As this election season has progressed with not only messages of "Hope" but also slander campaigns and outright untruths, I have begun to wonder where it all stops. I have heard Obama say many times now (which was also a sentiment by McCain - to be fair) that the parties needed to work together because we live in such a divide now that nothing will get done unless it is done in the interest of the people - and all the people. With the past 8 years plagued with policies that I do not agree with (nor pretend to agree with), I have to begin thinking realistically about this whole scenario. Eight years ago, our country wanted "change" and elected Republicans across the board - Congress, Senate, and President. The pendulum swung to a deep red that began to really enforce party loyalty amongst everyone. The pendulum began swinging back toward the middle 4 years ago when we elected a majority Blue Senate and a Red President. (Compromise...somewhat). However, with the president's rating being at an all time low and actually falling lower than Nixon's approval rating during the Watergate scandal, I have to wonder what are our expectations out of these next 4 years? Are we expecting a president who can pick up the pieces of what he has been given and also break racial, partisan, and ideology barriers to bring the US into a new era? What happens if it is only a "pick up the pieces" 4 years? Will we be disappointed and expect another change in party? Do we not think that having all the levels of the government the same color is a problem, no matter what the side? All blue can be just as detrimental as all red and vice versa. Our political system was based on checks and balances and I hope we are able to see the beauty of why the system was created that way - no matter what the party affiliation.

One of my disparity classes dove into this subject a bit today as an open discussion on politics as well as racial, SES, equality, and breaking the glass ceiling. We began talking about whether Obama had broken the glass ceiling for African Americans in general or just for one specific family. We discussed combating the idea of "Group Think"and how Obama looked as though he was trying to cover different perspectives as he chose his cabinet and politicians to surround him. I must say on this level I was impressed because I think too often we just identify with our own party and refuse to look at the views of the other party. I was actually taken aback by a comment by one of our professors when she said, "Well, we have to be careful there because one party is trying to give rights while the other is trying to take them away."

Back up the bus. You may not agree with one side of the issue but that doesn't make the other side "wrong". It makes the other side "different". Now, you may not agree with that perspective but more than likely - they probably don't agree with yours either. We have created this atmosphere in the country that is so one side or the other, black and white - that we rarely try and understand the other side or move toward a compromise of views. We polarize ourselves and put ourselves into a comfortable box. The only problem with that box is that we limit ourselves to our own biased opinion without outside input or any reality checks. We all do it yet we expect the other side to change, not us. We talked about all the "boxing in" that Republicans do with their platform - but come on! Let's be honest with ourselves and take a step back. How many times have we done exactly the same thing just on the other side of the issue? If you answer is 'never' then you haven't taken a good hard look at your own viewpoints, soapboxes, and rants or your own party. Both parties fall casualty to lobbying. Those with the most dollars win. We both fall casualty to pushing ourselves to our most extreme opinion when someone else presents their extreme opinion on an opposite or differing side. Just think about it.

It also took me to another one of my classes here at the School of Public Health at UNC the other day. In our nutrition class, we watched a video called "The Future of Foods" based on the practice of GMO food crops. Now, having seen this, I can tell you without a doubt, this was purely one sided. (I won't say I completely disagreed with the arguments presented - HOWEVER, when someone presents me a view that is so tilted to one side, I begin my research on the other side and usually find myself somewhere in the middle). The question was raised from the professor "What are your thoughts as a class on showing this video next semester as a SPH event?". I answered - just not what our professor wanted (I do believe)! I expressed that while I found a lot of facts appauling in this movie regarding certain practices regarding patents on seeds and the lawsuits that ensued, I did not think it provided a fair discussion of the topic of GMO foods AT ALL. We have a responsibility at an institute of higher learning to present the facts (or at least differing viewpoints) and allow people to make up their own mind instead of making it up for them. When I expressed this concern, I was immediately shot down by my professor who happens to be the Associate Dean for Global Health! Not only is she a professor, but she's in a real position to influence how issues are presented! Her rebuttal was this, "I am not sure I agree totally that in any particular seminar, symposium, or panel we must present alternative views -- there is an important place for that but it is not a pre-requisite."

I'm sorry, I must respectfully disagree. This is one of the problems that I often find with this school as I did with the exact other side at my undergraduate institution. Very few people try and look at the compromise or collaboration that can be achieved through understanding (even if not agreeing with) the other viewpoint. They just point fingers at what is wrong and who is to blame and only present one side of an issue. In this case, an argument for GMOs is also just as powerful as the one presented in the video. Don't get me wrong - people are definitely entitled to their viewpoints - their soapboxes - that they get enraged about, boycott, and even try and persuade legislation against. I am no different in regards to WalMart and Starbucks. I boycott them in every way I can and refuse to give them any business unless practices change. My problem lies when this opinion directly affects what occurs or is presented in a classroom. This is an institute of higher learning - let's learn and be allowed to develop our own thoughts instead of just spitting out what someone else tells us. I don't like the extreme on either side - I want "just the facts ma'am, just the facts." I have a mind that is quite capable of making my own decisions. We must be very careful of how we use our authority to make a difference.

