Dance, dance, dance...!

Today is the happiest day I´ve lived in Cuzco.
I´m trying to keep the overdose of emotions in check but it´s hard. I had the good fortune of helping to organize and attending two birthday parties, a morning one at the Inti in the centre and one uphill in the afternoon.

I woke up at 7 this morning, all excited. Went to the supermarket and bought loads of goodies (juice, candies, lollypops, biscuits) and gifts for the birthday kids. I got good toothbrushes and cream, mostly stuff they will use daily. In the morning, we finished off the homework and classes by 10;30, then Edna, Melina and I prepared the candy and popcorn bags to distribute (see picture of Edna and Melina, left and right respectively with the candies) . By then, the music had already started and the children were dancing. Of course, how can I say no to dancing? ;) Carlos swept me into a frenzied dance à deux. It was really cute. I was surprised that the boys weren´t shy at all. Doesn´t it look fun?

After the children finished off lunch and cake, they left for to school and Edna and I made our way to the supermarket to get more goodies for the afternoon kids uphill. I didn´t get enough this morning, despite getting a mini-taxi full of bags. And so, up the hill we went... Ok it was actually in a mini-van that serves as a bus. It was my first time riding in one of those and let me just say that it´s not for the faint of heart, specially if you´re sitting next to the door. People get on and off with the van still running...But I made it. I know, so did Edna..but she would obviously have made it, same van or not. hehehe. Still, the higher we go, the poorer it becomes...

This uphill centre is new, as you can see and the children there are younger, but oh so lively and affectionate. I could get used to these hugs and kisses. Now, if you think that this morning was a fiesta, this one was a real concert. Two little girls especially, Gloria and Joseline, both about 9, just took to the dancefloor like there was no tomorrow. It´s a pity I can´t treat you to a video as it takes a freaking long time to upload. But these girls are amazing... And little Toribio, in red, is really sweet. He did sulk while everyone else was dancing. Apparently, dancing is not his thing. :) But still, they all went back home, feeling special.

Oops, it´s 7:30 p.m. already and I have to go home and pack. Yesterday, on a whim, I booked a weekend in Puno, Lake Titicaca. The bus leaves tonight at 9:30 p.m. for a 6-hour ride. I´ll get to stay with a native family on an island, attend a celebration, get dressed in typical clothes and eat good food. Will be back Monday early morning, in time for work. I think I will have a lot to write about when I come back. :)

Before ending, tomorrow is my brother´s birthday. Happy Birthday bro! I miss you!

And on Sunday, it´s my mum´s 60th! I´m sorry i can´t be there with you guys to celebrate but I´ll be thinking hard about you and send you lots of love.

Also celebrating this Sunday is my cousin Kevin! Big hugs big guy!

I´d better get going now. Have a great weekend!

PS: Pictures are to be viewed from bottom up. :)

Football and cake

"¿Profe, profe, te gusta el futbol?" (Teacher, do you like football? - in an excited tone)
"Si, por qué?"
"¿Te toca jugar con nosotros hoy?" (Do you feel like playing with us today?)

It seems that buying my Cienciano (name of Cusco´s football team) jersey was a very good move. I got to wear it again today. Every Thursday, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. the teachers take the children, well the sportiest ones, to a concrete playground just 2 minutes up the street. It is something they really look forward to. Walter, who has the Down syndrome, even dresses for the occasion, clad head to toe in his football gear. They are all generally full of life and energy. Now, double that energy and imagine 16 kids running about and playing soccer and volleyball. I mean, I could not keep up with them... First off, I played volleyball and it reminded me my high school days when the volley court was my favourite place to be. Next, I was drawn into a cheerful soccer partido. After begging for a break - I was only allowed 6 minutes - they again dragged me on the court. It was so much fun and seeing the kids enjoying themselves was a real treat. Even my bruised volleyball-battered arms don´t matter! See picture of me with my equipo!

