Deployed for Peace

Moved to Singapore!

2010-03-06T21:39:00.000-08:00

Random - yes - but I have up and moved to Singapore. I'll be keeping a new blog - www.jakeoutsidethelines.blogspot.com. The link to this blog is no longer appropriate...shame on me for not having more vision when I created this blog at the outset of my Peace Corps service.

I hope to maintain a similar style on the new blog - so I hope you like it.

Much love,
Jake

Back Home!

2009-10-30T11:16:00.000-07:00

After two years and five months on foreign soil, I am finally back home!

I've been back now for a couple weeks – and I apologize for the length of time it has taken me to put up a blog. After living at a slow pace over the last couple years with so much alone time and free time, I feel a bit dizzy at times trying to keep up and juggle the intricacies of American lifestyle once again. I am very happy to be back in the United States though.

The best part of being home is the ability to see friends and family. I have been indulging in good beer and whiskey, good food, football, big screen tv's, hot showers and hot tubs, easily accessible and fast internet, dishwashers, and people watching.

The last couple of weeks have been a lot of fun. A benefit of being gone for a long time and a returning Peace Corps Volunteer means people are willing to buy your food and drinks. In fact, in the Miami airport, in between flights, first thing I did was order an American beer. A lady saw my Peace Corps patch and inquired about it – then she shook my hand and said, "Thank you" to me for my service and offered to buy me another beer.

However, I can't say that readjustment has been pain-free. My first social event in Washington DC brought on a severe hangover that lasted an entire day…and the food portions are so large I can't move after eating! 

The differences between my life here and my life in the Peace Corps are too many to list – and I haven't been back long enough to establish a routine…and I don't know what I'll be doing yet. The US is an amazing country though; I am lucky this is my home to return to. Being gone for a good amount of time and living within a different culture allows me to compare and contrast the differences – positives and negatives. Peru was an amazing country with their fair share of problems…and the US is an amazing country with our fair share of problems.

One of the main aspects of readjustment is that everything is different and amplified to me, while it's normal to everyone else. The portions of food seem larger than before, the marketing seems more relentless, the people seem way more stressed out and concerned about trivialities, the waste seems more reckless, the "news" is more biased, incomplete, and sensationalized than before, everything is competing for attention, and the variety of everything seems endless. Life appears so hectic. Sometimes I think a simplified metaphor for life today is a dog chasing his tail – one difference here in the United States is that the dog makes three circles for every one circle they made back where I lived in Peru.

Another aspect of readjustment deals with the romanticism of home versus the reality of home. While away and living as a Peace Corps Volunteer, one can't help but romanticize the idea of home and being back into the world you know…and they never match completely. Some aspects are better than I thought and others are not as exciting…though since I knew to temper that romanticism, it hasn't been that bad.

At times I feel a bit awkward as I get back into the American groove. Putting on nice clothes feels weird. Walking into a bar or restaurant and not being stared at by everyone is nice but being exotic is fun. Meeting someone new and not kissing their cheek if they are female feels rude. Not bargaining for the price of things feels like I'm getting taken advantage of...or paying a lot more for things that were so cheap in Peru is annoying. Having things operate so efficiently is awesome and the friendly service makes me feel like they're up to something. The fact that so much of our food comes packaged is a bit disturbing...but being able to eat any ethnicity of food that I want is incredible.

Long story short – I'm very happy to be back. I don't know what my plans are yet – and I'm about to start getting the process of searching for it underway. The last couple weeks were solely for enjoyment…now comes reality.

Much love,
Jake

"The problem is that I arise in the morning torn between a desire to save the world and a desire to savor the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." E.B. White

Along the way...

2009-10-12T23:04:00.000-07:00

The boat ride was a lot of fun - though a bit sketchy at times. The captain was Hungarian and the first mate was from Galveston Is, Texas. The captain was quite the vagabond...with lots of crazy stories about sailing, living in Hungary during communist rule and now, and lots of other stuff. The sailboat was about 40'.

We spent 2 days on open water and then three days in the San Blas islands off the coast of Panama. The Kuna people live there and they are their own sovereign area. In 1925 they killed anyone who was living there that wasn't pure blood Kuna and they got their rights to live without interference from Panama - though Panama still protects the area. They have a swastika on their flag. They were all friendly and happy to have foreigners in their area, they just won't allow others to live on the islands.

On the boat, we washed our faces with rum. Rain provided free fresh water showers. And once we got to the islands, we had a sand bath...great for ex-foliating. We had sunny and stormy skies. I was thankful for the clouds because otherwise it's just too hot.

Something that wasn't surprising was the amount of trash out in the ocean...lots of plastic out there floating. It was a bit depressing. Along the San Blas islands there is a good amount of trash as well, but a lot of that was from the people on the islands.

These are more pictures from Colombia and the boat. I'll be getting back to Virginia in a couple weeks!
Much love,
Jake

Rock'd As...

2009-08-31T08:12:00.001-07:00

After finishing with the Peace Corps - I met up with my friend Tim and we went back up to Ancash where I lived during the Peace Corps. Here are some pictures from the week there. I also turned 28...the birthday was a lot of fun.

Thank You!

2009-08-19T15:16:00.000-07:00

I finished my service within the Peace Corps today and will begin my trip home tomorrow! I'll be taking around two to three months and traveling back by land (primarily). I hope to continue posting blogs on my way home – though they will be sporadic.

The Peace Corps adventure has been long, more arduous and more fun than I expected. While I've been here, I experienced very unique emotions that will be difficult to experience again, partly due to novelty but also due to the unique and unrepeatable situation (when else will I have a good excuse for not showering for two weeks?). Having you on the other end of my blogs has helped me through my time here immensely.

Thank you very much for sharing the Peace Corps with me. Thank you for all the nice comments and positive reinforcement along the way.

I hope that you enjoyed the blog. I tried to be very open with myself and with you through my writing. I'm certainly not the most gifted or educated writer and I appreciate you letting me share my thoughts and for continuing to read. I've tried to keep it fun while including ideas, observations, and some personal perspectives.

Thank you to everyone who has mailed me packages. I was very surprised that so many people took the time to put together care packages and put them in the mail. Even the simple letters or cards were a thrill to receive. Thank you to: Mom & Dad, Peg Dobrozsi, Heather DeBerry Haynes, David Lemon, Kristin "Llama" Franke, Beth Keifer Florea, Jennifer Lemly, Autumn Houston, Molly Mattessisch, Ashlee Miller/Ben Davidhizar, Aunt Bev, Sarah Roeske, K.L. Canupp, Josh Caplan, and Eric Longen. Thank you.

Special thanks to my Mom and Dad for all their phone calls and support.

A big question that every Peace Corps volunteer asks themselves is about the success of their time served. However, analyzing one's time is difficult to do for a number of reasons…especially as one is preparing to leave; there are just too many emotions swirling around.

Overall – I would say, yes, my experience has been successful to those in my community, the artisan association, and to me. Thinking back on the two years I can't help but smile and a feeling of warmth overflows in my veins. I am proud of the work I've done, the tough times I've endured, and that I took advantage of my surroundings. I didn't hold back. As time distances this experience, I imagine my fondness will only grow.

Once I get back, I apologize if I accidentally throw toilet paper into the trash can, kiss you on the cheek or a person you might be introducing me to, show up late without thinking it's a big deal, or encroach upon your personal space without realizing it…those are just a few mistakes I imagine will happen as I get back into the American groove.

I came into the Peace Corps without too many expectations and tried to limit my preconceived notions as much as I could. I didn't want to show up with the mentality that I had the answers or that my/our way was best. Many times, there are good reasons for the way things are – even if it doesn't make much sense to you in the beginning. My goal was simply to figure out the goals of the artisans and community and help them achieve those. Some goals were achieved, others weren't. Many things we didn't set out to achieve but did.

Upon finishing Peace Corps, every volunteer writes a "Description of Service". I'll include that here – though I don't imagine it will be much fun to read since it reads a bit like a resume and has to follow a general format (like referring to yourself in the 3rd person). But, if you're interested, you can find it below - and below that are some more pictures.

Once again – thank you all for sharing this experience with me. Hopefully, I'll see you soon!

Much love,
Jake

Formal Description of Service:
Jacob Edward DeBerry was invited to be a member of the ninth group of Volunteers to serve in Peru, and the sixth group of Small Business Development Volunteers, since Peace Corps' return to the country in 2002. On June 6, 2007, he began an intensive eleven-week training program at the Peace Corps training center in Chaclacayo, near Lima. The training included in-depth Spanish language courses, a macro- and micro-level orientation of the economic situation in Peru, nonformal education techniques, an overview of Peruvian culture, politics, and history, and field-based training exercises with communities in the region. As part of the training, Mr. DeBerry spent a week in the rural Andean town of Chiquian, teaching and assisting with a week-long business simulation for the local college. Mr. DeBerry was also elected to serve as the treasurer of and coordinated social events for his training group.

On August 24, 2007, Mr. DeBerry was sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer and assigned to the rural Andean community of Tarica, in the department of Ancash, serving as the only Small Business Volunteer in the department. He was assigned to work with the artisan association "Joyas de Barro", comprised of 18 artisans specializing in ceramics. Mr. DeBerry worked to improve the quality of life of the members’ families by increasing the sales and profits of the association. He also assisted other associations and individual business owners in the area.

Mr. DeBerry's primary responsibilities and activities included the following:

Finance and Accounting
• Instructed the artisans in basic accounting principles, financial reporting, bookkeeping, inventory controls, and profit distribution.
• Trained the artisans in the use of cost analysis in order to price their products more appropriately and increase their profit margins.
• Advised the artisans on bank accounts, bank loans, and the risks associated with accruing debt.

Business Development, Research, and Planning
• Worked with the nongovernmental organization Competividad Ancash/Technoserve to bring Peruvian business consultants to the artisan center to teach basic business principles, the Peruvian marketplace, and the quality standards and protocols required for exporting.
• Trained the artisans on the importance of quality control and fast turn around on orders while maintaining quality. Introduced the concept of having a stock of popular products on hand to decrease the time from receiving orders to the delivery of the products.
• Assisted the artisans in developing three-month, six-month, and yearly work plans.
• Helped to establish and clarify short- and long-term goals for the association.
• Advised the artisans on product research and how to prepare for upcoming handicraft fairs and exhibitions. Taught them about different tourist seasons and how to cater to different categories of customers.
• Served as a consultant to a local hotel on its restaurant menu, décor, and overall environment.

Marketing, Communication, and Networking
• Developed marketing materials to increase the orders and overall visibility of the artisan association.
• Instructed the artisans in different sales techniques and how to build rapport with potential customers.
• Photographed and cataloged products in order to standardize and organize merchandise for two artisan associations plus several individual business owners.
• Advised three different artisan associations on product design and how to market their products to tourists.

Organizational Management
• Assisted the artisans in realigning work teams and work schedules.
• Helped to formalize the artisan association into a legalized small business, and helped organize the leadership team.
• Conducted workshops on teamwork, leadership, and conflict resolution.

Information Technology
• Acquired and installed a computer at the artisan center.
• Trained the artisans and youth in the use of e-mail, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Internet Explorer/Firefox, providing them with the skills to conduct business research, communicate with clients, and organize data.
• Managed the planning, research, and design of the artisan association's website.
• Provided computer technical support and taught basic maintenance techniques.

Production
• Helped the association in the general production of products, including the making and transportation of clay, the assembly of products, and the firing of the products in the oven.

English Instruction
• Taught English courses three nights a week to 15 students between the ages of 15 and 25, focusing on vocabulary, basic grammar, and conversation, with the goal of increasing the students’ employability. The classes ran continuously for over a year.
• Taught English courses two days a week to six students between the ages of 8 and 12 for a two month period.
• Tutored students of all ages in English and provided them with assistance on their school work.

Health and Nutrition
• Advised the local market vendors on the benefits of incorporating more vegetables and meats into the local diet, and persuaded them to offer more vegetables at their stands. Instructed community members on the proper cooking of vegetables.

Environment
• Lectured students and community members on the importance of throwing garbage in the proper receptacles, the damage of discarding plastic onto the street, and overall respect for the environment.

Youth Development
• Participated in summer learning activities with youth of the town through the artisan association.
• Performed educational and comedic skits with other Volunteers in the region to teach basic hygiene principles and gender equality. The Volunteer group traveled through Ancash department giving skits at local schools, reaching over 500 students.
• Tutored children in school subjects to increase their understanding of the topics and improve their grades.
• Taught disciplinary procedures to over 200 parents, focusing on positive reinforcement, active listening, and patience.

In addition to the above activities:

In order to communicate and integrate into his community more effectively, Mr. DeBerry attended two weeks of Quechua language courses, completing 60 hours of Quechua training. This helped Mr. DeBerry integrate more fully into his community, which was bilingual Quechua-Spanish.

Mr. DeBerry was elected twice to serve as a Small Business representative to the Volunteer Advisory Committee, a forum for Peace Corps/Peru Volunteers and staff to work together to resolve problems, improve practices, and propose new initiatives. Mr. DeBerry was selected to chair the two meetings. As such he was responsible for compiling the agenda and leading the meetings.

To fulfill the third goal of Peace Corps (helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans), Mr. DeBerry maintained a blog and posted weekly updates on work, cultural observations, recreational activities, and pictures of his service. His blog received over 500 unique computer hits.

Pics - Site

2009-08-17T10:18:00.001-07:00

All the fun and beautiful pictures I've put on here are about 10% of the time here. The other 90% of my time has been spent in my little mountain town...here are some pictures of the town and the people I've spent the past two years with.

Also - I finish my service in Peace Corps on Wednesday!

Profile Questions - Pasa La Voz

2009-08-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

Pasa La Voz is the internal magazine of Peace Corps/Peru. Pasa la voz is a way to say, 'spread the word'. This article had the theme of "The Celebrity Issue". One of the first pages is pictures, with a "Who Wore It Best?" fake survey. Two of the pictures were me holding the sloth in the jungle, and my Dad's picture holding the teddy bear in the same manner. My Dad won…70% 'voted' for him and the caption read, "Seniority wins…at least we know what Jake will look like in thirty years."

Everyone also has a profile, about two pages of questions. Here are some of the ones I wrote as well as some funny or insightful ones from others. The pirate names happened one really drunk night when the entire group was together - the guys were discussing the possibilities of sailing after Peace Corps - all the guys got pirate names.

From me:
Pirate name: Captain A-Frame
What was the best compliment you received during your time here? One person thanked me and told me that I will never be able to understand how much I've helped them grow into becoming a better person. That was really nice to hear.

Longest you've gone without showering? Once you're past two weeks, you lose track. (In my defense, most of my time here there wasn't water during the days and no way in hell I'd take a shower at night here.)

What will you not be sad to leave behind? All of the animal poop in the streets. People coming drunk to work meetings – though I suppose it's not certain I'll be leaving that being, but they won't be so obviously intoxicated I hope.

Favorite part of Peruvian culture: They call you what you look like – I think Americans are too sensitive about the obvious. And the dancing. And people don't have a sense of entitlement here.

Biggest language blunder: I confused the word vagina and pig in Quechua during English class. I said in Spanish/Quechua, I am eating vagina.

Craziest thing that has happened to you on a combi? A woman was breastfeeding her baby standing right over me – when the combi swerved, I got bare breast in my face.

Any Peruvians chowing on your recipes? Not a recipe but hopefully people aren't afraid to eat fruit at night anymore.

What do you miss most about the States? Efficiency, family & friends, Indian and Mexican food…lots of other stuff.

What scares you the most about returning to the States? All the crappy tv and marketing everywhere. The waste. The trivial bullshit so many Americans concern themselves over and having to listen to it. Getting back into an economic model I don't like. After the honeymoon part of being home, I have a feeling I might feel like getting out again.

What English phrases will people in your community remember? The high five – not a phrase so much as a greeting and expression.

What kept you sane in site? Guitar & books

Best book you've read in Peru: A People's History of the United States – Howard Zinn. Not the "best", but the most enlightening.

What's the most terrifying creature that you found in your room? I woke up to a rat about a foot from my face…I may have screamed like a woman.

Nicknames in site: Kallapecta – Quechua for baldy.

Booze and your site. Go: So I was with my artisans on a Tuesday at 9a.m. There was a guy already drunk down the street and he went and bought three beers and was drinking them by himself – and the artisans were appalled that he was drinking alone…instead of the fact that it was Tuesday at 9a.m.

Wes:
-Pirate name: SS Wes, The Crusty Mussel
-Why do you love your site: 20,000 people, seven last names. It is so good, no one leaves; instead they stay and marry their cousin.
-Any bad habits that you've acquired? Pissing wherever and whenever the mood strikes.
-First meal you will have when you get back to the States? A steak the size of my head with a cold India Pale Ale.
-The thing that most surprised you about your Peace Corps experience: That this was as weird as everyone said it would be.

Frank:
-Pirate name: Pirate Frank, The Viking
-Craziest health problem: After a spout of dysentery, which lasted about a month, Vishal accompanied me to the hospital. After a few tests, and several missed IV attempts, the doctor returns to tell me that I have typhoid fever. Well the doctor was wrong…but that doesn't mean that PCVs don't face similar struggles to those of the Oregon Trail.
-What story will you find yourself telling in 2029? I will be telling the tall tales of the Ancash tripod. As unbelievable as they may seem…they actually happened.
-Huanyo. Love it or Hate it? I was told that it would grow on me…I'm still waiting for that to happen.
-What did you do to combat boredom in site? I have a guitar…it feels my pain.

Vishal:
Pirate name: Ruddy Barnacles
-What was your greatest success? Probably teaching the older kids to use love gloves (condoms) and the younger kids to use a toothbrush.
-Favorite part of Peruvian culture? Passing the bottle. It was a good way to hang out in town. Most people probably don't like it because they remember doing it with Cristal, old dudes with four coca stained teeth, and the smell of stale urine in their nostrils. However, I'm gonna miss it.
- What's the most terrifying creature you've found in your room? Mildew… (Vishal explains…but in short, once mildew sets in during the rainy season here, you're screwed.)
- Guinea Pig. Pet or delicious? Delicious, but I only think I think it's delicious. Get what I mean? It's the only meat I get in site. However I think once I taste a dry aged rib-eye I will forget how delicious I thought the guinea pig was.

Rachel:
- What are you most proud of? Is it disturbing that two of my prouder moments had to do with slaughtering sheep and castrating pigs? But more seriously, I'm pretty proud of the extent to which I've integrated into my community. Whether or not people have any idea of what I do, I do think they enjoy that I'm here, that's what really counts for me.
- Favorite holiday in Peru? The ones that Peace Corps actually gives us time off for.

Danielle:
-How did you keep up with news? FOX News. Fair and balanced. (she was being sarcastic).
-Craziest health problem: Having to puke and diarrhea at the same time has caused logistical problems.
-What have you learned in Peru? Generosity is oftentimes inversely related to wealth.
-What do you miss most about the States? Pedestrian right-of-way.

Tom:
Pirate name: Swashbuckler
Favorite thing about Peruvian culture: Everyone has to dance.

Sarah:
- What scares you the most about returning to the States? The mean people will make me cry. I am so spoiled with everyone being so super nice!
- What will you miss most about Peru? The food, yogurt, the amazing hospitality, the sense of family, the music, the dancing, and the simplicity of life here.

Greg:
Pirate name: umm, it's a little obscene, so I'll leave it out.
Nicknames in site: Whenever I didn't come out to play soccer those bastards would call me SACOLARGO. I think it was because I was actually faithful to my wife and helped out in the house, how strange!!!

Angie:
-What will you miss most about Peru/your site? I will miss the flexibility of just about everything…

James:
-Pirate name: BaldBeard
-What scares you the most about returning to the States? That everything that bugged me before about the States will now be amplified.

Ali:
- Favorite part of Peruvian culture: Invitar-ing It is so beautiful how even the poorest of people share whatever it is they are eating or drinking.
- What is the one thing you would never get used to? Isolation.

Steve: (a 55 year old Volunteer)
- Pirate name: Old Cannonballs! Rusty for sure.
- What are you most proud of? Probably the fact that I am not going to be one of those people who say, "I always wanted to do Peace Corps."

Jeanette:
- What was the best compliment you received during your time here? "You must be Japanese because Chinese people are ugly." I guess he was trying to tell me he though I was pretty in the most offensive way possible. (She is Chinese)
- Scariest experience: Getting a gun pulled on me at the beach.

Bailey:
- Most amusing misconception you have heard about the United States? I was dancing with someone once and before telling me his name, he asked me if I wanted to get a hotel room. When I said absolutely not, he said he has seen TV from the States and knows how blonde girls are. We all just want to have sex right away. Needless to say, that pickup line did NOT work.

Jamar:
- Pirate name: Whatshesmelllike!
- One word that describes your Peace Corps experience: Damn!

Karrie:
- Did Peace Corps meet your expectations? Explain: Learned a foreign language – check. Experienced a new culture – check. Did some good in the world – check. Yep, I'm good!
- Advice to the other groups (of Peace Corps Volunteers)? Perspective is everything. You will find yourselves in all kinds of situations (awkward, hilarious, frustrating, calming, etc), and the attitude you approach them with makes all the difference.

John:
- Pirate name: Woody Hardmast
- First meal you will have when you get back to the States: A big friggin steak. Medium rare. An ice-cold American beer.
- Any advice to the other groups? Stick with it. When you finish you'll never believe the things you've done, the people you've met, and the experiences you've had. If you go home early you'll just end up in the same place you were before you came.

Jah:
- Pirate name: The Salty Biscuit
- What scares you the most about returning to the States? Economic recession and…winter.
- One word that describes your Peace Corps experience: Extraordinary.
- Did Peace Corps meet your expectations? Yes, because it's a life-changing experience. 'nuff said.

