Feeling bloated? If that's the case, and you're a 13 year old Peruvian, you're probably pregnant. The average age at which women have children here is 16. It's really terrible because many of these girls begin having sex at a very early age and don't use protection. Many times they get pregnant on their first go.
Because teen pregnancy is such a big problem here, my community counterpart has taken the initiative to start teaching classes at the local high school on teen pregnancy and how to avoid it. My counterpart is an obstetrician and she is really on top of things. I am very lucky to have her. (A counterpart by the way is a local professional who Peace Corps finds to work with the volunteers. They can be librarians, teachers, doctors, or municipal workers, or just about anyone who is active in the community.)
When I first got to my site I was worried that I wouldn't be able to think of any meaningful projects, but thanks to my counterpart, I already have one. These classes about teen pregnancy definitely aren't something I would have started on my own, but I have helped with 3 so far and I really enjoy them. The kids also seem to be interested in the issue; perhaps because so many of them have already had experience with it.
Although the kids can be a little rowdy, they are sweet. I'm quite the novelty to them. It's very strange being so different from all of them. Sometimes they will laugh at me when I speak Spanish or even when I'm not really doing anything at all. Sometimes they treat me like a celebrity. At the end of one of the classes I had to sign a bunch of autographs for a horde of little girls. That was really weird. Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is that the kids are really strange.
After my class today, I took a taxi into the departmental capital, Chiclayo. The taxis aren't like taxis back in the states. It's just some guy who has an old Toyota who tries to make an extra buck by cramming 5 or 6 people into 4 seats. It's pretty uncomfortable for a tall gringo like me, but it's cheap (about $1 for a 20 mile trip) and I enjoy the convenience of being able to go right into town anytime I wish.
So when I arrived in Chiclayo, I went to the large shopping center called Real Plaza. This place really is ridiculous. It caters to about the top 10% of Peruvians because most things here are just insanely priced by their standards. It has a Starbucks, a KFC, a Pizza Hut, and a Long Horn Steak House. It's kind of like being in America again. I am actually writing this using the Free WiFi in Starbucks.
I went to a place called Casa & Ideas. It's a home store that resembles Bed Bath and Beyond. It's pretty pricey, but today most of the stuff was between 30 and 50% off. I bought a really comfortable blanket, some sheets, curtains, and a bunch of rugs. My room is pretty bare (those with Facebook can refer to the photos of my room for a better idea). The floor is pretty much rocks covered in cement and the walls are uncovered bricks. Lots of little critters crawl through the walls. I spider bit me in my bed the first night I was here and I found a black widow yesterday. I used to hate spiders, but now I just see them as roommates. So I bought all of the rugs to lay on the ground and I hope to use a few of them to cover the walls.
Well that's all I have for today. I'm probably going to finish up here and go back home to do some reading. I'm really lucky because my dad is a librarian and yesterday he brought me this Spanish book on the French Revolution. I'm looking forward to reading it. I think I might even take it and walk down to the beach tomorrow to read it. Take care all!
Chau!
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