It was a quite busy day today. In the afternoon, Profe Edna, Milagros (in the picture: cheeky little girl that reminds me of ... myself at that age!), David and Ronald and I were in the kitchen to bake four cakes for tomorrow´s birthday celebrations. Well, we actually prepared the batter. We then had to take our moulds up three streets (damn those steps) to a horno to have them baked. I was fascinated by this huge old-style oven or furnace that people would go to and pay to have their food baked. I was so curiously interested that I could not resist taking pictures. You can see the little ones eagerly waiting for the cakes to come out, all brown and warm...It was hard to resist breaking off a bite...!

Everyone is excited about the birthdays tomorrow. I have a huge list of supplies, gifts, goodies and drinks to buy tonight! Guys, we are making about 80 children happy tomorrow - including 11 happier birthday boys and girls. You should see me right now, I´m as excited and as dusty as the rest of them!

Hope you enjoy the pics. Isn´t Emerson (wearing the blue sweater) just a beautiful kid? They are all adorable but hey, all "teachers" have their personal favourites, nah? (It´s ok, it doesn´t show though.)

I will try to come back tomorrow to post pics of the fiestas. It won´t be hard, what with Internet cafes at every corner. Plus writing helps me unwind at the end of the day. :)

More about the Inti and then some...

I had a day off from work today. There are strikes going on throughout the city, not quite sure what for. Some had signs about water preservation and others were talking about opposing the government. Apparently, these strikes take place at least once a month and at the end of the day, they never seem to make a difference. Children are probably the happiest about this, as they get the day off.

I got my schedule (my real one). They do want me there all day from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. I will specifically be helping with English homework and workshops and some Maths. Luz Marina, the head of the centre, said because my Spanish is good, I can really help with the teaching. I couldn´t be happier about that. The thing is because they just opened another centre further up in the mountains - to accomodate children that live further up - they want me there in the afternoons three times a week. The children are so very warm and welcoming, always giving me kisses to greet me and holding my hand, calling me "chinita" (little chinese girl) and asking me if I speak Japanese. I actually gave a little geography lesson yesterday to show off where Mauritius is. Little Ronald (my favourite little rebel) wanted to know if we could get there by boat. :)It does get complicated explaining the Mauritius-Canada-Africa-Asian thing...! :)

As promised, I spoke to Luz Marina about the donations and finally had to go to the bank and deposit the money into the Inti´s account. They have to account for their expenses and show their bills. But I did keep about $200 to buy candies, food and little gifts for the two birthday celebrations to be held this Friday at both centres. These are actually group celebrations for those whose birthday fall in the month of May. I will not fail to take some pictures. With all the money we have deposited into the account, they will be able to buy supplies, food and vitamins for the next four months! How wonderful is that. They are very, very grateful to all of you who donated and send their thank-yous and kisses. So MUCHAS GRACIAS A TODOS from them! :)

As I was saying, today was a day off. So, Maria, Mark (another volunteer from Australia who´s been here since October) and I went to a pub/restaurant to watch the Champions League final. Maria and I even bought red jerseys (albeit of the Cusquenean team) but what can I say, was a very disappointing match but the Cusqueña beer was a delight. After Man U lost, we started our third beer...way to drown our sorrow...although Maria is a Liverpool fan. I think I offended her when I said that Liverpool sucked.

We have a mini-break now and will meet again for supper in half an hour, then we´ll head back to the pub for a charity fund-raising quiz night for street children. That should be fun. Oh no, more beer. Thanks Mum and Dad for giving me good drinking genes. By the way, I found out this morning that my parents actually read my blog. I called them this morning and dad asked me about this Brazilian boy I mentioned...You can imagine the rest...! Paps, c zis ene garçon ki ti dans meme tour ek moi, pas tracasser, line disparet tout suite apres! hehehe (geez man...) :p

I leave you with some pictures I took this morning with the lamas and native women at the Plaza de Armas (had to pay for 2 soles for that, about 50 cents).

I hope you are all doing well. Know that blogging is my way to keep in touch, it saves me from e-mailing, something I have issues with. ;)

My first day at the Inti

Today was my first day volunteering at the Inti...

