but it actually feels pretty good to be ¨home¨ in chimbote, although time with allie has made me miss all the comforts of home terribly...
pictures of our adventure are up. enjoy!
http://mividaperuana.shutterfly.com/
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
vacay!
and it´s about time! i am so incredibly excited. i´m headed out to lima today to pick allie up at the airport. then we´re off to cuzco, inca trail, macchu picchu--you know, the safe, tourist-version of peru! then we´ll come back to chimbote for a few days, so she can see the other side of peruvian reality.
i abosolutely cannot believe that today marks our 6 month anniversary of being in chimbote. and how will i celebrate?! a HUGE hug from someone who loves and knows me (it has been 6 months since i had one of those!). what more could i ask for?
i abosolutely cannot believe that today marks our 6 month anniversary of being in chimbote. and how will i celebrate?! a HUGE hug from someone who loves and knows me (it has been 6 months since i had one of those!). what more could i ask for?
Friday, January 30, 2009
another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
hi all. again, another long time in between posts. sorry, such is life! and life is busy nowadays. so many updates for you:
i suppose the big thing right now, the ¨turning point¨ is that i officially had my last day this week at Maternidad (the maternity hospital I had been working at). although i had a really beautiful experience and learned so much, and delivered 7 babies (!!!), i´ve decided that it´s time to move on. i was struggling with feeling like i wasn´t really able to make any sort of contribution there. they have a full staff, as well as numerous midwifery interns who are there to learn. at times i felt like i was robbing them of their learning experience, as i was just another person there who lacked the expertise to really be a part of the team. in addition, because they are not really used to having long-term volunteers, i never really received training apart from the occasional obstetriz who was willing to teach me a few things. definitely a beautiful experience, but now that i´m feeling a little more settled in this place, it´s probably time to take more initiative and move on.
this also means that i get to take the fork in the road, which i am honestly looking so forward to! in my days that i was working at maternidad, i will now be working at hospice. honestly, at first this option terrified me, with such limited language and understanding of some of the issues that go into healthcare here. there is something very humbling about doing healthcare in the homes of my patients. it is a completely different role, where i will be the guest, i will have to adapt to their rules, while providing healthcare and a presence of comfort. i anticipate that the true beauty of hospice will be sharing in the lives of my patients and their families; more than wound care, foleys, and injections, but truly entering into their lives at such a critical time, and being present to their needs beyond the physical. i guess i would say that this is the beauty of hospice, but also the beauty of nursing; that is, of taking care of human beings, not just human bodies. i can´t even imagine the new challenges that this work will bring (besides walking around in the killer heat all day!), but i trust that it will be beautifully rewarding.
in addition, starting in february i will be working with a group called ¨Promotoras de Salud¨ (Health Promoters) through the Posta Santa Clara (the clinic i have been working in). Promoturas is volunteer-run program that currently focuses on healthcare of the elderly population in my neighborhood. they serve the elderly through home visits, free healthcare services at the posta, as well as social and spiritual health promotion and events. this year we will be adding families with special needs to the program. i´m still not exactly sure what my role will be, but it will include directing the volunteers, the Promotoras, in their work, in guiding how home visits should be conducted, as well as health teaching for the volunteers. this will be a great challenge, as some of the volunteers have little or no education (at least 2 are completely illiterate, which obviously brings complications of its own). this will be an opportunity to integrate my education with some creativity!
so many people have asked me about how my spanish is coming along…i can´t believe i ever thought that i knew spanish before coming here! it is absolutely incredible how much i have learned and understand now that i didn´t 5 months ago. i still have a long ways to go, but it´s a beautiful thing to find myself comfortable in the language. when jane and julie were gone for 2 weeks traveling in the beginning of january, todd and i committed to speaking only Spanish in the house. and as much as i dreaded it, and even opted for silence at times because of the exhaustion that can accompany conversation, it was proof that i am able to survive in this language, in this place, without those things i often rely on.
