Week in review

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Alright folks, it is getting way too exhausting to blog about every day... the internet was down for most of the week and there is no way I will ever catch up on the play-by-plays. But to be honest, things are starting to quiet down here anyway as I start to feel more at home. I'm settling into some semblance of a daily routine - Spanish classes in the morning, lunch at home, afternoons at the orphanage chasing after wild children, dinner at home and relaxing with the other volunteers. We're a small group indeed now, as Vikki left us on Wednesday morning after a three-month stint. Tuesday we were joined by one new girl, Joëlle from Switzerland, who is super nice and speaks about 400 languages (now I can practice my French... and probably mix it up royally with my Spanish! This could be very unconstructive.) So now there are three, and in fact the houses of other host families are utterly empty of volunteers - apparently I missed the busy summer rush, and will have to content myself with the little company I have. Well... at least it's less competition for the bathroom!

After a visit to the local market (an epic, chaotic journey amidst winding streets featuring hundreds of locals peddling and buying goods at food stalls... supply stalls... carts full of live chickens!) I am now in possession of a pair of knitting needles, a few balls of yarn, and a dozen or so skeins of embroidery floss, out of which I am currently knitting and knotting various and sundry hats, scarves and bracelets for the orphanage, in the hopes that they can sell them to raise funds, or give them to the kids if they're deemed unworthy of the marketplace (I can do the basics and do them well, but I doubt any of my creations will pass as authentic peruvian handcrafts!) So I have a project at last, something with which to occupy my time, and if I'm not exactly going to change the world stitch by stitch, at least I can feel like I'm a little bit useful, and not go completely stir-crazy around here!

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