Let's break free of the "Group Think" ideology and try to understand the other side. It is only by understanding other viewpoints that we truly can see why people think the way they do and work toward a solution (no matter what the problem) that works for the people. After all, our President doesn't represent one community, one state, or one viewpoint. He represents us all - race, creed, socio-economic status. Let's break this black and white cycle and try and look toward compromise. I expect this in my professors and I expect this in political leaders. I think it's the least we can demand.

As our name changed, so did my attitude

So, I haven't been on in awhile and I almost rarely write on this thing anymore unless I am out of the country. There has been talk of trying to make blogging a part of the curriculum but honestly, is it fun if it's required? I contest - no.

Our school changed it's name recently from UNC School of Public Health to the Gillings School of Global Public Health. Did someone give enough money to buy their name on the sign, you ask? Yes, indeed. Now, I scoffed when football stadiums began changing their names to suit donors, and gaffawed when bowl games became the "Tostitos Bowl", etc but honestly - a public school? Is that necessary? And the great part is that they keep telling us we have a say in what goes on in our school....really? Is that why we got a say in asking for the $50 million or where it was supposed to go? Is that why we were asked only after the decision was finalized and it was too late for any retrospective action, what we thought about the new situation?

My favorite part of the whole ordeal is that I, along with my classmates, got stuck in the middle. I applied and got into the School of Public Health. The group before us graduated with that name on their diploma. The group after us came in knowing it would be Gillings School of Global Public Health and that name will appear on their diploma. What about those of us who applied under one name and got stuck with the new one? I don't want that name on my diploma, that isn't the school I applied to!

It got stressed over and over again last week at the unveiling ceremony that we were the first school to put "Global" in our name. Is that what it took? Do you think that London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine wasn't Global? Do you think that England regularly gets tropical diseases as a major cause of morbidity or mortality? I contest - no!

What about those of us who are planning on working domestically? Sure, I love working globally but with family health the way it is and travel as frequent as it is, it's not my cup of tea for the longterm with the idea of starting a family as well. In fact, the number of positions that are actually available out there that give good long term benefits and include travel are few and far between. I'm not saying that internationally we don't need a ton of help and that the US and UN budgets couldn't delegate more to aid for other countries but my problem with this 'Global' focus in our name is this: We need to be looking to teach and employ both domestic workers and international workers in Public Health if this system is going to work properly. I have no problem with incorporating international material into courses but there needs to be a domestic focus that isn't lost in all of this. I have a feeling over the next few years, we will see less and less of it and more of a push toward going "Global".

And for the kicker. They want us to do our practicums either globally or globally focused but None, and I repeat NONE of the new $50 million goes toward student travel in order to do that. Instead the money is mainly concentrated in innovation labs....innovation labs that are only used by two main departments in our entire school. Well - what about Maternal and Child Health, what about Public Health Leadership, what about Health Policy? And the week before the unveiling, all of a sudden, all of the construction that was going on in the building, suddenly cleared and there was landscaping and there were pictures on the wall. Coincidence? Again, I contest - no. It was done for the donor's sake and not the students'. Nice to see we are appreciated.

For the past two weeks, we have had brown tape over the "Gillings School of Global Public Health" on all the doors until the great unveiling happened. Can I get that same brown tape to put on my diploma?

A Few Lagunas, Where Did the Cars Go, and My Thighs Hurt!

I just returned to Lima this morning around 5am from Huaraz...quite a different adventure but worth the story.

Huaraz is north of Lima - 419km (about 260miles) and nestled between the mountain ranges of the Cordillera Negra and the Cordillera Blanca which are carved out by the Río Santa and making up the valley of El Callejón de Huaylas. It sits at around 3,000 meters (10, 141 feet) so it takes a few days to completely get used to the altitude. The Cordillera Negra are quite pretty but are almost forgotten when you turn to the east and look at the Cordilleras Blanca which tower above the village - absolutely stunning. For a little background - the Cordillera Blanca is about 20km wide (12 1/2 miles roughly) and extends for 180km (~112 miles) in length. Within that area, there are over 50 peaks of 5,700 meters (18, 700 feet) and the largest being Huascarán standing at 6,768 meters (22, 205 feet). In 1970, a large chunk of this mountain broke off in an earthquake (7.7 on the richter scale) and created a land and mud slide that completely demolished the neighboring village of Yungay, covering it completely. The area where the village once stood is considered a national grave site and a monument stands in honor of the 18,000 citizens who were buried alive in mid-afternoon on May 31, 1970. In the entire valley, over 70,000 people were killed and only 10% of Huaraz was still standing. For this reason, Huaraz is still under construction including a complete rebuild of most of the city.

