Flying Solo in Ayacucho

The first and only time in my 3 months here in the CCS house that I have the whole house to myself. This meant that I had my own personal chef, housekeeper, 3 front office support staff and driver all to myself. Talk about living the high life! Was I lonely? Well it was a week without rules so don't you fret! I talked Rudy into not having any rules this week (which wasn't that hard.) There are normally strict rules against the staff members hanging out with the volunteers outside of the house and their working hours. This week however I was able to visit a few homes and hang out with the staff.

The first day, Friday, I went to Marisol's house and her family was hosting a wedding reception that night so I stayed for that and danced the night away with her family and Gustavo (the Spanish teacher who is also dating one of Marisol's sisters), he wasn't so excited about the dancing part but was a good sport. Marisol's house is very Marisol! It is a little 4 room cottage, that could pass for a NYC apartment. She has it decorated very cute, mix of Peruvian culture as well as mini flags from different countries that her husband made tacked to the ceiling. Her family is opening a restaurant in the yard between her house and her mom's so that is where the reception was. It is going to be a really good restaurant with good food. Her brother will be the chef and he cooked for the reception. Finger licking good chicken.

Saturday was Walter's (one of the night guards) birthday so he came to the house to pick Viki (one of the cooks) and me up and took us to his mom's house for lunch to celebrate. I meet his wife, 2 sons ages 4 and 8 months, and a few of his friends. Then that night I went to the plaza with Nieve's (one of the cooks) to a concert that was on to celebrate Huamanga Day.

Sunday Beatrice (the housekeeper) stayed after work and played card games with me, Walter and Viki. It was really fun and got to talk a lot about life here in Ayacucho.

Wedesday after the orphanage Alejo (the driver) took me to his house to meet his wife and daughter. He has a really, really nice house. He lives up by the mirador and rents the bottom half of his house to Gigi, a lady from Oregon who has moved here and runs an after school program. It was fun to talk to her and hear how she is making a huge difference in the lives of the 60-80 kids that pack into her after school program each day. She has gotten so many kids that she runs classes in the room that was meant to be the classroom as well as her bedroom (The teacher's desk is her bed! While the kids sit on mats on the floor and use a bench as a table) and in Alejo's backyard. He has a spacious 2 bedroom house with a huge kitchen and dining room and then Jasson (his son and a fill in night-guard) has his own "bachelor's pad" which is another house that they built in the backyard.

Thursday I visited the home of Nieves (a cook and sister of Alejo). She shares a house building with one of her brothers and his family on one side then a little patio and on the other side is where Nieves lives with her 2 girls, ages 11 and 1 1/2, and her dad. Her dad is super cute and sweet. He had so many questions about the states, he talked my ear off! The four of them share a bedroom which has 2 double beds in it. Then a living room with really comfy couches ( I wish we had some of them here at the CCS house) a TV, kitchen table and play area for her girls. They also have their own bathroom but share a kitchen with her brother's family.

Friday Beatrice, Jesus and I went out dancing to celebrate Jesus' birthday and went to a Cumbia concert at a local club. I was the only gringa in the whole club! I got my fair share of stares but had a great time dancing the night away to Papillion. We shut the club down and finally made it back home at 4 am.

Thats been it, very busy but fun. I didn't take any pictures of the houses because it just didnt feel right to ask and take them. Although I am sure that they would not have minded at all, it just didn't come up in conversation.