Arequipa

We have been in Arequipa for almost five days now, and we´ve really been getting to know what Yachay Wasi really is.  The first day, Juana briefed us on what exactly we were going to be doing during our stay.  Before the trip, i figured that we were going to be planning most of the lessons, but it turns out that Juana has a very solid agenda for us.  On tuesday in the morning, we had a meeting with an Arequipan historian who gave us a historical and ecological background of the city.  After, in the afternoon, we had a spanish lesson about reading and understand texts.  I felt like I was in AP spanish again, it was the exact same sort of stuff.  Yesterday, wednesday, Jasmin and I worked at a school for special needs children.  The school was called Santa Ana, and just like when we worked in Lurin Chincha I was very thankful for the wonderful life God has given me.  Some of the children could talk (some a little too much!) and some could not communicate at all.  Also, school supplies that I had always taken for granted in the states were scarce at Santa Ana.  After working at Santa Ana, we went back to Juanas and had a big lunch.  Her maid, Fortuna, cooks very well.  And Susan made some BOMB aji that was muy picante, and we have almost eaten all of it.  Today we went to a school called Alverez Tomas, where we planted trees with the little kids.  They were so cute, and it was hillarious because their excercise was dancing to Michael Jackson!  I got sunburnt again today, even though I applied sunscreen twice in 3 hours.  The hole in the ozone layer here really is intense, and it is no surprise that the schools here have made the environment their number one priority, I would too if that ridiculously oppresive sun was burning me all the time!  Its crazy that the arequipan government mandates that people wear hats…the sun is THAT intense.  I´ve been loving the food here, but I started thinking about american food…Chicken strips dipped in half ranch half buffalo sauce sounds so good right now.  Anyways tomorrow we are having a meetign with Juana in which she is telling us why she started Yachay Wasi, and I am excited to hear about it!