Friends At Last

We had fake sushi with chicken
in it at a food truck

It was another good week of classes filled with relaxing, swimming, eating, and a little bit of studying.  I got sick on Wednesday and wasn't sure if I would be able to make it to class, but I sucked it up and went even though I just wanted to lay in bed.  All of us have been having stomach aches pretty consistently, and I just hope that our stomachs get used to the food here soon.

I've never had so much free time in my entire life, and I have been spending quite a bit of time in my room or by the pool.  I am very happy to say that this weekend we finally made some Peruvian friends!

On Friday night a few of us went to Pizza Street for dinner.  This is one of the more stressful places to go because there are men standing outside of each restaurant and disco who run up to us and start showing us their menus.  They offer us free drinks to go into their restaurant and try to one-up each other.  We had 3 men surrounding us trying to convince us to go into their restaurant and I just stood there and laughed until one of us made a decision.  We got our free pisco sours and ordered pizza and sangria, all of which were delicious.

Our weekly trip to the cat park

We all got the same handcrafted bracelet
from a man in the park

We also visited the cat park again and I held a cute little kitten, which I am sure had worms, because his poor belly was so bloated.  It breaks my heart a little bit every time we go there, but the cats also make us all happy.  We walked around Kennedy Park for a while and found a big circle cement amphitheater where some people were singing and playing instruments.  There were so many people there dancing to the music and sitting around listening.  When we arrived we were of course the only white people there.  So a few old men came over to us, grabbed our hands, and started dancing with us.  After a few minutes of this, half of the people there were staring at us and many began to take pictures of us.  We are the stars of the show no matter where we go.  It was really fun though and I was laughing the whole time, but it was weird to have so many people watching us.  The old men then asked to take pictures with us so we let them even though it was fairly uncomfortable.  We walked away after the photo shoot and met up with our new friends at one of their houses.  His apartment was up on the top floor so we had a beautiful view of the city.  We spent the evening there and drank more pisco (of course) and I got to try some peruvian rum, which is delicious by the way.  I definitely plan on bringing a bottle back home with me.  One of the guys there taught me how to dance to reggaetone music, which I picked up very quickly, and we all got to practice speaking Spanish even though they were pretty fluent in English.  Overall it was a wonderful night and I am excited to spend more time with them and have them show us around Lima.

The amphitheater where we took over the spotlight

The rest of my weekend has been spent relaxing, eating ceviche (the seafood dish I mentioned in my other post) with my host parents and some of their family, and studying.  I also ate out with a few friends the other day and watched two guys chase after another guy, choke hold him and throw him to the ground.  I have no idea what they were fighting about, but there was a guard standing close to them who just watched instead of stopping the fight so I'm not sure what he gets paid to do exactly.

Cevich my mom made for me.  It
is raw fish, corn, lime juice,
sweet potato, oils, and
different seasonings. 

I mentioned in my previous post that the sidewalks here are slick, but I want to reiterate that they are very slick!  As I was walking out of our gated area on the way to class this week I slid down a ramp and the guard on duty laughed at me and yelled "Cuidado" (careful)  at me.  I then proceeded to slip down some stairs when I got to campus, so overall it was an embarrassing and typical day in the life of Claire.

Some of the things that I am beginning to miss from back home are my mom's cooking (my host mom is a wonderful cook but I miss fattening American meals and dessert, which I have had only once), driving and jamming to country music (although I do enjoy riding on buses and watching everyone around me), and my family and friends.  I could also really go for playing some cards and shooting some pool, which is how I spent my last night in Nebraska.  The lifestyle here is so slow and relaxed that I find myself getting bored once in a while.  People just stand around doing nothing all day and I am just not used to doing absolutely nothing.  I have looked into taking some salsa dancing lessons though so hopefully that can take up some of my free time as well as hanging out with our Peruvian friends.  I've also found a nice park where I can run so that will take up some of my free time as well.

Presentation is everything.  My mom
makes every meal look so yummy.

Different fruits are always
served for dessert.

