedingly bad at anything. I am average at everything; doomed to a future of ambiguous anonymity. Not that it's so awful.
Inspiration for your day:
Courage, it would seem, is nothing less than the power to overcome danger, misfortune, fear, injustice, while continuing to affirm inwardly that life with all its sorrows is good; that everything is meaningful even if in a sense beyond our understanding; and that there is always tomorrow.
-Dorothy Thompson
I find out where my site is on Friday... I'm freaking out a little bit!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Rock Star
Did you ever wonder what it would be like to get a standing ovation after a kick-ass performace? I'm no singer, song writer, or musician and, therefore, assumed I would never experience such a thing. Last night, though, my friend Elizabeth and I were rock stars.
Today is the Peruvian Independence Day and yesterday was my host mom's birthday. The family went to Lima and we walked around in the Plaza de Armas. Only in Peru would they fill the entire fountain with Pisco (a Peruvian liquor) for everyone to drink. I have to wonder how many pigeons were drunk yesterday, too. Anyways, we had lunch at Norky's (the Peru KFC) and then we watched Wal E at the movie theater. It was a fabulous day and not 10 minutes after we got home, a couple of friends were knocking on my door wondering if I wanted to go out in Chosica with them. We ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant, ice cream down on the street, and we continued on to a hole-in-the-wall kareoke bar.
McDonald's Kareoke Bar, as it was named, was filled with tables full of people singing sappy spanish love songs and passing a microphone around so that no one would need to stand up in the front. There were about 15 of us that went and the other half of the table picked out some songs they wanted to sing. After about an hour, 10 of our group decided they were too tired to wait it out for their turn and went home. Which means that the rest of us were left to sing whatever english songs they had picked. The waitress handed Elizabeth and I microphones and we anxiously watched the screen to see Madonna's Like a Prayer appear, a song we both knew. To our credit, we did start off sitting in our chairs at the table but as the song continued, it was impossible to sit still. We got up and danced up and down the room. The people were going absolutely wild... It was as if we really were Madonna. Thank gosh Kelly got a video of it all. Maybe I can work on posting that on the Myspace.
Sometimes my life is ridiculously hilarious.
Much Love.
Today is the Peruvian Independence Day and yesterday was my host mom's birthday. The family went to Lima and we walked around in the Plaza de Armas. Only in Peru would they fill the entire fountain with Pisco (a Peruvian liquor) for everyone to drink. I have to wonder how many pigeons were drunk yesterday, too. Anyways, we had lunch at Norky's (the Peru KFC) and then we watched Wal E at the movie theater. It was a fabulous day and not 10 minutes after we got home, a couple of friends were knocking on my door wondering if I wanted to go out in Chosica with them. We ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant, ice cream down on the street, and we continued on to a hole-in-the-wall kareoke bar.
McDonald's Kareoke Bar, as it was named, was filled with tables full of people singing sappy spanish love songs and passing a microphone around so that no one would need to stand up in the front. There were about 15 of us that went and the other half of the table picked out some songs they wanted to sing. After about an hour, 10 of our group decided they were too tired to wait it out for their turn and went home. Which means that the rest of us were left to sing whatever english songs they had picked. The waitress handed Elizabeth and I microphones and we anxiously watched the screen to see Madonna's Like a Prayer appear, a song we both knew. To our credit, we did start off sitting in our chairs at the table but as the song continued, it was impossible to sit still. We got up and danced up and down the room. The people were going absolutely wild... It was as if we really were Madonna. Thank gosh Kelly got a video of it all. Maybe I can work on posting that on the Myspace.
Sometimes my life is ridiculously hilarious.
Much Love.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Filters
We were warned at Peace Corps Staging that we would enter our host countries wearing a filter and that, no matter what, we will never be able to competely take it off. Filters are the way you see the world based on where you grew up and how you have lived your life so far. All of us have filters that vary in differing degrees, some more alike than others. They used an example of colored sunglasses... A man comes from a place where everyone wheres blue sunglasses and he moves far away for a long time to a place where everyone wears yellow sunglasses. After awhile he says, ¨I no longer see the world as blue. I have changed filters and now I see green like everyone here.¨ He could never fully erase how his past effected him even though he, finally, could see with a different filter.