Pics - My Favorites - Beach

2009-08-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

Peru has a lot of coastline...but I didn't get to spend much time there since I lived in the mountains. Most of the coast is only sunny between December through April...but...there were still some good times on the beach...

Pics - My Favorites - Amazon

2009-08-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

This top picture is NOT ME! It's my Dad. He was joking on the picture of me below it. I don't think I was specific enough when I first put this picture up and if you didn't read the caption - you would have thought it was me. The picture didn't happen in the Amazon...but it took place because of the Amazon...which suffices for me.

The Visitors

2009-08-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

I've been very lucky and had a lot of friends come to visit during my service. In fact, I had more people visit than any other Peace Corps volunteer I know. It seems most Volunteers only have family visit – maybe a friend or two. I had 15 friends visit (that just counts those friends I saw in Peru, not those who visited my site).

For the most part, I never count someone in until they have their plane ticket. I don't mean any disrespect by that...it's only that things often happen to prevent one from coming and schedules get mixed up. Thank you to all the visitors who came – I hope you had a good experience and the trip was worth the time and money.

Of course, I've been living in Peru and who wouldn't want to visit Peru? So I'm not quite foolish enough to chalk the number of visitors up to simply me.

I figured giving 'awards'might be funny...although there is nothing tangible with the award. These 'awards' are more weighted for the people with whom I spent more time with (those who came up to where I live)...so my apologies to those who might not get something – it's not because I don't love you equally, just because we didn't really spend much time together...after all, I could only afford going to Machu Picchu once.

Awards go to:
First to Get Here: Autumn Houston, Jeff Pradhan… they had to do the most work with regards to the trip. It was planned while I was in training and had no time at all to help organize.

Biggest life-changing experience while here: Gabe & Kristian – Gabe proposed to Kristian at Machu Picchu.

Most Certain of Visiting: John Dundon, International Man of Mystery. John and I were pledge brothers in college and we lived in New Zealand together for a year. He's one of the most well-traveled people I know…it's a lifestyle for him. When I got Peru, I was only certain of him visiting – everyone else I never counted in until they had the plane ticket. He had already been to Peru as well...

Most Random visitor: Two Winners:
Jay Brown – We lived in the same suite our freshman year in school but never hung out after that. He graduated from Richmond Law School and was going to take a trip with a friend. Jay remembered that I was living in Peru and decided to come visit where I live.

Bert Haines: Bert and I worked together in New Zealand. Bert is from Canada but resides in Queenstown, NZ. He was the bar manager of Winnies while I lived in Queenstown. I got an email from him saying he's backpacking through some of South America and wanted to know where I was so he could visit.

Worst Thing Happen: Fletcher Lane…Fletch had his camera stolen in the airport…on his way home…all those pictures went bye bye. Unfortunately, Fletch was taking the majority of the pictures for the both of us and I didn't snap many because I was just going to get the pictures from Fletcher.

Best Party Person in Altitude: Eric Longen...Everyone rocked out...but out of everyone that came up to where I live, many of us went out the first day we arrived. Eric was the only person out the entire night...until 5am...and he did it twice! Now, I don't mean to discredit anyone's efforts…they were all amazing…Eric just outlasted everyone. To those who didn't visit – traveling to 10,000 feet in altitude and then going out on the town that very night is tough.

Most Sketchy Time While Here: Jeff Pradhan…

Biggest Conspiracy Theorist: Omar Pradhan…Omar spent a lot of time on the internet pursuing websites like 'Crooks and Liars' and talking about how evil bankers are... (although, I agree with him on some of the stuff…central bankers are evil).

Most Sick: I think everyone that came up to where I live got sick at some point…everyone wins.

Shortest time together: Two Winners:
Jennifer Limly – she was in Peru for work – and it worked out well because I was planning on being in Lima anyhow.

Peter Baker – I lived with Peter in DC and he is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. He went to Cusco and only had a day in Lima so I went down and spent the day with him and his boyfriend.

Most Tasty/Expensive Meal Together: Christine Kalil, Ann Kim, Courtney Langhauser. We went to a restaurant that was incredible (Astrid & Gaston)…and by far the most expensive place I ate while here. Christine paid for me…Thank you!

Best Overall Dancer: the gold medal goes to…Gabe Miccio from the United States!…not due to his prowess over the salsa or whino rhythms, but more for his amazing dance moves best described as: the robot, shopping cart, sprinkler, lawn-mower, bus-driver, pizza thrower, t-rex, stool brought out from bar into the middle of the dance floor to pretend sing 'Living on a Prayer', and whatever he was doing during "I Will Survive" …Most of the Peace Corps volunteers that saw Gabe shaking his groove-thing commented on the precision, grace, technical style, and overall enjoyment of watching.

Best Wingman: John Dundon. "Never-ever leave your wingman"…an important lesson from Top Gun. Dundon was sick while we were in Mancora, a beach town…but he didn't leave his wingman.

Hardest Activity the Soonest in Altitude: Fletcher Lane. We got up to the mountains on a Friday and every Friday during the dry season we have an ultimate Frisbee game around 3,200 meters (over 11,000 feet). I was surprised by his exertion level (though he is competitive) – of course, he paid for it afterwards.

The only person able to out-hippy a current Peace Corps Volunteer: Autumn Houston…she's a flower child to the bone marrow.

Here are some pictures of the visitors.

Thanks for reading,
Much Love,
Jake

Pics - My Favorites - Mountains - Pt 2

2009-08-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

Pics - My Favorites - Mountains - Pt 1

2009-08-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

All the pictures that I'm putting on here I either took or someone else in the group took. And, as always, the pictures never do justice to the beauty of the place.

Pics - My Favorites - Tripod

2009-08-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

I'm going to start posting blogs more often over these next couple weeks with the same theme - my favorite pictures over the course of the two years. I have a ridiculous amount of pictures - and most of them are pretty cool. Choosing them is a bit tough.

I'll begin with my favorites of the Tripod (what Vishal, Frank and I called ourselves). Here is a timeline in pictures of the tripod. We've done a lot of stuff over the course of the two years. Frank has already returned to the States, so the Tripod's time has come to an end. Over the two years, we've chilled on the beach, climbed some mountains, and hiked around the Amazon rain forest, and lots of other things in-between.

In Pasa La Voz, the internal magazine I mentioned in the last post, Frank's profile had a really nice "shout out" to the tripod:
"Shout-outs? I would like to give a shout-out to the other two pillars in the Ancash tripod, Vishal and Jake. We had a great run at it. We tried to beat fun, and ended up having a lot of it. With your help, we won the war against the mundane. We freaked out the squares and brought some serious funk. Toughest job I'll ever love? Not if I'm paired up with you guys. Go well my brothers...and may the day after we reunite bring the biggest hangover ever seen on that continent."

You know you're a Peace Corps volunteer when...

2009-07-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

Within Peace Corps Peru, and I imagine other Peace Corps countries, we have an internal magazine put together twice a year, when one group is leaving. About half of the issue is dedicated to the departing group and their individual profiles. We receive about 100 questions and choose about 30 or 40 to answer. Some volunteers submit articles about work, pleasure, food recipes, or whacky stories.

There is also a section that goes..."You know you're a Peace Corps volunteer when..." and then everyone from my group answered. Here are a few of those...

(I tried to upload some pictures that I took yesterday, but the one below took about an hour to upload...so no more photos with this blog...have I mentioned how nice it will be to have reliable fast internet, electricity, etc?...)

You know you're a Peace Corps volunteer when…
-"...nobody but other Peace Corps volunteers can really relate." – me

-"...when you have long forgotten what the "five second" rule is. – Frank"

-"...you've seen a lot more boobs with babies attached to them than the other way around. – Vish"

-"...it's unsurprising to find a hair in every meal. -Danielle"

-"...you can spot a bridgera from a mile away. - Tom" (a bridgera is a Peruvian girl looking for a white guy to buy them stuff)

-"…you listen to funny music and sing along…you look down upon/feel sorry for Americans that have never ventured outside the US…you know the country you're in more than most of your community members…you're doing great work and having the time of your life!" Jah

-"...you have to take out your wife's piss bowl every morning, sweep the floor of your house everyday, and have to wait anywhere from ten minutes to three hours for transportation. – Greg"

- "...when you don't shower for 15 days, have been wearing and sleeping in the same outfit for a week, and you can go to the regional capital and end up making out with an attractive random person. – James"

-"...when McDonald's tastes good again. –Bailey"

-"...14 hours on a bus doesn't sound so bad…you find wildlife in your shower…and you argue with a taxi driver about fifty cents even though you just piled 6 people into his taxi. –John"

"...you haven't seen a good friend of yours in months, and you are puking so hard you poop your pants. It fazes him so little that he calmly asks if he should bring you some new undies. Thanks Jed, you're a true friend. – Wes". – That actually happened…some of my good friends here call me Jed now and then because they think it's funny that I'm a bit of a country boy and my initials are JED.

Thanks for reading,
Much love,
Jake

Thoughts on Spirituality

2009-07-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

I write a lot about religion – perhaps to the boredom, frustration, or apathy of those who read my blog. After all, this blog is about my experiences in the Peace Corps and not necessarily a forum for my opinions on a very encompassing and complicated topic. I find the topic very interesting for a number of reasons and read about the world's religions often. This is my last blog about religion in which I'd like to clarify my personal view and what I'd like to see instead. If you don't like this type of blog – no need to read it –I'll be putting a new one up soon.

First, I would like to apologize if I have offended anyone over the course of these two years with my blogs, but I'm honored that you would read them. I'm not as careful as I should be and my words are not always well selected. But, in my opinion, religion is the most sheltered area from criticism in human life – and I don't think it should be. Every other topic we can dissect with rigor and intellectual honesty without predetermined premises, regardless of where that may take us. Unfortunately with religion, that isn't the case.

Secondly, the fact that I'm still loved by those with whom I very publicly disagree is a great testament to the progressive attitudes we have versus our ancestors of not too long ago.

For a long time I wanted to believe in Christianity – my grandfather was an amazing man and a Reverend in the Methodist Church. Both sides of my extended family are religious. As a kid I went to church every Sunday, including Sunday school and bible school during the summer. The moment I trace back to getting my mind actively working on the topic was my sophomore year in college (19yrs old) when a previous girlfriend asked me as we were driving about my religious stance – she was from a Jewish background (although mostly non-practicing) and I was from a Methodist background.

Up until then, I was always told what my religious stance was or asked by someone who just wanted to know if I believed the same things they did…never really asked by someone who was interested to discuss it – and it was, in a sense, an awakening. For the next few years I tried to become more knowledgeable about what it was I was saying I believed – and I wanted to believe.

Around 23 years old though, as much as I previously tried, I couldn't continue to ignore or rationalize the mythology and the contradictions within the bible, the convoluted history of how the bible came to be, the impact of over 1,400 years of tyranny and killing off anyone who disagreed, the divorce from reason that religion is allowed and its insolubility with logic, all the suffering and injustice in the world that continues to exist today, and the continued suppression of education and free-thought under the banner of religion. It was a process of many years from when I started to really think and study the topic to where I am now, someone that does not believe in a deity but with a love for the mystery, the adventure, and the beauty of our existence and the universes.

We all have a feeling within us that there is more to what we are…more to what we are doing…something bigger. That energy we have and we feel…the desire to be connected to something greater than us. What is that feeling?

In our world, many lives have incalculable amounts of suffering, the work we do is incessant and unfulfilling, the relationships we have are strained, loved ones die, our bodies grow old and hurt, we are always alone inside our own mind, having money has become a noble albeit unscrupulous pursuit and a lot of people work passionless in jobs because they like or need the money, our personal and collective problems seem to be spiraling beyond our control most of the time, and our world is overflowing with injustice. The way we live is often bereft of meaning.

Thus, religion is one sanctuary many people have for some of our needs not found in our daily lives. It gives us solace and gives absolutist answers to questions we have and helps us feel connected with that feeling of something grander. When our loved ones die, it helps us to think we might see them again or that they aren't really dead but transcended into a different realm. It consoles us about our own thoughts of our inevitable death. Regardless of how alone we feel – religions tell us that you're not alone – someone loves you. Religions try to give us answers, regardless of how based on wish-thinking and conceit those answers may be...it tries to give us rules regardless of how hypocritical and unworthy they may be. But, religions' ability to console or control doesn't make it true. The idea of Santa Clause has the ability to make kids behave...but that doesn't make him true (and yes, I use this analogy because in a way, I think religion is Santa Claus for grown ups).

My favorite thing about Christianity is that it teaches love, forgiveness, and compassion. If Jesus did exist, then it is easy to see how a man like that would be killed – the Jews of that day wanted a warrior, not a teacher preaching about loving and forgiving the very people who were oppressing them. I like the teachings of Jesus – I find them visionary for his time and some of them are in line with how I want to live as a person. But I don't find solace in thinking he was god's only son, born of a virgin, sent to die for sins that I committed before I was born, and if I don't accept him as God's son and my savior then I, along with all the Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and others shall dwell in agony and pain for eternity...but he loves us. I do not like all the mythology that goes along with it.

I find solace elsewhere. I agree with Richard Dawkins' idea that when we die, what we will experience is the same thing we experienced before we were born. Does that make my life sad? I don't think so – in fact, it makes me want to live more fully now and not wait. I give my life its meaning – my time here is truly special...and limited. I see the world and the universe as a giant mass of energy and I am one very small part sharing it. What gives my life significance is how I interact with that energy now and what impact my life may have on the future once I'm gone. Am I helping or am I simply wasting my energy on unworthy activities? I want to be a person with an extreme enthusiasm for living while maintaining respect and compassion for other life and those properties that give life.

What would I like to see? The author Sam Harris put it best, "a non-denominational, fully rational spirituality." I do not believe in god...but that does not mean I want to rip the world of its mystery or beauty. In fact, I now perceive more mystery and beauty than when I was a believer. There are so many things we don't know and perhaps things we will never know – and that's okay, but let's look anyhow. I don't feel the need to fill those gaps of my ignorance with god simply because I don't know but feel a connection with the beauty around me. There is certainly an energy about the world and the universe that we can't grasp and I find that truly magnificent and intriguing. The fact that we can appreciate our lives and our surroundings is amazing. I feel a kinship with everything in this world – the sunlight, the soil, the mountains, the oceans, the animals, and everything else.

The community that churches create is a good thing - when that collective energy is focused on love and understanding, which makes our minds more open and accepting. Though, history and current news show how easily that collective energy can be turned and justified into hate and violence, which creates a more dual-perception of me/us vs. them in our brain.

It would be great to see Sunday gatherings where people get together to read Plato, Shakespeare, Hegel, Voltaire, Nietzsche, and Spinoza, among others. It's great to hear big groups singing, meditating together on love and appreciation of what we have, and enjoying the common threads that unite us. I'd like to see our everyday schools and libraries look more spectacular like churches...and that's where we could meet to enjoy the bonds of community and further our understanding of each other and our world. Churches could be turned into libraries, clinics, museums, or schools...instruments of learning and rational thought, healing without superstitions or divorced from reason, or appreciation for our lives, our bonds, and our shared resource, the world and the universe.

Looking from history and then extrapolating into the future – I am hopeful. Humans have gone from believing the most idiotic of dogmas and baseless assumptions on many topics from medicine to sacrificial offerings to masturbation. Collectively, we have progressed into today's world where thoughts outside of religion need a good reason to believe it – religion isn't there yet.

The bible, for instance, was taken 'literally' for over a thousand years. Some people still claim the bible is the word of God and should be read literally. However, many people have gone from saying the bible is 'god's word' to saying it was 'divinely inspired' and man's 'free will' and interpretation abilities are the problem. Now, a lot of people just cherry-pick from the bible what they like and chalk up the bad stuff to the 'men of the times' that wrote it.

But – looking at the correlation of education & lessened religiosity, the trend seems to be that in the years to come as we learn more, religion of today will be placed alongside the religions of the past as silly and exploitative, barbaric and cruel, laden with human bias and conceit, and yet interesting that so many people professed a belief in it. I just hope it won't be too long until we discard the dogma of the past arrive at a more humanistic, moral, and rational approach to our lives, our communities, and our spirituality.

Thanks for reading,
Much love,
Jake

“Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because if there be one, he must approve of the homage of reason more than that of blindfolded fear."
- Thomas Jefferson

“I believe in Spinoza’s god, who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists – not in a God who concerns himself with fates and actions of human beings.” Einstein

"The name of this monstrous absurdity is Original Sin. A sin without volition is a slap at morality and an insolent contradiction in terms that which is outside the possibility of choice is outside the province of morality. If man is evil by birth, he has no will, no power to change it; if he has no will, he can neither be good nor evil; a robot is amoral. To hold, as man's sin, a fact not open to his choice is a mockery of morality. To hold man's nature as his sin is a mockery of nature. To punish him for a crime that he committed before his was born is a mockery of justice. To hold him guilty in a matter which no innocence exists is a mockery of reason. To destroy morality, nature, justice, and reason by means of a single concept is a feat of evil hardly to be matched.

Do not hide behind the cowardly evasion that man is born with free will, but with a 'tendency' to evil. A free will saddled with a tendency is like a game with loaded dice, and the decision is weighted in favor of a tendency that he had no power to escape. If the tendency is of his choice; he cannot possess it at birth; if it is not of his choice, his will is not free…" Ayn Rand – Atlas Shrugged

"I do not know for certain about death and the gods – but I am as certain as I can be that you do not know either.” Socrates

Soccer Game

2009-07-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

I couldn't spend two years in Peru and never make it to a soccer game. This actually happened about a month or two ago and was a great time. The professional league's team where I live is called, "Sport Ancash". And their advantage is that they are playing at 2,500 meters while most teams practice/play at sea level. This game is taking place in Caraz while the main stadium in Huaraz is getting fixed up.

I went with Frank, who lives in the town where the game was. They were playing La U, the most popular team in Peru. It was a big deal.

We got pretty drunk for the game and had a blast. "You can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning!"
Much love,
Jake

The first goodbyes

2009-07-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the time lapse since the last blog. These past weeks have been busy...sad and happy. I've now had to say goodbye to some of my closer Peace Corps friends. It's bittersweet – we're all ready to go home, but our homes are spread out quite a bit and who knows when we'll actually see each other again. We have been each other's support network over the last two years...so we've formed some strong bonds and the times we've shared are unique and exceptional.

A good friend from home, Eric Longen, also recently visited – and that concludes the last expected visitor while I'm in the Peace Corps. He was working in Lima for a week – so I timed my final medical checks along with that week and then he was able to come up to where I live for a week. Below are some pictures of his visit.

My medical checks went well – I'm disease free. Although...I found out I have two herniated discs in my lower back and the doctors have said I need surgery.

Eric was here for a goodbye party thrown by other volunteers and friends in Huaraz. It was for our group up here. While he was here we were also able to see some of the mountains and he was able to check out where I live. I was also able to send a few mementos back home with him. Twas a fun time.

Having the privilege to live in Washington DC, I met a lot of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers – and they were all characters that I enjoyed being around. If you have been following my blog, then you have inevitably come across two recurring faces outside of my own – those faces would be the other members of the Anca$h tripod – Frank and Vishal.

When we received our site assignments during training, I didn't really know Vishal or Frank well. We lived in different communities, were in different programs (they are youth development), and had different language classes during training – so I didn't really get to know them. But over the two years we have gotten to know each other quite well.

Yesterday I said goodbye to Frank. The week before I said goodbye to Wes (a close friend who lived in a different department). We are able to finish Peace Corps a month before our official swear-in date. Both of them will be returning to graduate school, so they are leaving as early as possible to get ready for that next step.

I've had some practice saying goodbye in my life – I grew up in a military family and since college, I've lived in New Zealand, Washington DC, and Peru – and I've been lucky to make good friends in all those places. New Zealand and Peru, the goodbyes feel more permanent due to geography, which makes them much more sad and poignant. But…I am always happy and thankful that we were able to share the ride of life together.

Much love,
Jake

Variety & Efficiency

2009-06-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

"I adore simple pleasures…they are the last refuge of the complex." Wilde

Although I don't agree with everything about the United States – I still feel I won the baby lottery in being born within its borders. And although I dislike some things about the culture – the US is still my home, my 'normal', and my #1 love with regards to a country. There is a lot to love about the States and our culture. Part of that reason is simply because that's where I was raised.

Undoubtedly, I've missed my friends and family the most. But, this blog is about some of the more simple taken-for-granted things that I've really missed about home – some I knew I would miss a lot but they still deserve a mention. And of course I've missed out on all the luxuries…but those need not be mentioned.

A lot of extraordinary things lie in the ordinary if you choose to see them…or have had to put up with different for 2 years.

Like...sidewalk etiquette. Anytime I'm walking in Huaraz, I appreciate the sidewalk etiquette of our big cities. We walk with a purpose…most are aware if they are blocking a walkway and move, people are not allowed to set up a store wherever their fancy chooses, and generally people are thoughtful of others. Even those who are strolling get out of the way, enabling both to do their own thing. The sidewalk etiquette of our country is a beautiful thing. Where I live, the sidewalk etiquette is practically non-existent. Plus – all sidewalks usually have some form of animal excrement and huge holes…so you have to always watch where you are stepping.

Diversity...everyone is the same color here – give or take a few shades. I like the States with different races, religions, sizes, colors, shapes, etc. It creates problems, yes – but it also creates a lot of beauty (at least for me). Also, I miss having black friends, Asian friends, white friends, homosexual friends, etc. I prefer the diversity of the States.