Some things are getting a lot easier for me.  I can now order food without panicking, walk to and from campus by myself without getting too stressed out from the whistles, and ride taxis and buses without feeling like I am going to die.  I am conquering new fears every day and I am becoming so much more independent already.  I am excited for the next week, which will actually be very busy, and our long weekend beginning Wednesday night.

Missing you all at home!

Four Months of Fame

This week was the start of classes, which we have from 4-7 on Mondays and Wednesdays and 10-1 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  All of my classes went fairly well, especially the two classes that are taught by our professor, Rob.  He is really good about speaking slowly and clearly and I understood about 80% of what was said during his classes.  Our literature class is taught by another professor named Josué, and saying that I understood 30% of what he said might even be stretching the truth.  That class might be a little rough to say the least.

Besides going to classes this week I spent my time sitting by my pool and reading, walking around and looking at shops, eating out with the girls, applying sunscreen every 5 minutes, and sweating off my sunscreen.  I will not complain about the heat or sun here though because I would much rather be here than in Nebraska right now.

On Friday we had our first "fieldtrip" with Rob to Matucana, which entailed hiking up a mountain made of rocks, gravel, and dirt to get to a waterfall.  The bus ride was only supposed to take 2 hours, but we had to stop a few times for our driver to pour water on the brakes to cool them off (which made me feel really good about our safety).  The ride was a little scary and very jerky, but we managed to make it there in one piece.  The hike up the mountain was pretty difficult and we had to stop every few minutes to catch our breaths.  I'm sure our guide wondered if any of us had ever exercised before, but he was a good sport and talked to us in Spanish as we struggled on.  Once we made it to the waterfall we took a million pictures, which seems to be a requirement of being a girl, and then grilled some hamburgers on a tiny grill that we carried up with us.  The hike down went much faster than going up, but it was a lot more dangerous due to the lose gravel that made everyone slip and slide.  I only halfway fell one time but some of the other girls were not as lucky.  I also almost slid into the back of our professor, which would have caused a domino effect and knocked someone off the mountain.  I'm very happy I was able to avoid that disaster.  Throughout the day I managed to sunburn the back of my calves pretty good so I have been struggling to bend my knees for the last couple of days.  I am happy to say that I am already much tanner than I was when we arrived just over a week ago.

Speeding around in traffic and through the mountains

Our little campsite for grilling by the waterfall

Representing.

These dogs came all the way down the mountain back to the town with us

The town was very colorful and artistic

This is a tuna fruit plant, which I have yet to try

We almost tipped the bridge over to get this picture

The view on our hike

Saturday was another great day filled with new adventures.  I was told my some locals that Barranco (another district) is a great place to go because it is kind of touristy and well kept.  So in the morning we all met up at UPC and took our first public bus and then a taxi to get there.  It took us over an hour to finally arrive, but it only cost me 5 soles (less than $2) so I was pretty happy.  We ate lunch at a little burrito bar that was filled with other foreigners.  It was kind of nice to fit in for once and not be whistled and yelled at for being white.  I almost feel like I am famous here because EVERY SINGLE GUY that I walk by stares/tries to talk to me/whistles/takes pictures of me.  I have definitely heard some disgusting comments that I ignore.  We walked by a wedding in Barranco and the camera man moved his camera from the bride and groom to watch the stream of white girls walk by, which shows their dedication to making us feel out of place.  I do feel uncomfortable at times but I'm starting to get used to standing out.  Anyway, after lunch we walked down to the beach and stood with our feet in the waves and relaxed while we watched the little kids run around.  We then went and ate dinner at a nice restaurant on the beach and watched the sun sink behind the ocean.  After dinner we went to the Gringo Bar (we figured we belonged here) for a couple of hours and ordered drinks before going to a disco.  We made a few friends at that bar and they joined us at the discos.  I finally got to salsa dance, which is pretty much what I came here for, and it was a very fun night.

