Monday was one of the two days I worked the door this week, from 8 am until 2 pm. I washed dishes for a bit, updated the weekly schedule that we have posted on our front door, and updated some personal accounts I have with Omprakash concerning their program and my capstone project which is required of me to get a certificate through them as well as through Florida State. While washing dishes I had a meaningful conversation with Subina for the first time ever. Subina is our housekeeper that cleans the rooms, the kitchen, and the rest of the house (i.e. scrubbing the floors, washing the appliances, and cleaning the recently vacated rooms). She asked me how long I was going to be in Cusco, what I was doing here, and what I studied back at FSU. I told her I was a Reiki Master and she told me how her friend had been getting Reiki for her anxiety and asked how many more treatments she would need. This was all in Spanish. Realize I studied Spanish for five years back in the States. My last year was senior year of high school and when I got sick it was like I wasn't even in the class really. I have not been using Spanish for over a year and I understand it better than I can speak it. I feel like my brain fights for the English version of the words I try to say when speaking, rather than the Spanish version. Subina laughed at me when I told her I had studied for five years and that was all I had to show for myself. I do want to give a huge shout out to Señora Morales for being immensely supportive of me when I got sick and for still following me on my journey here in Peru. Without her language teachings I would be very lost.
After talking with Subina the day had gone from slightly sunny to gray and cold. After getting over my illness last week almost everyone else in the house was getting sick, so this time Sherri started showing symptoms of this 24 hour bug. So I was sent to the local pharmacy to get her Aspirin and a new hot water bottle to sleep with. I returned without a hot water bottle because I had no idea how to explain that to the lady at the pharmacy, in Spanish. So Sherri went back with her old bottle, which we call boyfriends here because we sleep with them to stay warm, and the lady was able to understand she needed a new boyfriend. After I took care of Sherri I read my book a bit, cooked some pasta, and then lounged in my room because of the dreary weather. It is also convenient being able to fall asleep at 9 pm here because I wake up every morning around 7:30. The sun sets at 5:30 pm and rises at 6 am.
Every Tuesday I go to the Montay Shelter at 8 am to give Reiki treatments and massage to the young moms. Only this time it was different because I was going by myself with the company of Aurora who had been once before. I had only been twice before. To say in the least I was very proud of myself for being able to get a taxi and direct the driver to the right place with my Spanish. When we got to Montay none of the girls had signed up but they were eager for massage once they saw it was me and Aurora. Each of us are able to do three treatments during our time there on Tuesdays and I had the opportunity to massage two pregnant girls, each 17, the age of my younger sister. Typically we would have the girls lay on their stomachs but because they were both 8 months along, that was not a possibility. In high school I took a pregnancy and early childhood class so I was very excited to use my knowledge with the girls. When a woman is pregnant it is better for them to sleep on their sides because on their backs the fetus is being pulled by gravity onto the mother's spine, which is like a baby sleeping on rocks, not to mention it puts a lot of pressure on the mother's back. So we had the girls lay on their sides and focused the massages on their lower backs because at that point in their pregnancy the babies should drop or have dropped by then into their pelvic cavity and their bones will start to move soon. Massaging the lower back also prepares the muscles for the intensity of labor. In massage it is important to avoid the tissue between the thumb and forefinger of a pregnant woman because that can create more pressure than desired, as well as avoiding certain parts of the ankle which can send pressure back up the spinal cord, making it uncomfortable for the mother and baby.
It blew my mind that I was able to use some of the information from high school, shout out to Marylin Davis, and the fact that I was giving a massage to a 17 year old girl in her third trimester while I myself am 19. I have so much respect for these girls and think they are some of the bravest I have ever met. Think that they have been kicked out of their homes, disowned, or just left because they have gotten pregnant by rape, incest, or just by not being careful in a very poverty stricken area of Cusco. To the girls out there, never be ashamed to take precautions or to speak to adults about it because that shows you are concerned about your future and wanting to take precautions is nothing to be ashamed of. To the young men out there, think about the consequences of your sudden passion or just pause for a minute and think about the other person. Always be prepared and realize the consequences of your actions. I praise the women back home who have gone through with their pregnancies and even more to the men who stick around in those kids lives. A lot of times the girls at Montay resent their children because they remind them of the horrible situations that got them pregnant or just the fact that their innocence and freedom is gone now, not to mention their reputations. While we were finishing up our last treatments of the morning a young boy came in and laid down because he was sick. I had finished my treatments so I sat with him and he asked if I could take his picture. Of course I jumped at the opportunity and then I realized once I let him touch my phone that he had red spots all over his face, he really was sick. I showed him pictures of my life and he was amazed, then we left and I thoroughly washed my hands and phone, thank goodness for Lifeproof cases. I was even more proud of myself for getting Aurora and I home on the bus for 80 centimos, getting off at the correct stop too.