Woke up early, as in every other day since getting here. Surprisingly, I haven´t seen Maria, the other volunteer/housemate since Saturday. I would know upon returning home an hour ago that she had been sick in bed all of yesterday. So, I left early at 8:30, took a cab, ended up with a "tonto" that got lost but finally got there!

The centre is located on the lower part of the city, quite desert I must say but it looks like a very secure place. I met Henry first, the soft-spoken psychologist who showed me around and explained the logistics, and introduced me to the other teachers. There are two groups of children, one comes in in the morning from 8;30 to 12;30 and the other from 2:30 to 6;30. I volunteered to be here all day, instead of choosing one group. I mean, that´s what I´m here for.

The children...how can you not feel your heart swell with affection seeing them? They are so open, happy and seem to enjoy life, or at least..what life offers them. All of these children work, even those with special needs. They come to the centre of their own free will and seek help voluntarily. Most of them don´t live with their parents, some lucky ones get to go back during the weekend. Some just live on their own and fend for themselves. Some have been there for years now. Others, like Elizabeth, who chatted with me in the afternoon, experienced her very first day at the Inti today. I felt a squeeze around my heart when she said: "Llevame a Canada". (Take me to Canada) What can you say...except, "you have to work hard and study so one day you get to go to all the countries you want. You must not give up because studying is the key".

Encouragement is something you have to keep feeding them. If they don´t like a subject, they will tend to let it be and look for distractions. It´s easy to just let go and fall out, as Henry told me. I have to be firm and insist. Which I did and so Ronald and David finished their science homework about the respiratory system. David is very smart and quick and little Ronald is more of a challenge and escaped about 4 times to the yard. Mais il ne sait pas de quel bois je me chauffe. :)

THe first group in the morning is the teenage group, they go to school in the afternoon after being fed a healthy lunch. They need help with their homework and once this is out of the way, they scatter to cooking, sewing, jewellery and leather manufacture workshops. I helped Carlos this morning. Carlos has learning disabilities and we did some Maths together. I know...Maths, especially in Spanish! But know what, I´m so rocking it. I helped Edith with fractions this afternoon, so much so that my head felt heavy with all the Spanish explanations I had to give.

I felt tired afterward (But tired in a good way.)and walked the 30 mins back home. It was a long day and I stayed all day. Will walk back and forth everyday. It´s time for the "Profe", as the children call me, to call it a day now.

Tomorrow, will talk to Luz Marina, the head of the centre about what we can buy. Will keep you posted.
I have to go now. They are closing and kicking me out.

To those reading, thank you! Motivates me to write more! Hasta pronto!

Cuzco, a land far from home...

So I got to Cuzco yesterday afternoon and it´s nothing like anything I imagined. First off, the landscape is just out of this world. The mountains, the clay roofs... I didn´t do much once I got to my lodging, which by the way, is nothing like I imagined. I thought I would be lodged at a guesthouse, like a private family house but it´s actually the house where all the volunteers stay. So, once I got over my initial shock, I was given a 2-minute tour of the house by Giannina, the teacher who had been waiting for me. She left after 5 minutes. What a welcome...

I admit I felt slightly homesick last night. There are two other girls in the house, a Danish girl, Maria, who said she was homesick the whole first week she was here and Maruja, a Peruvian girl who works as a biologist. Maria is also a volunteer and we will go to the centre together tomorrow for my first day. It´s true that a good night´s sleep puts everything back into perspective. I feel fresher today, must have been the hot and cold shower. First time I take a hot shower and still get goosebumps. It´s freaking cold at night but hot during the day. The sun is scorching. I just bought alpaca gloves for tonight! I realize I downsized my backpack so much the second time I left that I barely have enough clothes to wear and no long-sleeved shirts...Gotta go get me one of those. Hmm an alpaca sweater too why not. We are provided with the minimum, have to make our own food and be autonomous. I ate instant noodles yesterday! It´ll just take some adjusting to. Going to the market on my way home later. I can´t eat crackers all the time, right Ka? ;)