jane, julie and i recently hit our 5 month anniversary of being here! into our 6th month, and at times i still feel like we just got here, others i can´t remember what it´s like to live in the states and that reality feels so distant. i am feeling like i am definitely settling into the community more here, with a routine and a solid group of friends, but the settling is juxtaposed with the reality that i will never fully understand this culture, that i will never really be peruvian (for as long as i live here and as many peruvian slang phrases that i throw into conversation to give the appearance of belonging!). i´m sure there is an official name for this phenomenon, but i´ll call it ¨interculturalism¨ or simply integration—that is, the phenomenon of attempting to take on a reality that is not truly your own, to internalize two distinct cultural frames of reference. of trying to understand and experience a life that is not fully attainable. of trying to be a part of a culture that i will never fully understand, because my worldview is grounded in my u.s. culture. i am not attempting to rid myself of this worldview (i realize there is also some really beautiful aspects), but rather to come to a deeper understanding of the human struggle. of what it is that makes us humans, apart from the cultures we know. if anyone has thoughts on this, maybe someone who has officially studied intercultural sensitivity or lived in another culture, please feel free comment on this!
on a lighter note, my sister is coming to visit the first week of march! i am so incredibly excited to see her and especially to travel a little bit. i will be going back to cuzco, but this time, i get to experience a few days of the inca trail, which i have heard is absolutely incredible! it will also be wonderful to have someone here who knows me outside of this context, someone to bridge my two worlds a little bit, and for her to be able to relate to my experience. this also means that if you have been absolutely dying to send me something, but have held off for an opportunity of little to no shipping costs, this is your chance! no pressure at all, just an opportunity; if you need my home address, let me know!
enjoy the snow for me, and take care!
i suppose the big thing right now, the ¨turning point¨ is that i officially had my last day this week at Maternidad (the maternity hospital I had been working at). although i had a really beautiful experience and learned so much, and delivered 7 babies (!!!), i´ve decided that it´s time to move on. i was struggling with feeling like i wasn´t really able to make any sort of contribution there. they have a full staff, as well as numerous midwifery interns who are there to learn. at times i felt like i was robbing them of their learning experience, as i was just another person there who lacked the expertise to really be a part of the team. in addition, because they are not really used to having long-term volunteers, i never really received training apart from the occasional obstetriz who was willing to teach me a few things. definitely a beautiful experience, but now that i´m feeling a little more settled in this place, it´s probably time to take more initiative and move on.
this also means that i get to take the fork in the road, which i am honestly looking so forward to! in my days that i was working at maternidad, i will now be working at hospice. honestly, at first this option terrified me, with such limited language and understanding of some of the issues that go into healthcare here. there is something very humbling about doing healthcare in the homes of my patients. it is a completely different role, where i will be the guest, i will have to adapt to their rules, while providing healthcare and a presence of comfort. i anticipate that the true beauty of hospice will be sharing in the lives of my patients and their families; more than wound care, foleys, and injections, but truly entering into their lives at such a critical time, and being present to their needs beyond the physical. i guess i would say that this is the beauty of hospice, but also the beauty of nursing; that is, of taking care of human beings, not just human bodies. i can´t even imagine the new challenges that this work will bring (besides walking around in the killer heat all day!), but i trust that it will be beautifully rewarding.
in addition, starting in february i will be working with a group called ¨Promotoras de Salud¨ (Health Promoters) through the Posta Santa Clara (the clinic i have been working in). Promoturas is volunteer-run program that currently focuses on healthcare of the elderly population in my neighborhood. they serve the elderly through home visits, free healthcare services at the posta, as well as social and spiritual health promotion and events. this year we will be adding families with special needs to the program. i´m still not exactly sure what my role will be, but it will include directing the volunteers, the Promotoras, in their work, in guiding how home visits should be conducted, as well as health teaching for the volunteers. this will be a great challenge, as some of the volunteers have little or no education (at least 2 are completely illiterate, which obviously brings complications of its own). this will be an opportunity to integrate my education with some creativity!
