1 x 2 x 3 x 4 = Me

Wow, so I'm 24 and halfway through my YAV year. That is unreal on both levels. I believe this was my 6th birthday outside the US. For my entire childhood, it always snowed on my birthday, HS, was always in Mexico on AMOR mission trips, College was just a grab bag, and now I´m here.

I do not understand why our culture always asks "how does it feel to be

24?" (or whatever age you are turning) Why do we ask that? IT FEELS EXACTLY THE SAME AS 23 AND 364 DAYS. Why does a semi-arbitrary (I didn´t choose the date, it just happened) date mean that we should somehow feel different? I see more value in questions like "what did you learn while you were 23?" or something that actually asks about my life.

Sorry about that rant. Feburary 12th marked the halfway point for us (sept 1 - July 27: 329 days). I think that one is a little more strange. I am now on the back side of this trip. I really feel like I just got here. I know that it has been an enernity since that day we six boarded a plane in NY for her, but at the same time it really feels like yesterday. But what have I learned during my time here? I have learned that I do feel really at home in other countries, espicially latin ones. I know that I have said this before, but I love walking down the street or riding the bus because it just feels so natural. I really enjoy this type of work. It is hard because since I´m a temporary volunteer, in lots of ways, I´m not as involved as

others (espicially because I am splitting time between two organizations), but I love what we do and feel like it is actually doing things for the good of humanity. I do know that wherever I go, I do need a strong community. I have a good back up here, but don´t feel completly enveloped in this world yet.

I have set becoming more invovled in my life here as a goal for the rest of this year, but one of the challanges to that is that I travel a lot. General laws of physics say that if you are not actually in a place it makes it more difficult to be there. But that is not a complaint. I am so blessed to be able to see so much of this country. A prime example of this was the trip that I just finished with a group of people from 1st Presbyterian of NYC. They arrived on sunday

and we took a tour of Lima (including the photo exposition from the conflict period, chifa, plaza de armas, and parque de aguas). Then monday morning we headed out to Huancavelica. Tuesday was spent getting used to the altitude and had a few meetings with members of the El Mecurio cooperative. The group discussed fair trade and the group´s involvement. I personally spent my time hanging out with the artisans joking, learning a few words of quechua, and watching as they knitted monkeys. We then ventured up to see part of the community of Santa Barbara (in which the majority of El Murucrio lives) and got a first had look at the landslides that have been plaguing the andean region of Peru for the last 2 months.

Wednesday - Friday we spent the day in the community of Wayanay, which is a small village in the middle of the andes. When I am there, I half expect Frodo and Gandalf to come walking through. The community truly opened their arms wide for all of us. We were blessed with mountains of food consisting of Guinea Pig (cuy), trout, sheep, and of course, potatoes. They showed off their knitting, looms, health center, and even gave the group an opportunity to take home a few of their products. Then on the 2nd day we all worked together on a reforrestation project to help protect the community from landslides and the 3rd was all about smoke reducing stoves. I really enjoyed the

planting day because it involved the whole community and the whole group working together, on their knees in the middle of the andean sun. Most white hands were covered with gloves while the brown, wrinkled, callosed peruvians both dug holes and put the saplings in the ground. It was a moment in which both cultures opened up and sought a connection that would not be found any other way. At the end of the day there were 300 more little trees in the ground, hopefully leading to a more secure future, but there were also more openess, care, and knowledge of others planted in the planters, and hopefully that will lead to even more in the future.

To hear a podcast about this trip: website or

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

¿Ya has acostumbrado?

Today is one of those days that you have to step back and remember, my life doesn't revolve around technology. I laugh because when I decided to become a YAV, one of my reasons to do so was to simplify my life. Instead, I find myself writing this blog entry this morning in word because one computer, the one that has the document that I am supposed to be working on, won´t turn on and now that I´m on another, the internet isn't working on it. So, you all get my frustrations instead. Oh well, I guess a Thursday morning with my coffee and some typing is probably good for my soul. Also, to anyone who doesn´t read this blog in its actual space (google reader, etc,), check out the real site because I´m quite proud of my map that shows where I have blogged about druing this over 2 year run we have so far.