Huaraz is known as the starting point for many hikes up this mountain range (Cordillera Blanca) and the tourists that make their way here are generally of the "outdoorsy" persuasion. I arrived with a friend last Sunday morning from Lima and spent the afternoon trying to get used to the altitude. Crazily or stupidly (not sure yet), we took off on Monday for an all day hike. The hike was called Pitec and took us up rock-stair traverses for about 5 miles to Laguna Churup. The hardest part of this journey was the fact that we were ascending almost 5,000 feet in altitude during those 5 miles. My legs HATED me! Kim, my friend from the Institute runs marathons and was on the heels of our guide with little to no trouble at all. There's a good way to kill your pride for the day...sheesh. Haha. Poco a poco, fui a la laguna. Little by little I eventually got to the laguna. I refuse(d) to give up...I think that trait is inherited too... Coming down was quite fast and I must say, is my favorite part of the hike itself - downhill! Our friends have told us that due to the altitude, we should take a day off after every hike while we're getting used to the altitude. We didn't quite have a choice.

Tuesday and Wednesday were a national strike (Paro Nacional) led by the Agriculture Industry and the Mining Industry in Perú against Peru´s involvement with NAFTA and the effects it has on the local businesses. This became a public transportation strike and in the smaller cities, people couldn´t get anywhere. So, we got our day-2 days off to recover. On Thursday, we took off on a horse trek through the Cordillera Negra to look out on the entire Cordillera Blanca. The woman who took us told me that the ride would take about 4 hours - 2 1/2 hours up and about 1 1/2 hours down. 3 hours later, we were finally getting near the top to eat lunch (gorgeous view!) and were ready to be out of the saddle. For those people who ride horses on a regular basis - bless you. I will not be one of them. My thighs hurt and a certain portion of my backside was not giving out "happy" vibes. Then, began the descent. The problems that existed here: The horses did not listen to either of us, only her; we were on a mountainside and the horses began slipping their way down the mountain at parts (literally); and our guide (a tiny little indigenous woman in a skirt and hose) kept hitting my horse to make him go faster. The problem with this last part was that my horse was following Kim's horse...so, my horse would rear back, start running, and because it couldn't run (given that it refused to leave the backside of Kim's horse), would bite the tail of Kim's horse...who would then rear back. The route was a circle overall which meant we went back a different way. The trek down took about 4 1/2 hours so the overall time of Kat's backside being in an uncomfortable saddle = 7 1/2. The word "ow" comes to mind. We then crammed into a public van (mícro) and took the hour ride back home. Perk: Our guide, who was dressed in traditional "campesino" clothing, let me take her picture on the top of the range.

My plan the next day was to head to these beautiful ruins called Chavín from the Pre-Incan stage from 1000BC - 300BC. Unfortunately, my hind-quarters hurt badly enough from the day before that every time I sat down, I hurt. I decided that a 3 hour bus ride to the ruins and a 3 hour trip back were not exactly what my body thought it needed that day and quickly nixed the idea. Instead, I found myself translating for my friend who was trying to find a place to study Spanish but none of the teachers seemed to speak any English to communicate with her and continued to speak rapid Spanish on the phone assuming that eventually she would understand. I wasn't sure my Spanish would ever be good enough to translate for someone else but it seems that I have begun to reach that stage. (Yip.)

Saturday was my favorite hike of the trip. We ended up going with a group and a guide to Laguna 69. The Laguna is named because it was the 69th Laguna to be counted and dammed to keep the waterfalls from creating more landslides in the 1970s. Unfortunately it never got a cool name like the rest of the Lagunas did and is now stuck with the current name. However, it was worth the trek. The group that went consisted of Kim (my friend from the Nutrition Institute), a bald-shaven guy from California who had recently worked in Buenas Aires teaching English for about 4 months and was interested in the restaurant industry, and a Filipino born Canadian with long dreadlocks who taught 8th and 9th grade Science and was a bigger photography bum than I was, our 21 year old guide from Ohio who had been living in Peru for about a year and traveling around the world for about 3, and then of course, me. Interesting combo but I must say, was an absolute blast. Unfortunately, my friend started feeling the altitude and had to turn around with our guide to go back down. With altitude sickness, you never push forward. You turn around and get to a lower altitude while your body recovers. She insisted that the rest of us go on and so Matt (the bald guy), Alfred (the Filipino Canadian), and I took off to Laguna 69. It was quite a hike but I must say, I would hike with those guys any day. Alfred was carrying his tripod along with his (very) expensive digital camera in tow. We were a good team because we generally stopped at the same times to, as my dad would say, "snap our brains out". The view was worth the hike and we came upon a glacial lake with cerulean blues and turquoises that I have generally only seen in crayons backed by sheer cliffs covered in ice and snow.

