Partner visits

One of the great things about being an international volunteer is the opportunity to enjoy getting out into the community and visiting the projects. Although some volunteers have the opportunity to work directly with the population my jobs in International Development have always been based in the institution. Thus, these opportunities when they arise are very exciting for me! Right now since we're in the training season (when the students aren't in school) I've been visiting partners about once a week!

Last week CAPLAB put on a workshop on how to use the big fancy sewing machines with the help of a local sewing machine store called Maquicentro. One of CAPLAB's roles is to provide equipment for technical colleges (CETPRO's) based on their individual needs. In some CETPRO's that we support that means providing sewing machines for courses in tailoring and dressmaking. So CAPLAB has had a relationship with Maquicentro as a consumer for our projects. Then, out of the blue, Maquicentro approaches us with this workshop on how to use the industrial machines that do embroidery and detail work so that our teachers will be able to teach these skills better. I thought it was a great example of how industries can use their skills and abilities to help the local community.

I have some how become the staff photographer... which I have to say I'm pretty happy with this role! It gives me the opportunity to see the world from the outside and at the same time have an excuse to interact with the students, facilitators and sponsors.

So here's a link to our picasa photo album of the event. https://picasaweb.google.com/ongcaplab/ManejoYAcondicionamientoDeAditamentos#

¡Carnival!

This past weekend was carnival! I spent it with a theatre group in my neighbourhood, Barranco. Carnival hasn't been celebrated that much over the past few years and the people of Barranco were hoping to bring it back in style this year.

So in the spirit of celebration a few friends and I painted ourselves blue and became cyclops' for the day. The idea was that we were supposed to 'fight' with a group of purple people but I didn't really understand what that was about. We spent most of the day marching through Barranco getting water and paint thrown at us and dancing to the bands that accompanied us. In fact I didn't really stop dancing for the whole parade. It was so much fun... but removing the paint was tricky!

The South Coast

I had one of my closest friends, Kelly visiting me the past two weeks from Canada so I took some time off from the hustle and bustle to spend with her. We managed to cram in quite a bit of touristy things during her short visit here including a trip to the South Coast of Lima.

We started off in Lima and took the bus along the Panamerica Sur to Ica where the largest attraction is the opportunity to go sandboarding (think snowboarding on sand) in Huacachina desert. Huacachina is an oasis in the middle of the desert about 10 minutes from Ica. The lagoon is lined with hotels and restaurants and street vendors. We stayed in this beautiful hotel with a swimming pool for $20 a night!

The sandboarding was awesome! They take you out in this oversized dune buggy. You're strapped into the buggy like on a roller coaster ride and that's exactly what it's like. I was squeezing Kelly's hand so hard I'm surprised I didn't hurt her! Once you arrive at a good spot the guide shows you how to hold your body so you don't hurt yourself and then he sends you flying. We had a Grandmother, Mom and son on our dune buggy and the Grandma was the first one down each time - which made me feel like a chicken when I refused to do the last one. It looked like a 90 degree drop!

From there we made our way to the nature reserves in Paracas. There are two nature adventures you can go on there and of course we did both! The first was the National Park which was pretty cool with some scenic views and lots of pelicans. We stopped at this gorgeous fishing village which reminded me of Hall's Harbour because it was just boats and restaurants. I could have stayed there all day watching the birds and the kids enjoying the beach.

The next day we hopped on a boat tour to the Ballestas Island. It was incredible. There were so many different kinds of birds all living on that one tiny island alongside hundreds of seals. As we were sailing back to Paracas we were pursued by thousands of birds who eventually passed us!

It was an amazing adventure and made even better since it was shared with one of my favorite people. It's incredible how comforting it can be to have someone you love visit you when you're living abroad. I just wish she could have stayed longer!

Arica, Chile

So it's been a while since my last blog post which I regret because I had some really good feedback on my last post about photography. On the plus side I have been experimenting with your tips and tricks. Thanks so much! I had no idea I had so many friends interested in photography!

Last week was a full week of workshops for me and my co-workers from all over Peru. I was the official photographer and managed to take a few good shots. I'm even more proud of the fact that during my presentation (eek scary presenting in Spanish!) someone asked me a question about how to take a good photograph (which was not in the script) and I was able to lay down three of the main rules of photography off the cuff.

I spent the weekend of Jan 22 renewing my travel visa in Arica, Chile. While I was there I took a few pictures which sum up my trip nicely.