There are small children here that will beg for money everywhere; on the street, in stores, even restaurants. When I say small I mean maybe 7 years old and most of them do have parents who have sent them out to do this. You all still have perfectly blue filters and can see that this is incredibly wrong. In most cases, our filters have a negative effect on how we view other people and other cultures. In this case, I am worried that my rapidly greening blue filter is not seeing this situation as I normally would. All throughout field based training, we had these children begging us and I took my cues from the volunteers that have been here for awhile. I ignored them and it slowly became easier after a couple more tries. After all, we are volunteers and we don´t make money anyway, right?
Last night, a bunch of us went out for dinner in Chosica (about half youth development and half small business). Somehow, we ended up splitting the table directly in half with youth on one side and business on the other. At about the same time everyone was finishing up, a boy came to our table asking for money. He came to the youth development side first and, ironically, we all did our best to ignore this poor child. Although, I felt I should at least try to talk to this boy in my broken spanish, I did not and that makes me no better than anyone else. It was a business volunteer that, actually, tried to make friends with him (not by giving him money but by simply acknowledging his existence). I really don´t think the situation had an effect on anyone else quite like it did on me. We left the restaurant and walked around a bit. We bought ice cream and took funny pictures. The night went on for everyone but it stood still in my heart. Why am I here? Have I completely lost sight of that? That boy was ¨the Peruvian youth¨and am I not here to show them love? I need to stop focusing on the ¨bigger picture¨and start throwing the starfish in one at a time.
An old man walked up a shore littered with thousands of starfish, beached and dying after a storm. A young man was picking them up and flinging them back into the ocean. "Why do you bother?" the old man scoffed. "You're not saving enough to make a difference." The young man picked up another starfish and sent it spinning back to the water. "Made a difference to that one," he said.
There are small children here that will beg for money everywhere; on the street, in stores, even restaurants. When I say small I mean maybe 7 years old and most of them do have parents who have sent them out to do this. You all still have perfectly blue filters and can see that this is incredibly wrong. In most cases, our filters have a negative effect on how we view other people and other cultures. In this case, I am worried that my rapidly greening blue filter is not seeing this situation as I normally would. All throughout field based training, we had these children begging us and I took my cues from the volunteers that have been here for awhile. I ignored them and it slowly became easier after a couple more tries. After all, we are volunteers and we don´t make money anyway, right?
Last night, a bunch of us went out for dinner in Chosica (about half youth development and half small business). Somehow, we ended up splitting the table directly in half with youth on one side and business on the other. At about the same time everyone was finishing up, a boy came to our table asking for money. He came to the youth development side first and, ironically, we all did our best to ignore this poor child. Although, I felt I should at least try to talk to this boy in my broken spanish, I did not and that makes me no better than anyone else. It was a business volunteer that, actually, tried to make friends with him (not by giving him money but by simply acknowledging his existence). I really don´t think the situation had an effect on anyone else quite like it did on me. We left the restaurant and walked around a bit. We bought ice cream and took funny pictures. The night went on for everyone but it stood still in my heart. Why am I here? Have I completely lost sight of that? That boy was ¨the Peruvian youth¨and am I not here to show them love? I need to stop focusing on the ¨bigger picture¨and start throwing the starfish in one at a time.
An old man walked up a shore littered with thousands of starfish, beached and dying after a storm. A young man was picking them up and flinging them back into the ocean. "Why do you bother?" the old man scoffed. "You're not saving enough to make a difference." The young man picked up another starfish and sent it spinning back to the water. "Made a difference to that one," he said.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Green Mountains!!
So, our bus didn´t fall off the edge of a cliff and here we are in Cajamarca. There were points throughout the journey, though, that I had my doubts we´d make it. The bus, in itself, was a magnificent experience... it was like first class (not that I would know what that is like). I had my first ¨altitude sickness¨ experience. I was super dizzy at first but now things are getting better. We´re up pretty high here and it looks amazing!
Patty and I are currently sitting in a sketchy internet cafe in the plaza. We have a hostel with hot water!! You have no idea how exciting that is! There are 10 of us here. Its strange being in a smaller group than usual.