After Montay my stomach started to hurt so I ate a banana then went back to bed because I had not been getting much good sleep with many crazy dreams and tossing and turning. Later Tuesday I went to El Encuentro for dinner with Kaki and got a spinach ravioli with a red tomato salsa and papas fritas, my favorite. The meal was surprisingly delicious but the cheese not so much, cheese in Cusco is like a crumbly sharp mozzarella and not to my liking. After El Encuentro I went out with Ash and some of his friends to try and watch the Jamaican futbol game. it turned out that most of the bars here have Direct TV and the game wasn't available, so we settled in at Norton Rat's Tavern and played a couple of games of darts and had a few drinks. I felt like I was almost back at Public House in Tallahassee and I was pleased with the night. I also found one of my best friends at the tavern, a mister Jack Daniels. They didn't have Coke at the bar but the bartender put ice in it and I was worried but Ash said that she assured him it was clean. Keep in mind it is legal for me to drink here.
Wednesday I had the day off and was really drained from something, so I mainly watched Gossip Girl on Netflix and ate a ton of club soda crackers, like 8 packages of 9. Wednesday was not my most productive day, and that was when I realized I really needed some inspiration to be creative. With some support from Facebook and my friends here, I figured I could just grab a piece of plywood in the art room and start painting. This is what I came up with; it says WANDERLUST in white sparkles. I was looking for silver so it would be easier to read but in the end its almost like a metaphor. Wanderlust is always there for me, I'm just not always aware of it or honoring it.
After painting we had a meeting for the kids program on Saturday and came up with some really great ideas for the next couple of weeks as well as the month of July, where I will be teaching photography and using the 30 disposable cameras I brought from the states! After the meeting it was really late so we went to Juanito's, the sandwich place just up our street and I got a caprese sandwich to go and ate it in the streets as Giancarlo, Kaki, Sylvia and I walked through the city looking for coffee and hot cocoa at 10 pm. We found a place near la Plaza de Armas and sat talking about first impressions and family for about an hour. After we finished out drinks we headed out into the cold and passed a doorway that had ACDC blaring and we went in on a whim. It turns out the place was hoppin' with Cusqueños. We enjoyed the classic rock for a bit and once the band was done the DJ brought out the American rap just for us and we started dancing. Realize I was not prepared to go out, wearing my oversized "I wish you were beer" sweatshirt and a scarf, attractive right? It turns out I wasn't looking that bad because three guys danced with me, twirling and ducking so I could fit under their arms with a solid foot of height difference between me and each of them. Nonetheless I had a great time and it was exactly what Kaki and I needed knowing that she was leaving within a week. Giancarlo had dislocated his shoulder so could only dance for a bit, but it was still great to have all of us dancing together to old American music and Spanish versions of our favorite songs.
Thursday morning I was supposed to go help teach yoga at Montay but the director of my program asked me to help with the Reiki master course she was teaching. That morning she needed me to receive atunements from her students so afterwards all of the students gave a total of 21 atunements and I was for sure blasted with light energy. It was awesome, but I was also very tired from going to bed at 2:30 am and waking up at 8 so I could have my laundry sent out. I was clinging to my last two pairs of clean underwear so I really needed to do laundry. After the Reiki masters were certified a group of us went to the new vegan restaurant near San Blas Plaza called Green Point. I got one of the menus for the day, which was a salad bar, a quinoa and veggie soup, pasta with a white mushroom sauce and Brazil nut cheese, and a dessert of papaya, all for 8 soles. I was going to go with Kaki to go get some clothes and gifts for her to bring back to Chicago, but then it got very cold and started to rain so I went back to my room and took a solid nap before Ash came over to watch Harry Potter. We didn't even get that far into the movie until Ash felt sick and left. Two minutes after he left there was a knock at the door and he admitted to throwing up on the steps on our street and needing company until his home stay father came and picked him up. I finished watching the movie after he left while eating Nutella and Ramen Noodles. Solid night.