This is a picture of the Morro (Wall) a big cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Arica, Chile. This wall was the host of a long war during the 1880's and 1890's between Bolivia, Peru and Chile. I found this really fascinating because in Bolivia there is an intense dislike of Chileans because of this war that meant Bolivia lost access to the ocean. However, while perusing though the museum it was quite evident that Bolivia played only a small part in the war which was mostly fought by their allies in Peru. Chile made their way quite far up the coast of Peru before the border disputes were finally settled. Further than Lima!

This picture is of a Happy New Year Sign which was affixed to a gazebo and a few park benches. I found this very entertaining and ingenious.

The is picture of some hieroglyphics that were dug into the mountains. I hired a taxi to take me out to see them and we drove right up past the farmer's fields to get a good look. You can see the shadow of a monkey in the rearview mirror. Of course the closer we got harder the hieroglyphics were to see but the farmer's tomatoes were very impressive up close.

Photography in Peru

One of the most pressing issues in communications at my NGO is how to take a good photo. This is a particular challenge here since 1) I don’t really know what I’m doing and 2) the light is crazy intense – I’m talking white, bright, blinding light - and then when it’s not intense it’s overcast and grey which means that you’re fighting what feels like a losing battle.

I've been soliciting help from my friendly neighbourhood photogs (including Heather Rushton, professional photographer and entrepreneur from Twin Bridges Photography in NS and Jay Aggarwal, amateur photographer and fellow CUSO-VSO volunteer in Ghana). They have really helped me address point number 1 (my general photographic incompetence) so I thought I would share these websites which helped me to understand basic composition and light.

Pro Photo Life: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pro+photo+life&aq=f
About.com http://photography.about.com/
Photo Composition Articles: http://photoinf.com/General/Peter_Ensenberger/Improving_Your_Photography_Lesson_Two_Composition.htm

The light issue is solvable but I’m going to need to experiment with my camera. Here's an example of what I’m talking about:

On the left her hand looks like she's been stuck inside for at least a year with no sunlight. On the right I've adjusted the white balance for more natural color.... Now I just have to figure out how to make the adjustments before taking the photo!


Keeping with the theme, here are some amateur photos from National Geographic Travel that manage to overcome the light in Perú. http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/your-peru-photos/#/andes-salkantay-peru_30282_600x450.jpg

Please feel free to share any photography articles or tips and tricks you find helpful!

Social Media for NGO´s

Lately I’ve been doing some hard core research on social media and communications for NGO’s. For me it’s a fun and a great way to let my nerd flag fly in my new job. There’s so much out there to learn and so many different ways that people are approaching social media at NGO’s.

Our new website at CAPLAB is going to be in blog format to allow for us to announce events, share stories and present information like our reports, manuals for students and professors and other materials. I’m also looking at how to incorporate pages like facebook, twitter, youtube, picasa and my new obsession: Scribd. (Scribd is a document sharing system and it’s awesome because it has built in analytic features that allow you to see all sorts of information about the people who are reading your documents. For instance you can see how long an article was read, where in the world the hits are coming from and which websites are showing your document. http://www.scribd.com/caplab)

The real challenge is trying to understand the reality of both our audience and the staff. What are the technology limits for students and professors? How much time can staff devote to updating our blog? How can we consolidate these tools so that time online is maximized?

Any feedback out there from tech savvy communicators would be great!

Jin, Chin, Gene

A few nights ago I had dinner at a coffee shop called Gloria Jean’s. I went in there specifically because I was feeling a little homesick for coffee shops in Canada like Just Us in NS or Raw Sugar in Ottawa. You know the ones with the big windows that you can look out and idly observe the passers-by while getting lost in your own thoughts. I also wanted some comfort food.

Anyhoo after taking my order and my name I found it ironic that the barista at Gloria Jean’s couldn’t spell Jean. It was written on my receipt as Jin. I wonder if it was my fault because I didn’t do my regular routine of "Jean, you know like the pants". But it seems even when I give my Jean/pants performance people still can’t seem to spell my name.

It’s not just the Peruvians that have trouble understanding me. Last night a Canadian friend sent a text to "Gene". Then a Brazilian girl confessed that she thought my name was actually "Chin" until she read a note I’d left her with my name on it. Maybe I should change my name to Juana... let me know if you have any other suggestions!

Until next time,
Chin... er I mean Jean