How Peru Became Independent

DESDE ESTE MOMENTO EL PERÚ ES LIBRE E INDEPENDIENTE POR LA VOLUNTAD GENERAL DE LOS PUEBLOS Y POR LA JUSTICIA DE SU CAUSA QUE DIOS DEFIENDE. ¡VIVA LA PATRIA!, ¡VIVA LA LIBERTAD!, ¡VIVA LA INDEPENDENCIA!.—José de San Martín. Lima, 28th of July of 1821
FROM THIS MOMENT PERU IS FREE AND INDEPENDENT BY THE GENERAL WILL OF THE PEOPLES AND FOR THE JUSTICE OF ITS CAUSE WHICH GOD DEFENDS. LONG LIVE THE FATHERLAND! LONG LIFE FREEDOM! LONG LIVE INDEPENDENCE!

Being from the original New World colony that sprang up in revolution against a European power, I had assumed that the story of Peru's independence would be similar to our own story in the fundamentals. Basically the colonial government gets too pushy, the people start to push back, hostilities break out and after a couple years of war a new country is formed. But that's not how it went in Peru.

Belleza por Todos Lados - Sunset by Cusco Cathedral

Sad News

I didn't write about this until now because I wasn't sure what to say. July 6 was a tragic day here – a number of people died in a car crash. A taxi carrying university students to Cusco tried to pass a slow moving truck. Visibility was poor because of the early morning fog and the curves of the road. The highway here is a two lane highway. Passing means switching to the other side of the road and driving directly towards any oncoming traffic. On July 6, the oncoming traffic was a bus.

Everyone in the taxi died. As far as I know everyone on the bus survived, but there were some serious injuries. One of the students in the taxi was the 24 year old brother of one of our co-workers. Later that week I attended a funeral in Peru for the first time. I've never been to a funeral so full. I've never been to a funeral so sad.

“Were they wearing seatbelts?” you might ask. Of course they weren't. In many of the cabs the seatbelts don't work. In others there aren't even seatbelts. What's more, there is no seatbelt culture. The culture of auto-transport here prizes speed over safety. That's just what it is. So when cars crash, people die.

It's a cruel thing that happened three weeks ago. It's a terrible weight for our friend to carry, a terrible weight for her parents to carry. And it's angering to think that the likelihood of anything changing to prevent a similar crash is so close to 0 that it isn't worth calculating.

I realize that reading this, some people will be concerned about my safety when I travel to/from Cusco. I don't travel that early in the morning. Visibility is much better in the hours I travel. I use a seatbelt if there is one. I prefer taking buses to cars (because they're cheaper, but they also do better in a crash). Also, this isn't an everyday occurrence. I feel relatively safe to continue traveling in the cars or on the buses.

Feliz Cumple Pd. Eddy!

Se had the boss over to celebrate his birthday last Wednesday. It was a really fun night with him and the three novices he brought along. Many funny stories of bad translations were shared, most of them focused on the many words for penis across the continent. 

Viva el Perú!

It's Independence Day in Peru. Here's the national anthem for your listening pleasure and cultural education. I even found you a video with the English translation!

I dunno if Google is marking today in the US, but here's the doodle that I see:

Belleza por Todos Lados - Eucalyptus Forest

Belleza por Todos Lados - Tree in the Plaza (Andahuaylillas)

Pastoral Party

Friday night is First Communion Planning time. We meet in the pastoral office and go over the plans for Saturday's First Communion class. But last Friday night was a celebration night instead of a work night. Aníbal, a Jesuit deacon who is supporting pastoral in Andahuaylillas until he leaves for studies in August, put together a fun evening of grilling (yes, they do grill in Peru), eating, and dancing. He even made pisco sours for the older folks I the crowd.

It was a great evening because it was a chance to just hang out with the other people working on 1^st Communion and Confirmation classes. I left feeling like I knew the people I'm working with a little better. The youngest of the core group is 15, and most are high school aged. But we got past age differences and culture differences and enjoyed the simple things in life of fire, food, and fun.