Verdict: Good trip.

Picture 1: Laguna Churup
Picture 2: Kat on a horse in front of the Cordillera Blanca (yes I'm slouching...I hurt..haha)
Picture 3: Our guide when we went horseback riding
Picture 4: Some of the Cordillera Blanca
Picture 5: Laguna Llaganuco (on the way to our hike in the National Park)
Picture 6: Laguna 69 and Me!

PS - this is Putukusi...

this is the mountain that we climbed as posted below. This is the view from Machu Picchu so you can imagine what kind of view we had of Machu Picchu when standing on the top of this one!

Muchas fotos y "hey I know you!"

Lima, with its never-ending cover of winter-gray reminds me at times of the depressed creature of the classic Pooh stories. A cloud followed poor little Eeyore around daily and managed to block out the sun despite the pretty day elsewhere. You always wanted to comfort the guy although at times you had to admit you thought he should just buck up and smile every once in a while. Life in Lima often resembles that view. There's a cloud that follows you around daily and basically is a constant fixture above your head here in the winter. Almost everywhere else in the country, there are rays of sunshine that at least shine out through the clouds. I must say, I like my sun... which leads me to the adventure for the week. I will lay a disclaimer and apologize now for the length of the blog post. You see, adventures are never told in short paragraphs.

I believe this month there have been no less than 15 people from North Carolina (Chapel Hill or Raleigh area) passing through or staying in Peru. How this happened, I may never know. It turns out that two of my college friends were living in Cusco for the month of June and another one of my friends, who is living in Bogota, Colombia now, was coming to visit Peru with his brother, sister, and girlfriend...and we all ended up being able to coordinate and meet up in Cusco. How we "coordinated" anything with this bunch, I have no idea.

Frank, who was the one who knew everyone in the group when the adventure began, went to UNC Chapel Hill as an undergrad and was part of Presbyterian Campus Ministry there (that´s how we met freshman year). He moved to Nicaragua for awhile after college and then decided to join his brother teaching English in Bogota. His girlfriend is Colombian and speaks no English. Our other friends from Raleigh generally speak no Spanish. (Jack Sprat could eat no fat...) Conversations for the week were quite involved with games of pictionary and "guess that cognate" (funny game, I might add). Frank and I ended up translating most of the conversations back and forth until we hit the religious conversations of "does God exist" and the political discussions of Colombia, FARC, and Hugo Chavez. At this, I called it a night. My vocabulary does not extend that far. Have fun Frank.

We all arrived in Cusco at different times. I got there on Sunday, just in time to be a part of the Inti Raymi celebration - the festival of the sun. It was practiced every year around the same time since the Incan times (remember their calendar is different) to sacrifice and praise to the Sun God until the Spanish conquistadors took over. In the 1950's the celebration was brought back to honor tradition and has been a staple of many tourists' travels every since. The whole central square was closed off with local people depicting the different parts of the Incan society. This festival brings in around 30,000 tourists leaving the town bursting at its gills with gringos. This year, I happened to be one of them. I hate this label...

After the festival, our whole group finally came together and decided to go to Machu Picchu. This is where the real fun began as every member represented a different theology of travel. I was the "I'd really rather plan this trip - book the train two days (at least!) in advance, call the hostels, and figure out our general schedule" type (honestly gotten from two parents whom I will not name other than to say their names start with "G" and "K" and end in "-ary" and "-aren"). My Raleigh friends were the "I'd rather figure it out when we get there but would rather stay somewhere with a bathroom and hot water that does not resemble a dump" types. Frank was the "let's do this as cheaply as possible" type and his brother was the "I'm going to fly by the seat of my pants, do things as rustically as possible, and do whatever I can to not spend any unnecessary money" type (aka another member of the McDougal clan).

