Final Reflection

            I have officially been home for a week now. I always have always known that I wanted to write one final reflection about Peru. However, I thought it would be best to wait at least a couple days till after I was home and started getting settled in.

            I think it would be best to start off with what I learned in Peru. Well, the most obvious thing would be the fact that I learned more Spanish in the past four months than I did in the previous six years I had been studying it. Being able to hear, see and speak Spanish for multiple hours every single day does wonders! However, I am still somewhat disappointed with my level of Spanish. I never pictured myself coming out of this trip speaking like a pro, however, I did expect my level to be at least a little better than it is now. Secondly, is the culture. I LOVE Peruvian culture. I remember when I first arrived in Peru and I thought it was so weird that Peruvians greeted each other with a kiss on the check. Now, it has become second nature. Even the Americans can be seen greeting each other the Peruvian way. Another big part of Peruvian culture is how proud the people of Peru are to be Peruvian. This was clearly shown through their mannerisms and this attitude that Peruvians carry with them. Whenever I was walking down the streets in Peru I always saw people wearing shirts with the famous Peruvian mark. Furthermore, I learned very early on that family is everything in Peru. Children live with their parents all throughout the time they are in college and even beyond. I truly feel blessed to have been able to witness how a family runs there! Everyone looks out for each other and families there spend so much time together! Beyond this, I did learn a lot about the country of Peru in general-the geography, how the government works, the history etc.- and the various indigenous tribes around Peru. For example, do you know that Lima has a population of almost 10 million and that it is divided up in 46 districts?????

            Something that I learned that I think is just as important, is everything I discovered about myself. When I look back at my journals and compare the reasons I had for coming to Peru versus what I got out of this experience it is crazy! One simple lesson that we all learned when we were little has really become embedded in me forever. That lesson is “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Coming into Peru, I was a little nervous about the people I was sharing this experience with. I will be honest here; I was actually scared to talk to certain individuals on this trip. I thought there was no way I would ever hang out with them and the only way I would even talk to them is if we got put in a group together for one of my classes. However, I am amazed at how quickly these thoughts of not meshing disappeared. I will never forget the time when Emily, Andrei, Marshall and I were going around a circle naming off our favorite part about our trip. Emily and Andrei went first and they both said that their favorite part had been Machu Picchu. Next, Marshall went and said his favorite part had been getting to know all of us. Although we all did have our core groups, we always invited one another to any big event we found out about that was happening in Lima and we had so many fun get-togethers as a whole, such as the bonfire. The way in which all of came to look out for each other and protected our own still amazes me. I remember that from the second I decided to commit to Peru, I would tell my four best friends on a daily basis, “I wish you would come with me.” Looking back, I have come to realize how wrong I was. Yes, I missed my family and friends terribly, but I also had the opportunity to become close friends with AMAZING people that I would not have had the chance to otherwise. I am feel sooo grateful and blessed to have become close with many wonderful people!

I take this experience I have had in Peru and mark it as a whole new chapter in my life. I feel that the person I came to Peru as and the person I am leaving as are two completely different people. I have gained so many new perspectives and the people I have met and activities I have experienced has truly changed my life.

            I remember when Dr. Aviles was first interviewing me to see if I would make the cut to go on this trip and he asked me what he thought my greatest challenge would be. I answered him by saying without a doubt it will be missing my family and friends back home. I arrived in Peru and the first couple of weeks I skyped my parents and best friends on a daily basis. However, towards the end of the trip, I would skype my parents every Sunday and skype my best friends when we both happened to find time. I think Peru allowed me to grow up a lot and become a lot more independent. It forced me to not rely on others as much. For the first time in my life when something went wrong I couldn’t just automatically pick up the phone or take the five minute drive to my parent’s house. It’s hard for me to pinpoint the exact moment when I went from strongly disliking Peru to absolutely positively loving it! I remember when I went to say good-bye to my brother, Paul, he told me to enjoy every moment and not get too homesick because before you know it you’ll be back in Nebraska and want to be in Peru again. In the back of my mind I was thinking “yeah right, I’m already counting down the days until I get to come home again.” However, all of that changed after I got accustomed to Peru. I have done some serious thinking lately and I am really considering becoming a volunteer teacher for a year in some Spanish speaking country after I graduate.

