This Past Week

Planning session in the library. Fleming College.

     As the first day of school nears my planning is intensifying.  This week I turned in my year plan, scope and sequence, and 1st nine weeks inquiry based learning units to my department heads for English and science. I still have weekly plans to due, but they can wait until Monday. I am quite thankful for all the time I spent lesson planning during my internship in Mrs. Thackston's 5th grade class; and for my exposure to inquiry based learning at UNCW. Both of these experiences have helped me, and will continue to help me, as the year progresses. 

     This year, Fleming has purchased SIMS (Student Information Management System) to keep track of everyone at school and I have been asked, along with a handful of other teachers, to learn the software and teach it to the rest of the faculty. Today we attended a tutorial on SIMS in the computer lab that was facilitated by one of their representatives in the UK via Skype. Although SIMS is widely used in the UK and US, Fleming is, only, the 3rd school in South America and the 1st in Peru to use the program. It will be a big adjustment for the school, but everyone in the meeting today got a good grasp of what it offers; and I believe it will be of great benefit in the long run.

     I have been a faculty member of Fleming College for almost a month now and, boy, has time flown.  It seems like yesterday that I was meeting my new co-workers and beginning my plans. Now, with the beginning of the school year less than a week away, I am getting excited/nervous/antsy because this will be my first year with classes of my very own. At the moment, I am planning for the first two days of classes (luckily the students start on a Thursday) and it is very overwhelming. I am constantly picking the brains of veteran teachers as to what I need to cover in terms of class changes, assigning lockers, and student breaks. I want to be sure that I get everything right, but I know there will be items that I miss. Another reassuring aspect that teachers have relayed to me is that many students will not show up for the first few days of class since many of them are traveling abroad. I guess if I do not get all the information covered the first few days I will have another chance to do it the following Monday. Regardless of how much support I have from fellow teachers, the first day jitters have already struck me and they will only increase. I plan on being as ready as I can be, but I am still worried that I will stand up in front of the class for the first time and draw a complete blank. Wow, I really hope that does not happen! Of course I will let you know how it goes.

     Last Sunday, some of the volunteers from Otra Cosa Network and I hiked up a mountain outside of Trujilllo called Cerro Campana (Bell Hill). It was more than a hill, with a summit around 2,000ft above sea level. We left Haunchaco at 9:30am so we could be walking before the day got too hot. We took a bus into Trujillo and another bus north up the Pan American Highway through the neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Light skinned people, such as myself, often get stared at by the locals because we are so different, but we really got gawked at as we walked through Buenos Aires asking people if they knew where the trailhead was. We received one of two responses from the locals when we told them what we wanted to do. The first was, "yeah, just walk over there (as they waved a hand north) and you will see it." And the other was, "why do you want to do that?" I had heard of people from Huanchaco hiking to the top of Cerro Campana, but it seemed as if the people who lived the closest to the mountain had never put a thought into climbing it. *I will write more about the residents of Buenos Aires later* After about twenty minutes of wandering down the Pan American Highway we found what we thought would be the road that would take us to the trailhead. We happened to be right, just as the day was really heating up. It was 11am. 

     The coastal desert in northern Peru looks to be a foreboding and unwelcoming place. The sun bakes you from all angles and what little vegetation there is barely reaches past your knee.  The flora is mostly cacti and pitiful looking grasses, and the fauna are various insects, snakes, and lizards. At first glance I wondered how anything could survive in such harsh condition, but I knew that there was a thriving ecosystem all around me. I just needed to look harder.

     It took most of the morning, and some of the afternoon, to get near the top and the hike became very steep and slippery with nothing but loose sand and rocks under our feet as we scrambled upwards. The best part about the hike up was stopping to take a breath and turing around to see all that was below us. The higher we walked the more of the desert and Pacific Ocean we could see. Ninety percent of the way up most of us stopped. The remaining four hundred feet or so became too steep for many of us, me included. I do not think getting up would have been too bad, but the down climb could have been treacherous. One wrong step or slight balancing foe pa would have resulted in a head over heal tumble down into a deep ravine a thousand feet below. If you did not already know, the city of Trujillo does not have that great of a mountain rescue team, or a sufficient EMS for that matter. Two guys in our group made it to the top and back down and said it was pretty impressive. As for myself and a few others, we had a nice rock outcropping that gave us an awesome view and a wonderful breeze. 

