Foreign On This Side

Being Home

2011-11-11T05:35:00.041-05:00

"How is it, being back?" Many people asked me this question during my few months home this past summer -- my downtime bridging two years of teaching in Madrid. A quick and light reply of "great!" was always given. Sometimes, depending on whom I was talking to, I would provide more insight and confess that being home made me realize what I had been living without for the past year. That I had had more days of compromise than I had realized at the time. That, suddenly, once I was home, I felt like a cactus in the midst of a deluge. The moment I stepped off the plane, my soul was being restored and nourished.

Being home put me into what I call "sponge-mode", leading me to soak up and contain in my heart all the embraces, Sunday dinners, and conversations with loved ones. All those moments alone, driving slowly in my car with the windows down, talking to or, sometimes, just listening to God. Soaking in all those moments I felt the loving reassurance of being surrounded, once again, by people who know me (while, in Spain, the longest someone has known me is a year).

Everyday my mantra was "Never again will I take these things for granted." I volunteered to drive to the grocery store. I let the dog lick my face. I picked my sister up from school and drove her to art, hoping for a chat. I watched sunsets in a hammock by our pool, hands grasping a book to my chest, beaming as the sun sank away for a few, short hours. The day's end was never sad. I always knew the night held a different type of light, a net of stars cast for my wonderment. A moon to illuminate our farm until the sun reappeared. I took it all in, all the light, all the love. For two months, my heart soaked.

Then it was that dreaded day... a day of tearful goodbyes, a long, uncomfortable plane ride, and, as if by the hand of the executioner who flips the switch, it became a day of feeling absolute disconnect. I was no longer home. Later, on my way back to my apartment, I laid my head back and absorbed the metro's vibrations as I stared ahead at my reflection, consumed by the tunnel's darkness. I was back, and I felt utterly alone.

And that word -- "felt" -- is very important, I now understand. Because I wasn't.

I was never alone. I never am. And I never will be.

My heart's prayer for the past few years has been this: to let myself be romanced by God and to see Him in everything around me. In every person's eyes. In every leaf falling to the ground at my feet. That I might have an ever-present sense of wonder. To understand, more and more each day, that I am alive. I am held by Him.

After that seemingly-endless metro ride, I sat in a Starbucks half-listening to the dear friend who had met me at the airport, and I observed the hustle and bustle in the streets below. I hated it. I hated being back, I hated flippin' Starbucks because it was American but I wasn't in America, and I hated that all I wanted to do was cry in a dark, closed room. I hated that I suddenly wasn't enjoying life. So, I went back to my apartment with the full intention of soaking in my misery.

My flatmates had a different plan. I spent all day (since this day was longer than 24 hours) somehow awake, laughing and talking with friends, new and old. Way to mess up my plan!

The first few weeks continued to be rough, but my flatmates never failed to be that sunshine I was missing. At night, I sometimes sat on my tiny balcony and craned my neck, wishing for the twinkle of one star or a glimpse of the moon above the buildings and through the smog. Then I would know God loved me. That He hadn't forsaken me.

School started, and with that, my prayer -- my heart's desire -- was answered.

Do you understand the love of a child? Because I don't. It baffles me every day.

I'm bewildered every time I walk down the hall and a chorus of children call out my name. I'm still surprised when they fly up from their seats and run to me the second I've walked through the door. And they hug with no intention of letting me go. They are little cling-ons, tilting their heads back to grin up at me as they squeeze me tighter than before. I'm talkin' six year olds and sixth graders at the same time! Boys hugging me like they'd hug a mother. Older girls stroking my hair, telling me I'm lovely. An entire class of third graders who, each day, throw down their pencils to run and almost knock me down with their powerful embrace.

This love is amazing. It's so freely given and beautiful.

I see Christ all around me.

Sometimes, it makes me want to go into that dark, closed room, and cry until I understand it. Just let me understand this love, then I can go out and share it! Other times, it makes me so giddy, I feel like one of them. A carefree child.

Yesterday, while taking a group of third graders out of class to watch a video on the skeletal system, a girl slipped me a hoop of pink paper. "For you, teacher." The past week, the girls of 3B had discovered that zipping scissors down a ribbon of paper would make it curl. Soon, this mania had to be stopped. I assumed this rebel curl was one she had just made on the sly. When I started to pocket the paper, the girl cried out, "No, no! It's a, uh... anillo!" A ring. A ring that said, "Debon is beutiful." She watched with great satisfaction as I pulled it back out of my pocket and slipped it on my ring finger. Then she took my hand and led me back to the group. These children don't know how close I was to crying as I pointed out a model skeleton's femur and patella. My heart was swelling again, the Grinch scale being popped wide open. Boing!

What I'm coming to understand is, I'm always home, even when I'm not in my childhood home. I can be at home with Him, and know He is always sheltering me, even when I feel so far away from all I know and love. I understand now that I can be a sponge wherever I go because His love abounds, in me and around me. I may feel a certain way, but that doesn't mean it's my reality. He is always reminding me, I'm a new creation. His mercies are new every morning, and I can't even use up His daily portion. I'm not a cactus, storing a supply of love until the next rain. I have it within me, the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23).

It's so nice to be back, or rather, understand I never left. I never can.

Penelope

2011-09-21T07:31:00.003-04:00

She sits, rocking, on the front porch,
Snapping tough green beans into sections,
Dropping them one, two, three
Into the wooden bowl between her skirt-covered knees.
Her hands, the color of the barn floor,
Look surprisingly nimble.
The beans make pleasant thumps in the bowl. The rocking chair
Creaks with each push off the ground.
The setting sun stops just short of her slippered
Feet and illuminates a dragonfly’s wings hovering
Above the front stairs. She watches
The lacy wings with casual fascination, working in the rhythm
Of pick, snap-snap-snap, drop.

She gazes at the bobbing insect and thinks:
She needs to fry more chicken. Get some biscuits in the oven.
The field workers are like hungry
Dogs waiting outside the kitchen.
She always serves them quietly, using the plates she’s had
Since her wedding day. Cold lemonade, a drumstick
And a hot biscuit with dripping honey.
Reaching hands and loud men talk. Lewd laughs. Dirty dishes
And dirty boots. The same every day.
They eat, compliment her dress, nudge one another
Then leave.

Her mind focuses on the place the dragonfly has been.
It has zipped away, scared off by a dust cloud. Someone
Is coming up the drive. His face is weathered, and
His shoes look worn out, as if he has
Trod more roads and fields than she can imagine.
She waits for him to stop at the bottom of the steps,
And introduce himself. But he doesn’t. She stops mid-snap
When she realizes – it’s him.
He slowly climbs the old stairs, shuffles across the porch
And gives her a tired nod. He pushes open the screen door
And goes inside to wash up for supper.
She snap-snap-snaps the final bean.
Moves the wooden bowl from the cradle of her legs
To the cradle of her left arm. Rises to go
Ask him about his day.

It's About Time...

2011-03-30T14:14:00.013-04:00

When it comes to my poetry, I rarely get that feeling of "Ah! It's finished!" No. It's usually more like, "This is okay...it sounds pretty much there...but what if I changed this one little thing...?" That's what happened with "Legazpi".

This poem popped into my head back in October after an unusual metro ride. Suddenly, I was itching to write. For weeks, I worked through drafts in my mind and eventually in my Moleskine journal. Then, in November, I made it into a Word doc (which, for me, means I'm actually going to write this poem!). I wrote a few more drafts, sent a copy to family and friends, got their feedback and then...left it alone. I completely abandoned it for about two months so I could get some distance from it. Finally, the other day, my roommate asked me after seeing my Gmail to-do list, "You still haven't posted that poem?!" So here goes.

My life in Spain has been my constant struggle with the Spanish language. My tongue is clumsy and doesn't pronounce the soft Cs properly or will tap too hard on the Ts. I speed through words with Rs and Ls since I've had problems with those beastly letters since I could talk.

On top of the normal frustration of learning a new language, I'm also an English major, through 'n through. I spent most of my college career reading and writing fiction, poetry and essays. I was a tour guide, meaning I had to be ready to talk to anybody and feel comfortable doing it. Basically, I'm a pretty good communicator, and I enjoy it, too. Therefore, when I want to say simple, useful phrases in Spanish like "How do I get from here to here?" or "I'd like the cheaper chicken," I get...grrr! But what if I couldn't talk at all? What if, instead of 50% of the Spanish spoken to me, my ears picked up none of it? Then, what would my daily life be like?

A month ago, I collapsed into a seat on a train heading back into the city after tutoring my headmaster's son, English irregular and phrasal verbs still bouncing around in my head. Two girls boarded, speaking loud, gossipy Spanish. Then a group of young German boys sat to my right. I couldn't understand a word of their guttural exclamations other than "yah!". I pulled out my novel (in English) and began to drown out the language cocktail. A few minutes later, I realized my two neighbors to my left had been awfully quiet. Then I noticed them signing. Instantly, I had a dorky moment of "I'm surrounded by 4 languages!" I believe this trip contrasts in an interesting way to my journey described below in "Legazpi".

I'd love any and all feedback. I'm not sure if this is finished, but it's time I shared.

Legazpi

Deaf to the words in Spanish floating
over the click-clack-screech and squeal
of the metro, yellow line south,
I sit,
headphones wedged in my ears.

We slow then stop.

An old man, the color of café con leche,
unbends from his blue
plastic seat across from me, hikes
up his trousers with a jerk
of his thumbs and exits.
My eyes follow his slow form
until the passengers
waiting on the Legazpi platform
outside my car’s automatic doors
board – a mother taking her
daughter to primary school.

My school is on the Southside, full
of Moroccan immigrant children shouting
in the stairwells, always trailing their rolling
backpacks that smack, with
purpose, each and every concrete
stair.

And this girl, now seated in the old
man’s warmed plastic chair, clutches
her own cursed contraption. A snap
of her head, and she stares into my
light eyes with one, uncovered
dark eye. A sterile, skin-toned
patch covers the other. Her pink,
bottle-thick glasses magnify – pink,
like her headband, backpack, and
sweatpants with grimy cuffs.

Clutching a pole as the metro lurches
forward, the mother leans down and
speaks into the plastic shell encircling the girl’s
ear, attached to the pink glasses. I push my
earbuds in deeper and look across
to the dark tunnel wall outside the window,
to my reflection, until a blur catches

my eye, and I focus on an African
boy, maybe sixteen, standing
further down the car, telling a grand
story with swoops and splashes
of his hands in the air for his sister’s
benefit. His sister nods. I pluck
out my headphones. A suction pop

and only the sound
of the metro scraping the tunnel walls
fills the vacuum. The sister nods again
and signs back. Across from me, the daughter
tugs on her mother’s free hand.

One look around the rocking metro
car, and I realize I am
the only passenger without
glasses, patch, or hearing aid.

The sudden sound of the recording
announcing the next stop makes me start

– Hospital 12 de octubre –

An hour later, as I watch
a fellow teacher smack the back
of an eraser against the blackboard
to silence a rambunctious class
of 2nd graders, I recall
the lines of mute children
queuing at the slowing metro’s doors.

Some Spring in Your Step

2011-03-20T15:18:00.022-04:00

Hip hip hooray for Spring!

Sometimes, your life feels like it's stuck in winter. Everything's gray and people are cold. Icy shoulders, chilly glances. Not to pummel this metaphor to death, but sometimes, you just feel...lifeless.

I've had my share of bad. A precious student of mine passed away, unexpectedly, last week. Friends let me down. I come home to find people literally pissing on my doorstep. I can't see the stars at night for all the pollution. My dearest loved ones are an ocean away. I search for relief by sitting in a pew, only to feel like a robot performing commands.

I'm sure you have your own list, ready to pull out and compare, but let's not do that now.

I want to refocus, realign. Repent. I want metanoia, a changing of the mind.

When I do this, I realize everyday is Spring for those hidden in Christ! (Side note: of course, in our lives, we go through "seasons" due to emotions and the world we live in. In Christ, however, we do have eternal "Spring". "This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:21-23) Every single crappy (or happy!) day is full of Life and Love. More than I can imagine. Overflowing. That's part of the "Good News".

How quickly we forget that now is the year of Jubilee!
Now is the champagne celebration.
Now is the time to love and be loved.
Now is the day the Lord has made. God is now because God is I Am. If my God is now, why can't everything I've been promised through that Life be mine now?
Well, it is. All I have to realize is that now is Spring. (And tomorrow, too!)

And do you know what's the best part about this time, this "Spring"? We don't make it happen! What I mean is, we don't tighten our bootstraps, grab the shovel and go out to toil in the soil in the hopes that maybe one flower pops up. No! The sun shines, the rain falls and we sit back in wonder as Life takes hold and everything begins to bloom. All is in a marvelous state of rebirth. And we can't start it or stop it. We enjoy it.

In one of my favorite books (which you already know if you've read my blog), Brennan Manning quotes Donald McCullough in the following:
“Grace means that in the middle of our struggle the referee blows the whistle and announces the end of the game. We are declared winners and sent to the showers. It’s over for all huffing, puffing piety to earn God’s favor; it’s finished for all sweat-soaked straining to secure self-worth; it’s the end of all competitive scrambling to get ahead of others in the game. Grace means that God is on our side and thus we are victors regardless of how well we have played the game. We might as well head for the showers and the champagne celebration.”

Life isn't supposed to be pounding the pavement to work, passing blank faces, feeling nothing inside your bubble except the weight of the world. Life is a ticker tape parade! You can't help but have some spring in your step when you realize spring has sprung.

Newsboys - Million Pieces por wanzea

Brussels = Carbs

2011-03-08T15:49:00.013-05:00

According to some friends, you don't need more than a weekend to see Brussels, so two weekends ago, me and my friend Jack took a quick trip up to Belgium. My mental "to do" list was quite short since I knew our time would be limited. This "to do" list was, in a word, carbs.

- try several Belgium beers
- eat a Belgium waffle
- eat Belgium fries
- eat chocolate
- try to combine all of the above if possible
- see the cathedral or royal palace if they are open/there's enough time

Check check check! Actually, our 1st night in the city, Jack and I each had a waffle, covered in vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup and whipped cream, with a beer to wash it down. We both laughed when we finished and said, "Mission accomplished!" Brussels did not disappoint.

The next day was rainy 'n cold, but through restaurant/bar hopping, we managed to keep ourselves warm 'n toasty and the mood light. While we walked from place to place, we also got to see the breath-taking Grand Place, the cathedral and the palace's front door. Unfortunately, the rain kept us from idling in front of these gorgeous buildings for an extended length of time, but I did snap some quick shots. Most of the day, we were inside a warm room, sipping a beer, having long conversations and letting our coats dry.

FYI, before Brussels, I didn't really enjoy beer. Cheap, watery American beer always made me think of fat, sweaty men watching a baseball game. A Young's Double Chocolate stout felt like trying to down a loaf of bread. A Corona with lime was great when chilled and served with something spicy, but I couldn't take more than one. And no one likes a warm, sandy beer on the beach. So, when I tasted hints of nutmeg, caramel and sour cherries in my different beers in Brussels, I finally became a beer fan. See the slide show below for pictures of Brussels, the beers Jack and I sampled, and all the other wonderful carbs we ingested that weekend!

The Two Faces of Carnaval

2011-03-07T16:06:00.007-05:00

In Madrid, out on the town:

At school:

Not Just on Valentine's Day...

2011-02-14T16:45:00.001-05:00

“The Lord says that there is nothing that you can do that would make Him love you more there is also nothing you can do that would make Him love you less. He loves you because He loves you because He loves you because He loves you because He loves you because He loves you because He loves you because He loves you because He loves you because He loves you, because that is what He is like, it is His nature to love, and you will always be the beloved. And His love is unchanging, and He loves you 100%, He won’t love you any better when you become better. He loves you 100% right now, and even if you have no plans to become better, He will still love you 100%; because He loves you, because that’s the way that He is, and even if you don’t want to change, He will love you 100%. Even if you have no plans to walk with Him, He will love you 100%, because that’s his nature. He loves all the way all the time. His love is unchanging. What will change says the Lord is your ability to receive my love, and this evening I want to cram some more of that ability inside you. So I challenge you says the Lord, open your heart to me, open your heart to me and you will receive more of my love than you’ve ever experience before, I dare you says the Lord, come on, open you heart to me, give me your heart, give me whatever your obstacle is, I’ll take it, I’ll remove it out of the way, because I love you as you are right now. I love you 100% as you are right this moment. I love you as you are, so be loved. You are the beloved, it is your job says the Lord, to be loved outrageously, it is why I chose you, and it is why I set my love upon you, that you would live as one who is outrageously loved. That you would receive a radical love, so radical it will blow all your parodies of what you think love is. And know says the Lord, I will love you outrageously all the days of your life, because I don’t know how to be any different, this is who I am, and this is who I will always be, this is the I Am that I promised you, I am He that loves you outrageously. And you may love me back with the love that I give you; you may love Me back outrageously, with the outrageous love that I bestow upon you. And know this says the Lord you can only love Me as much as you love yourself. So My love comes this evening to set you free from yourself, to set you free from how you see yourself. To set you free from the smallness of your own thinking about yourself, My love comes to set you free from rejection, and from shame, and from low self-esteem, and from despair and from abuse. Because when I look at you says the Lord, I see something that I love, and I see someone that I can love outrageously. And I have so much to bestow upon you, so much to give you, so many places to take you in My heart, but you can’t go there unless you allow Me to love you. And my love for you, will break every barrier, bring every wall crashing down, and know this says the Lord, My love damages fear, My love hates fear My love will fight fear it will fight fear in you it will fight fear around you, and if you have fear this evening says the Lord, then know that you have a treat in store, because My perfect love casts out fear, there is no fear where I am present, because My love casts out fear. Beloved, you are My beloved, you are My beloved, and in My love I want you to feel good about yourself.”

-Graham Cook, “Inheritance”

Happy "You Are Loved" Day!

All the Little Children

2011-02-02T13:16:00.051-05:00

A few days ago, in my 2nd session of infantil, the class bad boy (we'll call him "Javier"), sat at my feet for story time. Normally, I'm surrounded by the girls in the class. They constantly play with my hair, reach up to hold my hand or give me stickers. The boys rarely sit with me, and certainly not Javier.

The first thing I noticed was his hair -- his jet black hair had white flecks speckling the top. My mind automatically thought the worst... "He probably has something crawling around in there, too!" This inner monologue made me gasp aloud, ashamed, and Javier turned around and looked at me with curious, wide, dark eyes. I smiled back at that perplexed face, suddenly feeling nothing but warmth toward him. He grinned, having realized that I was okay, and he was in the clear. Then he faced forward again and pushed his head back between my legs, so that his cheeks were even with my knees. Something inside of me jumped, giddy, at this sudden offering of trust. The other children watched me and him carefully, gauging my reaction. I slowly started to sway my knees side-to-side, his face caught in between. He laughed at this game. Then I noticed his smell. Tears prickled in my eyes as I continued rocking him left to right, and I looked around at the other children. Neat smocks. Clean hair. Why hadn't I noticed before? He sat that way, his warm little body between my feet, for five minutes or more, the best behaved I'd ever seen him.

When it was time for the children to return to their tables to color, I asked the two teachers in the classroom, "Javier?" I didn't know what else to say. Their faces grew stony. They proceeded to tell stories of infamous siblings (also unattended), horrible parent-teacher conferences, and "gypsy ways".

My eyes filled with tears again. The week before, I had lost my patience for the first time and had told him harshly, "Javier! Just sit down!" I had spat out his harsh name, the "j" a hacking, guttural "h" sound. He had probably only caught the word "sit," but my meaning had been perfectly clear. My face and voice needed no translation. Students had been all around me, shouting, "Teeeacher teeeacher! Feeenished!" and waving worksheets in my face, while Javier had been throwing crayons and making another child cry. He had deserved to be reprimanded, I realized that, but now I knew a little bit more about his situation. Why he needed attention, be it positive or negative.

When the class ended, and I quietly shut the door behind me, I couldn't shake the image of an expectant, quiet Javier sitting at my feet. I didn't notice a teacher walking toward me in the hall until she stopped me, catching me mid-thought.

"Que paso?" she asked.
"Javier," I stated.
"Oh..." she said softly, squeezing my shoulder with a smile before continuing down the hall.

In one of my favorite books, The Ragamuffin Gospel, Brennan Manning retells the story in Mark of Jesus stopping during one of his journeys to bless the children. Now, I'm not Mother Teresa, but I do believe that I have the same Love inside of me, ready to be given, no strings attached. Everyday, I have the personal choice of whether or not to respond to those around me out of love and grace. Should I give others what they deserve? Do I favor the best behaved? Do I kiss the dirty child's cheek, too? What if things get icky? What if I'm pushed outside of my happy, safe bubble? I want to share a passage from this book that came to my mind after my encounter with "Javier":

Mark records that a group of parents, who obviously sensed something of God's love in Jesus, wanted Him to bless their little ones. The irritated disciples, fatigued by the long day's journey on foot from Capernaum to the district of Judea and the far side of the Jordan, attempted to shoo away the children. Jesus became visibly upset and silenced the Twelve with a withering glance. Mark notes carefully that Jesus picked them up one by one, cradled them, and gave each of them His blessing.

My friend Robert Frost comments:
I am so glad Jesus didn't suggest they group all the children together for a sort of general blessing because he was tired. Instead he took time to hold each child close to his heart and to earnestly pray for them all...then they joyfully scampered off to bed. One is tenderly reminded of a beautiful messianic passage from the prophets. "He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and will gently lead those that have their young" (Isaiah 40:11). I think there is a lesson here for anyone who would seek to set any kind of false condition concerning just who should be the recipients of God's grace. He blessed them all.

I'm sure I'll continue to be challenged by what I encounter at my schools. I will lose my patience. I will see more situations that will make me want to go home, throw myself on the bed, weep into my pillow and shake my fists because the world isn't fair! Thank goodness, though, that we have ALL been "recipients of God's grace"! Put a Javier in my path. I want to become so weak to myself and my selfish desires, so small, and my comfort zone to grow so large that the ever-strong Love within me will simply flow out to each and every one.

Mark 10:13-16 (NIV)

The Little Children and Jesus
13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

City vs. Country

2011-02-01T14:54:00.001-05:00

You are so young; you stand before beginnings. I would like to beg you, dear friend, as well as I can, to have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer ...

Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

Right now, I'm sitting in the computer lab at my city school, my ears filled with the sounds of children shouting and teachers gossiping in their impossibly-quick Spanish. I sit here, mulling over the same decision that's been on my mind for the past few months -- am I coming back next year? Do I want to teach these children, in this country, for two years of my life? And, if so...which school will I choose? If I decide to renew, I must fill out the paperwork this month and pick one school in which to remain. The latter decision, to me, looms just as large as the former, more general question of whether or not to return at all.

I work in two, very different schools. My Monday-Tuesday school, the city school, is in a low socioeconomic area of Madrid, full of Moroccan immigrants and the occasional ¨gypsy¨. The school is twice the size of my country school, with two homerooms for each grade level, and a staff of 25 or so people. The scenery: a drab apartment complex with concrete sidewalks littered with dog droppings, surrounded by tall, graffitied walls.

My Wednesday-Thursday school, in contrast, is in a quiet village, nestled in a forest of pine trees and large, white tile homes (supposedly belonging to some of Spain's top military brass). This school has only one class per grade level, and the staff is like a small family. I tutor the secretary and headmaster's respective sons once a week and carpool with the Deputy of Studies with whom I practice my Spanish while she practices her English. During those car rides, I smile as the rolling hills swallow my view of the skyscrapers and smog. I smile at the sight of stork nests, tractors, the occasional cyclist and the sun warming my face through the windshield. I love the feeling of leaving the city in the mornings as the sun rises and then returning to such a cool, urban landscape as the stars come out. Without a doubt, I prefer the "feeling" I get from my country school. I admit, it's my comfort zone -- the manageable size, a more intimate group of co-workers...and, it´s in the country! (I am a farm girl, after all.)

There are other factors to consider other than setting, of course:

At my city school, the other assistant, a good friend of mine, had to return home and has been replaced today by a new guy from the States. At my country school, I work with two other girls, both Irish and hilarious. We're thick as thieves.

At my city school, I eat lunch with a mixed group of five teachers and mostly listen to their forced conversations. At my country school, I eat lunch with about ten other women teachers, and we swap stories about students and giggle over guys.

My city school is at the end of a metro line that has a stop three blocks from my house. My country school is about 25 kilometers south of the city, which means a metro and car ride.