As promised, I managed to find an Internet place with newer computers hehe. The house is located on Av. Huana Capac in the province of Wanchaq, Cuzco. My room is just above the shop and you can see my bedroom window behind the tree. Our entrance is through the blue door on the right. The many corner shops remind me again of Mauritius...The neighbourhood itself is very poor and people are always on the streets. But there is something about the very air, so pure and serene...you can only breathe it in. You cannot help but also feel that there is something greater out here. It´s almost divine... And I have got to add that the dryer Andean air does wonders for my hair - after what it´s been through, wonders it is! In Lima, it was so humid that my hair was nothing but inexplicable and I had given up on it altogether. Now, in Cuzco, it´s actually bearable, so hopefully the bad hair days, well they won´t be as bad. There is an anniversary celebration of the district where I´m staying and it´s fiesta time out there!
Oh I also added a couple of pictures to a previous Lima posting. Later!

En route to Cuzco, once my airport curse is broken

Just when I thought things were going pretty well, the Gods of the airport went and cancelled my flight to Cuzco. I should have been on the plane right now, headed for the Andean mountains but no, it will have to wait 3 more hours. Come on, give me something new. I mean, I can take THAT! I dont even feel frustrated, it's just another airport incident. And I'm so proud of the deal I got on this return ticket: US$82 bought two days ago instead of $290 if bought 2 months ago. Ok, I do admit i took a risk here but see? Sometimes it IS worth being last minute. ;) Anyway, I won't let that not-too-exhilarating news ruin the past two days where I must have been the most liberated-as in free- spirit to wander the streets of Lima. I'm still amazed by how fast I took to the pace here and this may sound repetitive but the warmth of the people...

I was glad that Carlos was again the one to drive me to the airport, nothing like a friendly, familiar face to close this first chapter. Im sorry i dont have pictures up. I did forget my usb cord thingie. We'll find a way, just bear with me.:) You know technology has never been my forte. I'm just happy i've suddenly caught the wi-fi signal.

I went on the night bus tour on Thursday and had a great evening. Talked to some wonderful elderly señoras. Elder people seem to like to talk to me. I have good conversation with them and never get bored. Plus, they could never hurt a fly. Now i also met Elio. Im left with a fond, slightly amusing memory of Elio. We embarked on the night tour each on our own. Being on your own probably makes you reach out to others like you. After an hour we were "chatting", him in Portuguese and very little Spanish and i barely understanding him. Anyway after two hours on the bus, he turned to me and said: "i, uhhh, how say? Hmmm kiss you?" I almost fell off the bus. I did not see that coming. Elio is 22 and Brazilian. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against 22-year olds and especially not against Brazilians but where the hell did that come from? We had barely spoken and he wants a kiss? After politely declining, inventing myself a boyfriend in Montreal, I sat thinking there must be something about the way of life here that probably gets under your skin. Lovers are everywhere, on the streets, in parks, you can't get away from them. Embracing and making out any where anytime. Must have given poor Elio something to mull over. And Marcel too, the band musician from Trujillo who started up a conversation with me at the Plaza de Armas. I know, don't you guys worry: i'm being very cautious. Survival instincts are at their highest level.

I think that innocent and funny stories like this are what make a trip memorable. The people you meet along the way, no matter how briefly. They may be insignificant but they would have become part of your story for a fraction of your life.

Ok, two more hours to kill. I cant wait to get to Cuzco. The centre is closed in the afternoon so ill go directly to what will be my home for the next 3 weeks. Giannina, one of the teachers, will be waiting for me at her house. She said my room's waiting for me already. If my flight doesn't get cancelled again. I wouldnt be surprised.

Before i pen off for today, Feliz Cumpleaños a mi amiga, Kenza! Wish we could celebrate together but thinking of you and hope you have a blast today! Gros bisous!

Lima: where pleasure for the tastebuds begins

Well, I finally made it!