Friday morning Ash messaged me and said that he went to the clinic and found out he had gotten Salmonella that day at the orphanage he volunteers at, so it wasn't travelers illness, good for him. I went to the main house to get some food and saw that the flower lady had delivered flowers to the house and Sylvia was cutting them to put in vases. I got really excited because my old flowers had started to die and grow mold so I got to use the scraps from this delivery to add some life and decoration to my room. Giancarlo came over to work with Sylvia on the music for the kids program Saturday and invited me to go see the Cusco Symphonic Orchestra that night in San Jeronimo. I also gave Giancarlo my black pair of Toms because I don't like to wear that dark of a color on my feet, bad energy. After doing my flowers and going to Presada for a juice I finally took a nice shower.
The art of showering here is very precise. I just learned about the amazing shower at the end of the hall in the main house that has sensational water pressure and intense heat. So I moved all of my toiletries to the main house and had the best shower yet. I was able to wash my hair, my body, and shave my legs completely. Normally I shave my legs in the sink because it is too cold to stay in the shower, or I just don't shave them at all. Most of you know how much I love smooth legs, so Friday was like Christmas having fully taken care of my body. The next things on my list were to put away my laundry, take out my trash, change my towels, and to get cash to pay rent.
My debit card hadn't been working at one of the local BCP ATMs so I went into town to try at ScotiaBank and only trying to withdraw Soles once, the machine confiscated my card. I was shocked and proceeded to wait in line at the bank for 30 minutes in order to talk to someone to get my card back. In Spanish I spoke to the man at the counter telling him the situation then asking if he spoke English and he said yes. At least that was in my favor because he told me that they didn't even have my card because the ATM had destroyed it. I had 50 soles in my pocket at that moment, that was it. So I thanked him for his help and hustled back home to call my bank and figure out what happened and to insure the security of my funds. I called my dad on FaceTime, he gave me a number for my bank, and I had to call them with Skype credit because I haven't gotten a phone here yet. The representative told me that the Peruvian bank did not accept my PIN the three times I had originally tried to withdraw cash the week before and froze my account. So the next time I tried to withdraw my card was confiscated and destroyed. I worked it out to have a new card expedited, expecting to arrive within two weeks. The whole time I was trying not to stress but I couldn't help it in the beginning. The thought of not having enough cash on hand has always scared me since the age of 11, but this was a little too intense. I took it as a sign from the Universe that I need to stop spending so much money and learning to live on a budget here, because I hadn't been before or at least not to this extreme.
I got so excited when I realized I had hid some US dollars in my luggage and was able to change them for soles. I always hide money just in case and this made me so happy to have that bit of security. I also have American Express and can get Express Cash at select location in the city, so until my new debit card arrives I will be okay and able to pay rent. This just goes to show you the reality and necessity of money in even the most laid back places.
After taking care of my finances I went with Giancarlo and Sylvia to the Orchestra, which we were late for but made it in time for the last five compositions and then came back to San Blas to watch the futbol game of Peru versus Ecuador in hopes of getting closer to qualifying for the World Cup. I was supposed to meet Ash and his friends at Norton's again, but none of them showed up and I was by myself in the bar, looking really good in my leather jacket from Turkey. Even walking to the bar I got a lot of looks and whistles, which made me feel great because Peruvians seem to only be interested in my eyes and rarely show their interest in me. Anyways, Peru beat Ecuador 1-0 and the city was alive. I walked back to the house by myself, got some hoots and hollers, abut made it safely. Then a bit later I got a knock on the door and it was Ash and Taylor. Apparently he ran out of credit and couldn't let me know that they weren't going to make it to the bar. Because Taylor was sick she went home but Ash stayed to watch the rest of Harry Potter and I fell asleep, snoring. What a great friend, right? It was nice to be near human warmth though for a bit, because Cusco was ridiculously cold that night. Ash left after the movie, I passed out in my jacket, and had some solid dreams.
