Aug 29, 2009
Aug 28, 2009
A Typical Thursday
7:40- get up and pray that Rosita (my fiesty grandma schoolbus driver) doesn´t come earlier than 8:30
8:00- eat my usual breakfast of Corn Flakes and homemade, just-squeezed juice and chat with my host mom about my upcoming day
8:30- go stand at the corner and wait for the schoolbus
8:35- Rosita flies over a speedbump and inside, a group of about 8 (gringo) heads go up then down. When she stops just in front of me, I run around, throw open the sliding door and manage to squeeze myself into that tiny preschooler´s bus. Everyone says ¨Buenos dias!¨
8:37- start feeling nauseous
8:41- cling to the seat in front of me as we cross a 4-lane hwy and taxis are speeding towards us. Kate says something like ¨I can´t believe we haven´t had an accident yet.¨
8:45- arrive at UNSA, the public university in the south of the city
9:00- Peruvian art history class. It´s the 1st day of this class, and we all LOVE the teacher. She´s SO interesting. For example, she talked about how people rub black cuy (guinea pigs) over their bodies so to aborb all the ¨bad¨ stuff that a person may be feeling inside. They rub this thing over them like a bar of soap!
11:05- go sit outside with Felix (a Davidson student) and play grammar games with our Spanish professor
1:00- go to the school´s main gate and flag a taxi with other Davidson students
1:30- finally get home. Eat a quick lunch of cream of pea and carrot soup. I´m lucky my mom feeds me veggies because a lot of students don´t get meat or veggies on a daily basis!
2:00- head over to Saga (short for Sagafalabella, the nice shopping mail that´s 2 blocks from my house) to meet Claudia
2:10- Claudia (a Davidson student) and I hail a taxi at Saga then go pick up Prof. Mangan to go horseback riding
2:40- get to the ranch right outside of the city, pick a horse and start the trail ride
2:50- this is a different trail than last time. WAY different. This time, my horse has to climb almost straight up loose rocks on our way to see a waterfall
3:50- get back to the ranch, pay only 15 soles (about $5) and get in a taxi
4:10- arrive at Peruvian director, Lucy´s, house
4:15- go to a corner store with Claudia to buy a bowl of vanilla/lucuma ice cream with chocolate chips. Lucuma is a fruit that flavors a lot of sweets in Peru
5:00- dance class with the group at Lucy´s! We learn a jungle dance (kinda like a Samba, so it´s REALLY quick) then do some merengue.
7:00- go shower upstairs because I am NOT going out this sweaty
7:30- watch the Hangover and eat the best delivery chinese food ever
9:30- leave Lucy´s, get into taxis and go to the center of the city
9:40- 1st bar stop: Balde. ¨Bucket¨ in Spanish. This is because they serve alcohol here in buckets with a ton of straws so a group can share. Kate and I avoid this drink and chat on the couch. (ewww backwash)
10:15- it´s Grace´s 21st birthday so we bar hop until midnight.
12:00- take a group shot of Pisco, the Peruvian wine, gingerale and sugar
12:01- go to Forum, the best dance club around, and DANCE!
1:40- getting tired so we take taxis back home
This is why I got up at 11:00 this morning... :)
Look out for pics of this night and other times on Facebook. They´re coming soon!
Aug 23, 2009
Like Home but Then Again, Maybe Not...
As I'm sitting in my host family's den (la sala), reading about Spanish conquest in Peru, I can hear a mariachi band so clearly that it sounds like it's playing over our stereo. Instead, the band is a couple of blocks away in a multi-purpose building. Weddings on Saturdays are especially popular there, but today is a nice change from the typical American 80s love ballads. A few minutes ago, the band played "Happy Birthday" which sounded more like "Hoppy Birday thu you". I couldn't help smiling. "Oh Peru..." I thought.
As I listened and laughed and just enjoyed being somewhere so different, a train whistle sounded. Instantly, my laughing stopped. It was the first train I had heard in Peru. It sounded just like the trains that go through Dunn.
It sounded like HOME.
I couldn't help closing my eyes and waiting for the next blast. What seemed like forever later, the familiar sound echoed through the valley, and something inside of me became hyper-aware. Each time the whistle blew, my heart cringed. It was too familiar...
Suddenly, I'm not in the den of my Yanahuara apartment in Arequipa, Peru, but I'm walking out of Las Brisas Mexican restaurant in Dunn, NC with my family and I'm hearing the train down the street mixing with the mariachi music back inside. With each blast, a warmth crept through my tired, chilled body.
You see, today, I'm feeling pretty ill. Let's just say even green tea and graham crackers are fair game for my stomach's frolicking. :( (I don't know if it was the mid-day corn on the cob and steak, the wonderful ice cream from a vendor, or the homemade pizza my little sister made me for dinner yesterday or all of the above that did it...whatever it was, I am SICK now!)
