The Invitation: Camila's Next Big Adventure

Every Sunday, post a too-early (in my opinion) morning mass, two community-mates hop onto the #35 bus and head up to the center. It’s about 45 minutes from our house to the market, plenty of time for me to try and wake myself up before entering into the chaos that is Mercado Grau.   The first time I visited the market, I remember only an overwhelming sensation of noise and activity. Picture stalls and stalls with products stacked to the ceiling, stands with fresh veggies overflowing on the tabletops, people yelling the prices of their wares. Before Peru, I could not have told you how many pounds were in a kilo. I definitely couldn’t have told you how many kilos of potatoes you might need for corn chowder or how many s oles (Peruvian currency) of cinnamon you might need for the week— I’ll tell you now, it’s a lot less than you think. Buying fresh produce is a challenge. It requires so much more planning than a quick trip to Safeway where you pop what...

  You know that feeling when you wake up at three in the morning, pouring sweat, your hands shaking, and in dire need of some apple juice?   Welcome to the fun, fun world of diabetes!   Sometimes the internal debate is a tough one: chocolate or health? For those of you who are unfamiliar with my auot-immune disease, here’s a quick run down. (For those of you already in the know, feel free to skip the following paragraph).  I’ve been a Juvenile Diabetic since the age of 3 which means that at about that time my body began destroying the cells in my pancreas which create insulin, something the body needs to control blood glucose levels in the body. Basically, my body is waging war on itself. There’s no cure, just treatment which can consist of shots of insulin throughout the day or the use of an insulin pump (connected to a needle or catheter in your body 24/7). Management requires calculating carbohydrates in food and correcting for that with insulin. To...