It is strange to look back and realize that I have now been here in Peru for 5 months. That is a long time and in some ways it doesn't seem real. In some ways, I feel like I just got here and in other ways, I have completely forgotten what the US is like. Whenever I meet people here, one of their first questions that they ask me (after the standard name, where from, “oh, I have a cousin in…”) is “ya has acostumbrado” or “have you accustomed yet.” My answer is always yes (well, it is “sí” but you know what I mean). I have gotten used to being here. To he heat of January. To the general lack of sunshine. To the crowded streets, dirty facades of the buildings (since there is no rain to wash them clean), to the cobradors who cannot understand what I say when I tell them where I want to go, to the prices of what things should be when they try to overcharge me (in my frugality, I am learning fair prices for everything and have learned to accept what I should pay and just go with that rather than ALWAYS trying to bargain something down). I love having bread and butter for breakfast and dinner and then a solid lunch in between. I have gotten used to chifa almost once a week. I have gotten used to my work schedules and am generally pretty busy. I feel at home with my family and love meal times when we are all together to laugh. In all, I have more that accustomed myself to Peru, I now am at home here.

It is kinda strange saying that because yesterday, I got my plane tickets back to the states finalized. I will be landing at SeaTac at 1:22 pm PDT on the 27th of July. I know that is almost 6 months away, and that is more than half of my total time in this country, but it is strangely tangible now. Previously, we didn't have them set and it was nice because in some ways, it really felt like I was going to be here forever. But, it is set and I have a lot left to do. In this second half of the year, I am excited to welcome 3 groups to the country and help them see why I love this country, to have my Callie and Scotty (sister and best friend) come and hike the Inca Trail with the YAVs in may, to keep at my jobs, to make more trips to La Oroya, be more and more connected to my workplaces, to find ways to really connect with my host family on a even deeper and meaningful way than evening soap operas and rummikube, to put down my laptop and pick up a book, to finally buy a knee brace and start running again, and just find ways that when I leave this country, I do feel like I left a part of myself here. I know that I am “acostumbrado” to Peru, but in the next 6 months, I really look forward to really trying to learn how to better become Peruvian.

How do you feel about where you live? Are you accustomed? Do you feel at home? What does home even mean to you?

On a side note, I have a fund-raising benchmark coming up. If you have a few extra bucks or something, I could really use it, just click here. No worries if you can´t. I understand that times are tight for everyone. I love you all. Thanks for reading and I look forward to sharing even more with you all.

Pictures

1. Door near CENCA institutional workshop in San Bartolo
2. Sunset in San Bartolo
3. Waterfront in San Bartolo
   

Vacation and Bolivia wrap up

So it has been a while since I blogged, but mostly due to travel. Here is a quick wrap up on the last few weeks.

After Christmas, I left on 2 weeks of vacation in which I spend the first week (all of vacation was with Erika and almost all with Stacie) in Arequipa, which is in the south of the country. E and I went to a little nothing of a town and saw some petroglyphs and a really pretty valley. Then we met up with S and the rest of the YAVs and hung out in the city itself for a few days. There was a beautiful convent there and it was relaxing. We then went to the Cocla Canyon, which is the second deepest canyon in the world. We hiked for 3 straight days of 6 hrs+ per day of hiking and spent new years in the bottom of it. New Years eve we swam in this natural hot spring made where a geyser and the river met and by the time we got to the hostel, we were so tired that we went to be at 8:30 and woke up at 11:50 to say "happy new year" before going back to sleep. Then began the 2 day trek back to Lima and then on to a city called Tingo Maria which is the entry to the Amazon. There Erika got sick and so Stacie and I just cruised around and saw everything we could. It was really fun, but sad to not have E out.

Then we went back to Lima with a quick stop in another town first. We then had 2 days with all of us before the girls went off to some other town for a few days before they headed off to Argentina. I had a day of meetings and then left for Bolivia.