But what about the children at each school? What about the work I do? The teaching?

The children at both schools are equally lovable and unforgettable. How can I choose to leave half of them? I simply can't make my decision based on which children are sweeter. They're all wonderful to me.

There is a noticeable difference, though, between their behavior at the city school vs. the country school. It probably won't influence my decision, but I think this observation is worth sharing: The city school children (unfortunately, living up to a stereotype) are more violent. No doubt about it. Daily, I break up fights. I'm talkin' about 1st graders shoving, kicking and slapping each other because they want to be 1st (or even last) in line. Anything to be special or get what they want. Last week, I spoke in Spanish to children for the 1st time when two boys got in an all-out brawl over who's last in line. I separated them, and as they squirmed to reach the other, I told them in my most serious voice that they knew better than this, and no, I didn't care who'd started it. The looks on their faces, after the initial shock of my speaking Spanish, was replaced by a look of confusion. Why can't you push back after being pushed? These children live in an environment where they must take what they want, morals aside. The city school students snatch erasers, pencils and toys from nother classmates without a thought. They need/want it, so what's the problem? This...culture, I guess, has been weighing heavily on my mind and heart recently. I love these kids so much, the angels and the little demons. (Maybe I'll give more thought to this topic later, in another post.)

So now I'm left with the actual work aspect. At my city school, I come into the classroom (infantil, 1st or 2nd grade), stand beside the teacher and continue the lesson in their class and activity books. The teachers are kind of winging it, therefore, so am I. But it works, somehow! Just today, a teacher complimented me on how, when I see that the children aren't getting something, I regroup and change how I present the data. I can change my teaching tactics fluidly. The teacher then nudged me and said, "You're gonna be a teacher, no?" I blushed, laughed and said, "Oh, gosh, one would hope not!" Then we both laughed. But that's why I like this school... it provides me the opportunity to get my feet wet, so to say. I present the day's topic, answer questions, dish out some necessary discipline, sometimes make mini lessons and even correct work in class alongside the teacher. I teach science, English and PE, and I've found that I enjoy teaching all of these subjects. I simply like being in a classroom. I've always loved being a student, and a teacher certainly is a student, too (no?).

At my country school, I go into all the classrooms, 1st-6th grade. I rarely, though, teach. (One 2nd grade teacher, Toni, is really good about letting me read part of the lesson to the children and allowing me to interact with the class as a whole. Other than her class, nada.) 95% of the time, I enter the classroom, walk straight to the back and sit at a table, pull out my folder of British English exam questions, and work my way down the roster of children, a pair at a time. Each pair sits with me and answers the same, mind-numbing questions such as "What's your name?", "Where do you live?", "Have you got any pets?" (crazy British English...it's "Do you have any pets?" but don't get me started!) and "What are you wearing today?" Sorry, but hearing them describe their school uniform (which never changes, duh!) 25x a day, everyday, gets kind of old. Yet, the children need this drilling to pass an exam in May. Ironically, I have realized that my city school's children actually are mastering English quicker than the country school children, who are drilled daily by native speakers. Perhaps the organic interaction of teacher-to-student holds their attention better; they're truly learning, and not just memorizing? I'm not sure, but the fact that my 2nd graders at my city school have better English than the 4th graders at my country school makes me chuckle out of frustration and confusion.

It looks like I've got a loooot of things to think about...

What's Popular in Madrid

2011-01-25T06:40:00.063-05:00

Over a year ago (wow, how time flies!), I wrote a post entitled "What's Popular in Peru" (http://djwthisside.blogspot.com/2009/09/whats-popular-in-peru.html). Now that I've been living in Madrid for over 4 months, I want to create the Spanish version. Let's begin with...

Music:
1. "We No Speak Americano" by Yolanda Be Cool - During our 1st month here, Nicole kept telling me, "I hate that Moroccan-sounding song they always play here!" I would ask her, "Which song?" wondering how she could identify the song as Moroccan. Did it sound Arabic? She'd reply, "I dunno. The one they always play at the clubs. It's annoying and makes the same high-pitched noise over and over." I would laugh at her then because I doubted the song was specifically Moroccan (sorry, Nicole). I assumed it was techno. I ended up being correct because, several days later, Nicole shouted to me in a bar, "This is the song!" I laughed again while nodding my head to the absurdly-catchy techno tune. This song was played all autumn, an Australian techno remake of a 1950s Italian song. Check it out here:

2. What's on the radio in America - I didn't realize when I left the States that the same music would be waiting for me here. I don't need to look at my iTunes Store Charts to know what's the Top 10 in the States because it's what is popular here, too!

3. Kiss FM (pronounced Kees Eh-feh Eh-meh)- I listen to this radio station - based out of Madrid - every Wednesday and Thursday during my car ride to my school in the country. This station plays a 50/50 mix of music in Spanish and English, which I appreciate. Their song selection, though, must consist of about 50 songs because at the same time every week, I usually hear the same group of songs. Songs like "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield, "New York" by Alicia Keys, lots of Shakira and "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay. I like these songs, but, come on! Let's invest in some new tracks!

Clothes:
1. Boots - For girls here, boots are a necessity. Whether they are knee-high, Ugg knock-offs or ankle boots with skinny jeans tucked inside, you can bet 90% of the women around you are wearing boots. The only clothing item I've purchased in Spain are my fabulous black boots. Very smart buy.

2. Neutrals - Blah, Spain. BLAH. Couldn't you branch out a little? Try some color? Neutral scarves, coats, shoes, pants...everything, from top to bottom, lacks color! And you mix your neutrals, too! Forget the words of wisdom from mothers in the American South. Apparently, it's perfectly fine to wear brown, black, gray and navy together. A few "mix your neutrals" days are fine by me, every now and then. Really. It's quite fashionable. But everyday with every neutral in your outfit, to me, is just lazy. My 1st few weeks in Madrid, I thought, "European = tacky." Now, I'm less harsh on Spanish fashion, but I still can't get used to being the only colored M&M in the metro car's pack of brown. (Side note: Sometimes, people don't wear neutrals. They may have a Purple Day instead, and every article of clothing on their body is some shade of purple. Lord, help us.)

3. Coats - Women, stop with the long 'n puffy coats. After you've had a baby in Spain, you will be the only people with any body fat because the rest of the population smokes or hasn't had a kid or both. Even though you may have picked smoking back up, you shouldn't have bought that coat just yet...

4. Scarves - Also fashionable with the middle school skater kids in the States, everyone here wears the scarves that are more like a handkerchief. You make a triangle in front of your neck, take the two ends behind your neck, cross them and let them hang down in the front, like this:

I caved in and bought Savannah one for Christmas. But hers was purdy!

Hair:
1. Girls - You must have, in the words of my fellow auxiliary, Jeanette, "The straight-across, china doll, four-year old bangs." Most girls keep their hair a gorgeous, natural, espresso brown, but some venture into the dangerous bleaching zone. I always stand out with my long, naturally light-colored, no-bangs (or fringe, for my British friends) hair.

2. Guys - Dudes, just because Ronaldo (Pause: If you, Dear Reader, don't know who he is, just Google "soccer." He's who you'll see.) has a gelled mo-hawk, that doesn't mean you should, too. Not everyone can pull off metro-sexual. From my 1st graders to guys in their 30s, they're spiking up their hair in the middle of their head, and it ends up looking more greasy than attractive. Or, the males choose the classic rattail. Lovely. Even better is when they decide to make that rattail one big dreadlock. Perfect, chicos. Exactly what I had hoped for in a Spanish man. *sigh of disappointment*

3. Old women - Purple hair. Wine-colored hair. Red hair. All signs that you should stop buying a box at the grocery store and go to a salon. Or just go au naturale, please. Gray is better than Easter-egg lavender anytime.

Transportation:
1. Vehicles - Europe = tiny cars. Like Smart cars. Nicole, with her F150 sitting in her driveway at home in Maryland, squeals every time she sees a dinky pickup truck here. They're that rare.

2. The Metro - The best way to get around Madrid. I love the Metro! It's clean, reliable, easy to figure out, and ideal for people-watching. There are also taxis in the city, usually utilized after the metro closes around 1:45a. If you find yourself out 'n about like a typical Madrileño on the weekends, these are always around...or, you could just do what they do and wait for the 1st morning metro at 6. Whew.

and, finally,

Food: I had high hopes for Spain's gastronomy when I arrived. I had read the week before my departure in Newsweek that Spain was ranked #1 in the WORLD for food. Wow! Then I got here and started to buy what I could afford, meaning cereal, veggies, sandwich makings, and soup. The few times I go out to eat, the most I'll pay for a meal is 20€, but normally I stick to 10€. Here, though, is the food you´ll find everywhere you go:

1. Bread - It's a white, French loaf. Gets old reeeally quickly, especially when you prefer whole grain. Dang, I'm such a picky American!

2. Paella - Eh. Find it at a good restaurant and not at a chain.

3. Bready, cakey things - Spain loves these things, whether it's a plain cupcake muffin thingy with no icing, a croissant (with or without chocolate chips), donuts or Little Debbie-like foods. There's an entire grocery store aisle devoted to these, as well as digestive biscuits (*gag gag¨*) and tostadas.

4. Churros con chocolate - Right on, Spain.

5. Meat - It's everywhere!
a) Ham - Entire pig legs hang from hooks in many store and restaurant fronts. It's awesome...if you're a ham lover.
b) Weird stuff - The reason why I eat mostly soups, fresh fruit and veggies when I bring my lunch to school. I don't particularly enjoy Spain's wide meat selection like its people does. Blood sausage on toast? Calamari in its own ink? That durn ham leg? I've tried it all, liked most of it, but wouldn't eat it most meals like some people do here.

That's about it for now. I hope you're as amused by some of these bits of Spanish culture as I am! Ciao xoxoxo

One of My Favorite Poems

2011-01-24T16:27:00.003-05:00

Mrs Midas by Carol Ann Duffy

It was late September. I'd just poured a glass of wine, begun
to unwind, while the vegetables cooked. The kitchen
filled with the smell of itself, relaxed, its steamy breath
gently blanching the windows. So I opened one,
then with my fingers wiped the other's glass like a brow.
He was standing under the pear tree snapping a twig.

Now the garden was long and the visibility poor, the way
the dark of the ground seems to drink the light of the sky,
but that twig in his hand was gold. And then he plucked
a pear from a branch - we grew Fondante d'Automne -
and it sat in his palm like a light bulb. On.
I thought to myself, Is he putting fairy lights in the tree?

He came into the house. The doorknobs gleamed.
He drew the blinds. You know the mind; I thought of
the Field of the Cloth of Gold and of Miss Macready.
He sat in that chair like a king on a burnished throne.
The look on his face was strange, wild, vain. I said,
What in the name of God is going on? He started to laugh.

I served up the meal. For starters, corn on the cob.
Within seconds he was spitting out the teeth of the rich.
He toyed with his spoon, then mine, then with the knives, the forks.
He asked where was the wine. I poured with shaking hand,
a fragrent, bone-dry white from Italy, then watched
as he picked up the glass, goblet, golden chalice, drank.

It was then that I started to scream. He sank to his knees.
After we had both calmed down, I finished the wine
on my own, hearing him out. I made him sit
on the other side of the room and keep his hands to himself.
I locked the cat in the cellar. I moved the phone.
The toilet I didn't mind. I couldn't believe my ears:

how he'd had a wish. Look, we all have wishes; granted.
But who has wishes granted? Him. Do you know about gold?
It feeds no one; aurum, soft, untarnishable; slakes
no thirst. He tried to light a cigarette; I gazed, entranced,
as the blue flame played on its luteous stem. At least,
I said, you'll be able to give up smoking for good.

Seperate beds. In fact, I put a chair against my door,
near petrified. He was below, turning the spare room
into the tomb of Tutankhamun. You see, we were passionate then,
in those halcyon days; unwrapping each other, rapidly,
like presents, fast food. But now I feared his honeyed embrace,
the kiss that would turn my lips to a work of art.

And who, when it comes to the crunch, can live
with a heart of gold? That night, I dreamt I bore
his child, its perfect ore limbs, its little tongue
like a precious latch, its amber eyes
holding their pupils like flies. My dream-milk
burned in my breasts. I woke to the streaming sun.

So he had to move out. We'd a caravan
in the wilds, in a glade of its own. I drove him up
under cover of dark. He sat in the back.
And then I came home, the women who married the fool
who wished for gold. At first I visited, odd times,
parking the car a good way off, then walking.

You knew you were getting close. Golden trout
on the grass. One day, a hare hung from a larch,
a beautiful lemon mistake. And then his footprints,
glistening next to the river's path. He was thin,
delirious; hearing, he said, the music of Pan
from the woods. Listen. That was the last straw.

What gets me now is not the idiocy or greed
but lack of thought for me. Pure selfishness. I sold
the contents of the house and came down here.
I think of him in certain lights, dawn, late afternoon,
and once a bowl of apples stopped me dead. I miss most,
even now, his hands, his warm hands on my skin, his touch.

Hugs and a Fist Pound

2011-01-12T11:49:00.017-05:00

The winter darkness outside at 7:30a and a chilly apartment turn typically chipper, morning person me into a sluggish grump the mornings I have to wake up for school. As I leave my apartment and walk to the metro, I think, I'm living in a pretty neat place...but, dang, why am I up so early? All I want is to crawl back into my warm bed and shut the black-out curtains. On the metro to my school, I squint under the fluorescent lights, attempting to read my book (in English) or watch the news (in Spanish) so I don't fall back asleep, lulled by the rocking train. Eventually, I exit the car, climb several stories of stairs, and I walk to my school. Once I'm near, I begin to hear the shouts and laughter of children. Now I know why I'm awake at the crack of dawn. Mr(s). Grinch goes away for good.

At my Monday-Tuesday school, in the south of the city, I teach preschool, 1st and 2nd grade. Mondays always begin in infantil, so whatever grogginess I feel before entering this class, brimming with wide-eyed four-year-olds, leaves at the door. Many times, I'm greeted with a collective shout of my name, "Debon!" One tiny tot will grab their chair and place it on the reading carpet and sit down right beside it, he or she smiling up at me. I carefully work my way to my seat while the children grab at my legs and reach up to touch me. Nothing like an adoring crowd to make you feel like a rock star! The child to my immediate left and right encircle my left and right leg with their arms in tree-hugger fashion. Some others leap up for a kiss before their teacher joins the circle. How can I stay grumpy? They still have downy baby hair, for goodness sake! I read them a story in my librarian's voice and sing ridiculous songs with ridiculously dramatic motions. They look at me like I'm their favorite person in the whole wide world. The girls with their braids and bows say shyly, "Tu eres guapa." I reply with a big smile, "No, YOU are beautiful!" while reaching to give their little hand a squeeze.

Afterward, I leave the preschool hall and go to the 1st and 2nd grade hall, where the kids are just as sweet, but less like babies. I teach them about photosynthesis, the parts of the body, and the water cycle. But the best part (even though I love teaching) are the hugs! As they file past me in the hall, most can't resist breaking away to give me a hard squeeze around my legs. (Remember, their heads only come up to my waist!) Some will look up with smiles and laugh while saying my name. Some are serious huggers, holding me so tight that I start to lose my balance. Some children's hugs are so sweet and memorable that I'll list them here -

Virginia - A tiny dark-haired, dark-eyed girl in the 1st grade. Her glasses magnify her eyes to where they look like saucers on her tiny face. She never speaks in class unless called on, and even then she whispers the answer to herself. Since I've learned her name (and all the other children's), when I tell her "hello" in the hall, she will break from the group and give me a strong, silent hug.

Ionut (pronounced ee-o-noot) - A platinum blond-haired boy with striking blue eyes. His head has got to be bigger than mine, but he's so short! He's the loving type with all teachers. He grins once he sees you, shouts out your name, and will hug you until he gets in trouble -- in the middle of PE, science class, or when the line has moved on down the hall. He also insists on you leaning down, so he can kiss your cheek.

Wendy - in my 2nd grade class, I always play with her beaded, braided hair. She's a little...uh...fluffy, and she always wears a puffy coat. Her hugs are like hugging a cloud, and she, too, will get in trouble for giving long hugs. She also likes to wave at me randomly in class. The first few times this happened, I was reading aloud in science class, and I mistook this gesture for a question. When I asked her, "Yes?", she just shrugged and smiled.

Alejandro- a sassy little African boy, I loved him from the start. The day we met in his 1st grade class, I sang Lady Gaga's "Alejandro" to him each time he passed by. He'd scowl at me, stick out his tongue, then later catch my eye and laugh. He can be really bad - I mean, punching, pitching a fit, or flinging insults in Spanish - but, for some reason, I find it endearing. When he's not shoving someone, pouting, or crying after being pushed back (for once), he's sneaking over to hug me.

Rebecca and Rosa - at my Wednesday-Thursday school outside of the city, I teach all grades. In the 6th grade, my oldest group, these two girls are new to the class, and have never spoken English before, putting them five years behind the rest of their classmates. They are also grownier than most (as we say in the South). They dress like they're in their 20s, and when I have conversation practice with them ("What is your name?" "Where are you from?"), they insist on asking me what I do on the weekends, what bars I go to, and how can I sing just like Lady Gaga? Despite them being 13 going on 30, they always greet me with big hugs and will stroke my hair, comment on my outfit and beg for it to be their turn to talk with me. They always pout like my preschoolers when I can't speak with them.

infantil - these preschool classes deserve their own hug category. It's always en masse, causing me to stagger and sway. 25 little faces smiling up at you, saying in Spanish "you are beautiful" and "I love you" will undoubtedly brighten your day.

1A @ La Maranosa - This 1st grade class at my country school has five little girls who always tell me, "I love you!" in English every time they see me. If I have class with them, they get in trouble for getting out of their seats to hug me at random times.

And finally...
The bad boys - I give everyone fist pounds...when they're filling past me in the hall, when I congratulate them on completing a class assignment correctly, or just because I think I'm cool. These fist pounds obviously have gotten me on the good side of the bad kids (mostly boys) because now even they break from line to hug me. Just today, one "bad" boy in the 1st grade purposefully went to the back of the line, where I was walking. He looked up at me, smiled, held out his hand, and we walked with our hands linked, arms swinging to and fro between us, the entire way to the gym.

Pouring in Portugal

2010-12-19T09:09:00.004-05:00

For the long weekend at the beginning of December (called the "puente" which means "bridge"...don't ask), Nicole, Abigail and I took a bus to Lisbon, Portugal. We left Madrid a rainy Sunday morning and arrived in Lisbon around 6p. To keep this post short 'n sweet, I'll make a list of pros and cons of our trip. Also, check out the slideshow below!

Lisbon Pros:
1. Lots of waterfront property
2. Trolleys (since the city is hill after hill after hill)
3. Belem Tower, Jeronimo's Monastery and St. George's Castle
4. Neat waterfront park with Oceanarium and cable cars
5. Locals know more English than Spanish
6. Great transportation system in general: bus, trolleys, metro and train
7. Two awesome bridges that cross over from wherever Portugal to Lisbon. The Vasco de Gama bridge took at least five minutes to cross. At times, it felt like we were crossing the ocean itself!
8. Super Bock beer
9. Beautiful men everywhere (I thought that's how SPAIN would be. But no.)
10. Wonderful hostel-apartment thingy with the sweetest staff, full kitchen, and in a great part of town (http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Albergo-Odisseo-Old-Albergo-Olisipo/Lisbon/17935)

...and my friends by my side when the Lisbon Cons hit full-force.

Lisbon Cons:
1. Deluge the 1st night = ruined camera, iPod, cell phone, soaked money and crucial documents :(
2. Other than bacalao (cool!), the food reminded me a lot of Peru, which I'm obviously still sick of. Think french fries, white rice and red meat with little seasoning. None of which I eat on a regular basis, let alone all together on the same plate.
3. Rain the entire time = gray photos and blah mood
4. Not being able to meet up with Abby the 1st day for the Oceanarium, trolley and cable car ride
5. New boots, necessary for rain + soaked tennis shoes + cobble stone streets = footsore
6. No gifts/souvenirs to be found at the recommended street market since they sold the same cheap scarves, bags and earrings you can find in Spain
7. Realizing each time my hand shot down to my bag to grab my camera that it was broken
8. The loooong bus ride to and from with way too many stops and detours (sin iPod)
9. Santander, my Spanish bank, refusing to take my card in their Portugal banks
10. Too little time to give Lisbon a fair chance!

Long Weekend Part II: Sevilla

2010-12-12T10:30:00.002-05:00

It's been a long time coming, but here are just a few of the pictures I took in Sevilla.

So far, this sunny city with its broad, tree-lined streets has been my favorite city in Spain. If the Ministry of Education let me pick my placement city next year (and not only the region), Sevilla would be it! The tapas was amazing, the flamenco was mesmerizing, the monuments were breathtaking, the pace was slow and the climate...perfect. While in Peru, I found myself loving the cities that reminded me of Charleston, SC -- sunny, relaxed cities, with bright-colored buildings with white trim, lots of churches and parks, and palm trees. The cities in Peru like this, for me, were Trujillo and my hometown, Arequipa. My Charleston in Spain (and it's way cooler, sorry SC)...is Sevilla. I can't wait for an excuse to go back!!

For Soulful Struts down Gran Via

2010-12-03T09:30:00.005-05:00

It's scarf, hat and mittens weather. The sky is a perfect robin's egg blue. Snow whispered threats, but the wind blew it away, revealing the mountains long lost behind the skyscrapers and smog.

I'll go for a walk.

The concrete and walls of windows will blind me with pearly light. The cold will numb my nose, cramp my lungs, and sting my cheeks. There will be static -- in my hair, crackling in my sweater and coat, between my finger and the metal door handle. But I feel like walking with purpose to anywhere.

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

2010-11-29T15:42:00.003-05:00

For you...your favorite Christmas movie (and probably mine, too) and because it is snowing here in Madrid on your special day:

I love you! See you in less than a month!

Long Weekend Part I: Granada

2010-11-24T12:12:00.007-05:00

It's been a month since I was there, and I could write pages about this city, so I'll let my pictures from our two days in Granada tell the tale instead...enjoy!

La Alhambra

Exploring the city

Field Trip!

2010-11-22T13:50:00.009-05:00

Last Friday a week ago, I decided to make up (in advance) one of the two school days I will miss at the start of Christmas break. Conveniently, it was field trip day. :)

I went with the 3rd and 4th grade from my Wed./Thurs. school to a type of wildlife park near El Escorial, just outside of Madrid. I knew I would have a blast from the get-go since the trip was with my favorite kids (the 3rd grade) and because we would be seeing many animals native to Spain. I'm such a nerd.

On the bus ride, we watched Shrek 2. I don't know if I've seen the movie too many times or my Spanish is better than I thought (probably a little bit of both), but I understood 90% of the film! So, when Puss in Boots did somersaults through the air during his introduction, I was laughing just as hard as the children were.

When we arrived, I monitored the children during their mid-morning snack, then I left with the teachers for our own special coffee/breakfast break. I felt awful grown-y, sitting up in a log cabin lounge on the top floor, looking out over the park and discussing hiking options with the other teachers while sipping my cafe con leche. It was also good Spanish practice! Afterward, we set out on our own to see all the animals. I saw wild Iberian boars, different types of deer, falcons, un zorro (fox) and some shaggy ponies. My favorite part, though, had to be seeing Iberian wolves up close. As soon as the children left that enclosure, the wolves came right up to the fence, so I was able to get lots of great pictures!

For the last hour of our excursion, we rounded up the students and watched them make keepsakes of footprints stamped in blocks of putty. Of course, as soon as the children were finished, they all wanted to give me hugs and touch my face with their clay-colored hands. With a few nimble dodges and clever excuses, I managed to stay un-puttied. Later, on the quieter bus ride back to school, I realized that I was as exhausted as the kids when my head started to sink down toward little Pedro sitting beside me. I had had just as big of a day as they had.

MTV's EMA 2010: Free Concert in Madrid

2010-11-21T08:53:00.004-05:00

On Sunday, November 7th, Nicole and I ventured out of our cozy apartment and headed toward the Puerta de Alcala where a crowd was gathering for a free concert at 6. We worried that we would be chilly that evening, but as soon as we were sucked into the mob in front of the stage, we realized staying warm wouldn't be an issue. For about 2 hours, the herd of people around us shoved and shifted, making us wonder if we should just leave. When the music started, though, it was all worth it. (see below)

You'll See

2010-11-18T14:17:00.002-05:00

"After the Storm" - Mumford & Sons

And after the storm,
I run and run as the rains come
And I look up, I look up,
on my knees and out of luck,
I look up.