American girls...yes I have a girlfriend here and she's great and a source of sanity for me since she has a lot in common with American girls, mentally and physically – but I still miss blondes, brunettes, redheads, African-Americans, Persians, Europeans, Asians, et cetera. In American society, girls are more liberal and experimental with their looks and that's nice to see (more money for clothes also).
- One example was during the last meeting in Lima with my entire training group – I commented to Frank how all the girls were really dressed nicely and looked great when we went out to the bars on Friday night and how weird that was – then Frank, who has been to the States twice during his service, pointed out to me that's what girls normally do…I've just been out in the boonies too long to remember. I was like, "oh yeah, you're right."

For instance, this photo - both girls are American. I didn't have to convince them - I asked, they thought it was funny, done. Plus, on the same topic – and I can't really complain about this because I don't have much of one myself…but most girls where I live don't have much of a behind (it's also hard to find bras with C-cups or higher…). Peruvians on the coast share more physical characteristics with American girls but that's not where I live. Also – American girls, I think, are sassier – and I like that. Plus, I like girls that challenge me mentally – and here, there isn't as much confrontation and people don't call out 'bullshit'. Also, I have a thing for athletic girls…and I can't think of a single athletic Peruvian girl here. I don't think the men here appreciate it…perhaps they find it too challenging to their manhood or something. Also, I consider myself a feminist (in the sense of equality but that doesn't mean we can't appreciate sexuality)…and that's not found here either. So, my apologies to the ladies back home reading this because you may not relate to what I'm saying (since you would be talking about American guys if you were here)…but you're beautiful and I miss you.
- I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but it seems an appropriate place to me (though I have a loose definition of "appropriate") – most are familiar with the term "beer goggles". Well…there is also "Peace Corps goggles" that you get from living out in the boonies for too long and they are arguably more powerful and deceiving…the two goggles combined are very, very dangerous.

Lines...while I might hate them…they do serve a purpose and we collectively benefit by keeping them orderly. Some lines have order here – like outside a bank. On the first of every month, you can be assured there are orderly lines wrapping around the block of people waiting to cash their paycheck. BUT…when it comes to getting onto a combi, the people here don't even wait for the others to get off before trying to cram on. They literally push and shove with their bodies. Sometimes I deal with it…other times when I have little patience I just wait for the next combi. Sometimes I tell the group they are acting like a bunch of monkeys…they'll look at me but no one ever says anything. Same thing in the market – if it's busy and you're not a little pushy, you won't get attention. Perhaps our ability for orderliness shows how well taken care of we are…

Food...I lucked out when it comes to the food of a country…Peru has delicious food. My favorite 3 are ceviche, lomo saltado, and aji de gallina. Lots of deliciousness. But…the tastes of home are sorely missed, whether it's Dad & Mom's cooking, ethnic restaurants, even chain restaurants (like Olive Garden or Outback) and sometimes that American fast-food crap does sound good….like a chipotle burrito or spicy chicken sandwich from Wendy's or anything from Taco Bell or a hung-over Sunday pizza delivery or IHOP trip. The food from home is very high on the things I miss.

Lunchtime...there isn't a single thing going on around lunchtime where I'm at. Everyone is chilling out. Now that can be cool…unless you want to get stuff done you have to wait till 3 or 4 until things get back under way. I prefer our way…even if lunch tends to be more rushed. For instance - I came into Huaraz today to buy a hard drive for a computer I'm fixing up for the artisans I work with...I couldn't between 1-3:30 because they are lunching.

Roads... I've mentioned this before, but every time I get in a form of transportation, I am acutely aware of my mortality...part of this reason is due to the roads where I live. It's like a video game set on 'extremely challenging' where the object is not to hit a pothole...nobody wins but everyone still tries...even if you can't see around the curve ahead. Things like roads don't really get fixed up where I live. I find them scary and I wonder if my likelihood of getting in a crash increases over time or if it's more like rolling dice, where the previous outcome has no influence over the next outcome...

Garbage...the States is much more adept at taking it away and putting where we can't see it...which is good for our visual pleasure...although perhaps that's one reason why America produces so much trash - we don't understand just how much we produce. Sometimes...trash here just gets dumped wherever - like this photo, this is one of the main roads in Huaraz. This has helped me increase my awareness of how much trash I produce and increased my desire to lessen that amount.

Weather...I'm a huge fan of seasons. I love them all. Only two seasons here – dry and wet. I've come to be a fan of these seasons as well – but back home, there is just more variety, and I like variety. Plus…rainy weather every day for 5 to 6 months is tiresome.

Variety and efficiency...those seem to be two of the themes – I guess those are two great things about the USA that don't exist here. (of course, variety and efficiency are not guaranteed even in our society, especially when it comes to things like a Two party system or healthcare)

Much love,
Jake

Things that won't go on the resume...

2009-06-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

Now that my time is winding down I am putting together my resume. As I was writing according to the requirements of today's resume – I sat there wondering how I could summarize the two years I've had here, the work I've done, and how I've changed. I came to the realization there just isn't any way to encapsulate it, especially in a resume where I can only devote about 6 to 7 bullets for my time here. So – here is a less formal, more fun resume of my life over these past two years…and who knows what will happen over the next couple months and on my trip home…

Jacob Edward DeBerry – Peace Corps – Volunteer – Small Business Development
- Fortified my immune system by introducing it to lots of different bacteria and through much strength and conditioning (I.E. explosive diarrhea).

- Relinquished all ideas of normal business practices and attitudes and instead focused on getting grown adults to not all talk at the same time during meetings, to show up on time or just to show up, to come sober, have an agenda set before the meeting, and that if you want to have an association where all the profits go back to everyone instead of a boss you will have to work and sell stuff before you get that money.

- Tried to instill ambition and a go-get-em attitude to people with a lot of talent but who have grown up getting things for free because of constant outside aid, beginning from the 1970 earthquake and now from the mines and NGO's galore.

- Performed as the sole and last business volunteer (at least for awhile) in this region – all other business volunteers are in different departments, mainly along the coast where the people are more willing to work.

- Was stood up for lots of meetings…or had to wait countless hours for meetings to begin or for people to show up…

- Combated loneliness and isolation for 2 years while in a town of 1,000 people close to 10,000 feet in altitude in the Peruvian Andes through reading, playing guitar, writing blogs, hiking, meditation, among others.

- Sacrificed seeing my niece and nephews growing up for two years. Missed my Dad's 50th birthday. Missed a number of weddings of friends and family. Missed my sister's graduation. Missed out on the festivities when Barack was elected (though we partied here). Missed out on a lot of stuff – though I gained a lot.

- Lived for two years without a television, microwave, oven, fridge, freezer, and any other appliance you can think of (though I had a toaster from 1972, it was awesome). Most of those two years I was also without running water during the day.

- When there was water, washed and showered with water that came from glaciers…it's really cold.

- Learned how to live poor and eat cheaply (spending less than $5/day).

- Adapted to constant personal-space invasion, a very machismo environment, constant attention from everyone and little kids and old people staring at me without discretion, dogs only living on the street and barking at all hours, repetitive conversations, unsanitary food but beautiful in its organic-ness, native music blaring usually in the early morning or late at night, drinking with only one glass that is passed around for the group (regardless of the size of the group), 5 months of rain every-single-day, and much, much more.

- Expanded my musical knowledge, tastes, and personal ability

- Implemented a great American greeting, the high-five

- Taught people that eating fruit at night won't make you sick, neither will drinking cold things, it's okay for men to cook and help in the house and women can help with the family money, that homosexuality isn't something caught like the cold and statistics show 1 out of 10 people are gay, that white women are not sluts because they might seem like that on tv, whistling and yelling at girls while with your group of friends won't get you as far as going up and talking to them, vegetables are good, sexual education for the youth is good and only preaching abstinence doesn't work, people who don't believe in god can still be nice and caring people, and lots of other stuff

- Corrected stereotypes about Americans such as: we do not carry around machine guns, other than Dick Cheney and a few others, Americans are friendly, peaceful people, that while America is a rich country 80% of that money is with less than 10% of the population and we have a lot of poor people that can't feed themselves or get health care and that our primary and secondary education, health care, and environmental awareness is actually some of the lowest out of rich countries…but we spend more on the military than the next 30 countries combined.

- 3 years out of the 6 years out of college have been spent outside of the US living in incredible places.

- Participated in traditional Andean fiestas.

- Grew a big hippy beard.

- Dropped below 160 lbs unhappily, losing about 15 to 20lbs - though I'm around 165 now.

- Went to a cat-eating party and ate more guinea pigs than I could count.

- Drank copious amounts of warm beer, bad wine, cheap rum, corn beer, and canaso (the moonshine here).

- Read over 50 books (literature and nonfiction)

- Began practicing meditation.

- Visited the Amazon rainforest and swam in the Amazon River, went to the largest city in the world that can't be reached by road, visited a shaman, held a sloth, a few monkeys, a kaiman, and other cool stuff. Saw a falcon killing a monkey. All kinds of other really cool stuff.

- Climbed above 19,000 feet and camped on a glacier at 18,000 feet.

- Skinny-dipped in 5 glacial lakes above 12,000 feet (and still counting).

- Visited one of the 7 world wonders and the highest navigable lake in the world.

- Learned Spanish and some of an indigenous language.

- Expanded my patience exponentially – something my mother has always harped on…"Jacob Edward! you need more patience!" love you mom :)

- Increased my capacity for compassion and love.

- Got a tattoo.

- May have set a Peace Corps record for number of friends that visited the country while I have been here.

- Made life-long friends and met all kinds of amazing people along the way.

- Expanded my perspectives and increased my awareness of that which is outside of my way of life.

- Had an intimate and meaningful relationship for over a year.

- Freaked out all the squares.

- Lots of other stuff I shouldn't document publicly on here…my grandma might be reading…

- Dearly missed my friends and family and despite all the frustration, bad times, and loneliness over the two years, I lived, loved, and laughed the entire time.

Much love,
Jake

our silly brain

2009-06-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

Warning: This blog is longer than usual and you may get defensive...

There are many problems within development work. Some of the most obvious difficulties stem from the setting: a 'development agency' tries to influence/change the lifestyles/habits of a different region, while both have different native languages, different cultures, different values, different beliefs, and different perspectives…and sometimes, different goals.

Another problem with development work is also a problem with any kind of work dealing with people anywhere in the world...the people themselves. The brain is not a very logical or rational organ. It has evolved over millions and millions of years to function in a very different lifestyle than the one that has come about since agriculture (about 10,000 years ago) and thus larger communities. Fear and emotions are based deeper in the root of the brain, making them the bosses of our behavior when evoked – overruling good sense or a rational/logical thought process.

How the brain works is this: you often already know what you want to believe…regardless of its validity (you know what you want to believe due to a mixture of your genes at birth, your upbringing, and adulthood experiences). Then, your brain sets out to prove why that is right, regardless of whether it is…meanwhile you can fool yourself into thinking you're being objective. You accept the data/information your brain receives, large and small, that agrees with your stance and it reinforces your beliefs - and you dismiss information that disagrees or you justify why you're still right despite that information. If the topic under debate is not anything too personal you'll notice the information that disagrees with your belief more readily…you can't argue, for instance, about whether it's raining or if a dress is red or that an elephant is bigger than you.

However…the moral intuitions you have about your representation of the world and your representation of yourself in the world (self-identity) are unlikely to be influenced by much evidence. You have to train your brain to be objective and look for information before you make up your mind and train yourself to change your mind even if it goes against what you want to believe…which people do not naturally do.

That's why education and reading good books is so important – because it trains our brain to think more objectively, it introduces us to ideas different from our own, forces us to analyze our own beliefs, it trains us to look at evidence when deciding upon something instead of deciding and then seeking evidence, and it alerts us to how little we actually know. It also teaches us to question those things we were told growing up that we accepted because we were kids or those things we 'feel'. Feelings in some cases are good – for instance reading non-verbal behavior in humans, our intuition is usually pretty good…but that's about where it stops. Feelings about other things are usually wrong…but it's okay to be wrong – being proven wrong should be viewed as enlightening instead of belittling.

One of the things I dislike about our culture is that being 'wrong' is looked at as a character flaw when it should be viewed as a positive thing as long as you're willing to change your mind. Our confidence and self-esteem are shaken when we're wrong. But if you're wrong, you just learned something, and that's what we want to be doing, putting our ideas out there and learning.

Religions of today and of the past are probably the easiest example, and the most fun for me to discuss, because it's the one area of life that will not even admit of the possibility of correction. In this instance, I'll briefly mention Christianity because most people reading this would agree with me if I were picking on Islam or Mormons and I like to cause a stir (interesting observation is how people make fun of other religions that are just as far-fetched as their own…the strongest correlation of what determines your religion is simply where you were born/what religion you were born into).

The theory of evolution, for instance, is supported by an overwhelming amount of evidence…every speck we have points to evolution (if you have something that doesn't, send it to me please)…so much evidence that anytime someone wants to argue creationism I feel like I'm arguing with a kid that hasn't done their reading or has a mental block against things they don't want to hear. But over a third of America's population doesn't want to accept it because a book written by people thousands of years ago that says you can sell your daughter into slavery or that you can't touch your wife while she is menstruating or that all the land animals were saved from a flood by going to hang out with Noah or that has a loving God destroying cities and having Moses enslave young girls while killing all the young boys also says that "God" created the world in 7 days and implies it's younger than 10,000 years…and that's the only support for that theory. If the bible said that things fall to the ground because God is actually in the center of the earth holding us to it then people would disagree with the theory of gravity (that all things with mass have a gravitational pull). Luckily, that wasn't included in the bible or Newton would be cast in the same shadow in America as Darwin.

Another example is that we know a virgin birth is impossible, or all evidence points to its extreme unlikelihood in our species. But virgin births seemed to happen frequently when the masses couldn't read or write, when language was yet to be standardized, and when people still thought the world was flat and didn't move…but people will believe it anyhow. Many scholars are pointing out that the passage in the bible with 'virgin' in regards to Mary is more appropriately translated to "young woman" (the word is 'almah') and that the resurrection was added years after it was all written…but something like that still won't influence most people's beliefs. Religion is engrained from childhood and constantly reinforced in our environment…unquestioned faith is seen as a virtue and people don't like changing their mind about something so personal. Growing up and in college, I was a Christian…now I think I was wrong all that time.

Look at how Christians, Muslims, and other religious people of 'peace' find it so easy to be cruel to one another. Look at how long it took for white men to view blacks and women as their equals (and in many places around the world and in the U.S. it still hasn't happened). Look at how long in Europe people were killed for disagreeing with religion or the state (I would certainly have been burned at the stake back then). Look at the struggles homosexuals have even when all evidence points to homosexuality being decided upon in the womb…it's not a "choice". Look at how many people thought the gods lived on Mt. Olympus and Athena sprung from the head of Zeus. Look at how many Americans think America is a "Christian nation" when the founding fathers very clearly wrote "America was not founded as a Christian nation" and men like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were deists, not Christians. Look at the Muslim world today and how many people believe that you have to kill your daughter/sister if someone rapes her, or that apostates should be killed, or that a woman's vote is half of a man's meanwhile their prophet wed an 8 year old girl and thought he saw an angel while baking in a cave in the desert…couldn't just have been delusional. Our beliefs, regardless of how wrong, immoral, or far-fetched they may be, are not easily changed and we can justify just about anything we do. Al Capone thought he was helping the community. Fredrick Douglas commented that the most religious slave-owners were also the most vicious. Lincoln commented how each side of the civil war thought that 'God' was on their side. Our brain's incompetence in being reasonable is just one part of the problem…but it's a big part.

In most religious and political conversations, people are unable to think objectively about their religion or political stance because it is a very personal topic and we get defensive, then emotional – and that blocks any rational thought (I include myself in that as well…though I'm getting better). Those topics deal with our self-identity and once you believe something to be true, regardless of whether it is, you will be able to make the argument to support your desire and it will take an overwhelming amount of evidence to change your mind…if your mind can be influenced at all. If the Republican Party would have gotten around to saying Barack Obama was a Muslim before most people knew he wasn't, Obama would have had a more difficult time. Similar to John Kerry in '04 – most people saw information that he was a coward first…when in fact, he was much braver than his opponents, but the damage was already done and he wasn't able to overcome that first belief people had about him as being weak-kneed and an opportunist.

In most developing countries, the education level is horrendous (the USA isn't that far ahead either); most people don't know how to think objectively. When you don't have much of an education, or live in an area that doesn't get much outside influence, or live in a very conservative area where differing thoughts are not welcome, even the simplest ideas you have are unlikely to be altered. The other day I heard a guy who works at a drug store tell a woman not to feed her sick son oranges, bananas, or other fruits until he gets better. I quickly stepped in, speaking as politely as I could so I wouldn't make them defensive, that my doctor told me that fruits are good for us because it has the vitamins we need to get better. Then the pharmacist tried to explain why – and it was completely ridiculous. I doubt she listened to me.

The way to change people's beliefs is not through logic, because most people don't respond to logic or reason. They have their beliefs, perspectives, and idea of why things are and that won't change because it deals with self-identity, which is very fragile. The way to accepting other perspectives, possibly influencing them, as corny as it sounds, is through the heart. It's to break down the 'me vs. them' barrier when discussing sensitive topics.

A great example of this was mentioned in the New York Times: [“Minds are very hard things to open, and the best way to open the mind is through the heart,” Professor Haidt says. “Our minds were not designed by evolution to discover the truth; they were designed to play social games.” Thus persuasion may be most effective when built on human interactions. Gay rights were probably advanced largely by the public’s growing awareness of friends and family members who were gay.]

One of the reasons Peace Corps is a great social development organization is due to the fact that we stay in one community for 2 years – that is plenty of time to get to know each other. When you care for a person, you're more likely to listen to what they have to say and while they may not change your mind, their differences become more accepted. Once the differences become more accepted, as people, we're more likely to alter our ideas and beliefs. The people where I live have gotten to know me personally and ask me questions about America, food, the economy, swine flu, etc. They listen to me and I listen to them. They no longer think all Americans want war with everyone or that we all eat from cans. Progress.

This blog is longer than usual and it's a bit scattered...but thanks for reading. If you have thoughts/opinions/arguments, I'd love to hear it. I'm a big fan of mental sparring; I think it's healthy as long as each side doesn't take it personally – we're all after a clearer truth and a more peaceful society. There is always a lot we can learn from each other. Being down here, I'm not able to participate as much as I could back home in debates…especially since most Peace Corps volunteers share similar views (about politics at least).

Much love,
Jake

Going to the chapel! (and my official end date)

2009-06-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

Recently, two friends visited – Gabe Miccio & Kristian Schumm. Gabe and I have been friends since high school…which is getting to be a long time. To get to the point – Gabe and Kristian have been dating for about 4 years and Gabe popped the question the morning they arrived to Machu Picchu…and against all earthly wisdom, she said YES! (just kidding, Gabe's a great guy, she's lucky to have him). Congratulations to the two of them. I look forward to seeing the family they create.

While they were here, we spent time in Lima and Ancash, and then they went to Cusco. I was already going to be in Lima when they arrived for the "close of service" meeting so it was great timing. We were able to spend the down time I had for that meeting and then they came up to where I live for a couple days.

While here, they got to see me perform a song at a "Bob Dylan Birthday Bash". One of the American cafes up where I live is owned by someone who loves Bob Dylan. She brought a musician up from Lima to perform covers and a few others from around the area performed a song or two. Those who have known me for a long time might think hell froze over because I have never been innately talented in music and I could never carry a tune (though I do love to try). In fact, one of my friends (Jim Garvin) once said something like, 'when Jake dies, right before, he is going to belt out the most beautiful note to astound us all.' Which was him saying that it'll take that long and it'll be that much of a struggle for me. Well, I still wouldn't say I am an able singer or a talented guitarist – but I've improved dramatically from what I once was to what I am now (I think). I performed, "Masters of War" by Bob Dylan. Since I was in Lima the week before, I wasn't able to practice as much as I would have liked but even if I had, I was so nervous I don't think it would have mattered anyhow. I forgot some of the words and messed up the strumming a little bit – but overall, it came out alright for my first actual performance in front of a lot of people I don't know.

I submitted my request for my official finish date: August 19th and it was approved. A friend from home (Tim Foley) has also decided to do the trip home with me. He recently graduated from Columbia journalism school and has the time and the desire, so he and I will be northward bound at that time.

I hope everyone is doing well!
Love,
Jake

Close of service

2009-05-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

This past week the volunteers of Peace Corps Peru 9 (the group I went through training with) descended to Lima for our final meeting - "Close of Service". That means we have 3 months left. As you would imagine, it was a great meeting simply because we were all together as a group. Being in Peace Corps on the same time-line and in the same country creates a strong bond even though we are dispersed throughout the country and have rarely seen each other throughout our two years.

The meeting was mainly how to finish Peace Corps - since it is a government agency, it has the bureaucratic paperwork. There was a lot of talk about our experiences and how we've developed as people, our accomplishments, and the benefits of being a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. We had a 30 minute picture slideshow that a fellow Ancash volunteer put together to top off the meeting. Every night was a party.

Our official end-date is August 23...but, if you have a reason, you can finish in the last month of your service, 29 days before the final end date. I'm not exactly sure yet when my "final date" will be, but it will be sometime around August 15th. It has been a long journey - and thanks for those who've kept reading my blog and for all the positive comments. I'll keep it going for the next three months - and for the two months while I'm heading home.