     By the time we walked down and back to the highway everyone was covered in dirt and had loads of sand in their shoes. We went over to a bodega to buy water and Sportade (Peruvian Gatorade?) and the locals looked like they did not know what to make of us. I am pretty sure that when we left they had a good laugh at how pitiful us gringos looked. 

     Since life in Huanchaco revolves around the ocean and beaches, most people never think about going up into the desert and finding things to do. I guess it goes to show you that if you go looking for something different and fun you have a good chance of finding it. It was great to see my home for the next couple of years from a different angle. In the future, I hope to see many different angles.

Heading up Cerro Campana.

The view from the top, almost. 

My morning view at the bus stop.
This can either get you totally stoked or completely bummed out.

*I wanted to write a bit more about the residents of Buenos Aires.

As I said before, it was quite evident that the people we spoke to had never thought about hiking up that mountain. It makes me think that recreational ventures, such as hiking up a mountain in your backyard, is left for those with disposable income, not for those who work seven days a week to scrape up enough money just to feed their families and put a thin tin roof over their heads. Maybe they do not think about such frivolous activities because they are too busy foraging for glass and plastic at the dump behind their house or lugging buckets of water home because they lack indoor plumbing and have to get water from the neighborhood water tank(which, I am told, frequently runs out). The more time I spend here the more I see how rich I really am. And I am not talking about the whole, 'I am rich with love' thing. I am talk about how much money I have. I think about this quite often and I am constantly trying to figure out how I feel about having so much here, as a foreigner, while others, Peruvians, have so little. My feelings, often, jump from one end of the spectrum to the other. Sometimes I feel ashamed for what I have and other times I feel thankful for what I have. I, honestly, am not sure how I feel about my situation, but I know I am going to have plenty of time to figure it out. 

Fact- 50% of all Peruvian citizens live in a house with a dirt floor. 

Getting Settled and Inquiry Based Learning

It's been over two weeks since I was last on here and a lot has been going on. Much of my time is spent at school preparing for the upcoming year, so I guess I can start there.

The faculty and staff at Sir Alexander Fleming College are in full swing getting ready for the students to return during the first week of March. My work day has, generally, been from 8am-4pm for the past couple of weeks and everything is going pretty well. The entire school is shifting its approach to education by utilizing the concept of Inquiry Based Learning. This is where the classroom teacher provides students with a central idea or theme for a unit and lets the student's questions about that idea drive their own learning. For example, one of our themes will be detectives, so, with my help, students will pose a question (hopefully a higher order thinking question) about detectives or investigators that they will then research for a matter of weeks and present to the class what they have learned. I will spend very little time lecturing to the class, yet I will spend a great deal of time guiding students in the right direction and helping them with their research. The part I like the best about IBL is that the students research can take them where ever their interest leads them just as long as they stay within the central theme for the unit. While at UNCW getting my education degree, I was introduced to the idea of Inquiry Based Learning, but I only utilized it on a small scale. At Fleming College I will be using it in both of my 6th grade English and science classes for every unit we cover. I really like this approach to learning and I am very excited to put it into practice in the classroom, but it is quite daunting right now as I plan for the entire school year. Luckily, for myself and the entire staff, the school brought in an IBL expert from England to guide us as we plan. We have been attending workshops and grade level planning sessions to help us with our units and to include as much cross curricular material as possible. Regardless of how much I like this approach and how well I think it will work, it does not work for all students. There will always be students who cannot handle this much independent research. In these situations I will have to find a balance between holding their hand and still encouraging them to seek out what interests them on the topic. It is going to be interesting to see how everything pans out, but I am encouraged by the fact that I have so much support from other teachers and staff who are in the same boat I am. We will all be learning together.

My room. The bed is made because it's so hot here at night that I don't need sheets.