Travel to Bolivia took about 32 hours and included 2 taxis, 1 plane, 1 van, 1 collectivo (rented car), and 1 overnight bus. Kinda ridiculous. The conference in Bolivia was really good. It was attended by us, the Red Uniendo Manos of Bolivia, the Bolivian Mennonites, and some people from the US. There were in total 16 presentations on topics ranging from water as a human right to a people´s movement against climate change. They were mostly pretty interesting. We had a fair on the differing topics in the city of Sucre, and in our closing meeting formed a network of young environmentalists. There is one international coordinator (who is my coworker at CENCA) and 2 national coordinators in each country (of which i am 1). That meeting was so long and boring. We argued about what to call ourselves for over an hour. It was really great because at the conference, 2 of my friends from Whitworth were there along with my fellow whitworth YAV. so it was pretty incredible to have 4 people from such a small school meeting up at a conference in Bolivia (3 of us went to Central America too). It was so good just to catch up and talk about the "good old days."

Then we went to Puno (Lake Titicaca on the Peru side) and went out tho the floating islands and did some shopping. For more on the congress, check out the podcast, Kuzka. We did an edition specifically on it. (click this link or just search "kuzka" on the itunes music store). Note: the podcast has been such a success that we need to upgrade our account, and that is being more difficult than expected. If the podcast isn't there now, check back soon, it will be!

In all, I have basically been on the road for 3 and a half weeks straight and will be gone all week next week too so i´m enjoying being at home for 6 days.

I am very excited and motivated to be involved this year. I´m happy with my life and really want to find ways to become even more involved. That may be a little difficult because I will be on the road for basically half the time until Easter (and then still lots more after that). But in all, I feel really good about where I´m at.






Film Pictures
Other Pictures
Bolivia Pictures


Captions:

1. Pieced together view of El Mistí (mt. to the right) above Arequia at Sunset
2. Us all at the convent in Arequipa
3. New Years smiles at the bottom of the canyon
4. Stacie and Joe in a cave, trying not to get hit in the face by bats
5. Peru delegation after dancing Whylash dances
   
6. Reed Boat on Lake Titicaca
7. Sky above Puno
   

Big things in little things

First of all, Merry Christmas to Everyone!!!

view of Lima from my roof

If somehow some of you don't know this, I like taking pictures. I would never call myself a photographer, but I just like capturing moments. I like seeing things that other people don't and then presenting it to them in a new way. So in that, this trip, I have fallen in love with the panorama. (Please click on these pictures and really explore the moment in which they were taken.)

night view of the Plaza de las Armas with Christmas decorations

This type of picture allows you to actually show what was going on there. Give a more complete perspective. But even more, it maintains the ability to see the little things that are going on. Each of these pictures that are in this post have so much happening in them that I find myself going back time and time again to see what was going on and the little things in all of them.

View of Avenida Bolivar at night from atop a hotel (just a couple blocks from my house)

So in a big way, I do find that is a big deal about my time here. We all can look into a situation and see the big picture. Here in Peru, the poverty is obvious and is extreme. The climate change smacks you in the face every day. The stories of the atrocities of the civil war create rivers of tears, but in each one of those, there is a story and there is a person, and there is a day and there is a moment.

Playa Las Minas in Parque de la Reserva in Paracas

But these stories don't have to be sad either. I am amazed at the stories of live and laughter that I encounter every day. I am amazed at the extreme similarities between the people of Peru and the way we live our lives at home. The other night Erika and I took my host sisters out to McDonalds and a movie. During our Christmas dinner last night, there was a "kids table" (I have graduated from that finally).

Ayacucho from an overlooking mountain

So, since it is Christmas, I encourage to focus on the the little things. The big ones can wait for next week. They will always be there and are usually pretty easy to see. But today focus on the little ones. Tell a story or more importantly listen to a good one. Relish that moment because these are the things that really make life great. Thank you to all of you who are in my life. I truly cherish you all. I miss you during this time. I don't miss the cold, but I do miss a good soy latte before breakfast. I miss family, friends, and home. But, as I've said many times before, home is about the people and I am so blessed to have another home. Not one to replace, but one to compliment the one I know and love. So thank you for all being in my life. I love you so much. Please check out our latest podcast (or just search "kuzka" in the itunes music store), newsletter (También en Castellano) or just send me an email (jtobiason08@gmail.com). I love you all and will talk to you in the new year because tomorrow I head out on vacation. So, listen to a real story today and find the little things that you may have missed and cherish that. Merry Christmas from Peru. The video below was midnight, Christmas Eve. It was amazing.