Night has always pushed up day
You must know life to see decay
But I won't rot, I won't rot
Not this mind and not this heart,
I won't rot.

And I took you by the hand
And we stood tall,
And remembered our own land,
What we lived for.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

And now I cling to what I knew
I saw exactly what was true
But oh no more.
That's why I hold,
That's why I hold with all I have.
That's why I hold.

I will die alone and be left there.
Well I guess I'll just go home,
Oh God knows where.
Because death is just so full and mine so small.
Well I'm scared of what's behind and what's before.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

My Getaway: Parque del Oeste

2010-11-16T11:46:00.001-05:00

Sunday Stroll to Retiro

2010-11-14T12:05:00.002-05:00

One Sunday evening a few weeks back, Nicole and I decided to leave our apartment in Royal Madrid, stretch our legs and walk the 2 blocks to Gran Via and follow it to Retiro Park. We had seen the Puerta de Alcala at a glance but had never entered the park itself. It was late October, the sun was out, the leaves were changing, and so we knew the sights would be stunning. I'll let the pictures do the work...enjoy!

Part 2 of the Weekend: Murcia and Cartagena

2010-11-13T13:06:00.004-05:00

After spending the 1st part of our weekend in Toledo, Nicole and I took Saturday night and Sunday morning to rest and repack for the 2nd part of our weekend: a trip to Murcia, where we would meet up with our friend, Caleb. Sunday afternoon, we went to the huge metro/bus station Mendez Alvaro to catch our 4:15 bus. We got to the platform at 4:15, waited around a few minutes, bags in hand, then realized -- our bus had already left. (Dang, Spain, why are you on time now?) So, we parked ourselves in the station cafeteria and waited for the next bus, the 7:15. I spent the hours reading my Spain travel guide book, researching the region and city of Murcia. I was pretty pumped for our trip by boarding time.

Later on the bus, as we left Madrid and crossed into the region of Castilla-La Mancha, it occurred to me this was the furthest I had been from the city. We were traveling 5 hours away from what we had just come to know. I smiled, plugged my headphones into my iPod, and looked out the window. In the growing dark, I could see gigantic windmills, red lights at their centers, glowing eerily across the plain like robot eyes. I thought, Don Quixote didn't challenge these windmills.

When we arrived at midnight, Caleb and some friends met us at the station and led us back to his apartment. Caleb, being the definition of a gentleman, gave us his room (where we quickly crashed), and he slept on the couch. We didn't wake up until almost noon Monday. The weather was supposed to be cool for the usually arid Murcia, with a chance of rain. We decided, therefore, to take a 45 minute bus ride to Cartagena and sight-see there, hoping to miss the bad weather. In Cartagena, we rambled through the sunny, date palm-lined streets, never forgetting to crane our necks and check out the magnificent skyline. We visited a few Roman ruins, including a theater, and then walked to a park along the battery. (I swore I would dunk a toe in the Mediterranean when I first saw it, but there was no where to do it! :( Reason #1 to visit again.) Later in the afternoon, we needed a snack, so we raided a local supermarket for fruit and wine, and returned to the park for a picnic. When the sun got low and the air turned cool, we walked back to the Cartagena bus station and caught a bus back to Murcia.

That night, we had a homemade, Spanish dinner with plenty of wine to go around, blanco or tinto. I got to know Caleb's roommates a little better (a girl from the U.S. and a girl from Portugal), so that was fun. Later, we decided to explore the club scene near the university, but nowhere really appealed to us.

I woke up the next morning to a warm, sunny day, but I felt off. Within minutes, I was covered in hives, and I realized it wasn't my lack of sleep but a severe allergic reaction to something that had me feeling this way (and I still have no idea what caused this!). Nicole, thank goodness, had some Zyrtec. Soon, the three of us were out the door and exploring Murcia city. While walking, I felt the medicine starting to kick in and the fresh air reviving my spirits. Then I hit a sudden low. My vision narrowed to a pinpoint, my ears started to ring, and I felt like someone was covering my head with a bag. I slumped onto some stairs until the feeling went away. My friends decided we should grab something to eat, hoping that would help me feel better. We walked a couple of more blocks to the city cathedral and found a restaurant with tables out on the cathedral plaza.

Honestly, I felt like a party-pooper, slowing the group down. It was our last day and our only day to see Murcia! While sipping my Coke, though, I began to cheer up as I talked with my friends and sat in the cathedral's grand shadow. My hives disappeared, and I started to feel more like myself. We ordered paella and chatted for over an hour, watching some children play in the square and some little birds flying from table to table, searching for stray crumbs.

When we finished our meal, Nicole and I only had an hour until our bus back to Madrid, so we meandered around the outside of the cathedral and then strolled to a river-side park before saying our goodbyes. I really enjoyed my time in Murcia, especially because I love any place that has plenty of sun, vegetation and a slower pace. Sometimes, the brightly-colored buildings and waterfront reminded me of my favorite southern city, Charleston. I was sad that I didn't get to spend more time in some places, like the inside of Murcia Cathedral, but hey, Reason #2 to visit again!

Toledo's Twists and Turns

2010-11-09T11:29:00.001-05:00

Mid-Friday afternoon, October 8th, Nicole and I boarded a bus here in Madrid and took a 45-minute ride into the Castilla-La Mancha providence and to the Spanish city of 3 cultures: Toledo. Christian, Muslim and Jewish populations over the past 1,000 years have shaped this city into the historical gem that it is today.

Once we had hopped off the bus, Nicole and I decided to walk from the station to our hostel since it was a pleasant day and an hour until sunset. During our leisurely walk, following the river around the city and to the Alcantara Bridge, we took many pictures of the city glowing in the perfect lighting. After crossing the picturesque bridge, we found our hostel...an 11th century castle! We went inside, paid less than 15 euros for a 2-person private room/bath for the night, regrouped, then headed out to find dinner.

We got lost almost immediately. *Understand* Spain is already against big, clear road signs. Here in Madrid, you may find a decorative tile square sporting the name of the street along with the picture of a queen or saint, but in Toledo...you are lucky to find a sign at all. The people who constructed Toledo also didn't believe in a grid system. The narrow, cobblestone streets twist and turn like spaghetti noodles thrown onto a map. If this maze of alleys hadn't been so enchantingly European-looking, we would've gotten discouraged and headed back to the hostel, I'm sure. We were rewarded, eventually, with a restaurant near the Plaza de Zocodover that boasted a fairly-traditional and fair-priced Menu of the Day. I had some delicious gazpacho, baked chicken with a salad, a little pre-packaged ice cream cup, bread and olive oil, and a drink for less than 12 euros. Nicole opted for the paella over the gazpacho (see pictures).

After dinner, Nicole and I wandered through the streets again, peeping into bars here and there, seeing what looked good. At one point, we found a supposed "cider" bar (I was VERY excited), but the bartender informed me they hadn't served cider in over 5 years. Well, drat. Eventually, my partner and I ended up at a popular bar called "Picaro" and had some good conversation over mojitos and daiquiris. We also had a good laugh at being the only single people there. "Dear Spain, why must there be face-sucking couples everywhere we turn? Sincerely, Devon and Nicole." Our walk back to the hostel was gorgeous, especially when we crossed the bridge and looked back at the city against the nighttime sky.

We woke up Saturday morning to cold and drizzle. Rain jacket, umbrella and guidebook in hand, I headed out with Nicole to explore the city like a real tourist. We had a quick pastry for breakfast in the Plaza de Zocodover then visited the Museum of Santa Cruz, full of ancient tapestries and tile exhibits. Then we headed toward Toledo Cathedral...at least we thought we were. After about an hour, we finally found it (it's the tallest building in the city, how could we not find it?!) and spent a few hours inside. I split from Nicole and did a rewarding audio tour, which pointed out works by famous artists like Caravaggio and El Greco. I may or may not have squawked with joy. After several hours of complete bliss (I'm finding that I'm addicted to visiting cathedrals), we left and visited an old synagogue/museum. By this point, it was later in the afternoon, pouring and our feet were hurting, so we didn't linger. We also had a bus to catch back to Madrid. When we did, we were two exhausted, drenched but happy gals.

New Laptop = New Posts!

2010-11-05T18:26:00.003-04:00

Hal-le-lu-yer. I finally got my laptop today (after several hours of dealing with postal service red tape), so expect many catch-up posts soon! I promise stories about Toledo, Murica, Sevilla and Granada (and Madrid, of course). Also, once I figure out how to load my camera's software and can edit all of my pictures, I'll start posting a select few. For now, I'm off to bed after a loooong day!

Thanks for your patience, dear reader!

All my love,
Dev

My Metro Song

2010-10-18T13:44:00.001-04:00

A Design, An Alignment, A Cry

2010-10-15T07:17:00.005-04:00

This is the 1st and title track of my favorite album by Mumford and Sons. The entire CD is great, but the last stanza is what I connect with the most. Call it my creed.

Sigh No More

Serve God love me and men
This is not the end
Live unbruised we are friends
And I'm sorry
I'm sorry

Sigh no more, no more
One foot in sea, one on shore
My heart was never pure
you know me
you know me

Man is a giddy thing (4x)

Love will not betray you,
dismay or enslave you,
It will set you free
Be more like the man
you were made to be.
There is a design,
An alignment, a cry,
Of my heart to see
The beauty of love
as it was made to be (x4)

Reflections on Sunday

2010-10-15T07:08:00.002-04:00

A had a dream last night about leading praise and worship at my home church in Benson, NC. This type of dream has become more common within the past year, occurring several times a month now. I'm always on stage, behind a keyboard and microphone, looking out over a crowd. Most of the faces are familiar -- my church family. Some of the people are singing. Some are raising their hands. Others sit silently, and others simply watch me.

At times, the dream is stressful. Maybe this time I don't have the song list, so I'm winging it. Sometimes I'm the only one in the band who doesn't know the song. Usually, though, the dream is peaceful because I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be. I don't mean in front of people. I mean worshipping. So when I woke up this morning after leading praise and worship in my dream, and I realized it's Sunday morning, and I'm across the ocean from my church, I got a slight case of the blues. Then I remembered.

The church is everywhere. It's me, my family, and my new roommate and friend. And, funny enough, the church is the man who comes to collect my rent. When I first met Jose, a sixty-something year old man, I thought he must have a lot of patience to listen to four girls speak in English for thirty minutes, trying to figure out who pays what. Finally, I told him in Spanish, "Please take a seat." He smiled and told us not to worry. Little did I know how serious he was.

As soon as we had everything figured out, he made another comment like "Don't worry. Why should we worry when God's got things under control?" At this, one of my roommates left, not knowing how to respond. Roommate #2 soon did the same. I stayed put, though, because something in my spirit was saying, "Oooh, this is gonna be good! Get ready for what this man has to say!"

By this time, he was standing, as if to leave, but he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. He was beaming and so wound up, he looked like he was about to burst. And he soon did, after realizing that me and roommate #3 were Christians with open ears and hearts.

He talked, and he talked, and he talked. He gave his testimony, talked about his encounters with other people, shared his innermost thoughts, and praised and thanked God for His blessings and for us coming into his life. He talked so much that I could only respond with an occasional "Si!" or nod of my head. He talked for at least an hour, never slowing down or forgetting to say, "Thank you, Father! Oh, how He loves me!" A few, rare times, I would affirm his musings or give my point of view, but I mostly listened (and hard). Remember: He's speaking in Spanish this whole time. Amazingly, though, I understood 95% of what he said! This is truly miraculous since my Spanish is firmly intermediate. Love, I realized while watching his open, clear eyes and glowing face, is a universal language.

When he finally realized the time (way after midnight), he made for the door. A few times down the hall, he thought of a something, and he launched into another story of God's faithfulness. I didn't mind. When he was truly done, I hugged him close and kissed him on the cheek. I told him, in Spanish, "Thank you, my brother. You are beautiful vessel of God's love." I feel cheesy even when typing that, but you had to have been there. This man could have levitated, and I wouldn't have been surprised. He was that...light! He said he was glad to have met two young women who already understood God's love and grace. I told him how much I loved his visit because he reminded me of times with my family and our typical conversations. After the door closed behind him, I felt filled to the brim, like I do on a Sunday morning after going to church.

Newsboys - He Reigns
Cargado por wanzea. - Explorar otros videos musicales.

He Reigns

It’s the song of the redeemed
Rising from the African plain
It’s the song of the forgiven
Drowning out the Amazon rain
The song of Asian believers
Filled with God’s holy fire
It’s every tribe, every tongue, every nation
A love song born of a grateful choir

It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

Let it rise about the four winds
Caught up in the heavenly sound
Let praises echo from the towers of cathedrals
To the faithful gathered underground
Of all the songs sung from the dawn of creation
Some were meant to persist
Of all the bells rung from a thousand steeples
None rings truer than this

And all the powers of darkness
Tremble at what they’ve just heard
‘Cause all the powers of darkness
Can’t drown out a single word

"Machu Picchu"

2010-10-09T12:57:00.002-04:00

Most of the people I talked to this week met the following criteria:
- Spoke little English
- Had wide, brown, smiling eyes
- Owned a rolling book bag (decorated with Hello Kitty, the Jonas Brothers or Spiderman)
- Came up to about my waist

I'm obviously describing the students at my two assigned primary schools, General Izquierdo and Ramon Gomez de la Serna. These children truly brighten my day. When I walk into school, the students who recognize me say, "Hello, Debon," and those who don't simply wave. When I walk down the halls, groups of children hug me until some grumpy lunch lady in a hairnet scolds them and shoos them into the cafeteria. In the classroom, they listen in complete silence as I read aloud and laugh when I swear to them that "I don't understand ANY Spanish." Yeah, right. They're smarter than that.

I realize I'm in a unique position because I'm getting teaching experience without the trials of a normal teacher. I don't have to scream for silence, give students The Face (duh duh duuuh) or send a child to the headmaster's office. I don't grade papers in the break room and take the unfinished ones home. I'm not "the teacher". I'm that cool chick from the United States.

When I talk with a student, I am supposed to go through a simple routine to get the student accustomed to conversational English. It usually goes something like this:

"Hello! My name is Devon. What is your name?"
(shyly) "My name is Paula/Javier."
(nodding) "Very good Paula/Javier. Nice to meet you!"
"Machu Picchu, too."

The first time this happened, I almost lost it. Machu Picchu? That place I visited in the fall? Adorable. Another trick they've been taught is to always say, "I'm doing fine, thank you, and you?" They often say this phrase, though, after I've already told them how I'm doing. Their responses can be awkward, too. ("How are you today, Javier?" Stony-faced: "Fantastic." Yeah, okay, Javier.) Hopefully, they'll have enough conversations with me during the next year that they'll fall into a more natural conversational pattern.

So far, I'm really enjoying my time at school. Some of my first memories are learning the alphabet and the joy of putting the scribbles together to form words with meaning. S-T-O-P. Stop. That chain of connections which makes communication possible is a magical thing to me, just as much today as it was when I was in preschool. Therefore, I absolutely love the moment when a first grader realizes the label that says "table" is the word for the object. What's really cool is seeing them have this realization a second time, in English. Sometimes they get into a session of pointing and asking, "What is this in English? And this?" The excitement I feel in passing this knowledge on is making me wonder if I'm going to end up teaching...

Sometimes, though, I get so excited, the kids look at me funny. I usually meet with pairs at the back of the classroom to go over recent vocabulary. While talking, I gesticulate, make funny faces and change the tone of my voice to help them learn. They usually understand me better this way, but that doesn't stop them from laughing at me. On Thursday, two third grader boys kept giggling while we were discussing the different types of vertebrates. They finally said, together, "You're a crazy woman." I grinned and thanked them. Of course, they laughed even harder. When I left the classroom at the end of the session, they waved extra hard from their desks and shouted, "Viviparous!" At least I did something right.

I wish I had pictures to post of me with the kids, but since I'm not using my own laptop, that will have to wait. Now, I'm off to look up train tickets for Murcia. After a extra-rough first week at school (sigh), I have a five-day weekend. I visited Toledo yesterday, and now I'm off again! I'll write about these adventures soon!

Spain, in List Form

2010-10-03T12:10:00.003-04:00

Since I'm sick, thinking about 1 billion things at once, and borrowing my friend's laptop (muchas gracias!), I will make this post short 'n sweet. Perhaps a list or two will help me organize my initial thoughts on Spain and will give you, dear reader, a glimpse of my life in Madrid so far. I promise more details later! As for now...

10 Cosas Buenas
1. A new group of friends, most of them fellow teaching assistants
2. A dependable, clean, and fairly simple Metro system
3. An apartment with sunshine-yellow walls, space to unroll my yoga mat and a room with a view
4. Walks around the barrio
5. Cereal on the kitchen shelf and fresh fruit and veggies from the corner mart in the fridge
6. TV in Spanish
7. A hot mug of green tea with mint for when I start to cough
8. Skyping with my family
9. Menus del dia (The Day's Special) that includes 2 courses, drink (wine, beer, soda) and dessert/coffee for just a few euros
10. Autumn's 1st cool, rainy day

10 Cosas Malas
1. Having the worst cold of your life for a week...and that week including your 1st day of school and moving in
2. A landlord who gets confused and expects too much money the day you move in
3. Teeny washer machines
4. Graffiti everywhere
5. No customer service, especially in restaurants
6. TV only in Spanish when all you want is some easy-to-understand, trashy, American shows
7. Couples on every corner, park bench and against every wall, doing things that make you disgusted/curious
8. Very little green to be seen
9. The dollar against the euro
10. A rainy day

Do not be fooled. There are certainly more positives than negatives in my life right now for I have been truly blessed. I could have gone on and on with my "good" list, and list things like how I always have wifi in my apartment, how I have too many clothes with me and how my family can afford to buy me a new laptop and ship it to me the moment my old one dies. I could count my blessings all day and into the night! I'm so very thankful for this opportunity. My friends and I frequently jump and squeal while walking around Madrid and shout, "We're in SPAIN!" A new friend of mine, Matt, recently spent all day grinning from ear-to-ear and announcing, "I'm so excited!" That's how I feel each and everyday, cold or no cold. Rain or shine.

Dusty Paths and Turning Leaves

2010-09-14T23:35:00.004-04:00

This time next week, as Savannah so kindly reminded me while squeezing the life out of me, I will be spending my 1st night in Spain.

That seems impossible since, today, I marveled at the quality of the late afternoon sunlight in dust clouds left behind my car as I traveled the long path home. Today, I shopped in American stores, talked to my server in English, and went 70 miles per hour on I-40. I smiled at autumn's alchemy practice on the leaves next to forever green pines. In the den tonight, my family sat around me and fussed about our crappy hometown high school. I was comfortably in NC.

There's more out there, I know. I want to see and experience it, but then thoughts like "you don't speak the language" or "you're a farm girl" creep into my skull. Music, though, drowns out this static. I find myself more and more sneaking into the study to play some Beethoven piece to clear out the clutter in my head.

As I did in Peru, I'm blogging with a song in mind. It's hard not to when most of my day is filled with music. This song has been on repeat lately -- in my car, on my iHome and iPod, and even on the barn boom box while I clean stalls. I like a song that makes me not just tap my toes but stomp my feet. (Hard. Like bent over, knee-raising stomps.) I like music that causes me to sing so hard in my car, the driver in their car bubble next to me stares. Music that makes me do a spin dance with our kitten in the grass.

I totally understand why this band's bluegrass/rock combination has gotten them a lot of attention lately. They're each talented and on multiple instruments. Personally, I always enjoy a banjo, driving bass and the chill bumps caused by a group of men belting out harmonies. This song just might be my airplane take-off song come the 20th.

Transitional Song: From Davidson to Spain

2010-06-17T00:52:00.014-04:00

What a strange time in my life this is.

Along with the rest of Davidson's Class of 2010, I am no longer a part of the Davidson student network. When I logged onto my computer tonight around 12:15, Outlook wanted my password. No go. (Thank goodness I thought to save all of the important emails from the past four years before midnight!) One such saved email came at a funny time. A few days ago, I received an accidental forward from a huge email chain I had participated in the summer between my sophomore and junior year. Reading the contact list alone was bittersweet since those names wouldn't dare be on the same email list six months later, and especially not now. Some connections weren't as long-lived as expected, to put it kindly.

Reading the actual email, which had been kept alive for over three months at the time, made me look back at Past Me...which naturally made me want to peek ahead and see Future Me.

But you can't do that, can you? As my pastor said this past Sunday (and it's painfully simple): You only have RIGHT NOW. This moment. The present. Live life in that. Even though I hate that overplayed Kris Allen song, he's giving good advice. Ancient and wise advice.

Davidson happened, and I'm already missing parts of it. Today, June 17th, I realize that emails like the Crier, party invitations, and even homework announcements no longer will clog my inbox. And I'll miss that annoying clogging. I'll probably miss deweeks@davidson.edu at times. She was usually a happy young woman who grew in confidence with every passing day (according to one beloved Dr. Mills). She had things to do and was surrounded by friends 24/7. Those who really care still call/email, but it's not like it was in the past.

But what's happening NOW? In the present?

The present is a tricky little sucker. It's not always what you planned back there in the past when you thought about the future. I vowed, for example, never to return home after college, yet, here I am, typing from my childhood bedroom. I planned on keeping in touch with some people for the rest of my life that are now no longer a part of it. I thought I might stay in Davidson after graduation. Nope. No job offers there. Instead, I'm stuck waiting everyday for a letter from Madrid that will tell me what I'll be doing with my life come mid-September. The present suddenly feels like a holding room.

It doesn't have to be, though, when there's love. So cheesy, yes, but let me have my small moment of revelation. The present is where relationships thrive...with your God, your family, significant other, friends, and especially with that stranger you just so happen to meet. The present constantly gives you the chance to give to others. You can call that person and hear their voice right now. You can push outside of your comfort zone right now. You can choose to live right now. Not too deep, right?

Feeling a little down after a not-so-active day, I made the executive decision this afternoon to take a nap. While flopping down onto my bed, I randomly turned on the radio to see if the little man inside was playing something special for me. He actually was. (This is when you See Below.) It's been stuck in my head all day. I'm sure over the next few days, this tune will drift out my car windows and join the breeze (the windows WILL be down because the AC isn't working). A wonderfully cliche, happy-go-lucky song, it encourages me not to wait until I'm watching the rain fall in Spain to live life.

If It's Love by Train

While everybody else is getting out of bed
I'm usually getting in it
I'm not in it to win it
And there's a thousand ways you can skin it

My feet have been on the floor
Flat like an idle singer
Remember winger
I digress
I confess you are the best thing in my life

But I'm afraid when I hear stories
About a husband and wife
There's no happy endings
No Henry Lee
But you are the greatest thing about me

[Chorus]
If it's love
And we decide that it's forever
No one else could do it better
If it's love
And we're two birds of a feather
Then the rest is just whenever
And if I'm addicted to loving you
And you're addicted to my love too
We can be them two birds of a feather
That flock together
Love, love
Got to have something to keep us together
Love, love
That's enough for me

Took a loan on a house I own
Can't be a queen bee without a bee throne
I wanna buy ya everything
Except cologne
'cause it's poison

We can travel to Spain where the rain falls
Mainly on the plain side and sing
'cause it is we can laugh we can sing
Have ten kids and give them everything

Hold our cell phones up in the air
And just be glad we made it here alive
On a spinning ball in the middle of space
I love you from your toes to your face

[Chorus]

You can move in
I won't ask where you've been
'cause everybody has a past
When we're older
We'll do it all over again

When everybody else is getting out of bed
I'm usually getting in it
I'm not in it to win it
I'm in it for you

On Graduating

2010-04-24T21:52:00.006-04:00

Landslide

I took my love and I took it down
I climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills
'Til the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Mmm Mmm... I don't know...

Well, I've been afraid of changing
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older too

So, take this love, take it down
Oh if you climb a mountain and you turn around
If you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well the landslide will bring you down

El Fin: A Month Later

2009-12-17T22:50:00.002-05:00

Now I'm home, sitting in my childhood bed, watching Netflix and snuggling down in a Davidson sweatshirt. Things I would've missed 2 months ago in Arequipa but now am finding comforting but not overwhelmingly important.