The cheapest way to get there was to take a bus to Ollantantambo and then the train to Aguas Calientes, the jumping off place for Machu Picchu. The plan was to take the bus to Ollantantambo, immediately get on a train to Aguas Calientes, stay the night there, go to Machu Picchu the next day, and return by train/bus that same day...making it a two day trip. When we got to Ollantantambo the train tickets were double what it would have cost to take a round trip on the train from Cusco...so, we stayed in Ollantantambo for the night (night 1). The next morning we got up and caught the cheaper train that left at 6:10am to arrive in Aguas Calientes. The problem is, the tourist groups get to Machu Picchu around 9-10am and the place is swarming with gringos following flags that are leading the tour groups. So, we decided to wait until the next day when we could see the sunrise there and appreciate the wonder without tons of tourist bees. Our hostel owner told us of a reasonably "easy" hike that when you reached the summit, you could look out over Machu Picchu...and it was free to do. That being said, our group was on board. Everyone had told us it took about 1 1/2 hours to get up Putukusi and that the hike was definitely worth it. It ended up involving about 15 different rung ladders, steep inclines, rock staircases, and traverses that never ended. If someone would have really explained this trail to me before doing it, I would not have gone...however, given the situation and the view from there, I'm so glad I did it. 3 1/2 hours later four of us reached the summit and got to view Machu Picchu for the first time...absolutely amazing. You could see the entire expanse of the Andes there with Machu Picchu nestled in. You felt like you were back in time staring at the ruins for the first time. We met a Peruvian guide up top and told him that our only fear was getting back down all those ladders that we ascended to get up there. To my chagrin, he said, "Oh yeah, you should definitely be careful going down. It's pretty dangerous." Thanks so much! I knew that but didn't want to hear it out loud! Overall, the hike took up the entire morning and first part of the afternoon which was quite fabulous given that Aguas Calientes is a town set up as a base camp for Machu Picchu and has got to be one of the uglier cities I have seen in Peru thus far - "the armpit of the Andes" - even surpassing Lima! (night 2)

We spent the night there and 3 of us caught the bus up to Machu Picchu. Our other friends decided to hike up the traverses that ascended the mountain to get to Machu Picchu because it was free. They set out at 4:15am and arrived a little before 6am when the doors opened. I was quite content with the $14 bus that kept my legs from turning into jello for the second day in a row after not exercising that much here...at altitude. I probably should have done it... The views of Machu Picchu are amazing and no picture can quite do it justice. (At least in the morning before 2,500 people attack the ruins) We spent 8 hours there in total. This of course, in good McDougal fashion, means that I was running around the entire ruins snapping my brains out with pictures. (thanks dad). I think I could have taken more...honestly. Richard swears that Machu Picchu was actually referring to "Muchas pictures" because of how many pictures people take when they're there...haha. We finally descended back to Aguas Calientes around 2pm and spent our time wandering and window shopping in the insanely priced markets set up for tourist groups. Some restaurants even had the audacity to charge us tax. (this doesn't happen in Latin or South America. Tax is always included in the price they give you...period) So, of course, we argued a lot about taxes given that the meals were already WAY over priced anyway. (night 3)

We left Aguas Calientes the next morning on the train at 5:30am, caught a bus from Ollantantambo back to Cusco and basically crashed. 3 days of getting up before 5am and lasting until after 11pm take a toll when you are out of your element and traveling. Frank's brother decided then and there he had paid too much for everything and spent the rest of the week eating bread and peanut butter. The group decided that they were going to head down to another city, Puno on Lake Titicaca which coincided with the day that I returned to Lima on a plane and descended back down into a wall of clouds...haha.

When in Perú, do as the Peruvians do...

So, I decided to join two of the girls from the Institute for a little run on Saturday...what I found out, after I had agreed to it, was that this run was an 8K that started at 7 at night - "Corriendo Bajo La Luna 2008". Well, I probably need the exercise anyway and how often do I get this experience? So, I took a few micros and met them over at this little park called Parque San Miguel for our "little"run. By the time all of us got there, it was time for the race to start and the Peruvian national anthem was being played. We ran in, got our numbers, grabbed t-shirts, took off all the winter clothing (and put the clothing along with wallets, keys, and cell phones into the bag I was carrying and continued to carry all through the race...), and literally took off running. No stretching, no warm-up - just absolutely cold. I think my knees will probably hate me for that...haha. I managed to keep up with all the girls and run (these girls don't jog), despite the fact that I've had three weeks here without running or any sort of formal exercise. (I do however do sit-ups and squats in the room where I work when no one is looking...shhh) I guess I should count my blessings though that these girls were not Kenyan men whom I had decided to go running with at 5am in the mornings. (I have made this mistake...) I also ran without using my arms because I was holding a bag onto my back the entire time, trying to keep it from flopping around. I count it as a success...most definitely. Best thing about running with Peruvian women - they have little short legs like me and can't run in large strides! Yay - short people!! After the race, they had a huge gym full of racers and families of racers dancing cumbia, salsa, and merengue...so yeah, I did that too - do as the Peruvians do, I always say. Nothing like adding a little bit more exercise to top off the evening!!

Ready for round 2! Who is with me?