La Oroya

Well, I think it is finally time that I address the biggest "issue" that I am working with down here. I've kinda skirted, referenced, joked about, podcasted, and slightly mentioned La Oroya and the Doe Run smelter that is there, but it is finally time to really dive into it. This is a not so short video that gives a little look into what is going on there.

I have mentioned inthe past, on the podcast, in our news bulletins, and in La Retama small bits about La Oroya. But here is my summary of what has led to it being listed as one of the most polluted cities in the world: The La Oroya smelter was opened in 1922 and subsequently expanded. The smelter can deal with gold, sliver, lead, copper, and lots of other elements and minerals. What makes this smelter unique is the way that it can deal with all of these elements together and at a lower grade than many other plants. La Oroya is one of only such plants in the world and therefore material from Peru and all over the world are brought there to deal be smelted. This also means that this plant is very difficult to "clean up" because of the complicated, unique nature

of what it does. There are also lots of companies around the world that are pretty keen on keeping it going because it is one of the only ways to get to whatever they need. From 1922 until 1974, the operation was owned by American Cerro de Pasco. Then it was nationalized and owned by the Peruvian state (referred to as Centromin) until it was sold to Doe Run (part of the Renco Group) in 1997. At this point, the output of the smelter went through the roof. Doe Run makes statements that their emissions perton (or whatever measurement they are using) is lower, which is true, but they were also producing at a much higher rate than the factory had ever operated at and therefore even more added to the pollution. Their charts always start at 1997, when they purchased the company. It does not represent the overall changes in lead and ohter toxins over time. (wikipedia article on it, Doe Run web site, in spanish)

As part of their agreement to buy the plant, Doe Run agreed to complete the PAMA (Environmental Remediation and Management Program) which called for various ecological improvements to the smelter. This was supposed to be complete by 2004. They were given an extension until oct 2009. In sept, they were given another 36 months to complete it. Doe Run makes says that they are broke and therefore can't complete the PAMA, but they have also sent almost $100 million to the owner (Ira Rennert) and an all time high in lead prices. Also, the plant has basically been shut down since June due to these financial issues, and doesn't look to re-open for another couple months.

I am really trying to look at this issue from as many sides of it as I can inorder to make my case and be in solidarity with the people in a way that is thought out. We cannot blame Doe Run for everything. They have only owned the plant for the last 13 yrs. There was many years of contamination before them (See for yourself on google maps how the city looks different from everything around). We cannot just blame the government for being spineless and bowing to the multinational coorporation. Peru is an "export" company, mining is the largest export and this is a model that is more or less accepted and sought by the international community with regards to countries like Peru. We can't just blame the Peru-US Trade Agreement for continuing this unbalanced, dependent form of commerce. We can't blame people for not caring. We also can't not do anything.

The big effect is on the lives of the people that live in La Oroya. 95% of the kids have elivated levels of lead in their blood. It comes from their mothers, through the placenta, and they are born into it. Also, the company basically owns the union. To work at the smelter is a good job. Those that work there can actually pay for things like food, shelter, beer, and prostitution (La Oroya has a higher number of prostitutes due to this steady income source). Therefore, the workers stand up for the company, but also know that if they speak out at all, they will lose their jobs.

So, what we are doing, as the Red Uniendo Manos, is working with a group, called Filomena, whose kids are organized and against the business that continues to poison their home. They are

all seeking better lives and futures. Right now, we are also connecting them with a group of students in Brooklyn (oddly enough, where Ira Rennert was born). They are having skype conversations to understand more about what the lives of the other are like, but also to learn how to be present and to really seek better lives for all. I am very proud to be involved in this process and hope you would too. For more information, please listen to our first podcast that is on La Oroya. Also, in the upcoming edition, there will be an interview with the director of Filomena on why she does what she does. Our podcasts are now hosted on itunes, so just type "kuzka" into the itunes store search bar and we pop up. It couldn't be easier. Become a fan of the Red Uniendo Manos Peru and Bridge of Hope on facebook.

