On June 25th, we had been there for less than a week, I was still adapting but getting used to the way things were. The day before we went to the market they had every Sunday and I ate Cuy for the first time while a stray dog sat and watched me, that was interesting. We had a meeting with the principal of the school for the lessons we would be teaching the elementary school kids. As far as the reservoir, the site was cleared and we tested the soil by doing a penetrometer test that reveals how strong the soil is. We used weights from the gym and a member on the team to figure out if there was any deformation of the soil. We were beginning excavation for the reservoir on the 25th and decided on a dome top for the reservoir because that’s what the Peruvians wanted and felt comfortable building even though we made all of our calculations and agreed on a flat top reservoir previously. I soon realized that it’s difficult to make plans there.
The meeting with the principal was at 8 am and also included teachers. In Peru, everyone greets everyone with a handshake and if you’re a woman you kiss the other person on the cheek. People just kept coming in greeting everyone else and one guy commented on my eyes because they don’t typically see people with blue eyes there. At the time, I didn’t know what they were saying and found out that he was joking with the lady next to me saying that he wants to sit next to me because of my eyes. I just laughed and thanked him but did feel a little uncomfortable. We decided that we would teach the kids every Thursday from 3-4:30 about engineering topics incorporated with gender equality since these were not topics made priority in everyday school.
After the meeting, we went back to the Polideportivo and a lady came by to tell us she wants us to be in the parade that was celebrating tourists. A few of us went and a little girl asked me if I saw things differently because of my eyes when we got there. I definitely will never forget that. One of the girls gave me a flower and I wore it in my hair during the parade. We got our own float and high schoolers dressed as tourists joined us. It was ironic that they looked more like tourists than we did. It was also funny to see their interpretations of tourists; one girl was wearing an American flag top. We sang their chants and danced their dances through the parade. Every time the parade would slow down to a stop they would make a circle and grab our hands and dance with us, that was the most fun part. People really stared at us throughout the parade, but mostly Semaj because of his color. It’s like they had never seen a black man before and had to stare as long as they could. That was one thing I think I couldn’t get used to, was the staring. We still felt very honored to be in the parade and I was glad that I made the decision to go. That day was full of experiences I wouldn’t forget.
The meeting with the principal was at 8 am and also included teachers. In Peru, everyone greets everyone with a handshake and if you’re a woman you kiss the other person on the cheek. People just kept coming in greeting everyone else and one guy commented on my eyes because they don’t typically see people with blue eyes there. At the time, I didn’t know what they were saying and found out that he was joking with the lady next to me saying that he wants to sit next to me because of my eyes. I just laughed and thanked him but did feel a little uncomfortable. We decided that we would teach the kids every Thursday from 3-4:30 about engineering topics incorporated with gender equality since these were not topics made priority in everyday school.
After the meeting, we went back to the Polideportivo and a lady came by to tell us she wants us to be in the parade that was celebrating tourists. A few of us went and a little girl asked me if I saw things differently because of my eyes when we got there. I definitely will never forget that. One of the girls gave me a flower and I wore it in my hair during the parade. We got our own float and high schoolers dressed as tourists joined us. It was ironic that they looked more like tourists than we did. It was also funny to see their interpretations of tourists; one girl was wearing an American flag top. We sang their chants and danced their dances through the parade. Every time the parade would slow down to a stop they would make a circle and grab our hands and dance with us, that was the most fun part. People really stared at us throughout the parade, but mostly Semaj because of his color. It’s like they had never seen a black man before and had to stare as long as they could. That was one thing I think I couldn’t get used to, was the staring. We still felt very honored to be in the parade and I was glad that I made the decision to go. That day was full of experiences I wouldn’t forget.
Pictured: Us making our own Penetrometer to test the soil! From left to right is me, Semaj, Josh, Evan, and Hannah.
Pictured: They sold all types of livestock at the market on Sundays including guinea pig! They also sold food and items from clothing to toiletries. The market was in San Marcos every Sunday and People came from all over Peru to buy and sell livestock.
Pictured: My first time eating Cuy (guinea pig)! From left to right is Josh, Nina, Evan, Semaj and Hannah. The purple drink was called Chicha Morada and was made from purple corn grown in Peru. A typical Peruvian meal included Chicha or Inca Cola with potatoes and a “salad” (onions and tomato) with some type of meat.
Pictured: This was the Peru team behind our float and the Peruvian high schoolers dressed up as tourists. There is a girl standing on the float because there was a pageant included in the parade so there was a representative on each float. From left to right the representative, me, Josh, Semaj and Peruvians.
Pictured: They sold all types of livestock at the market on Sundays including guinea pig! They also sold food and items from clothing to toiletries. The market was in San Marcos every Sunday and People came from all over Peru to buy and sell livestock.
Pictured: My first time eating Cuy (guinea pig)! From left to right is Josh, Nina, Evan, Semaj and Hannah. The purple drink was called Chicha Morada and was made from purple corn grown in Peru. A typical Peruvian meal included Chicha or Inca Cola with potatoes and a “salad” (onions and tomato) with some type of meat.
Pictured: This was the Peru team behind our float and the Peruvian high schoolers dressed up as tourists. There is a girl standing on the float because there was a pageant included in the parade so there was a representative on each float. From left to right the representative, me, Josh, Semaj and Peruvians.
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