            I cannot even put into words how grateful I am that I have had this amazing opportunity to live and study abroad for the past four months. Last Wednesday in my Conversation and Culture class we played this memory game. Each student started off by saying “De Peru voy a extranar…” the person would then name off all the things that the students in front of them had said and then end with something he/she was going to miss. I knew in that moment that I was just going to miss the whole experience and everything that came with it. My life was just so different there. My friend and I were talking one time during our final days in Peru and we said that we were now starting to have to deal with real life things, such as finding a job or e-mailing USAA and asking them to change the car insurance policy back. And little did I know, that what Nicki and I said was so true. Literally the day after I got home I started observing in Kearney schools from 8 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. for the entire week. The week nights then filled up with various meetings and other obligations.

            I miss my friends and family soooooooo much! I also just miss the Peruvian life. I literally can think of only one time that I was stressed in Peru. Compare that to America when it literally took me less than 24 hours to become stressed to the max again. I also never realized how unhealthy the food is here. So many foods come in boxes and contain many preservatives. I miss eating my nice healthy salad with lemon on top and chicken on a daily basis!

            Well, this is it for my blog. However, “My Unforgettable Journey to Peru” will never truly end. It’s something that I will carry with me inside and that will be reflected on the outside for the rest of my life. That you all so much for your support, e-mails, letters etc. over the past four months. I hope you enjoyed getting at least a sneak-peak of what was sure to be one of the best experiences of my life!

Abrazos y bestios,

Mary

Home Sweet Home???

Lauren and I at the airport!

           My flight landed in Omaha this past Saturday around noon. Since then, I have been running around crazy, catching up with family and friends and completing a few things that I had missed while I was in Peru. I have decided to share a little bit of my homecoming with you all!!!!

Dave, Zach, Annie, Me, and Lauren 

            I was warmly greeted at the airport on Saturday by my parents, little brother and best friend, Lauren. After picking up my luggage we made our way over to “Upstream,” a restaurant in downtown Omaha. There, we met up with my older brother, Dave, cousin Zach, and my brother’s girlfriend Annie. After a nice lunch, it was time to hit the road for good old Kearney!

            I think the whole town of Kearney was able to figure out when Michael, Kelan, and Jordan made their way to my house. They were greeted with many hugs and screams of “I missed you. I can’t believe I am seeing you in person right now.” After a little conversation, we set off to the mall in our town to visit my friend, Kendra. Next, it was time to get our tennis game on! In the middle of the match, my other really good friend, Dylan, showed up and it was rounds of hugs and “I missed you” all over again. After some tennis we headed over to my old dorm and before I knew it I was surrounded by about 15 people asking me how Peru was, what my favorite part was, how my Spanish is etc. That night we all headed out to do some start gazing.

            Sunday afternoon I went and visited the Kozera family. I nanny for the two twin girls in the family and it was nice catching up with Corlis and Phil. Sunday evening I headed to the Newman Center (the Catholic Church on campus) and received a warm welcoming from Father Matt and Sister Rosy. I enjoyed going to church again for the first time in 4 months at the Newman Center. The rest of the night was spent talking and catching up.

            I have just felt so special by all the welcoming I have gotten since I came back. On Wednesday night, the 5^th grade CCD class I help teach surprised with flowers, tennis balls, and posters that said “Welcome Back, Mary.” Many other people have warmed my heart by their kind greetings and how excited they are to see me. When I was walking out of church on Sunday I heard someone scream my name and turned around to see Elizabeth and Jenn (two friends) coming running at me! Sometimes I will be randomly walking on UNK campus or be somewhere in Kearney when I see someone they now and watch them take a double take of me and then have them run up to me and say, “You are back from Peru?!?!?!”

            It is hard to describe the feeling of being back. On the one hand, it is great seeing family and friends and having my old bed back. However, I really do miss Peru and everything that came along with it! I miss my family and friends and how relaxing and laid back it was! It is still really weird being in Kearney and thinking, “last week at this time I was in Peru doing _________ (fill in the blank). It is soooooooo weird talking English all the time. On our way back to Kearney, we stopped at a gas station and as I was talking to the man at the counter I wondered why he was giving me such an odd look. John was at my side and he informed me that I had just talked to the man in Spanish. Well, that explains a lot!

One thing I am sure of is that life here will take awhile to get used to just how life in Peru took awhile to get used to! I miss Peru like crazy and can’t wait till the day I get to go back there again! 

XOXO Mary

Where did time go????

           It is time to write all about my last AMAZING week in Lima, Peru. Tuesday we had our final in our literature class and afterwards we all sat and chilled for awhile before heading to our houses. That night I had to say good-bye to my host sister, Aida, because she left for America and won’t be back until after I return to Nebraska. It was really sad saying bye to her considering all we have been through the past four months. She and her friend, Cynthia, were the two that picked me up from the airport when I first arrived in Peru. Since then, I have had the pleasure of eating lunch with her everyday and spending countless hours with her and her family. Oh how I will miss her :)

Laura, Hugo and I at Hugo's house!