I´ll try to update more as the week goes on and I´ll take tons of pictures. I love you and miss you all!
Melody
Patty and I are currently sitting in a sketchy internet cafe in the plaza. We have a hostel with hot water!! You have no idea how exciting that is! There are 10 of us here. Its strange being in a smaller group than usual.
I´ll try to update more as the week goes on and I´ll take tons of pictures. I love you and miss you all!
Melody
Friday, July 11, 2008
A Quick Little Something
So, here we are at the end the end of week 5. That puts us exactly half-way through training and time is flying by. Right now, we are preparing to depart for Field Based Training. I am going to Cajamarca (a mountainous department in the north of Peru) to observe the work of a few volunteers currently out there in the field. Hence the name field based training. I'm excited about getting to see a new beautiful place... I'm told there are hot springs there. Which is pretty exciting cause I've only ever gotten to put my feet in them before. Skinny dip in a hot spring is on my list of things to do before I die... Although, I'm not sure what the Peace Corps policy is on public nudity and it might make for an awkward situation with my fellow volunteers.
I've been selected to design the group's t-shirt... thank you design school. Good thing I used Photoshop like everyday. I'll post pictures of the design on myspace. Well, the design I have so far. Design projects are always in a state of transformation and the finished product is usually what you have when you run out of time. At least for me anyway, I am never fully satisfied. So, I'll be working on it right up to the deadline.
In general, I'm doing really well. I miss everyone (as usual). I'm not sick right now ((knock on wood)) and I feel overwhelmingly happy ((for no reason at all))
Adios dudes,
Melody
I've been selected to design the group's t-shirt... thank you design school. Good thing I used Photoshop like everyday. I'll post pictures of the design on myspace. Well, the design I have so far. Design projects are always in a state of transformation and the finished product is usually what you have when you run out of time. At least for me anyway, I am never fully satisfied. So, I'll be working on it right up to the deadline.
In general, I'm doing really well. I miss everyone (as usual). I'm not sick right now ((knock on wood)) and I feel overwhelmingly happy ((for no reason at all))
Adios dudes,
Melody
Sunday, July 6, 2008
One Month
It's officially been one month since we made our way to this fascinating country. I had no idea what to be expecting and I must say things are turning out much better than I had ever anticipated. I'm really making friends with tons of new interesting people, Peruvians and volunteers alike. This is the ultimate "not knowing what will happen tomorrow" experience- which are most definitely my favorite. Also, this place is beautiful!! I spent a good hour just sitting in front of my house on Friday night trying to take it all in.
Friday was the 4th of July, as everyone knows. Peru 11 started the day off with some ridiculous field day games and HAMBURGERS!! Following the Peace Corps celebration, I went to a store called Plaza Vea with Erin, Marian, and Margaret. It's basically like Peru's WalMart... and it was a little bit of amazing! We bought stuff for the lunch we are making for all of our families today and I found a can of Mountain Dew for 2.95 soles (a crazy high price but well worth it). That night, there was a fiesta for Nicole's birthday here in Huascaran where I live. I felt so American with straightened hair and Mountain Dew... consider it a tribute to my country's independence.
Yesterday, we went to La Agraria again and learned about composte and more plant stuff. Having a garden like Mommom's is on my list of things to do before I die but I don't forsee that happening while I am here in Peru. I can't say all this stuff isn't interesting and it gives us a chance to be outside. After that Kelly, Nicole, Erin, and I went to Jockey Plaza (a mall that reminds me of home!) for lunch... and we were so tired that we went right home to sleep. I'm such an old lady these days with my 9pm bedtime!
Life is good here... I hope things are well at home too! I miss you all big time.
Peace out,
Melody
Friday was the 4th of July, as everyone knows. Peru 11 started the day off with some ridiculous field day games and HAMBURGERS!! Following the Peace Corps celebration, I went to a store called Plaza Vea with Erin, Marian, and Margaret. It's basically like Peru's WalMart... and it was a little bit of amazing! We bought stuff for the lunch we are making for all of our families today and I found a can of Mountain Dew for 2.95 soles (a crazy high price but well worth it). That night, there was a fiesta for Nicole's birthday here in Huascaran where I live. I felt so American with straightened hair and Mountain Dew... consider it a tribute to my country's independence.
