Funeral for a little one

Funeral for a little one, originally uploaded by jtobiason08.

I really wish I knew more of what was going on in this picture, but all you can see is all I know. I was helping the CAMBIALO kids film each other in La Oroya and looked up to see this small group of people carying these flowers and the smallest coffin that I have ever seen. It was one of those moments that shows what life is really like.

Unused Scales

Unused Scales, originally uploaded by jtobiason08.

In November, 2009, I got to visit Erika in Ayacucho while she was volunteering for the Casa Hogar Los Gorriones. This was just too picturesque for me to pass up.  I don't know what brought this situation to be set up for me.  But for me it represents the way that Peru and especially Ayacucho, just stopped the world and had it ripped away during the period of violence between 1980 and 2000.  Life was hard, but it just disappeared and there are only fragments which are being used to be the building blocks for the future.

Stateside for 2 weeks, where did it all go?

I case you haven't heard, I came back to the US on July 27th.  If you read this, I would love to hang out with you at some time.  My cell phone is the same as before.  If you don't have it, just send me an email.

But it is strange to be sitting at my parent's house writing this email looking out on my Mom's garden and listening to the newest Vampire Weekend album on my stereo which I set up in the family room upon returning.  This led to this short exchange:

Mom: "having music is great, I should have used it more often."
Joe: "It has only been set up for an hour and a half"
Mom: "oh......"

Joe and Erika after Sounders game

Since getting back to the US, I have gone out to Mexican food at El Charo (the best Chicken Mole ever!), had friends over for an epic welcoming, relaxed, family reunion, a week in Seattle, more friends over, a Peruvian dinner, a Mariners game, a Sounders game, hung out in Seattle and tomorrow head off to Vancouver for Cherise and Cory's wedding.  My life has been pleasantly busy.

But where did it all go?  I have this sentiment often when I travel where upon return, I feel as if it were all a dream.  I know that it isn't.  I know that the memories are real.  I can hold the negatives which prove that I took this picture, but it just went so fast.  And it is strange that it is the same season as when I left because it feels as if the world just paused here.  This is compounded by the fact that I am not in Spokane or at Whitworth now.  I am spending more time in Seattle.  My college friends are around, but not down the hall.

Vanesa, Lady, and Jhohana from CAMBIALO

But there are the things that make me remember it all.  I use a picture of Vanessa, one of the kids from the CAMBIALO project as my bookmark to remember those kids and what they mean to me every time I sit down to read.  Every article of clothing I purchased in Peru brings back memories whenever they slip over my extremities.  I was blessed by 14 people coming to a small celebration of my year at my parent's house last weekend of which I got to go through pictures, music, stories and some food (still eating those leftovers).  Of course my facebook is every other between english and spanish comments and photos.  It is still real.

So that is the dichotomy that I get to sit between.  I have said before that, to me, "home" is not a location, but rather the place where you feel connected to your community and now my "home" spans 2 continents.

So, I will continue to blog off and on.  I will not send the email updates as I have during my time in Peru, with exception of more important things.  This blog will still be full of my thoughts and experiences and pictures.  Thank you for yours this year.  Lets keep it up!

Smiles

Smiles, originally uploaded by jtobiason08.

La Oroya, Peru, Kentmere B/W 400 film

Children in the city of La Oroya crowd around the camera. 97% of them have elivated blood lead levels. To see how they are trying to move out of that situation, please check out www.kidsforlaoroya.org/

In the doorway

In the doorway, originally uploaded by jtobiason08.

On our way back from the III International Youth Congress on Water and the Environment, we were walking through the town of Desaguadero on the Peru/Bolivia border and this little girl just stood out with he happiness. I forgot about this picture until the other day. That is one of my favorite things, to take a picture and forget how good it is until way later and then be blown away by something you did. Some of my other favorites are the same. This picture will probably adorn my wall in Seattle next fall and I didn't even know it existed 3 days ago.

Speaking

Speaking, originally uploaded by jtobiason08.

A local priest speaks out against Doe Run and the Peruvian government´s handling of it at a rally in Lima, Peru.

Coke Bottles

Important note: On Saturday August 7th, I will be holding a thank you dessert and slide show at around 8:00.  This is times where I want to share with all of you wonderful people who care about my life what this year has meant to me.  It will be held at my parent's house (map).  If you use google calendar, click the button below, if not please send me an email if you can come  Just FYI, I am still working raising money for this year.  Thank you to all of you who have done so this year, but I am still a little short.  If you are able click here for  my fundraising or to the Kids for La Oroya project (if you do this, just send me an email to let me know you helped out, I will want to say thank you).  Thanks for this year and I am happy to say it continues!

Vicuña

It is a nice relaxing Sunday afternoon, but I am quite aware that 3,000 miles north of here, everyone is getting ready to blow up the night sky (and hopefully not themselves) with fireworks, feast on hot dogs, microbrews, laughter and bumping music.  So happy 4th of July to everyone.

I am still so blessed to be here in Peru.  My life is something that I truly treasure.  Whether it is a Saturday of world cup soccer, bathroom cleaning (the year as a janitor has come in handy), more futbol, cebiche, a pirated copy of the new Karate Kid move in spanish, and then a night out on the town with great people or it is a 4 hour ride up into the Andes for a 2 hour meeting of video taping with kids and then 4 hours back or it is just working in my office, I am blessed.

Speaking of the World Cup, in the center of Lima, there is a big screen and stage.  This fan fest goes on during every game and so Ginna, Liz and I decided to go watch the US Ghana game there.  As I have previously mentioned in this blog, just being in main squares usually brings awesome things into my life and this was no different.  I was standing around watching the game and a guy in a coke t-shirt came up and just said "sigueme" or "follow me."  I have learned that when these situations come up, it is something you just have to do.  So before I knew what was happening, I was on stage being interviewed by a local newscaster about who I am, my favorite food in Peru (Tacacho con Cecina), and the US' chances in the up coming game.  Then Ginna, Liz, a few other americans, a couple dutch guys, and I found ourselves dancing around with a brass band trying to get the crowd ready (and they kept giving us more coke to keep our energy levels up).  The game of course did not end in the way we all wanted and I am sure that they got some great photos of me being sad about the overtime loss.

Watching the world cup in the Plaza

But these situations always make me feel strange because I do believe that because I stand out, because I'm from the culture I represent, this stuff happens to me.  It is strange because I always want to blend in.  I have been here long enough that I can answer the phones at the office (and open the door from my phone).  I can navigate myself anywhere in Lima by bus.  I can complain about the Metropolitano, am always cold, can handle room temperature beer, but I am still 1.85m (6' 1"), white, blond, and have a horrible north american accent (so much so that taxis occasionally don't recognize my street because my vocal difference between Bolivar and Bulevar is hard to hear) and that is after the surprise that I actually speak Spanish.  I still surprise people when I say my name is José but that is because if I say Joe, people think I say John, Jeff, and a slew of other names.  So it annoys me that I am constantly the one who is given loads of free coke (or some equivalent experience) while there is a woman 2m away who is having her son run around our feet picking up the empty bottles so that maybe they can eat today.

This year, I have been blessed to get to know wonderful people, to be involved in projects and to try to be Peruvian.  But I still look like I am of privilege and therefore am often treated as such.  I don't have a point to make from this, they are just some thoughts.  I hope the the Coca-Cola empire flooded the Plaza de Armas with enough bottles that the bottle lady ate well.