Life is full of difficult decisions.
Let's take the following for instance:
A couple of nights ago I woke up suddenly. This is rare. Once I'm out, I'm usually out cold. But anywho, I woke up. Yet while still half asleep, I realized that my bed was shaking, along with the rest of my room. "Hmmm, what does this mean?" I asked my sleepy self. Angry monster living under the bed? Someone's doing jumping jacks on the roof? Earthquake?
Earthquake!
Well, earth tremble.
My first thought was cool! But then I remembered how we are supposed to leave the house if that happens...Right?
Then i sat there for a good 7 seconds deciding if I should go downstairs or not.
But it's cold...
But there's like a thousand steps to go down...
But I'm so sleepy..
And then the trembling ended. And i went back to sleep.
The end.
I now sleep with my contact lens case next to the bed...ever since I lost my glasses. In case I ever do have to race out of the house, at least I'll leave with my vision.
I also think It would be more effective to install a parachute system in the case of an earthquake. I could just parachute out of the house. I think that would be safer then going down nteenth flights of stairs.
Open to suggestions.
;)
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Ok. So I just want to tell you about my day. Here it goes.
Day starting at 12 am.
I went to a Beatles concert in Lima. No, they are not dead/dying. They just moved to Lima. The anthropology department at my school hosted a concert/party in Miraflores last night and the featured band does cover music for the Beatles. People here love the Beatles. During the whole concert, every single person was singing away. They know more words to the songs than I do. Nice.
I left around 2:30ish, which is considered quite early based on Peruvian party time. I then came to realize that the micros were no longer running. Dang it. I suppose they go to sleep sometime after midnight. I stood there contemplating on whether I should take a street taxi or call a taxi seguro(safe taxi). There were no micros, but a bajillion street taxis. BUT apparently the assault rate from street taxis has gone up in the past couple of month, and my superhero skills to fight off the bad guys were all pooped out from the concert, soooo taxi seguro it was.
Then i got up at 8! And guess what! The sun was out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is big news you guys. The sun has been taken captive by the giant gray cloud of Lima for quite a while. So yay sun!
This morning was going to be the first visit to see an artisan that I am researching. He has a workshop in the center of Lima where he makes embroidered items for festivals and celebrations. In one of my classes we are studying artisanship within the city of Lima as opposed to the rural areas of peru, since they are very distinctive. So we get to visit an artasin throughout the semester and get to know his work, and my group picked embroideries. Sweet!! I feel like such an anthropologist.
But guess what. After being in a micro AND taxi for a total of 1.5 hours, he wasn't there. Lima traffic is a life ruiner, lemme tell ya. And to top it off, my micro ride back to my house(after finding out he wasn't there) was another 1.5 hours.
But don't worry my friends. I've gotten used to it. I still really enjoy micro rides. There is always something that happens...whether a clown man gets on trying to sell vitamin candy, or a baby starts to have a non verbal conversation with you, or a lady gets dragged off the micro and robbed.
Finally i got home to Barranco. Yay Barranco :) Alejo and Paula were just finishing up lunch so i ate with them. Today's meal was....drum roll please....cau cau!
Cau cau is basically a mix of potatos, aji, and cow stomach. Yum ;) I tasted the mondongo(cow stomach) and it was grooosssss and slimy! sldfkjslfj So I ate cau cau with chicken instead. yum!
Lunch was fun, I got to vent to Alejo and Paula about my unnecessary morning micro trips. I love this family :) I've noticed lately that my Spanish is legit. I think I'm fluent. I mean, maybe? I can talk without much of a problem. yesss! And there are moments when I find my self blabbering away. I'm also in a creative writing class this semester, and I love it!! It's so fun! I also think my creative juices work better when i think in Spanish. So maybe I'll become a famous gringa author who writes novels in Spanish. Alright! Another life option.
After lunch i went to take a nappy nap before my next mission of the day: A trip to a Brasilian Pentacostal Church in Lima that I am studying for another anthropology class. This particular church is found throughout a lot of South America, and they are known for being VEERRYY charismatic. O mejor dicho, un poco loco...yo diría.
BUT, that was cancelled because some of my group members couldn't make it.
Learning to live life flexibly...and patiently.
Ok. That was my day.
Now I have a headache, and am quite casada.
night :)
Day starting at 12 am.
I went to a Beatles concert in Lima. No, they are not dead/dying. They just moved to Lima. The anthropology department at my school hosted a concert/party in Miraflores last night and the featured band does cover music for the Beatles. People here love the Beatles. During the whole concert, every single person was singing away. They know more words to the songs than I do. Nice.
I left around 2:30ish, which is considered quite early based on Peruvian party time. I then came to realize that the micros were no longer running. Dang it. I suppose they go to sleep sometime after midnight. I stood there contemplating on whether I should take a street taxi or call a taxi seguro(safe taxi). There were no micros, but a bajillion street taxis. BUT apparently the assault rate from street taxis has gone up in the past couple of month, and my superhero skills to fight off the bad guys were all pooped out from the concert, soooo taxi seguro it was.
Then i got up at 8! And guess what! The sun was out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is big news you guys. The sun has been taken captive by the giant gray cloud of Lima for quite a while. So yay sun!
This morning was going to be the first visit to see an artisan that I am researching. He has a workshop in the center of Lima where he makes embroidered items for festivals and celebrations. In one of my classes we are studying artisanship within the city of Lima as opposed to the rural areas of peru, since they are very distinctive. So we get to visit an artasin throughout the semester and get to know his work, and my group picked embroideries. Sweet!! I feel like such an anthropologist.
But guess what. After being in a micro AND taxi for a total of 1.5 hours, he wasn't there. Lima traffic is a life ruiner, lemme tell ya. And to top it off, my micro ride back to my house(after finding out he wasn't there) was another 1.5 hours.