To make this blog somewhat funny - here are some pictures. I've mentioned this before, but Peru has a bit of a different culture around drinking. Getting black-out drunk and passing out in random places isn't just reserved for college. Here are a few pictures.
Much love,
Jake

Website and other stuff

2009-05-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

I recently put the website for the artisan association on the web. There are a few problems right now because of the Spanish tilde (the accent mark). Every word that has a tilde creates a different symbol. I’ll be fixing that soon, but I’m booked up for the next couple weeks so it won't be fixed until then. The website is: www.joyasdebarro.com. It’s nothing complex because the artisans will have to upkeep it once I’m gone, so I tried to make it as simple as possible. Plus, the idea of the website is to attract visitors to Tarica (where we live), and that's it. Unfortunately, the artisans are not ready to be taking orders through the web, so that service is not there. They still screw up orders that are made by people nearby. Things like quality control, timing, etc, still don't seem to matter much after close to two years of Peruvian consultants and me trying to instill them. Unfortunately, I can't make the products for them.

Other interesting happenings of late:
- One volunteer that lives in the same department recently coughed up a worm, which means that he has a lot of them residing within his body…once again, proving our bodies are like science experiments while living here.

- Another volunteer in my area was told that unicorns actually do exist.

- A taxi driver told me that swine flu was sent by God (I'm sure there are plenty of people in the US that believe that also – kinda like Pat Robertson saying hurricane Katrina was sent by God to punish us). Because of the swine flu hysteria, the US Govt mandated that all Peace Corps volunteers get the medicine just in case. We also got issued face masks.

- Someone told me that sex is a lot better when there is a full moon. I could probably write a few pages of all the ridiculous things I've been told by the men here about sex.

-Another Jehovah's Witness stopped by my door today. This is the 3rd or 4th one. The last one told me the bible is literal word of god because it says so in the bible.

- One of the cafés in town is having a Bob Dylan birthday bash with live music – and I’ll be performing a song! I’ll be performing “Masters of War”. Let’s hope I don’t embarrass myself too much.

- Someone called me Senor Gringo the other day. I think I've mentioned this before, but in this culture, people call you what you look like if they don't know your name. If you're fat, they call you "fat" – and it's not meant as an insult. Similar to other poor countries, if you're fat, it's a sign that you're also rich. The old lady next door often calls me, "Kalla Pecta", which is Quechua for baldy.

- A different volunteer was talking to someone about fishing in a nearby lake – and the person said the easiest way to catch fish is to just poor bleach into the lake…then the fishes just float up! That means that they are eating fish killed with bleach and eventually, killing most, if not all forms of life within that lake.

-We recently had a meeting for the volunteers in Ancash, so we hiked up to a lake to have the meeting. It's not an easy hike if you're not in shape or not acclimatized to the altitude, but everyone made it in one piece…and then 10 out of the 13 skinny dipped in the lake! That's me, grabbing the bull by the horns.
Much love, Jake

Mindful Breathing

2009-05-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

Before coming to Peru, I knew I was going to have more free time than in my past and I planned on practicing meditation while here. Buddhist monks have always intrigued me as I wonder about the power of meditation. Does Zen or nirvana really exist? Are we capable of reaching those states? Is it worthy of our time? Would the world be a better place if everyone wasn’t in such a hurry or is the constant busyness good for us? Can we improve the value of our lives through meditation? Could we improve our society and our world by promoting and practicing meditation?

Unfortunately, our society doesn’t really place much value on the idea. Our mentality is something like, “Don’t just sit there, do something!” whereas the idea of meditation, in a sense, is, “Don’t just do something, sit there!” Similar to most things in life, standing outside and observing only gets us so far – in order to truly understand something, we have to put ourselves into it (kind of like being in love, you don’t really know it until you’ve been through it).

I’ve read a couple books on meditation by a Vietnamese monk, Thich Nhat Hanh. The story of his life is inspirational and his words, while simple, carry a profound meaning and an enlightened path. His books describe ways on how to practice meditation in our busy lives. His approach towards meditation is to begin focusing on our breathing, through what he calls, “mindful breathing”. The first steps are to recognize and control our respiration, while letting go of everything else. It sounds easy but it’s quite difficult. I suggest trying it for half an hour, not thinking of all the things that happened during the day or what you will be doing after, or about our relationships with others or about what is happening this weekend or the work still to do before bed – just focus on the moment. “As I breathe in, I am sitting. As I breathe out, I am alive. As I breathe in I nourish my body. As I breathe out I am in control. As I breathe in, I smile. As I breathe out, I relax.”

The longest I’ve been able to truly maintain a pure focus is about 5 minutes, then often my concentration gets broken and thoughts not related to the moment enter my mind and I begin anew to focus on my breath. I’ve had to build up to those 5 minutes also. It's tough to do. But, by focusing on your breath and the moment, you can enter deeper thoughts, while maintaining a focus on your breathing and the now.

After an hour, I feel exhausted, relaxed, and energized. It’s a unique feeling. My goals for practicing meditation are too many to list here. A few though are: I am trying to learn to enjoy the moment more, without thinking or worrying or hoping about the future (though of course, we all have to plan for the future). Happiness is now. I focus on living with more compassion and understanding. I sometimes focus on the sources of anger and frustration within me, in order to understand it and control it, not ignore it - thus lessening it. I focus on love and how I can bring more into my life while giving more to others. I often try to focus on energy - both scientifically and spiritually – which is what we are and is all around us. We are a bunch of cells...broken down further – molecules...broken down further – atoms, which can be broken down further and further. We are made up of the same things that make up everything around us – so, in a sense, we are the same, and we are one. (something neat to think about, not necessarily during meditation is this: Imagine a moment from your childhood – think about what you were doing, how you felt, etc. Then, realize that every single atom that was within you at that moment has since left your body and is somewhere else – so in reality, all the parts that made you then no longer exist within you now. Weird, huh?)

My routine is basically this, sometime between 6 to 8 PM, I’ll turn off the lights, close my laptop, turn off my phone (though set an alarm), light a candle or two, and sit for 30 minutes to an hour. It’s tough to maintain – and when I get back to the States and begin the life there again, it’ll be even tougher to maintain. As Thich Nhat Hanh teaches though, we can practice meditation while walking, while washing the dishes, folding the laundry, while cooking, or any other time. Through practice, we can include mindful breathing into all of our activities. If we are to continue leading lives the way we are, we need to find sanctuaries within our busy lives and mindful breathing is a great way.

I decided to share all this because I figure it might interest others to bring into their lives as well - and I think practicing meditation is very beneficial, calming, and helps make us better people.

Thanks for reading,
Much Love,
Jake

Moments

2009-04-28T13:17:00.000-07:00

There are many moments in the Peace Corps that fit the stereotype of Peace Corps - small villages, disconnected from the world, very organic, etc. However, Peace Corps has grown with the times quite a bit since its initial founding in 1961 by President Kennedy as the world is marked by more and more “globalization” and television bringing images of far off worlds. Some volunteers in Peru, for instance, live in cities, have internet in their house, and can go to a movie theater or McDonald’s whenever they like (if they can afford it). All the volunteers in Peru have cell phones. The internet has made communication much faster with instant gratification (picture: not a peace corps moment, I enjoy cooking and can´t really ¨cook¨ where I live since I don´t have a typical kitchen. A friend teaches in the mining community and he has a decent kitchen...so we took advantage of that recently).

My Peace Corps experience is a little more rustic and fitting to the traditional stereotype of Peace Corps – though it’s nothing like it would have been in the first 4 decades of the organization. So, I feel a little luckier with my experience because it’s what I wanted when I initially came here – the feel of isolation, being disconnected and the idea that there are still some places that haven’t been converted to “Americanism” with most concerned about their possessions defining who they are and eating food processed in laboratories wrapped in plastic with shelf lives of 5 years. Although, a forced cash economy and technology is certainly affecting the life here now as more computers, televisions, phones, and processed food arrive and are cheaper.

But, there are times, here and there, where I can’t help but smile at something and think that this moment, is stereotypical “Peace Corps” (but I smile at a lot of things). For instance, I printed out some pictures of the recent baptism I was part of and gave them to the family in one of the zip lock bags that my parents sent. It’s one of those ziplocks that have a small blue plastic handle that you pull back and forth to open/close the bag. At first, the family didn’t know how to open it and they were just as intrigued by the ziplock as they were the pictures – moving the blue “one-zip” back and forth with a perplexed look on their face and saying to me that it’s like a zipper on your pants.

This next moment isn’t really ‘Peace Corps’ but it’s too funny not to mention. When I first got here, I met a girl at a bar and we started hanging out – but she had a very latin-idea of a relationship, which I couldn’t deal with (lots of drama and calling me, literally 10 to 20 times a day). I broke that up promptly. Anyhow, we’re still friends and she’s in school studying art. I mentioned one time that I would like to see her drawings. She came out to where I live with a framed charcoal drawing of...Rod Stewart. I did my best not to laugh, simply because, well, it’s Rod Stewart – though it’s a very talented drawing. It’s hanging up in my room now, so I’m never really alone anymore…always have Rod there looking at me with his, “Do you think I’m sexy” grin? (And no, Rod, I don’t think you’re sexy).

Anytime I ask someone where I live to take a picture with my camera, I have to explain how to do it. Many people get confused and end up taking close-ups of their face. There is a lot of old beliefs that are completely ridiculous, passed down from generation to generation with no basis other than that’s what they were told (like drinking something cold at night will make you sick). Last night I was helping a 9-year old kid with his homework and I asked him what he wants to be when he grows up – he had never been asked that question before and he didn’t have an answer (there don’t seem to be too many choices around here). I walked into a store the other day and saw these lovely calendars of nude girls and right next to that was a picture of Jesus (I put black squares over the breasts to keep this PG).

My neighbor has an open part of her house, which is normal, and I can see into it from the stairs. I’m not much into voyeurism but the best signal for my cell phone is outside on the stairs – one time I saw she had a turkey, 3 or 4 chickens, 2 dogs, a cat, and a bunch of guinea pigs running around inside – all seemed to be living in relative harmony. At a town party once, there was a line of girls and the mayor told me and two other gringos to pick one (to dance). Everyone’s sense of geography is horrible. Most live simple lives – indulging in the basics and that’s it – lots of time to sit around and chat about the same things, and most seem quite content to do just that. I´ve mentioned this before, but everyone still plows their fields with cows. To get the wheat off the stalk, they have a donkey or two walk around in circles for hours, then throw it all in the air, the stalks get carried away by the wind and the wheat falls back down. Then, of course, we sift through the wheat for rocks, etc.

Anyhow – there are countless “Peace Corps” moments – those are just a few interesting ones. The ziplock incident just happened yesterday, which gave me the idea to write this. Hope everyone is doing well and still enjoying bacon (after all, this swine flu isn´t the pigs´ fault).
Thanks for reading.
Much love,
Jake

Time...there she goes

2009-04-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

Since I was fortunate to know a few returned peace corps volunteers, I got a very accurate assessment of what service would be like before arriving. One of the things all of them mentioned, was just how fast the last year goes...especially the last 6 months.

Now, I have about 4 months left of the journey that began, what feels like, quite a long time ago. It's still too far out to really write the reflection piece to it all - though around now you start thinking, "What have I really done here?" "Am I happy with what I/We have accomplished?" The answer to that, with regards to the job, is yes and no. I've been pondering what I've accomplished recently and will write more about it later. Just completing 2 years of service though is something to be proud of...as one Marine at the embassy told me, "You guys are hardcore."

In a month, I'll be traveling to Lima for our "Close of Service" conference. Of course, it will be one big meeting of reflection and ambiguous anticipation for what comes next. The next 4 months though will be quite busy. I'll be trying to finish up with the job, getting ready for the next stage of life, and planning my way back home. I'll be going home by land...from Peru to San Diego. Should be quite a time. If anyone wants to pick me up in San Diego and road trip across the States, let me know.

Here are some pictures of a few of the fun times over the past couple months.
Much love,
Jake
This is the view from up the hill where I live. The one of the valley, if you look closely you can see the airport.

That's the tripod of Anca$h having a slumber party, drinking lots of wine and making chili. Somehow we got our hands on a spice packet for chili. It was amazing.

A Godfather...part 1...no sequels

2009-04-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of March, two of the artisans I work with came to my door to ask if I would be the godfather for their 13 year old daughter. They are not technically married because that costs too much money to do, but they’ve been living together for 15 years. Usually I say no outright, but I felt bad doing that so I tried to scare them off first.

My opening tactic was that I’m a volunteer and don’t have much money and the whole baptism thing usually costs some money. They are relatively poor as well, but they assured me I wouldn’t have to pay for a big party or anything. They laid out the costs that I would have to pay, which I could do…I just wouldn’t be able to have any fun in March.

Next I mentioned that I’ll be leaving at the end of August and I have no idea if I’ll ever be able to visit again. Of course I hope to visit at some point in the future, but it won’t be for a long time. If I were the godfather, I wouldn’t be able to take a large part in her life. Plus, I didn’t really know their daughter at all. They said, that’s okay. No big deal. In general, I think they just feel like baptism is something they are supposed to do, but not that vital, more of the Pascal’s Wager thing.

The last topic I mentioned was that I’m not catholic. In fact, I don’t have a religion. I was baptized when I was a baby but I do not subscribe to the ideas and principles of that church. This caused them to pause and look at each other uncertainly. But then Hugo, the dad, told me I could just say I’m catholic if someone at the church asks.

So, after discussing those things, I decided to go ahead and say yes. The parents probably didn’t have another choice for a possible godfather. Their daughter is already 13, a little older than most and if I didn’t say yes, she would have to wait till the next year probably. The parents considered it an honor and the girl probably felt special that a blue-eyed gringo would be her godfather. I was also intrigued at the experience. So, those aren’t the right reasons to be someone’s godfather, but if it sufficed for the parents, I was fine with it also.

The process involved three Sundays in a row. The first was a lecture about baptism. We were asked why we were going to be the godfather/mother. Most repeated the example the leader of the discussion gave, “to be better Christians”. I said to help lead a life of love, forgiveness, and peace, which I meant. Even though I don’t think Jesus was born of a virgin or was the son of god or that if you don’t believe in him you spend eternity in pain and anguish or that I am born with sin from the very beginning of my life, I completely embrace the idea of living peacefully with compassion and understanding and I don’t need any ridiculous dogma to practice that in my life. (In the picture, I was doing everything I could to try and get them to smile...but that doesn't really happen much here)

The second Sunday was the baptism. There were a bunch of people getting baptized because of the time of year. The preacher went around doing a cross on their foreheads, then after him I had to do a cross with my thumb on her head. Then one by one we went up to the bowl to get some water taken from the faucet but now magically holy, poured on her head, meanwhile I had my left hand on her right shoulder. That’s it! Now I’m a godfather.

After the baptism, the adults party, which I wasn’t all that excited about. We went back and had a traditional meal, soup and then guinea pig with potatoes. Usually you get a quarter of a guinea pig and a mountain of potatoes, but because I was the godfather, I got a whole one and a mountain of potatoes. Basically, it’s just a fried dead animal over a bunch of potatoes with a delicious spicy sauce. The animal was intact and I was given a spoon to eat it with. Other members of the family come to the party and we drink and dance to traditional Andean music, there was about 12 people altogether. But, the dancing has to be started by the godfather dancing with the mother of the daughter while everyone watches. I was able to put up with it for a few hours, then I got out of there.

The third Sunday is the first communion. There were tons of kids there for their first communion that had been baptized over the previous months. That was it. Done deal. Now, I actually hope to spend some time with my goddaughter before I leave but she is so shy around me I can’t get anything out of her other than one word answers. But, maybe that’s still helpful for her that someone else is showing an interest.

Thanks for reading,
Much love,
jake

Dating Across Cultures

2009-03-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

I get this question a lot from friends back home and from people here in Peru, volunteers and Peruvians. What’s happening with my girlfriend and me? One of the first questions any Peruvian asks me is if I’m single. Many people in my site tell me they have a daughter I should meet. Old people have told me I should ‘leave my seed’ with their granddaughter because they want a grandbaby with blue eyes. I just met one of the teachers at the school here and one of her first questions was if I’m single. When I tell them I have a Peruvian girlfriend, they ask if I’m going to marry her and take her back the States. Plus, with all the pictures I’ve posted of her and me on here, you might be wondering also. It’s an honest question.

I’ve been dating Jenifer now for over a year. Just like any relationship we’ve had our ups and downs. With this relationship, there are many differences I’ve never experienced before. We have the language barrier – which is difficult but not overwhelming, especially as I improve in Spanish (she doesn’t speak English). We have the distance barrier – about 25 to 40 minutes of travel to see one another. We have different schedules. We grew up with different cultures in different societies and therefore have different expectations of each other and ourselves. We have different trajectories of where we see our lives going. We have the fact that I will be returning to the States in 5 months (5 months!).

We met in a discoteca. It was around 3am, the nights usually go until 5 or 6am. I saw her and she was wearing a skirt...so I immediately thought she must be from Lima (the capital of Peru, 8 hours away) because girls around here don’t wear skirts unless it’s the traditional clothing with wool pants/stockings underneath, but you never see that in a discoteca…no skin is ever showing. Wow, I thought...I haven’t seen nice legs in a skirt in awhile! I approached her and we started talking, turned out she is from Huaraz but with a lot of family on the coast (which explains the skirt) and I asked her to dance. As the night ended I got her phone number; I called a day later and asked her to dinner. Luckily I was in the city all week for Quechua classes (Quechua is the native language here). That’s how we began.

Something comical about our meeting was that before I approached her we made eye contact and I thought she smiled at me. Turns out that shortly before I entered the bar, she and her friends were talking about Peruvian guys and that she doesn’t like them because they are too jealous. I walked in and a minute or two later, her friends pointed out the gringos that entered, an answer to her not liking the jealousy factor of Peruvian guys and when she looked at me, I looked back over at her almost simultaneously and that’s what caused her to smile…and why I thought it safe to approach…even though she wasn’t actually smiling at me but smiling for getting caught looking at me.

Now, after a year, I still have not been to her house nor met any of her family (other than a cousin). In fact, one time I was in the post office and she walked by with her mom – we just waved at each other. In this culture, you don’t meet family until you’re engaged. There is a lot of PDA in Peru because lovers who are not married have no privacy to be alone, since everyone lives with their family until marriage. In order to be intimate, they’ll go to a hostel or in Tarica, out into the forest. Of course, parents being so strict, traditional, or just stupid doesn’t seem to prevent all the teenage pregnancies in Peru. It’s like those who won’t teach about contraceptives but only about abstinence…it doesn’t work! As Malcolm Gladwell proposes in The Tipping Point, “we should not be fighting experimentation but making sure experimentation does not have serious consequences.”

Dating someone for a year seems like a long time – and it is. In the States, we have a lot more opportunity to really get to know someone. Once you’re off to college or living on your own, if you want to spend the night with your girlfriend or boyfriend, you can. Here, even if you’re 25, that doesn’t really happen much. In the States, if you’ve been dating someone for awhile, it’s okay and probably a good idea to meet the parents/family and get to see your significant other in front of their family…and we all learn a lot about each other doing that! Here – none of that happens. Even though we've been dating for over a year, I feel like we're at the same place a 3 or 4 month relationship would be back home.

For Jenifer, dating a white guy (especially one as weird as me) is probably interesting, at times difficult. Anyone here who sees us holding hands walking down the street will immediately assume she is a “bruchera”, the term for a Peruvian looking for a ticket out of Peru or money, that I’m a tourist passing through and she is slutting it up for the couple days...not that we’ve been dating for over a year and respect each other. There are many times I’m unable to fully explain myself (frustrating for the both of us). I can’t tell her all the things she probably wants to hear because I don’t know the words. She gets attached to me and then I skip back to my previous life. She has to put up with the residuals of my culture, which also has its qualms. Those are just a few of the difficulties.

For me as well, it’s quite interesting. I doubt she understands the culture I was raised in, with its social intricacies. I’ve been living in Peru for almost 2 years now and I still don’t fully know this culture. She’s never traveled outside of her country or lived in a place that doesn’t speak your native language, having few others to converse with. She can’t possibly relate to this experience. I have to operate under this foreign culture to a large extent. Although she is like our progressive society in more aspects than most here, she was still raised in the mountains – a very, very conservative area, which would have an influence on anyone.

Of course, there are difficulties in every relationship of knowing each other, communicating, understanding one’s perspectives, and a slew of other stuff. Along with all the standard issues, we have a few different ones than I’ve known in the past. I guess part of the beauty of intimate relationships is that there really are not two that are the same. I don't mean to imply that it's a difficult relationship, because then I wouldn't be involved...just different factors.

To answer everyone’s question though – No, I will not be bringing her back to the States. Have we grown close? Yes. Will I miss her? A lot. Do I hope to keep in touch with her? Of course. She has been an integral part of my life here, but we’ve been honest with each other about the status of what we’re doing. When I leave and we end our relationship, it’ll probably hurt (though I have the joy and novelty of returning home while she goes on living in hers)…but it won’t be a surprise.

Thanks for reading,
Much love,
Jake

El Monte

2009-03-06T12:15:00.001-08:00

Carnavales is best known in Brazil – primarily in Rio de Janeiro…but, it’s celebrated in Peru as well. Basically, for the entire month of the ‘carnaval’ period, you have to water proof anything you’re walking with. Kids hang out on the side of the road and throw buckets of water at passing cars – so you have to keep your windows up as well…or at least be on the lookout and hope you have time to close your window when you spot the little miscreants. Kids hang out on the top of roofs and throw buckets of water or water balloons at unsuspecting victims. If you’re white and walking through the town, you’re an even bigger target. Most of the time during Carnaval, if you’re wearing nice clothing or appear to have something of value, you’ll be spared. With a shaved head and a good scowl I learned from my Dad, I can usually make any kid scared of me and think twice about throwing water at me during the month. Plus, we’re in the rainy season now, so every afternoon it’s guaranteed to rain – which diminishes the water fights.

