The next five weeks of my internship at Chalice Canada are partially dedicated to ‘public engagement projects’ about my time working with Centro Esperanza in Peru. At least two must be done by each of the young CIDA-funded interns who have recently returned from internships abroad, but in my mind it makes sense to do more than the minimum because we are each so full of knowledge and experiences worth sharing. I am trying my best to make arrangements to speak at some local schools and perhaps universities, although the latter seems to be much more challenging to obtain permission for.

Last Thursday morning, I co-presented a short slideshow to the Chalice staff that served as an overview of what my fellow intern and I were doing abroad. This coming Thursday I will be presenting sola on educational realities in Peru and what Centro Esperanza is doing to improve the educational success of its child and youth participants and their families. These are not public engagement projects, but serve to strengthen the awareness among staff about what is happening on the ground in one of the many sponsor sites worldwide.

We are expecting a blizzard tomorrow and everyone is talking about how they may not make it into work.
I cannot complain about the sun not shining, but the following memories make me nostalgic…
This is one of the loving Centro Esperanza promotoras (teachers)–
who also works as a a local school teacher– doing an activity about animals
after reading an animal-filled story in her weekly children’s session.

Stretching with the enthusiastic husband of one of the Centro Esperanza promotoras (a PE teacher)
before jumping in the pool at the water park where we went on four separate Christmas outings.

Creative kids keeping busy with hand games. They were dressed and ready
to present a dance choreographed to music from Peru’s Amazon region
at a goodbye celebration close to La Ladrillera.

Just the begin of dancing the afternoon/evening away at that celebration
to a wide variety of Peruvian music that energized (and eventually tired) us all.

These photos have something in common that captures what I miss
as I sit here in front of my computer while putting together presentations:
movement!…
(not to mention the affections shown by Peruvians, aka lots of hugs and kisses for starters–
I miss these and apparently today is National Hug Day, although I just found out and most of the day has passed)

I also miss the presence of music. Here is a song that is popular in Peru and was sung at another goodbye celebration (there were many): “Jay Jay Jipi Jipi Jay”. It is written by Pepe Vásquez, a famous Creole musician.
Música criolla peruana combines influences of African, European and Andean music. Some of the most well known genres are the Marinera Norteña and Limeña (traditional dance that varies from Northern Peru to Lima) and festejo (the rhythm you are about to hear), as well as waltzes, polkas and tonderos. You will most likely recognize this song for its beginning to a popular American folk song and its borrowed melody, Auld Lang Syne (literally ‘times long past’).

The song “Jay Jay Jipi Jipi Jay” repeats often:
“Por qué perder las esperanzas de volverte a ver… [“Why lose the hopes of seeing you again…]
no es más que un hasta luego, [it is not more than an until next time]
no es más que un breve adiós,  [it is not more than a goodbye]
adiós, adiós, nunca quizás [goodbye, goodbye, never perhaps]
nos volvamos a encontrar…[may we see each other again]
cantando el jay jay jipi jipi jay… [singing ‘haey’ ‘haey’ ‘hipi’ ‘hipi’ ‘haey’…, something easy to sing to]

Second verse:
Hoy en la luz [Today in the light]
se esconde el sol [the sun hides]
pero siempre ha de brillar 
la estrella que en el cielo da
el calor de la amistad…
[but the star that in the sky gives the warmth of friendship must always shine]
No es más que un hasta luego (repeats as above)