Woah

So as of this Monday coming it's been six whole weeks since I got on that plane and left England for the year...

The past three weeks have been something else, looking back I still don't think that it's sunk in that I'm in Peru and here for another 10 and a half months, but also the fact there's only 10 and a half months left!

Where to start, we finally moved into our volunteer "house" which is only a bedroom for the two of us, the living room is the library and the other two rooms are for food storage. This meaning our years are going to be very different than expected as we have nowhere to do anything with the kids apart from play in the dust outside, but we'll just have to make the project our own. When we first moved to the house it was just the two of us and a lot of dirt; we tried to clean our room but it wasn't as easy as expected, and since they still needed to put our bunk bed up we had two mattresses on the floor sleeping with the many wood lice.

A week passed and lots of dirt accumulated until they finally came to put our bed up, only to hear we have to wait for another Tio to do it tomorrow, so another night on the floor it was. Once the bed was finally assembled we decided to make a "carpet" out of multiple patterned blankets which turned out to work really well and make the place homely. To top it off we finally got to lose sight of them bloody suitcases we've been living out of for the past month and a half because of the wardrobe we created. This intelligent mechanism is three pieces of ribbon knotted together in the middle, then all hammered in the wall and glue guned into place, it's took long enough but we finally have a place to call home for the next year and it's the best feeling! 

We also decorated the bathroom with the mirror and shower curtain we bought so that's nice and pleasant now. However speaking of the shower, we have no hot water for the year so as for my ice bucket challenge, I have to go through that pain every day (apart from the one day I couldn't so washed my hair in the kitchen sink...) it just wouldn't be appropriate for me to voice my pain on the internet. I would say this isn't an issue for me as there's worse in the world, but wow, the initial reaction to the cold water isn't pleasant. Amber actually screamed the first time! Plus the bathroom door is half broken and we locked it accidentally, and had no key so Amber had to kick it down like you see in the movies hahaa!

All in all I couldn't be happier spending all my time with these kids and I've grown to love the new house, despite the many children we have had to lift through a window as we have locked ourself out... 

There's been some good and bad days at the Aldea which is funny. We were asked to decorate for one of the girls kinserya's, this being their big birthday. We rolled with it and gave it our best shot, it just turns out our best shot was totally rubbish. Not only that night did they take down our "peasant attempt" of balloons, but we had also put the words of the sign up the wrong way which were glue gunned to the wall. So yes after the birthday girl crying (all due to us) and us feeling lower than low, it turned out to be a really great night. We're lucky to get to see such traditions and be a part of them. The majority of the night was spent dancing with some crazy entertainers, and yet more balloons, eating some more chicken -  but it turned out all good and nobody seems to have held a grudge either!! 

Umm we took lots of the kids on a trip to the local pool down the road. The walk there was adorable singing a Spanish song with the young girls, everyone excited, only to get there to find a pool with no water... But they don't let that stop them here, after sitting and eating our picnic some of the kids ran around in the empty pool, and the rest found a river over a rickety wooden bridge: 

The kids loved it and so did we, it's was refreshing to see them all outside the walls of the Aldea and enjoying themselves!!

Plus me Amber managed to get a photo together even if you can't see my face fully :) 

Friday seemed like a regular day, after being idiots and putting too much clothing in the washing machine, we ended up hand washing the majority instead. After hanging my stuff out I return to chaos amoung the kids from casa dos where we still eat, this turned into a full on water fight. I've literally not had that much fun in a long time, we ended up getting our bathroom bin to fill with water to throw at the kids, however we ended up totally soaking. One of the kids, Alfredo, finally decided to just sit in the sink and turn the tap on, a lot funnier than it sounds. To ruin our high, one of the Tia's marched over and all the kids did a runner. She even proceeded to "tell us off" where we were like giggling girls who just couldn't hold in the laughter. Turns out we didn't see the bags of cement on the flood or think about the wooden house getting ruined, but they're only temporary right?! We were left with the words that "direction, the big mans, wouldn't be happy with us on Monday" oooh. It was all well worth it considering how happy with kids were, and us too. 

We're still eating with casa dos even though we're not living with them anymore meaning we are now so close to the kids there, meaning we end up causing chaos during meals but it's all fun and games. 

But yeah I'm currently in McDonald's getting free wifi and about to run out of battery but I'm having the time of my life and I'm so happy everyone at home is doing great- stay happy x

Crazy casa

So the night I posted my last blog post was night three at the Aldea, it was also the night the Aldea called the police as they thought we were missing...

