From: Sherri Anderson <dangrigatown@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 05:48:35 -0800 (PST)
To: Andrew Sampson <salvin_bloom@yahoo.com>, Raul Nakasone <nakasonr@evergreen.edu>, Althea Wiley <soulbouncer167@yahoo.com>, "McCaffrey, Alysha" <mccaly06@evergreen.edu>, wyatt hubler <wyatthubler@yahoo.com>, melissa thetford <melissa_thetford@hotmail.com>, satya curcio <satya_in_love@hotmail.com>, Jenna McDonald <kayainside@yahoo.com>, meg butcher <mcdmeggmcd@hotmail.com>, uchiha_sasuke_ <johnstosteph@gmail.com>, "Walker, John" <walkjo10@evergreen.edu>, John Colden <john_is_lost_again@yahoo.com>, Brian Davis <bgdavis3@hotmail.com>, "Hoogestraat, Andrew" <hooand06@evergreen.edu>, Karynne Rayner <karynne7@yahoo.com>, <raicesdelperu@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: En you tube

Hola hermano Andrew,
 
I am not keeping a daily blog.  I am keeping a handwritten journal and there is so much happening I am challenged to keep it updated.  As la mujer mas vieja in the group, my pace is a little slower than the rest, but I think it´s fair to say we are all having the time of our lives.  I´ve missed the discoteca and other night life.  It doesn´t begin until once de la noche so that rules me out.
 
The center, La Organizicion de Tercer Milenio, is doing fantastico!  The instructors are the highest quality imaginable.  Samuel Terrejon Mori es el maestro de bailar.  He is also the director of la Instituto de Cultura Raices (roots) del Peru in Chepen.  I cannot wait until I get fluent enough in spanish to talk to him for hours.  His knowledge would fill a set of encyclopedias.  Kleber Casos Chafloque es el maestro de guitarra y otro danzas.  He is doing an amazing job of coordinating the center and has been such a helpful guide to me.  Manuel, whose last name I do not yet know, es el maestro de percusion y piano.  He is teaching los ninos to play an Afro-Peruvian instrument called the cajone.  I have fallen in love with this instrument and Kleber introduced me to Ruperto Leon, another master musician and carpentera, who built me one for only 60S.  Yesterday, when I went to pick it up he played one song on the guitar for me, La Virgen del Sol ˆ I cried.  I have invited him to play for us a la casa.  A donde su lleges (arrive)?  If it is soon, I will wait so you can hear him.  The best guitar player I have ever heard.  He had an object wrapped in cloth when I arrived ˆ una sorpresa.  He unwrapped an 800 year old artifact from Cherepe that his brother-in-law had found.  Because of the intense poverty of this country there are no resources to protect or excavate the ruins that are literally everywhere, so it is possible to find these types of treasures.  Even the grave robbers have not gotten them all.  I have seen 2 other older artifacts locally.   
 
Two days ago, Kleber took Meg and I to the casa of the richest women(sisters) in the area.  They are away on vacation, but their tia, Ruby was the most gracious and fascinating hostess.  Her uncle was a famous archeologist in Peru and the only person to excavate at the Pachatnamu site.  He wrote a book, entitled The Pakatnamu Papers and on my next visit she is going to show it to me.  She speaks perfect English, so this will be an easy conversation!  This book is likely the only written history of the site, which you will see if you come to the beach at La Barranca with the family.  Most of the family is living there now and the Evergreen family comes and goes from there regularly ˆ especially Andrew (I was going to say Andrew I, but I´ll let you guys figure that out), the surfer among us.
 
My main projects are spanish immersion and teaching English.  Everyone has joined in with the English class and it is so much fun!  Pierre is a member of the family and will be working as an English teacher when school starts.  He has been so much help ˆ as has everyone.  A math class has also begun, and a dance class for adults.  I´m now very passionate about raising money for the center, to keep the doors open.  Right now the rent is paid only ontil the end of February.

Another part of my project is to research healers and ancient wisdom here.  There is a woman right outside who knows natural medicine and sells a vast variety in la plazuela al bujar, just outside la casa.  I´ll be interviewing her soon, with the help of Stephanie, the Evergreen spanish speaker extraordinaire!  
   
Spanish is coming along for us all.  It´s all day, every day, and as intense as you want it to be.  Spanish only is spoken by the family, though they know English much better than you would think.  There are a few people in the community who have studied English and they are so eager to learn more, so you can trade learning.  The children are also fabulous teachers.
 
Last but certainly not least is the food.  We are being fed gourmet Peruvian fare.  Some is a little unexpected ˆ no guinea pig yet though ˆ but it is all so delicious.  The variety is astounding.  No, that wasn´t last.  Lastly, be prepared to meet the most delightful people you could imagine.  They watch over us at all times, and will go so far out of their way to help in any way they can.  Be prepared for potentially the best experience of your life, Andrew.
   
The only downside ˆ mosquitos (zancudos) are kicking our butts!
 
Meg and Karyn have their laptops with wi-fi, which is accessible at the house and Raul set up a ¨community¨pc here at the house as well.  
 
Let me know if you have more questions and when you will arrive.  Hasta pronto!
 
Sherri
--------------------------------------

Andrew Sampson <salvin_bloom@yahoo.com> wrote:  
Hola a todos. I am curious how everyone who is currently in Guadalupe(and all points Peru!) is doing? Is anyone keeping a daily blog?
I am curious to hear first person accounts of the experience thus far.
Did anyone take a laptop and if so what did they have to do to set it up for powering on the grid?
How is the language learning coming along?
It's exciting to see pictures and video of classmates in their new learning environment.
Any advice for those of us who are still in the planning/waiting stages?

Take care and I hope to hear from Family Peru soon,

Muchas gracias,
-Andrew
-----------------------------------------

Raul Nakasone <nakasonr@evergreen.edu> wrote:  
Hola:
Our classes in Guadalupe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dcLQgWZiBg

Hasta pronto.
Raul
-------------------------------------------
From: satya curcio <satya_in_love@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:51:41 +0000
To: "Nakasone, Raul" <nakasonr@evergreen.edu>, Family <family@lists.evergreen.edu>
Subject: RE: [family] The program in Peru

 Hey hey amigos, I am still in Peru and loving it. I go
to the beach on the weekends and during the week I wait for the obgyn
to call me here and attend births. So far I have not been to one, but I
missed one yesterday because I ran off to the beach. Esta bien. I have
many more weeks here. My spanish is coming along. I was so happy that I
would be coming to a place where it is summer. Now I am whining because
it is too hot. The beach is cool though.
The
people here are soooooo photogenic. So natural and unassuming in front
of the camera. Peruvians also love getting their picture taken (most of
them). Actually, they ask me, I don't even have to ask them most of the
time. I was really worried about this before I came.=20
Entonces, todos es bien.  Me gusta mucho Peru y los hente.  El Hente de Per=
u esta muy sympatico!!!!!!
hasta luego,
Satya
--------------------------------------------