I must say this has been a crazy week. I woke up every day around 5:30am and had to be out waiting for my bus to Canto Grande every day by 6:45am to be able to get to work by 8:30am (long bus ride...). Mary, the woman I am living with was gone for the week with a group of students from Iowa State to Cuzco as part of their program here. So, on top of getting myself up and out the door (which was quite a feat in itself some days...), I was in charge of two dogs and making sure they were fed, taken out, and back inside before i left every morning. I also then had to feed them, take them out, keep them from barking, and put them up before bed every night. I partially appreciate why moms are always so tired...(considering these are dogs and not children).

The beginning of the week was rather stressful because I had to call a taxi and explain to him where I lived in order to get to the Institute to head out to Canto Grande. I said my street on Parque Colombia and he took that as "I live on Parque Colombia STREET" and couldn't find me for about half an hour... In the midst of that, I got frustrated, which meant my Spanish went out the window and all that came out was English (Deybi, my teacher from the Dominican Republic knows this one all too well from me...). I finally made it but made everyone late who came to meet at the Institute. I'll blame it on first day gitters.

The next day, no improvement. The traffic was so awful that it took an hour and a half to get from my house to the Institute (a 30 minute drive) and Ivan, our driver to Canto Grande, kept calling and checking in on me. Day 3 lead me to an insane stressout because I had left the Institute on the public transportation with another lady working there, but had absolutely no idea how to get home. Here's the situation that unfolded Wednesday afternoon. The training of the Healthcare workers had continued with questionnaires in the afternoon and then a discussion back at the Canto Grande site about problems they saw, questions they had, etc. It's rolling around to about 6:30pm - which is when it gets dark here year round and I am so confused about how I am getting home. So, I ask the lady I came with if I could go back with her. That meant finding a taxi from there and paying a lot more...but at least I would know what I was doing to get back home. She told me she was staying that night to visit a relative and wouldn't be going home. Right...

So, everyone started talking over everyone else trying to tell me the best way to get home. It started by the gringa pulling out her map (which I had to have!) and having 2 women explain the best way to get home. Unfortunately, they had different ideas about the best way to get home. One of them was showing me the fastest way, the other - the way with the least amount of buses to take. Then, 3 more women chimed in with their opinion and it soon became a gaggle of women huddled over my head and over my map discussing, at the same time, the best way for me to get home. The problem is, I didn't understand a thing and I had actually gotten pushed back out of the gaggle in order for them to "discuss". Unnerving. I cried. I now know how to shut up a room full of 20 Latinas who are all talking over each other crescendo-ing upwards into all out screams....cry. The room was silent. Hey, it turns out, I need to know ONE bus, and that bus goes right by my house. One of the ladies, Luciola (whom I love!), actually went out of her way to take me home that first night to make sure I got there ok. My stop is about 30-45 minutes out of her way... She then met me the next morning to go with me again so that I would feel comfortable about it. Moral - crying does work....at least for women...haha.

Today (and I expect clapping) I made it to and from Canto Grande by myself with no help from anyone. Both trips were in the dark because of the hour.

I end up staying late most nights now helping with getting the questionnaires and observation papers in order with questions from the previous day addressed. Coding a lot of these questions is really the hard part because the observation/evaluation has to match with the questionnaires so we have a 'gold standard' to go by without the questions being too open or too closed (open = blanks left for responses and mother or observer can write whatever. We then, have to figure out how to code that in a computer. closed = multiple choice answers with little room for discretion. This boxes the observers and the mothers into a specific idea and may not be actually what they are thinking or doing at all.)

Photos:
(1) - Laundry hanging in Canto Grande
(2) - Some of the ladies and I outside of the Institute's Canto Grande field office
(3) - some houses up on the hill
(4) - funky chickens with feathers all over their heads and some on their feet (!)
(5) - one of the trails up to the houses on the hill that we have to climb every day to interview or observe mothers and children

just a few pictures while crawling up the mountain to get to peoples' houses to interview them. I still haven't gotten used to the sight of the shanty towns so I keep taking pictures of them. I also can't get used to the smell of dog poop and open sewer everywhere... (might be worse than the original smell of gasoline, burning trash, and dirt) We will revisit this idea later.

I had to put a small video of Canto Grande up here....I snuck it in today while no one was looking. It's not long, but it gives you an essence of the community. We are up on a rocky hill getting ready to interview a woman about her feeding habits for her baby.

When I smell burning trash, my thoughts immediately go back to Nicaragua...almost immediately. I think of Nueva Vida (our village where we worked) as we drove through in the "gringo bus" through the bumpy dirt streets waiting for the cows to cross and watching the barefooted children play in the trash heaps. I get a certain feeling when I smell burning trash, like I am back there. I can feel the dirt clinging to my skin as I sweat while playing football in a dirt pitch. I can hear the sounds of pots clanging together as the mothers cooked lunch for their families, the sound of the kids laughing as they run (asking for candy from the gringos), and the sound of the local evangelist driving through the town with a bullhorn. Every time, that's what comes back into my head. I never thought I would crack a smile at the smell of burning trash.