Belleza por Todos Lados - Red Plant (don't know it's name)

A few more thoughts on Día del Maestro

We celebrated Teachers' Day a few weeks ago now. I have two more thoughts I want to share with you all from that day.

Gifts

At the super fancy staff lunch on Teachers' Day, there were gifts for everyone. But not everyone got the same gifts. The teachers were all given fleece blankets; the support staff were given towels. Theresa and I were given towels.

Events like this one are moments to celebrate the staff community, which in turn is a reminder that we are in impermanent part of the community. We are transient, and therefore not as important. Well I were disappointed to get towels (fleece blankets are much cozier), I believe that if there is to be a difference in levels of gifts, I prefer to receive the gift that is seen as lesser. It reinforces the identification with the poor, with less valued people, that I sought when taking on this commitment.

“The feeling's mutual”

Beyond towels, there's the fact of the cheer I got from my students, which was the highlight of the day for me.

In preparation for our upcoming retreat, I listened to an interview with Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ, the founder of Homeboy Industries (LINKS ALL AROUND!). At one point, he tells a story about giving a blessing to one of the Homies. As he lays his hand on the young man's head Fr. Boyle takes advantage of the moment to tell the former gang member how glad he is know him, how proud he is of him, and that he loves him very much... “even though, sometimes you're a real pain in the ass.” The Homie looks up and says “the feeling's mutual.”

My first few months working at FyA 44, I often wondered why the kids were so happy to see me. “Don't they remember how I yelled at them last week?” I wondered, “Don't they expect that it'll happen again today?” I felt like I didn't deserve their love because I was often frustrated with them. Listening to Fr. Boyle's story, I realize something. I realize that if I can love my students even though so many of them frustrate me every single week, they can love me even though I do the same to them. I love the students even though they can be a real pain in the ass. The cheer on Teachers' Day reminded me of what the hugs I get every time I walk into a classroom and the bright greetings I get walking around town after school hours or on weekends have been telling since the first day of school. The feeling's mutual.

Belleza por Todos Lados - Mountain Reflection in my Window

High School Visitors

Sorry that I posted so little last week. I know I had some pictures up, but the text was lacking. There just hasn't been much time to write in the past two weeks. That's because of a couple of Jesuit run high schools from Texas.

Strake Jesuit and Dallas Jesuit both brought groups of high school boys (they're all boys schools)* to the Quispicanchi valley. They were looking for different things. Strake wanted a volunteer experience and Jesuit wanted an immersion experience. Both groups were a lot of fun. But they required a lot of time and energy. Major PROPS to Victoria and Erin who worked out last minute plan changes and did the bulk of the hosting work.

Both groups treated us to dinner. As if often the case when a group of Americans comes, we have some new goodies in the house.

I really enjoyed hanging out with the guys. We played a lot of soccer with local kids. I think High School is a fun age, and I was reminded of how fun an age it can be over the last two weeks of interacting with these young people.

I also had the chance to lead a reflection with the boys from Dallas Jesuit. We hiked up to the cross** on Thursday morning. We read the Parable of the Sower (text below) and an essay from the JVC Community Resource Binder (CRB) called “When powerful experiences aren't enough.” The idea I presented to them was that this experience they had in Peru was a seed. As the essay from the CRB illustrates, such seeds aren't enough to bear good fruit. They must be tended and cultivated. “Don't let this just be a cool trip you did in high school,” I told them, “care for it so that it can be something more.”

My idea wasn't to make sure they all join JVC in 5 years when they've graduated college; my hope was that they would let this trip touch them and change them for the better. I got through to at least one of them. He left us a very nice note about his reflections and hopes from the trip. It's always nice to know that a connection has been made. And I look forward to seeing the chaperones again next year if they come down. Some of them were already talking about planning next year's trip.

