It's 2am & there are still fireworks going off

It's 2am & there are still fireworks going off, they're so loud but I don't really mind. You tend to get accustomed to such noises after a while & besides I had a 4 hr sleep this afternoon so I've still got some more juice in the tank.

So I'm going to take this opportunity to talk more about the movies and bbq with the kids today.

I really like the point system that Seeds uses. Every day the kids are given a number of points out of 5 depending on if they have done things such as say the magic word ie please & thankyou, concentrate on their work, respect each other & the teachers etc. The top 30 point winners get to go on excursions. This week instead of travelling somewhere it was decided to stay at school and watch videos and have a bbq. The videos included educational films & the latest 'Spider Man'. This was very interesting to watch in Spanish. I really enjoyed the environmental education video that was based on the Midnight Oil song 'Beds are burning' - it was all sung in Spanish of course but it made me a little patriotic. I think there was a similar environmental campaign back home a few years back.

My favorite moment of the day was sitting watching 'Spider Man' with little Emanuel sitting on my knee playing with my fingers and Elvis behind me leaning on my shoulder. The kids are so affectionate here & it's so nice to think that by giving them a hug or sitting them on your knee that you may be making them feel as special as they make you feel. 

After the movie was over we had a bbq out the back. It was a great day for it and was a good opportunity to sit, eat and spend time together. There really is a wonderful family atmosphere here.

Cheer cheer the red and the white

Apologies chicos y chicas for the lack of blogging yesterday, it turned out to be a particularly busy.

Here's the wrap up
- the morning was same as usual helping the kids with their homework. I worked with Lucy who wanted some help with her English so I took to one of my favorite teaching methods - cutting out words and getting the student/s to rearrange them into a grammatically correct sentence. I focused on the sentence structure I am, you are, they are, we are, you all are...etc, cause it's very similar to the verb estar in spanish so therefore easy to compare the two languages. Lucy lapped it up which was rewarding to see.

- At lunch time we went to the markets in preparation for the BBQ we had today at the school. When waiting at the butcher for some burger mince I couldn't help but feel a little sad for the Guinea pigs sitting quietly in a great big woven bag ready to meet their maker. I'm yet to try this Peruvian delicacy.

-  In the afternoon we started filming our Nutrition video, recording the kids singing a specially crafted song that emphasises the importance of eating a variety of food. They sounded FANTASTIC. This footage along with pictures of the kids holding various signs should be enough for me to put it all together.

- Last night after Spanish Class we went for a Chuchuhuasi a famous alcoholic drink in Peru that is meant to have many medicinal benefits but I'm thinking it's the alcohol content and the fact that it's reasonably cheap that makes it so popular. It kind of reminded me of mulled wine but with a lot more lime and herbs.

- After our Chuchuhuasi we felt in the mood to keep kicking on and went to a bar in 'Gringo square' ie a whole bunch of bars, restaurants that Gringos tend to hang out in. I was keen to see how my Swannies were going in the AFL grand final so while salsa dancing and chatting to the locals at the bar about AFL, I kept checking the score. To my delight we won!!!!!! Woohoo. Cheer cheer the red and the white.

Ciao

Quote of the weekend - 30 September

“Have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it” – Salvador Dali

Quote of the day - 26 September

“Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up” – Pablo Picasso

My ideal lunch spot

I am sitting upstairs at Cafe Andino, it's sunny out, I have a beautiful view of the snow capped Andes in the distance, great internet connection, a pot of English Breakfast tea with milk and sugar as well as lunch on the way - I'm all set. Life is good.

Although this is a bit of a Gringo (foreigner) hang out I have decided that this will be my lunch spot where I can blog, study Spanish and help out Seeds with some internet research.

Today I'm looking for organisations that can help charities like Seeds raise money to support the great work that they do.

I was looking at websites like Everyday Hero but they charge a 6.5% administration fee plus a payment processing fee depending on how the donor pays. Entonces (so) I'm really looking for a similar organisation without all the fees. I did find this link which looked okay but it was written back in February 2011 so I'm sure there is a more recent list. - Top ten crowdsourced funding platforms
If you have any ideas please give us a shout!

