Hey all,

Another week gone in training. I am so excited to find out my site! One of the current volunteers in Ancash (department of Peru) came and talked to us about his site. From the pictures and from what he said about it, it looks like a crap hole!! Everyone is drunk there all the time, his host dad is a drunk, his room is the living room/storage room, his family blasts huayno music (very peruvian music) from the TV in his room from sun up to sun down, and the only things they have to eat there are rice and potatoes! He actually cooks for himself because of the rice and potatoes thing. Peruvians are all about their potatoes. There are approximately 500 different type of potatoes here. Mostly because of the diverse climate range. But its definitely a staple food group for them. I have potatoes at least twice a day. Sometimes for breakfast as well. Needless to say, I have to buy fiber due to lack of fruit. I take a vitamin pill, so its not a big deal.

The other day, I made onion rings with another volunteer. They turned out really well! We made 4 onions worth. Lots and lots. It is quite the process, so I think its not something I am going to repeat very often. My family requests that I make them again, and maybe teach them how to make it. They said that onion rings are really good. There isn's an exact translation for them either. My host sister said that she sees them in movies and on the TV all the time, and always wonders what these things are. They look so good! I thought that was kind of funny. So the next time she sees something on TV that she doesnt know what it is, she will ask me to make it. I think my next cooking experiment is going to be oatmeal cookies. I hope my family likes them!

A favorite passtime of my family is also to ask me the significance of titles of movies, songs, and
TV shows. Such as "scream queen", a crappy reality TV show on MTV.

Happy travels friends!
Teigan