Creeping Up Real Fast

Through the wonderful world of Facebook, about 25 members of Peru 17 (my group) have found each other, and what's even better, current volunteers (Peru 13-16 I think) have found us and have been SO helpful in answering questions.  From packing, to how assignment works, to what training is like, to receiving mail...so incredibly helpful.  I also got to meet two other 17-ers who live in the DC area- a quick coffee turned in to dinner after 4 hours!

I sold my car on Wednesday, which was a big deal to me.  I didn't want to be stressed about it in my last weeks so was glad to have it gone, but I've had that car since I got my license- so many memories from high school and college...

Before I sold my car I took care of my major Peace Corps shopping at REI and the outlets, which also was a big relief.  Main purchases were:

• compact, quick-drying, anti-microbial towels
• headlamp and lantern
• quick-drying, anti-microbial underwear and new bras
• good everyday backpack with cool hidden safety features for when I'm in the city
• waterless shampoo and conditioner
• electrical transformer
• Swiss Army knife
• big rolling duffel bag

I ended up doing a packing test run last weekend because I'm having a bit of a dilemma about which bags to take.  My plan is to check a roller duffel (either the new one or an older, smaller one) and big hiking pack (choosing between two I own) and carry-on my regular back pack.  The trick is I'm supposed to be able to carry all this myself.  I ended up with 50 lbs of clothes and 30 lbs of... books.  Well, books with a few photo albums, electronics, and toiletries, but wow that made me consider a Kindle.  And apparently receiving packages in Peru is a huge pain, so not sure what I'm going to do there.  I really want to bring my favorite books to re-read/trade and books I've been planning to read, and I don't want to buy them for a second time on Kindle...and I really prefer the experience of physical books... but 25ish pounds is pretty significant!

Can't believe I'm less than 7 weeks out.  Especially since I'm traveling to Charlottesville next weekend for Foxfield, its really starting to dawn on me how little time at home I have left!

Lastly, I'm leaving this in the back of my mind but the results of the first round of the Peruvian election were pretty surprising to me.  The two most extreme candidates (right and left) will advance to the second round on June 5th, a mere 4 days before my staging.  Some are concerned about what will happen to Peace Corps Peru if the leftist, Ollanta Humala, wins, but no one really knows what to expect from him.  Peace Corps left Bolivia in 2008, although I don't know if it was on the initiative of the Peace Corps or leftist President Evo Morales... but on the other hand, Peace Corps continues to have a strong program in Nicaragua, where leftist Daniel Ortega has been the controversial president since 2006.  I guess it will really depend on how hostile Humala could become to the United States, if at all, and how the Peace Corps feels about our safety.  I don't like that the election is so close to my departure date, but hopefully we will all be at training and in close contact with PC Staff while any decisions are being made.

On a better note, my new, discounted Chacos should be coming in the mail tomorrow!  The consensus from current Volunteers has created this priority list for packing for Peru:

1. laptop + external hard drive (for movies, tv shows, etc)
2. iPod
3. Chacos and other good quality shoes
4. favorite books and more to trade
5. clothes that layer
6. pocket/Swiss Army knife
7. good sunglasses

Well, this post was longer than intended.  That seems to always happen.  I'm going to work on making my posts short and entertaining when I actually get to Peru!

Peer Pressure for the Win!

Really good, short article from livinginperu.com, also alludes to an article from the Economist... gives a broad idea of the electoral race in Peru right now, five days until election.  If no candidate has an official majority, it will go to a runoff a month later.

Also, I got two very exciting pieces of mail today! One, my electronic Spanish-English translator.  Its bigger than I hoped (not truly pocket-sized) but I think it'll do.  It's not like I'm going to bring it out in casual conversations, but will be helpful when reading or trying to learn new vocab.  Other piece of mail was a book, Tina Rosenberg's Join the Club: How Peer Pressure Can Transform the World.

I heard her speaking on NPR and was beyond excited, because this is exactly the kind of social development work that I'm interested in.  My psychologist parents have always commented on my sensitivity to "community" and its importance, and I think that's very true about myself.  For one, I saw it as a very important and valid factor in my search for a religious identity.  I became even more interested in the topic over the past year, between reading the Tipping Point and seeing the Social Network.  Combining the two, I got the idea that an awesome tool for youth development, or really any global development projects, would be to create "prestigious" groups that encourage positive lifestyles and choices.  And I don't mean the "you're so cool for living above the influence!" campaigns.  What I am referring to is tapping into the unbeatable human need for belonging, in structured, hierarchical, and exclusive groups.  These adjectives are generally seen as negative, similar to the word "peer pressure."  Of course they are.  Together, those words suggest a gang or cult.  But think about what a gang or cult provides to people- a sense of belonging.  a sense of purpose in your role and your life.  a mission.  role models. pride.  identity.


These are some of the most powerful drivers of human behavior, and in some ways it's amazing that we haven't done more in social programs to tap into their power!  I am really interested in the possibility of creating "anti-gangs," organizations that provide the same motivators but towards positive ends, like social activism, education, alcoholism prevention, and entrepreneurship.  Tina Rosenberg covers some examples from around the world that show how we can use the power of peer pressure for good.

As a caveat, as much as I loved the Tipping Point, I think its important to take books like these with a grain of salt because the authors clearly make an argument that they are trying to prove throughout the book.  They interpret data in untraditional ways, which often leads to important findings, but sometimes the statistical support just still isn't there.  I believe her basic theory is right so I want to read it, but I won't automatically believe that every example shows the correct relationship between causes and effects.