January 27 - Trujillo: Sunny and 85; Philly: Snowing and 18

As we begin the descent into Philadelphia, the white landscape begins to take shape through the clouds. Snow-covered rooftops and the partially-frozen river warn of the frigid temperature awaiting us. 

I open my front door and enter a time warp: I'm greeted by cheery snowmen, ribboned wreaths, and colorful packages. It's still Christmas here.  

Unpacking my luggage, I go through my suitcases, deciding which things to save or discard. In the front zippered pocket of the backpack rests a piece of lined paper. It's a note from Sarah and Juliana - tucked away to be discovered upon my arrival home. It's among the most beautiful letters I've ever received. Thank you, girls, and I pray that our paths cross again. Your zest for life energized me.

The closing credits...

A special thanks to everyone at the Bruce Organisation. Your important work with the children of Trujillo will continue to inspire others to join you in your mission. 

Love and gratitude to my sister, Claudia McBride, my colleagues at the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, and my family for making this past month possible. 

And... Sister Dolores Jean, wherever you may be, thank you for leading the way.

January 25 and 26 - Lima

After early morning goodbyes at the apartment, Theresa, Carol, Donna and I fly to Lima for two days before heading home. The Jersey girls made the hotel reservation and it's a terrific choice - an old Spanish mansion in Miraflores, formerly a private home filled with antiques and lots of charm and character. After two days of sightseeing and shopping, we're all ready to go home. I'm so glad they made the trip down - I know it's not the vacation they would have chosen but they came to see a friend.

Our late night flight arrives in Miami the next day, and we connect to Philadelphia.

January 24 - Last Day in Trujillo

We say goodbye to Singapore Julianna as she prepares to leave for her trek to Machu Picchu. The Jersey girls and I meet up to go on a walking tour of the beautiful Spanish colonial buildings in Trujillo. The streetfront facades hide magnificent courtyards, balconies, fountains, and period rooms designed and built for such important figures in Trujillo's history as Pizarro.

The afternoon includes dinner at El Paisa with most of my roommates and the Jersey girls. Sarah and Julianna, great party planners, have the wine chilling when we arrive and we order several dishes to share. A lively discussion ensues as Mikey, a new volunteer on a break from Penn State, expresses his distaste for both Philadelphia Eagles football fans and dating Jersey girls. I seem to recall that we changed his mind on both counts. After all, Springsteen never wrote a song about central Pennsylvania girls, did he?

In the evening, the Jersey girls and I attend the Marinera Festival at the Coliseo. Marinera is Trujillo's annual week-long event with parades, Marinera dance competitions and parties. People come from all over to enjoy the festivities. We buy standing room tickets for Saturday evening and watch several performances of the "dance of courtship."

I join the roommates for one last drink on the roof deck before leaving for Lima in the morning.  How very fortunate I am to have fallen into such a perfect group. Tears roll down my cheeks as, again,  I laugh until it hurts.

January 23 - Adios Milagro!

A fun day is planned for the children with supplies purchased by American friends -thank you! Colored pencils, coloring books, and construction paper aplenty. The photo project is met with excitement as each child sees himself in full color. I wonder how many have ever seen photos of themselves. We set to work with colored pencils, decorating the paper border surrounding the photo. Some are minimalists - just their names and a flower or star placed strategically on the perimeter. Others fill the paper with super heroes and thunderbolts, animals and other unrecognizable figures. We tear pages from the coloring books - the girls choose pages from the princess book, the boys gravitate toward the dinosaur and animal books. Some things are predictable, even in Milagro. 

At dismissal, Lourdes tells them that it is my last day with them at San Martin de Porres; I fight back tears as they warmly applaud. Those with backpacks place their artwork in them for safekeeping; the others hold their masterpieces carefully for the walk home. They rise from their chairs and form single file lines, a few running back for a goodbye kiss.  I take one more photo - this time, a mental one that will remain with me always.

January 22 - The Jersey girls arrive

Some of the children are curious about my absence the day before and when I explain that I wasn't feeling well, their faces show true concern. A bit of a role reversal. In addition to our teaching duties, we also soothe scraped elbows, repair falling ponytails, and referee playground disputes. I guess that's what life is all about - caring for one another, age notwithstanding.

On the ride back to town, an old woman, front teeth missing, climbs into the combi with two small children. I assume that she is the children's grandmother until I look more closely. Her sad, young eyes give her away. I make the connection to another young woman thousands of miles north of Milagro with very different dreams for her child.