So, with my eyes closed, I thought of home and felt some peace. Eventually, the train's whistle faded away. I finally opened my eyes again. The mixture of mariachi and train produced such a familiar, comforting feeling that I listen out now for other sounds of home.
Ok, a loud car just drove by outside...probably some boy from the high school in a huge truck with straight pipes.
And that bird outside the window...sounds a bit like a mockingbird.
But that's about it. There's more foreign sounds than familiar. For example, a car horn blows every 5 seconds because there are so many taxis. And little children scream outside in Spanish too high-pitched and quick for me to catch. And now, the mariachi band is playing Spanish salsa music.
I'm back in Peru.
Am I complaining? No, not really. I love how every time I run to the bathroom today, I forget that the light switch isn't down to up but left to right. I love how my host mom left me a while ago with a huge hug, kiss on the cheek, another heartfelt "this house is your house" and a mixture of Spanish and English "take care" phrases. I love how I almost always kill myself walking in my socks to and from my bedroom because the hardwood floors are waxed weekly.
And I love learning about Peru...in class, in the streets, during lunchtime converstations (my mom: "So why don't you know traditional American dances and music, and why are they not performed at every function?" How do you explain the American melting pot to someone who knows every city's theme traditional song and dance?) and just through the people I meet.
Now, the sun is setting and the snow-capped volcanos outside my window are turning pink. I'll be able to see the bright Southern Cross in about 30 minutes. The house is getting chilly, and I should get up and close all of the windows. The band is still playing, now a cumbia. (Man, these people have been dancing since noon!) I'll continue reading my Peruvian culture book (written in English, thank God!), sipping my green tea out of my "Mickey and his friends" mug and waiting for my mom and sis to come back with the ingredients for my favorite Peruvian dish...crepes with caramel! Let's just pray my stomach doesn't object!
Aug 16, 2009
Days 2 and 3 (again)
Now, sitting in my home in Arequipa, typing to the noise of taxi horns with the smell of exhaust all around, I realize Lunahuaná is a slice of paradise. I want to recap my activities for those who don´t have a copy of my travel schedule...
Lunahauná is a small town about 2 and 1/2 hrs south of Lima. The drive there is a progression from city to desert to dunes to barren mountains...then, poof!, you´re in a lush valley! Once we got there, the group had lunch at the Refugio de Santiago, where we were served a six-course meal of Peruvian food (and juices). This is when I first tried Cuy! Afterwards, we toured the gardens behind the restaurant and then climbed partway up a mtn to see the river valley. For pictures from this trek, just check out my Facebook page! Later, we checked in at the gorgeous hotel I´ve included pictures of below...Hotel Rio Alto. It was amazing hanging out by the pool while the sun was out, but after it sank behind the mtns, we were in for a cooolllld night! So, we had a campfire, complete with s´more and sangria! (A combination I personally recommend!) :) We were quite toasty then.
The next morning, we got up bright and early to go white water rafting! My boat was really fun because I shared it with 3 other girls, including Dr. Mangan. We were TERRIBLE, so we laughed the whole time! The highlight of this trip was when the boat leaders made us create a human pyramid...on top of an over-turned raft in the middle of the river!
The rest of the day, we had group bonding activities and talks about Peru´s culture. For example, we were told that people usually greet each other with a hug and a peck on the cheek...a tradition that´s awkward at first when you´re new, but something I LOVE now. I love how open and personal this country is. When you are asked, ¨How are you?¨, it´s not just a greeting like it is in America. Here, you usually respond honestly and then inquire back. It IS funny, though, how the older men (and even a few young guys) will give you an ESPECIALLY big kiss on the cheek!
Finally, during our last night in paradise, I had a good long chat with a new girlfriend, Kate. I made a new bosom buddy...and she´s a fellow INFJ! We were like little girls at a sleepover, though, because we barely slept. We left to return to Lima at 5:30 that morning, but we didn´t go to bed until after 1 the night before!
Lunahauná is a small town about 2 and 1/2 hrs south of Lima. The drive there is a progression from city to desert to dunes to barren mountains...then, poof!, you´re in a lush valley! Once we got there, the group had lunch at the Refugio de Santiago, where we were served a six-course meal of Peruvian food (and juices). This is when I first tried Cuy! Afterwards, we toured the gardens behind the restaurant and then climbed partway up a mtn to see the river valley. For pictures from this trek, just check out my Facebook page! Later, we checked in at the gorgeous hotel I´ve included pictures of below...Hotel Rio Alto. It was amazing hanging out by the pool while the sun was out, but after it sank behind the mtns, we were in for a cooolllld night! So, we had a campfire, complete with s´more and sangria! (A combination I personally recommend!) :) We were quite toasty then.