(Pic from last year's carnaval) This goes on for a month and then it’s capped by a huge parade day with lots of people dressed up, floats, etc. They carry a blood-soaked statue of Jesus surrounded by soldiers to churches. Something interesting, for a very homophobic society, a bunch of guys dress up in women’s clothing with masks on their faces for the parade, blowing kisses as they pass by. Then, there is one day where you don’t go outside unless you want to get wet. Seriously, the entire town shuts down and it’s one huge water fight for those who want to venture out…mainly the youth (I participated last year, not this year).

The youth of my town came to me about a month ago and wanted to work on raising money for the parade. I said I would help and we came up with income-generating activities. One time, we made tamales and sold them – made about 80 soles ($28). Instead of doing more activities or putting that towards the parade, they decided to skip the parade and have a party in our town, called “El Monte”.

Another custom within this period is “El Monte” – which is putting a tree in the plaza or the middle of a street, put presents up in the tree (presents = buckets, pots, brooms, useful household items mainly), then dance around the tree all night while people take turns swinging an ax. Then once the tree falls, grab what you can and it’s yours. (Me dancing huayno...I just stomp around without embarrassment and everyone thinks I know how to dance...funny)

In my town, we made a hole in the street, specifically for this (the stump of the tree is still there a week later). The party began around 6pm and the tree fell around 11pm. Most of the time, everyone is holding hands and spinning around the tree, while two to four people take turns dancing in the middle. When the song is over, those who were dancing in the middle hit the tree with the ax, and then pass the ax. Repeat. Oh, and the music is huayno – a most horrible sounding clanging of instruments and squealing of voices. I’m going to bring back some of it and force some of you to listen to it…just so you can sympathize that I had to listen to this crap for 2 years…of course, I imagine once I’m no longer forced to be surrounded by it, it’ll have a special place in my heart.

(Jenifer, my girlfriend here, taking her turn swinging the ax)Until around 10pm, you don’t really try to cut the tree down, then once it’s past 10 you can really swing. The method of dancing is a type of stomp mainly…kinda difficult to explain, so I’ll just have to show you someday. Once people get drunk enough, then we have a white-dust fight, where everyone is trying to put it on your face. Everyone gets drunk, everyone dances, and everyone is merry.

I hope everyone is doing well.
Much love,
Jake
-Following pictures:
Here with one of my artisans and his son-in-law...after all the white-powder flinging. I'm pretty much the only bald dude around, so everyone wanted to put it on my head...
-A group of the youth in my town...coming back and being slightly above the average height will be weird...
- It was also someone's birthday, so that's me eating part of a guinea pig...they're pretty good. Of course, that's also about 7 potatoes on my plate. Eating that many potatoes is daunting.
-Jenifer and I. This was the first big event she came to(she lives in the bigger city near me), so everyone got to meet the gringo's chica. Perhaps now most will stop asking me to marry their daughters.
-This doesn't have anything to do with the above story...simply the sunset view from where I live.

computer crashed...

2009-03-02T11:20:00.000-08:00

Well - I apologize for not posting something over the past few weeks. Unfortunately, my computer crashed. I got some viruses on my laptop back in October-November due to a lack of updating my virus protection and the virus culture over here. I was able to clean it all off, but over the past few months, my laptop has had a lot of problems due to deleting those files infected with viruses. Finally, Windows would not boot at all and I had to wipe everything.

I had a lot of my stuff backed up...though I lost about 4 months of photos. Unfortunately, my camera also had a bunch of viruses so right now I can´t put new pictures on my computer because I have to reformat it also.

Basically, everything here takes a lot longer to fix. I´ve been able to reinstall Windows (a Spanish version) and now I´m in the process of putting everything back in place.

So - the lack of me putting anything on here is not an account of anything other than those problems. I´ll be resuming normal blogging habits soon, once I figure out my camera situation.

I hope everyone is doing well. Thanks for reading and for all the emails or notes I get mentioning that you read/enjoy the blog. It helps me feel connected to everyone, and not so lonely out here.

Much love,
Jake

A Day in the Life

2009-02-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

Peace Corps is not a standard 9 to 5 job and every Peace Corps experience is different (though there are similarities), so describing a typical day is difficult. I try to mainly blog about the fun things, but there should be some funny things in this one, though it's a description of the ordinary.

My day yesterday wasn’t particularly interesting. I woke up around 7am...pretty standard. I rarely ever wake up to an alarm clock. I wake up naturally around then and there are very few instances of meetings before that time. I dislike alarm clocks and their symbolism. I look at them as a Pavlovian bell to the rat race.

After getting up, I go out to the sink and there is no water from the tap, though that’s not unusual, in fact, it’s more common than having water. Not having any water is probably the most annoying aspect of my Peace Corps service to me. So no washing my face or flushing the toilet or rinsing off my toothbrush, but there is some water in a barrel I can use to rinse off a couple dishes for breakfast that I didn’t do the night before, because there was no water. Then, almost everyday, my breakfast is a Peruvian version of Honey Nut Cheerios, sliced banana, granola and then mix with lucuma yogurt, there is no such thing as fresh cold milk (which is a detriment to me, I drink about a gallon a week in the states). Lucuma is a fruit here that I’ve never tasted before, and it’s delicious. I also have coffee from a French press…the coffee is grown about 2 hours away from me, from another volunteer’s site. It’s the best coffee I have ever had, it’s so fresh!

The water situation is interesting. I have a few 2.5 liter bottles in my room that I fill when there is water. I use this for drinking water, after boiling. However, if I just fill them up with the tap turned on, the water will come out brownish or relatively clear with brown stuff floating in it. But if I just leave the tap at a drip, then leave the water bottle under it to catch the drip, though it takes longer, the water comes out cleaner (to the naked eye). I used to buy the big water jugs from stores, but that got expensive. So, as part of a Peace Corps budget, I use the ‘drip method’. The water in the bucket/barrel is usually yellowish because most of the dirt has drifted to the bottom, but the bugs stay to the top. I don’t drink that water…though I sometimes boil noodles with it.

Around 9am I walked to the artisan center, my primary project, and no one was there. Again, not surprising. Two weeks ago, we agreed that people would work on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays (and today is Thursday). Out of 18 members of the association, 12 had come to that meeting. There are two separate groups of 9 and they would alternate those days. I mentioned two days a week might be better, just to get things going. Three days a week, I thought, might be too much to ask. They went with three days.

So I walked back down the hill and to the house of the president of the association. We start chatting so I mention that no one is at the center and ask if he thinks the group will actually follow through on the agreements of the last meeting. Probably not. Unrelated to the association, he has some documents to deliver to Paltay, a town about 30 to 40 minutes by foot. So we set off, on the way I bring up the website and we discuss ideas for it. He has never used a computer, other than with me, so he doesn’t really have many ideas. The typewriter is the most popular writing device in my town.

I should mention the previous Monday was the town anniversary. The custom here is to celebrate birthdays and holidays the day before, that way once midnight hits, you’re celebrating. The party continues into the next day usually. Sunday night I drank a lot and danced around like an idiot (which everyone loves)…then Monday around 2pm, as I’m walking towards the plaza, which still hasn’t been completed though they’ve already had the inaugural party for it (they’ve been working on it since before I arrived), the group of guys is drinking. There is going to be a concert later in the evening, between 4 and 8, of traditional music. Well, let’s start drinking. It was actually a lot of fun – it was raining the entire time but everyone just got wet and danced. So, because this happened earlier this week, it’s expected that things will still be relatively calm.

On our way back from delivering documents, we take a grass path back home, not along the main road. I, of course, carry a rock the entire time I’m walking in case some dog decides he doesn’t like me. Dogs back off when you act like you’re going to throw a rock at them. Luckily, I don’t have to use it. We get back around noon. All that walking, I’m pretty thirsty and I don’t have any drinking water ready. I would have to boil some and I have a hankering for a soda…so I look for a soda – of course, there aren’t any cold sodas anywhere around. I talk to the woman who has a refrigerator in her store and tell her she should put some sodas in there. She says drinking cold drinks will give you throat problems – which everyone here truly believes. I try to educate her on the topic but I don’t think she believes me. And since everyone else believes that, cold sodas don’t sell.

Once I’m back home, I make lunch. Lunch is usually a couple of fried eggs and some toast (the one electrical kitchen appliance I have is a toaster), maybe some vegetables. But today, one of the ladies in the market killed a couple of chickens to sell, so I bought a chicken breast, which is going to be a pain taking off the bone, cutting, and washing my hands afterwards because there is still no water, but there is still some water in the bucket, that’ll work. I take it off the bone, cut it up, throw some flour on it and cook it with some oil. I use some Frank’s Hot Sauce on it, which a friend sent me from the states, which is amazing. I also made some mac n’ cheese (I found a store in the main city where I can buy it for 3 soles/1 dollar).

Between one and three, nothing is going on. During that time, if I look down the street, one of the main streets in my town, I won’t see anyone. So, during this time I usually read, play guitar, study Spanish, work on something, or watch a movie. Due to the Grammy’s back home, a lot of quality DVD’s are out now, all pirated. Basically, someone who has access leaks the original (to be viewed for award consideration only) and then it gets copied and burned and is in all the DVD shops here. This way is much better than the new films that are recorded by a viewer in the actual theater, the sound and visual quality is not that good, not to mention when someone gets up in front of the person filming. The movie pirates put on Spanish subtitles and often times, the translations are incorrect. There is actually not a single place I could buy an original DVD or music CD in Huaraz, a city of 80,000 people. Anyhow, these pirated movies cost 3 soles/1 dollar, pretty good deal.

I recently bought “Slumdog Millionare” since a friend back in DC mentioned it was good. The title in Spanish on the DVD cover is “Quien Queire Ser Millonario?”, which translated is “Who wants to be a millionaire?” So I decide to watch that…and if you haven’t seen it, I certainly recommend it.

After the movie I work on the website a little bit, though I’ve never done one so it’s a slow process. But I hope to have it up soon…so be on the lookout. Around 5:30pm some people are playing volleyball, so I go down and play too. Volleyball is the second most popular sport in Peru, after soccer. Everyone knows how to play well. I’m quite the commodity because I’m taller than everyone…even though I’m only 5’11”. I don’t play that frequently, but it’s not raining, so I take advantage.

I’m home around 7pm and start to cook dinner while listening to music on my laptop. Dinner, Monday through Thursday, is usually ramen noodles…gross, yeah. But it’s cheap and perfect for a Peace Corps budget. I’ll usually throw in some vegetables and an egg. Friday through Sunday I’ll usually spend a little more and make something more palatable, like stir-fry, alfredo, or spaghetti with tuna. The water from the faucet is back on, so I can wash dishes and start filling up water bottles. Around 7:30pm, I turn off the lights and music, light a candle and practice meditating for 30 minutes. I’ve been trying to teach myself to meditate for a couple months…though I’m no good at it, but I keep trying a couple times a week.

A little after 8pm, Aldo shows up. He’s pretty much the last-man-standing from English classes, he’s 25, has a good heart, and lives with parents (as does everyone who is not married). We used to use a room upstairs, but since we don’t have a big group anymore, we just use my room to avoid paying rent on the other room. His progress in English is impressive. Every so often a couple others might show up too. I like it though when it’s only Aldo because he works hard and we can do more when it’s only us. We work on English and talk about other stuff until around 9:45pm. Once he leaves I get ready for bed. Luckily, there is still water from the tap, so I can wash my face…though the water is freakishly cold and my hands will be cold for the next 30 minutes.

I lie down in bed and read until about 11ish. Right now I’m reading a book called the “Road to Hell: The Ravaging Effects of Foreign Aid and International Charity”. It’s a book that focuses on the aid situation in Somalia during the 80’s and 90’s and how it was a catalyst to deteriorating the society. The author was a previous Peace Corps volunteer in Africa and then worked in Somalia for 5 years dealing with food aid. The book also goes into detail about the hypocrisies and bureaucracy and corruption of today’s “development organizations” like CARE and Save the Children.

Anyhow, so there is a typical day, but like I said, there really isn’t a typical day.
Much love,
Jake

I just wanted to include this - I got this email from my Dad today. If you remember, there is a picture of me while in the jungle holding a sloth making a silly face...so this was the attempt to look like me...maybe making fun of me too? Pretty funny though! (Yes, we look alike)

Hugging it out...

2009-01-29T10:29:00.000-08:00

“Hugging is a beautiful Western custom…” Thich Nhat Hanh

This shouldn’t come as any surprise to those who know me, but I’m a big fan of hugging. I got a lot of love to give out, so I hug just about anyone. A lot of people put out the hand and I just bypass it and come in for the real thing. It makes both parties feel better, I think. Everyone is huggable.

The other day, a friend says to me (in Spanish), “Jake, I saw you on tv the other day. Were you in Lima and gave someone a hug on the street who had a sign saying, ‘free hugs’?” I said yeah, I did. Apparently they were filming and made some show out of it.

So the story was simply that. I was walking down the street in Lima, in one of the busiest parts of the city, and there was some dude standing on the corner with a sign that said free hugs. He had a mask on, which was really just a face printed on paper and put over his face. I stopped, looked at him, then said come and get one!

Just a short story, but being on tv for that, I thought, was pretty cool and I wanted to share. Don’t forget to give more hugs!

You Can't Fire Me...I'm Drunk!

2009-01-21T12:51:00.000-08:00

This is an article a friend sent via Yahoo News...funny read and a good description of the environment I live in...

Wed Jan 14, 3:21 pm ET

LIMA (Reuters) – Peru's top court has ruled that workers cannot be fired for being drunk on the job, a decision that was criticized by the government on Wednesday for setting a dangerous precedent.

The Constitutional Tribunal ordered that Pablo Cayo be given his job back as a janitor for the municipality of Chorrillos, which fired him for being intoxicated at work.

The firing was excessive because even though Cayo was drunk, he did not offend or hurt anybody, Fernando Calle, one of the justices, said on Wednesday.

Calle said the court would not revise its decision, despite complaints from the government.

"It's not a good idea to relax rules at workplaces," said Labor Minister Jorge Villasante.

Celso Becerra, the administrative chief of Chorrillos, a suburb of Lima, denounced the ruling.

"We've fired four workers for showing up drunk, and two of them were drivers," he said. "How can we allow a drunk to work who might run somebody over?"

Up, Up, And Away!

2009-01-16T10:36:00.000-08:00

This year’s Christmas wasn’t really that interesting. I spent it alone – well, in my town. Most volunteers live with host-families, and while a family lives in the same abode as I do and I spend time with them, I live quite independently, which was my choice upon arriving in my town. Peace Corps is supposed to find a family for you before you move to site – that didn’t happen in my case, so I sought out my own living accommodations. As a fairly independent person, I prefer living how I choose rather than living under a household with rules I think are pointless and out-dated – especially for a 27 year old guy. I lived long enough with a host family in training to get the idea. (The photos are from New Year´s: Vish, me, and Frank with our rings of power and light...my friend Fletch brought those when he visited back in September, we were finally able to use them, thanks Fletch!)

The people in my town spend their Christmas Eve with family, usually eating late, if not at midnight, then close to it. They’ll eat traditional food (like guinea pig) and drink hot chocolate along with a dessert-type of bread. Since most are pretty poor, this is exciting for them, it’s not all the time you can splurge for hot chocolate. Then at midnight, fireworks (I.E. simple noise-makers) go off and if they weren’t already drinking, then it begins. A lot spend Christmas day in a state of inebriation. Some friends told me they were coming to get me…which I didn’t really want, so around 9pm I turned off my lights and put on a movie, falling asleep around 11pm, waking up at midnight to all the noise. I didn’t really want to go out partying in my town – the novelty has worn off and it’s more of a patience-tester than anything else (the music is horrendous to me, the beer is warm, the conversations are the same, and I’m the center of attention at all times). Presents don’t really happen here – so I never ask the kids if Santa brought them something. If you didn’t know, Santa forgets about the poor children of the world. (That´s me and Jenifer...she gets scared when I pick her up...especially after a bunch of tequila...but I tell her not to worry, I´m a professional and she quickly points out I was...and university was a long time ago...)

At 5:30am on Christmas morning, I was awoken by a group of young guys (in-between 16-20) that were getting in a shuffle outside my door after drinking all night. I wasn’t going to get up until they were literally pushing against my door and didn’t appear to keep moving. Opening my door and seeing me must have calmed them down to some extent, or maybe they just decided to go elsewhere. I talked to a couple and they said they came by my place around 10pm but noticed the lights were off so they didn’t knock…which means my plan worked. Literally, at this same moment, the lady who owns the house I live in came stumbling down the street with a person on each arm to keep her held up. She’s in her 50’s, resembles a keg, and often gets so drunk she can’t walk or speak – and this was one of those moments. I wouldn’t be able to help anymore than the two people already helping, so I tucked back inside and went back to sleep.

It was an interesting experience, not one that I hope to repeat – but I’m glad I had it. Kinda like a movie you want to watch once but never again. I made myself some good food, watched a Christmas movie, walked around, and had a normal day. I didn’t walk around too much because anywhere you’d go people would invite you to drink with them. Luckily, most were already so far gone I didn’t have to worry about being rude, since they wouldn’t remember anyhow.

New Year’s was a different story – though nothing unusual. Almost all of the volunteers in the area (which recently doubled due to a new group) came into celebrate together. There was a lot of dancing and silliness until the early morning – which the pictures show. We go to a bar called 13 Buhos (13 owls), which plays music we like. During New Year’s Eve, a lot of street vendors sell gold-colored stuff, mainly underwear. Wearing gold-colored stuff is good luck when the New Year hits – foretelling a prosperous year ahead. Some take the Spanish tradition, eating 12 grapes. I shared my tradition, a simple kiss.

I hope everyone back home had a great time. 2009 seems like it will be a very interesting year for the world.

Much Love,
Jake

More Photos from the Amazon

2008-12-18T11:52:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more photos from the Amazon...

Beginning of the trip – While waiting for a bus, I was walking around looking for an internet place that was open (it was siesta time) and came across Chifa Fuk Hou... I already ate…otherwise it would have been a privilege to check it out..

Close up of the little alligator – it was missing a foot. The guide said a piranha took it off…yikes!

There’s another jumping in shot and Frank trying to catch me – the same water where the above alligator got his foot bit off by a piranha…

So many neat butterflies

I think java the hut when I see this photo – that blueish-purple stuff is toxic, produced to keep him from being a meal. You can't really tell how big he is in the photo - but he's huge. Those are big leaves.

Check out this mural – Jesus, Bruce Lee, and Van-Damme. Don’t know if you remember me mentioning the Van-Damme phenomenon here…more proof of it...and of course Jesus is everywhere.

Look in the middle - he's probably thinking, hmm, they look kinda like me...silly humans...
Always be ready for rain in the jungle – these guys weren’t. Of course, it’s a warm and refreshing rain usually, so maybe they enjoyed it. But it looked pretty miserable from my dry spot.

Don't let that peace patch on his hat fool you..."Karrie - this is for making so much noise and scaring away all the animals!"

Boys playing with the paddle...

- There's Wes and Cass - from North Dakota and a shot of my beard before shaving it. I could hold a pen in it. We were going to the floating neighborhood - basically a bunch of houses on the river that rise and fall with the river.

Much Love,

Jake

Swam in the Amazon - Check!

2008-12-11T07:37:00.000-08:00

The trip to the northern Amazon of Peru was amazing (coincidence the two words are phonetically similar? I think not). Our method of travel came in a variety of manners –small dugout canoes, large cargo boats, small moto-taxis, shady buses, and ended with a nice, air-conditioned airplane ride and overnight bus back to the mountains. (I suggest you click on this photo to see it larger...sunset on the Amazon)

As Peace Corps volunteers, we don’t really get much ‘vacation’. For instance, Christmas and New Years – we don’t get any time off, same with weekends, so if you want to go somewhere during that time, you have to take vacation. We get two days per month and weekends are not included. We received three free days for Thanksgiving – hence, jungle trip during Thanksgiving. (Yes, the vacation policy of Peace Corps Peru is ridiculous)

While most of my friends and family were enjoying the delights of this time of year, the autumn brisk, leaves crunching under foot, football games, delicious homely food, and all around good cheer with friends and family too long not seen – I was meandering through the hot and humid Amazon, constantly sweating and swatting mosquitoes, listening to the jungle’s liveliness, and eating bananas and river fish – although we had good cheer as well.

We spent 4 days canoeing through an immense jungle reserve, watching monkeys (and acting like them), big colorful birds & butterflies, dolphins, sloths, spiders, ants, snakes, iguanas, and all kinds of other stuff. Spending time in that environment, one’s respect for nature exponentially increases as you realize how unequipped we are for survival compared to everything else (which is why we developed brains I suppose – though I would argue while our brains are more advanced, we are more out of tune with the world). Everything is food – the leaves and fruit, the algae in the water, the mosquitoes, the fish, the reptiles, and us too – everything is equal and part of the system. The jungle is teeming with life at all spots and Mother Nature’s food chain is clearly visible. Your eyes see all the life growing upon things that are already growing while your ears listen to the melody and rhythm of nature. To say it was beautiful and educational is an understatement.

The most ‘national geographic moment’ was when we saw an eagle killing a small monkey with its talons and beak. It was nuts. Unfortunately, no one got a good picture of it due to the trees and movement entailed when one wild animal is killing another – but it’ll live in my head forever. Hiking through the jungle is intimidating, especially because I grew up in a deciduous forest environment and its life is foreign to me – the jungle has so many things to kill you or hurt you badly. Don’t touch anything without seeing it first. The ants were the worst…not only are they everywhere, but they pack a mean bite and no bug spray deters them…and they are huuuuge. The trees are so high and dense the sun is blotted out but its heat is still immense. You can’t see more than 10 to 20 feet in any direction because the plant life is too dense.

