Comida

I think I'm getting better at taking pictures of my food. I don't remember the names of these dishes...

They're not food but I bought these flowers after class on Thursday for my host mom...They were only 4 soles (that's like a little bit over $1)!

Zoo...

The only mentionable event this week was my trip to the Lima Zoo. I don't really carry my camera with me on a daily basis because I don't want to tempt the pick-pocketers. Plus, this really was the most interesting place I went.

And I also went to the mall and encountered a huge show. I think it was mainly for kids but there was a band and lots of people...

Mis Clases!

Below you will find my schedule for this semester:

Lunes
9-11 Prehispanic and Viceregal Peru
1:30-3:30 Advanced  Spanish Composition and Conversation

Martes
10-1 Peruvian Social Reality

Miercoles
9-10 Prehispanic and Viceregal Peru
11:15-12:45 Living and Learning (Optional)
1:30-3:30 Advanced Spanish Composition and Conversation

Jueves
9-12 Latin American and Peruvian Cinema

I thought I would wait until after the first week of classes to form any opinions....I think this semester is going to be pretty good. All of my classes aretaught by Peruvian professors, in english, except the spanish class. I'm excited to learn more about this ancient culture. I'm most excited about the social reality class. Who wouldn't be when the class is split into titles like "cultural diversity in Peru," "race and ethnicity," "poverty, marginalization, and social discrepancies," "national identity and self-image," and "gender in Peru." Of course all of my professors speak perfect english. One even sounds completely void of an accent until he says something spanish.

And I know what you're thinking: what were you doing for those first 2 weeks? Well, I'll tell you. The first 2 weeks of the program are actually an 'intensive' session. Classes at the university didn't start til this week so we had 2 weeks of spanish classes from 9-4:15 everyday. Yes, it was a very long time. No, I did not learn enough for that much class time. The intensive session wasn't intense so much as more of a review and orientation into culture and general spanish. Yeah...

Bembos!

I tried Bembo's yesterday. Bembo's is like the Peruvian fast food restaurant. I won't even say it's like McDonalds because they have those on every corner. Most of the time, next to the Bembo's. It was better than I thought it would be. I stayed safe with a chicken caesar but it was really good. And ALOT of food. The peruvian I was with got the "hawaiian" which had an egg and pineapple. I wasn't quite ready to try that.

Here's some of the other food I encountered this week. Still haven't found anything that's completely disgusting.

**Note to self: take more pictures of food. Think before eating.**

Huaca Pucllana

Yesterday I went on an ""excursion" (field trip) with my program to the pyramids of Lima. Huaca Pucllana is located in Miraflores, which to me is like the most modern part of the city. Miraflores is like the place to be for the young and hip, so for there to be a pyramid that is 1000s of years old in the middle of the city is amazing.

Papas y Arroz!

Potatoes and rice. Rice and potatoes. The 2 items Peruvian food is built around. Yes, they eat the simultaneously. Yes, that is alot of starch. No, they're not extremely huge.

Aji de Gallina- potatoes with a creamy sauce that tastes a little cheesy with shredded chicken. Served with rice and an egg. Que rico! In the glass is pineapple water with herbs and spices and the red stuff is gello.

They don't gain weight because:

• Almuerzo (lunch) is the largest meal of the day. By my standards, it's the ONLY meal of the day. Breakast is very light...like corn flakes, or toast and cafe, or yougurt and fruit. Dinner doesn't really exist. They might eat buttered crackers or something extremely light. Seriously.
• Ingredients are fresher and not fried. Alot of dishes are served with baked chicken but there's never fried anything. Even dishes with papas fritas (french fries) aren't deep fried. Plus they move alot more. I have 20 minute walk to and from school. But even people who drive alot still end up getting some sort of exercise.

I'm not sure what this is called but it was surprisingly tasty. I think it had meat, potatoes (claro), and something else... The "salad" is steamed vegetables.

The thing about food here is that it's not what it appears to be. It all tastes better than it looks. I should have more pictures of food but I keep forgetting until I'm staring at an empty plate.

A Week! Really???

I've been here for just over a week and I feel like it's been atleast a month or longer. Not in a bad way though. It's more of a an almost -comfortable-maybe-I-can-get-used-to-this feeling. I've already formed a daily routine and I'm making friends. There's alot to get used to: new faces, new places, new paces...new everything. There's nothing here that I can honestly say I've seen or experienced before. And  that's why I came.

Here are a few issues that I have encountered this week:

• You can't flush ANYTHING. It was like this in Argentina...but I ignored it. There are trashcans next to all toilets to throw away your paper. I now have a mantra while in the bathroom "throwitaway throwitaway..." My new fear is that I'll overflow the toilet, especially since I have my own bathroom.
• Traffic...hmm. Lima is, of course, a major city and traffic is  expected. But lights, where they exist, are more like suggestions and not requirements. It's all very fast and loud and dangerous.
• Public Transportation: you know how most cities have maps or routes and specific areas with signs to catch buses? That's not really the case here. Micros, combis, coasters...they're all going to diferent places with a man leaning out of the door yelling at you to get on. Let's just say I haven't mastered this yet. It's a little intimidating.
• The weather is predictable but still unexpected. It's winter here but it's mild. People here don't use heat and the locals keep saying that this is the coldest it's been in 50 years. I'm ok with the cold most times but the major issue is that there's really no sunshine. This city is extremely humid and there's a constant grey cloud.  No sun makes it colder. Bueno.

These are just a few things that are still throwing me for loops. And we're not even talking about the language barrier (or brick wall) and the people/culture!

Tengo Muchas Ideas

I've got alot of ideas and a loose plan for what I want this blog to be (even if no one reads it *insert sad face here*).

A few ideas floating around in my head are:

• Food of the Week- just a few pictures and comments about the food I encounter and how I REALLY feel about it. Peruvian food is supposed to be very good and many people come here to learn the cuisine.
• Culture Corner- perhaps with a more catchy name but the same concept. Just a specific place to be as objective as I can be about the culture and the people. Possibly pulling info from the 3 culture classes I'll be taking.
• Interviews- If I can obtain more than 10 followers maybe I can interview a few people in my program about their experiences or even people like my 28 year old live-in host brother (after we break that language barrier).
• Excursiones- Two trips are included in my tuition but I, of course, want to explore everything else Peru and the rest of South America has to offer.

These are just a few ideas that I plan on doing anyway but please let me know if there's anything specific that you want to know about.

Important Announcement!

I would just like to announce that I am not as dumb as I thought I was. I've officially and successfully moved into my homestay (possibly pictures and definitely an update later). I have had multiple conversations with my host parents (Sonia y Jorge) and not only did I understand the majority of what they said but I could answer most questions with more than a head nod and 'si'. This is a huge deal because my biggest fear has been that I'll constantly be using my confused face (which, from prior experience, makes my head hurt). I'm so excited and just as a warning: this may become a spanglish blog as I begin to think en español.

If this doesn't seem like a big deal to you...please leave. No, I'm joking. Please stay and comment on how proud and excited you are about this.

Next update: In a few days once I've taken this placement test and settled in a little bit.

Stay tuned por favor.