First week of April in Huran

Ok I just spent a million years putting up two photos on the blog and it took so long that i think i will just write some stuff instead. I have so many photos to put up as i have finally managed to burn my photos last week after running out of memeory on the cancha cancha trip. There is even a stroy about getting my photos done. Actually there is a story about everything here because everything is an event. I think the main reason is becasue of time and the Peruvians idea of time. For example, it is perfectly acceptable to turn up an hour late somewhere, to give an idea. So, the other day when i walked into a shop to get my photos burned and i was about to aks the man whether he does it he shook his hand at me as if to say don´t speak and just pointed at the chair. Well there aern´t too many photo burning optionds in Urubamba so despite his rudeness i waited...and waited and waited while he developed some guys whole roll of film. Then finally he finishes and i ask whether he can do my digital photos to CD like the sign says outside. And he said something about being too busy today. Oh my gosh, i could not beleive it. If he had let me ask him in the first place i would not have waited 20 minutes!! So i went somewhere else later that afternoon and i get taken to some backroom which is actaully a whole family bedroom and the computer is wheeled out and switched on and the lady looked very unsure about using a computer and tried to get me to trnafer the pictures but it was all in Spanish and confusing. So then she tells me to come back in 20 minutes and i had to come back several times and in the end i just took the card and said don´t worry about it. They even locked my memeory card and i thought it was broken. But anyway, the point of that is everything is a thing if you know what i mean.

The other thing that was a thing was when i was teaching yesterday at the Collegio and the classes officially start at 3 every day for the english classes we are doing. And without fail people are late every single day. But yesterday was the most late. Some of the women turned up 45 minutes and just swaggered into class and took their seat. Then they asked us for paper (which is okay i guess - but geez) and all their kids followed them in and started running around. So we continued with adjectives and pronunciation and i was already so tired and and then when 4.30 came they wanted us to stay for another hour because they came late!! how rude is that!! turn up late then tell the teachers to stay back. hmmm anyway, everyone always says that that is the culture and we must respect it but i think there should be some attmept to respect our value of timeliness, especially if they are wanting to learn about tourism etc. western travellers are going to expect a hostel to be run on time. Anyway, enough ranting about that.

On monday four of us (the design team) and the Maestro had to go to Cusco to get paint for the Hacienda. After many many arduous meeting last week we finally agreed we could paint the interior red. Even all the old ¨powerful¨ men like the idea of green. They don´t just like the idea of green they are obsessed with it. And the obsession was proved on Monday morning when we were intercepted by the director without our coordinators to help us and forced to accept green. All this was done within minute sof leaving for Cusco and he told the maestro to get green and maestro had no clue what was happening and we couldn´t fully express ourselves in Spanish and we had to show ¨respect¨ to the director. So off we go to Cusco to buy paint, after hours of designing our colours for the interior within a few minutes all our work is thrown out the window. We were quite angry but by this stage resigned to green and really unenthused about the whole thing. The bus to Cusco a very large lady sat on my arm rest (as people do) and the result was (unbeknownst to her becasue she so big) that she was actaully sitting on jme the whole way to Cusco, which is an hour and a half. To make matters worse she had very frizzy big hair and it was in my face the whole and my arms were pinned by her so i couldn´t fluff it away!! Above me was a smelly man eating an ice-block and dripping on me. There is also a smoky, corn smell everywhere here and especially on the bus becasue everyone is crowded in and the windows were closed. So, all in all i couldn´t wait to get off the bus. We bought the paint and pi8led into a taxi with four of us in the back (no seatbelts of course) and drove back to Huaran. There was a big fuss when we got back becasue by then Bonny had returned na dhad heard all about the ambush and i was called into a big meeting with all the directors where they all apologised profusley and said they didn´t know anything about it. Well, we´ll see what happens. So far, the latest compromise is to buy red and green and let them choose and donate the leftover paint to them!! It is such a joke now, i really am at the stage where they can just go ahead and paint it green. But i can´t be seen to be ¨negative¨and just giving up. Some battles are not worth fighting.

I won´t be able to leave Huran on the weekend. Nooo! On saturday we are playing the Huaran Cup. Amy has organised that we play the locals in volleyball and soccer and have the community come and watch. Amy is making flags and Bonny is getting a kangaroo mascot outfit made in Cusco based on a really crappy drawing i did of a kangaroo. As i sit here there are many cars driving around and announcing on loud speakers all sorts of election things. They play music out the car really loudly and all sorts of things to attract attention. There are signs painted on walls everywhere about who to vote for. On satruday no one in Peru is allwed drink becasue of the election on Sunday. We have been told that we are having a lockdown on Sunday and for the day after the election until we know the situation and whether it is safe. There could be some backlash depending on the results, so we are preparing for that and no one is allowed to go to Urubamaba on sunday or anywhere. Hopefully everything will be fine by wedndeaday becasue we are officially finishing work that day and then going to Cusco for the day and night to watch the big Sao Pallo v. Centiano match in Cusco as part of the South America Cup. We have heard that if there is trouble it could be at the game so we will have to decide whether to go or not.

Well, i am finally starting to feel better i think after over a week of being unwell and not knowing what. I ended up taking medicine for Giardia, so hoepofully that has solved that problem. Other people have had similar problems and haven´t taken medicine for Giardia and they are still persisting. Everyone is staying for dinner and trivia night but two of us are going back. I´m still not 100 percent so i don´t want to be out in the cold and i still have little energy. Actually my ulterior motive is that the house will be so quiet...and i will be able to cook what iwant and sit around a have a nice quiet time. Everyone has gotten to the stage of getting sick of everyone needing space. Not that everyone is not getting along. But after a month of living and working with 11 people it gets very close and you need SPACE!!!

Rob went away for a couple of days to organise the rest of the program. He spent a few days on Amantani Island (where we are going next) and he said it is absoltuley freezing there. So, combined with no running water or electricity i am not looking forward to it!! Even all the locals say mucho mucho frio when you mention amantani island...meaning very very cold!! aggghh

well, i better go, i have to head back before dark (yeh right...who will know?? hehe) but i want to go to this ice-cream place first. Someone went there yesterday and said for 4 soles you can get two scoops and condensed milk on the bottom and choc and fudge on top. I am really exctied at the prospect of this and simply must investigate!! I think i think about chocolate too much here...everyone talks about chocoalte all the time...i think becasue we are so tired and use our enbergy all the time. Anyway...ice-cream here i come : )