Contrary to what I expected, I'm not that tired. Must be the adrenaline. I was actually worried about my lodging but turns out they were right on and Carlos, the nicest chauffeur in Lima was there waiting for me. The hostel itself is old and i seem to be the only client. It's a cute and cozy b&b but probably not the kind of place tourists looking to stay in Miraflores would flock to. But I have my own two single beds and private bathroom - the rest doesn't matter. And it's in a quiet area so I slept like a baby. Anyway, I don't plan on staying cooped up in that room at all.

La preuve, après un réveil accompagné de chants d'oiseaux, mon petit dej m'attendait et 15 minutes plus tard, armée d'une carte et d'adresses recommandées, j'entamais ma découverte de Miraflores, districte développé de Lima. On est presque deux hrs de l'aprem, j'écris ce post en dégustant mon premier cebiche et pisco sour -vive le wifi!- après avoir déambulé depuis 10 am. But what a delicious reward!!! :) i'll post pictures later! It's also my first meal ever on my own in a restaurant. Know what? It's great!

Lima is cloudy and foggy but according to Carlos, it never rains here. I dont know about that. It looks like a downpour could happen anytime. But it still hasnt so maybe he was being serious. After my meal I'm going to give the girls a call. Maybe vamos a bailar tomorrow. I'm also going to look for a ticket to a night event. I'll have to do as much as possible since i'm leaving for Cuzco this Sat. So far I've been very impressed by the view of the Pacific ocean. I actually sat there listening to the waves crashing for what seemed like an eternity.

Ok let me go back to my meal. Updating and writing from the phone could take me hours.

Be back later!

Well one hour later and I AM back. In a sketchy Internet cafe that reminds me of the times when we used to hang out after school in cyber cafes.

My cebiche, aji con camarones and pisco sour were out of this world. To again quote Carlos, this adorable chauffeur I hope to see again, there is a reason why Peruvian cuisine is famous for being among the best in the world. I could not agree more.

I just bought a ticket for a night tour that will end in a visit to the Circuito Magico del Agua and my plane ticket to Cuzco for this Saturday.
There is something about this city that really appeals to me. Its weird - sorry about the misplaced accents, cant figure out the keyboard - but I almost feel at home. Walking about its streets seems normal and I dont feel lost at all. The people are warm, friendly and just genuine overall... Hard not to like it here. In more ways than not, it reminds me a lot of home, except with larger streets and busier traffic. Crossing the streets is a real sport here! Maybe its the never ending honking that brings back memories of Mauritius.

Oh I randomly walked into a church earlier today. I cant recall the last time Ive really been in one -other than for your wedding, Karen- must have been something like 2 years ago. Maybe this trip will help me find my faith again. Regardless, I still prayed for you all, family and friends.

Argh, I feel a bit borracha now. I should get going...

Take 2, after the LONG weekend!

"Hey Do, what did you do during the weekend?"
"Oh, I went to Lima and I came back..!"

Yes, it's hard to believe yet it happened. I went to Lima and I came back home yesterday, Monday afternoon. I'm not writing this post in an Internet café in the streets of Lima (it's foggy there these days by the way). Instead, I am in the comfort of my room, nursing a tired body and an exhausted mind. And the dark circles...you've never seen anything like them. Imagine, a total of 23 hours of transitting through 3 airports and almost 19 hours up in the air. If I had to talk about all the incidents I encountered in the last three days...you wouldn't believe them.

It seems like this trip wasn't meant to happen this weekend. Everything went wrong, from the beginning. My flight to New York got delayed (when they actually rushed me through check-in saying it would depart earlier!), my flight to Lima from NY got delayed by 4 hours due to bad weather in Lima and the final blow: visa problems in Lima. What can I say, one piece of bad info can ruin a trip. I would not be allowed out of the airport in Lima because the Consulate here told me I didn't need a visa. Get it right people: Canadian CITIZENS do NOT, Canadian RESIDENTS do. So I did need one. No amount of crying (not purposely but out of stress and fatigue) or arguing would do the trick. After landing at 10 a.m. on Sunday in Lima, I was back on the midnight one to Montreal. My ticket will be reimbursed when I make my claim because I wasn't even supposed to be allowed on the f&*(@#*# plane without a visa (I mean, how I even got to Lima is beyond me!). But what a waste of time, the fatigue...My quest for adventure is pretty much fulfilled...