Chilcanos have become one of my favorite pisco drinks

All of the ladies at the beach

Our view from the restaurant

Loving the ocean and the sunshine :)

My taco and margarita at El Burrito

Feet in the water at last

Throughout the week I have become accustom to eating bread with jelly and a fruit smoothie for breakfast, an apple or some kind of snack for lunch, and a huge meal made by my host mom for dinner.  I am typically hungry during the day, but after dinner I am so full that my stomach hurts.  If I don't finish everything my mom serves me she asks me if I don't like it, so I do my best to clean my plate.  This is definitely a different eating schedule than I am used to, but I am getting used to it and I love the food here.

I have also become accustom to my mom coming in my room every day while I am at school and cleaning my bathroom, doing my laundry, and picking up after me.  I do my best to make my bed every morning, which I have not done since middle school, and keep my room clean so that she doesn't have to work as hard.  She definitely spoils me, and I appreciate everything that my host parents have done for me so far.

One thing that I find crazy here is that everyone wears jeans during the day and don't seem bothered by the heat at all.  Women wear jeans and high heels to walk around in the sun and run errands.  It makes me feel claustrophobic just thinking about trying to squeeze my constantly sweaty legs into some skinny jeans.  Also, the sidewalks are really slick here, so I'm not sure how none of them ever slip and fall in their heels.  I think I'll stick to my shorts and tank-tops for the time being.

Overall it was another crazy and interesting week here in Peru.  I have enjoyed every minute of it and I am learning so much every single day.  I still have yet to become homesick because it is difficult to dwell on the things I miss when I am so busy and trying so many new things.  I can't wait for another week of exploring with my girls and making new friends!!

Sending besitos (kisses) to everyone at home!

Week 1

Well I have officially arrived in Lima and have really enjoyed my first few days here.  It took me a total of about 18 hours of travel time to get here, but all of the flights went very smoothly.  Here are the highlights of what I have done while I have been here.

Thursday
Thursday was a fun day, which I spent with my host mom.  She wasn't home when I woke up so I unpacked and wandered around the apartment to look around.  The apartment is on the 15th story and we have a great view of the city and mountains.  I love the balcony and the rooftop pool, which I can get to by the stairs in our living room.

When my mom came home we started to make lunch together.  We conversed as best as we could while we cooked.  She knows less English than I know Spanish, but we make it work by combining the two.  We made a drink called Chicha Morada by boiling black corn, the rind of a pineapple and a few spices.  After she boiled and separated the liquid, she added a few cups of sugar.  It was a very tasty drink to go with our rice, beef with veggies, and salad.

After lunch my mom took me around in her car and we went past the beach, which I cannot wait to spend my fair share of time at.  We listened to Salsa music and giggled as we tried to understand one another.  She really is a cute and sweet lady.  She had me speak to her son, who speaks English, on the phone for a few minutes.  He will be coming back in a few weeks to live here and he seems very excited to take me around Lima while he is here.

Friday
On Friday we had orientation at UPC at 9:30 in the morning.  I had asked my mom the night before if she would walk me to UPC since I didn't know how to get there.  She said that she would, but when I woke up the next morning she wasn't here.  So I mapped out the route and met with one of the other girls to walk together.  Neither of us really knew where we were going and we made so many wrong turns, which made it very stressful.  We turned a 20 minute walk into a 45 minute walk and ended up being pretty late, but I was just happy we made it because everyone else's parents had walked with them.

After the presentations and a very nice lunch, I walked around the city with a few of the girls for about 3 hours.  We tried to find a Claro to set up our phones to work in Peru, but without working phones it was impossible to look anything up.  The markets here are very different than grocery stores in the U.S.  The eggs, milk and meat are not refrigerated, so the whole market smells a little bit like dead animals.  The traffic here is another thing that is completely different.  There seem to be no rules of the road at all and it is very difficult to cross busy streets.  Drivers turns when they are not in a turning lane, drive in the middle of lanes, and honk endlessly.  Those on motorcycles zig zag everywhere and drive between the cars and try not to get hit.  Riding in taxis has not been incredibly relaxing so far, but I'm sure I will get used to it.

Later that night a bunch of us girls went to Jockey Plaza, which is a very large and modern mall, to eat and have a few drinks.  We figured out the hard way that in order to be helped by a waiter you need to signal to them.  It probably took us over two hours to get out of the restaurant, but the burgers were very good!