Other points of interest
-  last night my house mate Jacob had a bout of serious gastro  -the poor guy. So I am being extra careful to steer clear of the dreaded tummy bug.
- another protest this morning in our street, mind you it didn't last for long. According to my spanish teacher there was a protest in one of the mines about 15 minutes out of town and one person was killed. Needless to say I'm very wary of protests.
- I feel like I'm getting into a bit of a routine now which is great considering I've only been here for a few days.
- During the day there is continually loud bangs in the distance. I have a feeling that these are some kind of fireworks used to celebrate the start of spring. The other day I saw a class of children and their teachers in a street parade. Pamela one of the other volunteers explained that this is common to celebrate La fiesta de Primavera (the festival of Spring, I think that's what it is called).
- The kids are loving the English worksheets that I bought from home that include things like food, family, about oneself, clothes and muchos mas (much more). The only thing is, I can't copy enough to keep up with the demand.
- There are still a few kids who aren't going to school at the moment because their teachers are on strike. This stirke has lasted for about two weeks and I think they went on strike before this as well. Consequently it's up to us to make sure that they have at least some homework to do. I usually give them either English or Maths tarea (homework) hence these are really the only two subjects that I can explain to the kids with my limited spanish.


Ah my lunch has just arrived. Mmmm delicioso! Chicken and veggie stirfry with sesame seeds yum.

Hasta mañana

Quote of the day - 25 September

”Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” - Albert Einstein 

A sneak peek...

Hola chicos y chicas. ¿Qué tal?
It's hard to believe that I have been here for only a few days, it feels like I've been here for a lot longer than that. A good sign I'm sure.
Everyday I feel like I can communicate better with the kids, even though I am speaking the equivalent of pigeon English.
So today apart from helping the kids with their homework we continued taking photos of them holding signs with words such as necesito (necessary), me gusta (I like) and quiero (I want). This is all  in preparation for our new video promoting the importance of eating a variety of foods from different food groups.
Here's a sneak peek.

We have water!

Yesterday afternoon the tap went dry and we had to work with the bottled tap water that had been stored for such situations. It was a challenge to cook vegetables & pasta without much water but it was a good sense of achievement afterwards even thought the meal didn't taste that good. I think that was a result of my cooking skills rather than the lack of water.

Last night I went to my first Spanish lesson with a very lovely lady called Carola. She used a good mix of Spanish & English so it was relatively easy to understand her. Afterwards we went to the Centro de Cultura (Cultural Centre) to see some of the kids from Seeds perform in a Peruvian dance recital, during which children and adults showcased dances from different regions of Peru. The kids were fabulous and so cute.
The costumes were nothing like I'd seen before, it really made me appreciate more the rich culture here in Peru.

Back at home Madie very kindly helped me with my spanish tarea (homework) and told me lots of useful words and phrases for school which really came in handy today. I felt like I could converse much better with the kids however I still have a long way to go. 

Today we got the ball rolling on our first video project which is designed to educate kids about the importance of eating a varied diet including meat and dairy products. A lot of the kids from suffer from malnutrition at Seeds and whilst they are given a serving of quinoa (a protein rich grain mixed with water, suagar and corn starch) and eggs  

Photos as promised

My room

The Andes in the background, lush sugarcane
crops in the foreground. Not a bad sight hey?

Hanging out with one of the boys from Seeds, we had great
fun playing "Mr Squiggle", matching pictures to English words
and playing math games with a deck of cards.

Studying espanol on the rooftop of our apartment

My room.

Quote of the day - 24 September

'Men's best successes come after their disappointments' - Henry Ward Beecher.

Markets, hanging out with the kids, Chinese food y muchos mas

So the weekend started with a trip to the markets which I loved. Opened most nights till around 9 these markets hosted a huge selection of vegetables, meat, baked goods, homewares, toys, clothing, stationary and craft supplies. It's a one stop shopping spot! However vegetarians beware, avoid at all costs the meat section unless you want to catch a glimpse of a guinea pig shaven and quartered or a cow's stomach or any other edible animal part.

After lunch it was off to Seeds because the staff were hosting a parents meeting to discuss the importance of hygiene and give other advice to ensure the welfare and academic success of the children. Some of the children came along with their parents and helped set up for the event. During the meeting we passed the time with these kids playing cards, drawing, thumb wars and completing a word search and sticker book I bought from home.There is one particular card game that they love that takes foreeeever to finish.

The thing I really like about these kids is just like regular kids they will squabble from time to time about the rules of a game or who's turn it is, but they sort it out fairly quickly among themselves. From a teaching perspective I was really impressed when the kids shared the sticker book I gave them with no trouble at all. Without any instruction they helped each other and took turns in placing the stickers in the appropriate place.
It may sound trivial but from my teaching experience turn taking skills is not to be taken for granted.

My Spanish speaking blooper of the day was asking the boys if they wanted to play a new juice rather than a new game. In my defence the words for juice and game in Spanish are quite similar 

After the meeting I was fairly knackered as I think the last couple of crazy weeks getting ready to come over to Peru and my journey to Huaraz was starting to catch up with me. So Jacob one of the other volunteers and I went to get some Chinese (yes there is Chinese food in Huaraz a couple of restaurants actually). The meal was super cheap 10 soles which works out to be about 4 Australian. It tasted quite nice until at the end when I found a little cooked grub which I'm pretty sure wasn't meant to be there. Ah well extra protein hey?

