{ Monthly Archives }
January 2006
Tentative Travel Plans
We’re aiming for two trips during our short 6-week stay.
One visit to Cajamarca, due to my win of the free spa hotel stay. (I had wanted to go to Ayacucho, but will table that one until next time.) Our plan is to do this the first weekend in February (leave the 3rd and return Sunday the 5th). It’s a 10 hour bus ride through the Andes, so we’ll splurge on the plane fare and fly.
The other visit is to Pisco/Paracas/Islas Ballestas. We’ll ride the 3 hour bus down to Pisco, taxi to the fancy hotel/resort in Paracas, and be tourists: using the travel desk to book tours of Islas Ballestas and the Paracas National Reserve. I don’t think we’ll get to Nazca Lines this time around — it would be pricey for the three of us and we’ve only got a limited amount of time. We want to be sure to have some quality pool play time for Will in that weekend, too! Our target for this trip is next weekend (Jan 19/20-22).
Favor con favor se paga
Two busy, busy days!
The last two days, I’ve had my first spanish lessons. They are great. Raquel (my tutor) is wonderful and speaks so very clearly. We are reading “Who Moved My Cheese” outloud and discussing parts of it as we go. It seems remarkably simple but is a very valuable exercise. I had classes both days this week, but starting next week, Paul and I will rotate days (me: M, W, F from 8-10; Paul: T, Th from 8-10). They are relatively expensive ($9/hour) but we would pay more than that in the States and I feel the quality is great. Classes are held on the rooftop of the house — protected by shade but still in the wonderful ocean air!
After class yesterday, I ventured out with Hilary, a medical student from NYC, to PRISMA. I experienced a first in Lima travel: we used the bus system (another place where being embarazadas — that’s pregnant, not embarrassed — gets you decent treatment). Hilary has been working at PRISMA as part of a fellowship she is on for the year and brought me there to meet the staff. While there, I helped her with her work. I also met a key staff member who I am helping with a journal article they are trying to publish (more on this later). This is all working out well: my volunteerism in exchange for networking and knowledge.
Late this afternoon, I met with Ruth, who is a public health nurse that Valerie (my advisor/committee member/local faculty) hires for help on her survey projects. I am also hiring Ruth as a cultural attache to orient me to some of the barrios surrounding Lima. The meeting went great — we all met at our house — but it started so late that by the end, Will was exhausted, it was way past his bedtime, and poor Paul was beside himself. We will learn to schedule things better. In anycase, we made plans for me to join Ruth at work on Monday in San Martin de Porras, a barrio (or pobres jovenes) in the northern section of the city. It will be about an hour ride and we contacted someone she knows to pick me up and bring me directly to her: there was concern of safety so they wanted to be sure I was with someone they trusted.
Tomorrow, Valerie and I are having a lunch meeting at her house with Phabiola, the staff member extraordinaire from PRISMA mentioned above. In addition, a doctoral student I’ve been in touch with from Hopkins may also stop by — we’ve been exchanging emails about meeting. She is also here working on her dissertation (but much further along than I!) In other words, everything is going great and the things I came here to do are actually happening!
Ride with Zulu!
Zulu is rolling this year, and you can ride with them! Too cool. I don’t think we can swing the fee, but my one Mardi Gras wish is to get a coconut this year.
Los mosquitos sanguinarios
They’ve found me.
I have approximately 10 so far (all from the last two days) and lament that more are, inevitably, to come. The two huge red swells on my right hand are by far the worst, although the bloches on the underside of my upper arm (resembling bruises) have the potential of drawing uncomfortable questions. Those damn mosquitos, bloodthirsty little insects, have sniffed me out.
Of course, Will and Paul are fine. And with me around, they will remain so. I love the open windows and breezes, but damn those mosquitos!!
Signs your child is no longer feeling ill
1. He re-discovers his love of the game “run in circles until I fall down”
2. He only eats food that has been thoroughly mashed, swirled, and chomped off a utensil
3. He starts to request chocolate in his milk
4. He sings to everyone from his stroller as you make your way down the aisles of the grocery store
5. Rather than fall asleep the minute his head hits the pillow, he sneaks to the door, waits quietly, and whispers “boo!” when you, assured that he is asleep, go on to tuck him in
Surprise!
Sometime late last summer, I began to subscribe to the “Living in Peru” newsletter for expatriates. I knew that we were thinking of spending time in Peru for my disseration and wanted to start getting my head around how we would do it. I used the classifieds, newsgroups, and listservs available to subscribers to find the house we’re renting, our childcare, and more.
A little more than a month ago, subscribers were asked to participate in a survey about the newsletter because they wanted feedback from readers. I participated. Like many surveys, there was the draw of a “give-away” associated with participation, and like most times I do surveys, I didn’t think anything of it. (Side note: as a social scientist, I always try to participate in surveys when asked. I feel it is my professional duty!)
Bottom line: I won a weekend stay at Hotel Laguna Seca in Cajamarca, Peru!
We’re still trying to get our head around the whole thing. What a surprise! The tickets are about $100/each (not sure yet about the cost of Will’s ticket) to fly to Cajamarca (it’s about 500 miles north of Lima, in the Northern Andes) but it’s a great opportunity and at least the hotel (and breakfast) are free! Wow — what a surprise!
