A Week Update!

Sorry I haven’t updated since Monday, nothing was really going on until the end of the week. This post might be kind of long but I’m going to try and keep it somewhat short. By the way my forehead definitely peeled two days after getting back from Iquitos and now my shoulders are peeling…yay!

Monday –
So the family took Emmi and me to Bembos. It’s supposed to be like McDonalds but it was way better than any McDonalds I’ve been to. The burgers actually look like the pictures. We got two different ice creams, strawberry and Lucama…I like Lucama ice cream a lot more than the drink. I think Monday night was the first time I really tried speaking to my family in Spanish, granted it was very broken Spanish but I tried.

I talked to my mom Monday night; she definitely makes me feel better about being here. It is an experience most people don’t get to do or would do. Even if I don’t pursue more Spanish classes after this (even though I want to try to) I can still take a lot away from this trip.

Tuesday –
I LOVE my conversation and culture class! Even if majority of it is in Spanish we still talk in English sometimes when it’s easier to explain something. Our professor from that class lived in the U.S. for four year almost 20 years ago and he wants to go back some day. After class all the ISA students met up for the meeting, I love seeing all of ISA students together they are so much fun. We had a Lucama and chocolate cake…talk about delicious!

I finally got to talk to Ashton and Deanna (my roommates in San Marcos, minus Rachel) Tuesday night. I miss my roomies!

Emmi and I were going to go out for John’s birthday (a ISA student). But I decided I needed to be studios for once and I actually studied for a long time that night! I was proud.

Wednesday -
Emmi, Christa, Tiffany and I decided to go to Plaza San Miguel Wednesday night to go shopping for some much needed necessities. I had to go up to the UP to meet them after their 6:30 class so I had to tell my host dad what I was doing in Spanish! I was so proud of myself even if it was in the most basic way I actually did it without Emmi’s help. While I was waiting for the girls I got really bored, I memorized part of the poem I have to recite for my final and figured out I have about 180 days until I graduate from college!! (yes I was very bored).

We were definitely true Peruvians trying to get to Plaza San Miguel. We had to catch a micro (looks kind of like a school bus) and it started moving before Christa and I were fully on but we made it like pros!

Thursday –
Class has not been my favorite lately. It would have been really useful to have a textbook for class. They just give us worksheets from a book, if I had known that I would have brought my books from home to help with the tenses.

We had a salsa lesson this night with some Peruvian students. Talk about entertainment! Our teacher was really funny and extremely good! After the lesson about 13 of us decided to go see Toy Story 3 in 3D…it was in Spanglish – they spoke in English but it had Spanish subtitles and the writing in the movie was in Spanish. I definitely recommend Toy Story 3 it was really good but really dark. Before the movie we went to eat and Emmi and I ended up with Neri, Nate, and Skylar at a Chili’s in Peru, I found this very ironic but I think it was actually better than in the States. Oh and 3 of us had margaritas and 2 of the boys had a beer then a bottle of wine showed up at our table because Neri wanted to try it! I was a little tipsy before Toy Story…oops.

Friday –
Class was really rough today because I did not want to be there. Emmi and some of the other advance students went to Plaza de Armas to watch the U.S. soccer game and I wanted to go not because I like soccer just to experience it! :) oh well

We had a Cajon drum lesson and Afro dance lesson; we were not expecting the Afro dance lesson at all. It was really cool though! Our instructor was really good at the drum and I got part of him drumming on video.

Friday was going out night and I think 20 out of the 28 ISA students ended up at the same restaurant before going to different discotecas. It was a lot of fun! Some of the Peru students met up with us.

Saturday –
Emmi, Kate and I decided to go to the Museo del Nacion (Museum of the Nation). It was really big and we couldn’t see everything but we did see the floor that has all the artifacts of some of the different indigenous people like Incas and Quechuas. The other floor we went to was an exhibit called Yuyanapaq; which means To Remember in Quechua. It contains photos taken during the terrorist movement during 1980 to 2000. It was very overwhelming and sad. Emmi and I briefly talked about how our host siblings, who are around our age, who grew up during the end of this time while we were sheltered in the States. I had no clue what the Shining Path was until I got here, I knew Peru had been through really bad times but I had no idea it was for 20 years. I really want to learn more about that part of Peru’s history, as sad as it was. It makes a lot of sense now why the country is the way it is now, always a little on the defense. I understand now why my mom was a little apprehensive about me coming down here since it has only been 10 years since this ended. My professor always refers to Peru as a 3^rd world country and I didn’t really see it that way until this weekend because while it might have it’s bad parts (like any other country) it still has some really nice areas and people.

TODAY –
The family (minus Alejandra) took Emmi and me to club de abogados (lawyers club). Partly to get us out of the city and into some sun and for father’s day. It took an hour to get out of the city and it was a completely different atmosphere. The sun was out; people didn’t have on a ton of winter clothing and the SUN WAS OUT!

Emmi and me with Maciel and Vicki our host parents.

The rest of today was dedicated to studying and updating this blog.

So only 1 more week of classes, Cusco next weekend and then I’ll be heading home. It’s crazy how fast this trip has gone by!