Arrival in Peru

Dear goobers,

Time for another concise update from yours truly. But...

Business first. I realize mass emails can be less than appealing and you may want to be removed from my list of friends. I totally understand. So, could those of you who DO want to keep receiving updates / stay in contact, please respond to this email in some way. No need write anything long/special. You could just hit reply and say "keep me!" or "I want to stay friends!" or "let me keep creeping!" Those who don't respond will be eliminated from my friend list FOREVER. No hard feelings, we'll reconnect some day, some how. Now, onward!

So, quick recap: I got a CIDA internship working with the Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) in Victoria and with COPEME (too long to spell out) in Peru. The training with the Canadian org lasted six weeks, and I just finished there. Now I've finally arrived in Peru and will be here for 6 months (there'll be an option to renew/continue for another 6 months to a year, but let's just wait and see if Peru is all it's cracked up to be before making any drastic decisions).

Highlights from the magical land of Victopia, where everyone is wholesome/healthy/happy/kind:
- Sat next to a weepy girl on the plane. Did not ask what was the matter.
- Stood next to a worried old man while he yelled cautionary "wait! what are you doing?!"s at his lady-friend, as she J-walked across a street with zero cars in sight. "She's an independent lady!" he boasted to me.
- Settled in to my new home in a UVic cluster house.
- Learned that it's uncool to say I'm living in a cluster house. You have to say "I'm living in cluster" or else you're a big loser. Learned this a few days before leaving, after living in a cluster house for 5 weeks. Am thoroughly embarrassed.
- Played with about 2700 bunnies.
- Got an extra immunization (Yellow Fever), even though I don't need it. Internship budget = free immunity!
- Visited the enchanted island of Galiano TWICE. Galiano sub-category:
- Witnessed bioluminescence for myself. Yes, it's real.
- Made tie-dye.
- Went swimming in the ocean and got attacked by a crab.
- Went to a training sesh in Vancouver, hosted by CIDA. Stayed in a palace of a hotel room, by myself: one room with two beds and a tv, another room with two couches, a desk, mini kitchen area, and ANOTHER tv. Had a bath.
- Feasted at Patricia's house on french toast with ice cream, berries, and maple syrup. Breakfast of champions.
- Chatted with a Christian youth minister who was scandalized by "Oprah's pretend religion." She bought me ice cream. Did not tell her that I am seriously considering joining the Church of Oprah.
- Floated down the Cowichan River in a floaty pool toy. While waiting to be picked up after several hours of tubing, guessed the EXACT time, to the minute. 6:13pm. Felt like a champ.
- Nearly burned down my cluster house trying to boil water. My pot melted in several spots. Became an avid believer in stainless steel over non-stick kitchenware.

So those are some of the highlights of my Victoria experience. Other than that stuff, work was great, but probably boring to talk about here. My main project was developing a report on community economic development (CED) activity in the province, which will be published this Fall. So I got to talk to some neato peeps on the phone with really innovative, alternative ideas about economic development. I've decided that I will move back there sometime, after Peru. I think Victoria suits me.

Still don't know too much about the Peru job, even though I started work today. And I am at work right now... clearly working hard. Here's what I do know:
- I work in Chiclayo, a city "better known as a commercial and banking centre than for its culture," according to a guidebook. Hmm.
- I live in Lambayeque, a mini-Chiclayo about 12k away. I live with one of the the three people with whom I work.
- I am the only english speaker for miles and miles. Spanish fluency: here I come!
- I THINK my job is to facilitate in workshops for mangos, beekeepers, and artisans (ie the micro-entrepreneurs) to help them become more productive/competitive. And also convene conferences to get local leaders involved in supporting CED. Won't know until I actually start doing stuff other than reading.
- There is good surfing near Chiclayo. New hobby!
- New ambition: make friends with someone with 1) a car 2) a surfboard 3) a pretty smile.

Anyway, that's about it. I got a cell phone today too! So if you want to contact me, although I imagine it's expensive unless you're using skype (in which case you can also call my skype name - amy.smart) the number is: peru country code (051) lambayeque area code(074) 9797.05.30.7

LOVE,
Amy