Since we couldn't speak the same language it was hard to explain when we would get the bus back, whilst also apparently hard to understand that the last bus was at six. There we were enjoying a lovely omlette thinking everything was fine. We ended up asking a police woman about the bus who radioed something through, evidently the whole police system isn't on top form or they would have seen two British girls wanting to get back to the Aldea and put the two missing British girls together. Anyway after scaring the majority of the Tia's there, they finally found the funny side and we got mocked quite a bit. The nicknames thing 1 & thing 2 we were given by the other girls seems to be relevant... 

It's been two full weeks that we've been living here in the Aldea, it's crazy the bonds you can make with people in such a short time, especially considering you can't speak the same language! So much has happened and it's so difficult to condense it down, and find the time to write it living in this crazy casa. Starting with our living area, as I mentioned in my previous post we don't have a house but thought the new ones would be ready by now. It appears our moving date is now Wednesday, whether that will be the case or not I'm unsure. So yes we're still living in a house with the children, and the top bunk is our wardrobe... 

It also appears the new houses are only temporary and in 8 months time the new casas will be ready to move again- so very confusing. However living in this house has been the most amazing experience, we have bonded with the kids and the two Tia's so well which is going to make it so difficult moving to live in our own house. They're always so happy and upbeat, like tonight we turned off all the lights and danced to Peruvian music for half an hour- a lot more fun than it sounds. 

This is everyone but Mary Lou, the sweetest girl, who is taking the photo and Camilo, the nine year old with the voice of a forty year old,  who could be anywhere. Starting at the bottom left is Isac who you'll hear about later, Renzo who is four and beyond cheeky, Tia Carla who has the funniest laugh I've come across, Yene who we only just found out is Mary Lous sister, Alfredo who loves dancing to Barbie girl, then me, Amber and Alhondra who has been nice enough to let us share her room. She also brought pet fish home in a gel tub which we later proceeded to put in the river, if you could call it a river. 

We bought the kids in our casa two DVDs which worked out around £2 for both; I've never seen a child appreciate something as much which cost so little, this was lovely. They then proceeded to watch both numerous times that week which is always annoying, but you have to love them! 

A past volunteer from 6 years ago came back to visit the Aldea for a few days before travelling around other areas is South America. This was amazing up have someone there who had been through a similar situation to yourself, and who could speak your language, it couldn't have come at a better time. We got help with Spanish, translated important information to us, gave us advice and she bought loads of local snacks which have all been consumed. It was so refreshing having a three way conversation, something we haven't had in two weeks, it's really made me want to improve my Spanish to a high level! Emily taught us how to make bracelets so we can teach the kids, it's such a fun skill to have! 

We heard a lot of stories about the children and why they were here as Emily could understand and tell us; it was great to have more of an insight but also rather emotionally draining at the same time. We also found out that Isaac who we live with is currently in the adoption process which is amazing that his aunties want him to live with them in Lima. However on a selfish note it's going to be so difficult, this was the kid who came and played football with us on the first day and made an effort to make us welcome, the kid who woke us up every morning due to being so loud, the kid who has the most impeccable manners and also has banter banter. I didn't really think about this side of things but it's going to be such an amazing opportunity for him and that's all that matters. 

It's taken us until today to realise that there is a switch for the hot water, even thought the past volunteers told us we totally forget, hence two weeks of cold showers. Luckily we haven't mentioned anything to others so we won't be laughed at again for our stupidity! 

We look after the babies sometimes on a morning, this will likely be every day once we have our house next week. They're so adorable. 

First there's Jandy who is the youngest child here, we recently met her mum who came to visit which was so lovely getting to see them together. We live with Jandy which is amazing, there's no getting enough of her cuteness! 

Next there's Fatima who is three: 

And Ricardo who's two: 

There's also another girl called Estraya bit she hasn't quiet warmed to us yet, and that's putting it loosely. But I'm hoping that will change over time :) 

The rest of our day doesn't really have a schedule yet, but once we have moved house we will get a time table, and have room and resources to do things with the kids which I'm really looking forward to! 

The biggest challenge so far has definitely been the food. When we first arrived at night Tia Flora made us chips and egg which made us hopeful- how wrong we were. When they say you get rice with every meal they really weren't joking. Breakfast is bread, occasional olives, and this bizzare soup that always had strange foreign objects in it, so yes, for breakfast we eat bread... Then lunch has a soup which is just lots of food from the kitchen, a main meal which is always over half a plate of rice, then either meat, lentils or potato, and a side plate of vegetables which always have lime juice over them. Then tea is the same as lunch which is something I'll never get used to. They just have such huge portions but we don't want to be rude and not eat the food, it's
really been a struggle trying to get used to it. 

I'm having the most amazing time here, every day is so crazy and there's not been a day yet where we haven't had a challenge but there's always good fun. I'm so grateful for this experience! I know this post is all over the place but ahh well, hope everyone is well back home :)