Outside of school, everything is moving along at a nice pace. I have been keeping my eyes open for an apartment, but nothing has come available that I like. It is still the summer time here in northern Peru, so  apartments are scarce and expensive. When the busy season ends prices will drop and many places will open up, so I am told. I have no problem waiting to find the right place because I am quite content staying in my little room here at Hostel McCallum. As I have said before, this place is great and the folks who own it are so kind and have helped me out so much.
Life here in Huanchaco can be as exciting or as quite as you want it to be. February is the month for Carnaval (I don't think it has anything to do with Mardi Gras), so there is aways a parade, party, or band to go see. For the most part, I choose the quieter side of things. During the weekdays my bedtime is pretty early, so I try to fit in a surf after work and watch the sunset over the ocean. At the moment, I usually eat dinner out, but I will be happy to have my own kitchen one of these days. Even when food is so cheap here it can still get expensive.

The surf today is looking fun with semi-glassy chest to head high sets, but there is a surf competition going on this weekend and the contest zone takes up most of the beach, so I have to wait until this afternoon to surf again. I will, most likely, eat some lunch and hangout with some friends I have met then surf, eat dinner, watch a movie, and go to bed early so I can surf for most of the day tomorrow. Even though I have a full work week right now I know that once the school year is in swing I will be spending less time in the water and more time working, so I try to enjoy my free time as much as possible. 

One of the sunsets this past week.

Summer afternoon at Huanchaco Beach. This place gets busy.

Professional brick throwers
Each brick was thrown to the top by hand.
I didn't see them drop a single one.

Here We Go Again

     I have been back in northern Peru for a few days now and, all in all, it feels good. It was a bit harder to leave home this time for a couple of reasons. One, I knew I would not be able to see my family and friends for the next year; although I hope my parents will be coming down for a visit in July or August. And two, I got into a good routine at home doing work that I really enjoyed, even though I wasn't surfing. Regardless, I am getting settled in nicely. I am staying at the same hostel that I stayed in for a couple of months back in november and december called Hostel McCallum. If you are ever in this part of Peru Hostel McCallum is a great place to stay. The family who owns and operates it are so accommodating. I will, most likely, stay here until I find an apartment for myself. I'll probably have to wait to get an apartment until the summer ends because the prices are much higher.

     Tomorrow I begin my new position as a 6th grade English and science teacher at Sir Alexander Fleming College in Trujillo. Though I'm a bit nervous, considering this is my first job associated with my college degree, I am, also, very ready to get going. I have been anticipating and talking about this job for, what seems like, forever. I'm ready to go.

     As I start a new portion of my life here in Peru it is always nice to bring a few things from home.

     35mm Canon AE-1
     35mm film- thanks Tiff Salter
     "Even Cowgirls Get The Blues" by Tom Robbins- thanks Cousin Jess
     French Press
     Coffee
     Ranch Dressing- thanks Mom and Dad
     More Coffee- thanks sister (I really cannot emphasize the importance of coffee)
     Wildlife In North Carolina 2012 calendar- thanks Uncle Stewart and Aunt Sally

Last Friday my Mom took the day off work to help me get all my things organized.  She's pretty dang awesome.

My Grandfather once said, "manual labor purifies the soul".  If that's true, these men are the purest of the pure.
Finishing my last day at Central Carolina Seeding. Thank you Sam, for everything.

if you don't use it, you lose it

      I was worried that if I stopped posting things I would get out of the habit and not continue when I got back in the southern hemisphere, so here are a few snaps of what has been going on around me over the past three weeks. 

What has two thumbs, speaks French, and loves the Winter Solstice HanChriKwanfest celebration extravaganza?
Moi.

First breakfast home from Peru. I better enjoy these cause they don't cook'em like this down there.

Sunset off the port bow. USS North Carolina. Cape Fear River.

The ultimate tour group.
From left to right: yours truly, Cousin John Tilney, Uncle Phil Payonk,  C. Douglas Jewell II (Dad),  Cousin Sarah Futrell, Cousin Ben Futrell, My Brother From Another Mother Chris Upright

Family Tradition. Oysters, steamed to perfection.
Uncle Phil Payonk, Sista Jane Upright, Cousin John Tilney,  Poopoo Head Himself Tammy Sage, C. Douglas Jewell II (Dad), Aunt Mar Foo, Unca Chunka Roy

Cousin Will Luper and I bridging the continental gap via liquor from our current countries of residence. Palinka from Hungry and Pisco from Peru. 