*I love and respect the Jesuits as individuals and as an order. Part of love is honesty. Hey Society of Jesus – why do you run co-ed schools and all boys schools, but no all girls schools? Seems like when it comes to the youth, “men for others” favors other males. Get it together.

**About a third of the way up one of the mountains. The background pic for this blog was taken from the vantage point by the cross.

For those who didn't grow up hearing the Parable of the Sower read to them on Sunday morning at least once every year since they were born, here's the text from the Gospel of Matthew:

Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. 2 A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. 3 He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. 4 As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. 5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.6 But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! 9 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

Sunday Song - Apu Taytayku

This is the Kyrie (Lord Have Mercy) in Quechua. I don't know enough Quechua to translate. Apu means God. Taytay means father. That's all I got. The sound is rough to the American ear, but I think it's one of the most beautiful mass songs here.

Belleza por Todos Lados - Steep Street in Cusco

Soccer in the street

Belleza por Todos Lados - Mural at the Parish

Belleza por Todos Lados - Flower and Post make the Peruvian flag

Sunday Song - Danza mi País

I'm gonna start a new thing here. Music is such a key piece of praise, worship, culture, and spirituality. I've posted some mass songs before, but I want to make this more regular. So the goal is every Sunday to post a new mass song. For you, the reader, it's a way to hear Peruvian voices and music, to see more of Peru (if the video for the song has images), and to understand the spirituality a bit more.

"Danza mi país" is one of my favorite mass songs. It's simpe, it's joyful, it's rich and complex. It talks about the beauty of Peru. It tells us that Peruvians are a people who are "valiant and generous/poor but rich in dignity." And there is nothing that stops them from dancing. They dance with their joys and pains; they dance because they await the day God liberates them.

I also love this song for its second verse. (read translation after the jump). That's the point of this blog. It's here to tell people what truly happens here.

We dance with joy and pain. We dance like David danced. We dance because we are alive and God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.

Belleza por Todos Lados - Sunset over Cusco plaza

Día del Maestro

Friday July 3^rd we celebrated Día del Maestro.* The celebrations included a two hour show run by the graduating class at the high school that contained skits and dances by various grade levels. We teachers got snacks while we watched the show. There was also a gift for each teacher presented by the students. They called us up by name to receive our gifts. My favorite moment of the day was when my name was called and the elementary school students made a whole lot of noise. One of the benefits of teaching the whole school is that all the kids know you. Profe Jesús, the gym teacher, got a similarly loud response.

Fourth of July Party

 Community is one of the four values we're attempting to live out as JVs. Community obviously applies to the intentional community we create at home. But it also extends to the wider community of Andahuaylillas that are our friends and coworkers.

To celebrate the wider community, and to mark our Independence Day, we threw a 4^th of July party. We made a huge pot of sweet potato chili and a large pan of cornbread, and invited all our friends over from between the hours of 3-6. The chili was done cooking around 4, just in time for the first guests to arrive. We ate and chatted and waited for more to come. Then we waited some more.

Most of the guest didn't arrive till after 6:30 mass was finished. But there was plenty of food left for them. It was typical Peruvian timing. It wasn't rudeness; it was just culture. One of the families that came has two children who are in 2^nd and 4^th grade and are both students in my little violin class. They had brought a deck of cards and taught me an addition game, which they beat me at every time. When I got tired of losing I encouraged the 2^nd grader to look in our game drawer. He brought out Uno. Then we all played Uno Jenga. Finally we pulled out the hit game – Spot It. It was great because it didn't rely on English, or even language skills in general. It was lots of energy, and almost everyone played.

There weren't fireworks, we didn't sing The Star Spangled Banner, Peruvians outnumbered US-Americans at the party, and there was no 1812 Overture. But it was fun, filling, and exciting. Plus we had leftover chili for dinner Monday night!