Now, burning trash AND exhaust from all the buses and unregulated cars...that's a different story. THAT is Kenya. The fast pace of the cities is mixed with the tranquil lifestyle of the rural areas as they butt heads exchanging a few loud horn honks and goat bleets.

Today, I was brought back to Muhuru Bay, Kenya where I worked in a medical clinic. There is something about dry dirty, gas fumes, and burning trash that gets into you and leaves a lasting mark. I am working now near Lima in a town called Canto Grande with a group of field workers trained to take and record surveys etc for the Institute. Every morning we go into a house in small groups and observe how the mother interacts with her child during feeding, what she feeds the child, and whether the mother gave the food because it was time to eat, because the kid was hungry, etc etc. It's about 58 questions long for breakfast, snacks, and lunch. I'm writing constantly...and I keep saying, "como se dice (point to something) esa comida en español?" I am still learning all the Peruvian fruits and vegetables as well as the names of the dishes when they are all compiled. I think I'm learning more than helping...but maybe that was the point anyway.

I arrived at the Institute at 6:15am because my cab driver misunderstood what time I told him to be at my house....6:30am. He got there 2 minutes after I had gotten out of the shower at 5:50am and discussed with me rather in depth that I had said 6. My thought was, "either way, you're still wrong because I have 10 more minutes." (He later looked at his card and apologized to me...yeah baby!!) So I used those 10 minutes although I never got my coffee this morning...for those of you who know me - sad news! So, I arrived at the Institute and waited for close to 45 minutes (could have been sleepy time!!) this morning until one of the other ladies showed up to take me to Canto Grande. I am NOT getting on a bus by myself to get there...sorry. I still haven't learned the public transportation system very well in my area...I'm not taking it an hour outside of the city...haha. We got to Canto Grande around 8:15am and went out into the field and began our work.

Sidenote: Canto Grande as well as many other shanty towns around the city are built on private property and include many people who do not own land. This makes it rather interesting when it comes to development because these people may have lived there for 10-20 years, but they own no title to the land and can therefore be kicked off at a moment's notice. Lima is also very dry with huge sand dunes and large rock formations. These squatters often set up residence on these high hills with plywood and little keeping them from falling if a storm or an earthquake hits. Many of these places do not have running water or sewage so sewage runs down the hills and a truck comes around to deliver potable water. Quite a change from parts of downtown Lima (or where I live) where everyone waters the grass and flowers in the medians and in the parks to keep them green. If it weren't watered...it would all die.

I'll stop now, more to come. Enjoy the pictures. (I cannot use my big camera so side snapshots will have to do in areas like this. The ladies are sure my big camera will get stole in about 3 minutes flat.)

The weekend begins with a shake...

So, rather interesting...this morning we had a small earthquake (un terremoto) here in Lima. Nobody was hurt but it was rather strange to wake up to! I have never experienced that before! For those of you who read Spanish, here's an article on it.

http://www.peru.com/noticias/idocs/2008/6/7/DetalleDocumento_517239.asp

(So far I can't find it in English...it might be out later today or tomorrow)

Group Training

Our research project on complementary feeding in summation:

Day 1: Observe women who have children 6-24 months of age who are still being breastfed but are also receiving other foods as well. These observations will be recorded for any food fed during the day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, as well as breastfeeding events.

Day 2: A different field worker returns to the same house that was observed the day before, this time giving a questionnaire to the mother regarding what she fed her child the day before and the way she interacted with the child during the feeding episodes.

The observations and the questionnaires will be analyzed in comparison at a later date to look at breast feeding, complementary feeding (adding in food after 6 months), and responsive feeding (interactive nature between the mother and the baby before and during feeding).

Right now, we are in the middle of training the people who will be going out into the field to do these observations and questionnaires. Our group is trying to make sure we have consensus on our responses so that we have valid results throughout the study. The funny part is...what we end up discussing:

'When the baby is in the mother's lap sitting down, is the baby considered "sitting" or is the baby being held by the mother?'
'When the baby then stands up, is it considered standing or being carried by the mother?'
'Also, when the baby is on the mother's lap, is the mother frente al frente (facing the child), al costado (beside the child), or atras (behind the child)?'