We went canoeing at night and that might have caused the most anxiety…with all the sounds and nocturnal animals out looking for food. Bats, snakes, mosquitoes, crocodiles, spiders, basically everything meant to hunt in that environment and then there’s you…it’s easy to see why the first religions and those that followed came to see night and dark as evil. (holding a caiman (small alligator) on S.S. Beardhawk...the name of our vessel)

After the canoeing part, we had to spend a night in the town Lagunas, waiting for the boat to take us to Iquitos (the big city). Lagunas is a town of about 10,000 people and has dirt roads but no cars (only motorcycles/moto-taxis). The electricity is on from 6am till 10am and then from 6pm until midnight. There really aren’t any restaurants so our guide cooked us food for the extra day we were there. We spent a Saturday night there and coincidentally, there was a huge regional beauty pageant, which is a big deal there. The town is not a big tourist destination so we received a lot of attention at the pageant (the white skin makes you stand out). We didn’t help with our gregariousness and unreserved attitude (the alcohol might have helped too) – now everyone there thinks we’re crazy. Our guide told us he has never met such crazy people and he will tell god that we’re crazy, but good-fun crazy. Perhaps it was all the singing and dancing and semi-nudity... (who can resist singing and dancing to “In the jungle/ooweemaweh” or “Welcome to the Jungle” while in the jungle?)

Once we caught the cargo boat for Iquitos at midnight we strung up our hammocks, read and relaxed until Iquitos. For anyone who has never had the opportunity to swing in a hammock for two days with nothing else to do but read and nap, I recommend it. The cargo boat had everything from a jeep to cows on it (not a good place for cows, one of them died on the trip).

Iquitos is settled on the banks of the Amazon River. At this point, it is actually the Amazon River and not one of the hundred rivers feeding into it. For being in the middle of nowhere and cloaked with a sauna-like heat blanket, it was surprisingly very active and rambunctious. The town has about 400,000 people and has similarities to other cities…except the roads don’t have many cars (mainly moto-taxis), monkeys are a common pet, and your awareness of your location on the globe gives it a different feel – not to mention that huge river giving way to a different diet with its abundant plant life and animal life. As Karrie observed about the few cars on the roads, “I presume anyone with a nice car isn’t actually Peruvian but a foreigner in the natural-resource extraction business.” (if you can't see him well, he is taking a bath - we saw multiple people doing the same)

We spent 4 days in Iquitos doing a variety of things. Although, between the hours of 11am and 3pm, we weren’t doing anything other than trying not to move while an electric fan unsatisfyingly threw air upon us. With the humid weather you could never really feel dry…everything felt damp and sitting in the shade also involved sweating. With my white skin and blue eyes, my ancestors did not evolve to suit that environment and I missed the cool and dry atmosphere of my little mountain town…but I’m back here now.

Life in the Peace Corps consists of having something to look forward to – which is essential to helping you make it through your time in site. There is a lot of down time and many, ‘what the heck am I doing?’ thoughts, at least for me. The trip to Machu Picchu and mountain climbing expedition were two; the visits of Dundon and Fletch were two others. The jungle trip was a big event to look forward to as well and it didn’t let me down. I have about 8 months left in the Peace Corps – pretty soon, the event to look forward to is returning home. (that's me, swimming...or jumping into the amazon!)

I have over 400 pictures from this trip and they're all pretty cool. I'll put some more up soon.

Much love,
Jake

Off to the Amazon!

2008-11-19T10:41:00.000-08:00

When I signed up for the Peace Corps and received Peru as my placement country, I immediately began thinking about going to the Amazon. Peru is an amazing country with lots to offer, including some of the highest mountains in the world, decent beaches, and lots of ruins…though; you can find that stuff in other parts of the world as well.

But…there is only one Amazon and this Friday I’m off to check it out! It’s hard to imagine just how expansive the Amazon is…but there is 1/5 of the world’s fresh water in the Amazon basin. The river is so big at some points you can’t see the other side. It’s the most biodiverse spot on the planet with all kinds of stuff we still don’t know about…including native tribes of humans. Six countries share the Amazon...though they treat their parts differently.

Peru’s jungle is about 50% of its landmass with 5% of the population, and has some of the best preserved areas of rainforest in the world. To get to the launching off point, I have to travel by bus for about 28 hours, assuming the rain won't be bad. I’ll be traveling 9 hours over night, then waiting 8 hours to catch another bus for 17 hours. After that, I’ll arrive in Tarapoto, a town on the edge of the Andes and the jungle, on the outskirts of the really crazy stuff. From there, traveling with 5 friends, we’ll head to a town farther in the jungle on road and from that town, we’ll take a boat even farther in the jungle. I’ll then be spending 5 days canoeing through the largest jungle reserve in Peru, famous for pink and grey dolphins, all kinds of birds, amphibians, and reptiles, monkeys, whacky but delicious fish (including piranhas), and all kinds of other stuff. Maybe I'll get lucky and spot a jaguar or anaconda. In the Amazon you can't pee in the water if you're swimming because there are things that will swim up your urethra...

After those 5 days, we’ll be catching a banana cargo boat and we’ll float down the Amazon River for 3 days, sleeping in hammocks, to a town called Iquitos, the largest city in the world that doesn’t have a connecting road – only by river or air can you reach it. We’ll spend some time there, and then fly back to Lima and back to site (muchas gracias to mom and dad for buying my plane ticket from Iquitos to Lima!).

Once I’m back I’ll be sure to put up a bunch of pictures and stories. With the group I’m going with we’re bound to have some interesting things happen…stay tuned. Also, I've been growing a big, hippy Peace Corps beard for the past couple months...so you might not recognize me in the photos when I get back. I can't wait to shave it off...so I'm glad the trip has finally arrived.

Here are a few recent pictures:
- This kid told me my name is not Jake but Gringo.
- Yes…that’s a huge steel knife that is longer than her head and she’s 3 years old and her mom is right next to her. When I was 3, I got toy cars. Like whoa…
- The night of the election, most of the volunteers came into Huaraz to watch the election. My shirt was given to me by my friend, John Dundon when he visited back in June. I don't really wear it (sorry john) because I don't like walking around with some dude's face on my chest...especially when he hasn't proven himself yet to be the president I want. But, for this night, it was appropriate. GianCarlos is holding a shot of Pisco.
- Virginia voted for Obama! My friends bought me a tequila shot to celebrate.
- After the announcement that Barrack won, we went to party and we all took turns wearing the Obama shirt. We danced like idiots until 2:30am. So, while I certainly missed the parties and atmosphere back home...we made our own.

- Some more Halloween pics...this is Jen and I. I went to the Peruvian discoteca with her for a bit, where no one dressed up, now everyone asks her about the caveman.
- When walking through the streets, we already receive a lot of attention...this night most just stopped whatever they were doing, mouths open and watched...and of course, we played it up. Yup, that's a police car in the background.

Much love,

Jake

Loneliness Factor

2008-11-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

Something Peace Corps is really good at doing is teaching someone what loneliness really feels like. I think loneliness is one of the main causes for people to quit. In all reality, I have friends within a couple hours that I can visit and we do. But I’ve been a pretty social guy most of my life and in the town where I live, once 6 or 7pm rolls around, I’m pretty happy to be in my room where I can truly relax. Before I came here I lived in a group house with a great bunch of guys in Washington DC. When I lived in New Zealand I had one of my best friends in the same flat (and it was really small) – so while we were far away, it was never lonely – not to mention we worked at a very popular bar. During college I was in a bubble world of friends.

The friends where I live are just simply not the same and I do not mean anything bad by that, they are great people and I spend a lot of time with them. I grew up in a very different culture and they grew up in the Andes where plastic didn’t arrive until the 70’s. They see this crazy foreign world through their TV and that’s how a lot of them see me because that’s the only white people they know, through their TV with the twist knob to change the channel. I grew up with cars and running water and toilets and tractors and constant electricity. Most people here have grown up where only the richest people have cars, running tap water is still a pretty cool thing, toilet seats are novel, and you plow a field with oxen.

Hence, I spend a lot of nights with the company of myself and nothing more. There is a lot of time for introspection as well as the reverse. There is a lot of time to read and listen to music. Basically, there is a lot of time. I don’t have a TV (but I have this laptop to write with and watch movies). I work where I live so my commute time is 0 minutes…unless you count a 5 minute walk to the artisan center. Most food I cook can usually be bought from the house on the corner, part of their house is a little store, the 7-11 of the Andes rural village…though their hours are more like 6am-1pm; 3pm-9pm. They love asking me what I’m cooking (although it’s a repeat of about 5 or 6 things) and I’ve been teaching them how to incorporate more vegetables into their diet while cooking them properly.

My friends Vishal and Frank and I have earned quite the reputation in Huaraz (the city we live near) because when we get together to go out at night, about once every 5 to 6 weeks, we have a lot more to let loose. So we’re usually on a high throttle and have a good time…and I think a lot of other people do too as a result.

Being alone can be a beautiful thing. In our lives, it’s truly hard to be alone. Sometimes it’s easy to feel alone even when surrounded by people you’ve known for a long time. And in cities we might be closer in proximity, but the psychic distance is often greater. Actually being alone (as in the only foreigner in my town) adds a different twist to feeling alone. There is no way around being alone, so you better accept it or you won’t make the 2 years of Peace Corps. Being alone for me doesn’t mean feeling alone – although when that emotion comes on it is a lot stronger. I enjoy learning different perspectives; I think it makes me a more whole person. Learning the value of loneliness is certainly a benefit of Peace Corps that I can bring with me after my service.

At times, living out here in Peru, away from friends, family, and news, can really be a downer. But for the most part, I’m enjoying the experience – even the bad parts. Now that I’ve rounded the corner on my service and have less than 10 months, I’m trying to get as much done here while taking advantage of my situation and having fun. I hope everyone back home is doing the same thing, albeit in a different environment.

With love,
Jake

Trick or Treat?

2008-11-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

Hello friends,
This Halloween was classic. Last year, there was good participation...but this year a lot of people got into the spirit and had a great time. I was out dancing until 6am...and when I left there were still a good amount going strong. The bar actually had to tell people to go home around 7am. When thinking about a costume, I don't think what is the best idea...but what is going to be the most fun to act out...and cavemen is right up there with the best. All night Vishal, Frank, and I jumped around and grunted like crazy people. So...here are a few photos...enjoy.

- Pregaming...Peace Corps is very similar to college in this sense - you see, we don't have any much money to spend at bars...so we have to drink before going out.

- Still pregaming.

-This is Vishal getting his uni-brow...and Frank being a caveman...

-This is what a nordic caveman looks like...

- Meet Tim and AnaLuz...they are health volunteers about 2 hours from me.
- Out at the bar...Rambo...urgh, I mean Charlie is grooving. He's a Brit that owns a lodge up in the mountains and it's very, very nice.

-Here is GianCarlos and Stephanie shaking behind the bar. He's the DJ and she's one of the bartenders.

- The guy with the tamborine is Lucho - owner of the bar and really cool guy. We usually stay at his house when we're in town.
-"More liquor? Okay, well...see you guys tomorrow." - The morning after Frank tried saying, "I didn't take tequila shots." I replied, "Uhh, Frank, I have evidence."

- After every tequilla shot...Vishal sends out his mating call...

- Picture of the bar...there was a costume competition, we won last year...perhaps again this year...we've yet to hear.

doing the helicopter...how a caveman would know that dance move, I don't know.
- I captured a couple Peruvian ladies...they don't really dress up...but they see all the fun we're having and more and more are dressing up each year. A good amount of little kids dress up and stores give out candy...the kids yell out, "Halloween". The one in the yellow is Jenifer, the girl I'm dating.

- "What is this mischief?"

Hope you enjoyed the pictures - I certainly enjoyed them getting taken.

Love,

Jake

"America the greatest force for good in the world" ???

2008-10-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

Proceed with caution: political rant follows…

This is what the next president of the United States needs to say to the American people (or something like it) : “Listen, we have a lot of problems. These problems are not going to be easy because we keep ignoring them and wishing them away. We need to redefine how we live. We live outside of our means and most seem interested in buying stuff to give them debt they can’t pay, including the government. The Federal Reserve and banks control our lives and our entire monetary system is based on debt…and debt is slavery.

We have 5% of the world’s population but we provide over 25% of its carbon emissions and almost 50% of its trash and almost 50% of its military spending. We spend more on the military than the next 14 countries, combined; while our renewable energy research, infrastructure, education, and many other areas are under-funded. Our wealth inequality is greater now than it has ever been. Our education, health care, and environmental awareness are among the lowest of developed countries. There are more deaths from heart disease per year than from all terrorist acts combined, but we have you scared about terrorism. We need to take action and I am calling among every single American to do their part. The strongest force for good in this world is not America but love and I am asking everyone if your love is enough? We are all in this together and it is time we start acting like it.”

This is my political opinion piece. Since the election is a week away, I’m putting up a short piece about my presidential choice. I voted for Obama (absentee ballot). It would be impossible to capture everything in a 2 page document. I’ll admit, this is more of a rant, a stream of consciousness than anything else.

Of course, feel free not to read this; it doesn’t have anything to do with my activities in Peru. Although, the life of a Peace Corps volunteer certainly adds to one’s perspectives – therefore, the changes within me have both a direct and indirect effect upon my decision-making.

As I mentioned, I have already voted for Obama. I was able to watch 2 of the debates and I’ve done a good amount of reading regarding this election. Since I was 18, there have been 2 elections, and I’ve voted Republican for both of them. Fiscally, I’m conservative. Socially, I’m liberal. In general, I would classify myself as a libertarian. Smaller government, less laws, more individual freedom. In my opinion, as long as you’re not hurting anyone, do what you want.

The most important topics to me this time around are: climate-change and renewable energy, education of our youth, science promotion, and since I plan to continue my travels throughout my life – our reputation abroad and peace.

Obama is by far the smartest choice on each of those topics – and I’d love to read someone’s argument to tell me otherwise. Republicans still will not admit that human carbon emissions are bad for the environment and the main cause of climate change. Our primary and secondary school education is embarrassing. The only reason our universities are still the best is from immigration (In 2006: immigrants accounted for 40% of doctorates in science/egineering and 65% in computer science). I don’t even need to discuss science. The Republican party is controlled by a hypocritical ideology that doesn’t get along with science (although, America still has a high percent of research and development, but a lot of that deals with how to kill people).

Another point about this election is McCain’s choice for VP. We saw over the last 8 year how influential a VP can be. Republicans were trying to blast Obama for his inexperience…then McCain gets Palin – who is a complete dolt on anything outside of Alaska. Yeah, she’s a confident and charismatic woman…but listen to her interviews or the debate…it’s not “gotcha journalism” as she likes to say since she did horrible – it’s the plain fact that she doesn’t know the topics she is supposed to know. She doesn’t even understand the VP job. Yeah…let’s hire her!

Watching McCain in the debates, he said, “America’s best days are ahead of us.” What makes you think that? Our country and its citizens are strapped with the more debt than history has ever known. Our amount of debt is greater than most countries GDP’s. In fact, our entire monetary system is based on debt…but according to McCain, America has a strong economic foundation. He seems more interested in trying to make us feel good when people should be anything but feeling good. For certain, Americans are generally hard workers and productive and innovative…but our monetary system is still based on debt.

The last thing I’ll write deals with Palin and something that has really been bothering me. McCain is a good guy and he would be alright as the president, I think - his senate career has plenty of highlights. But Palin is completely out of her league – which is why a lot of Republicans have asked her to step down and you see a record number of Republicans supporting Obama.

It’s not the fact that she thinks the world is 6,000 years old, or that there are rumors about her trying to ban books, or that she inappropriately used tax payer money, or that she tries to use class-warfare and inspires hate, or that she shot wolf cubs from a helicopter, or that she thinks she has foreign policy experience because she’s geographically closer to Russia than the rest of the states, or that she’s a diva. Something that got to me was what she said at a campaign rally: “We see America as the greatest force for good in the world”.

For one, she didn’t have a passport until 2005. She is almost 20 years my elder and I’ve done more traveling and probably read more books. Anyone who has actually looked into America’s foreign policy will immediately see how one-sided it is and how we use our military power to secure more profits for large corporations. How is it that someone who hasn’t traveled much and can’t name a worthy news publication that she reads can think she is right to say that America is the greatest force for good in the world when she doesn’t know the world? She doesn’t even know America. She has no idea.

In short – I’m supporting Barrack Obama. He is not perfect. But, if I’m choosing between McCain/Palin and Obama/Biden (assuming the green party or libertarian party don't have a chance) – Obama and Biden are the two I see as the better solution for the concerns I have with America and the world, and the future. Think about your concerns and those of your kids and their kids, and go from there.

With love,
jake

Protests in Tarica

2008-10-16T09:19:00.001-07:00

The mayor of my town has never really given me much time…even though I’m here and I’m free. Given, he is a busy guy with lots of construction going on around his district. The district has about 5,000 people, the town of Tarica (where I live), has about 1,000. The remaining 4,000 are dispersed between other small towns, one of equal size as Tarica, the rest live in really small towns further out in the mountains and consist primarily of farmers. (pic: municipality in Tarica, yes, that's a guy with a tear gas gun...)

Well, for the past 3 months, there have been suspicions that the mayor is stealing money that they receive from the mines (there is a Canadian gold mine community in Tarica). Right now, it’s estimated that he’s stolen about 2 million soles (=$700,000). There are talks about him getting arrested soon, but the rumor mill out here is just as bad as in the States…if not worse. There is little doubt about him stealing money…but who knows if anything is actually going to happen to him since he can pay off others. (pic: the protesters with security watching)

This previous Monday there was a protest from one of the towns and last month there was a protest from the local school. Last year, the mayor promised to do a number of things for this town, from building onto the school and providing computers as well as getting running water for all (water from a tap is not an assumption here). Meanwhile, all the projects from the town he is from are completed. He says there just isn't enough money to get them done...

The irony of the situation is that hardly anyone in Tarica has money to pay taxes. The people protesting for improvements don’t pay taxes but yet they expect government improvements. So…here we have the mayor stealing money the town receives from the mine….while those poor people are demanding improvements they have not collectively paid for…all fighting for money that was never really theirs to begin with. (Pic: group of women and beyond on the platform the mayor and his entourage).

Meanwhile, I’ll continue teaching English classes in a tiny room because the mayor won’t help us out with a communal building. I’ll continue to not spend time working on tourism for the municipality…which is something I could easily help out with. I’ve offered…but now I wouldn’t want to help because I do not want to be associated with the mayor.

Love,

Jake

(pics: the clothing of the women is beautiful...during the protest, the women made sure to wear their best and cleanest and most colorful outfits)

Columbus Day...seriously?

2008-10-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

One of the most blatant examples of the sometimes inaccurate, usually incomplete and always one-sided history that we are taught as kids deals with Columbus. We are about to celebrate Columbus Day…seriously? We have a holiday for one of vilest men in history responsible for genocide. Why don’t we just combine this holiday, like President’s Day, with other’s in his company…like Cortes, Pizarro, Hitler, Stalin, and others and toast to those who have killed an immense amount of people. Columbus actually led a successful genocide (the complete killing of an entire population – not that the others didn’t give it a good try.

Growing up, I was taught that Columbus was a bold and daring man. He founded America! Despite all the odds, he was an adventurous man that set off with three small ships to charter the unknown. He was turned down for funding by his countrymen…but believed in his dream so much he wouldn’t quit and finally had Spain finance his journey as he sailed to the end of the world, into the unknown. We are taught that he was a hero and we have him to thank for this wonderful nation, America.

Upon arriving to the New Land – what is now Cuba and Hispaniola, he was greeted by the inhabitants that swam out to greet his ship, the Arawaks. The Arawaks lived as a shared resources population. They didn’t idolize possessions, they lived in communal huts, and women were treated as equals. As the Arawaks gave gifts to Columbus, he immediately took some captive, set up a fort with one of the ships, then told the other 2 to sail back to alert Spain that he had found a vast land full of gold and slaves. With all haste, Spain sent 17 ships and around 1,500 men to search for gold and mail slaves to Spain. Either the Arawaks could stay and be slaves to the gold mining where the women would be raped incessantly and the men murdered without thought all the while being starved and introduced to smallpox…or they could be shipped to Spain to live as slaves in a strange land. Many killed their babies to save them from the Spaniards.

One of the problems though with the island Hispaniola (now Haiti and the DR), is there really isn’t much gold to be found. Columbus had to make up for this by shipping more slaves back to Spain. He also pushed the Arawaks to seek gold out day and night. They had a system, those who brought gold back received medallions to wear around their neck and if you were found without one, you were killed. The native’s life meant so little that Spaniards would test out the sharpness of their swords on them…just for fun. Columbus arrived in 1492…by the 1600’s, not a single person with Arawak blood remained (between 300,000 to 400,000 are estimated to have been living there upon arrival, according to modern accounts).

So, Columbus wasn’t able to murder as many people as Hitler or Pizarro…but he was able to wipe a population off the globe. Yes – let’s celebrate Columbus! Let’s celebrate all those people who have murdered and raped people all the while claiming to be good moral people. Let’s celebrate the hypocrisy of our lives, our continual denial of real history, make infinite allowances for how our ancestors treated people, and continue to revere them.

