Contrary to popular belief, things are going well. As I´ve written/said a million times, this is hard, harder than I had imagined. More often than not I use this blog as a place where I can vent, mostly about how crazy this place is making me and from now on I will try to use it to portray the positive aspects of my experience as well.
My hardships do not take away from the fact that every day I walk through my barrio and smile at the sounds of little Peruvian children screaming my name begging me to teach them English (which I will be starting next week, by the way). I had a meeting on Monday in one of the Caserios (towns) in my Municipality. The people were really great, warm, receptive. I thanked them for accepting me in their community and joked that I love to eat, if they could please invite me over I would greatly appreciate it. They loved it!!!
I have a new vice to add along to the long list I already have- Inca Kola (a Peruvian Soft Drink that was bought by Coca Cola a few years back- google it)
I live in a primarily agricultural community. We grow everything from: Pecans, Peaches, Lucuma (Peruvian fruit- google it), Cotton, Corn, Watermelon, Mango, Avocado, and GRAPES. Oh, the infamous grape. The grape apparently, according to most Peruvians, is a great detox. As far as I am concerned the grape has officially become the most toxic fruit I have ever encountered.
Ica (the department in which I live) is known for its grapes and its PISCO. For any of you that have tasted the delightfullness that is a Pisco Sour, you know what I am talking about. Otherwise, Google it. Pisco is a liquor made of grapes, as is Wine, as is Cachina (which I affectionately like to describe as a combination of Wine and Pisco). The grape is poisonous I tell you, I will not elaborate, I will let your imagination do the work.
My 27th birthday is tomorrow and I still cannot believe how quickly time flies. (I sound like my mother) I am spending my 27th birthday in my new home...sigh. It will be good. My roomate/host sister is throwing a Fiesta for me at our house. The invitees include: Friends, family and the Mayor, of course. Listen, when you live in East Bumble Fuck Peru being a Gringa automatically makes you VIP. :) I could have never gotten this type of treatment in NYC ;)
So that´s my life folks, cat calls, childrens calls, highs, lows, you name it, we got it right here.
My hardships do not take away from the fact that every day I walk through my barrio and smile at the sounds of little Peruvian children screaming my name begging me to teach them English (which I will be starting next week, by the way). I had a meeting on Monday in one of the Caserios (towns) in my Municipality. The people were really great, warm, receptive. I thanked them for accepting me in their community and joked that I love to eat, if they could please invite me over I would greatly appreciate it. They loved it!!!
I have a new vice to add along to the long list I already have- Inca Kola (a Peruvian Soft Drink that was bought by Coca Cola a few years back- google it)
I live in a primarily agricultural community. We grow everything from: Pecans, Peaches, Lucuma (Peruvian fruit- google it), Cotton, Corn, Watermelon, Mango, Avocado, and GRAPES. Oh, the infamous grape. The grape apparently, according to most Peruvians, is a great detox. As far as I am concerned the grape has officially become the most toxic fruit I have ever encountered.
Ica (the department in which I live) is known for its grapes and its PISCO. For any of you that have tasted the delightfullness that is a Pisco Sour, you know what I am talking about. Otherwise, Google it. Pisco is a liquor made of grapes, as is Wine, as is Cachina (which I affectionately like to describe as a combination of Wine and Pisco). The grape is poisonous I tell you, I will not elaborate, I will let your imagination do the work.
My 27th birthday is tomorrow and I still cannot believe how quickly time flies. (I sound like my mother) I am spending my 27th birthday in my new home...sigh. It will be good. My roomate/host sister is throwing a Fiesta for me at our house. The invitees include: Friends, family and the Mayor, of course. Listen, when you live in East Bumble Fuck Peru being a Gringa automatically makes you VIP. :) I could have never gotten this type of treatment in NYC ;)
So that´s my life folks, cat calls, childrens calls, highs, lows, you name it, we got it right here.