My last month in Peru, from Halloween until Nov. 21st, was spent travelling. I slept in a jungle hut, wore native dress while visiting a floating Uros Island on Lake Titicaca, stood inside a Spanish cathedral that once was THE Inca sun temple in Cuzco and watched the sun set over the Pacific in Trujillo. I lived out of a suitcase for over 3 weeks and loved every minute of it. I caught a piranha. I saw a 3-toed sloth drag itself across the road in broad daylight. I met a shaman. I went over the continental divide at 16,000 ft. I ate lunch with a farming family just outside of Cuzco. I slept on a black beach and thought about nothing in particular. I relaxed.

Now I'm home, back to the craziness of Christmas. I got in just in time for a family Thanksgiving, the GRE and other major life decisions. For example, after my most recent to Davidson, I've decided to put off my MFA applications. I'm looking into teaching ESL at a local literacy center. I'm applying to a teaching/cultural ambassador program in Spain with a friend from Davidson. I'm home and every thing's the same while every thing's changing.

I still email with my host mom. Each letter makes me cry. Today, I talked to Fio on Facebook chat. I could only laugh when I realized that many of my friends finished exams today and are going home for winter break while today is Fio's start of summer vacation. That sounds so odd! Tonight, I practiced my Spanish by sitting at the table of one of my father's employees. Angel, the employee, is from Ecuador and has medical training. Now his step-daughter wants to be a pediatrician. I didn't catch every single word, but we understood each other. It felt like going home to something still not perfectly familiar. It was another home, though.

Now I'm home, about to attend a good friend's college graduation. This scares me because I only have a semester left until LIFE begins *duh duh duuuuh* Hopefully, this life will include many more travels, like my 1st to Peru. My only goal, teeny as it may be, is to see as many countries as I can in this life. Small, like I said.

I want to thank you, reader, for caring enough to read. I didn't even think about blogging until my best friend encouraged me to. When he did, however, all I could say was, "Who cares?!" But my Feedjit told me otherwise, all day, everyday while I was in Peru. My loved ones and even strangers began checking in on my life on a regular basis. They usually didn't comment, but I knew they were there, supporting me from home. So, again, thank you.

I'll end with a last Song of the Day. It was a fill-in-the-blank exercise for my Spanish class one day at UNSA, and it drove me crazy! Gian Marco is a Peruvian icon. He's on cellphone commercials, billboards, and all over the radio. He's basically the Billy Joel of Peru. This particular song is pure poetry. I'm including my (terrible, I'm sure) translation along with the lyrics. Read and listen. Disfrute y chao chao!

Retrato (Portrait)

I’m going to be a magician with a poem here tonight,
I am going to try to compile the heart,
Little by little confessing my diary and way of loving
Today my words only show what I am.

I am as complex as a book of theories
But simple, as if I started speaking about the sun
They say that I am usually a canteen or restaurant singer
And that I’m famous because of a love song.

I cut my hair because I detest combing it
And this tattoo is not a question of look,
I sold toys in the street
I slept on the beach and in the park,
I fell in love with my guitar on a balcony.

I have in a book the words of my mother
And in the memory of my father, a prayer,
They gave me so many good things,
They gave me wings and a thousand tests,
They taught me to always say “please”.

I have a little girl who lights up my day
And a woman who accelerates my heart,
I have defects and virtues
Sometimes I deliver for the clouds
When they speak to me and I don’t pay attention.

Today I undress, without fear, my happy times
And my sad times, I discover them without decency,
Today I keep on being the owner and the proprietor
Of my history and my dreams
And of my Friday nights at The Station. (Where he got his start)

For 11/17/09 (sorry!)

2009-11-17T22:45:00.014-05:00

Yesterday was about perfect. Slept in for the 2nd day in a row. Went to the beach with my 3 gal pals and sunned a bun. Ate at our now-regular vegetarian restaurant, and we all tried a new dish. Took a group nap. Watched a movie. Had pizza for dinner.

As I was lying on the beach, I realized how tired I was of my typical music. Beyonce, Makano, Black Eyed Peas, etc. I wanted some oldies. So, I started listening to Chicago, Elton John and other random 70s songs. When the SotD came on, I was taken back to, strangely enough, Quaker Lake Camp.

It's your typical Christian youth camp. I don't remember much from my 1st year except my parents shipping me Big Bird ("Caution! Live animal!" on the box, punctured with air holes). And Justin. He was one of the few blonds I've ever fallen for. I wasn't even 10, but I was in LOOOOVE. He had a sidekick who was cute, too, but not quite as pensive as Justin. (Why have I ALWAYS found that attractive?!) One fond memory involving Justin was when all the kids in my age group made paper rockets that shot up only about 20 ft into the sky when lit. He was in my group. I remember painting my little rocket with spiraling blues and purples, and watching his face when they set my rocket on the launch pad. The pressure was on. HE was watching. Amazingly, my rocket the highest. Justin came up to me afterwards and said, "Cool rocket." He could've said, "Will you be my girlfriend?" It was all the same to me.

Why am I going on about this little boy? Well, what I remember most about camp was actually coming home and feeling very melancholy. There was something missing...him. So, I pulled a chair up to our home stereo system, climbed up and found Chicago's Greatest Hits on the highest shelf. I then snuck off to my room for hours of sitting by my CD player and listening to this song and "Look Away" (veeery emo song) This song, since then, has always been a favorite...but a little less emo. Read, listen and enjoy!

Hard to Say I'm Sorry/Get Away

“Everybody needs a little time away.”
I heard her say,
“From each other.”
“Even lovers need a holiday.
Far away, from each other”

Hold me now
It's hard for me to say I'm sorry
I just want you to stay
After all that we've been through
I will make it up to you
I promise to
And after all that's been said and done
You're just the part of me I can't let go (Ooo ooo)

Couldn't stand to be kept away
Just for the day
From your body
Wouldn't wanna be swept away
Far away, from the one that I love

Hold me now
It's hard for me to say I'm sorry
I just want you to know

Hold me now
I really want to tell you I'm sorry
I could never let you go
After all that we've been through
I will make it up to you
I promise to
And after all that's been said and done
You're just the part of me I can't let go

After all that we've been through
I will make it up to you
I promise to

You're gonna be the lucky one

When we get there gonna jump in the air
No one will see us 'cause there's nobody there
After all, you know we really don't care
Hold on, I'm gonna take you there

(this isn't the greatest version, but it's the best I could find)

A New Horizon

2009-11-15T11:10:00.007-05:00

On my 10-hour bus ride yesterday, this song randomly came up on my iPod. Now it's stuck in my head. I love the words, so read them, and also watch the vid. It'll take you down memory lane to about ten years ago when this came out.

I'm gonna cross the road and lay out on the beach! :D (Ain't I a stinka?)

Strangers Like Me

Whatever you do, I'll do it too
Show me everything and tell me how
It all means something
And yet nothing to me

I can see there's so much to learn
It's all so close and yet so far
I see myself as people see me
Oh, I just know there's something bigger out there

I wanna know, can you show me
I wanna know about these
Strangers like me
Tell me more, please show me
Something's familiar about these strangers like me

Every gesture, every move that she makes
Makes me feel like never before
Why do I have
This growing need to be beside her?

Ooo, these emotions I never knew
Of some other world far beyond this place
Beyond the trees, above the clouds
I see before me a new horizon

Come with me now to see my world
Where there's beauty beyond your dreams
Can you feel the things I feel
Right now, with you?
Take my hand
There's a world I need to know

Headin North: Start of Beach Vacation (for yesterday)

2009-11-15T09:21:00.019-05:00

Fio, my host sister, listened to Michael Jackson everyday. Every. Single. Day. Whooo, now THAT's devotion! Before my arrival, though, she did NOT own "Will You Be There", the song from Free Willy. I was quite surprised. Therefore, I made sure to play it on my laptop almost everyday so I could share the joy. Then, at the end of my stay, I burned her a CD with lots of popular songs from today. Track #1, however, was this song. She almost cried, she was so happy.

This song sometimes sounds cheesy to me, depending on my mood. That's sad, actually, because I feel like MJ's being really REAL in this song. He's not holding back any emotion, and he's putting himself out there, asking, "Will you be there (for me)?" Personally, my favorite part of the song is the choir. Gives me chills every time. There's also several, epic key changes.

Here's to my little sister!

Will You Be There

Hold me
like the river Jordan,
and I will then say to thee
you are my friend.

Carry me
like you are my brother,
love me like a mother.
Will you be there?

Weary
tell me will you hold me?
When wrong,
will you scold me?
When lost,
will you find me?

But they told me
a man should be faithful
and walk when not able
and fight till the end,
but I'm only human.

Everyone's taking
control of me.
Seems that the world's
got a role for me.
I'm so confused.
Will you show to me?
You'll be there for me
and care enough to bear me.

(hold me)
show me
(lay your head lowly)
do me
(softly then boldly)
yeah
(carry me there)
I'm only human

(lead me)
hold me
(love me and feed me)
yea-ea-eah
(kiss me and free me)
yeah
(I will feel blessed)
I'm only human

(carry)
carry
(carry me boldly)
carry yeah
(lift me up slowly)
yeah
(carry me there)
I'm only human

(save me)
save meee
(heal me and bathe me)
lift me up, lift me up
(softly you say to me)
(I will be there)
I will be there

(lift me)
do me yea
(lift me up slowly)
(carry me boldly)
yea
(show me you care)show me you care

(hold me)
woah
(lay your head lowly)
get lonely sometimes
(softly then boldly) I get lonely
yeah
(carry me there)
carry me there

(need me)
wooh
(love me and feed me)
lift me up, hold me up
(kiss me and free me) pick me up sometime
oh sometime
(I will feel blessed

[spoken]
In our darkest hour
In my deepest despair
Will you still care?
Will you be there?
In my trials
and my tribulations
through our doubts
and frustrations
in my violence
in my turbulence
through my fear
and my confessions
in my anguish and my pain
through my joy
and my sorrow
in the promise of
another tomorrow
I'll never let you part
for you're always
in my heart.

Michael Jackson - New Music - More Music Videos

Why I Came This Way

2009-11-12T23:38:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow morning, way too bright and early, I fly back to Lima. Saturday, I begin about a week of beaching it with some girl friends from the trip. Then the 21st, I'm comin' home!

It feels like forever now since the first time I saw the Southern Cross. At the time, I couldn't get this song out of my head. I remember tilting my head back in Lunahuana that first night and crying silently as I stared at those stars because it was all so new, beautiful and distant from everything I knew before.

I can't believe I haven't posted this yet. I enjoy Jimmy's version, but listen to the original, too, if you have the time! I better get to bed.

Southern Cross

Got out of town on a boat
Goin' to Southern islands.
Sailing a reach
Before a followin' sea.

She was makin' for the trades
On the outside,
And the downhill run
To Papeete.

Off the wind on this heading
Lie the Marquesas.
We got eighty feet of the waterline.
Nicely making way.

In a noisy bar in Avalon
I tried to call you.
But on a midnight watch I realized
Why twice you ran away.

Chorus:
Think about how many times
I have fallen
Spirits are using me,
larger voices callin'.
What heaven brought you and me
Cannot be forgotten.

I have been around the world,
Lookin' for that woman/girl,
Who knows love can endure.
And you know it will.

When you see the Southern Cross
For the first time
You understand now
Why you came this way

'Cause the truth you might be runnin' from
Is so small.
But it's as big as the promise
The promise of a comin' day.

So I'm sailing for tomorrow
My dreams are a dyin'.
And my love is an anchor tied to you
Tied with a silver chain.

I have my ship
And all her flags are a flyin'
She is all that I have left
And music is her name.

(Chorus)

So we cheated and we lied
And we tested
And we never failed to fail
It was the easiest thing to do.

You will survive being bested.
Somebody fine
Will come along
Make me forget about loving you.
At the Southern Cross.

It's Gonna Take a Lot to Take Me Away from You

2009-11-11T23:51:00.007-05:00

Today's SotD takes me back to car rides and sing-alongs. To my 1st time hearing The Generals at Davidson. To learning that this was one of my mom's favorite bands. To making a playlist on my iPod while still at Davidson this past summer, entitled "Foreign on This Side".

This was one of the 1st songs that came to mind when I knew I was coming to Peru. I knew I would want to hear this on the plane ride there...and back. That last plane ride is only 10 days away now! Read, listen, sing along and look above and to Facebook to see what I've been up to lately.

Africa

I hear the drums echoing tonight
But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation
She's coming in 12:30 flight
The moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation
I stopped an old man along the way,
Hoping to find some old forgotten words or ancient melodies
He turned to me as if to say,
"Hurry boy, It's waiting there for you!"

CHORUS:
It's gonna take a lot to take me away from you
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never have

The wild dogs cry out in the night
As they grow restless longing for some solitary company
I know that I must do what's right
As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti
I seek to cure what's deep inside,
Frightened of this thing that I've become

CHORUS

(Instrumental break)

Hurry boy, she's waiting there for you

Songs About Sunshine

2009-11-08T07:59:00.009-05:00

I tend to be a happy person. That's just my nature. But when you're hiking through a sticky jungle with tons of bugs, weirded out on all types of meds, can't breathe because of a cold, and there's NO sun shining, it's not very easy for even me to be cheerful. The reason I mention the sun is because a lot of my happiness comes from sunlight. I always pick the bed near a window for that reason. That's also why I decided not to apply to that lovely, teeny, artsy college (Bennington) even though I lusted after their awesome literature classes. Just not enough hours of sun up there.

So, back to the jungle (or should I say, "rain forest", because it's SO true.) Our second day in the rain forest, (after a sunny, gorgeous 1st day), was a little bit overcast. I kept thinking, "Come on, Sun, come out to play!" but no deal. I started cracking jokes to cheer myself and others up, but it ended up only helping those around me. After threatening to cut somebody (as I so often do), Elisabeth cracked up and said, "Devon, I love you so much!" When I asked why, she responded, "Because you are always so happy! And that makes other people happy." I guess she didn't realize I wasn't really feeling the joy right then. Until we hiked down to our river boat.

As we stood in line on steep, slippery steps, waiting to board our only means of transportation, a few beams pierced through the clouds. And then there it was. A rainbow, arching perfectly over the river. Each end touched down in the hidden depths of the jungle on either side. Instantly, I was smiling again.

The songs for the day(s) (sorry, but I mean really, I've been in the Amazon!) are all about sunshine and how it connects to happiness. They're both pretty well-known, but still, listen and read the lyrics over. You might discover something new...

Brighter Than Sunshine

I never understood before
I never knew what love was for
My heart was broke, my head was sore
What a feeling

Tied up in ancient history
I didn't believe in destiny
I look up, you're standing next to me
What a feeling

What a feeling in my soul
Love burns brighter than sunshine
Brighter than sunshine
Let the rain fall, I don't care
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine
Suddenly you're mine
And it's brighter than sunshine

I never saw it happening
I'd given up and given in
I just couldn't take the hurt again
What a feeling

I didn't have the strength to fight
Suddenly you seemed so right
Me and you
What a feeling

It's brighter than the sun
It's brighter than the sun
It's brighter than the sun, sun, shine.

Love will remain a mystery
But give me your hand and you will see
Your heart is keeping time with me

Ain't No Sunshine

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone.
It's not warm when she's away.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And she's always gone too long anytime she goes away.

Wonder this time where she's gone,
Wonder if she's gone to stay
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home anytime she goes away.

And I know, I know, I know, I know...

Hey, I ought to leave the young thing alone,
But ain't no sunshine when she's gone, only darkness everyday.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone,
And this house just ain't no home anytime she goes away.

Another Hotel Room, Another Song

2009-11-03T19:00:00.019-05:00

I'm in Cuzco now. After driving all day from the Puno/Lake Titicaca area northwest through mountains, over the continental divide, and past MORE mountains, we finally arrived. I should've slept the whole ride, what with my cold and all, but I was glued to the window. For hours, I watched the scenery go by, and it never got old. As for Cuzco,the city's downtown is in a valley, but much of the city sprawls up the surrounding mountains, the uniform roof tiles coloring everything orange.

Yesterday, we had dinner at a cool restaurant called the Fallen Angel. Typical expensive, tiny portions place. After that, we couldn't help it...we went to McDonald's. All I wanted was a McFlurry and boy did I get it! An Oreo Duo McFlurry with chocolate ice cream AND hot fudge. Mickey D's...you don't know what you're doing to me.

Feeling quite American and satisfied, I ate my ice cream without pause until this song came on (see below). Being me, I had to put down my spoon, get my shoulders bouncing and sing along. I tried to throw the "Oh (oh!) Oh (oh!)" part back and forth with Linda, but nobody was getting into the music quite like me.

Today, I've been dragging. And my spectrum of meds and side-effects doesn't really help. I'm currently on an anti-parasitic meds, a pro-bacteria pill, cold/allergy meds AND preventive malaria stuff. Wonderful. So, this type of song really picks me up, for example, when I finally wake up from a 4 hour nap :D Read, listen and enjoy! (And say a little prayer for me...I'd love to feel better for the next 3 days in the jungle) This one goes out to my favorite.

No One

I just want you close
Where you can stay forever
You can be sure
That it will only get better

You and me together
Through the days and nights
I don't worry 'cause
Everything's going to be alright
People keep talking they can say what they like
But all i know is everything's going to be alright

No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel for you, you, you
Can get in the way of what I feel for you

When the rain is pouring down
And my heart is hurting
You will always be around
This I know for certain

(repeat chorus)

I know some people search the world
To find something like what we have
I know people will try, try to divide something so real
So till the end of time I'm telling you there ain't no one

Tonight's Songs...

2009-10-31T23:04:00.006-04:00

So, I'm in a comfy hotel in Puno, sharing a room with the wonderful Linda. She had the great idea to take turns playing mellow songs from our iTunes. She did the 1st song (which I already loved!) and I did the 2nd. Listen to both and read the words! Tomorrow, Lake Titicaca!

The Scientist

Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are

I had to find you
Tell you I need you
Tell you I've set you apart

Tell me your secrets
And ask me your questions
Oh, let's go back to the start

Running in circles
Coming up tails
Heads on the science apart

Nobody said it was easy
It's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hard

Oh take me back to the start

I was just guessing
At numbers and figures
Pulling the puzzles apart

Questions of science
Science and progress
Do not speak as loud as my heart

Oh tell me you love me
Come back and haunt me
Oh and I rush to the start

Running in circles
Chasing our tails
Coming back as we are

Nobody said it was easy
Oh, it's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard

I’m going back to the start

I'm With You

Starlight and wonder
The universe seen through your eyes
The moon is a glorious halo
Hanging high over your head every night
Spinning and spinning
A flick of the wrist and a smile
And in the morning so early
Deep conversations are spoken
in tongues by sunlight

Tonight, you can dream you're a star
You can walk on the clouds
And float to the ground
And I'm with you

We stare out the window
And look to the sky every night
The stars are the beacons of heaven
And maybe one day you'll go up for a ride
Oh, you are the sunshine
You are the face that I dream of
You are your mother's religion
Down on her knees as she
Kisses your heartache away

Tonight, you can dream you're a star
You can walk on the clouds
And float to the ground
And I'm with you
Tonight, you can get very far
The calm and the storm
Are forever yours
And I'm with you

I've thrown coins in the fountain
I've been to the mountain
I've lived through the violence
I've seen what man can do to man
I can't promise you peace
I can't promise you money
But I promise to make you the best man I can
Hold on to something
Cause your life's about to begin

Chao Chao Arequipa

2009-10-30T13:04:00.002-04:00

Mamí- tú eres mi otra mama, una de mis mejores amigas y one of the best women I know. No sé if we will meet again en esta vida, pero soy una persona diferente por causa de tu amor. Te amo muchísimo. Gracias por tu patience con mi mezcla de Spanish y ingles. Besitos con mucho carinito. :)

Fio- how lucky I´ve been to have another little sister! You are one of the most intelligent, radiant and loving people I know. Keep asking questions, loving Michael Jackson´s music and being ¨abnormal¨!

Lucy- you are what made this experience possible for me. I will never forget your generosity through the form of open doors, ears and arms. Thank you so much for your patience with my terrible Spanish! You are one of the best encouragers I know!

Arequipa- I will miss your forever-sunny climate. ...I´ll also miss drinking and clubbing for hardly any money, but this is supposed to be a SERIOUS blog post :) I will miss horseback riding through your mountains and villages. I will miss the friendly, laid-back atmosphere. But most of all, I will miss seeing your volcanoes from my window every sunrise and sunset.

Today´s SotD is perfect for this goodbye. I emo´d out to this song, I confess, every time I felt lonely 2 summers ago when I first stayed to work in Davidson. It was a confusing yet liberating time for me. And here I am with these emotions again. I´ll let Mr.A-Z take it from here...watch the video so you can read the lyrics!

Taking It Back to the Beginning

2009-10-27T16:28:00.013-04:00

I've been terrible about keeping this Song of the Day a daily thing, but what can a sick girl do? So today, I'm gonna do a bunch of songs to make up for those I've missed and the ones I'm bound to in the future.

Today's songs are from my childhood. They're my first memories of music. When I was 3, I remember singing to these songs as the co-pilot in my mom's small red Saab on the way uptown, to preschool or to church. I remember cracking an imaginary whip to Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Busy Man" on his first album. (Of course, we had the tape.) I remember thinking one of my favorite Gaither Vocal Band songs "New Wine" said "Moo Wine". (I lived on a farm, surrounded my cows...are we surprised?) And it wasn't the "Gaither Vocal Band". It was the Loafer Gaifer Band or Vocal Gaifer Band, or however it managed to come out. Kinda like KFC was always Chicken Fried Chicken in my mind. It still is if I don't stop and think about it before I speak. ANYWAY, these are the first songs I ever knew. Therefore, they obviously shaped the person I became.

The first song was and is a favorite because (duh) it talks about horses and has a classical music prelude. But the older I get, the more I enjoy and can appreciate the words. I've always loved Steven Curtis Chapman...he just seems to get what it's all about. Love. Grace. An adventure and the thirst to know more about life along the way. When I get bogged down, like today in my final paper and parasites (yes, I've got 2 lil Peruvian friends that I'm currently zapping with some nasty medicine), I listen to a song like this. I'll be traveling for 3 weeks all around Peru, starting this weekend. That's another time to listen to this song. Read the lyrics...I especially love the part about "long-faced religion"! :D

The Great Adventure

Saddle up your horses

Started out this morning in the usual way
Chasing thoughts inside my head of all I had to do today
Another time around the circle, try to make it better than the last

I opened up the Bible, and I read about me
Said I'd been a prisoner, and God's grace had set me free
And somewhere between the pages, it hit me like a lightning bolt
I saw a big frontier in front of me, and I heard somebody say
"Let's go"!

Saddle up your horses, we've got a trail to blaze
Through the wild blue yonder of God's amazing grace
Let's follow our leader into the glorious unknown
This is a life like no other - this is The Great Adventure

Come on get ready for the ride of your life
Gonna leave long-faced religion in a cloud of dust behind
And discover all the new horizons just waiting to be explored
This is what we were created for

We'll travel over, over mountains so high
We'll go through valleys below
Still through it all, we'll find that
This is the greatest journey that the human heart will ever see
The love of God will take us far beyond our wildest dreams

The second song is from an old tape we had by Michael Card. This, too, I appreciate the older I get. Sometimes, it's easy to feel like a fool because of having faith in something you can't prove. Espcially during this time in my life (college) when people typically question their beliefs, surroundings and raisings.

I will never think that there is anything wrong with questioning what you learn...if there's one thing I hate, it's a sheep (or clone, robot, whatever you want to call it!) I can't stand narrow-mindedness. It's why I'll never live again where I was raised. Many people, though, would probably think I am a fool, like this next song says. That doesn't bother me. I've wrestled with my faith day in and day out and found it to be what keeps me going. I've determined that I'd rather be foolishly in love than not.

God's Own Fool

Seems I've imagined Him all of my life
As the wisest of all of mankind
But if God's Holy wisdom is foolish to men
He must have seemed out of His mind

For even His family said He was mad
And the priests said a demon's to blame
But God in the form of this angry young man
Could not have seemed perfectly sane

When we in our foolishness thought we were wise
He played the fool and He opened our eyes
When we in our weakness believed we were strong
He became helpless to show we were wrong

And so we follow God's own fool
For only the foolish can tell-
Believe the unbelievable
And come be a fool as well

So come lose your life for a carpenter's son
For a madman who died for a dream
And you'll have the faith His first followers had
And you'll feel the weight of the beam

So surrender the hunger to say you must know
Have the courage to say I believe
For the power of paradox opens your eyes
And blinds those who say they can see

Here's another wonderful S.C.C. song. It basically describes, well, my life.