The next morning, we got up bright and early to go white water rafting! My boat was really fun because I shared it with 3 other girls, including Dr. Mangan. We were TERRIBLE, so we laughed the whole time! The highlight of this trip was when the boat leaders made us create a human pyramid...on top of an over-turned raft in the middle of the river!
The rest of the day, we had group bonding activities and talks about Peru´s culture. For example, we were told that people usually greet each other with a hug and a peck on the cheek...a tradition that´s awkward at first when you´re new, but something I LOVE now. I love how open and personal this country is. When you are asked, ¨How are you?¨, it´s not just a greeting like it is in America. Here, you usually respond honestly and then inquire back. It IS funny, though, how the older men (and even a few young guys) will give you an ESPECIALLY big kiss on the cheek!
Finally, during our last night in paradise, I had a good long chat with a new girlfriend, Kate. I made a new bosom buddy...and she´s a fellow INFJ! We were like little girls at a sleepover, though, because we barely slept. We left to return to Lima at 5:30 that morning, but we didn´t go to bed until after 1 the night before!
Aug 15, 2009
Way Too Late
Dearest Reader,
Lo siento (I´m sorry) that it´s been so long! After traveling for 10 days (a post on each day to come!), I started my homestay. Unfortunately, only the family´s home computer has internet...the wireless isn´t working on my laptop...which means I haven´t blogged because I can´t load my pics on this computer or be online a long time. But, my family is working on it. Hopefully, I´ll soon be able to write regularly and post pics!
Having a hard time thinking in English (which is a GOOD thing!),
Dev
Lo siento (I´m sorry) that it´s been so long! After traveling for 10 days (a post on each day to come!), I started my homestay. Unfortunately, only the family´s home computer has internet...the wireless isn´t working on my laptop...which means I haven´t blogged because I can´t load my pics on this computer or be online a long time. But, my family is working on it. Hopefully, I´ll soon be able to write regularly and post pics!
Having a hard time thinking in English (which is a GOOD thing!),
Dev
Aug 5, 2009
Day 2 and 3 - Lunahuana
Things I figured I wouldn't do this soon (or ever) but already have:
1.) Eaten cuy. (Yes, that's guinea pig.)
2.) Had coca tea. (Yes, that's what cocaine comes from.)
3.) Climbed a mountain. (granted, little)
4.) Ordered a cocktail in Spanish. (delish)
5.) Cried. (Beautiful scenery, the poverty, the Southern Cross for the 1st time)
As for the story of these two days, since the pictures are so gorgeous, I'll let them speak for me...
PS - my internet connect just got worse so I'll post more pics soon!
Aug 1, 2009
Day 1 - RDU to CLT to MIA to Lima, Peru
The speakers blaring overhead use more English (even though they translate every word they say into Spanish) than the people around me . I'm sitting at Gate D49 at the Miami International Airport, but I feel like I've already crossed some type of frontera (border). As soon as I got off the plane at MIA, almost every person I've passed speaks Spanish. The airport cops driving around in their comfy golf carts greet other airport employees in Spanish. The people passing me in navy blue suits and rolling their bags marked "crew" chatter in Spanish. I feel like a foreigner in my own pais (country).
...Or maybe it's just because this is my first time flying solo (or sola in Spanish). Maybe airports are always like this. Usually, I'm too busy laughing with Reagan or listening to my music to notice the people around me. I'm glad, though, now to be doing things on my own. I'm getting more out of it this way.
Por ejemplo, I've met an angel at each stop so far because I was on my own and not holding back. In Charlotte, I noticed all the people at my gate had only two carry-ons (including a purse). I began to get nervous. I have my bookbag (and might I add that it's heavy), over-the-shoulder purse and rolling bag. The more I looked around the seating area, the more I realized that I had too many pieces. Finally, I got up the courage to turn to the friendly-looking, older lady on my right. "Excuse me, ma'am, but does a purse count as a carry-on?" This simple question opened a floodgate. That sweet lady, once she found out I was from Dunn , talked my ears off! She was from Benson and had a daughter who was also studying abroad (in Argentina). We boarded together, complained about the cramped plane together and chatted all the way to cloudy Charlotte. There was even that awkward moment when we got off the plane of "do we hug?" I wasn't nervous for a minute because she was there.