Afterwards I had planned on an early night. Very boring I know staying in on a Saturday noche. However after going to bed at about 8 (can't remember the last time I did that), I woke up again at 12am and with a whirlwind of ideas and things to do wizzing around my head I didn't get the best sleep after that. I think the thing that is really playing on my mind, is making the most of my time here and achieving as much as possible while also overcoming the language barrier. As predicted my limited Spanish is proving a little frustrating but this is only my 3rd day here and with some hard work, plenty of tutoring and time with the kids I'm sure that my Spanish will improve.

Today (Sunday) I'm just catching up on a few internet jobs at the kitchen table while Madie and one of the girls from Seeds are baking cookies and doing their nails. Madie is so generous with her time with the kids outside of school and has a wonderful relationship with them. There is no doubt that she plays a significant positive role in their lives, which is really inspiring for me.

This afternoon I'll get stuck into my Spanish as I have a lesson booked at 6pm tonight and then every night this week to give my Spanish a grande boost.

Hasta mañana

ps
I will post some photos soon I promise

Quote of the weekend - 23 September

"You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need" - Jerry Gillies

First day at Seeds

We arrived at the school at 9:00am sharp and I quickly became accustomed to the Peruvian way of meeting someone which is to give a small hug and a kiss on the cheek. The kids also do this when they are leaving the school, which is very endearing.

Today was a bit of an odd day because a lot of the older kids were not there due to a teachers' strike and one of the local high schools are having anniversary celebrations. So this morning I improvised with a drawing game ("Mr Squiggle"). This turned out to be a great way to weave in some English because we discussed what each item we drew was called in Spanish and English. Using a deck of cards we also played a slight variation of "snap" which involved practicing which numbers made up 10, 8, 11, 12 etc.

After the morning shift which runs from 9-12, Madie kindly showed me a few extra places that I needed to know like where the ATM was, where I could do photocopying and get a sim card..... On our way Madie bought some sugar cane off a (for want of a better word) wagon and gave me some to try. At first I thought you just sucked it and it didn't seem all that flavorsome but then when I was told you chew it then spit it out it tasted really good.

We had to make a slight detour on our way home because there was a workers' protest that walked down our street. Apparently these protests occur often and best to steer clear as they can sometimes turn nasty.

In the afternoon we went back to school where I met a lot more of the younger kids at Seeds. After a quick round of cards it was time to head to the pool. Some of the kids can swim but a lot can't swim very well so it's really important that they get a chance to improve their skills in the water. With my limited Spanish I was trying (trying being the operative word) to teach the kids to practice kicking and blowing under water. Whilst it got a little loco the kids were having so much fun.  I kept hearing them say "Professora, professora", meaning teacher. They'd call out wanting me to give them a piggy back and hold their hand whilst they practiced their swimming technique. I had a lot of laughs but I think all those piggy back rides took it's toll on the old back, so better rest it up for a while.

After school we had a volunteers meeting then it was off to a local restaurant where I tried some cow's heart. It tasted okay but the idea of eating an animal's heart wasn't that appetising. We shared a jug of chino which I really liked, apparently it's a Peruvian favorite.

I seriously need to learn spanish "rapido". I listen to Madie the international volunteer coordinator speak who is fluent in Spanish and has been learning all throughout high school and I realise how much I have to learn. The kids speak hardly any English come to think of it there are not many people I have met in Huaraz who can speak much English, which is good in a  way because it forces me to learn fast. I have a tutor booked every night next week for only 16 soles an hr. That's around 6 Australian $ an hr and $42 a week. Muy barrato (very cheap), considering I was being paid a similar amount for one tutoring session back home.

Tomorrow I'm looking forward to a big fat sleep and more adventures to come.

Buenas noches

Quote of the day - Friday 21 September

"When you hold back on life, life holds back on you" - Mary Manin Morrissey

Quote of the day - Thursday 20 September

"Big purposes free us from petty fretfulness and little ailments" - Ralph W. Sockman

Hola Huaraz

After a 10 hour bus trip that was meant to be 6 hours I have finally made it to Huaraz. A few things that made the journey muy interesante...
- totally paranoid at the bus station in Lima, just thought that I stood out like a sore thumb with Gringo painted all over me. Anyone that gave me a second glance I was suspicious of. I'd stick close to the security guards, lean on a wall with my backpack on my back so no one could slash my bag. You could say I was slightly on edge but that all seemed to subside once I got on the bus.