Perhaps, as some Americans have the day off, they can take the day to ponder the atrocities and pointless bloodshed of Columbus and the men that came before and after him. Let’s think about the 400 treaties the American government broke with the Indians as we pushed them off their land and claimed them to be savages and liars. Let’s think about manifest destiny and how ‘god’ ordained our greed. Let’s think about all the pointless deaths we took in the Philippines, Korea, and Vietnam (and all the other countries). Let’s think about all the innocent farmers and children and mothers and fathers that we are killing now as we try to hunt for insurgents in Afghanistan (if you're unaware, we’ve killed more innocent people than insurgents). Let’s keep idolizing those who kill while announcing peacemakers as unpatriotic.

“Heaven is not beyond the clouds, it’s just beyond the fear. No heaven is not beyond the clouds, it’s for us to find right here.”

Love,
Jake

Some photos

2008-09-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! The amount of pictures I have that I think would be interesting to put on here is spiraling out of control. So, in an attempt to catch up, here are a bunch. I hope everyone is doing well. I have less than a year left of Peace Corps service, then I'm back...well, maybe back.

- Every year there is an outdoor concert with horrible bands doing covers of every kind - from Sweet Child O'Mine to Satisfaction. It's not good music - but it is entertaining. But, the scenery was beautiful and I was with some fun people

- Hiking - I'm the 2nd from the right.
- Picture of glaciers - there is our guide in the upper right hand corner - to give some scale. The difference between what they look like from afar and when you're on them is monumentally different.

-That's me in my room playing guitar...that's how I spend a lot of time, right there.

- On a hiking trip, here is a picture of some of the mountains. We're about 16,000 feet up at this spot. Camping that high is interesting - 1) It's really cold - by 8pm you want to be in your tent. 2) We were at the base of a couple big mountains you can't see - and the avalanches during the night would wake you up. It was scary, thunderous avalanches and you can't see anything.

- Beautiful sunset.

This is on a combi...just thought it was a cute picture. The kids are so cute here and the old people are eternal. She actually has a lot of teeth - quite rare.

-The ladies of the 'market' in Tarica, where I live. They always try to flirt with me and keep asking me when I'm going to invite them over for dinner. I talk to them about cooking - which they find fascinating because guys don't cook here.

- We made t-shirts for the volunteers in my department (like a state). This is the design on the back - turned out great. We asked my artisans to make mugs and I gave them a design. Well, the person who put them in the oven was drunk, and they all came out bad because he lost track of time and turned it off too early. At least the shirts turned out nicely.

These are some of the goofballs I'm sharing my time with. Those are their best pirate faces - on the left that's Ruddy Barnacles and on the right that's Baldbeard....Arrrggghhh!

We play ultimate frisbee sometimes - it was time for a group photo - so I ran and got a sheep for the photo - that's me in the middle holding the sheep. Baaaa!

If you wanted to poop, back-to-back, that's how it would look...I suppose. That's Vishal and Frank - Vishal prefers to do his business with an icy beverage in one hand - his balance is that good. It's a big question of trust.

That's Vish, Frank, and me during reconnect last November...time flies. Anca$h tripod.

The night time sky is unbelievable. The moon is so bright you have a shadow. It's hard to describe just how beautiful it is, you just have to see it yourself. Also - there are way too many satellites up there, very easily seen racing across the sky from this vantage point.

This is just a cool photo. As Frank said, it would make a good album cover - our band, Snow Rascals.

- On a glacier. That's duct tape around my glasses to keep the reflection from the glacier off my eyes. Did you know it's possible to sun-burn your eyeballs?

Well - that's enough for now. I hope everyone is doing great.

Much love,

Jake

Water Shortages...say hi to global warming

2008-09-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

Today, like many other days, I wake up and am confronted with no water. Entire week, same situation. Before my Peace Corps life, I knew of shortages around the world, lakes drying up, glaciers retreating – but in the States, you know something will be done about it and you might have to conserve, but not do without.

During the dry season here, the water we use comes from the glaciers. During the rainy season, rain water along with glacial water provides our water source. Right now, the glaciers provide a sufficient amount of water for us, even if we don’t have water every day – usually after a couple days, the water returns for a day or two, then no water…repeat.

What is going to be a huge problem for the farmers and families in the future is that the glaciers are receding about 6 feet a year…much faster than any previous time in history. So, in the near future, extreme water shortages are very plausible. Farmers will not be able to plant during the dry season which will lose a third of their income and food. That will add to the lack of nutrients their children receive and small issues will emerge into large problems.

What’s even scarier is my countrymen still don’t know or don’t believe that global warming is real or that we have an impact on the climate. Why is that? Here are two problems (among many) contributing:

One topic we hear often is that Mother Earth is so big and we are so little we can’t possibly have an effect. That’s what human intuition tells us – similar to the notion that the earth is not moving and it’s flat, that thunder comes before lightning, etc. Human intuition can be very useful among interactions with people, but it is scary just how wrong it is when looking at anything around the world. So, start thinking about all those things your intuition tells you about the world – those things you ‘feel’ – then realize that you’re probably wrong. But, after we kill ourselves off the planet is not going to disappear, but the climate of the past 4 billion years will be changed.

The biggest problem to me is the government and big business. The Republican agenda has never been more about enriching the already rich. Just take a look at the last 8 years and the income inequality growing, the economic problems, the dependence on oil. Big business certainly won’t change their carbon output because that’s expensive and Republicans won’t force it because they depend largely on that campaign money. So, this past government (and the one if McCain is elected), does everything it can to cast doubt and suspicion on the data scientists provide…for instance, the artic ice cap is melting and will probably be gone within 5 to 10 years…couldn’t be due to global warming! The glaciers here and elsewhere are retreating faster than any other time in history – NOPE, they’re not shrinking, they’re becoming more compact! The huge ice shelves breaking off in Antarctica…completely normal! The steady increase in temperature – the sun must be moving closer! Let’s keep borrowing money from China to buy that oil in the Middle-East!

Acknowledging global warming would affect our convenient routines and balance sheets, hence, a lie from the government, after all, is convenient – you don’t have to change. Did you know that Dick Cheney’s administration removed pages from a NASA report from the top climate scientist on global warming? The pages with clear language about the dangers of global warming were removed. Cheney then said that he can withhold classified documents because the vice president is not an entity within the executive branch – basically, he says he can do whatever he wants.

What kind of person would remove information warning us about the problems we are creating…not for us at this exact moment, but for our future children? My parents always told me there is nothing worse than lying – as many other parents told their kids – but then when the VP (and the entire Bush administration) lies, they’ll vote again for his party to keep the lies coming. How can you trust someone that would actually vouch for Dick Cheney after he does something like that? How can you trust anyone associated or influenced by him? He holds a public office representing the citizens of the US. When asked what he thinks that over 65% of Americans do not support the Iraq war, his response was, “So?” Corrupt, hypocritical, and selfish – that’s the Vice President of the US.

Global warming is a bigger threat than terrorism. The terrorist attacks on 9-11 killed 3,000 people. Billions of dollars have now been spent on the war on terror (a lot of that money funneled back to friends of Bush). We’ve now murdered more innocent people than that in our bombings of Iraq and Afghanistan – so many that there is no accurate estimate. And Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11! Over 4,000 American soldiers have been killed since 9-11. Violence leads to violence which leads to more violence – which has murdered a lot of people and will murder even more in the future.

Stop and think about global warming. By failing to act we will be killing hundreds of millions of people. It’s like putting ticking nuclear bombs all over the world; we just don’t know when they’ll go off. And, instead of finding them and dismantling, we’re ignoring them meanwhile the Bush administration is lying to the public about their existence.

Water shortages will lead to shortages of every other kind. The poor people of the world will be the first losers. Of course, Americans don’t see those poor people everyday, the malnutrition of children with big smiles and bright eyes, the farmers bent over from back-breaking work to feed their families. In fact, America not only ignoring the plight of others, but adding to it, continues the tradition of how we became such a rich nation. Out of sight – out of mind. Stop and think about the direct and indirect effects of how you live. How much longer can we ignore it?

One of my favorite musical artists is Michael Franti – I’ll finish with a quote from him: “You’re telling me it’s unpatriotic but I call it what I see it when I see it’s idiotic."

Love,
Jake

P.S. - The pictures in this blog are beautiful, aren't they? I took these during my last mountain climbing trip. You can see the spots where the glacier was just a year ago - now bare. This is just one of the things at stake by failing to react. I don't understand how anyone who claims to be a nature lover would vote Republican.

I'm 27!

2008-08-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

Wow, I wrote a blog similar to this one a year ago. To those who still read my blog, thanks! (pic: Ryan bought a bottle of good gin for my birthday, usually it’s a cheap bottle of rum and coke)

Last year I was finishing up with training and shared the same birth date as my host brother. This year, the plan was to spend the Friday (my actualy birthday) in my site, then on Saturday go to Huaraz with other volunteers.

Someone from my town remembered my birthday was the 22nd and he told everyone. I was trying to go under the radar because I didn’t want to drink with everyone here. Around 7:00, the president of my association called me and asked when we were going to celebrate, so I went down to the corner and drank beer, Peruvian style. Peruvian style is one glass for everyone who is there; you pour your glass, pass the bottle, drink the glass, and then pass the glass for the next person. Usually it’s a little glass and you only pour a little bit. It’s a communal glass and it’s gross, but that’s the culture.

Then, around 8:30 my students from English class all gathered in a different location and wanted me. They sang happy birthday in Spanish, then I led them in the English version. Then we drank coke and had crackers. The youth, between 15 – 25, most don’t have jobs and can’t afford more – so it was really nice and thoughtful that they all gathered to begin with – and I got two presents, which I certainly was not expecting. (other volunteers in Ancash)

Until midnight, which is when I called it a night, I had to switch back and forth between groups. I still don’t know why the students wouldn’t come to hang out with the older men, nor would the older men come to the room where my students were. I asked why, but they wouldn’t give me a straight answer. Primarily, they don’t get along.

On Saturday, most of the volunteers came into the city. There were a lot of August birthdays, so the ‘mom’ that we all have at one of the cafes in town put together an amazing feast for us. It was really, really nice of them and the food was amazing. People don’t have a lot of money here and anytime they go out of their way and spend their money, it’s special. (Luisa - the Peace Corps mom of Ancash, JuanCarlos - good friend and DJ at our favorite bar, Rafo - one of the best cooks in Huaraz)

We had a cake and candles, Frank, Ari, Ana luz, and myself all blew the candles out. I was so stuffed already that I only had a bite or two of the cake.

Then we went out and partied. I made it back home at 5:45am…Sunday was tough.
Love,
Jake

This was actually a Monday ago - it was Pablo's birthday, on the right.

During the yearly meeting in Lima - we all went out. That's the Ancash tripod - Vishal, me, Frank. I threw up in the bathroom of the bar...Franks' response to hearing that - "bartender, 2 tequila shots!"

The ensuing shots...

A warm, cuddly nest of chillaxing (me, Danielle, Vishal, Elijah).

Frank and I blowing out the candles.

Trilingual Blunder....ooops!

2008-08-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

Speaking Spanish all day can leave you mentally drained…and more prone to make very silly mistakes - like the following…

Since April, I’ve been teaching English classes to the youth of my town. A few weeks ago, I was in my class for the older group, from 8 to 10 at night. This particular class we were discussing food and the associated verbs.

I would write a sentence and people would say food to put into the sentence. I wrote, “estoy comiendo’ and someone said, ‘chancho’. Translated, that is, “I am eating pork.” Well, I know the Quechua word for pork/pig and everyone gets a kick anytime I say anything in Quechua (because I’m white), so as I was writing this, I said, “Estoy comiendo chupi.” I expected to get a giggle. The room was silent. Maybe they didn’t hear me, I thought, so I said it louder. Nothing.

I turned around and saw startled faces, so I said it again and was like, what? Then in my head I realized I must have made a mistake. And I did. My face turned bright red and I corrected myself, “kuchi, kuchi”, I pleaded. At this, everyone began laughing hysterically. I had mixed up the words ‘chupi’ and ‘kuchi’.

You see, the word “chupi” means vagina. I was saying, translated, ‘I am eating vagina.’ I’ve been getting teased ever since, even from people who weren’t there…big ooops.

Love,
Jake

Religion & the Irony of Peru's Catholicism

2008-08-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

Warning: This blog might upset you.

I’ve hesitated writing a blog regarding this topic. Religion is a sensitive topic, especially amongst believers. Faith sits alone in a corner protected from criticism and shielded from inquiry…and when you do question it, people take it personal. I do not intend to be mean or cruel; I want to be factual and honest. I do not believe in something simply because I was told to and I do not allow previous assumptions to block new evidence. An open mind and reason are two of the most important characteristics to me.

In Peru, one of the first things Peruvians want to know upon meeting you is your religion. I always say that I do not have a religion. Then they ask me if I believe in god. When I first arrived to my site, I simply said yes to avoid awkward situations and fit in. Now that everyone knows me to be a jolly, good-natured person, I tell them the truth if they ask that I believe in the laws and beauty of nature and not in a god that hears prayers, impedes nature’s laws, and chooses which to answer. I do not believe in a god that instilled certain instincts then forbade us from acting upon them. I do not believe there is a god that answers the prayer of a football player to score a touchdown but leaves a child with cancer to rot away and die. I do not believe in a god that loves us but would banish us to hell for eternity (which, by the way, is what Jesus said, there is no mention of hell in the Old Testament). And, as Socrates put it, “I am not certain about death and the gods – but I am as certain as I can be that you do not know either.”

The majority of Peruvians are Catholic. Every Peruvian house seems to have a quota of Jesus photos, one of the Last Supper, one with a crown of thorns and a very weary, pain-soaked face, another with a child-like, angelic face and a valentine-type heart coming out of his chest. Every taxi and combi usually has numerous pictures of Jesus and/or the virgin Mary. Jesus statues are everywhere…all with his arms spread wide. When the Spanish came here, they saw to it themselves to force Christianity upon the people here just like Christianity was forced upon all of Europe after Emperor Constantine and the Council of Nicaea put it formally together in 325. Over a thousand years had passed since their ancestors were forced to take up Christianity or be burned alive, hanged, or banished, so those Spaniards were probably unaware of the irony of what they were doing.

The reason why Peruvians claiming to be catholics is ridiculous is the simple fact that Christianity is basically the sun, from the viewpoint of the northern hemisphere, personified as Jesus (he is the ‘light of the world’). Christians today give worship to Jesus as people 4,000 years ago worshiped the sun. Peru is in the southern hemisphere, with different growing seasons, with different stars, and different solstices, but thanks to the massacre of their ancestors, they now take pride in being catholic.

Do you know why you celebrate the birth of Christ on Dec 25th? Do you know why you have easter in April? It’s not because that’s when Jesus was born or died. “The Christian religion is a parody on the worship of the sun, in which they put a man called Christ in the place of the sun, and pay him the adoration originally paid to the sun.” Thomas Paine

I’m going to make this a short history/astronomy lesson in the hope that people read it. Though, I have found that most people don’t actually care to inform themselves. The world is easier if you don’t look for answers but instead accept the ones given to you. You don’t have to think as much – and you do not have to go against the grain of society and risk being ostracized. Also, after growing up believing something when there is no good reason other than that it eases your worries and everyone else says they believe it, coming across information that does not agree with your beliefs is not always a fun activity. In fact, it can make you feel quite silly. “All great truths begin as blasphemies.” -Shaw

Here we go: The prominent civilizations of history that would later influence others took place in the northern hemisphere. This is important because there are different stars in the northern hemisphere than in the southern. The earliest civilizations developed beliefs based upon the sun and the stars, day vs. night, light vs. dark, good vs. evil. The sun is what they glorified, because upon its rising they were saved from the cold, dark night where big animals and small insects had the advantage and wanted to eat you. The sun provided vision, warmth, and life. It was considered a creator’s sun, and actually his son. (The human mind has a difficult time conceptualizing anything without a beginning…for instance, you see a ball roll past you, your instinct is to turn around to see where it came from)

The zodiac is probably the best known astronomical symbol of all time, where the stars are personified and anthropomorphized. They represent the 12 months that we now know. When looking at the sun and thinking the earth is still and the sun moves (celestial sphere), it would appear to move through 12 constellations. The solstices and equinoxes are also very important. From the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice is June 21 or 22 (longest day & amount of sunlight) and Dec 21 or 22 is the shortest day. The equinoxes are in late March and late September. Easter is the first Sunday that occurs after the full moon after March 21. Originally it was celebrated at the same time the Jews celebrate Passover, but was changed to Sunday.

There is also something called an ‘age’ or ‘aeon’. Approximately every 2,150 years, due to the wobble of the earth, the constellations change. On the morning of the spring equinox at the beginning of a new age, the sun appears to be in a different constellation than before, and it appears to go backwards through the zodiac. Right now, that one is pisces, the fish, next is Aquarius. Before pisces, it was Ares…a ram, which is what Moses represents (which is the reason why the ram’s horn is connected to the Jewish people). When Moses came down from Mt. Sinia, he saw people worshipping a false idol, the bull (he then instructed people to kill each other to purify themselves, Exodus). They were doing this because before Ares…it’s Taurus, the bull. At 4 B.C. it officially changed to Pisces and will be that until 2150, then it changes to Aquarius (think about the big connection with Jesus and fish).

On Dec 22, the shortest day, the sun appears to stop moving for three days. Then on December 25th, it appears to move to the north by 1 degree. Also, the Southern Cross is visible during this time, and at no other time in the Northern Hemisphere is it visible due to the tilt of the earth. Sirius, the brightest star (east star) is aligned with the three brightest stars in Orion’s belt (known as the 3 kings) on Dec 24th; all are aligned pointing to where the sun/son rises on Dec 25th.

The earliest societies saw this as a very important happening, because it signaled the march towards warmer and longer days, as well as the growth of their crops. It was celebrated in March/April, the equinox, when the day overtakes the night in length.

If you take a look through history, you will find that before Jesus, there were many other gods who have the same characteristics as he does, such as: born of a virgin, died on a cross, resurrected after three days, traveled with 12 disciples, performed miracles, among others. One of the first was Horus, the Egyptian Sun god. Another is Dionysus, another is Krishna, another is Attis, another is Mithra, another is Odin, another is Baal (and many more).

Why are there so many figures before Jesus with the exact same characteristics? The answer is the sun and the stars. The Sun (or son), travels around with 12 disciples (constellations). During December, he dies on a cross (southern cross), to be resurrected after 3 days (Dec 22 – 25). His birth is signaled by a star in the east (Sirius) and visited by three kings (orion’s belt). He was born of a virgin – representing the time of Aug-Sept, the harvest period. Virgo in latin means virgin and Bethlehem literally translates to ‘house of bread’ – the symbol for Virgo is a virgin holding wheat.

There you have it, very short and simple. I left out a lot of information to make this easy reading. Don’t believe me? Do your own research. Just don’t use Wiki or self-interested work that assumes what you’re supposed to prove. That’s one of the main problems with any information you find supporting religions, it overlooks many facets due to its own self interest in proving its worth.

“The religious impulse is essentially ineradicable until or unless the human species can conquer its fear of death and its tendency to wish-thinking.” Freud

The funny thing is most probably won’t believe me, and you shouldn’t. You should look into it yourself. Instead, most will believe a bible which was put together 300 years after Jesus would have been alive, in a different language than what he spoke, by elitists who wanted to control an empire. After that, the church did everything it could to silence by death anyone who disagreed. Do that for over a thousand years and you get today’s society.

No historian from Jesus’ time mentioned him, other than Josephine, and that account is proven to be a fraud. Why is it that some dude, who was going around walking on water, healing the blind, etc, was never mentioned by those who were recording history? Perhaps those in charge didn’t want him to be mentioned, or perhaps he never existed.

Of course, this doesn’t change the message of forgiveness and love, but we don’t need Jesus to know the importance. Those two words are just as important today as they were then, in fact, given the amount of damage our weapons are capable of today versus then, I would say those words are more important. Given the sheer amount of information and ability to communicate today, there are no excuses for not living peacefully. But as long as people stay ignorant, they can be easily coaxed by those in power to cause harm to others...just question somone's patriotism or religion to get the most violent responses.

Perhaps those who claim to believe in Jesus should actually practice his message of love and forgiveness.

Regardless, as we search to become a more peaceful species globally, both towards each other and our earth, we’re certainly not going to find that peace within the world’s religious texts.

“Give me the name of one people whom prodigies were not performed when so few knew how to read and write.” Voltaire

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Jake

PS – I would love to read your comments or arguments…please email me if you have any.

Boobs on a bus...

2008-07-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

If you remember from a previous post, a combi is the main mode of transport, they are minivans and in the States you would fit 10, here you fit as many as possible (minimum is 16, and that’s sitting). So I’m sitting in a seat on the aisle. If you’re in an aisle seat you can be assured your personal space will be flagrantly and unpleasantly violated. My head is about 5 inches from the roof of the combi as well, so there really isn’t much room. My legs don’t fit into the seat either, so one is angled awkwardly and the other is jutting in the aisle.

Today, I get on and the seats all fill up quickly, a mother with a baby strapped on her back gets in…so do a bunch of people, forcing her to get closer than either would probably prefer. The mother with the baby is standing right next to me. The picture is an example of how they carry their kids around. Anyhow, what you need to know is the mom is practically leaning over me…but we are not touching…yet.

The baby starts crying and you hear many women on the combi saying, “awww…pobrecito”, which means, “awww…little poor one”. Apparently ‘aww’ is universal, like a smile or farting in someone’s face. Well, the baby is crying, it must be hungry and this place and position is as good as any I suppose, so the mom pulls the baby around to her front, pulls up her shirt and quiets the baby. Knowing how bumpy the ride is and drivers’ tendency for jerky-ness, I just start laughing because I know how things are going to end and there is little I can do.