But no, I can't let that one incident ruin it for me. So I got back home yesterday afternoon, slept an undisturbed 14-hour shift to make up for 3 days of wandering about airports. Called the Consulate of Peru this morning, went to have lunch with the teasers (hehe) and had my visa done and stamped this afternoon. How easy was that! I lost 5 precious days but the worst is hopefully behind.

I'm getting back on the plane tomorrow (Ha! I would have transited a day and a half in Montreal). This time, a direct flight from Toronto to Lima. A slightly longer flight but I don't care. I don't want to deal with any international transit anytime soon. Je suis écoeurée dans le vrai sens du terme. I will be coming back on Tuesday, June 16, which means I'll be back at work on Wednesday 17 only, instead of the Monday. Sorry about that guys. :(

That was really something. Despite all the airport drama and "turbulences", the good side of this story is that during my 13-hour transit in Lima, I made friends with some local girls who were incredibly nice. I already got an e-mail from one of them! I also got a marriage proposal from one of the dudes from the airline company and an old grandpa-like wanted to take me home to his family (that's because he couldn't stand me crying haha). AND I got to speak Spanish the whole time I was there and surprise them with how good I am (yes yes it's true! LOL). A good thing too, given the situation. I mean, I'm so madly, desperately in love with Spanish. I just can't wait to go back and speak it. And the food...one of the girls, Wally, wrote me a list of dishes and restaurants I should try. Oh, I really can't wait!

I don't know how my body will react to another long trip. I still get this dizzy feeling that I'm on a plane. But know what? I don't care, I really don't care how tired I am or how hard it will be. I just want to go back now...with a lighter backpack. I won't survive Cuzco with that weight, that's for sure!

So it will be Take 2 tomorrow, hopefully with better arguments.

Wish me luck! :)

El gran día

Finalmente el gran día ha llegado. ¡No me aguanto!

En me réveillant ce matin, je n'avais pas, comme hier, des noeuds dans le ventre. C'était un réveil plus énergisant...surtout quand je me suis rendue compte que je n'avais plus que quelques heures avant de m'envoler pour UN MOIS! Yeahhhhh!

Il n'y en vraiment pas de quoi en pleurer et pourtant, j'ai versé quelques larmes à divers reprises durant la journée d'hier (et surtout après des martinis et du vin!). :) Mais c'est que j'étais tellement touchée par les bons voeux, les hugs and kisses, les appels et messages et les "I will miss you", les "be safe" de part et d'autre, que cela venait tout seul. Alors, entre nous, il y a de quoi faire monter d'un cran la pression. J'avoue que hier, pour la première fois depuis avoir entrepris ce projet, je m'empêchais de penser aux risques potentiels mais...je suis aussi d'avis qu'il est bon de s'auto-éjecter de notre zone de confort et de s'aventurer dans l'inconnu au moins une fois dans notre vie et je suis certaine que je vais y être dans mon élément, hein Kenz? ;) Aussi, on le répète tout le temps, "qui tente rien n'a rien". Il faut juste faire fi des à-côtés et foncer, tête la première!

Je ne vais pas trop m'attarder dans ce post, faut bien que je m'en garde pour les prochaines semaines (hmm en fait, c'est que j'ai vraiment besoin d'aller faire quelques courses de dernière minute - what's new really!?).

Merci encore à tous ceux qui ont si généreusement contribué pour les enfants. Ensemble, nous sommes arrivés à un total de $1,400 - ce qui est formidable! J'imagine déjà toutes les choses qu'ils vont pouvoir s'acheter et les petits bonheurs auxquels nous contribueront! Good job guys!

Les paroles d'une chanson en espagnol que j'adore et qui conviennent à mon petit départ:

Empacó un par de camisas, un sombrero,
Su vocación de aventurero
Seis consejos, siete fotos, mil recuerdos.

Empacó sus ganas de quedarse
Su condición de transformarse
En el hombre que soñó y no ha logrado.