so many people have asked me about how my spanish is coming along…i can´t believe i ever thought that i knew spanish before coming here! it is absolutely incredible how much i have learned and understand now that i didn´t 5 months ago. i still have a long ways to go, but it´s a beautiful thing to find myself comfortable in the language. when jane and julie were gone for 2 weeks traveling in the beginning of january, todd and i committed to speaking only Spanish in the house. and as much as i dreaded it, and even opted for silence at times because of the exhaustion that can accompany conversation, it was proof that i am able to survive in this language, in this place, without those things i often rely on.
jane, julie and i recently hit our 5 month anniversary of being here! into our 6th month, and at times i still feel like we just got here, others i can´t remember what it´s like to live in the states and that reality feels so distant. i am feeling like i am definitely settling into the community more here, with a routine and a solid group of friends, but the settling is juxtaposed with the reality that i will never fully understand this culture, that i will never really be peruvian (for as long as i live here and as many peruvian slang phrases that i throw into conversation to give the appearance of belonging!). i´m sure there is an official name for this phenomenon, but i´ll call it ¨interculturalism¨ or simply integration—that is, the phenomenon of attempting to take on a reality that is not truly your own, to internalize two distinct cultural frames of reference. of trying to understand and experience a life that is not fully attainable. of trying to be a part of a culture that i will never fully understand, because my worldview is grounded in my u.s. culture. i am not attempting to rid myself of this worldview (i realize there is also some really beautiful aspects), but rather to come to a deeper understanding of the human struggle. of what it is that makes us humans, apart from the cultures we know. if anyone has thoughts on this, maybe someone who has officially studied intercultural sensitivity or lived in another culture, please feel free comment on this!
on a lighter note, my sister is coming to visit the first week of march! i am so incredibly excited to see her and especially to travel a little bit. i will be going back to cuzco, but this time, i get to experience a few days of the inca trail, which i have heard is absolutely incredible! it will also be wonderful to have someone here who knows me outside of this context, someone to bridge my two worlds a little bit, and for her to be able to relate to my experience. this also means that if you have been absolutely dying to send me something, but have held off for an opportunity of little to no shipping costs, this is your chance! no pressure at all, just an opportunity; if you need my home address, let me know!
enjoy the snow for me, and take care!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
reflexiones de navidad
songs are up...a little late for christmas, but not too late to enjoy! go here: www.reverbnation.com/raymundoycorina
this wasn´t my first christmas away from home, but definitely my first so far away from friends and family. i would be lying if i said it was the most wonderful time of the year--it has been the most challenging--but it has also been beautiful, in a very strange new way. we started the christmas festivities on the 23rd with a festival de villancicos (christmas carol concert) and it was hilarious. we sang with our english classes, and it´s no wonder they´re studying english and not music performance! despite sounding a little rough, it was really beautiful in a clash-of-cultures sort of way. there aren´t many people in chimbote who speak english, so i think it was (hopefully) entertaining for the audience (despite the entertainment of our disharmony!). todd and i did a little duet of my absolute favorite ¨o holy night¨ and it went really well and just confirmed the fact that i was created to sing on stage. jaja.
after we had a little birthday party for me in our patio. honestly, because my birthday falls on christmas eve, i had forgotten what it was like to have a huge birthday bash with friends! it was so much fun, and true to peruvian tradition, we stayed up until well after sunrise dancing to salsa and cumbias.