Lord of the Dance [Col 1:15-20]

On the bank of the Tennessee River
In a small Kentucky town
I drew my first breath one cold November morning
And before my feet even touched the ground
With the doctors and the nurses gathered 'round
I started to dance

A little boy full of wide-eyed wonder
Footloose and fancy free
But it would happen, as it does for every dancer
That I'd stumble on a truth I couldn't see
And find a longing deep inside of me, it said...

I am the heart, I need the heartbeat
I am the eyes, I need the sight
I realize that I am just a body
I need the life
I move my feet, I go through the motions
But who'll give purpose to chance?
I am the dancer
I need the Lord of the dance

The world beneath us spins in circles
And this life makes us twist and turn and sway
But we were made for more than rhythm with no reason
By the one who moves with passion and with grace
As He dances over all that He has made

I am the heart, He is the heartbeat
I am the eyes, He is the sight
And I see clearly, I am just a body
He is the life
I move my feet, I go through the motions
But He gives purpose to chance
I am the dancer
He is the Lord of the dance

And while the music of His love and mercy plays
I will fall down on my knees and I will pray

I am the heart, You are the heartbeat
I am the eyes, You are the sight
And I see clearly, I am just a body
You are the life
I move my feet, I go through the motions
But You give purpose to chance
I am the dancer
You are the Lord of the dance

Blogging as a Form of Procrastination

2009-10-25T15:54:00.005-04:00

Last night was the goodbye dinner. Already! To really understand what it was like, go to Facebook for pictures. A brief run-down: I was in a dance with 4 different modern dances (hip-hop, salsa, samba and some kinda Latino mix), I played and sang Jackson 5's "I'll Be There" with my host sister, there was a fancy dinner, then a traditional dance with costumes (YAY!) that involves rapid jumping the ENTIRE time. Afterward, fiesta! All the host families and people involved in the program danced until after midnight. When we finally left, confetti covered the floor, the DJ was packing up and we had pieces of tres leches cake in our hands to take home. :D

Today, I should be researching, reading my sources and then writing a final 10-page history paper. It's the last thing I have to do before my goodbyes and then 3 weeks of travel. That's why I just can't seem to get on it. Funny how that works. Probably, when I'm done with this post, I'll go watch a Discovery Channel episode on Pizarro and Peru's conquest (in Spanish), then read some articles before dinner at a creperia with our Spanish prof. Whew.

Last night, probably half of the songs were from the 80s. Peruvians are OBSESSED with that era of music. I hear it in my house, across the road at weddings, in taxis, in Rosita's bus, and at parties like anoche. So, to keep with that tradition, today's song is from 1981..."Every Little Thing She Does is Magic".

This song always picks me up and makes me want to dance around the room (Do I cut the fool? Oh yes!) I also love the lyrics. So read them and click "play" to listen as you do something today. I also encourage a few head bobs and finger taps.

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

Though I've tried before to tell her
Of the feelings I have for her in my heart
Every time that I come near her
I just lose my nerve
As I've done from the start

Every little thing she does is magic
Everything she do just turns me on
Even though my life before was tragic
Now I know my love for her goes on

Do I have to tell the story
Of a thousand rainy days since we first met?
It's a big enough umbrella
But it's always me that ends up getting wet

I resolve to call her up a thousand times a day
And ask her if she'll marry me in some old-fashioned way
But my silent fears have gripped me
Long before I reach the phone
Long before my tongue has tripped me
Must I always be alone?

Sick Day...Again

2009-10-23T12:42:00.004-04:00

Oy. I´m stuck in the house, again, sick to my stomach. I should be out and about, looking for primary sources for my final research paper, but I just can´t leave a bathroom for that long :( Over-share, I´m sure.

I´m in an Elton John mood today. He´s mellow (¨Sacrifice¨), he´s in your face (¨The Bitch is Back¨), he´s mushy (¨The One¨)...he covers about every emotion. One of my favorite songs came up randomly on my iTunes today, and it just felt like the SotD. (See 1st song) The lyrics are perfect.

The 2nd song is one I didn´t listen to on the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album until last year. I wish I had known it sooner because I love it! Listen to both and read the words! I´m gonna go drink a Nalgene-full of Gaterade and eat some All-Bran. Bleh.

I Guess That´s Why They Call It the Blues

Don't wish it away
Don't look at it like it's forever
Between you and me I could honestly say
That things can only get better

And while I'm away
Dust out the demons inside
And it won't be long before you and me run
To the place in our hearts where we hide

And I guess that's why they call it the blues
Time on my hands could be time spent with you
Laughing like children, living like lovers
Rolling like thunder under the covers
And I guess that's why they call it the blues

Just stare into space
Picture my face in your hands
Live for each second without hesitation
And never forget I'm your man

Wait on me girl
Cry in the night if it helps
But more than ever I simply love you
More than I love life itself

Harmony

Hello, baby hello
Haven't seen your face for a while
Have you quit doing time for me?
Or are you still the same spoiled child?

Hello, I said hello
Is this the only place you thought to go?
Am I the only man you ever had?
Or am I just the last surviving friend that you know?

Harmony and me
We're pretty good company
Looking for an island
In our boat upon the sea
Harmony, gee I really love you
And I want to love you forever
I dream of never, never, never leaving harmony

Hello, baby hello
Open up your heart and let your feelings flow
You're not unlucky knowing me
Keeping the speed real slow
In any case I set my own pace
By stealing the show, say hello, hello

Post from 10/21/09

2009-10-21T17:53:00.006-04:00

(sorry, I didn´t have the internet to get this up on time)

One by one, the days are slipping by.

Today is a month until I fly home.

Tomorrow is my last class.

I leave Arequipa on Halloween.

The days are suddenly very bittersweet. Simultaneously, I'm counting down the days until I'm home with friends and family AND the days I have left in this beautiful country.

The SotD is one that I've been playing over and over on my iPod. I LOVE the voices in this song...so raw, strong and joyful. If I turn the music up just loud enough, I always get chills. I wish I could sing like this. I'm also fascinated by how, even though I can't understand their words, I still see pictures and feel certain emotions. Elation, hope and a sense of unity. No lyrics for this one, so just turn it way up and enjoy!

Beside the Garden Wall, Dreaming of a Song

2009-10-19T15:09:00.007-04:00

I keep forgetting it´s spring here. But a certain lover boy (say it ¨love-a¨) insists on reminding me.

A sleek black cat mosies in the side garden/patio below my window all day and all night, looking. And meowing. Correction...YOWLing. Seriously, all he does is wander and yowl. He and I have had several conversations, usually as follows:

Me (sticking head out window): Mr. Kitty, why are you talkin so much?!
Mr. Kitty (staring): ... yowl?
Me: Mr. Kitty, you are distracting me from writing this history paper. Could you keep it down?
Mr. Kitty (turning and giving me his tail): Yowl. (aka ¨talk to the tail¨)
Me (shutting the window): K thanks.

You may be asking, how do I know that he´s a he? Isn´t it OBVIOUS? All he does is yowl and circle our garden. Oh, and I forgot to mention the noises. At night, always around 3 in the morning, he has company. And believe you me, they LOVE to make some noise. I kinda wanna grab a papaya from the kitchen bowl and chunk it at the pair, shouting, ¨Could ya take your love-makin somewhere else?!¨ It gets down-right depressing. I lay in bed for an hour, laughing to myself and thinking, ¨At least SOMEONE´s having fun.¨

Last night, he was at it earlier than normal, right around my bedtime. So, to drown out the noise, I stuck in my earphones and put my iPod on shuffle. The SotD was the 1st one and too perfect not to post. I laughed out loud last night, thinking that this song was appropriate for my lil love-a boy outside. I also just love the words as a bittersweet love song. If you wanna go way back in time, check out this video of Nat and revel in his velvety-smooth voice.

Stardust

And now the purple dusk of twilight time
Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we're apart

You wander down the lane and far away
Leaving me a song that will not die
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by

Sometimes I wonder why I spend
The lonely night dreaming of a song
The melody haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
Now my consolation
Is in the stardust of a song

Beside a garden wall
When stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale tells his fairy tale
A paradise where roses bloom
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love's refrain

SotD

2009-10-18T17:13:00.003-04:00

A Song For You

I’ve been so many places in my life and time
I’ve sung a lot of songs, and I made some bad rhymes
I‘ve acted out my life on stages, with ten thousand people watching
But were alone now, and I’m singing this song to you.

I know your image of me is what I hope to be.
I’ve treated you unkindly, but darlin’ can’t you see.
There’s no one more important to me, baby can’t you see through me.
Cuz were alone now, and I’m singing this song to you

You taught me precious secrets, of a true love, withholding nothing.
You came out in front when I was hiding.
But now I’m so much better, and if my words don’t come together
Listen to the melody, cuz my love is in there hiding.

I love you in a place, where there’s no space or time.
I love you for my life, you’re a friend of mine
And when my life is over, remember, remember when we were together
We were alone and I was singing this song to you.

(lemme know if the video doesn't work...)

Don´t Stop Me Now!

2009-10-15T15:32:00.006-04:00

Whew! The end of the week...finally! Today means I´ve turned in my final paper´s thesis. It means the next-to-last dance class. It means dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Tacos & Tequila. It means Ladies Night at Forum or salsa dancing! It means only one more week of class! Where did the time go?!

Today´s been amazing so far...my favorite breakfast of a homemade strawberry milkshake and a fresh piece of bread with caramel spread. Then art class which meant me painting a ceramic that ended up looking like a preschooler´s project (what can I say? Savannah got ALL of the visual art talent in the family!) Kate told me she hoped, centuries later, people wouldn´t find MY piece. THANKS. ;) Right after class, about half of our group went to the cervezaria in town...a BEER plant! The tour was really cool even though my headset kept falling off my tiny head. At the end, we all got 4 glasses full of their different beers and a bowl of potato chips that the US should seriously consider importing. Not being a huge beer fan, I just had 1 glass and lots of chips!

Now I´m home about to have lunch with Mamí y Fio. At 5 is dance class then out! Tomorrow, several of us are heading to the beach yet again, but this time, to Lucy´s beach pad. YAY! Therefore, today´s SotDs are upbeat Queen songs. ¨Don´t stop me now!¨ is the day´s anthem. Actually, I managed to get this song stuck in about everyone´s head today during class, so it´s really appropriate. Take a listen and read over the lyrics. Also, keep in mind that my 12 year old host sister listens to this 1st song about everyday. Queen will always make me think of Peru after this trip. Enjoy! (Please watch to see how funky Freddie Mercury looks!)

Don´t Stop Me Now

Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time
I feel alive and the world it's turning inside out Yeah!
I'm floating around in ecstasy
So don't stop me now don't stop me
'Cause I'm having a good time having a good time

I'm a shooting star leaping through the skies
Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity
I'm a racing car passing by like Lady Godiva
I'm gonna go go go
There's no stopping me

I'm burning through the skies Yeah!
Two hundred degrees
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit
I'm trav'ling at the speed of light
I wanna make a supersonic man of you

Don't stop me now I'm having such a good time
I'm having a ball don't stop me now
If you wanna have a good time just give me a call
Don't stop me now ('Cause I'm having a good time)
Don't stop me now (Yes I'm having a good time)
I don't want to stop at all

I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars
On a collision course
I am a satellite I'm out of control
I am a sex machine ready to reload
Like an atom bomb about to
Oh oh oh oh oh explode

I'm burning through the skies Yeah!
Two hundred degrees
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit
I'm trav'ling at the speed of light
I wanna make a supersonic woman out of you

Don't stop me don't stop me don't stop me
Hey hey hey!
Don't stop me don't stop me
Ooh ooh ooh (I like it)
Don't stop me have a good time good time
Don't stop me don't stop me
Ooh ooh Alright
I'm burning through the skies Yeah!
Two hundred degrees
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit
I'm trav'ling at the speed of light
I wanna make a supersonic woman of you

You´re My Best Friend

Oooo you make me live
Whatever this world can give to me
It's you, you're all I see
Ooo, you make me live now honey
Ooo, you make me live

You're the best friend
That I ever had
I've been with you such a long time
You're my sunshine
And I want you to know
That my feelings are true
I really love you
You're my best friend

Ooo, you make me live
I've been wandering round
But I still come back to you
In rain or shine
You've stood by me girl
I'm happy, happy at home
You're my best friend.

You're the first one
When things turn out bad
You know I'll never be lonely
You're my only one
And I love the things that you do
You're my best friend

A Day Inside

2009-10-14T12:48:00.005-04:00

Apparently, the verduras revueltas (mixed veggie dish) I had for lunch yesterday is now revuelt-ing my stomach, to put it politely. For the 2nd time in 2 weeks, I watched the sun rise from the bathroom. Bleh. Therefore, I didn't go to class. After I crawled shakily back into bed, I slept hard until 10:30.

Now I'm up and looking for academic articles on Project Muse and Jstor for a history paper, and all the while, I'm listening to my music. Today is a mellower music day. It fits with my so/so feeling and need to relax.

Today's SotD is "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel. If you've ever seen that adorable late 80s movie "Say Anything", you'll recognize this song as the one John Cusack plays on the boom box held over his head, right under his girlfriend's window. I love the words and the music, so look AND listen! Besides, this music video's hilarious with his dancing. Now for some chicken soup...

In Your Eyes

Love, I get so lost sometimes
Days pass
And this emptiness fills my heart
When I want to run away
I drive off in my car
But whichever way I go
I come back to the place you are

All my instincts, they return
And the grand facade, so soon will burn
Without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside

In your eyes
The light the heat
In your eyes
I am complete
In your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
In your eyes
The resolution of all the fruitless searches
In your eyes
I see the light and the heat
In your eyes
Oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light
The heat I see in your eyes

Love, I don't like to see so much pain
So much wasted
And this moment keeps slipping away
I get so tired of working so hard for our survival
I look to the time with you
To keep me awake and alive

And all my instincts, they return
And the grand facade, so soon will burn
Without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside

In your eyes
The light the heat
In your eyes
I am complete
In your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
In your eyes
The resolution of all the fruitless searches
In your eyes
I see the light and the heat
In your eyes
Oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light,
The heat I see in your eyes
In your eyes in your eyes

Weekend at Quilca

2009-10-13T17:48:00.019-04:00

This past weekend was a perfect Peruvian weekend. We (all but one of the Davidson students and 6 instructors/drivers...20 in total) went to Quilca, which looks like the picture at the top of this page. Pretty breathtaking.

Being on Peruvian time (always late), we left at 9 in the morning instead of 8. I ended up riding in the all-boy truck, since they basically begged for a female. Picture two crazy Peruvian guys up front, deciding which shortcut to take through which sand dune while I'm thrown back 'n forth between Ned and David. It was awesome, really, because it was like dune buggying, just with rock 'n roll! After 3 hours and an awkward potty break behind a building (you know it's an adventure when there are no toilets, I've realized), we arrived at the secluded beach of Quilca. It was cloudy Saturday, but that didn't stop some of us, including myself, from hopping in the water between the land and the sand. We were located on a peninsula of sand between a river, a little warm pool it formed, and the freezing Pacific, so we had plenty of options.

Then we got into our wetsuits. First, we did a bunch of funny-looking stretches to loosen up (since body boarding is SO intense, ha) and then we went into the warm pool to practice maneuvers. Side note: Since I could swim, I've always boogie boarded at the beach. I usually just catch a wave and do my own thing. Little did I know that there are actual MOVES to learn. OK, back to the story. We learned how to turn, paddle, and the hardest maneuver, how to dive under a wave with the board.

After about 30 mins of practice, we body boarders trekked back across the sand and went into the ocean. It was so cold, it knocked the wind out of you. But the worst part wasn't the cold but the rocks. Steve, the instructor, went out with me first, but it took minutes to get past the smallest breakers. That's because, for about 10 feet, this beach had stones the size of silver dollars everywhere. Which meant it was impossible to stand with any comfort because they were too small to balance on but too big to be like pebbles. Which also meant, whenever a breaker came, you would fall to your knees because your balance was so bad. (Today, my knees are still black and blue and all scratched up.) Finally, though, we got out behind the breakers, and I eventually rode in a wave. By the way, the waves like those in NC. Kinda funny that I paid to do what I usually do (boogie board in fairly tame waves), but oh well! I tried to go back out on my own, but without shoes, I just couldn't.

Afterwards, we made una fugata (campfire) and turned on my iPod in the nearest 4x4. It was so overcast, it even sprinkled a little, but the fire kept us comfy. These clouds meant, too, that it got dark early. So, by 7p, we were asking, "What time is it? 9 o'clock, right?" Therefore, it turned out to be a long, fun, eventful night.

There was, of course, some mixed drinks to be had and then some dancing. We danced as near as we could to the campfire for hours, and whenever an epic song came on, we sang at the top of our lungs. Below is one such song. The song of the weekend was really "Because I Got High" since I heard it in the boy truck coming and going, but that's not very appropriate! Later, we played a game of "Never have I ever" which meant lots of laughs and even a naked lap by a pair of people! By midnight, most people were in bed, but I was hanging out with a new doggy friend and my iPod by the campfire.

That night, I didn't sleep too well with the combo of my doggy friend/cuddle partner, the chilly but also sweaty feeling that comes with sleeping in a sleeping bag and no back support. Around 6 the next morning, Steve and others were already getting up to go boarding, so I only got about 3 hours of sleep. That was fine, though, because I got to nap on the beach. Sunday was perfectly sunny and hot! I swam and floated (with shoes, finally!) without a board for probably an hour in the ocean, went on a solo nature walk down the beach and up a nearby mountain with my doggy friend, ate amazing grilled chicken and sunned a bun. By 4 that afternoon, we were perfectly content, tired, sandy and with terrible hair. After 3 hours and all of Queen's greatest hits, we were back home to showers and bed.

The absolute coolest thing of the weekend was probably my animal encounters. Animal encounter #1: As soon as we got to the beach, we saw sea lions in the waves. Sure enough, while you were swimming, you could see them a few meters away. (SO COOL!) That night, when the music was finally off, you could hear them mooing. Animal encounter #2: While out floating past the breakers Sunday with David, he pointed out a weird gull before catching a wave. What he missed was...it wasn't a gull. The bill, the way it was swimming, it's coloration...it was a PENGUIN! I was swimming 10 ft from a penguin! *dorky flail* If anything, that tells you how COLD the water was!

Below is a song from this weekend and other times. The words may be a bit dramatic, but they ring true sometimes. I listened to this song on repeat all summer of '08 and even when I got to Peru. It's a pretty epic R&B/pop duet by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown, so read the words for a refresher or for the first time, and watch the video! It's adorably anxty, if that's even a word.

No Air (feat. Chris Brown)

Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air

(Jordin)
If I should die before I wake
It's 'cause you took my breath away
Losing you is like living in a world with no air, oh

(Chris)
I'm here alone, didn't wanna leave
My heart won't move, it's incomplete
Wish there was a way that I can make you understand

(Jordin)
But how do you expect me
to live alone with just me
'Cause my world revolves around you
It's so hard for me to breathe

[Chorus:]
Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air
Can't live, can't breathe with no air
It's how I feel whenever you ain't there
It's no air, no air
Got me out here in the water so deep
Tell me how you gonna be without me
If you ain't here, I just can't breathe
It's no air, no air

(Chris)
I walked, I ran, I jumped, I flew
Right off the ground to float to you
There's no gravity to hold me down for real

(Jordin)
But somehow I'm still alive inside
You took my breath, but I survived
I don't know how, but I don't even care

(both)
So how do you expect me
to live alone with just me
'Cause my world revolves around you
It's so hard for me to breathe

Measuring a Year

2009-10-07T14:54:00.079-04:00

You know those days when things are fuzzy around the edges? When people talk to you, but they might as well be talking at you or through you? When one minute you're paying attention to your surroundings and then, suddenly, you're somewhere different and you don't know how you got there? That's how my day was yesterday.

Maybe it was the 2 hours straight of Spanish grammar review. Maybe it was the boring lecture on population decline during the Spanish conquest of Peru. I dunno.

Today is Saturday for me because it's a national holiday. (No school!) We girls went poolside and had lunch at ZigZag, a great place for crepes. Tomorrow's free, as always, and then Saturday, I'm leaving for a 2-day beach trip. The whole group's going to a beach outside of Arequipa to learn how to body board. Saturday night, we're camping out beside the waves with a campfire, tents and all. Yet, with all of these exciting plans in store, I was still out of it.

Yesterday, I felt like my inside self had vacated my body to wander. It was searching for the right pick-me-up. A hug. Tender words. A porch swing at sunset. A piano. A close friend. A day in bed. The attention span to read. A homecoming. Something!

I'm very aware that this weekend is Fall Break at Davidson. For some unknown reason, I'm a little jealous. I'm jealous that people are going places with friends and celebrating being a senior. I'm jealous of road trips. When was the last time I was in a car that wasn't a taxi? I'm jealous that they're taking stimulating classes, even though they have so much more work. (When did I think I would ever complain about THAT?) I'm jealous that they're all together. Oooh, I hate being jealous!

To snap out of it, I tend to look out my window at the volcanoes. Or go riding or stargazing. Going outside saves me and also crushes me. The air revitalizes, but the wind in the trees takes my mind to the North Carolina mountains and flaming hardwoods. When I come in from a late night at a club or bar, before sticking my key in the apartment door, I stand out on the patio, staring up at the sky. Orion's belt is visible here like it is at home. The same full moon. It's the same sky, really. But then I see the Southern Cross. I finally walk inside, trying not to think about the distance.

I've been more with it today. I had time alone in the house to actually sing out loud. For some reason, I'm in a Broadway mood today. I started out (strangely enough) with Grease, then switched to Tarzan, then Wicked and ended with one of my faves, RENT. I love this show's message. Need I remind you? "No day but today!" So when the simple introductory piano chords of "Seasons of Love" filled my room, my entire mood changed. This song fits with my pensive mood of yesterday and my sunnier feeling today (probably due to all the time laying out!) :)

It's been a year since one of the best times of my life...junior year fall break. It was the kind of time when I couldn't complain about a thing. I was at the beach with my dearest friends - we cooked, laughed, stayed up late and slept in, ate the world's greasiest fried green tomatoes and got plenty of sand in between our toes.

Looking back, how do I remember times like these in the past year? "In daylights? In sunsets?" "In laughter and strife?" As the song tells you to do, I've realized I can only measure these times in Love. And I think that's why I was out of it yesterday yet happy today. Love comes with all of these emotions. As someone wise told me recently to do, I want to own them and feel them.

Watch this clip (it's so perfect!) Read the following words. Take a moment to reflect on the past 525,600 minutes. Can you measure them in Love?

Seasons of Love

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Moments so dear

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes,
How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights
In cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife

In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes,
How do you measure a year in the life?

How about love? How about love?
How about love? Measure in love
Seasons of love
Seasons of love

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Journeys to plan

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life
Of a woman or a man?

In truths that she learned
Or in times that he cried
In bridges he burned
Or the way that she died

It's time now to sing out
Though the story never ends
Let's celebrate
Remember a year
in the life of friends

Remember the love
(Oh you got to, got to)
Remember the love
(Remember the love)
Seasons of love
(Measure measure you life in love)
Seasons of love
Seasons of love

Walk Beside Me (SotD)

2009-10-04T19:45:00.001-04:00

Put one foot in front of the other
Steppin into the here and now
I'm not sure just where I'm goin
but I will get there anyhow

I got this far with no direction
Followed my nose to where I stand
My heart's still strong, I know I'll make it
Sit right down in the promised land

Sister come and walk beside me, until our pathways do divide
Nothin much but love to give you, even less have I to hide

When you left me in the spring time
So many questions in my mind
Summer came and left me waitin
Not one answer could I find

I see you in the Rocky Mountains
I feel you on the great North Sea
It's a lonesome road I have to travel
But you will always be with me

Brother come and walk beside me, until our pathways do divide
Nothin much but love to give you, even less have I to hide

I hear laughter in the thunder
I feel comfort on the wind
I see hope in hopeless faces
Someday they will love again

People come and walk beside me, until our pathways do divide
Nothin much but love to give you, even less have I to hide

...I hope this video works!

Afternoon Conversation with My Other Mommy

2009-10-04T16:16:00.011-04:00

I didn't get out of bed this morning until after 11. All the homework I had waiting wasn't that appealing. Nevertheless, I eventually shuffled into the common room to find my host grandmother and mom grinning at me.

"How was last night?!"

