Have had a very interesting few days. I have a class full of children, who quite possibly could be the most caffinated and insane creatures i have ever met. They figured out how to disengage my wheelchair yesterday and also how to turn on the power, so as can be expected i had them on leashes today. The other teachers get great entertainment when i take my class out to recess. I have three five year olds with Downs on a connecting rope in front of me, a year old baby on my lap, a three year old attached to the side and a six year old with autism on the back. No matter how much i complain they are the most precious kids i have ever met. One little girl with downs called Cynthia loves to be held and she is the most loving thing in the world. There is another girl that is almost exactly like Sharri Ann, she trys to lock me in the classroom and she will squat right in front of me when I have everyone attached and going out to recess.
I realized that i really dont want to be in El Salvador past six. There is a danger here that definently wasn{t present in Costa Rica. Villa El Salvador is more of the country poverty and there is another district right near the house, La Victoria which is definently urban poor. La Victoria, is actually a place where i really was quite scared. In fact i have never been quite so scared of a neighborhood in my life. The district looks as if it was just hit by a nuclear bomb and there is trash and filth everywhere, there are no real structures but tin and scrap wood houses built on a hill. The people are very desperate and that in time morphes itself into violence, so by my being merely white would put me at a 99% chance of being targeted and don{t know what would happen. Luckily i was with Tony who chaperoned me. With El Salvador there is a different kind of desperation and quite frankly a less violent atmosphere. I still have to be so careful where i am during the day but I am getting used to the surroundings. The people are wonderful at the school and i get along so well with the teacher who guides me in the activity planning, her name is Leslie and love her to death. The parents are wonderful as well. I am starting to realize that there are quite a few young mothers, young being under 18, and more than one disabled child in the family. I spoke to Kique, the program director, and he said that statistics are showing that 6 out of 10 teenage mothers were raped and that 4 of the 6 were incestuous, thus resulting in numerous mental disabilities in the children. Needless to say, this is definently a lot different from what i saw in Costa Rica.
Elections are being held April 6th so not to go into the political historry of Peru but i will not be going out that day. The entire military will have to be out most likly but as said before they are forever present.
Learning so much and am enjoying every minute.
Twanis from Peru
I realized that i really dont want to be in El Salvador past six. There is a danger here that definently wasn{t present in Costa Rica. Villa El Salvador is more of the country poverty and there is another district right near the house, La Victoria which is definently urban poor. La Victoria, is actually a place where i really was quite scared. In fact i have never been quite so scared of a neighborhood in my life. The district looks as if it was just hit by a nuclear bomb and there is trash and filth everywhere, there are no real structures but tin and scrap wood houses built on a hill. The people are very desperate and that in time morphes itself into violence, so by my being merely white would put me at a 99% chance of being targeted and don{t know what would happen. Luckily i was with Tony who chaperoned me. With El Salvador there is a different kind of desperation and quite frankly a less violent atmosphere. I still have to be so careful where i am during the day but I am getting used to the surroundings. The people are wonderful at the school and i get along so well with the teacher who guides me in the activity planning, her name is Leslie and love her to death. The parents are wonderful as well. I am starting to realize that there are quite a few young mothers, young being under 18, and more than one disabled child in the family. I spoke to Kique, the program director, and he said that statistics are showing that 6 out of 10 teenage mothers were raped and that 4 of the 6 were incestuous, thus resulting in numerous mental disabilities in the children. Needless to say, this is definently a lot different from what i saw in Costa Rica.
Elections are being held April 6th so not to go into the political historry of Peru but i will not be going out that day. The entire military will have to be out most likly but as said before they are forever present.
Learning so much and am enjoying every minute.
Twanis from Peru
posted by meg smith at 2:18 PM
6 Comments:
Hello Meggy,
So things are getting interesting eh? I would really like to hear about the political situation in Peru so perhaps you could enlighten me. So to clarify, you are living in Villa El Salvador and you are working where? And La Victoria is just a neighborhood next to yours? or are you working there? I am going to find out how dangerous it is from the Russian/Peruvian Guy in my math class. He lived in Lima for a year but in a very wealthy area on the beach. Have you been to the Beach yet, what have you been doing besides leashing feral children. Don't mind the language I hope. Well lately I have been on a campaign to feel better about my life by looking at how god awful other peoples are. And not just watching depressing movies, I have spoken with people who have had a very rough go. Terrible really, that is I am using them to make myself feel better, also that they have had a bad time of it. Tonight after Mum and I go to Bus and Retty's for dinner I am going o watch that movie I was telling you about. The kid with Muscular Dystrophy who drinks, smokes, and ... All the stuff you should be doing, really. Especially with all these latin men aeound you. Your replacement is arriving on March 25. A week from this Saturday. I will be leaving this god forsken school in 84 days. Including days I am not at school, but doing all the damn work for it. cello is going quite well, according to my teacher (you know the one Grandma called "dishy") my intonation is improving. Really must start my research for germany. But I also really must do my English, World History, Math, World Cultures, and Science x2 as well. I need to know whether or not you can recieve emails on your hotmail account, it is far to difficult to write in code. Love you, please keep writing posts every few days. Few meaning 3-5. Tschus. You Know Who
Why does nobody ever bother to write to you? Christ they must really be happy to see you gone, or the never gave a damn in the first place. Anyways, after our terrible converstion this morning (which mum only heard bits of) Mum seems to think that I am an awful sister who talks about such pointless things as how much i will really want you gone again if you do come back, either that or she didn't want me talking to you about pointless stuff because she didn't want to pay the phone bill. Dear old Mert came to show us his new car. Today I bought some seeds to plant in my herb garden, need to give Grandma a call to see when to plant them. Well it seems you have gotten into all of the colleges you applied to so which one do you want to go to? Well I am going to give you a call so if I cannot reach you I will continue writing on here so it seems at the very least somebody related actually likes you.:) Ich liebe dich! Adios. Emma
Megan,
Will you please tell me the names of the surrounding districts, I am trying to tell this Peruvian guy where you are and he hasn't ever heard of those particular districts. He lived in Mira Flores, wealthy I believe, so tell me about it if you ever see it. I hope you had fun celebrating your acceptance to universities. I think you should write me an email at greensmitty@hotmail.com. Righto, love you.
Emma
So nice to hear from you last night, had a better conversation i must say. My housemates overheard some of it and thought i was corrupting you. But what use would i be if i didn´t? Seriously looking into the whole growing a ... thing. I try and look out a really good one for you! Though i must say Costa Rica has better seeds :)!
I live in Surco which is between La Victoria and Villa El Salvador. And yes MiraFlores is extremly wealthy, almost on the disgusting side. Though they have good bars.
Well first, how the hell do you know they have good bars?? That is something I relly need to hear the story of:) And I am likeing the sound of the Grow a ---, something we could definitely market. And what part of the conversation did your dear friends hear? DID YOU HAVE ME ON SPEAKERPHONE??? THought I could hear all of them too well. Anyrate, I want you to take a survey for me, I want your response as well as everyone elses. Out of these five countries which one? Just which one, I won't tell you what for. Italy, China, India, Ghana, or Mongolia. My top three are Mongolia, China and India. (What the hell is wrong with me??) Love you, you should post something, it's been 5 days.
Emma
Post a Comment
<< Home