on the 24th, the girls took me out to our favorite restaurant downtown, then went for a little paseo to the mar. the malecon (seawall) is my second favorite place in chimbote. so peaceful, and though it reeks of burning fish this time of year, it´s one of the few places to sit and enjoy chimbote. that night, we went to christmas eve mass. a typical christmas mass, although it wasn´t actually much busier than a typical sunday mass, which seemed unusual to me. after mass, we went over to our friend tanya´s house for dinner. at midnight, the ritual here is to place the baby jesus in the manger scene and then, and only then, you´re allowed to hug everyone and say merry christmas. true to peru, we ate dinner around 1 AM, then danced the night away in her living room. it was beautiful to spend the night with an actual family, i feel like i have had so little family interaction here, and to observe the family roles--complete with the typical dad jokes.
on the 25th, we had lunch with the dominican sisters and our incarnate word sisters--basically a gathering of all the religious who are in chimbote, far away from family. it was really nice to eat a u.s. style meal, complete with a cheese plate, mashed potatoes, camote (basically sweet potatoes), and ham! oh, and also nice to spend time with them!
and tonight, just to keep the insane amount of activity going, we´re off to lima to finalize our immigration business. hopefully we won´t run into any problems like we had with the consulate in ecuador...
pictures coming soon!
con amor,
corina
this wasn´t my first christmas away from home, but definitely my first so far away from friends and family. i would be lying if i said it was the most wonderful time of the year--it has been the most challenging--but it has also been beautiful, in a very strange new way. we started the christmas festivities on the 23rd with a festival de villancicos (christmas carol concert) and it was hilarious. we sang with our english classes, and it´s no wonder they´re studying english and not music performance! despite sounding a little rough, it was really beautiful in a clash-of-cultures sort of way. there aren´t many people in chimbote who speak english, so i think it was (hopefully) entertaining for the audience (despite the entertainment of our disharmony!). todd and i did a little duet of my absolute favorite ¨o holy night¨ and it went really well and just confirmed the fact that i was created to sing on stage. jaja.
after we had a little birthday party for me in our patio. honestly, because my birthday falls on christmas eve, i had forgotten what it was like to have a huge birthday bash with friends! it was so much fun, and true to peruvian tradition, we stayed up until well after sunrise dancing to salsa and cumbias.
on the 24th, the girls took me out to our favorite restaurant downtown, then went for a little paseo to the mar. the malecon (seawall) is my second favorite place in chimbote. so peaceful, and though it reeks of burning fish this time of year, it´s one of the few places to sit and enjoy chimbote. that night, we went to christmas eve mass. a typical christmas mass, although it wasn´t actually much busier than a typical sunday mass, which seemed unusual to me. after mass, we went over to our friend tanya´s house for dinner. at midnight, the ritual here is to place the baby jesus in the manger scene and then, and only then, you´re allowed to hug everyone and say merry christmas. true to peru, we ate dinner around 1 AM, then danced the night away in her living room. it was beautiful to spend the night with an actual family, i feel like i have had so little family interaction here, and to observe the family roles--complete with the typical dad jokes.
on the 25th, we had lunch with the dominican sisters and our incarnate word sisters--basically a gathering of all the religious who are in chimbote, far away from family. it was really nice to eat a u.s. style meal, complete with a cheese plate, mashed potatoes, camote (basically sweet potatoes), and ham! oh, and also nice to spend time with them!
and tonight, just to keep the insane amount of activity going, we´re off to lima to finalize our immigration business. hopefully we won´t run into any problems like we had with the consulate in ecuador...
pictures coming soon!
con amor,
corina
Thursday, December 25, 2008
bummer
my apologies. unfortunately, none of my songs were posted on reverbnation, but keep checking the site and i will try to post them soon. so have yourself a merry little christmas, and thanks for all the love, prayers, and energy sent my way!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
dreaming of a white christmas
¡feliz navidad! and thanks for all the birthday wishes.
i have a whole villancico (christmas carol) album recorded, but unfortunately was only able to download 1 song. so here´s my regalito:
www.reverbnation.com/raymundoycorina
i have a whole villancico (christmas carol) album recorded, but unfortunately was only able to download 1 song. so here´s my regalito:
www.reverbnation.com/raymundoycorina
Thursday, November 27, 2008
to everything, turn, turn, turn
two posts in one month?! i´m getting out of control...