A sheepish yawn. "Bien."

"Que paso?"

"We just danced and danced."

"When did you get back?" Grins on both of their faces.

With a tiny smile: "About 2:30."

"Yay!"

I have a very cool host family. I'm lucky. Some host families only talk to their student about how late they've been getting in. Some never take meals together. Some have strong opinions, are domineering and almost scary. Some host siblings refuse to take their guest out with them and their friends. But I'm lucky. I have a family that mirrors mine at home...they love me.

My host mom and I talk about whatever, just like me and my real mom. She asks about my friends here and at home. We take every meal together, even if she's busy (she works not 1 but 2 jobs!) She lets me borrow her gorgeous tops and scarves for going out. And my host sister is adorable and so talkative! Conversations with her always challenge and help my Spanish.

This afternoon with my host mom was extra special (and more amazing Spanish practice). It started out with the simple situation of being in the same room at the same time. I was checking my email, she was doing her homework for the kindergarten English class she teaches. Then she asked after my friends. We talked, in depth, about the night before. We chatted about my friends at home and how much I miss them and why I love them. (It's SO easy to go on and on about the people you love, isn't it?)

Then somehow we started talking about God. If you know me, I can talk forever about this. My host mom and I have had religious conversations before, and we see many things eye-to-eye. This isn't necessary, but it helps us relate.

We delved into "sin". Her situation: she's Catholic and has had two husbands, but she's currently divorced. Naturally, priests have given her different (and often, negative) feedback. She's adjusted her religion, therefore, to fit her beliefs based on her own experiences, like many of us do. She believes in a God of love. Of grace. Of equality. When she talks about her God, she grins and gets watery-eyed.

Oooh boy, she opened the floodgate! I got all teary-eyed too and started to talk about God's love for me. Regardless of what I've done or will do. How I believe God loves everyone. The finished work. All of that. We just nodded from across the room at each other and smiled. We connected as sisters in that moment.

Then I asked about Arequipa and how accepting the people are of differences. Are people racist? Sexist? Homophobic? She answered that the people tend to be more of all of these here in the south of Peru, just like in the southern US. I flinched. People are more religious and therefore (contradictorily so, we think) more closed-minded and less willing to love everyone. We almost cried again when discussing how people have to hide their sexual preferences. Or sexual activity in general. How the indigenous population is still oppressed. How when a husband leaves a wife, it can be the "woman's fault" or people say "she should be happy that he provided for her for so long." BULL SHIT! Absolute bull!

She, personally, is supportive of all differences. Different sexual preferences, races, socioeconomic levels, etc. Did I mention I love this woman? She is a walking, talking example of grace and a free, curious mind.

Then we talked about science. Do people mix religion and science? Again, kinda like the South. It depends. She, like me, appreciates and wants to know more about both.

We talked and talked. Finally, when I looked at the clock, it was 2 hours later and lunch time! We realized this at the same time and started to mess around the kitchen together. As usual, she started preparing some fresh veggies for a salad. That's when I noticed her cutting green beans with a knife. I giggled.

"What, Dev?"

"Mom, like this."

I proceeded to grab a bean, snap off the ends and then snap snap snap it into smaller sections. She gasped.

"No! How do you know this?"

"I grew up in the South!"

For ten minutes, I stood their snapping green beans and opening pea shells while she worked on cooking some pork. I couldn't stop grinning. I was standing in a Peruvian kitchen with a woman that I loved dearly, doing things that I would do at home. The reality of how different yet similar our worlds can be suddenly hit me. When I was done, she thanked me. I said, "De nada" and then smelled my fingertips. The familiar odor of greens, now with a hint of lime.

She asked me again about some friends. When talking about a certain girlfriend of mine, she said in Spanish, "Love is blind, but your neighbors can see!" I laughed while once again appreciating my parallel American/Peruvian worlds.

"It's So Hard for Me to Sleep at Night"

2009-10-03T16:49:00.043-04:00

This weekend has been amazing so far. It all started on Thursday (as usual) when some of us went to a fave bar, Split, and then Forum to dance. Friday consisted of sleeping in, slinking around the house in my PJs til 2p, talking to my daddy on the phone (yay!), playing for 3 hrs with the kids at the women's shelter and then going to an amazing Gaston restaurant downtown called Chi Cha. I had the best oriental salad, frozen orange juice and queso helado...mmm mmm perfecto! Today, the group headed out to Cerro Verde, a copper mine about 30 mins outside of Arequipa. We had a really interesting tour and a great view of the volcano chain. I then tried to take a nap when I got home, but I just couldn't. My iPod called. Finally, tonight, I went dancing after playing a hilarious game of Scrabble at the only Irish pub in town. *whew*

So here I am, around 3 AM, not able to sleep and thinking about the dear ole SotD.

The following songs are the kind I listen to while getting read to go out (or "oot and aboot"). They get me dancing and singing, and plain ole actin da fool! Both are songs I love to listen to in my car, windows down, sunroof back and the volume WAY up. The 1st is a fairly new one by Kelly Clarkson. I don't tend to love girl rockers, but this song has my vote. It's just fun! Give it a listen if you haven't heard it before. The 2nd song is by two HOT brothers and it, too, is cheesy fun.

Whenever I'm out having fun here, it can be very bittersweet. The times I have the most fun are usually when I miss the ones I love most. I want them to be with me, too, having the same experience. These songs, though, keep me upbeat through those pensive times. So read the lyrics, take a few minutes out of your day to smile and act the fool!

Kelly Clarkson - My Life Would Suck Without You (Official Music Video) - Click here for funny video clips

My Life Would Suck Without You

Guess this means you're sorry
You're standing at my door
Guess this means you take back
All you said before
Like how much you wanted
Anyone but me
Said you'd never come back
But here you are again

'Cause we belong together now, yeah
Forever united here somehow, yeah
You got a piece of me
And honestly,
My life (my life) would suck (would suck) without you

Maybe I was stupid for telling you goodbye
Maybe I was wrong for tryin' to pick a fight
I know that I've got issues
But you're pretty messed up too
Either way, I found out I'm nothing without you

'Cause we belong together now, yeah
Forever united here somehow, yeah
You got a piece of me
And honestly,
My life (my life) would suck (would suck) without you

Being with you
Is so dysfunctional
I really shouldn't miss you
But I can’t let you go

I actually can't find this video to post on here. BUT, please go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWOtR0PHnIE to listen and watch! Sorry!

Hey Now Now

On the inside
Do you know what you're about?
When I see you,
I wanna free you
Cuz you're always freaking out.
We could be riding on the waves of an ocean, baby,
Flying to the beat of our hearts...
I wanna make you a star

Hey now now,
Don't you know
It's not really that complicated
Hey now now
When you come and go
It's so hard for me to sleep at night
Hey now now
Listen you
Think of all of the time we've wasted
Hey now now, hey now now, hey now now...

From the outside
Looking in I see your bright light
Yeah, believe it when I say
Everything will be alright!

Gonna stay right here when your sun
don't shine
While your head's still up in the clouds
For crying out loud!

Hey Now Now
Listen you
Think of all of the time we've wasted
Don't ask how but dreams come true
And we'll find a way to make it right

And if you think that innocence is dead
I'll say it's all inside your head
I've got to tell you how I feel
And you know we're gonna make it for real

Meet me halfway
We can't help but come together
I'll make you happy
I'll show you what this love's about

As I Get Ready for School...

2009-10-01T09:21:00.004-04:00

this is what I'm listening to. It's pretty popular here right now and it's SO catchy! This was definitely an iTunes purchase :) Listen because it'll probably either make you smile, wanna dance or both!

Now off to Art History and Spanish!

“Te Amo” - Makano
I love you

Nanana nananananana nanana nanana

Ella todavia me llama yo no tengo la culpa
She still calls me, it's not my fault
Que no me halla olvidado
that she has not forgotten me
Espera por favor no te vayas analiza
wait please, don't leave, analyze
Y escucha lo que tengo que decir
and listen to what I have to say

Si tu supieras cuanto yo a ti te amo,
if you knew how much I love you
Y estar contigo es lo que me hace mas feliz,
and being with you is what makes me happy
Ella no es nada solo fue un triste pasado,
She means nothing, it was only a sad thing of the past
Te amo te amo te amooo… (2x)
I love you, I love you, I love you

Quiciera entender por que motivo no me puedes creer
I want to know the reason why you can't believe me
Si yo yo soy hombre de una sola mujer
Yes, I am a man of only one woman
Te lo he demostrado en mi forma de ser tienes que creer,
I have shown you this by the way I am, you have to believe,
No puedo acepta que dudes de toda mi fidelidad,
I cannot accept that you doubt my faithfulness
Y ahora me grites que yo a ti te engaño, por que no es verdad,
and now you scream at me telling me that I'm deceiving you, it is not true

No dejemos que muera el amor,
Let's not let love die
No dejemos que el fuego se apague (2x)
Let's not let the fire extinguish (die out)

Peruvian Politics Class

2009-09-29T23:41:00.001-04:00

He suddenly stops.
From the front of the lecture hall,
He looks
To me.

“Do you have anything
To add?”
My partner’s distant voice
Inquires.
In Spanish.

I tread into my
1st day of kindergarten.
Looking through the wet cellophane of my
Tear-filled eyes, I only recognize
My name in bulky letters on a celebratory label.
A breeze shifts the glossy
Alphabet cards hanging over the chalkboard
Together in time, a metronome
Behind the cacophony of voices,
Anxious mothers and soothing teachers.

I slowly shake my head.
Shaking to remove the option of tears.
Shaking to dissolve the threatening bile.

The politics class,
All the students turned in their chairs,
My friends nodding smiling
The Peruvians staring horrified.

That scene from The Princess Diaries.
Running out of class,
Going to get sick.

“I can’t.”

I should say it in Spanish.
Just to know
They know.

Blowin´ through the Jasmine in My Mind

2009-09-29T20:45:00.004-04:00

It´s strike season, according to the locals. This means that not only the professors at UNSA are striking but also the administration! Which means we couldn´t get through the gate today. So, we vamos-ed to Lucy´s house.

She has a beautiful complex with a huge, fenced-in backyard, bordered by countless types of flowers. I was so happy when we had our Spanish class outside because being in the sun always lifts my spirits. While practicing the subjunctive and imparative modes, I gazed at the fruit trees, lillies and her pet monkey fighting with her Dachshund and just smiled. (Yes, she has a baby monkey named Toto and an adorable dog named Mushi. She also has a tortoise, but I swear it´s the spawn of Satan! It´ll bite your toes off, and it´s FAST! See FB for pics.)

Today´s weather was perfect for class outside but weird for Arequipa. I woke up to a partly cloudy sky. That´s already strange. But the longer I´m here and the closer we move to summer, the more clouds we´re having. My first month here, a cloud caused people to gawk and point at the sky. Today was gorgeous with a steady, cool breeze and a hot sun. As the day progressed though, the cloud cover grew until, at 4 in my taxi, it was overcast. It´s the 2nd completely cloudy sky I´ve seen here.

And then, joy of joys, it started to rain! As I walked from my taxi a block to my apartment complex, I felt something wet hit my face. I stopped in the middle of the deserted road and just held my arms out and lifted my face to the sky. Honestly, it was just a sprinkle, but it was still RAIN!

When I got in my room, I decided to make the wise life decision and take a nap. The room was gray, the breeze was blowing my sheer window curtain around and my bed looked SO comfy. When I woke up, this song was in my head. It´s not summer yet, but the mood of this song goes along perfectly with my day and how I´m feeling.

Read, listen, enjoy! (PS - Dad, I know you want to say SOMETHING about the chasms in my mind!) :)

Summer Breeze

See the curtains hangin' in the window
In the evening on a Friday night
A little light-a-shinin' through the window
Let´s me know everything's all right

Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowin' through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowin' though the jasmine in my mind

See the paper layin' on the sidewalk
A little music from the house next door
So I walk on up to the doorstep
Through the screen and across the floor

Sweet days of summer -- the jasmine's in bloom
July is dressed up and playing her tune
And I come home from a hard day’s work
And you're waitin' there
Without a care in the world

See the smile awaitin' in the kitchen
Through cookin' and the plates for two
Feel the arms that reach out to hold me
In the evening when the day is through

Lookin On, She Sings the Song...

2009-09-28T23:26:00.011-04:00

My fingers are itching to play piano! I've only had one opportunity while I've been here (more than 8 weeks!) to play a legit piano. My host sister, though, has very kindly offered me her "electric organ" AKA a Casio keyboard without a stand or pedal. And that's only letting me play about 2 octaves tonight. Oh, and sometimes, it gets cranky when you want to play more than one note at a time. Chords in both hands? Forget it!

Whenever I'm at the piano, I usually don't think. Normally, a certain song I've learned/heard before pops in my head and then I just let my fingers go! Most times, I zone out and play for so long that I have to twist my back in all different directions when I'm done so it'll pop and actually relax again.

One of my favorite things to do is to pick out pieces by ear that I've never tried before. Maybe "Wagon Wheel" or "I'm Yours". Last night, it was "Halo". (Of course, the whole song consists of just FOUR chords. Oh, Beyonce...)

But tonight, I want to play the ones from my books...which, of course, are thousands of miles away...at home by the piano bench. Some RENT or Coldplay or Elton. It's been so long since I've seriously played that the chords are starting to slip my mind! I just tried to play the following fave but the keyboard just wasn't cooperating. :(

I love this song so much that I almost had TINYDNCR put on my license plate. If you know me at all, you knew this song was coming to my blog soon!

Many of you readers don't know this, but I will always connect this song to my late best friend, Isaac. I'll never forget the time he sang, nay, caterwauled "Blue jean bourbon, L.A. laden" as I looked on in disgust. What the heck? The boy was totally oblivious! I could've slugged him for his blasphemy. Well, I was always impatient with that boy...

I've always related to certain parts of the song. (Mom's always said, for example, I'm gonna "marry a music man". That would be divine!) But mostly I like it because it's just a beautiful ballad. I 'bout died 'n went to heaven when I heard my man playin it LIVE last spring in Charlotte! *chills* I was definitely looking on, singing the songs, the words I knew...well...actually, I knew all of the words! Forget humming.

Go ahead now and reread the words because you probably already know this one. Give it a listen. And if you're near a piano, appreciate it!

I hope this video works!

Tiny Dancer

Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man
Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand
And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand

Jesus freaks out in the street
Handing tickets out for God
Turning back she just laughs
The boulevard is not that bad

Piano man he makes his stand
In the auditorium
Looking on she sings the songs
The words she knows the tune she hums

But oh how it feels so real
Lying here with no one near
Only you and you can hear me
When I say softly slowly

Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
you had a busy day today

Copying Mom

2009-09-28T15:12:00.004-04:00

Today's Song(s) of the Day are by Matty Nay. He's such a great live performer that I bought both of his albums after seeing/hearing about him the 1st time! He's funny, sexy and talented.

I'm really jealous because my mom got to see him in concert this weekend AND get her picture taken with him!

So take a minute or 5 outta your day to read these lyrics while listening to the YouTube vids.

Much love from Peru!

Come on Get Higher

I miss the sound of your voice
And I miss the rush of your skin
And I miss the still of the silence
As you breathe out and I breathe in

If I could walk on water
If I could tell you what's next
Make you believe
Make you forget

So come on, get higher, loosen my lips
Faith and desire and the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard and drown me in love (2x)

I miss the sound of your voice
The loudest thing in my head
And I ache to remember
All the violent, sweet, perfect words that you said

I miss the pull of your heart
I taste the sparks on your tongue
And I see angels and devils and God
When you come on

Hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
Sing sha la la la
Sing sha la la la la

(Come on get higher, loosen my lips)
It's all wrong
(Faith and desire and the swing of your hips)
It's all wrong
(Pull me down hard and drown me, drown me in love)
It's so right

Come on get higher
(Come on get higher, loosen my lips)
Come on and get higher
(Faith and desire and the swing of your hips)
Because everything works love
Because everything works in your arms

Romeo and Juliet

A lovestruck Romeo sings the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made
Finds a streetlight steps out of the shade
Says something like "you and me babe, how about it?"

Juliet says "hey, it's Romeo, you nearly gave me a heart attack"
He's underneath the window she's singing "hey la my boyfriend's back
You shouldn't come around here singing up at people like that"
Anyway what you gonna do about it?

Juliet, the dice were loaded from the start
And I bet that you exploded into my heart
And I forget, I forget the movie song
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong?
Juliet

Come up on different streets, they both were streets of shame
Both dirty, both mean, yes and the dream was just the same
And I dreamed your dream for you and now your dream is real
How can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals?

When you can fall for chains of silver
You can fall for chains of gold
You can fall for pretty strangers
And the promises they hold
You promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin, yeah
Now you just say "oh Romeo, yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him"

Juliet, when we made love you used to cry
You said "I love you like the stars above, I'm gonna love you 'til I die"
There's a place for us you know the movie song
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong?
Juliet

I can't do the talk, like the talk on the TV
And I can't do a love song, like the way it's meant to be
I can't do everything, but I'll do anything for you
I can't do anything except be in love with you

And all I do is miss you and the way we used to be
All I do is keep the beat and the bad company
Now all I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme
Juliet, I'd do the stars with you any time

Gone

Love,
I'm aching to believe
Give me something real enough
Give me somewhere to fall from

'cause in the dark
I can't find my feet
Built my world on promises
Colorless and cold

I'm short of breath, I'm sure
Gone, let it wash away the best I had
Gone, and when I disappear
Don't expect me back, don't expect me back

Lost, sweetest things get lost
In the static far away
Painted pictures of you
I fold
Don't want to be holy then
Don't want to be sold again
The way I was with you

At its worse the heart is sober
At its worse the heart is cold, cold, cold

A Song of Freedom

2009-09-27T13:07:00.012-04:00

OK, yet another song. Seriously, if you haven't noticed by now, music = my joy!

Thursday, I had the wonderful opportunity to go for a 2hr sunset horseback ride. It was as perfect as they come - galloping down a dusty valley road with my arms thrown out to either side (yes, like Rose on Titanic), feeling the spray from a waterfall on my face, climbing a mountain just in time to see the sunset over the city - all for just the equivalent of $8!

While riding, I had this song stuck in my head. This is a typical "repeat" song for me. EVERY single time I listen to it, I get chills. Dunno why. Usually, when I listen to it, I feel like I could fly, it's so freeing and powerful.

The 1st half is very mellow and pretty. You'll probably think, "Ah, that's nice." But the 2nd half...I feel like it could pull my spirit out of my body and fling it to the wind! I HAVE to close my eyes every time. I encourage you to do the same.

Imagine riding a running horse. Or flying to a new place. Something that makes you feel completely weightless and full of rapture and anticipation. Enjoy!

This One's for the Girls

2009-09-27T12:40:00.009-04:00

While I was working in my room yesterday, I had my entire iTunes library on shuffle. (It's good to do that sometimes, at least for me, because I tend to get in a song rut.) Then this song came on and so many images came to mind...Standing on my desk chair freshman year, brush in hand, pointing and singing to Mackenzie. And when Amanda came by and started dancing with us. Or the times when we were getting ready to go down to the Court. Or dressing up and doing our makeup before going out to eat one weekend night.

This tradition, as the great ones do, continued. There were many more times to come freshman year with Kenzie and I hopping on our beds, singing to a group like Hanson, with the window open for all to see. Yesterday, my window was open, and let's just say the neighbors probably thought I was on something. It's a good thing my mom wasn't in the house!

This song also brings back another memory, one from my childhood. I remember that this CD came out while I was in the 4th grade, and it was my 2nd CD (after Aqua, which my Uncle gave me one Christmas). And I remember being EMO to this. Savannah can be like this now...basically, it involves sitting with your CD player on the floor, and listening to a song on repeat and FEELING something powerful. Being pensive is a must. This song, along with a few others on this album, struck a certain chord within me. I REMEMBER sitting in my room, the doors closed, and wishing that, one day soon, I would have somebody like in the song. Someone to love completely and miss every minute. My other half. I was only about 9 years old, but dang it!, I wanted someone to LOVE! Very young and very naive.

So pick your pensive self off the floor, read the words for a refresher, grab a hairbrush, jump up on a chair or bed, and return to the joy of childhood by dencing like a loon and singing to this total 90s boy band song (think the Jo Bros a decade ago). Get it, girls!

(PS- Again, I couldn't watch the vid because my internet's so slow. Let me know if this doesn't work!)

A Minute Without You

Well I woke up this morning
And the night had been so long
It seems that I had had my mind on you
Well the day, it has begun,
And I can't get a minute,
Can't get a minute without you

You're always on my mind,
You're always in my head
And I can't live,
I can't live another day without you

Cause when the minutes seem like hours and the hours seem like days
Then a week goes by, you know it takes my breath away
All the minutes in the world could never take your place
There's one-thousand-four-hundred-forty hours in my day

I've been trying to call you all day,
Cause I got so many things that I want to say
I'm going crazy, cause all my thoughts are filled with you
There's got to be some way I can get through to you ohh

(repeat chorus)

I can't keep myself from thinking about you
It's because I love you, and I know that it's true, whoa
I'll call it desperation, can't you see it in my eyes?
That I want be with you until the sun falls from the sky

For When I Can't Close My Eyes

2009-09-25T00:45:00.003-04:00

I had an amazing day. Slept in, visited fascinating museums (with lots of mummies!), rode a horse through the mountains at sunset, had crepes out with the girls, and I just got back from watching Gerard Butler's cute self in "The Ugly Truth"...your typical, predictable chick flick. Truly, a wonderful day.

But I can't go to sleep.

It's not caffeine. I'm not stressed.

I just can't stop looking out my window at the stars outside. Some are different, but they're becoming familiar. And the moon. That perfect crescent that's actually the same one you can see.

Perhaps I'm just pensive. What gal likes to sit alone in her room after watching a happily ever after? Throw on top of that a foreign place and a perfect day, which always makes you want to tell someone! And the fact that I can't get this song out of my head.

My mom sang this to me when I was little as a lullaby. It always made me cry. The part about "you can sing this song when I'm gone." Got me every time. I remember asking one time, "When will you be gone, Mommy?" I didn't like the answer, needless to say.

But this song has changed for me lately. It's certainly a song for any type of loved one, but to me, it's a love song now. Listen, whether it's tonight or during the day, hours or even days after I posted this.

Hopefully, now, I can close my eyes. Because it sure won't be long before another day.

You Can Close Your Eyes

Well the sun is surely sinking down
But the moon is slowly rising
So this old world must still be spinning round
And I still love you

(chorus)
So close your eyes
You can close your eyes, its all right
I dont know no love songs
And I cant sing the blues anymore
But I can sing this song
And you can sing this song
When Im gone

It wont be long before another day
We gonna have a good time
And no ones gonna take that time away
You can stay as long as you like

All Was Golden in the Sky

2009-09-23T20:10:00.003-04:00

According to Albert Camus, ¨Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is in flower.¨ I love this quote because, if you´ve read other posts, you know I love autumn more than any other season. But I want to revisit summer today with my SotD.

Probably to Amanda´s frustration, I only like Panic at the Disco´s ¨Pretty.Odd.¨ album. Basically because it´s less hard punk rock and more orchestrated like music from The Beatles. The whole album, to me, is great. One of my favorite songs is below.

After class, I came home around 1:30p and took a 2 hr nap. What finally woke me up was the sun shining in my eyes. The sun was actually behind our apartment just enough to shine on my mirror and bounce onto my bed, making a long trail up the sheets and up into my face. As soon as I was conscious, I stayed still with my eyes closed, the sun warming my body, my vision all white, and I heard this song in my head. It´s a tad trippy, but it´s beautiful to me. This will always be my song of two summers ago. Listen and read the lyrics, even if it isn´t in the middle of summer...

When the Day Met the Night

When the moon fell in love with the sun
All was golden in the sky
All was golden when the day met the night

When the sun found the moon
She was drinking tea in a garden
Under the green umbrella trees
In the middle of summer

When the moon found the sun
He looked like he was barely hanging on
But her eyes saved his life
In the middle of summer

In the middle of summer
All was golden in the sky
All was golden when the day met the night
Summer, all was golden in the sky
All was golden when the day met the night
Summer
Golden when the day met the night

So he said, "Would it be all right
If we just sat and talked for a little while
If in exchange for your time, I give you this smile?"

So she said, "That's okay
As long as you can make a promise not to break my little heart
Or leave me all alone in the summer."

