Today was a mad dash to finish everything I could in Arequipa city and get the furniture back to the canyon. After only 3 hours at the post office (score!) I ran around to pick up the pre-ordered items and finish purchasing as much as I could travel with.
Two tables
Two benches
One reversible blackboard/white board
Baskets with lids for storage (no plastic tuppers! Yay!)
A cd player
Classical and international music cds
Buttons with the VALE logo
A professionally printed sign with VALE logo
40 copies of the book “the little prince” (pivotal part of program)
Some interesting experiences:
Carlos called me to tell me that the furniture was ready at 8am. I told them I could be there as early as 10. When I arrived at 10, he was still putting on the finish.
“I thought you said they were ready?”
“They are, look.”
I looked at the half varnished shelf.
“They are beautiful, but, I can’t leave with them, so they aren’t ready.”
“Come back in 2 hours.”
I laughed out loud a little, and secured with him that I would be able to put them in a truck at noon.
When looking for a full encyclopedia set, I went to the biggest book store in Arequipa. Not seeing anything similar, I asked for help,
“Hi, I am looking for am Encyclopedia set.”
“An encyclopedia of what?”
“Um, a whole series, with everything.”
“I have an encyclopedia of chemistry, biology…”
“Sorry, no, like a whole series, where each book is a letter?”
Blank stare
“for what age group?”
“All age groups?”
“No, no. We don’t have anything like that.”
I was complety stunned. No wonder people are so unknowledgeable. They don’t even know what the resource is to find the answers to their questions. The weirdest part is there is an encyclopedia on the computers at the high school, so at lest the below 20 age group knows an encyclopedia as a digital program. The only problem is those computers are always locked away unless the kids are in computer class.
“Do you know where I can find a whole set?”
Obviously still confused, but vary kindly, she says, “No.”
So, I will need to order an encyclopedia from Lima or outside the country.
I went to the bus station to make sure the bodega wouldn’t be full on today’s trip to Madrigal and the tables could travel with me before I brought them from the carpenter’s store.
“There is no room for furniture.”
“But, I moved my bed frame, mattress, and table there a year ago.”
“Well, I don’t know if there is room or not.”
“Ok, so who do I talk to that will know.”
“I don’t know.”
“Ok… so what if I bring the furniture here early, and we put it in your storage space, then we can see if there is room when the bus gets here.”
“We don’t have storage space.”
“Yes you do, the one where they store luggage. I have put my luggage there before.”
“oh, ok.”
“Can you please tell the attendants that I will need a lot of space for furniture under the bus when they get here?”
She nods.
I don’t believe her.
“And, I should probably buy a ticket so I can travel with the furniture. And if there isn’t room for the furniture today, can I change it for tomorrow.”
She nods but has to be beyond frustrated with me. It is amazing how mechanical minds hate anything out of the norm. Bright minds stand out quickly when something out of the norm comes into their day, but the majority of the people here just like there rhythm and familiarity. They actively fight anything unusual.
Two hours later I show up with the tables.
They don’t fit under the bus. Not because the bodega is full, because it is too small. This is the only bus that goes to Madrigal. The attendant recommends I take a bus that is bigger to Chivay, but that still leaves me with the conundrum of transporting from Chivay to Madrigal and we are already over budget on the furniture.
Quickly, it becomes apparent that this is my only option and I hop on a bus, an hour later to Chivay after an attendant that doesn’t know me huffs and puffs about how much bodega space I am taking up. I explain that it is for a kids’ library in Madrigal and he definitely doesn’t seem to care and overcharges me for the excess “baggage”. I barter him down to about half what he originally asks, and take a deep breath as I take my window seat on the bus.
It was then that I realized I had forgotten to eat all day. But, hey, the efficiency and success of the day could not have been better. Satisfied, I sank into some cheese and bread and the usual beautiful view.
Tonight we will store the tables in Russ and Jean’s place and I will rent a combi from a friend of a friend to transport the furniture.
This is a photo I wanted to throw in of Milagros reading a book with me that was donated by me Limeñan host family´s neighbor.
too cute.
A few days after reading this with her, I went to her house with a few more books for her and her brothers and the children literally jumped up and down at the door, clapping their hands.
I love my job.
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