- my roommates and i are leaving tonight for ecuador! we need to leave the country to pick up our visas. even though we´ll only be gone for about 60 hours (about 40 of which will be on the bus :( ), i am so looking forward to getting outside of chimbote for a little bit. just to be reminded of the world outside of this city. although chimbote is a city that is well-connected to the outside world by buses and boats, it can feel so isolating...
- it´s so strange to think that i´ve been here long enough to note the changing seasons. just as the holidays role around, and i´m craving the smell of fall and a chill in the air, it´s getting warmer here and the days are getting longer (sunday will be the official start of beach season!). i would be happy if it stayed just like this for a while--a nice spring--hot during the days and cool at night, but all the chimbotanos keep reminding me this is nothing yet. i guess that´s what i get for choosing to live so darn close to the equator.
- today at work, i was chatting with a patient who was waiting to be seen, as well as with one of the doctors. the patient was asking me all the typical questions (who i am, what i´m doing here, how long, how much i miss things at home, how i learned spanish), when the doctor commented on my language ability. he said i only spoke ¨poco poco¨ castellano when i arrived, but he was impressed with how much i´ve picked up. now, i would like to think i came here with more than ¨poco poco¨ (give me a break!), but it was great to hear that others have noted my improvement. i definitely am finding castellano easier, and it´s so exciting when i have an all-around good communication day! i have yet to have a dream in spanish (which you know i have been waiting for), but several times i´ve woken up thinking in spanish, which is such an encouraging sign! pero, poco a poco.
- healthcare. ridiculous sometimes. i have had many frustrating days, where i spend hours folding gauze or rolling cotton balls (no, seriously). but those days are punctuated by some really exciting things that i get to do--actually, i´ve had an awesome week at work. i delivered another baby yesterday! and then today i got to suture a guys head! oh yeah.
- my roommate jane had some visitors here this weekend from the states. we had a great time showing them around and introducing them to all of our friends, but it was so strange to be surrounded by english and gringos again. and it absolutely made me miss my people who know me outside of this context. we went over to our friend alex´s house for a cuyada one night (cuy--guinea pig, remember?), and i was struck with such a weird realization. i am in limbo right now. i am shifting between two worlds, and i´m not exactly sure where i fit anymore. i don´t particularly like the taste of cuy, but it didn´t gross my out to have a little clawed rodent foot on my plate. i didn´t exactly identify with jane´s friends, but then i´m not exactly peruana either. i´m losing parts of my english, but then i struggle with spanish...and as challenging as it is, i just need to take a deep breath, and remind myself of the beauty in this tension.
- i think this is my first thanksgiving away from my family, and that´s really challenging. i know that the entire holiday season will be really challenging for me, and i realize how much i´ve taken some of those typical comforts for granted. i almost miss the chaos of finals and of end-of-the-year stuff. and christmas carols! it´s so weird that i haven´t already been saturated in christmas music! at home, i refuse to listen to christmas music before thanksgiving, but here, i´ve broken my own rule. there´s something so absolutely comforting in the songs that have literally surrounded me since the day i was born, that i can sing in my sleep, and honestly, just feel like they are a part of me (a sliver of u.s. culture that i am actually missing pretty desperately). i´ve been playing ¨o holy night¨ on my guitar, and everytime i do, it´s like a deep breath of something warm and familiar. so, on this thanksgiving, where i ate ceviche and rice to celebrate, a list of things that i am thankful for in this moment:
- music that transcends language barriers
- quiet moments on my roof, usually with a cup of instant coffee
- heart-to-heart conversations in castellano
- the resources to choose to do whatever i want to do with my life
- the ease with which i can travel, just because of the label on my passport
- knowing that i am loved and known, even from thousands of miles away
what is making your heart glad, right now, in this moment? happy thanksgiving.
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