Also, more pictures from my daily life (on facebook, but this link should work for everyone)

Thanksgiving

Today is a special holiday. It is something that no matter how hard they try, it is still near it's roots. Just the name alone is different. Literally this is a day for the giving of thanks. I think it is amazing that it comes right as I have been pondering about the concept of gratitude. During my time at Whitworth, Adam Neder made a point in Great Themes of the Bible that since grace is a gift and thus there is nothing we can do to earn it, the ONLY response we have is gratitude. I really feel that here in Peru because my life is dependent on others and today I want to give you a shortened list of what I am grateful for:

God, Peru, My Family (Mom, Dad and Callie, but the extended family too), Erika, my Whitworth Friends, the YAVs, the other gringos down here, The Vargas Family (host family), Whitworth, CASP, Coffee, Human Rights and those who fight for it, Dry Toilets, Fair Trade, Gmail, Camerias, Water, Mts, Music, Snow, Books, Food, the ability to live simply, and so much more.

So right now, If you are reading this, we must have some sort of connection and to you I say "Thank you, from the deepest part of who I am, thank you for being in my life. Thank you for helping me become who I am. Thank you for being with me as together we look forward to the future."

What are you thankful for today?

Music

Before I start this blog, I do want to note that I do not 100% agree or condone with the things I link to. If they offend you in anyway, please let me know, but also take it with a grain of salt. There are lots of people out there with different opinions. That being said, this is not some sort of "prepare yourself for today's links" thing. They are along the lines of my normal stuff, but just wanted to put that little disclaimer in there.

NEW PODCAST!!!!! Check it out!!!!!!

During my time here, I usually try to do the things peruvians do. I take buses. I eat from street vendors. As previously mentioned, I wear leather shoes. But last night I took a different view of being like a Peruvian and went to a concert by The Killers. I very much enjoy concerts. No ifs, ands or buts about it. They just make me happy. Last night was no different. It was interesting to see on so many different levels what was going on at La Explanada de Estadio Monumental that night. This was a band who said 3 sentences in spanish to the crowd, but everyone knew when to cheer. Is that because of training that when the singer stops singing or talking, you shout really loud or because it was a different demographic? It was by far the tallest group of peruvians that I have yet to be around. I was only slightly taller than average and didn't have my normal unobstructed view to the front. I know this indicates a different sector of society because it is generally known that as societies develop and people's diets become more complete, they get taller. This probably helps to explain the english understanding too. It was one of the safest feeling music venues I have ever been to also, which blew was completely contrary to what everyone told me before going. It was just 35,000 people there to forget about the violence of the 80s, the corruption of the 90s and the neoliberal economic problems of the 00s and just rock out.
But for me it was a night to let it all out. It is not that I have anything to complain about, but there was something about jumping up and down and screaming until I couldn't even talk that just made me feel at home. When people ask about my culture here, I usually explain that I'm from the home of Starbucks, Nirvana, and the 1999 WTO protests and releasing energy through the medium of really loud rock music just took me back there. So to the Killers, thank you. I was back at fair trade, translating, and good old NGO work today, but for that hour and a half I was just connecting to my community though the rhythms and beats and screaming guitar rifts. In the words of Cal Naughton Jr. "I like to think of Jesus like with giant eagles wings, and singin' lead vocals for Lynyrd Skynyrd with like an angel band and I'm in the front row and I'm hammered drunk!" Maybe less drunk, but if everyone around me is feeling the music too, I don't know if it matters.

This is my favorite song from the night. In the middle there is a line that is repeated that says "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier." I love this line and have for a long time because I feel it does express me a little bit. I'm kinda into that pacifism stuff, but it doesn't mean I'm passive.