Well, he was just hanging around
Then he fell in love
And he didn't know how
But he couldn't get out
Just hanging around
Then he fell in love

In the middle of summer
All was golden in the sky
All was golden when the day met the night
Summer, all was golden in the sky
All was golden when the day met the night
Summer

When the moon fell in love with the sun,
All was golden in the sky,
All was golden when the day met the night

Summer
The middle of summer, summer, summer, summer
The middle of summer, summer, summer, summer
The middle of summer, summer, summer, summer
The middle of...

Song for Yesterday

2009-09-23T19:39:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was not a typical Tuesday. After my afternoon seminar, about six of us (five girls and David, lol) went to a place near the Plaza in the Church of the Company called Cafe y Vino. Pretty easy to translate. So, at 4 in the afternoon yesterday, I was deciding which foreign red wine to try.

Warning: Mom, ya gonna get jealous.

Cuz what happened was the wine we wanted from Argentina was out. So the cute French waiter (happily married to a cute Peruvian girl...poo) offered us a Chilean or French wine for the same price of 43 soles. We wisely chose the French wine. (The name has slipped my mind...oops!)

Boy did we get a DEAL! That wine was the most delish I´ve had and was worth 95 soles! He gave it to us for half the price!!! So, I had a couple of glasses and snacked on some prosciutto and toast with cheese. It was perfect: a glass of French wine, a great view of the mountains and a seat on the upstairs patio of a 16th century church. I told ya not to be too jealous, Mom! :)

After going home for a quick nap, I met Kate and Kathleen at the mall a block from my house. They have a food court with AMERICAN food. A KFC, BK, Pizza Hut...heaven. Well, almost. I REALLY wanted a biscuit from KFC or onion rings from BK. You think they had ´um? Of course not. So, I settled for my tee-niny BK chicken sandwich. Tiny because Peruvians actually have sense and don´t supersize all of their food!

Then Kate and I left around 8:30 for a cool bar called Split. Here I found my fave drink...a Perfect Kiss. Look it up/try it! After that and a shared jar with the UNSA studens of a, sorry this is PG 13, Multiple Orgasm, we were ready to go dancing! We wandered the streets around the Plaza for an hour looking for somewhere cheap enough for all of us.

This is when the Song of the Day was sung. David, Kate, Ned and I sang Beyonce songs like Halo and Single Ladies the whole time. It was lovely, I must say. ;)

So here´s Halo. I sing this every single day because I love the lyrics and tune. I also like the music video because it does a good job showing the comfort level you come to find in a relationship. So READ the words, DANCE around the room and ENJOY!

PS - Amanda, I think this is our fave hottie in the music video. From Diary of a Mad Black Woman? Yowza!

Halo

Remember those walls I built
Well, baby they're tumbling down
And they didn't even put up a fight
They didn't even make up a sound

I found a way to let you in
But I never really had a doubt
Standing in the light of your halo
I got my angel now

It's like I've been awakened
Every rule I had you breakin'
It's the risk that I'm takin'
I ain't never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

Hit me like a ray of sun
Burning through my darkest night
You're the only one that I want
Think I'm addicted to your light

I swore I'd never fall again
But this don't even feel like falling
Gravity can't forget
To pull me back to the ground again

Feels like I've been awakened
Every rule I had you breakin'
The risk that I'm takin'
I'm never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

Nothing and Everything´s the Same

2009-09-21T14:57:00.007-04:00

I had some fuuunky dreams last night! After a weird weekend and the stress of a paper, I was bound to. In one dream, I was super stressed about a math test I had back in high school in Mrs. Butts class. (shiver) In another, I dreamed that my host brother spoke to me for the first time just to say my parents were on the phone...and he hands me a mustard bottle/squirter. I, for some reason, find this perfectly normal and proceed to talk to my mom with my ear to the spout. She informs me, through some static, that her and dad are coming to Peru today. I ask her, ¨What about Reagan and Savannah?¨ and she says that they just want to stay with Grammy. I can´t believe they want to pass up a trip abroad, but I just reply, ¨ok¨. Then she starts to ask me questions, but I can´t hear her. My host bro tells me to turn the spout for better reception. At about that time, the phone bottle starts to beep. I mean, my ALARM. Basically, when I woke up, I thought for a few seconds that I had to study for a math test while preparing for my parents´ arrival. WEEEEIRD.

Some things are just FOREIGN here. The dialtone on the phone. Speaking Spanish all day. Working everyone down on their prices. People staring. The bizarre variety of fruits. The list goes on and on...that´s why I named my blog ¨Foreign On This Side¨. On this side of the equator, things are just different.

I also named it after one of my all-time favorite songs by Nickel Creek. And I´ve found that a lot of what the song has to say is true. Take me or leave me, I´ll still be the same. In Peru. In the States. It´s also true that I get scared. Will people understand what I´m saying? How am I going to write a paper in Spanish about Peruvian politics? Are things changing at home and school without me? Undoubtedly. But that´s part of being in a foreign place, I guess.

At the same time...everything´s the same. I still crave ice cream, chocolate, bread and spinach (in that order). I still need to listen to music everyday so I don´t get stressed. I need sunshine to be happy. I still write poetry. I talk to my mom about any and everything. I miss the same people I miss when I drive home from Davidson. I´m ME.

This week starts the second half of the trip. (I´m halfway done with the semester!!!) Today, I started a new Peruvian culture class with a kind, energetic professor. I´m turning in my first paper tomorrow. My girlfriends and I are now focusing on the details of our after-Davidson portion of the trip. My family knows what cereal I like, what´s the one veggie I don´t eat (kudos if you know that!), and that I sing in my room all the time. I´m used to Peru now. And I like it.

Unlike the song, though, I have plenty of reasons to go back home again. And I think that´s having the best of both worlds!

Again, my internet´s ridiculous so I can´t view this video and make sure it´s legit before posting. I hope this plays the song!

This Side

One day you'll see her and you'll know what I mean.
Take her or leave her she will still be the same.
She'll not try to buy you with her time.
But nothing's the same, as you will see when she's gone.

It's foreign on this side,
And I'll not leave my home again.
There's no place to hide
And I'm nothing but scared.

You dream of colors that have never been made,
You imagine songs that have never been played.
They will try to buy you and your mind.
Only the curious have something to find.

It's foreign on this side,
And the truth is a bitter friend.
But reasons few have I to go back again.

Your first dawn blinded you, left you cursing the day.
Entrance is crucial and it's not without pain.
There's no path to follow, once you're here.
You'll climb up the slide and then you'll slide down the stairs.

All Will Be Well

2009-09-20T16:24:00.002-04:00

The new day dawns,
And I am practicing my purpose once again.
It is fresh and it is fruitful if I win but if I lose,
Oooooo I don’t know.
I will be tired but I will turn and I will go,
Only guessing til I get there then I’ll know,
Oh oh oh I will know.

All the children walking home past the factories
Could see the light that’s shining in my window as I write this song to you.
All the cars running fast along the interstate
Can feel the love that radiates
Illuminating what I know is true,
All will be well.
Even after all the promises you’ve broken to yourself,
All will be well.
You can ask me how but only time will tell.

The winter’s cold,
But the snow still lightly settles on the trees.
And a mess is still a moment I can seize until I know,
That all will be well.
Even though sometimes this is hard to tell,
And the fight is just as frustrating as hell
All will be well.

Keep it up and don’t give up
And chase your dreams and you will find
All in time.

Wishing I Had Piano...

2009-09-20T16:07:00.002-04:00

...because I'd be rocking out

My Comfort

2009-09-19T23:31:00.004-04:00

Even though my internet is too slow to load these YouTube vids so I can preview them, I'm gonna put them on here anyway and hope for the best. Read the words!!!

Love Song by Third Day

I've heard it said that a man would climb a mountain
Just to be with the one he loves.
How many times has he broken that promise?
It has never been done.
I've never climbed the highest mountain,
But I walked the hill of Calvary.

Just to be with you, I will do anything
There's no price I would not pay no
Just to be with you, I would give everything
I would give my life away.

I've heard it said that a man would swim the ocean
Just to be with the one he loves
All of those dreams are an empty motion.
It can never be done.
I've never swam the deepest ocean,
But I walked upon the raging sea.

Just to be with you, I will do anything
There's no price I would not pay no
Just to be with you, I would give everything
I would give my life away.

I know that you don't understand
the fullness of My love.
How I died upon the cross for your sins.
And I know that you don't realize
how much that I give you
But I promise, I would do it all again.

Just to be with you, I've done everything
There's no price I did not pay no
Just to be with you, I gave everything
Yes, I gave my life away.
Just to be with you.

and...

Love Song for a Savior by Jars of Clay

In open fields of wild flowers,
she breathes the air and flies away
She thanks her Jesus for the daises and the roses
in no simple language
Someday she'll understand the meaning of it all
He's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens
As close a heartbeat or a song on her lips
Someday she'll trust Him and learn how to see Him
Someday He'll call her and she will come running
and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and she'll pray,

"I want to fall in love with You"

Sitting silent wearing Sunday best
The sermon echoes through the walls
A great salvation through it calls to the people
who stare into nowhere, and can't feel the chains on their souls
He's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens
As close a heartbeat or a song on our lips
Someday we'll trust Him and learn how to see Him
Someday He'll call us and we will come running
and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and we'll pray,

"I want to fall in love with You"

It seems too easy to call you "Savior",
Not close enough to call you "God"
So as I sit and think of words I can mention
to show my devotion

"I want to fall in love with You"

and one by some boys from home, Sagefool...

Reconciled

Hey you in the club
Drinking away the pain and
Thinking there's no love for you

Hey you by the street
Pulling up your skirt so anyone
Would see
You're dying to be free

I've never been angry with you
I've never turned away
No matter what anyone else might say
I'll never be angry with you
'Cause I remember the day
I gave my life to pay your crimes

Hey you all alone
Shooting yourself up with every
Substance that is known

Hey you in your room
Crying yourself to sleep
For the life of the little girl you let
Them take last week

I've never been angry with you
I've never turned away
No matter what anyone else might say
I'll never be angry with you
'Cause I remember the day
I gave my life to pay your crimes

Yeah, you're reconciled
Yeah, my justice has been satisfied

Hey you in the pew
Your heart's as cold as stone
But you keep all the rules
You keep all the rules

I've never been angry with you
I've never turned away
No matter what anyone else might say
I'll never be angry with you
'Cause I remember the day
I gave my life to pay your crimes
Your crimes, your crimes, your crimes
You're forgiven
Forevermore

Summertime is just about gone...

2009-09-19T12:28:00.007-04:00

Go to http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1018251/a/King+Mackerel+&+The+Blues+Are+Running.htm to hear pieces of the songs from this album. I grew up listening to all of these. I think I first heard it on PBS...

King Mackerel & The Blues are Runnin

Tide rolls in, tide rolls out
Summertime is just about gone
All that's left to think about
Is this fishin comin on

Who's got the latest information?
The Coast Guard, or charter boat crews?
Could be the kids down at the fillin station
Saying, "Buddy, have you heard the news?"
Hey, buddy, have you heard the news...

King Mackerel and the Blues are runnin
All along the coast
Talk about fishing
You can't give the fish away
Everybody's lucky
October and the moon is comin
But the clouds won't give up the ghost
Oh let the good weather hold one more day

Radio announcer's voice:
"Here on the Outer Banks winds are currently from the northeast at 10 to 15 knots. Coast Guard's lifted yesterday's small craft warning from Cape Hatteras to Cape Fear. Seas are running 1 or 2 feet above normal, though, so stay tuned to the Weather Channel. Ocean temperature off Hatteras, Ocracoke and Core Banks averaging 68 degrees. Air temperature probably won't break a high of 60...but it's a beautiful day all along the Carolina coast and, our reports are, the fishing is excellent.

King Mackerel and the Blues are runnin
All along the coast
Talk about fishing
You can't give the fish away
Every body's lucky
October and the moon is comin
But the clouds won't give up the ghost
Oh let the good weather hold one more day

Wake up! We're movin out!
Four-wheel drive will take us where we're goin, yeah
If it don't, we're missin out
You wanna be there before dawn

But when the sun is finally settin
And there's sand in everybody's shoes, yeah
The cooler's full of fish
There ain't nobody frettin
No it's, "Hey, buddy, have you heard the news?"

King Mackerel and the Blues are runnin
All along the coast
Talk about fishing
You can't give the fish away
Everybody's lucky
October and the moon is comin
But the clouds won't give up the ghost
Oh let the good weather hold one more day

You Must Forgive Me...

2009-09-19T12:07:00.008-04:00

...because, first of all, I haven't been able to keep up with the Song of the Day. *BUT* I do have an excuse for yesterday! I wanted to post "King Mackerel and the Blues are Runnin" but it's not on YouTube by the original artists. I'll post the lyrics in a separate post so you'll know why it was the SotD.

You must also forgive me, as James Taylor says, because I have up and gone to Carolina in my mind the past few days. I'm not sure what's caused this change in my mind. I'm not necessarily homesick and miserable, just thinking of home a lot. If I wasn't seeing palm trees everyday, things might be worse. ;)

Fall is my favorite time of the year, and Davidson is my favorite place to spend it. It's the first place I've seen so many different types of hardwoods, and of course, they're GORGEOUS in autumn. Every time I see a wedding at DCPC and a bride taking her pictures by the ivy-covered well, I totally understand why. And there's little I like more than finding that perfectly crunchy leaf and stompin on it! I will unashamedly walk like a drunkard just so I can crunch every leaf on the path! I also love walking to the Union weekend afternoons and seeing our football team play. (I think we just played Campbell, the college from my hometown...we better've won!) I also love the way the sky looks in the fall. The light is changing from the intensity of the summer to the almost-white light blue skies of winter. I like how CookOut runs slowly become ridiculous because the nights are starting to get nippy, but heck, we're getting milkshakes anyway! Finally, I love that the days feel just right for a new scarf or cute jacket.

So, I'm not gonna lie...I'm pretty jealous of the people right now in NC, especially Davidson, experiencing this time of year. New books, pens and blank notebooks. Realizing you need a jacket when you run to the Court because it's getting colder at night. A late-night conversation with your best friend at the Outpost over an egg & cheese bagel (or nasty nachos!) Walking to class with the wind tousling your hair and the leaves swirling around you as they fall to the ground. Deciding spur-of-the-moment to road trip to Asheville to see the trees' colors. I could go on and on.

Please forgive me.

Because I'm here in Arequipa, Peru, just not satisfied with perfectly sunny skies and 72 degrees, day in and day out.

I want a thunderstorm! I want to sit by my dorm room window, procrastinating, and listen to the thunder and watch the rain come down on people running from Commons. I want to worry about that tropical storm in the Atlantic. Maybe it'll even hit, and families will raid the grocery store for milk and bread, as if we were to have an inch of snow. I want to wake up to a rainy day that makes me to bitch about walking up the hill to class, even though I have a perfectly fine umbrella and cute boots I like to show off anyway. I want to see a familiar night sky as I stand in line at CookOut, complaining about how I can't choose a flavor and how I need someone else to pick for me. I want BBQ and lima beans and hush puppies. With sweet tea and lemon. No more hot tea. I want to drive to Lake Campus with my windows down, sunroof back, O.C.M.S blaring, and I'm going just to see how the trees have already started to change. And I'll complain how the Penguin Palace isn't open.

Please forgive the list. I hope, though, that it encourages my friends and loved ones back home to TAKE ADVANTAGE of this beautiful time of year. Christmas songs have got it wrong. Autumn is the most wonderful time of the year. (at least to me) So go to Lake Campus, go to the mountains, watch a thunderstorm, watch the geese land on the pond, go on Fall Break with friends, make a leaf pile, participate in lively class discussions (cuz we certainly don't have them here), go eat some Bojangles and drive with the windows down. And think of me.

The ORIGINAL version

Carolina in My Mind

In my mind I'm goin to Carolina
Can't you see the sunshine
Can't you just feel the moonshine
Maybe just like a friend of mine
It hit me from behind
Yes I'm goin to Carolina in my mind

Karen she's a silver sun
You best walk her way and watch it shinin
Watch her watch the mornin come
A silver tear appearing now I'm cryin
Ain't I goin to Carolina in my mind

There ain't no doubt in no one's mind
That loves the finest thing around
Whisper something warm and kind
And hey babe the sky's on fire, I'm dyin
Ain't I goin to Carolina in my mind

In my mind I'm goin to Carolina
Can't you see the sunshine
Can't you just feel the moonshine
Maybe just like a friend of mine
It hit me from behind
Yes I'm goin to Carolina in my mind

Dark and silent last night
I think I might have heard the highway calling
Geese in flight and dogs that bite
Signs that might be omens say I going, going
I'm goin to Carolina in my mind

With a holy host of others standing round me
Still I'm on the dark side of the moon
And it seems like it goes on like this forever
You must forgive me
If I'm up and gone to Carolina in my mind

Colca: Sunday

2009-09-17T14:17:00.014-04:00

We got up bright and early Sunday morning...like 5:30 early. :( We had a quick breakfast of bread, jam and hot tea, and then we hit the road. We drove to a few lookouts over the canyon and also made a stop in a small town to give away some clothing.

Our host families had been putting aside clothing that they don´t use to give to some of the poorer families we encountered our trip. What was hard about the donation, though, was that it was direct (so no education...just temporary help) and there wasn´t enough to go around. That´s because, once one person in the town heard that there were 30 white people giving away clothes, they told someone else. And that person told someone else. Until the whole town is there in the square, waiting around people with only a few blankets left to give.

Honestly, the people on the trip were and still are divided about that service opportunity. Of course, it´s better to give than not at all, but was that the best way it could´ve been handled? Furthermore, the people in the town thanked US, not the people who deserved the credit. Tonight, the group is meeting to discuss the Colca trip with special attention focused on the donation.

After that stop, we drove to the next town where we ate lunch and saw a funny ¨Llamasutra¨ shirt. Unfortunately, no one bought it. If they had, I would´ve pointed them out and told my host mom, ¨Tacky. THAT is tacky!¨ since it´s still not perfectly clear to her. We´re getting there, one tacky Peruvian at a time! ;)

After we left the town, we drove for a while down PAVED roads (thank you Jesus!) And then we came to a high plateau (about 16,000 ft) and looked at rocks stacked on top of each other. There were fields and fields of these little rock monuments.

There was also a bathroom. Add it to the list of my faves. This particular water closet was a circular stone hut with a thatched roof. This means many cracks. Which means COLD since the wind was whipping up there on that plateau. There were actually two huts, but I don´t count one of them since there was a ring of, for lack of a better word, scat around the donation hole in the floor. So after I made ¨psssss¨ noises for Dr. Mangan´s daughter, Caroline, I entered the clean hut and did my business with knees knocking. Good gosh, it was cold! But, at least my hut´s floor was fairly clean. Nothing but dirt! :)

Feeling quite satisfied with my bathroom adventure, I hopped back on the bus, covered up with my coat and had David read our homework aloud to me. You see, we had an entire book to read that weekend and none of us had had time to do it. But finally, with the paved roads, we had time and the means to read without getting sick.

I must say, David has a funny British accent, so the time went by quickly. When he was tired, we switched, and I read aloud. Dr. Mangan was in the seat in front of us, and she just laughed. She knows the author of the book from college. She said she´d have to tell the author about our funny readings and that she should consider having us make an audiobook. ¨From Subjects to Citizens¨. By Sarah C. Chambers. Read by David Baker and Devon Weeks. (insert chime noise)

So, by the time we got home around 5p, we were thoroughly exhausted, glad to have done SOME homework, and ready for a nap! Now, I appreciate Arequipa so much more...it´s much easier to breathe here! There´s an obvious difference between Colca and Arequipa´s air supply. Actually, I´m still catching up on my sleep, I was so tired last weekend, but at least I´m breathing easy!

As for the song of that day, it´s a song I´ve had for a few years. It´s in Portuguese, so I don´t really understand it. Also, it´s a samba, which means it´s FAST. A few weeks ago, I recommended this tune to our group´s dance instructor. They actually introduced it last week, and since then, this song has been stuck in everyone´s heads. Tonight, at our dance lesson, we´ll be doing some quick grapevine kind of dance to this song. So enjoy, translate if you´d like and think of me hustlin to this for an hour straight tonight!

Magalenha

Vem Magalenha rojão, traz a lenha pro fogão, vem fazer armação.
Hoje é um dia de sol, alegria de coió*, é curtir o verão.

Vem Magalenha rojão, traz a senha pro fogão.. te te te coração.
Hoje é um dia de sol, alegria de xodó, meu dever de verão.

Te te te te te te

O calangulango, do calango da pretinha,
to cantando essa mudinha pra senhora se lembrar,
daquele tempo que vivia lá na roça com uma filha na barriga e outra filha pra cria.

Colca: Saturday

2009-09-15T18:25:00.024-04:00

Saturday morning, the group took a 30 min bus ride to a lookout to view condors. My host mom had warned me, though, that the group was going too late to see any. Sometimes, people have to go as early as 5am to see them! But, we went around 8:30 anyway. But we saw them! A LOT of them. Our tour guide was amazed at how many there were. He said we were very lucky.

Even though they´re just huge vultures, they represent the Andes and even a god to some people. And, after one flies over your head, you can´t deny their majesty. I took many many pictures, but I can only share a few here. Again, see Facebook soon to see them all!

Afterwards, we went to an area of terraced farmland. Here, we caught a rare glance of a traditional planting ritual. For hundreds of years, farmers have performed this ritual. First, there was a marching band and a parade of dancers through the fields and even some fireworks. There was even a random man or two in a mask and cape who liked to come grab the ladies. (Of course, the one with scissors made straight for me and wouldn´t let me go for several seconds!) Next, we were handed small bouquets of flowers that included a piece of bread stuck on a stick. I assume it represented what was to come after the harvest. Then our group made our way into the middle of a dusty field.

Spread in the center was a traditional blanket with wine, local Peruvian drinks and (haha) a 2L bottle of Coca-Cola. The girls were instructed to form a half-moon on one side and to take a knee or seat. The men stood on the other side, also with bouquets, but they stood. (You certainly can read into traditional roles from how this played out.) After we were settled, each girl took a fermented drink mixed with dirt to each guy. Whenever someone received the cup, they first poured some drink on the ground for Pachamama, Mother Earth, at three corners of the blanket. Then they bravely gulped down the rest and shook the remaining drops out. The woman was then to take back the cup, return it to be filled again and sit back down.

About 5 native men and 5 women walked us through their ritual. The men looked like typical farmhands - sweaty, wearing T-shirts and a ballcap. Some women, however, had on traditional dress - several colorful skirts, a vest and hat with 2 long braids coming out from underneath. After the men had all taken a drink, the women did the same. Well, except we served ourselves. Also, all of the Davidson people faked drinking the mixture, but we did give some back to Mother Earth. Maybe more than the others. :)

Next, a woman came around with a shot glass and a box of white wine. This, too, was passed from person to person. Pour some on the ground. Throw it back. Smile and return until everyone was served.

At the end, the women were sent off the field while the men followed around a horse and plow to represent planting the field. When we finally left, the field had been cleared of the blanket and goodies, and the men had started planting. Later, we were informed that we were extremely lucky to witness this because it wasn´t a typical tourist thing. This was the real deal, and we actually had the opportunity to participate! My favorite part was when I threw back the shot of wine, and I saw a condor flying near the sun and snow-capped mountains in the distance, across the canyon.

Later, we lunched back at the hotel and then planned a scenic walk. Horses, though, were also an option. I couldnt resist. Lucy, however, gave us strict instructions to be back in less than an hour. Our guide obviously didnt care because we rode eight miles! I was so happy...horseback riding through the farmland we had visited earlier, racing David down dirt roads and going up up and up until we could see the whole valley. Needless to say, I got sunburned, sore and was quite late. But it was totally worth it!

That night, we had a birthday party, campfire and played games. We retired early, though, because the altitude was still making us all more tired than usual. With the combo of the altitude, walking up and down the farmland and riding, I slept like a baby!

What I was listening to that day...

The Only Living Boy in New York

Tom, get your plane right on time.
I know your part will go fine.
Fly down to Mexico.
Da-n-da-da-n-da-n-da-da and here I am,
The only living boy in New York.

I get the news I need on the weather report.
I can gather all the news I need on the weather report.
Hey, Ive got nothing to do today but smile.
Da-n-da-da-n-da-da-n-da-da here I am
The only living boy in New York

Half of the time were gone but we dont know where,
And we dont know here.