Early morning stroll down the Smith Creek Greenway.  Wilmington, NC

The Dude. Cassius Patrick Jewell. Gett'in big!

Yep we still ride go-karts. New Year's Eve in Walkertown, USA

Dinner. Tuna, sweet potato, green and white asparagus.

Stuffs

 Here is a quick look at this past week.
Wednesday night some friends and I went to Trujillo for the evening to listen to some music. We weren't quite sure what we were going to listen to, but it ended up being a recital at the music conservatory of Trujillo. All the musicians seemed to be in their twenties with instruments that ranged from the guitar to the flute to the piano. They, all, did a great job and it was nice to something far from the regular tourist track.
Friday morning I went over to Fleming College to take a look at my contract for the next two years. I can't sign the contract until I get my Work Visa paperwork taken care of in the US. While I was there I took a tour of the school with the head of the English department and another English teacher. The school is different from schools in the US in the sense that it is much more open. The temperature in Trujillo doesn't fluctuate like the temperature does at home, so I didn't see any heating or AC units, all the windows in the classrooms were open, and there was not an indoor gymnasium; all the school assemblies are held under the covered basketball/soccer court. I did, however, see a cafeteria, but there were no students eating in it, they were all eating somewhere outside. One of the most exciting aspects of the school I was able to see was the garden. It was quite large, which is surprising because, in a city such as Trujillo, space is at a premium. I really hope my classes will be able to participate in planting next year. This coming week I will be going back over the the school to gather some materials for my English classes next year and to see the end of the year ceremonies.
Yesterday, Saturday, a couple of the other volunteers and I went to the mountain town of Otuzco for the day. The town sits about an hour and a half east of Trujillo at an elevation of 8,665ft. The town has a major tourist base, but my friends and I were the only gringos; the rest of the tourists were Peruvians, mostly from Trujillo. We had a nice time walking around, taking photos (like a good tourists do), and just enjoying a day off the coast. It was cloudy and a bit rainy, but I really like being in the Andes. The culture is so old and so many people still adhere to the old ways. As we were walking to catch the bus a woman yelled at us from inside a small bodega, "hello gringos!" Always trying to put my best gringo foot forward, I poked my head back in and said, "buenas tardes!", in my best non-gringo accent. There were five or six ladies sitting on the floor peeling yuka (yoo-ka or yu-ka, whatever) for a party later that evening. They told us we were welcome to come and that there would be a lot of food and dancing, and probably a lot of pisco, the national liquor of Peru. Unfortunately, we had to get back to Trujillo, but I sure would have enjoyed going to that party.

Dinner before the music recital, a Duquesa Royal. I've had better.

Colegio Fleming

Arroz Chaufa. A Peruvian take on Chinese stir-fried rice. Very tasty.

 Friday afternoon lefthander. These guys are, certainly, one of my favorite parts of Peru. 

Catholic cathedral in Otuzco

Being the ultimate tourist.

Over looking Otuzco 

Brick making. Most of the homes in Otuzco were built from this type of bricks.

 At the hostel in Huanchaco. Two Australian guys were riding these bikes from the Arctic Circle in Alaska to the southern tip of South American to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation. 

The Goings On

     Today is my last day as a volunteer in Peru. I have enjoyed it so much, but I am ready for the next step. Over the next couple of weeks, before I fly back to the US for a month, my plan is relax and do some things I haven't gotten around to doing. One, will be to take a bus north to the city of Chiclayo. There are many archeological sites there from the Ican Empire and before. It should be pretty interesting to see. I will, also, try to surf until my arms fall off. Even after being here for two months, I am still amazed at how good these waves are. 