Off to the airport to meet the Jersey girls - Theresa, Carol and Donna - three friends who are coming to meet me in Trujillo. They're relatively easy to find in the airport - three blonds in a sea of dark hair and dark skin. 

This evening, I say goodbye to my English students. They are truly a joy and give me reason to believe that I might want to continue teaching ESL back home. Their enthusiasm is infectious and we agree to correspond by email - in English, of course!

I meet up with the Jersey girls for dinner.  Although guinea pig and other local delicacies would make for a more authentic experience, we play it safe and go to a local Italian restaurant for pizza and wine. Another guinea pig's life saved !

January 21 - The Flu

Seems that the flu has gotten hold of me. Feverish and ill through the night, I remain in bed all day Wednesday.  As she quietly tiptoes around me, I feel badly for Matilde, a new roommate who arrived from England yesterday. Let's hope I'm not contagious.  

January 20 - Finally... Inauguration Day!

The excitement has been building as we watch Barack Obama's train ride from Philadelphia (yeah!) to Washington, D.C.   Everyone in the apartment congregates in front of the television for the pre-inauguration festivities from the capitol. Two million people fill the mall area between the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building; the energy is felt in our little apartment thousands of miles away. My friends from around the globe seem almost as excited as I am as we discuss the hope we hold for President Obama and acknowledge the formidable obstacles his administration will face. Unfortunately, we must leave for our schools and I will miss the ceremony. 

Upon my return to the center just after noon, I meet up with the few that arrived in time to see the live swearing in ceremony. They're a little surprised that Obama flubbed his oath. We all hope things get better for him.

Good news for the evening - we discover that the dance school offers an 8:00 salsa class and I join the others for a salsa lesson. More fun than I could have ever imagined for 7 soles ($2.50)!

January 19 - Seeing Lolita in Trujillo

Greeting us with kisses, the children are excited to be back in the classroom. Some have practiced their schoolwork with parents or older siblings, while it's obvious that others have not. We are grateful to those parents who value this opportunity for their children to learn.

A local private university is offering a free Stanley Kubrick evening film series. Tonight, they are showing "Lolita" and, since I've just finished the Azar Nafisi book "Reading Lolita in Tehran", I'm most interested in seeing the film. Sarah and I head over to the university where we discover a beautiful, modern campus much like those we attended. I wonder if any of my Milagro kids will ever enter this other world. 

January 18 - Breaking Bread

Around the corner from our apartment, Sunday mass is celebrated at the Church of San Pedro with a lively selection of songs interspersed with the traditional rite, everyone in the congregation clapping to the beat - a completely different experience from the more somber mass I attended at the cathedral. The intricately carved and gilt altar is festively illuminated and adorned with fresh flowers. Sarah, though non-Catholic,  joins me for mass and we clap and sway and enjoy the upbeat atmosphere.

An international Sunday dinner with our roommates is planned, and we enjoy preparing the meal together. We slice, chop, mix, and laugh as the meal takes form - vegetarian soup (Australia), meat loaf (USA), Caprese salad (Italy), and fruit salad with ice cream (UK). Over dinner, we toast new friends and wish Paolo, leaving tomorrow, best wishes as he moves on to the next leg of his trip to explore and photograph the mountains.

January 17 - The Archeological Sites

Overcast, but warm and humid, Singapore Julianna and I plan a full day tour of the local archeological sites. Trujillo is situated among the ruins of several ancient pre-Inka and pre-colonial civilizations and is rich with the many architectural treasures left by the Moche and Chimu people. For the unbelievable price of 30 soles ($10) each, we board a tour bus in the Plaza de Armas. In the morning, we visit the Huaca de Arco Iris (Rainbow Temple), Huaca de la Luna (Temple of the Moon) and the Huaca del Sol (Temple of the Sun), the Moche civilization sites from about 100-800 A.D. After a lunch break, we visit the vast Chan Chan site and view the remains of the once-thriving Chimu civilization, alive until the Inka conquest around 1100 A.D. 

The day ends at Huanchaco Beach where, coincidentally, we meet our roommates Sarah and Julianna, who convince us to abandon the tour bus and join them for a beer as the sun sets on the horizon and the fishermen hawk their catch along the promenade. It didn't take much cajoling.