In short (femininized translation!):
She packed some shirts and a hat, her spirit of adventure, some advice, some pictures and a thousand memories. She packed her desire to settle and her will to be the woman she dreamed of becoming.

Ok I'm off. Btw, the comments issue has been fixed. You can leave comments using the Anonymous profile and jsut sign your name at the end of your msg.

Hasta pronto amigos! See you soon!
Do
xoxo

PS: Thanks for a nice evening yesterday you guys and for treating me (Karen, your account manager did a good job!tks!) :)
PPS: Pour mes lecteurs plus francophones, j'écrirai aussi des fois in French. :)

Packing is tedious and I hate it

Ever felt so nervous and stressed that your mind just refuses to cooperate? For two days now, I've been in some kind of dazed state. No, "numb" would be more fitting. My mind comprehends that I have to sort through my things and actually put things in that backpack that's been sitting there, untouched with the tag on. Yes, the mind comprehends but the body just can't execute. I'm stressed but I look calm and composed. All ready to go...!

I'm not. Really not.

But here's proof that I am making an effort: I actually visited La Cordée two days in a row to get shoes, a cute, black fleece/something jacket that wasn't even on my list, a first-aid kit (doesn't help that it's empty) and a mag-lite. And I did get the one that's worn on the head because like Jo said, no one will see how funny you look since it's dark anyway! Thank God for that eager young man who helped me settle my purchases. He had actually been in Peru himself and was very helpful. Not only did he find me the right pair of hiking "shoes" (Yes, I did get the best-looking ones, or should I say "least ugly" although they were highly recommended - I'm not that vain), but he also threw in names of some places I should visit, like El Circuito Mágico del Agua. I'm there!

Bah! I won't go anywhere without some form of luggage...*sigh*
And what about a converter/adaptor/plug, memory cards, chargers, batteries...(my heart just skipped a beat). Not good...Tof, come back please, I need help with all of this!

To packing, to packing! :s

Ouh la la, my first post!

For a while, I debated the creation of a blog. I usually tend to keep my deepest thoughts to myself and couldn't fathom the idea of revealing myself to others. But the thing is, those of you interested enough to read this, well...you're not "others". You're family, friends, colleagues, colleague-friends: my people. You've all been very supportive, encouraging and sweetly caring. You may find it hard to believe it but in the last weeks, I've felt such good energy and positive vibes toward this project that I hardly had a minute to stress about it.

There was a bit of a concern in the last week about travelling to South America, what with the H1N1 virus. First off, I gotta say how I absolutely hate that it's called "swine flu". Everytime I hear it, I see images of creatures that are part human and part pig and what's more...they're at war with bows and arrows! Guess I'm inventing myself a new kind of mythological creature there. Anyway, I had to make changes to my flight last week, not going through Mexico as originally planned and leaving one day later. But that's fine. Somehow, these changes made it all the clearer how motivated and eager I am to do this. And, because I'm starting to learn to see the positive side of every challenge and obstacle, well...it was good practice. :)

One more week to D-day. It'll be all about packing, last-minute shopping (it's proven:I work best under pressure) and getting everything else organized.

Oh yes, many of you have responded to my appeal for contributions and again, this is greatly appreciated. Thanks to my uncle, aka Mista Li, for helping me raise funds. To you all who contributed and those whom I know will contribute this week, I really hope you take some time every now and then to pat yourselves on the back. You've already made a difference. Stay tuned and you'll find out how.

I never really got an opportunity to thank you for your moral support. Therefore, to name a few, THANK YOU to:
My mum and dad (I think they've overcome their fear by now), my bro, my uncle Marc and aunt Jennifer, my cousin Nanu, my friends Telle, les girls(Ka, Kenz,Tine, Jo, Foun and Jen) et les garçons bien sur, from work (esp. Martine, Tina, Helene and the Sangria babes), my Popo in TO who unknowingly made my day today and those whose company I always feel, even in their absence...

Bon, let's not get too emotional. We'll "blog" more later! And let the countdown begin!