Yesterday, we went to La Agraria again and learned about composte and more plant stuff. Having a garden like Mommom's is on my list of things to do before I die but I don't forsee that happening while I am here in Peru. I can't say all this stuff isn't interesting and it gives us a chance to be outside. After that Kelly, Nicole, Erin, and I went to Jockey Plaza (a mall that reminds me of home!) for lunch... and we were so tired that we went right home to sleep. I'm such an old lady these days with my 9pm bedtime!
Life is good here... I hope things are well at home too! I miss you all big time.
Peace out,
Melody
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Romantic and Sustainable
It's a funny title, I know, and only the lovely design girls will understand the inside joke behind it. The reason I've used this particular joke as my title is because sustainablity is, apparently, an underlying theme in my life. We had an entire semester of sustainable design at good old Philly U. We learned about the importance of creating something that will sustain itself after you are no longer there... projects that use location, green energy, and recycled products to create a much healthier built environment. Here, sustainablity has the same basic methodology. We need to go into these communities and create programs that will remain functioning long after we are gone: self-sustaining programs. It's actually a great way to live life in general. It's one way a part of us can stay on this Earth long after we are gone.
The romantic part of the title does not hold much truth. The only relationships I have going on right now are secret ones. Most of you remember that I have secret boyfriends wherever I go... and its a secret because the guy has no idea. So, of course I have a secret Peace Corps boyfriend and he, of course, has no idea. It sounds a little creepy but I swear its just to be funny and I'm not actually a creepster!!
I have been spending quite a lot of time in Photoshop Land. How ironic considering I hated using it for all those crazy design projects. I'm actually thinking it might not be a bad idea to get my family to send me my portfolio stuff... maybe I've reached the point of motivation. Yet, I still have no idea what I'm going to do with myself after all this. Maybe, I will try this scary world of design out for a little while. Maybe, I'll go to grad school in Denver (I really liked Colorado). Maybe, I'll find some other crazy way to stay clear of a career path and travel the world. I do have two years to figure it out and search for inspiration.
Tomorrow is the 4th of July. It will be my first time celebrating US Independence outside of the US. We do have some interesting festivities planned... fun little relay races, hamburgers (the highlight of the day), and I think there will be some musical entertainment. I can't say enough that I'm so lucky to be here with this group of people. Peru 11 is pretty much amazing. I am sad, though, to be missing out on the grand firework extravaganza of that which is the Shillington Community Days... first 4th of July without fireworks (they are my favorite!!) Enjoy them for me. Can you send sparklers in the mail?
The lover of fuegos artificiales,
Melody
The romantic part of the title does not hold much truth. The only relationships I have going on right now are secret ones. Most of you remember that I have secret boyfriends wherever I go... and its a secret because the guy has no idea. So, of course I have a secret Peace Corps boyfriend and he, of course, has no idea. It sounds a little creepy but I swear its just to be funny and I'm not actually a creepster!!
I have been spending quite a lot of time in Photoshop Land. How ironic considering I hated using it for all those crazy design projects. I'm actually thinking it might not be a bad idea to get my family to send me my portfolio stuff... maybe I've reached the point of motivation. Yet, I still have no idea what I'm going to do with myself after all this. Maybe, I will try this scary world of design out for a little while. Maybe, I'll go to grad school in Denver (I really liked Colorado). Maybe, I'll find some other crazy way to stay clear of a career path and travel the world. I do have two years to figure it out and search for inspiration.
Tomorrow is the 4th of July. It will be my first time celebrating US Independence outside of the US. We do have some interesting festivities planned... fun little relay races, hamburgers (the highlight of the day), and I think there will be some musical entertainment. I can't say enough that I'm so lucky to be here with this group of people. Peru 11 is pretty much amazing. I am sad, though, to be missing out on the grand firework extravaganza of that which is the Shillington Community Days... first 4th of July without fireworks (they are my favorite!!) Enjoy them for me. Can you send sparklers in the mail?
The lover of fuegos artificiales,
Melody
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