- We stopped at a cafe along the road and this very kind mother & daughter invited me to sit with them.  Whilst the conversation was a little awkward due to my limited Spanish we managed to converse reasonably well. I used my basic Spanish & they used their basic english. Back in the bus the daughter gave me a handful of lollies to suck to help with the altitude as we climbed our way to Huaraz which I thought was very thoughtful.

- The view of the Andes as we steadily made our way to higher ground was spectacular. 

- After dark I was starting to panic a little for a few reasons one I couldn't get in touch with Madie ( the volunteer coordinator who was meeting me at the bus station)  to tell her that my bus was running 4hrs late; two at the risk of sharing too much I was busting to go to the ladies but we weren't going to stop anytime soon and I couldn't see a toilet anywhere on the bus but to my physical & mental relief I finally built up the courage to ask the lady next to me in my best spanish and discovered there was a baño up the back; three I almost got stuck in the toilet cause I couldn't figure how to unlock it but I did manage to eventually escape.

So I'm now in Huaraz my flat mates Madie & Jacob are muy simpático (very nice). I have already been to the supermarket which is just around the corner from us, unpacked and hooked up to the Internet. 

- the Internet connection is not very strong here, which might make uploading the online videos I make with the kids interesting. Spose I'll just go to an Internet cafe or leave it running overnight.

All in all, things are going well

Tomorrow I get to meet the kids that I'll be working with which I'm really looking forward to. Have heard so many stories of how lovely they are.

Buenos noches 

Quote of the day

Dana, a very kind friend of mine who has always been so good with thought provoking and inspirational quotes gave me a travel diary before I left Australia. On each page of this diary there is a quote to challenge me, lift my spirits and spur me on. Quote of the day today which I thought was very apt.....

"As you begin to pay attention to your own stories and what they say about you, you will enter into the exciting process of becoming, as you should be, the author of your own life, the creator of your own possibilities" - Mandy Aftel 

For me these wise words reaffirm the purpose of this volunteer trip. I must admit that during the 24 hr transit from Sydney to Lima I started off focusing on what I was leaving behind, after all goodbyes are never a fun part of travelling. However now I'm starting to focus on the possibilities and I'm getting pumped..Vamos Huaraz!!!

I made it to Lima

I made it to Lima from Sally Gissing on Vimeo.

Last Supper

Well I'm ready as I'll ever be. This volunteer expedition has been fours years in the making and now the time has finally arrived!

Tonight I had a lovely dinner with my Mum who along with my Dad has been so good to me this past week. We had what will be my last dinner in Australia for a while, at a fabulous italian restaurant Café Sopra http://www.fratellifresh.com.au/ hidden away on Bridge street in the centre of Sydney.

Tomorrow I wake up at the crack of dawn (5.30am to be exact) and then make my way to the aeropuerto.

I've been receiving lots of thoughtful bon voyage messages, I just hope that I can do you all proud.

Feeling excited, scared, sad and happy all at the same time. I'm one walking party of emotions.

Well here goes nothing. Hasta leugo Australia, hola Peru.

So much to pack so little space

Where to fit it all? Will it actually fit? Mmmm

 
Packing time from Sally Gissing on Vimeo.

Vamos a Sudamérica !

'We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own ' - Ben Sweetland.

I want to help light the path of kids whose potential has been over shadowed by the limited means in which they live.

My torch of choice - Art.

For me Art provides the ideal base for community development and education initiatives because it provides...

-  a way of capturing and validating the stories of people whose voice has been muffled by poverty
-  an engaging method of learning that can transcend cultural and language boundaries.
-  a medium for expression and enjoyment that might not otherwise be experienced.

While working as an Education and Public Programs Officer at the Museum of the Riverina in Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia I started to explore the idea of creating and delivering art programs for disadvantaged children that not only supported their academic and social development but also raised their profile in the local and broader community. After becoming a qualified primary teacher I further developed my craft while working as the Performing Arts Coordinator at Richmond West Primary School in Melbourne.

So now for the next frontier - South Amercia. 

With a bit of spanish under my belt and a loco infatuation with all things latin american I am about to embark on a journey to Huaraz in Peru. Here I will work for Seeds of Hope a local registered children charity that provides a safe environment to help impoverished students achieve academic and social success. To achieve this, Seeds uses a multi-facetted approach, combining tutoring, emotional well- being classes, daily nutritious meals and a family environment focused on educational success.

My aim - to give children of Seeds a chance to become an artist (una poco artista)  - a singer, a dancer, a puppeteer, a photographer.  In doing so each art project will help foster the academic and social development of the participants as well as culminate in an online video that will be used to promote Seeds of Hope.