Saturday
Saturday was my favorite day here so far.  In the morning we met up at UPC to take taxis to another part of Lima to our UNK professors' house (Stephen and Barbara).  We spent the day at a mall that is right on the beach and watched the paragliders.  I have high hopes of paragliding while I am here! We ate at a restaurant overlooking the beach and I ordered a Peruvian dish that I did not really like, but I was glad I tried something new.  I also tried some ceviché, which is sea food that is drenched in oils and vinegar and spices.  It is one of the most popular dishes here and I was happy to find that I liked it even though it was very different than anything I have ever eaten.  We then walked around and found Kennedy Park, which is swarming with cats.  Danielle cried a little bit when she saw all of them and I was a little concerned about her, but she was just really happy and we stopped to hold them for a while.  I have decided that I will go there and hold the cats whenever I get stressed out.  I'm sure I can talk Danielle into going with me.  We then stopped at a different restaurant to order drinks and then went to get ready to go to out for the night at Pizza Street.  Pizza street is a long walkway filled with restaurants and discotecas.  I was a little worried to go there because many of the locals have told me that Pizza Street is one of the more dangerous areas for us, but we all had a really great night dancing and drinking Pisco, a very popular alcohol that tastes a lot like Tequilla, and made it home safely.

Sunday
On Sunday my parents had a barbecue with some of their family members up on our rooftop and I had a few friends over to swim with me.  The pool is in the corner of the rooftop so I can see all of Lima while I swim and sit by the pool to tan and read.  It was very relaxing and I got to practice speaking quite a bit of Spanish.  That evening we walked around and found a nice restaurant to eat at and then I came home and went to bed fairly early.

Overall this has been such an adventure and it has been fun to try and figure out how to get around, say what I need to say in Spanish, and try to function in a different culture.  I am still nervous about walking by myself, especially at night, but so far there haven't been any problems.  I really haven't missed home at all yet, and I wonder how long that will last.  I am excited for classes to begin today, and I am excited for what is to come!  I am with such a great group of girls, and I can't wait to make so many memories with them throughout the semester.

Sending love from Peru to all of you!

The view from my room

 My first meal in Peru cooked by my mom

 The beach in Miraflores at the mall in Larcomar

 Kennedy Park filled with cats and a few kittens

 Enjoying a Pisco Sour by the rooftop pool

One More Day Until The Adventure Begins!

Tomorrow is my last day in the U.S. for the next four months.  I fly out of Omaha at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday with some of the other girls going to Peru with me.  There are 11 of us going from UNK, and we have all been assigned a host family.  I emailed my host parents once over break and they seem very nice and ready to teach me about their culture.  I have been told from the student that stayed with them last year that they are very kind people, and as an added bonus, they also live in an apartment with a roof pool!  I'm pretty excited to relax by the pool and try to avoid getting sunburned.

Even though I've been planning this trip for the past two and a half years, it still doesn't really feel like I am leaving.  When I think about it though I'm incredibly excited for all of the adventures that I will be a part of while I'm there.  I am also somewhat nervous about my Spanish speaking skills.   I hope I know enough Spanish to get me by the first few weeks until I start to feel more comfortable and pick up more of the language.  I'm also nervous that I will get homesick, but I hope that calling my family once in a while will get that out of my system.

Studying abroad in Peru is the most intimidating thing I've ever done, but I know the nervousness will be worth it once I'm in 75 degree weather while everyone back home is trying not to freeze.  I am very excited to visit Machu Picchu, which is one of the seven wonders of the world, and the Amazon. I hope the Amazon trip makes the horrible fever I got from the vaccinations worth it.  My main goals while I am gone are to improve my speaking skills, engross myself in the culture, become close to my host family, and to make Peruvian friends who can show me what it's like for someone my age to live there.

I will miss all of my friends and family here at home, but I am excited for all that awaits me in Peru!  Make sure you keep up with my blog so you can see what I have been up to lately.  I'll see you all in four months!