We had the first discussion yesterday...and it literally took 15 minutes to come to a consensus about what was what. The same applied for the second decision today. It makes me giggle a little inside although I totally know it is necessary so that everyone is on the same page for research validation purposes. However, the part that was extremely frustrating a few days ago is now a little but humorous as well. All the women want to weigh in on the decision...but they want to do it at the same time. It would be overwhelming in English too I'm afraid...and that's my native language. We go out into the field on Monday although everyone living at or near my house will be in Cuzco so I get to find my way to the Institute before we head out into the field to begin observations. Suhweet. I also have a weekend to explore and learn my part of the city...THAT, I am excited about!

Top picture: our house
Bottom picture: training session at IIN

Breasts! (well...breast feeding that is...)

So I would just like to say that Obama is now our nominee for president and I couldn't be more ecstatic!! Even though I'm in Peru, I shall still be pulling for my candidate.

Onto life at the Institute (which I can probably bring back to Obama somehow if I wanted to...). For those of you who are interested, the website for the institute where I am working is:

http://www.iin.sld.pe

It gives all the information on the researchers working here, current research going on, and past research published and unpublished.

I began working on a reproductive feeding project through Dr. Hilary Creed-Kanashiro that is currently training women to go out into the field to collect research on how women in parts of Peru are supplementing infant feeding between 6 months and 24 months of age. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that women breastfeed until at least 6 months and then begin supplementing the diet of the child with a variety of food sources along with breast milk (breast fed, pumped, etc) until 24 months of age so that the child gets adequate nutrition after just receiving solely breast milk. (Yes - this applies in the states - breastfeed your children! There's tons of research out there.) The research is being conducted to see what the current practices of women are and how research could influence breastfeeding toward the positive.

I'm supposed to be helping to train the women as well...but I know so little Peruvian foods that I'm not worth much there I'm afraid. The first day was an absolute terror for me because I got thrown into a group full of women who all are speaking Spanish at the same time and trying to talk over each other to answer questions and give suggestions. My head HURT after yesterday. Today was definitely much better and I realized how much Spanish I have. I will always be learning Spanish and have a lot to learn yet...but I'm getting there. In this project I will be involved in data organization once the health workers go out and collect data from the mothers. It's at least a 3 month study so I will only be involved in 2 of the months...but I am soo excited about it. I think it is going to be a great opportunity!

I am slowly learning my way around the city...and for not having a map yet I think I'm doing awesome! Haha. My house is in Surco (a district) and the Institute is in La Molina (I have posted a map so you can see the districts) so it takes two "micros" (pronounced "me-crows") to get to work and back. I was expected to use public transportation on the first day of work but that freaked me out enough that I was able to convince people that was a very bad idea. I didn't have a phone yet and if I got lost, I didn't have a map either...so I would wander aimlessly through the streets. That would make me a liability...hahaha. One of the other professors who is staying with Dr. Penny as well took me around part of the city this evening and let me see the indigenous market and other cool restaurants and stores...so I am feeling a bit more comfortable with getting around and getting my bearings.

We shall see what life has in store for me tomorrow. Life is always an adventure.

Welcome to Lima, Peru

So I made it to Lima late Saturday night and finally got to the house where I was staying around 3am Peru time (4am NC time). There are other students (around 20) here from Iowa State working on a Nutrition course through the University who got in Saturday as well throughout the day and will be here for a month working on different field placements alongside courses held at the Institute. The unfortunate thing is that they are staying at a hotel quite a distance from me so I may not have friends...haha.

I am living with one of the researchers at the Instituto de Investigacion Nutricional for the next two months and will be working on different research projects. I think I begged hard enough to get here that they accepted me here for my summer practicum even though there weren't any specific projects lined up. I will more than likely be working on pilot projects in order to validate research before it goes through ethics approval. (You have to get all research presented through an International Review Board (IRB) to make sure the work you are doing is conducted in an ethical fashion for any person participating. It is required in all human research.)

I am living about 20 minutes away from the Institute (although about 45 with traffic) and come to work every day with Dr. Mary Penny (the woman I am living with). I however, will have to take alternative transportation home in the evenings because otherwise I will be waiting for hours for Dr. Penny (I have been told). The interesting thing though is that there is no public funded transportation here. Different "micros" as they are called are owned by private companies and have different routes. As it stands, the traffic is a bit hectic and somewhat unorganized (although there are specific routes that are laid out).

I am in the midst of trying to figure out the city. It is huge though, with over 8 million inhabitants and when you include the incorporated areas as well, closer to 9.3 million people. I am looking for a phone and a gym...those are the only two commodities outside of food and water that I have decided I have to have. The phone for emergencies, the gym for my sanity.

I will post soon as more stories occur and I have taken some pictures. I will try and keep the blogs shorter this trip so that you guys don't have to read novels again (like what happened when I was in the Dominican Republic). PS - for all my Dominicans out there - I still love Santo Domingo better...probably because you guys are all there. :)