vida arequipeña

Today is the fourth day we´ve been in Arequipa, and things have not slowed down one bit.  Juana, Oscar, and everyone here in Arequipa have been like another family to us.  For Monday, our first day, they planned a welcome lunch with everyone from Yachay Wasi, which was pleasantly surprising because it gave us a chance to meet and interact with the people we will be working with throughout our two-week stay.  That same evening, we were given a tentative schedule of events for our stay.  Juana is suuuper organized which made everything so much easier, since coming here, we didn´t really know what to expect.  Tuesday was basically an introduction to the city of Arequipa through the work of a professor of history from a local university, and the work of a Spanish professor who actually works for Yachay Wasi.  Fue muy interesante.  Wednesday, Jim and I went to a school for students with special needs where we helped teach one class of middle-school aged children about germs and hygiene.  The whole day (at least from 8:30am to 1:15pm when we were there, and with the exception of a short practice dance for the Mother´s Day celebration) was dedicated to this topic.  We also were given the chance to observe other classrooms with different students and spent a few minutes with the younger ones during recreation.  Thursday (today) we planted trees at a small preschool.  I helped five children and on each of the trees we planted we tied a tag with our names and a message.   Juana told us that we are going to have to write to check up on our trees.  It was interesting to note that though the students are only four or five years old, they already have some sort of environmental awareness.  When we arrived, they told us that the earth is alive and that they water the trees at their school.  They were adorable, it seemed like they enjoyed the work they did, and I have no doubt that the ideas they are being taught at this age will stay with them for the rest of their lives.  Thursday evening, we were able to attend one of the meetings or workshops Yachay Wasi holds for local teachers belonging to the Red Educativa Ambiental (a group of local teachers interested in environmental issues).  It was interesting to see how these meetings work.  There was discussion about an upcoming event where they will have their students do different activities with recycled paper.  Chelsea, Adrian, Jim, and I are going to help recycle the paper this upcoming Monday, and because of this we are now official members of the Red Educativa Ambiental!  It really is like a big family here, where you feel included and appreciated.  I love my experiences in Arequipa so far, and I can´t wait for our trip to Colca!