My second angel actually came to me in a pair of two older Ecuadorian women. I got off my flight from RDU to CLT and saw them ahead of me, trying to talk to an airport employee. The communication gap was noticeable from afar. As I approached, I heard some English words spoken with a Spanish accent...very haltingly. I pulled my bags up beside them and offered to translate. Thank God I had just brushed up on my Spanish airport vocabulary because the employee needed me to point out their next gate. I asked for their tickets in Spanish and, in glancing at my own boarding pass, saw that we were headed to the exact same place! I told them to follow me. We chatted as we walked to the far side of the Charlotte airport. Then we sat, waiting, for an hour and continued talking. I asked them about home in Ecuador, and they, in turn, asked me about my trip to Peru. At one point, the more talkative lady asked to borrow my cell phone. She had to make a call to her son in Durham. I quickly offered her my phone, saying in Spanish, "No big deal. It's actually free because that's my area code!" The conversation between mother and son was heart-wrenching. She kept calling him "Pepito" and saying how much she loved and missed him. When she hung up, she was crying. She smiled through the tears to tell me muchas gracias. "De nada, no problema," I replied. I then, in turn, thanked them the Spanish practice. They shook their heads fiercely, saying in Spanish, "No no! You are an angel sent to us from heaven to show us the way home." I almost starting crying right there in the middle of the airport. When I arrived in Miami at the baggage claim, I saw my new amigas pointing at me and waving. I nodded from across the sea of faces and began dragging my 100 lbs of luggage behind me.
This is when I met my final angel. I had walked about a mile when I stopped for a rest. My backpack was hurting my shoulders and lower back and both arms were sore from pulling 50 lbs each. As I stopped, I wiped my brow and said under my breath, "Whew!" I then noticed a luggage cart station nearby. Sitting beside them, a smiling security guard pointed at a loose cart. "Take it!" he exclaimed. I slung my bookbag around and began to dig for some cash. "No no," he said, "just take it." I smiled so big my cheeks hurt, and I thanked him profusely. These angels are the reason I am now sitting, at ease, in MIA. I can only hope my next and final stop has so many kind and helpful people!
...Or maybe it's just because this is my first time flying solo (or sola in Spanish). Maybe airports are always like this. Usually, I'm too busy laughing with Reagan or listening to my music to notice the people around me. I'm glad, though, now to be doing things on my own. I'm getting more out of it this way.
Por ejemplo, I've met an angel at each stop so far because I was on my own and not holding back. In Charlotte, I noticed all the people at my gate had only two carry-ons (including a purse). I began to get nervous. I have my bookbag (and might I add that it's heavy), over-the-shoulder purse and rolling bag. The more I looked around the seating area, the more I realized that I had too many pieces. Finally, I got up the courage to turn to the friendly-looking, older lady on my right. "Excuse me, ma'am, but does a purse count as a carry-on?" This simple question opened a floodgate. That sweet lady, once she found out I was from Dunn , talked my ears off! She was from Benson and had a daughter who was also studying abroad (in Argentina). We boarded together, complained about the cramped plane together and chatted all the way to cloudy Charlotte. There was even that awkward moment when we got off the plane of "do we hug?" I wasn't nervous for a minute because she was there.
My second angel actually came to me in a pair of two older Ecuadorian women. I got off my flight from RDU to CLT and saw them ahead of me, trying to talk to an airport employee. The communication gap was noticeable from afar. As I approached, I heard some English words spoken with a Spanish accent...very haltingly. I pulled my bags up beside them and offered to translate. Thank God I had just brushed up on my Spanish airport vocabulary because the employee needed me to point out their next gate. I asked for their tickets in Spanish and, in glancing at my own boarding pass, saw that we were headed to the exact same place! I told them to follow me. We chatted as we walked to the far side of the Charlotte airport. Then we sat, waiting, for an hour and continued talking. I asked them about home in Ecuador, and they, in turn, asked me about my trip to Peru. At one point, the more talkative lady asked to borrow my cell phone. She had to make a call to her son in Durham. I quickly offered her my phone, saying in Spanish, "No big deal. It's actually free because that's my area code!" The conversation between mother and son was heart-wrenching. She kept calling him "Pepito" and saying how much she loved and missed him. When she hung up, she was crying. She smiled through the tears to tell me muchas gracias. "De nada, no problema," I replied. I then, in turn, thanked them the Spanish practice. They shook their heads fiercely, saying in Spanish, "No no! You are an angel sent to us from heaven to show us the way home." I almost starting crying right there in the middle of the airport. When I arrived in Miami at the baggage claim, I saw my new amigas pointing at me and waving. I nodded from across the sea of faces and began dragging my 100 lbs of luggage behind me.
This is when I met my final angel. I had walked about a mile when I stopped for a rest. My backpack was hurting my shoulders and lower back and both arms were sore from pulling 50 lbs each. As I stopped, I wiped my brow and said under my breath, "Whew!" I then noticed a luggage cart station nearby. Sitting beside them, a smiling security guard pointed at a loose cart. "Take it!" he exclaimed. I slung my bookbag around and began to dig for some cash. "No no," he said, "just take it." I smiled so big my cheeks hurt, and I thanked him profusely. These angels are the reason I am now sitting, at ease, in MIA. I can only hope my next and final stop has so many kind and helpful people!
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