Saturday morning we were having a group meditation for the new moon at 11 am our time and were sending out good vibes in particular for our fundraiser that was launching on Indiegogo to save Healing House. The two properties that we rent are up for sale and the owners are not relenting. So we are fundraising to pay the mortgage, at least, on the two properties. At the end of any month we could be kicked out and have no where to go to practice our alternative healings or a place to live. You can help us save Healing House to continue changing peoples' lives and making this city a better place at SAVE HEALING HOUSE!, even $5 will help, really. We have 60 days to fundraise through Indiegogo and I would love it if other people had the opportunities that I have had here in the future.
After the meditation Sylvia and I went to Govinda Lila's for a vegetarian menu and talk about our plans once Amy, Kaki, and Aurora leave. After that we came back to the house to get ready for the kids program at 2 pm and this time we were focusing on the theme of respect. All of the kids participated in yoga because it was Kaki's last class and she got them all to do it out of love and guilt. Then we moved into my craft of drawing things you respect, from the letters r-e-s-p-e-c-t. The kids loved it and drew things that didn't start with those letters that they respected, like animals, people, the earth, and this city. The music didn't go over as well but having 18 kids is a lot of work and tough to control, so they just sang one of the songs they knew instead of RESPECT. I went out and got their snack and prepared it, then there were plenty of spills before everyone left.
After the program I had a little snack myself, then Skyped my parents to talk about my finances and just to catch up. My dad has the Flu and Tropical Storm Andrea had messed up the backyard, but everything else seemed to be going well. My mom was really proud of me for adapting to Peru so well and for staying true to myself. She was also glad to report that people back home are asking how I am doing and that I have so many people who love me and support me. That is truly what keeps me going here, I want to show everyone who has had an affect on my life that I am going places and doing great things. I am doing this for myself but also to show my support system that they did a great job helping me become who I am. You know who you are, thank you. My mom also asked what I wanted her to send me this week and I told her Kiss My Face peach chapstick, good American lotion, Yummy Earth organic candy, crayons, colored pencils, markers, Sharpies, and sticky notes. I am trying my best to live like a Peruvian, but there are a lot of things not available here and those are the ones I really need/want. I said goodbye to my parents, told them that I love them so much, and to get excited to open the packages I sent to them this week on Father's Day.
Then I headed to Gato market to get peanut butter to make No Bake Cookies for Kaki and Amy's going away potluck. I came back and the kitchen was literally a sauna, the windows were fogged up and any camera would fog up in 5 seconds. The heat was nice and my hair curled instantly, I was satisfied. I made my cookies and everyone was cooking then the party started when the others arrived. Amy made her delicious quinoa and veggie soup, Sarah made grilled Italian veggies, and we had plenty of chocolate desserts. Paola showed up with her daughter and of course we made fast friends because I am a small child at heart! It is great to be surrounded by people that are truly good and that have good vibes. Kaki and I were going to go out after I had finished cleaning up but got too tired so we just listened to music in the kitchen, looked at Amy's jewelry, and vibed with Giancarlo and Sylvia.
Today I slept in until 10:30, which is amazing after having originally waking up at 7 am and going back to sleep. Then I watched some Gossip Girl to relax and added new pictures on Facebook. At 2 pm I had to work and for the 60 days of fundraising we are doing something every day here at the house. Today we were playing Eye of the Tiger once people got to the last couple of stairs on out street and threw confetti at them congratulating them on making it to the top of the stairs. It is Sunday and no one does anything on Sunday's except go to church so there weren't many people around to throw confetti at and give flyers to. Then it started to rain so we packed up early, I took care of some things on the Healing House Facebook page, and finally began writing this blog. I'm sorry its so long, but I've had an interesting week! I am also at the bottom of my 17 sole jar of Nutella... no more until I get more cash! TOnight I am going to dinner with Kaki and Sara and then supposedly going out dancing or to open mic at Wild Rover. Wither way I am very thankful for this week and the people who have ventured into it.
Again, if any of you have been inspired by my time here in Cusco or by this blog, please help us SAVE HEALING HOUSE! I am so thankful for my time here and everyone's support. Sending good vibes back to the states and realizing I only have less than 9 weeks left here in Peru! Stay positive everyone, you are all amazing in your own way, I encourage you to discover your inner light!
Besos, paz, y luz.
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