Molestations

My biggest fear before leaving Peru was getting sick with some unknown, prolonged illness. By some amazing act of God, I have been one of the healthiest PCV`s in Peru 9. Unfortunantly, not everybody has been able to dodge the foreign bacteria and bizzare ailments. The Peru 9er placed in the most aisolated and underdeveloped site in our group has been pulled from his pueblo and placed in Lima until they doctors can figure out what the heck is wrong with him and how they can fix it. The extreem conditions he was living under at site gave him mad street cred in our group, only in his site are no streets, so it`s just cred. But it seems these very basic standard of living may be the cause of his sickness, and they are now talking site change. We have very affectionately named him Sick Boy. And while it seem this name could be disheartening, he has embraced it.

There really is nothing worse than feeling icky. I wish more than anything I could give him some of my health. But because I can`t I can do the next best thing which is be there for him if he needs me. There has already been talk about him coming to my orphanage to help out so he can have something to do and not feel so worthless. I`m really excited about the possibility of him coming out to my site. The little boys will love him! Not only because he`s the only person in my group who can beat me in a hand stand compitition, but because he would be such a breath of fresh air to the boys cause they only have interactions with me and the nuns.

In comparasion to sick boy, I feel like I have no room to complain. And I honestly don`t feel I have much to complain about at this point. I am feeling really good and enjoying life to it`s fullest. But I do have some anecdotes to share.

My room is made of concrete and has a bamboo roof. Lima is a pretty humid place and apparently the material that my room is constructed out of is a breeding ground for mold. To try and combat the problem I leave my window open 24 hours a day. Window screens don`t exist in Peru, not even in the Ritzy parts of Lima. So this has brought about a new annoying problems. Some how there giant flying beetles, which I have never seen anywhere else except my bedroom, have been making there way through my mini blinds some how by the droves. They only come at night and make this horrible buzzing noise so I can hear them as soon as they start battleign their way through the one opening they can fit through. Because they are attracted to the light, when ever I am in bed with my laptop, they fly right at me. Last night I got dive bombed in the face 3 times, and one of them got all tangled in my hard. It was super gross.

But last night I expereinced somthing even grosser than giant beattles. As I was making my way back to my house around 9 PM last night. I was walking down the lonely dirt road that goes to my town and as I took a turn I found myself right in front of a guy peeing. He was smack in the middle of the road and made no attempt to hide anything. This is actually something pretty common in Peru and is also something that I don`t think I will every stop bothering me. I had no choice but to keep on walking right towards him. In a way it was like the car crash affect. The part of me that is still shocked and appoled wants to stare in disbelief. Plus I feel like staring might cause him to have some kind of shame and out of embarrasment would find a corner or a tree next time. But I know that wouldn`t have the desired effect but probably say top the guy I was interested in him. As I passed by him, still urinating, he said to me "Preciosa, como estas?". It was trully disturbing. That has topped every other time I have been hit one.