Yes, I am still here in Peru, with just about a month left of my fellowship! The past couple of months have been a whirlwind, with two college roommates and then my boyfriend coming to visit, and a week-long trip to Argentina during Semana Santa (Holy Week, a very popular time to travel for Latin Americans).
I have also started visiting at a new facility in Surco, a nearby district, making the very new electric train a part of my Peruvian experience (because I do have to walk a bit further to the station, I normally just use it during rush hour or if I want to stop at the big shopping mall before heading home). All of the residents at this new home are a part of Vida Digna, and they're almost all in decent health; just a couple need help walking.
And a few days ago, three girls from South Africa arrived to help out for a bit. They're missionaries and will be traveling around South America, with Peru as their first stop. Yesterday and today, they came along with me to the residential facilities, where the abuelitos have warmly welcomed them. Though I do need to serve as a translator for them (they only speak English), their presence has really added a lot to my visits, as the residents are excited to learn about these newcomers (and they're also pretty good artists!).
I promise to write more soon, with thoughts on nursing home staff members here and a recent neuroscience article on homelessness and traumatic brain injury!
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