            After saying goodbye, I headed off to the infamous “delfines” (Laura and mines meeting spot) to meet up with Laura. Then, we all headed off to meet up with the others at Nicki’s house. That night we went to our friend, Hugo’s, house. I was in awe when I arrived and discovered his house has FIVE floors!!!! That’s right, 5. That night we ate, talked, and had our own little dance party. Hugo’s mom had sooooooooo much delicious food for us! We had these chicken ball things, chicken sandwiches, ham and cheese filled tortillas etc. It was so much fun to celebrate one last time in Peru!!!

Typical Peruvian food/drinks!

            Wednesday morning we went to a local high school as usual. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that the students we had been helping over the past couple of weeks threw us this really nice going away/thank you party. It was complete with TONS (and I mean TONS) of typical Peruvian food. The tables made a border and enclosed in this border were posters that students had made that explained some aspects of Peru’s culture. For example, there were many posters describing the different types of dances found in Peru and then the students who made the posters even tried to teach us some moves (unsuccessfully I might add). Wednesday continued to be an awesome day when we all headed over to Derek’s house that evening to enjoy yet another going away party that was thrown by his host family for us. Of course, we enjoyed tons of food and drinks and had fun talking and reminiscing about our times in Peru. Derek’s host parents said many kind words and after a couple hours it was time to say good-bye to wonderful people yet again.

All the UNK students in our new UPC jackets!!!

            The next day the administration and our professors from UPC put on a good-bye lunch for us. At the lunch we received diplomas and these really nice jackets! It was soooo crazy sitting there knowing it was almost over. I remember 4 short months ago during our orientation session when Fina had to talk to us in English because our Spanish was such a disaster. I remember her saying how she hoped that in four months we could have this same meeting, except in Spanish. Well, what do you know??? Four months later and it’s all Spanish!!!! After lunch all the students were sitting outside our classroom waiting to take our last final. Someone mentioned what a weird feeling it was looking back and thinking how scared we were four months ago waiting to meet our professor outside the classroom in the same exact spot. Before we knew it, all these depressing comments started being said and you could feel the sadness in the air.

Our plan: 2 years from now the three of us will be in the
exact same spot taking the exact same picture!!!!

            Thursday night was my favorite night I experienced in Lima. It all started with going out to eat with my host mom and my host sister. Afterwards, I met up with Emily, Derek, Laura, Nicki, and Hugo and we went to Miraflores to meet up with the other UNK students at a Mexican restaurant. Unfortunately, there were a couple mix-ups as to where the restaurant was and the 6 of us just decided it would be easiest to eat at a random place in Miraflores rather than climb in another taxi in hopes of finding the restaurant. After eating and walking for awhile, the other students from UNK came to say good-bye. It was around 11 at that point and mostly everyone was ready to call it a night. However, Derek said he would be game for staying a little longer and before we knew it, Laura, Nicki, Derek, Hugo and I were off walking around Miraflores. We ended up stopping at this random spot and literally stood there till after 3 in the morning reminiscing about everything. I can’t really describe the feeling that could be felt between the five of us, but I will never forget it. Looking back, I am soooo blessed to have been able to experience Peru with such AMAZING people. I remember before I left how badly I wanted my four best friends from UNK to come with me to Peru. However, now I am sooooo glad I went off by myself and branched out. I have had the opportunity to grow close to people I would have never been able to if it weren’t for Peru, and I am so grateful for that.

Te quiero, Mamita!

            My final day in Peru came around way to fast. The day was spent packing and saying good-byes. It was filled with many tears because no one really knows when the next time my family or friends and I will see each other again. As I sit in the airport, I honestly can’t believe it’s all over. Where in the world did time go????

The Beginning of the End

I <3 my host family!

"Peru 2012"

            Normally, I sit down and write my blog every Sunday night. However, this week I have been avoiding writing it because I know it is the beginning of the end of my time here in Peru. Before I know it, I will be boarding that plane to head back to Nebraska :( I actually just got back from taking a final and that leaves me with my very last class/final on Thursday. Tonight, I have to say good-bye to one of my host sisters because she is going to Atlanta for awhile and by the time she gets back I will have already returned to America. Where did time go??? I remember boarding that plane in Nebraska thinking that these would be the longest four months of my life. Now, I don’t want to leave. I am going to miss my friends/family, speaking Spanish every day, the beach and so much more!!!!!!!!!!!!!