     In other news, I have started tutoring two students who attend Fleming College (the school where I will be working) in Trujillo. They are 9yrs. and 13yrs. old and I help them with math and science. They speak pretty good English since their father is from the US and the attend a bilingual school. For two hours of work I get 15soles and dinner. It's a pretty good deal.

     I was getting out of the water a couple of days ago and I see more than two hundred people getting off buses and crowding in the street. They were residents of the outlying communities around Huanchaco; and they were not happy. They gathered in the streets with bullhorns and signs and walked down the main beach road blocking all the traffic that tried to pass. At first I didn't know what to think because I wasn't sure what they were protesting, so I kept my distance. It seemed that town officials in Huanchaco had misspent money that was supposed to go to these poor communities, so the people were in Huanchaco to give those officials a piece of their mind. The owner of my hostel, Patricia, said that the officials had taken money that was supposed to go to the much needed infrastructure of these communities and bought cars with it, among other things. Not wanting to get involved in something I new nothing about, I went home. An hour later I had forgotten about the protest, so I walked down to the beach to make some copies for my English class. I ran into all the protesters again in front of the town hall. They were not being violent, but they were, definitely, making their presence known. It was such a strong presence that the town decided to bring out the riot police. So, there were twenty national police in front of the town hall in full riot gear. It was something very out of the ordinary for Huanchaco. I watched for a bit and then went about my business. Later that day, someone told me that the police had popped canisters of tear gas to get everyone to disperse. You know, it is such a bummer when poor people rise up. It is so annoying for the rich to have to deal with such unpleasantries. Peru is like many other countries in the world. While the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. The next morning, as I was eating breakfast, I saw footage from the protest on the national news. I hope they got their point across.

These are the winners of the English contest I judged last week at the Sinai Catholic School in Huanchaco. I was the only judge, which was a little nerve racking. Everything went well and all the kids did a great job. These are the types of experiences that I look forward to. The gentleman on the left is Principle Calderon. He was a great host.

I know I'm not supposed to have favorites, but Antonela was just wonderful. She always came to class eager to learn and she was a big help with the other students. 

This is the catholic church that overlooks Huanchaco. Some people have told me it's the oldest church in Peru and some have told me it's the 2nd oldest in Peru. Whatever it is, it is really beautiful.

This is the view from the church looking over Huanchaco. In the distance you can see perfect lefthanders breaking off the point. 

Every house in town has a cistern which sits on the roof. In the evening, the town cuts the water off so you have to make due with what you have on the roof. Peruvians really know how to conserve their water. We, in the US, could learn a thing or two about water conservation.

Fresh fish at the market in Huanchaco. You can get, just about, any meat you want here. Beef, poultry, duck, guinea pig, goat, lamb, whatever it is, they probably have it. The interesting part is that it sits out in the open for customers to inspect. The meat hangs from hooks, so you tell the butcher what part you want and he/she cuts it off for you.

Thanksgiving in Peru

     Peruvians do not celebrate Thanksgiving in any way, but I was really surprised how many Peruvians new it was Thanksgiving; and asked me if I was going to eat turkey. The reaches of my native culture know no bounds. 

     This year, my Thanksgiving meal was aji de gallena made by the owner of my hostel, Patricia. She makes the best aji de gallena in Peru. Period. Gallena is Castellano* for hen and aji is a yellowish hot sauce that is eaten all over Peru, but in this dish it is mixed into a chicken type gravy and served over potatoes with a side of rice. It was outstanding. Unfortunately, I have been a bit sick lately, so I really had to hold back and not ask for seconds. Patricia says I have gotten thin and that she will be fattening me up as I get better. 

     The rest of my day went on as usual. I went surfing for a bit, took a nap, and went to my English class. Although, as much as I loved my aji de gallena, I would not have minded some of my Grandmothers sweet potato casserole. I guess I will just have to wait until in come home in December. 

*Castellano refers to the Spanish language. In Peru, most people do not say, Yo hablo Espanol (I speak Spanish). They say, Yo hablo Castellano. It means the exact same. I'm not sure why they have a different name for it. I'll have to ask.

Getting my appetite back with a delicious Thanksgiving meal of aji de gallena.

The goods.

Thanksgiving sunset from the door of my room.