But don't worry my friends. I've gotten used to it. I still really enjoy micro rides. There is always something that happens...whether a clown man gets on trying to sell vitamin candy, or a baby starts to have a non verbal conversation with you, or a lady gets dragged off the micro and robbed.
Finally i got home to Barranco. Yay Barranco :) Alejo and Paula were just finishing up lunch so i ate with them. Today's meal was....drum roll please....cau cau!
Cau cau is basically a mix of potatos, aji, and cow stomach. Yum ;) I tasted the mondongo(cow stomach) and it was grooosssss and slimy! sldfkjslfj So I ate cau cau with chicken instead. yum!
Lunch was fun, I got to vent to Alejo and Paula about my unnecessary morning micro trips. I love this family :) I've noticed lately that my Spanish is legit. I think I'm fluent. I mean, maybe? I can talk without much of a problem. yesss! And there are moments when I find my self blabbering away. I'm also in a creative writing class this semester, and I love it!! It's so fun! I also think my creative juices work better when i think in Spanish. So maybe I'll become a famous gringa author who writes novels in Spanish. Alright! Another life option.
After lunch i went to take a nappy nap before my next mission of the day: A trip to a Brasilian Pentacostal Church in Lima that I am studying for another anthropology class. This particular church is found throughout a lot of South America, and they are known for being VEERRYY charismatic. O mejor dicho, un poco loco...yo diría.
BUT, that was cancelled because some of my group members couldn't make it.
Learning to live life flexibly...and patiently.
Ok. That was my day.
Now I have a headache, and am quite casada.
night :)
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Random updates
1) I´m taking a Marinera Norteña dance class at the University. It´s so fun!! Marinera Norteña is a really pretty peruvian dance. Check it out :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epYnC0RaULY&feature=rec-LGOUT-exp_fresh+div-1r-1-HM
So yes, one day I WILL be able to move my feet that rapidly and gracefully. Don´t worry friends, I took tap dance when i was 5. So I already got some good experience in.
;)
2) In Peru there are lots of myths about scary monster creatures. For instance, the Pishtaco is a creature from the Andes that kills it's victims and extracts their fat and uses it for various purposes. It also looks like a gringo. Ok, the end.
3) My host mom Kika, is still in the hospital recovering. It's different without her around. She really does light up the room. Paula and Nair have been around a lot more since she has been gone, to help around the house. It's been really fun getting to hang out with them more. I enjoy them :) Next weekend Paula and I are going to a flower exposition in Lima. She looooves flowers.
4) Last week there was a GIANT food festival in Lima called Mistura. I went and it was so great! It was like a giant amusement park, except with food. They had all the wonderful foods of Peru. I'll post pics on facebook so yall can see.
5) I get homesick sometimes. It's never horrible. But it happens.
6) I also still get those moments where I cant believe I'm here :)
7) I'm 21 now ;)
8) God is teaching me a lot. That should be coming in another post. But basically, I'm learning a lot about sin and addictions that I have and have been ok with for far too long...but that need to change, or else they will literally ruin my life, my relationship with Christ, and the plans that He wants to carry out through me. Lately, I have been able to see clearly how it is affecting me. And how deeply it cuts. And how much I need His strength to keep resisting. It's a struggle. But He heals :)
9) I feel a lot more confident this semester than I did the last. It simply has a lot to do with that fact that I have 4 months of this under my belt already, and I feel like I know this place pretty well. It also has to do with the fact that I´ve accepted that I am not Peruvian. I am a gringa and I am proud. And thus it´s OK to make mistakes, it´s OK to talk and know that I´ll mess up, it´s OK to ask questions. It´s OK to just be me, to be real, and to not try and be something else.
10) Texas fight :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epYnC0RaULY&feature=rec-LGOUT-exp_fresh+div-1r-1-HM
So yes, one day I WILL be able to move my feet that rapidly and gracefully. Don´t worry friends, I took tap dance when i was 5. So I already got some good experience in.
;)
2) In Peru there are lots of myths about scary monster creatures. For instance, the Pishtaco is a creature from the Andes that kills it's victims and extracts their fat and uses it for various purposes. It also looks like a gringo. Ok, the end.
3) My host mom Kika, is still in the hospital recovering. It's different without her around. She really does light up the room. Paula and Nair have been around a lot more since she has been gone, to help around the house. It's been really fun getting to hang out with them more. I enjoy them :) Next weekend Paula and I are going to a flower exposition in Lima. She looooves flowers.
4) Last week there was a GIANT food festival in Lima called Mistura. I went and it was so great! It was like a giant amusement park, except with food. They had all the wonderful foods of Peru. I'll post pics on facebook so yall can see.
5) I get homesick sometimes. It's never horrible. But it happens.
6) I also still get those moments where I cant believe I'm here :)
7) I'm 21 now ;)
8) God is teaching me a lot. That should be coming in another post. But basically, I'm learning a lot about sin and addictions that I have and have been ok with for far too long...but that need to change, or else they will literally ruin my life, my relationship with Christ, and the plans that He wants to carry out through me. Lately, I have been able to see clearly how it is affecting me. And how deeply it cuts. And how much I need His strength to keep resisting. It's a struggle. But He heals :)
9) I feel a lot more confident this semester than I did the last. It simply has a lot to do with that fact that I have 4 months of this under my belt already, and I feel like I know this place pretty well. It also has to do with the fact that I´ve accepted that I am not Peruvian. I am a gringa and I am proud. And thus it´s OK to make mistakes, it´s OK to talk and know that I´ll mess up, it´s OK to ask questions. It´s OK to just be me, to be real, and to not try and be something else.
10) Texas fight :)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