January 15 and 16 - The Photo Project

I plan to do a photo art project with the children. They line up to have an individual picture taken and, once it's snapped, they rush to see the image on the digital camera screen. We'll center the print on colored paper and the children will creatively decorate the border around the photo. Will the photos act as encouraging reminders of their experience with us? Hopefully.

Pencils and paper are shared - and shared willingly.  We find ourselves a few portions short as breakfast, a glass of juice and a small roll with butter, is distributed; several children offer to share their roll with classmates. Their generosity is inspiring - huge hearts in tiny bodies. Life in the barrio does breed some admirable qualities.

After two days of making certain that I have a shot of each student, I wrap up the photo shoot, return to the apartment to review the pictures and - UH OH - I can't tell the twins, Juan Carlo and Juan Marco, apart. Do I have a photo of each one?

January 14 - Feliz Cumpleaños a Paolo

Our roommate, Paolo, celebrates his 27th birthday today. The two Juliannas, Sarah, and I plan a little luncheon celebration after our classes, and we return to his (and our) favorite seafood restaurant, El Paisa. The English girls are a hoot - Sarah´s Cockney-ish South London accent and her tough exterior belie a warm heart. Julianna, from England´s north, is a sweetheart - intensely caring. Both are worldly and chic and unbelievably funny. Haven´t laughed this hard in awhile - my stomach muscles cry out for a rest after spending time with the Brits and their special brand of humor. Singapore Julianna, always smiling, has a strong thirst for knowledge and is determined to perfect her Spanish skills. Her commitment to learning contrasts with my casual attitude.

The day ends with a batch of Pisco Sours and a toast and new friends.

January 13 - Time to Build the Ark

It´s now been raining for two days here in the desert. Trujillo needs the rain, but they are totally unprepared to deal with it. Drainage is poor, and the hard dry ground is unable to absorb the water. We find our classroom at San Martin de Porres flooded. About two inches of water covers the floor, and we have one bucket, one broom, and an old pair of shorts to clean it up. The children wait politely while we bail the water out of the room with the help of two mothers, who immediately pitch in. We are an hour late getting started.

One little boy is having great difficulty with the most basic concepts. I fear that he has a learning disability and won´t receive a proper education or the benefit of any special services. Is special education even a possibility in Pedro´s world?

January 11, 12 - Do Not Eat Unpeeled Fruit!

But who worries when it´s mixed in sangria!!?? On Monday, loaded up with Immodium, I go to Milagro and hope for the best!

The schoolwork is becoming more challenging, and we desperately try to prepare the children for entry into the first grade. Some breeze through the exercises, while others play at their desks until recess, then return to play at their desks again until dismissal. In a few notebooks, not one math problem is complete.

The twins, Juan Carlo and Juan Marco, adorable and mischievous, are learning at a different pace. Their mother is very attentive and keeps track of their progress each day. She must realize that one is falling behind while the other progresses.

January 10 - Salsa

Isella and Pedro, two Bruce staffers, meet us at the apartment and we head to a rather upscale salsa club. We enter to the music of a live band and a show with two female vocalists. Three women in skimpy sequined costumes then take the floor. They shake and dance, then ask for three male volunteers; we nominate our roommate, Paolo, and he is surprisingly good! The emcee, a caricature straight from Telemundo (and a source of entertainment for the gringoes), opens the floor for dancing and the tables empty as everyone rushes to the dance floor. The other volunteers take salsa classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so they confidently salsa and merenge while I try not to look too ridiculous.

January 9 - TGIF

When we arrive, we are greeted by a big "buenos dias" from the smiling kids. They review math exercises and word sounds, then we take recess and play with puzzles with many missing pieces - no one seems care or even notice. A few of the diligent students continue with their work long after the others have gone to play. Jose, whose seriousness overwhelms his tiny body, wants to be certain that all his answers are correct. I stand over him to provide the approval that he seeks, and hope that his zest for learning continues. Lucerita, at the next desk, shyly smiles.

The children leave for the weekend, many wishing that they could return on Saturday. We return to the Bruce Center for our weekly staff meeting, followed by a nice lunch in a local ceviche restaurant. Out comes more food than any of us can possibly eat - we enjoy various seafood dishes, a couple of bottles of wine and jugs of fresh limeade - $6 per person. Interestingly, this restaurant closes at 5:00 because the fish is caught daily and served only that day. Nothing frozen here.

I leave with a full stomach but a bit unsettled to have an abundent meal after distributing bread with jam and a glass of juice for the children´s meal.

