Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Whas been happnin..


This vida loca has prevented me from updating the blog, not to be assumed that I'm just boring and have nothing to update! Oooh no, quite the opposite. We CIEE American kids are wrapping up our second week of Intensive Spanish Grammar class, and start our fo real La Catolica classes come Monday. Being a gringa has it's advantages: "intercambio" students get to sit in on the first week of classes before we actually register, so I make sure I'm not getting into anything over my head. Then again, I think "over my head" is something I'll just have to get used to. 

My favorite parts of Lima so far are the nightlife and the transportation. Last weekend we bar hopped in Barranco, drank Piscos and danced all night long. The life. We also took the double decker MiraBus all around Lima letting everyone know we're foreign and lovin it. We stopped at this amazing fountain park and ran around like 4 year olds in Disneyland. I stole some pics from Sarah to give ya a taste. 

nuestro gringo grupo, we lub each udder
Sarah and I walkin down the aisle. Word.

Everyone gets around in these dinky little buses called micros. The "cobrador" (fare collector) yells at you "SUBE SUBE SUBE!" or "BAJA BAJA BAJA" whenever you get on or off. It's really cheap and there are millions so you can go pretty much anywhere in the city on one. Each one has it's own, um, flavor, and sometimes people get on and preach about Jesus or politics, ya know, important things. It's always exciting getting around, even if you have small peruvian men basically sitting on your lap. Oh yeah, all the micros compete for passengers, so even if the bus is about to explode they'll let people on. Don't worry mom and dad! hehe.

It's not actually going to Brasil, justa street name

Last Saturday Sarah, Viole (her awesome host sister), Shiela, Emily, Ani (her wonderful host mother) and I took a day trip to Antioquia, a small pueblo a few hours outside of Lima. All the buildings are painted with beautiful simple flowers, butterflies, birds, etc. The town was quite empty, I think everyone was inside napping, but it was SUNNY! Here's me with some me sized tulips.


Una puerta en Antioquia

A few other cositas I'm loving: when I came home yesterday I went outside to check if my clothes were dry on the clothesline yet. What I stumbled upon quite easily was aaaaall my clean underwear hanging up, one by one, all the way across the line. Hey, if that's how they do it down here, I guess I'll roll with it! 

Breakfast is my favorite part of the day because I sit and talk with Adet over cafĂ© con leche, papaya juice and some bread and butter. Some mornings she makes me yummy oatmeal, which Peruvians literally call Quaker and pronounce Quacker. They rule.  

Elva and I run together some evenings at a park right by our house. She's so fun and loving, I love spending time with her and Matias and Abuelita, they are such the perfect family for me. 

In our house, a glass pitcher of water is kept on the counter, and if you pour it out really fast, it makes this sound like a bird singing. I don't think it's meant to do that, it just makes me really happy.

Oh yeah, yogurt is mostly comes in beverage form here, and it's soooo good. Take that gogurt!

More to come soon, I'll try to be better about updatalating. Love love love to all. 
Besitos,
e

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

My new favorite yellow

Feast your eyes on the most popular bebida (drink) / gaseosa (soda) de Peru: Inca Kola! It was created by a British immigrant in Lima in the 1930's, and is owned by Coca-Cola everywhere in the world EXCEPT Peru. It's mega sweet, and I've heard it's made with lemongrass. Or maybe lemon verbena. Whatever. In it is an herb that Peruvians use in tea, hierba luisa. Mi abuelita makes hierba luisa and has it in a pitcher most of the time, although her version is much more healthy and much less pucker-inducing. Peruvians have it warm sometimes, as well as most of their drinks. Ice (hielo) is not very popular down here! Despite Inca Cola's bionic color and taste, I don't mind me an ice coldy con almuerzo once and a while. 
"Solo hay una y no se parece a ninguna" (There is only one, unlike any other)

Monday, August 1, 2011

Besito en tu mejilla

Mothers, sons, cousins, teachers, acquaintances, everyone is so affectionate with each other here. It's custom to give someone a kiss on the cheek when you see them, which I find to be such a great way to say hello. This bottomless love has really helped me settle in these past few days, going from a 2 day stay in a hotel in Miraflores to my new casa con my familia nueva in Pueblo Libre, just a few districts away. I am stunned by the perfect match my family and I are. Elva, mi mama, is gracious, funny, amiable, happy, and so easy to be around. Mi hermano, Matias, loves rock music like Green Day and Iron Maiden, Harry Potter, and the Simpsons. It's his routine to watch Simpsons at 8 every night, and I've started joining him, which makes me feel pretty cool. He likes making art and movies, and told me he "wants to make humanity better with his art". He told me this in quick passing, no big deal. So cool. I haven't had much time to spend with mi abuelita, but I have a feeling she is going to be my very good friend. There is always extended family around to talk to and get to know, and they are all equally fun and "graciosos." The casa es tan bonita, there are no words to explain this oasis, so aquí hay fotos!


 mi cuarto



 Micaela, mi primita
 Mica, mi hermano Matias, y mi mama Elva
 mi familia graciosa!

 arte de Klimt que me ENCANTA






Cositas bonitas everywhere you look! More to come later.
Besitos,
E