Still Alive

So its been a while since my last blog, I apologize, and start this blog by declaring that I am still alive and running. I try to keep busy in my site because I have decided a busy volunteer is a happy volunteer. It gets hard and lonely when theres nothign to do and it rains ALL day. It rains all day everyday and they say rainy season hasn't even started. That really scares me. So many of you might be wondering what am I doing? Or what is life like? Well, I can't give you an average day because everyday is different, but my main activities in town include:

1) working with 2 artisan groups forming better products and pricing strategies, along with accounting and what-have-you,

2) starting up a microempresa (small sole-propriorship) with an apple group who makes the most amazing apple jelly, apple wine, apple vinagre, etc.,

3) teaching English twice a week to 5th grade students, and

4) teaching business in an post-high school 'college-like' institute.

5) Repainting a world map that old Peace Corps volunteers made in site

6) Getting to know all the people in my site, hanging out and learning about the Peruvian culture, oh and speaking lots of spanish!

Work is going pretty good. I recently went to Lima (the capital of Peru, about 20 hrs away) with my artisan to try to sell products in a fair:

Unfortunatly sales weren't very high, but we learned about the products and what products sell (cotten baby clothes for example) and what products don't (nylon). So they are now motivated to work with cotten and alpaca which is where the market is, baby steps. Here is a foto of the apple group I work with,Yummy!!! Heres a coupld more pics of my site as well:

The little kidlings in school, although school is nearly always canceled....

Repainting the world map that Peace Corps volunteers Michael and Alison made, they are my awesome sitemates that leave next week, and I am going to miss them dearly in Contumaza. They are leaving me solo......
Heres my town plaza:

Town bull fight, and yes they do actually kill the bulls infront of us. I don't knwo what is crazier, that or the drunks jumping in the ring to show thier 'manlihood': The views driving up to my site:


Here is Cajamarca city, the capital city I getaway to once a month for some sanity and internet, its about 6 hours away from my site:

And here is my best friend and second half, Leanna:

The support network in Peace Corps is amazing, or atleast between the volunteers. It does get lonely, and if it weren't for my friends here I could never do it. I miss friends and family so much, and think about you all everyday. Happy Thanksgiving, you should hear from me again around Christmas time. Much love.

Kelly