January 8 - Down to Fourteen

Julianna and I take the combi to Milagro alone today - a bit intimidating the first time. And, of course we miss our stop, so the driver circles back for the extra gringo dropoff. (Imagine asking a bus driver to do that in Philly?!!) Lourdes has the children seated by the time we arrive and today we are combining consonents and vowels. Most of the children are catching on - with a few exceptions. With three teachers in the classroom, special attention is given to the little ones who need it. I wonder aloud why Brian and a few others aren´t in class, and I´m told that the children often work in the landfill nearby, sifting through the trash for discarded items that their parents can sell on the street. Brian and his other missing classmates may be working.

On the ride back to the Center, two women get on the combi. One is dressed in a cotton robe and gingerly steps up into the vehicle. The other woman holds a newborn , probably delivered just hours earlier and on his way home from the clinic. Welcome to the world!

This evening, I have six students in my English class, and they work very hard to understand our extremely difficult and exception-filled language. A meeting with a local priest follows. He wants to discuss a cooperative program with the Bruce Organization to provide English lessons to the students in his two parochial schools. A recently-passed law in Peru requires that those going on to the university be certified in English.

Note: A week´s worth of clean clothes from the laundry - washed, dried, and folded - is $4.50; a stamp for one postcard is $2. Labor, but not postage, is cheap in Peru.

January 7 - A,E,I,O,U

The children are again excited to be in the classroom. They arrive with their pencils and notebooks, the luckier ones carrying Spiderman and Barbie backpacks, and settle into their desks. I now understand why Brian rides the combi home alone - his mother accompanies him to school today, a baby cocooned in a traditional Peruvian blanket slung across her body, with a toddler in tow.

Lourdes and I segregate those children who have obviously had some help with the alphabet and counting from those who are absolutely green. Another volunteer, Julianna, and I get the green ones. We set to work printing our vowels and learning their sounds. The children are delighted when they successfully replicate the letters we write in their notebooks.

We break for recess, and a soccer ball (futbol) provides incentive to play in the dirt schoolyard. Some children aggressively kick and run with the ball, while others timidly hug the wall. With a bit of coaxing, Julianna gets the shy ones to dance. Hot and tired, recess ends with a song - something about counting elephants. Snacks are distributed and the school day ends.

In the evening, I find I have six students in my English class - four more than at the previous meeting. After class, we have dinner at the center. Ugenia is our cook and, although I had hoped to lose a few pounds during my visit here, it appears that my enjoyment of Ugenia´s culinary talents will prove otherwise.

January 6 - The Miracle

Lourdes and I meet to catch the combi for Milagro which, ironically, translates to "miracle." Today, eighteen beautiful, excited children, some with their mothers, brothers and sisters, wait for us outside the gate of the school property. Following a frantic search for the key, we enter the classroom only to find a complete mess. Dirt covers every surface, trash and chicken feathers are strewn everywhere, and huge spiderwebs (with dangerous spiders, Lourdes tells me) cover each corner of the room. We decide that it isn´t healthy for the children to be in the room, so Lourdes quickly takes roll while I distribute juice and crackers to the children, perhaps the only meal they will have that day. I then give each beaming child a notebook and pencil, and we dismiss them for the day and set to work cleaning the room with a pathetic-looking broom and water from the well on the other side of the schoolyard. One little boy, Brian, remains with us and takes the same combi home, exiting at a stop in his neighborhood and crossing the highway alone - at six!

A recent NPR segment described a new program being set up by the Peruvian goverment whereby each student will receive a laptop. Before coming here, I could not have imagined how ridiculous this idea is when there are children learning under conditions like those in Milagro.

English class begins this evening in the Bruce Center, where the volunteers teach various levels of English to paying students to support its mission to educate the children in the barrios. I have two young men at an intermediate level, and we enjoy a lively discussion in Spanglish!

January 5 - First Day of Work

The volunteer work begins. I meet Lourdes, the teacher I am assigned to work with for the month, and we hail a "combi", a nine passenger van retrofitted to seat twenty very uncomfortable passengers. We take the half hour combi ride to Milagro, the poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Trujillo where our elementary school, St. Martin de Porres, is located. When we arrive, we walk along the unpaved road lined with small, one story concrete houses, many with woven mats for roofs. The director has not yet arrived, the gate is locked, and Lourdes and I search for a bit of shade in which to wait. When the director arrives, we meet with her to discuss the use of a classroom for the Bruce Organization´s program to prepare six and seven year olds to enter the public school system. The schoolyard is a large dirt lot about half the size of a football field, with nothing more than a few cement planters with some sad looking trees thirsting for water. I wonder how many children will be anxious attend. After the meeting (also attended by a Bruce social worker) we bid her hasta luego and take the combi back to central Trujillo.