Quarterly Review 2

On the wall near the spirituality space on the second floor of our home is a post it with a quote from Pedro Arrupe, SJ ( former Superior General of the Society of Jesus). It reads “una experiencia no reflexionada es una experiencia no vivida” - “an experience that is not reflected upon is an experience that is not lived.” Part of my nightly prayer involves review and reflection on the day, but a broader perspective can reveal themes that are missed. Sometimes we need to step back from examining the trees that make up the days and take in the forest of our lives. So every three months I'm stepping back, looking back, and mulling it all over.

This quarterly review is over a month late, but it's here. Last week I completed 7 months in Peru. A year ago today I was in Scranton at Orientation for JVC. Here's the wide view of the second quarter (March-June) of my 1st year in JVC.

Boom. Six months have passed since I left the States. Already I've completed one quarter of my JV experience. Where do things stand? What are the themes of the last three months?

•         Learning to Teach

•         Simple Living and Accepting Generosity

Belleza por Todos Lados - Abandoned Playground

Belleza por Todos Lados - Bonfire

FyA 44 Recess Tournament

By the way, FyA 44 is short for Fe y Alegrìa No. 44, the school where Theresa and I work.

For the last month the kids at Primaria have been playing a soccer championship. The girls and the boys play separately, which seems too bad to me, but is standard in the culture here. It's been really fun to watch the kids play and see how excited they – and the teachers – get. I've reffed a few games, but I've also had time to watch the games and take some pictures. Enjoy the pictures of the fun.

6th grade girls' Volleyball

Profe Jesús reffin

3rd grade girls playing soccer

Thirds grade boys in the stands cheering

Wave your flag!

More fans

Classroom teachers coaching their students

San Pedro y San Pablo

Monday was the feastday of Saints Peter and Paul. That's a big deal here, because St. Peter is the patron saint of Andahuaylillas. Latin America is big on the saints, so Andahuaylillas did it up big for Saint Peter and Saint Paul. There were dances, a procession of all the saints in the parish (there's about 60), music, lots of food, and games. It was basically a small town fair. Follow the jump, cuz there's lots of pictures.

Belleza por Todos Lados: Sunrise over Cusco

Belleza por Todos Lados: Cusco paved road

Happy 4th! (and Mes de la Patria)

Happy Independence Day to all. We're throwing a 4ht of July party on the lawn behind the retreat house at the parish in Andahuaylillas. There's plenty of chili and cornbread so come on by.

Also, July in Peru is Mes de la Patria (Month of the Fatherland). Independence day is the 28th. So this month we'll look at the history of how the first Spanish colony in South America became the last to declare independence.

Sending Mail

This is the mail slot for international mail in the Cusco post office. Who's the second letter for? Only time (probably lots of time since wer're talking about Peru's mail system) will tell.

FyA 44 - The Dogs

These are the school dogs. They help me out by eating the sheep belly bits when we have matasca for lunch. 

Belleza por Todos Lados: Nevado Ausangate seen from Cusco

I'm talking about the mountain in the background.

Inti Raymi

Wednesday, June 24^th was Inti Raymi, the Incan festival of salutation to the sun god. It's a regional holiday, so I had the day off. I went into Cusco Tuesday night and stayed with my host family so that we could get up early and go watch Inti Raymi downtown.

Inti Raymi today is similar to the battle reenactments common in the US. People aren't actually performing with religious intent. It's a show that preserves history and cultural heritage. The Spanish banned the Inti Raymi during the colonial period. Because the Incas didn't keep written records that means that the ceremony performed last Wednesday was not the exact ceremony that the Incas performed pre-Pizarro.

warriors coming down the street to the Koricancha

Spirituality in a Mandala

I haven't talked much about Spirituality time on my blog. JVC requires us to do a Spirituality night and a Community night every week. Because of our schedules, we find the Spirituality time often fits better in the mornings. We rotate who leads, so once a month it's your turn to decide what we'll do with the time.

In a recent Spirituality morning, we made mandalas. If you don't know anything about mandalas, click here and skim the wikipedia page really quickly before coming back. We had lots of materials (water colors, pens, markers, cut up old magazines) at our disposal and about an hour to get creative with this visual prayer.