About 2 minutes into the suckling, the combi driver hits the breaks then the gas. This causes anyone standing to sway, first towards the front of the combi then immediately to the back. Now is the moment you’ve been waiting for, I get a face-full of baby and boobs. One is covered, the other is bare. She doesn’t say anything to me, no “excuse me” or “sorry” or “hey, you thirsty too?”…nothing.

How worms and Titantic have interwoven in my life

2008-07-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

One, I have worms. How does one find out? Well…after you do your #2, you look down and see worms. The doctors during training gave us a poop presentation and they really stress looking at your stuff…unless it’s in a hole and you can’t. Looking at it is important for health purposes…and there really isn’t a better way to find out if you have worms. Kinda gross, huh? If you’re in Peace Corps, it’s kinda funny. Luckily worms are not anything permanent or detrimental. I take some pills, no more worms. There is a part in Dumb and Dumber (one of my favorite movies) where Jim Carrey says, “I got worms.” He is telling someone the name of his future store…anyhow, new significance for me.

Secondly, in my English class last night, my students all wanted to learn the words to “My Heart Will Go On”, a very sappy ballad by Celine Dion from the movie Titantic. So, a student brought a cd with the karaoke version of the video and I brought my laptop and we learned the words to “My Heart Will Go On” and then I translated the words since no one really has the English skills (yet) to understand the song. As I was standing there and everyone was slightly singing along and seemingly entranced by Celine’s power vocals and over-dramatization, I couldn’t help but laugh…a lot.

So, both of those things happened yesterday.

First visitor to Tarica!

2008-06-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

Well, I’ve finally had a friend from the States come and check out my life in Tarica (the town I’m living). John Dundon, international man of mystery, came to visit. Dundon and I were in the same fraternity in college and we spent a year together in New Zealand. Some might say we are male heterosexual traveling companions who enjoy frolicking into the wilderness, what?

He came up to Ancash and spent a few nights with me in Tarica, spent a Saturday partying in my department capital, Huaraz, we did some hiking around here, then we went to the beach. Here are some pictures of his visit…but : WARNING…these pictures are beautiful and might make you want to visit also…

First, a couple pictures of the mountains. This is where I live…you would have to go to Tibet, Nepal, etc, to find a mountain chain with higher mountains. The highest we went is 4,750 meters, which is about 15,600 feet…higher than any mountain within the lower 49 states…no big deal…Anyhow, that’s just where these behemoths begin. It's hard to pick the pictures to put on here, because I literally have about 150 photos of just beautiful mountains.

We also went to Mancora, Peru's most popular beach.

That is ceviche, Peru's most popular dish. It is incredible, my favorite Peruvian food, by far. I would eat it everyday if I could. Dundon's quote: "This is amazing! This is how you're supposed to eat ceviche, on the beach, cold beer, and you can see the fishing boats!" It is raw fish, with onion, hot peppers, Peruvian limon. Then you have other stuff too, but the fish is what's important.

In my last post, I mentioned the competition...well, now I have two lakes! In this one, there were chunks of ice the size of small cars floating. You can see the glacier coming down into the lake...it was cold.

That's all, love, Jake

Year Anniversary!

2008-06-05T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well folks, I’ve been here a year on June 8th. You may think, ‘wow, has a year already gone by?’…and for a fast-paced American lifestyle, a year can go by quite quickly…but I assure you, I definitely feel the year that has passed. I have another year and 3 months before I’m done with Peace Corps. Sometimes the frustration and home-sickness level surges above the dam. Sometimes I look around and think, “Wow, am I lucky.” Most of the time I think to myself that I need to take full advantage of this experience, and what an experience it is! After Peace Corps, I won’t have any responsibilities and there is a lot of world to experience, so who knows.

I plan on returning to school though for an MBA in International Business…or, that’s what I am thinking about right now at least.

Anyhow – this blog is going to be short little ideas that I had for blogs along the way, wrote down the idea, but never elaborated or put on here. Some should provide a laugh or two, I hope.

For instance – there is a Jean Claude Van Damme phenomenon here. I don’t know what it is, but if you’re looking for a Van Damme movie or poster, or t-shirt, or blanket, or what have you…you can find it. His movies are everywhere! I had no idea he was still making them.

Old people – I’ve never seen so many old people before! I’m not referring to the elder person in a business suit in their 60’s. I’m referring to the hunched over, tropical and altitude raisin-type skin, lips sucking into their skull - no teeth, and seemingly eternal-type of old. Living at this altitude and a stones throw from the equator, and with the hard lives they lead, it is certainly earned.

Transportation – I am vigilantly aware of my mortality every time I get into an object of transport here. Not only are they crazy drivers without rules, there aren’t really any police to enforce rules if there were any…and the cops just want to be bribed anyhow. The roads are full of potholes and problems. I squeeze into mini-vans made for 10 but if you try hard, you can squeeze 20 or so…it’s usually smelly, hot, squished, uncomfortable, bumpy…and everyone stares at me.

Coca Leaves – you know, what cocaine is made out of. Don’t know if you know this, but it is a big part of the culture here. You can buy dried coca leaves in almost any corner-street store. Mainly, they are used for tea. But, many people also chew them. Chewing them gives energy. Not saying I’ve chewed or drank the tea…since the US considers it illegal…but say if you’re doing a hike or helping build an adobe house, chewing on coca leaves is a great way to give yourself a boost. (the pic...well, doesn't have to do with anything...but there are also a ton of flowers around here. I usually feel silly in that shirt...but you see people with those all around here also)

Customer Service here sucks! And the funny thing is, you can’t just go to the next restaurant or business because it’s going to be the exact same! Say there is a strike and buses are not running that day…NO REFUND! WTF?

President – Do you know who the president is here? Probably not. BUT, most people here know who is running in the election in November in the States. Most Americans are completely unaware of the impact our nation has upon others. But – just to let you know, the president here is Alan Garcia – he was president between ’85-’90. He is bi-polar, and had hyper-inflation during his first service. And he got re-elected! Similar to the States, a Shaw quote is appropriate, “Democracy is a device that ensures we are governed no better than we deserve.”

Dogs – I’ve always been a dog lover. I get to act like a little kid and roll around with them, big or small, always a good time. BUT…I want to shoot all of the dogs here and torture a few. They are not pets, they flinch if you try to pet them, or they bite you. People just leave their dogs outside and they run around all night, barking, humping, and fighting. I’ve seriously considered leaving anti-freeze outside my door for my neighbor’s dogs. It’s sweet and tasty to them…oh, and it’s also lethal. (that pic is right outside my door...yes, one of them is humping)

The movies – The closest movie theater to me is in Lima – 8 hours away. I had a meeting in Lima and I brought the president of my association. I took him to a movie because he had never been in a movie theater (nor really walked around a mall). They are too expensive…and obviously far away. Imagine being 48 years old, and then going to see Iron Man in the theaters. Pretty cool to see someone have that experience. As far as seeing new movies – about a week after they are in theaters, we get pirated copies of it up here.

Dancing – The other day we had a laugh over the dancing here. When we go out on a Saturday, we go out to dance. We laughed about the idea of hanging out with friends in the States and going out just to dance. The dancing culture here is great. You’re expected to dance, everyone is expected to dance. I wish I could transport this to the States.

Dating – I’m dating a Peruvian. She is studying to be a nurse, she is 24, and very unlike the rest of the girls up here. She doesn’t call me 20 times a day, she doesn’t act jealous, she takes care of her teeth and body, she pays for some of the things we do(like lunch today), she likes to hike and appreciates the beauty of where she lives. I met her in a bar…I noticed her immediately because she was wearing a skirt…and no one wears skirts here. I thought she was from Lima. We’ve been hanging out since February. Remember that Jean Claude phenomenon – well, when she was 18 a boy who liked her gave her a present…a poster of Jean Claude! She said she laughed so hard tears came out and threw it away. That’s one other way I find her to be normal.

Skinny Dipping competition – The area I am in is full of glacial lakes – they are everywhere. All of them are gorgeous…and freezing. One of the volunteers here, from Minnesota of course, started a competition among us - Who can skinny dip in the most lakes while here? At first, I told her she was crazy and there is NO WAY I’m going into those lakes…well, here is a photo…you can imagine what I did before taking it. They are as cold as I thought…but after a long hike, it’s bearable to get in for 20 seconds. 1 lake down!

I miss you all dearly. I look forward to the time when I’m able to see all my friends and family and give everyone a big hug. Until then though, please know you are in my thoughts and having such great friends and family helps me pass those lonely moments when I’m wishing I was back with you.

All my love,
Jake

Living it out...

2008-05-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

Next month marks my year anniversary in Peru and will thus, be the longest I’ve been away from family and friends. I spent just under a year in New Zealand. However, I did live in Italy for 3 years growing up (’89-’92), so that will still retain the record of amount of time without stepping foot on native soil.

It appears, after speaking with my family the other day that I have taken for granted other’s awareness of how I’m living. Perhaps that is because some of my closer friends when I was in DC were former Peace Corps or individuals who have traveled a bit. Or it might be that my fellow volunteers share similar circumstances and I’ve been here so long that I forget what it’s like to live in the States. Perhaps when people think of Peru they think of llamas (the pic) or Machu Picchu or the exotic Amazon.

My niece seemed flabbergasted when I told her that I did not have a refrigerator. “But how do you keep your things cold?” I replied, “Well, I don’t buy things you need to keep cold.” She then asked, “Well…but do you have a freezer at least?” “Nope, no freezer” (in the DeBerry household, I think my parents have 2 of those big freezers and 3 fridges (with freezers)…yeah, 3 people live there) I would estimate there are 3 fridges in my entire town of about 1,000 people. My niece couldn’t imagine why people wouldn’t want one, so I had to tell her, “It’s not that they do not want one, they can’t afford them…or the electricity to run it.” Plus, the electricity is unreliable anyhow. What does all this mean? Warm beer. Some prefer warm beer, so at restaurants in the main city, you have to let them know you want it cold. (pic: normal sight in the town square: pigs, goats, cows, and sheep. People don't walk dogs here.)

What also got some “eewwwss” was when I said that many Peace Corps volunteers poop in a hole in the ground…though I am lucky enough to have a toilet. I also have a toilet seat…though a toilet seat is so uncommon that when female Peruvians have used my bathroom and the toilet seat was up, they don’t even use it. I base that statement on my experience of going in after and the toilet seat being up. So, either they don’t use it, or I’ve found the perfect women who put the seat back up! (pic: if you want meat, you either kill the animal yourself or buy it like this)

Hot water?…nope! In fact, the water here comes down from the glaciers or melting snow, so it is freezing. My dad asked me if I shower everyday…my response was a laugh. The longest I’ve gone without showering is two weeks. Luckily, in the town near me we can find warm, sometimes hot showers, so about every two weeks or so, I’ll go stay the night. But, usually, I’ll take a shower here once a week…only when the day is at its warmest and I usually use my big pan to heat up water and bring it in the shower with me. The entire time I fantasize about hot tubs. Controlling your breathing is really important.

My kitchen includes a French press, 3 pans, 2 plates, 3 bowls, a knife to cut stuff, a butter knife, 3 forks and 3 spoons. And, I just added to it with a cutting board! Moving up! (that's my kitchen)

No tv, no raido, no internet.

One of the reasons people get so drunk around here is because I don’t think there is not much else to do that they can afford. Hence, they drink a lot and talk about the same things everyday. Mainly, sex. There is a group of guys that hang out on ‘the corner’, and every time I go and hang out with them, it’s the same conversation. Sometimes they ask me about differences between Peru and the US. Or how much my shoes cost, or my watch, or my camera, or my jacket. Then its back to making jokes about sex…with an interruption to say something crude to the girl that walks by.

Life is simple. Simple does not imply unfulfilling though. I’ll leave you with a quote:

“The world was simple – stars in the darkness. Whether it was 1947 B.C. or A.D. suddenly became of no significance. We lived, and that we felt with alert intensity. We realized that life had been full for men before the technical age also – in fact, fuller and richer in many ways than the life of modern man. Time and evolution somehow ceased to exist; all that was real and mattered were the same today as they had always been and would always be. We were swallowed up in the absolute common measure of history – endless unbroken darkness under a swarm of stars.” Kon-Tiki

Love,
Jake

Gringos Saludables

2008-05-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

Well, it’s oscar time…and the awards go to…the 11 gringos that live up in the Cordillera Blanca in Peru! Who’d have thought?

In Ancash, we are a humble 11 volunteers. Ancash is a state within Peru, bigger than Massachusetts. About 2 or 3 times a year though, we put together a play about an important topic, always ending with a silly dance. Then, we go on a ‘tour’ and do the play at the schools in our towns. Luckily, although Ancash is relatively big, we live around the mountain range, the Cordillera Blanca and can travel to other's sites within the same day...and during this traveling we're surrounded by beautiful landscapes.

This time we did a ‘sociadrama’ about gender equality. You might hear the word, machismo, from time to time in Latin American culture, which refers to overt and unnecessary masculinity, and with men believing in the superiority of their sex. An example is what every female volunteer has to deal with, which is men whistling and saying inappropriate things to her as she walks by on the street. In our area, it also takes the form that women can’t work on the farms or help with the responsibility of money, they can’t study in school or look after themselves. Men don't cook or care after the children. (that's me making my mountain...and a glimpse of my room)

Hence, our sociadrama was about the topic that women and men are equal. Men are able to cook and help raise the children, while women are just as adept at working on the farm, studying, and helping with the family money.

I was a mountain in the play, full of wisdom and advice…quite appropriate, no? I was a female mountain with a baritone voice, Doña Huandy, which is one of the bigger mountains in this area. The play began with a family discussing which job is more difficult, the men’s or women’s. The brother and sister argue about it, then overnight they change gender to experience the job of the other. After a day of messing up each other’s job, they change back and have a new appreciation for the other’s job and teach their parents that men and women are equal. (in the picture above, we're sleeping in this picture and Puck, the fairy, is trying awaken us to ask if he can switch the genders)

During the play, Frank and I (the mountains) give advice and provide the magic to switch their genders. Our play is made for kids between 8 and 14...though it is appropriate for everyone. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Love,

Jake

Central Banks, the Amero, and Bush's new Fed proposals

2008-04-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

Are you aware about the North American Union which erases the borders between Mexico, United States, and Canda? Do you know that Bush signed it taking steps towards creating the Amero, a new money supply, merging Canada’s, Mexico’s, and ours? Do you know about World Trade building #7 that blew up the same day as the Towers on 9-11?

This blog veers off the purpose of this webpage, which is to share my experiences in Peru with my friends and family and anyone else interested. This is a rather long blog as well…but very informative. I hope you read it.

“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous than standing armies… If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of currency…the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of their property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered”
Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President, Author of the Declaration of Independence

One of the scariest things I’ve recently seen was the headline about Bush’s proposal to increase the Central’s Bank’s power. Unfortunately, most Americans…probably 95%, are too ignorant to know what that means. They do not know what a Central Bank is…nor do they know its purpose. An even higher percent probably are too interested in American Idol, how expensive it is to fill up their cars, or that illegal immigrants are present in a country full of immigrants, to care about anything else.

I’ll give you a brief history about the Federal Reserve (Central bank) and their connection to wars: In the early 1900’s, the most dominant business men (JP Morgan, JD Rockefeller, Rothschild) were in search of ways to create a central bank in the US, which would allow them to control the money supply. If you control the money supply, you control the country. JP Morgan, published rumors about a prominent bank being bankrupt, thus creating a panic of people withdrawing their money. In order to meet the withdrawals, the bank had to call in its loans. This created a public hysteria and other banks suffered the same fate and were forced to call in their loans as well, forcing the recipients of these loans to sell their property…thus bankruptcies, foreclosures, and repossessions came forth. (Feel free to see a parallel to what is happening right now with the credit crisis)

This experience led to an investigation by congress, led by Senator Aldrich , who is shown to have very close ties with the banking cartel, in fact, was part of the Rockefeller family through marriage. He recommended a central bank be created so a panic like this would not happen again. The “Federal Reserve Act” was written (by the banks) and Woodrow Wilson was soon elected president. His candidacy was supported by all the major banks because he said he would sign the law. Then, on December 23, 1913, when most of the congress was at home, it was voted into law. At the end of his term, Woodrow Wilson wrote about the mistake of signing that into law, thus creating a country completely dominated and controlled by a few elitists, the central bankers.

In fact, the stock market crash of 1929 is said by some to have been contrived by the Federal Reserve. Central bankers like Rockefeller pulled his money out days before Black Tuesday. This allowed them to buy up rival banks and whole corporations for pennies. The Fed continued the depression by keeping the money supply tight. A congressman (Louis McFadden) who was well aware of what was going on was pushing to impeach the central bankers…but after surviving 2 assassination attempts, he died of ‘heart failure’ in 1936, but little is actually known about his death. The depression of the 30’s helped the Fed take the Central Bank off the gold system. Now money is worth the amount of it that is in circulation…controlled by the Fed.

The Federal Reserve is a private corporation that makes its own policies…though most people think it is part of the government because the president assigns the board of governors, who don’t do much. The Fed prints the money for the United States and loans the money it to the government, at an interest rate. The only way for the US Govt to pay the interest rate is with that very money, thus creating more debt. This institution is exactly what our Founding Fathers sought to escape from.

Wars have always been waged for money. Central Bankers makes A LOT of money off wars…for instance; JD Rockefeller made $200 million off WWI (equivalent to 2.7 billion today). WWI cost $30 billion, which was borrowed from the Federal Reserve with interest…to be paid back by the American government through taxes. The Lusitania is the American ship that was sunk to get America involved in the war. There is documented evidence of it being planned, which is why it sailed into German waters to start with.

Or, look at WWII – Franklin D Roosevelt, whose uncle was one of the first on the Federal Reserve board. His Secretary of War, Henry Stimson, documented that FDR wanted to provoke Japan in order to gain the favor of American citizens to enter the war. Three days before Pearl Harbor, Australian Intelligence says they alerted Roosevelt about a Japanese task force moving towards Hawaii. Before the attack, 83% of Americans wanted nothing to do with the war. After the attack, 1 million men volunteered for the war.

American banks helped finance both the Axis and the Allies during WWII. In fact, Union Banking Corp, a New York City bank, helped finance Hitler’s army and launder money for them before and during the war. FDR signed in a “trading with the enemy act”, which prohibited American companies from doing business or financing the Nazis. They were eventually seized for money laundering and had millions of dollars of Nazi money in their vaults. None of the directors were punished; they just had to wait until 1951 to cash out their profits. Prescott Bush, our current president’s grandfather was vice president and director of this bank during this time.

Or…let’s take a look at Vietnam. The attack in the Gulf of Tonkin is what the US Govt used as a reason to deploy troops. But guess what, it’s now proven to never have even occurred. It was a complete lie by the government looking for a reason to join the war, not to win the war, but to sustain the war. Just like in Iraq and the war on terror, it’s not meant to be won, the war is meant to be sustained. Why else would the govt lie about this other than for money?

Now…take a look at 9-11 and everything that has followed. America has launched a war into Afghanistan and Iraq, created the Homeland Security Act, can search your home without a warrant and seize you indefinitely, just under the suspicion that you might be a terrorist. Perhaps a terrorist is anyone who disagrees with those in power? Some say history repeats itself…did you know that Hitler burned down the German Parliament and blamed it on communist terrorists? He then used that as a spring board for new policies and a war.

Now take a look at the evidence around 9-11. Did you know that a 47 story building, World Trade Building #7 which is a few blocks from the Towers, was blown up the same day as the towers? Maybe that is what the Pennsylvania crash was supposed to hit. No one knows about it. Why is that? Why is it that the steel beams in the Towers were melted and angled like a controlled demolition? The steel beams need to reach 2,000 degrees to melt while jet fuel only burns at 1,500 degrees. Why is it that there was absolutely no plane rubble from the Pentagon crash or the crash in Pennsylvania and you have never seen the crash into the Pentagon which has many cameras pointed right at the site? Why is it that Bush and Cheney would not appear individually, would not be under oath, nor recorded while being investigated by the 9-11 commission? These are just a few questions that most Americans don’t even know to ask. There are so many incongruities about 9-11 it would take a book to describe. …but now we have a war in Iraq...proven to have absolutely nothing to do with 9-11 or terrorists.

This leads to the situation today:
Now there is trouble due to the housing crisis, as people are calling it. So what happened? An unreasonable amount of credit coursing through society. Interest rates went up so that many individuals defaulted on their loans, creating an environment of uncertainty and fear about the economy. People start defaulting, home prices start going down, construction jobs are lost, things start costing more, companies can't afford the rising costs and lower profits, lay offs, recession, etc. Perfect time to try and pass new powers for the Fed…

What’s going to happen next? I don't know. In my opinion, these new proposed powers for the Fed are a step towards the Amero, a new currency which combines Canada’s, Mexico’s, and ours. Google it to learn more. To anyone worried about illegal immigration, Bush recently signed a North American Union agreement without permission from Congress or the American People, which would create open borders between Mexico and Canada. This is quite ironic since his Republican constituents are the ones primarily concerned about illegal immigration.. The purpose of all of this is for that 1%, the investment class of the population that will profit off this deal.

Perhaps, after that is set up, it’ll merge with the Euro. One of the Rockefeller’s today is quoted as saying that the world is marching towards a world currency...and it's not very far off. Don't believe me? Do your own research.

A documentary everyone should watch is "Zeitgeist", and you can watch it on the internet (http://zeitgeistmovie.com/). That documentary begins & ends with these quotes:

""They must find it difficult...Those who have taken authority as the truth, Rather than truth as the authority." G. Massey, Egyptologist

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then there will be true peace." Sri Chin Moi Gosh

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Jake

The association and consultants

2008-03-27T14:19:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-03-06T11:43:00.000-08:00

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

2008-03-01T06:37:00.000-08:00

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