In the evening, I walk through the Plaza de Armas, where throngs of people gather to celebrate the Feast of the Three Kings. Bands play, dancers in costumes whirl, and the flashing lights and colors on the artificial Christmas trees make for a lively fiesta. What a contrast to the monochromatic Milagro!

January 4 - Sunday in Trujillo

As I approach the main square to go to the cathedral for Sunday mass, I meet the sounds of a marching band. As I turn the corner onto the square, I find myself among the many locals who assembled for the military parade, held on the first Sunday of each month. I take my spot in the church pew and enjoy the ongoing competition between the choir and the parade. No one but me seems to notice.

Being almost paranoid about eating anything that might cause stomach problems, I´m limiting myself so far to mostly yogurt, bottled water, and very safe pre-cooked foods. One of the volunteers shared a lovely dinner that he had prepared - most appreciated and certainly my best meal of the trip so far.

January 3 - El Primer Dia en Trujillo (First Day in Trujillo)

Unaccustomed to living in close proximity to other apartments with windows open, there are some distractions through the night - music, voices, the aroma of fried garlic - but I awake with a keen anticipation to explore the town. Setting off with 100 soles, a shopping list and a street map, I discover the Metro Supermarket - a local market is aways a good introduction to a strange town. We have a cook to p`repare our meals Monday-Friday but are on our own for meals on weekends and holidays.

I wander about the town all morning, viewing life in Trujillo. The town has a pulse - young men in the town square hawk tours to the archeaological sites, children run and laugh among the artificial Christmas trees decorated by local busineses and set up in the square.

The largest and most impressive building in the square is the cathedral basilica, a Spanish colonial treasure built in 1666 and decorated with huge murals, ornate alters, and a panoramic Nativity scene, complete with waterfall and twinkling stars.

Internet and telephone shops are everywhere, and I manage to get a half hour of internet in before I´m tossed out of the shop - forgot about siesta!

Jan. 2 - Bus ride from Lima to Trujillo

After much discussion of which class of bus seat I was willing to purchase, I opted for the mid-grade reclining seat with snack and lunch for 80 soles ($27) for the nine hour ride along the Pan American Highway. The term "highway" is obviously a relative one, as much of the beginning of the route winds through towns and villages. When we finally come to the straightaway, only miles and miles of dry, dirt hills were visible, as this area of Peru is desert. Interspersed among the clouds of dust are small towns, filled with people performing a variety of jobs - repairing "classic" (read old!) cars, selling produce from makeshift stands, driving taxis assembled from motorcycles and fitted with protective hoods for passengers.

Women spray the dry ground with hoses in order to control the dust. Life appears as hard as the brown earth. Then, approaching Trujillo after nine hours, the scenery changes. Everything appears brighter, cheerier - the sidewalks are paved, architecture becomes interesting - and well maintained. We are greeted by the Botanical Gardens and its colorful array of trees and flowers. The city seems very inviting as we approach the bus terminal, where I will be met by a Bruce Org staffer, Jose. Warm and friendly, Jose makes me feel immediately comfortable with my decision. We taxi to the apartment that I will call home for the next month, which turns out to be comforatable and fitted with the basics. It is in a building a couple of blocks from the Plaza de Armas, Trujillo´s main square, with everything I will need within a short walk.

Journey to Peru

The journey has begun... After a night in Miami, then on to Lima, I spent New Years - my first ever- away from home. I must admit, I felt a bit homesick for the familiarity of my family and friends, and the fireworks and Mummers Parade in Philly. This Jan. 1st, I explored the Miraflores district of Lima, had a takeout chicken sandwich and diet Coke to celebrate!

In a way, my journey to Peru began almost 50 years ago when my first grade nun and teacher, Sr. Dolores Jean, left Philadelphia to become a missionary in South America. She was assigned to a school in Lima and subsequently went to Santiago, Chile. I suppose the seed was planted as we corresponded for the next year or two, as she described life in Lima. Of course, my limited understanding was filtered through the prism of a seven year old mind. At that age, I could never have imagined- let alone understood - the reality.