My Second Month in Ancash

             I guess it’s time for me to write another blog. I don’t really feel like I’ve done too much, but the appropriate about of time has passed. What I have done in these last few weeks is bake. I introduced my host family to cakes, cookies, and bread that I made. I also made some scones, but I ate those myself. I guess I have done some work as well. I’m in the finally stages of writing a grant proposal for climate change education. Today I got the official document promising that the school of Huaripampa will help me with the project. Tomorrow I hope to gain the same for the school in Olleros. From there, I need the promise of SERNANP, the park service that they’ll give my school kids free admittance to the park, and I can submit the proposal. Assuming everything goes well, I’ll start classes in the first week of October with the weather monitoring boxes hopefully already built and placed. 

                I’ve also been helping the other Volunteer in my site with her project called Ironman. Basically, it focuses on 3^rd grade of high school in Olleros with different components of sports, volunteer work, reading and journaling, and science classes. I’ve specifically helped her with the sports area, helping her with swimming class. Basically, we take twenty 13 year olds to a freezing salt water pool and tell them to get in and practice kicking. It involves a lot of screaming, splashing and straight up refusal. Last class we had, which is supposed to be the last of the year, I worked more with the 3 kids who actually showed some progress. One of them actually swam, the second swam while holding onto a soccer ball, and the third, the only girl of the three, was brave enough to circle the pool including the deep end while holding on to the wall. May not seem like much, but the fact that these kids tried was more than the others. For my part, I made a point to swim underwater the width of the pool. They couldn’t believe it was possible, so I made sure they all saw at least once. Not to mention, I very much enjoyed the exercise. I also made sure to float around, tread water, and dive in a few times. I nearly fainted after finally getting out; I think the shock to my body took that long to set in. It was fine until I couldn’t handle a minute more, and then it was way too cold. 

                Speaking of cold, I set up an atomic clock with temperature sensor that I asked my mom to send me. It’s been liberating being able to see the temperature. Liberating and fascinating, it’s caused me to laugh at the people who every day tell me how cold it is. My site seems to vary between 40 degrees in the night and 75ish degrees at the hottest part of the day. My room only varies between 55 and 65 degrees. Basically, it’s not cold here at all. It’s perfect for having to wear pants all the time (being a woman), but only one pair of pants.

                I guess as a wrapping up for this blog; I’ll mention that a woman from my old site in Vicco called me today. She must have asked to borrow someone’s phone that had my number, because I didn’t know her. All she wanted to know was when I’d be returning to Vicco to buy more recycling. It was sad to me since that means the Municipality hasn’t picked up the program, but also great in that she cared enough to contact me. I changed some people; I made a difference. Now I have to hope I made enough of a difference with enough people that they pester the Municipality until they start buying recycling.