Tom, get your plane right on time.
I know youve been eager to fly now.
Hey, let your honesty shine, shine, shine
Da-n-da-da-n-da-da-n-da-da
Like it shines on me
The only living boy in New York,
The only living boy in New York.

Colca: Friday

2009-09-14T14:32:00.015-04:00

My stomach jolted me awake bright and early Friday morning. After a literal run to the bathroom, I fell back into bed. Just I pulled my covers up to my chin, I turned to check the time. Shoot. It was 6:30. Time to get up.

Friday started on a bad note. And it didn't really get better anytime soon. I was to leave on a charter bus for Colca Canyon at 8, and I was already feeling bad. A cold, headache and a weird stomach...wonderful.

The group (all the Davidson people, some UNSA professors and the program director) met at Dr. Mangan's house. We ended up leaving about an hour late. This would become the trip's theme.

As soon as we got on the bus, Dr. Mangan and I said at the same time, "Crap. There's no bathroom!" You see, she had brought her two little children, Nicholas and Caroline. This was a huge inconvenience for her. And MY stomach was not settling down anytime soon.

The first hour was full of beautiful views. We left Arequipa for the first time in a month, seeing the three volcanoes from a different side and then the desert-like mountains and valleys outside the city. We also saw TONS of vicunas! (Google Image that if you have no idea what I'm talking about) Then we got to a sort of rest stop with bathrooms and snacks. Little did I realize this would be the last stop for several hours. And we had been given instructions to drink 2x our normal amount. Oh, and for added fun, we would be on dirt roads the rest of the way. (Imagine the path to my house for HOURS) Catch my drift?

So, about an hour later, between my stomach and full bladder, I felt SICK. Most of the bus by this point was desperate for the bathroom too. On top of the bouncy ride with no stops, we were around 16,000 ft above sea level. This equals heavy drowsiness, a bad headache and, guess what?, a weird stomach. And NO BATHROOM!

Finally, we got to town so small, "you could throw a rock from end to end". Seriously. Our guide informed our miserable bunch that there were bathrooms just around the corner. I shouted, "Thank you, Jesus!" and jumped off the bus with the others. What he forgot to tell us was that these "bathrooms" were actually two rows, facing each other, of three-walled rooms, without doors, with a hole in the middle of the floor. Yes, a hole. Surrounded by I-don't-want-to-know-what. So, when the girls (about 13 of us) saw the "bathrooms", we just laughed. But we were desperate, so we did what we had to do. Dr. Mangan had an especially good time with her daughter, who insisted on guards and a loud "pssssss" noise.

Back on the bus, I felt better. So I started to appreciate the view again. We were in a mountainous region like I had never seen before. Mountains so high you could crane your neck all the way back in your bus seat and barely see the tops. There was terraced farmland everywhere, and the sun finally decided to come out and stay out. With my iPod playing some favorite classical music, I was on a "mountain high".

We later stopped (waaay later...like 3p) for lunch and a photo op. Afterwards, more driving. And more. AND MORE. What should've taken 4 hours took us all day. After a stop at some awesome thermal baths, we drove for 3 hours in the dark to our hotel an hour away. I don't know why we were so behind schedule, but this was the longest day of my time here in Peru.

What saved the day were the amazing views. Especially that night. I couldn't see the canyon as we drove past it to our hotel, but I had never seen so many stars in my life! Look up at the North Carolina sky then double or triple the amount of stars and you are close to what the sky was like. As always, I could see Scorpio and the Southern Cross, but there were so many stars, familiar constellations were hard to find! You could even see the Milky Way, it was such a clear night and the air so thin. If it hadn't been for the view, Friday would have been quite a rough day indeed.

PS - see Facebook for all the pics from this trip! Coming soon!

Rock Me

2009-09-10T15:23:00.007-04:00

Last night was too much fun! Seriously. So fun that many of us had a hard time staying awake during our classes this morning. (It didn´t help that our 1st class of the day, Art History, was at 9am...for two solid hours...in the dark. Yay PowerPoint)

We are all so tired today because last night was Kathleen´s 20th birthday celebration. The night went as follows:

9p- we students arrive at Lucy´s house and go to the 2nd floor apartment. We didn´t wanna keep the family up.
9:10- break out the Pisco! (Peruvian wine...tastes more like gin)
9:15- group Pisco shot in honor of Kathleen
9:30- start playing a Peruvian drinking game, ¨Hello Mr. J¨. A lot like Kings.
(I don´t play because I have a cold. Didn´t need to drink too much...)
10:00´- turns into ¨never have I ever¨. Too much fun.
11ish- decide to go to a hookah bar near the Plaza de Armas
11:15- find out it´s closed

Pause for STORY TIME!
As we wander down the sidewalks of downtown, thinking of where to go now, we end up linking arms. There´s about 10 of us, so we split into little groups, walking down the street, laughing and hugging each other. Some of it was to support the more *cough cough* intoxicated people. (I was definitely sober and enjoying every minute watching everyone else!) Next thing I know, David yells from behind, ¨Love attack!¨ or ¨Love hug!¨ or SOMETHING. Basically, he and a few other girls come running up from behind, still linked, and they engulf my group. Then the 7 or so of us chase the next group down the sidewalk and attack them. It was a moment I´ll never forget!

11:30- finally decide to go to a bar owned by several Peruvian guys we know well

Until 2 this morning, I danced and danced. And danced. With my girlfriends. With one of the bar owners for a while. With the boys in the group. We were the only people in this small, one-room bar, so we took over the place and had a blast! I finally left with David and Ned (Dr. Mangan´s younger cousin who´s the nanny for her kids). We laughed the whole taxi ride home and kept saying, what a night!

When I finally flopped on my bed at about 2:30 this morning, I remembered something funny from earlier. We had played the song ¨Wagon Wheel¨ back at the party, and David, Ned, Kate and I had sung at the top of our lungs. At any other time or place, it would´ve made me sad. I would´ve missed North Carolina and being at home, watching my daddy pick this song on the banjo on the front porch. But last night, this song perfectly captured how we felt! We were rockin out (if you can do that to Bluegrass) and were totally carefree! Listen and enjoy like we did...

Wagon Wheel

Headed down south to the land of the pines
And I'm thumbin' my way into North Caroline
Starin' up the road
And pray to God I see headlights

I made it down the coast in seventeen hours
Pickin' me a bouquet of dogwood flowers
And I'm a hopin' for Raleigh
I can see my baby tonight

So rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Rock me mama anyway you feel
Hey mama rock me
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Rock me mama like a south-bound train
Hey mama rock me

I was born to be a fiddler in an old-time stringband
My baby plays the guitar
I pick a banjo now

Oh, the North country winters keep a gettin' me now
Lost my money playin' poker so I had to up and leave
But I ain't a turnin' back
To livin' that old life no more

So rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Rock me mama anyway you feel
Hey mama rock me
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Rock me mama like a south-bound train
Hey mama rock me

Walkin' to the south out of Roanoke
I caught a trucker out of Philly
Had a nice long toke
But he's a headed west from the Cumberland Gap
To Johnson City, Tennessee

And I gotta get a move on fit for the sun
I hear my baby callin' my name
And I know that she's the only one
And if I die in Raleigh
At least I will die free

Making It Better

2009-09-09T15:53:00.005-04:00

If having an upset stomach yesterday morning wasn't enough, I woke up THIS morning with a cold. Lovely.

Today was one of those days where I just didn't want to get out from under the covers. In class this morning, my head felt like it was floating near the ceiling, a far-off balloon tied to my wrist. A mid-morning Coke brought it back closer, but I'm still feeling a little off. (After this post, I'll probably take a long siesta!)

In between classes today, some girlfriends and I were chatting about feeling sick. I said all I wanted today was MY bed, MY house, MY (sister's) dog, MY Netflix queue and MY family to take care of me. I wasn't in a mood really...I just wanted the comfort and rest of HOME. But then, I looked over the balcony to see palm trees waving in front of a snow-capped volcano. I decided to be happy. I would only be here 2 more months.

Sometimes, you just have to make the decision to not "make it bad". "Take a sad song and make it better." It can be really hard sometimes. Like when all of your loved ones are 3000 miles away and you only talk to them for little snatches of time. Like when things change and you feel no control. Or when you're sick and it's all you can do to focus on the words you want to say. There are PLENTY of ways we can focus on ourselves and wallow (or, like we say in NC, waller) in self-pity if we try hard enough. Heck, on days like today, I don't even HAVE to try!

This song randomly came on while I was listening to an iTunes playlist today. I've always loved this song. The build-up. The words. But, today, it took on a different meaning for me. Take time to watch the vid. Read the words. Take a break!

Hey Jude

Hey jude, dont make it bad.
Take a sad song and make it better.
Remember to let her into your heart,
Then you can start to make it better.

Hey jude, dont be afraid.
You were made to go out and get her.
The minute you let her under your skin,
Then you begin to make it better.

And anytime you feel the pain, hey jude, refrain,
Dont carry the world upon your shoulders.
For well you know that its a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder.

Hey jude, dont let me down.
You have found her, now go and get her.
Remember to let her into your heart,
Then you can start to make it better.

So let it out and let it in, hey jude, begin,
Youre waiting for someone to perform with.
And dont you know that its just you, hey jude, youll do,
The movement you need is on your shoulder.

Hey jude, dont make it bad.
Take a sad song and make it better.
Remember to let her under your skin,
Then youll begin to make it
Better better better better better better, oh.

Na na na na na ,na na na, hey jude...

If Everyone Cared

2009-09-08T12:34:00.004-04:00

Today´s Song of the Day fits perfectly with how I feel about what I´m currently studying.

Ever heard of Túpac? No, not the rapper, the guy whose name he took. Túpac Amaru was the last Inca. Then, two hundred years later, Túpac Amaru II enters the scene. How he´s connected by blood to the last Incan ruler is complicated, but he basically decides to lead a rebellion, ¨The Great Rebellion¨, against the ruling Spanish group in Peru in the late 18th century. He has some cool ideas, but he, like most of the world, fought violence and oppression with the same. Violence with violence.

When will that EVER solve ANYTHING?

Ultimately, the story has a gruesome ending...Túpac Amaru II, his wife, sons and other close followers are publically hanged, drawn and quartered. The execution lasted almost all day. It was refered to as a ¨show¨. (shiver) Today, many Peruvians revere Túpac Amaru and admire his brave efforts to overthrow the Spanish. A lot of that is because the class divide still falls down the line of Spanish vs. Indian...400 and some years after that line was first drawn by the original Spanish invaders! I can´t quite wrap my mind around a militant, violent HERO, but whatever floats their boat. I´d rather go the way this song recommends...again, read the lyrics! Peace!

If Everyone Cared lyrics

From underneath the trees, we watch the sky
Confusing stars for satellites
I never dreamed that you'd be mine
But here we are, we're here tonight

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive

If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died

And I'm singing Amen

Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive
Amen I, Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive

And in the air the fireflies
Our only light in paradise
We'll show the world they were wrong
And teach them all to sing along

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
(I'm alive)

And as we lie beneath the stars
We realize how small we are
If they could love like you and me
Imagine what the world could be

If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
When nobody died...

Song of the Day

2009-09-07T15:00:00.003-04:00

May sound cheesy, but I'm going to start posting a Song of the Day. Music is a huge part of my daily life. I feel like I'm going crazy after a day without music and/or singing. Every time I'm on my computer, I'm listening to something. Every taxicab I take, I'm tapping my toe to their music.

With each YouTube vid post, I'm going to include the lyrics. I have always been a person who listens closely to the words of a song. They speak and set the mood (duh) just as the music does. So, I encourage you to read the lyrics, too. You may think you know a song well, but read the lyrics...maybe several times. You may find (or feel) something new about that song!

So, the 1st SotD is one of my faves. Obviously, it's by Elton John (if you know me well, this is no surprise!) Nothing beats a boy singing while playing the piano.

"This one's for you..."

Your Song

It's a little bit funny this feeling inside
I'm not one of those who can easily hide
I don't have much money but boy if I did
I'd buy a big house where we both could live

If I was a sculptor, but then again, no
Or a man who makes potions in a travelling show
I know it's not much but it's the best I can do
My gift is my song and this one's for you

And you can tell everybody this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind that I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world

I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss
Well a few of the verses well they've got me quite cross
But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song
It's for people like you that keep it turned on

So excuse me forgetting but these things I do
You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue
Anyway the thing is what I really mean
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen

A Pedir Su Mano (To Ask for Your Hand)

2009-09-06T17:16:00.000-04:00

What´s Popular in Peru

2009-09-06T12:11:00.014-04:00

Music:
1. ¨Calle Ocho¨ by Pitbull - This song was popular in the States this summer and it has followed me here. Everytime you go dancing, expect to hear this song at least once. And the people DO count with the song: ¨One, two, three, four, uno, do, tre, cuatro¨. It´s so popular, our dance teachers taught us a dance to it so we could look cooler at the clubs...I guess.
2. Anything from the 80s - My mom listens to the 80s station. Then I get in the schoolbus and crazy Rosita is jamming to the 80s. Most taxi drivers tune their radios to this station. These songs play in a lot of restaurants and shopping centers. I just don´t get it.
3. ¨A Pedir Su Mano¨ by Juan Luis Guerra - Go listen to it! It´ll make you either happy, want to dance or both. I actually knew this song before Peru and had it in my iTunes. Little did I know it would be played at every wedding reception across the road from my house and at every club.
4. Michael Jackson - enough said

Clothes:
1. Heels - The girls (like the guys) here are short. So, these help a lot. Boots are REALLY in style, too. Black or brown, ankle or knee-high...you have to have some.
2. Jeans - The jeans here for girls are TIGHT and all decorated. The pockets either have shiny thread or beading. They are low, too. Combined with the heels, gals always look ready to go clubbing here. I´ve never seen the locals wearing shorts, even though it´s over 70 degrees everyday. Capris aren´t popular either. Or khakis. There´s not much diversity. It´s so funny to compare Davidson fashion in the fall or spring to here.
3. Hats - The older, indigenous women can be seen with a little hat on their head. Young guys like to wear ball caps a lot. A Yankees cap would probs be cool.
4. Jackets - For the girls, their jackets, like their jeans, are tight. A lot of times, they´re pleather with a thick elastic band around the waist. Think biker jackets. For guys, zip-up hoodies are in.

Hair:
1. Girls - long. Sometimes streaked with bleach to make them stand out in a crowd.
2. Guys - sheesh. Sometimes a mullet, sometimes buzzed, sometimes longish (me likey), sometimes fairly normal.

Transportation:
I´m sure they don´t have car commercials on TV because hardly anyone drives. Taxi and combis (lil buses packed with people for only 25 cents) are the way to go. I personally take taxis because I can go about anywhere I need to on $1 (American). If someone DOES have a car, it´s a CAR. Tiny and foreign. I´ve seen very few trucks. I had to explain for 10 minutes to my host mom what a SVU is, so they def don´t have those.

Food:
1. ICE CREAM - This stuff is EVERYWHERE. Which means I´m always tempted, dang it! At every street corner and even in-between, there are at least 3 different brands of ice cream vendors with their little carts and umbrella. Sometimes, there is a queso helado stand. This stuff is AMAZING. Kinda like snow cream with cinnamon on top. Oh, and there are also ice cream stores if you missed the roadside vendor. And every little grocery store (and there´s at least 2 on every block) has a cart full of ice cream. I´m really in trouble here...
2. Chicken - There are so many places the vend and sell chicken! The streets here tend to have themes: the eyeglasses shop road, the shoe store road...the chicken restaurant road. And there are a BUNCH of these! The family restaurants here are always chicken-themed, too. Norkey´s, down the road, has a huge slide inside for children and a chicken mascot. Too weird.
3. Yellow - Whether it´s rice, potatoes, chicken, bananas, or just a sauce, there´s a good chance that each meal will have something yellow.
4. Milk - It´s from the Gloria brand, it´s in a box and not refrigerated before opening. Only afterward.
5. Fresh bread - It truly is fresh, every day from the corner store, so I´ve been spoilt.

That´s all I can think of for now. Now that homework I have to do... :)

Fridays

2009-09-04T12:08:00.005-04:00

Friday equals sleeping in! Doncha just love being able to roll over, look at the clock and then roll back over and snuggle down deeper into the warm covers? I´m enough like a cat that I could lie in the sun and be in-between consciousness and dreams for hours!

My Fridays here in Arequipa are free, class-wise. YAY! Which means I can go all out Thursday night (see previous post, ¨A Typical Thursday¨)

Fridays, though, are not just for sleeping in. I get some homework done, catch up with my Facebook and (obviously) blog, AND I get to volunteer. That´s actually my favorite part of the day.

You see, I have at least three little boys (between the ages of 4 and 12) waiting for me at the Casa de la Mujer (House for Women) every Friday afternoon at 3. I walk about 15 minutes down the main avenue outside my apartment complex and go to this beautiful house run by several Catholic sisters. Once I get through the gate and into the house, I am POUNCED! Those lil boys can really give some big hugs! I usually have one or two hanging from my neck and one encircling my legs with his entire body. It´s a wonder how I don´t just fall down everytime! When I finally peel them off, we sit down in the small garden outside (it´s ALWAYS sunny) and do homework. Usually, the boys have to do some English homework, so I love helping with that. Maybe it´s drawing a comb and labeling it or just rewriting the word ¨cat¨. Sometimes they have an hour of homework, but other times, like last week, very little.

This is when we really get to bond. Last week, three boys were there. Two brothers, 5 and 8, and a separate 4 year old. They had little to no homework so they were crazy! We played Red Light Green Light, Hide-and-Go-Seek, Tag, a hand slap/counting game and even watched some American anime cartoon in Spanish. How I managed to play the games in Spanish, I´ll never know. Instructions and rules were certainly hard to talk about...not that they followed them anyway. All they really wanted to do was, as we say in NC, rassle (or however you spell that). They, as can be expected, got FLITHY. Dirty hands and runny noses. Nasty. So, the magical gringa (white girl)...me...dug out her mini bottle of hand sanitizer and gave them each a big drop in their black hands. I say ¨magical¨ because they ooohhed and ahhhhed over that sanitizer so much that I kindly said, ¨Would you like more? Because there´s more for you where THAT came from!¨ Little did they know that they were getting a GOOD cleaning!

When my three hours was up, I tried to make it to the door. Try, being the main part of that sentence. It´s hard when three little boys are clinging to your legs and are begging for another hug, tickle or spin. After about 10 minutes, I finally walked out the gate. When I turned around to look back at the house, three faces were pressed to the glass beside the door.

These boys, though, are not your typical kids. They come from an abusive home. The Casa de la Mujer is for physically, mentally and emotionally abused women and their children. Some stay for a few days, others a few weeks...some, longer. I don´t know from week to week which children I will help with their reading, will tickle or hug goodbye for the last time. So, today, I´m almost hoping those boys will not be there because then I know they have their own, now SAFE, home to return to.

What I Used to Wake Up to...

2009-09-02T14:48:00.001-04:00

You need a friend
I'll be around
Don't let this end
Before I see you again
What can I say to convince you
To change your mind of me?

I'm gonna love you more than anyone
I'm gonna hold you closer than before
And when I kiss your soul, your body be free
I'll be free for you anytime
I'm gonna love you more than anyone

Look in my eyes, what do you see?
Not just the color
Look inside of me
Tell me all you need and I will try
I will try

I'm gonna love you more than anyone
I'm gonna hold you closer than before
And when I kiss your soul, your body'll be free
I'll be free for you anytime
I'm gonna to love you more than anyone

Free for you, whenever you need
We'll be free together, baby
Free together, baby

I'm gonna love you more than anyone
I'm gonna hold you closer than before
And when I kiss your soul, your body'll be free
I'll be free for you anytime
I'm gonna love you more than anyone

Where Yo Boyfrien' At?

2009-09-02T08:40:00.000-04:00

A VERY Friendly Taxi Driver

2009-09-01T18:16:00.006-04:00

It's not unusual to have guys be ultra-friendly to you here. Heck, it's only unusual when they DON'T stare! And it happens every day to every girl on this trip. (I'm pretty sure it's just because we're white.) I could give countless examples of how forward the guys are here...they whistle, blow their horns, shout "Wow!", or just stand in groups and grin. But last night...well, let's just say my taxi driver was a bit more friendly than the average Peruvian guy. He won the creeper race to be sure...

Now, before I give you the dialogue, I'll first state that I have been in taxis with curious drivers before. Occasionally, with a group of other girls, we'll be asked: "Where are you from?" or "How old are you?" But that's about it.

Ok, so the story. (conversations translated from Spanish)

Approx. 8:30 last night:

Kathleen, Elisabeth and I flag a taxi from the Plaza de Armas in downtown Arequipa. It's a well-known company and very safe...so safe that we were told to program it's number in our cell phones. So we flag a taxi, hop in and start to chat in English.

Mistake #1. This always prompts the following question.

Ultra-friendly and too curious taxi driver: Oh, so are ya'll from the United States?
Us: Yup.
Ultra-friendly and too curious taxi driver: That's cool. Why are ya'll here?
Us: To study Spanish at UNSA.
U-F&TCTD: Nice nice. Your Spanish is pretty good. How long are ya'll here for?
Us: Through the end of October.
U-F&TCTD: Oh, not very long. Do you like it here?
Us: Oh yeah. It's nice that it's always sunny.
U-F&TCTD: Yeah, it is. So, how old are ya'll?
Us: Around 20.
U-F&TCTD: Cool.

We get to Kathleen and Elisabeth's house. I whisper, "Boy, he's curious!" and they wave goodbye and go into their respective homes.

Mistake #2. Continuing the conversation.

U-F&TCTD: So, you like Arequipa, huh?
Me: Yes.
U-F&TCTD: And you, too, are just here for a few months?
Me: Yup.
U-F&TCTD:(grinning at me in the rearview mirror)...So, you've got a novio o amorado (translation: boyfriend or lover)?
Me: Yes. Actually, we've been dating for 4 or more years.
U-F&TCTD: (not phased) Oh really? And where is he?

Mistake #3.

Me: In the States.
U-F&TCTD: (another grin) Ohh...so you want a boyfriend here, then?
Me: No no no no! (pause to think of why) My boyfriend is really the jealous type, you know...
U-F&TCTD: Ahhh, yes. But, you don't want a secret one for just a short amount of time?
Me: (counting the blocks til home) No no no! I'm not here long enough for that and I'm not looking for anything.
U-F&TCTD: Oh ok. So...ummm...what's your name?
Me: Uhh...

(my brain, for some reason, shuts down at this point with the effort of trying to make up this tiny lie)

uhhh...
What did you say?
U-F&TCTD: Your name?
Me: (ready now!) Lucy. It's Lucy. (This is actually the name of my middle-aged program director)

Getting close to home.

U-F&TCTD: Well, Lucy, it's really nice to meet you. You sure you don't want a boyfriend? (another smile in the rearview mirror)
Me: I'm positive. In fact, here's my stop! (I frantically dig out my change)
U-F&TCTD: (He gets desperate) Do those other girls have boyfriends?
Me: (my brain is too tired at this point) You know what?...yeah! They do! (rambling) You know, it's a funny thing, but all of the girls on this trip...hahaha...have long-term boyfriends! Hahahah (why am I laughing? This sounds SO ridiculous!)

Silence. We get to my corner.

U-F&TCTD: HEY! You want to be my new friend? Yeah, want to be my friend?

He continues asking me this as I shove the money in his hand, quickly mutter "Buenas noches" and quickly walk to my gate.

Now, just to clarify, I was nothing more than a tad uncomfortable. We were in a densely-populated area, with many lights, and I could've gotten out in case of an emergency. Yes, I was feeling like that white girl from the MadTV skit "Can I Have Yo Numba?", but I knew he meant no harm. If I had been at a bar or dance club, the same kind of young guy would've asked the same kind of questions. Besides, it was kinda fun making all that stuff up...and telling the story to the group later!

I'm a New Soul in a Very Strange World...

2009-08-29T14:01:00.000-04:00

The 1st Time I've Seen Clouds in 3 Weeks!

2009-08-28T13:28:00.002-04:00

A Typical Thursday

2009-08-28T12:21:00.007-04:00

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!

Like Home but Then Again, Maybe Not...

2009-08-23T17:38:00.014-04:00

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!

Days 2 and 3 (again)

2009-08-16T20:10:00.005-04:00

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!

Way Too Late

2009-08-15T23:32:00.003-04:00

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

Day 2 and 3 - Lunahuana

2009-08-05T00:11:00.011-04:00

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!