            Well, enough with the sadness, it’s time to tell you all about the AWESOME weekend I had. Friday morning I headed to one of the local high schools here in Lima to do a little bit of research for a project I am conducting while I am here in Peru. After my nice visit, I went to return to my house and before I knew it I was lost. The person I arrived as to Peru three and a half months ago would have freaked. However, after 14 weeks of Lima I was somewhat confident in my abilities. I was walking down the street actually thinking to myself, “this is kind of funny,” when all of a sudden the man that collects your money in the combi yelled UPC (my university) at me. I hopped in the bus and took my first ever combi ride solo. Believe it or not, I actually enjoyed myself. It was about 1 P.M. so that means the combi was stuffed to the brim. There were no seats left so I was left standing surrounded by people at all sides. It was so crowded I couldn’t even look out the window and see when it was time for me to get off!!! After finally making it to my university, I felt like I had conquered Lima.

Fabricio and Nela straigthening my hair!!!

            Later that afternoon, I headed to Nicki’s to get ready for a nice thank-you dinner with our professors. After showering (my house had no water) Fabricio and Nela (Nicki’s roommates) told me they wanted to straighten my hair because no true Peruvian girl would ever have curly hair. After 30 minutes or so of arguing, I finally gave it. As true Peruvians, we were running way behind. We were supposed to meet up with all the other UNK students and our professors at 6 P.M. It was already 5:30 and my hair was still soaking wet!!! Man was Nicki’s apartment a site to see that afternoon!!! We were all running around with our heads cut off trying to get ready. At one point, Fabricio and Nela each had their own straightener and were going at my hair while Emily was doing my makeup. By the time all three of us were ready, it was already 6:30 so we hopped in our own taxi to Barranco. We ate at a restaurant called Rustica and I thought the food was really good. I was a little sad throughout the dinner because it was yet another reminder that we have reached the end of this truly AMAZING experience. After dinner, Laura, Derek, and I hung out and enjoyed walking around Barranco for a little bit! That night we went to club Gotica to celebrate our Peru friend’s, Byran, birthday.

Jesus, Dr. Aviles, Christian, and Roberto

            Before I move on, I would like to give a little tribute to each of our wonderful professors who have helped us make it through these past couple of months. Let me tell you, it has been no easy feat. All of us have different levels of Spanish and as a future teacher, I know how challenging it had to have been to teach to a class with some people who had already lived abroad and were nearly fluent while for others (like me) it was practically the first time in their life they had actually spoken Spanish. First, is Dr. Aviles. Dr. Aviles teaches our indigenous culture class and traveled with us here to Peru from Nebraska. Although he tells us that he feels unneeded here and like he hasn’t really done anything, it is all lies!!! It has been really comforting knowing that someone who speaks fluent English is only just a phone call away. Also, he has helped me numerous times with many activities, including setting up the school observations I go on for my study. I know that if something were to ever go wrong here, he would be at my side in a second. Next, is Christian. He teachers our Peruvian Literature class and is a great role model for me to look up to as a future teacher. I have honestly never seen someone so enthusiastic and passionate about the subject they teach. Throughout class, he is really good about using hand signals and acting out when we don’t understand. I sit here and laugh as I describe him because it has to be absolutely terrible looking out at your audience and seeing that over half of them are sleeping when you think what you are talking about is one of the most interesting things in the world. Jesus teaches our Conversation and Culture class and I have to say, this is one of my favorite classes I had ever taken. He comes up with all these fun games for us to play and all these entertaining movies for us to watch. Finally, is Roberto. He teachers our grammar class and I like his class a lot because he is definitely tough on us. Other teachers always ask us if they are talking to fast and need to slow down, however, Roberto never does this! He assumes sooner or later we are bound to catch on and I think he has something going with mind-set!

            Now, back to my weekend. I hit the hay Saturday morning at 4:30 A.M. because let me tell you, Peruvians like to party late. Here, the party doesn’t even start till around 1 A.M. However, a very short 2 and a half hours later my two favorite little alarm clocks came in my room and screamed “Maryyyyy, es el cumpleanos de Luciano. Ven. Vamos a abrir los regalos.” (Mary, it’s Lucianos birthday. Come, we are going to open presents.) That afternoon, we had a big party at the house full of friends, family and neighbors. I really enjoyed talking to everyone and felt like a true member of the family!!! That night, we all headed out to a different disco in Miraflores to dance the night away once again!

Happy Birthday Luciano!!!!

            Yesterday, I didn’t have class so Nicki, Hugo, Keyla, Thania and I headed to PinkBerry so I could try it for the first time. Afterwards, I met up with Laura to go to church. I bought some rosaries here in Peru and I really wanted to get them blessed by a priest. However, I am naturally shy and normally wouldn’t even want to approach a priest in Nebraska, let alone in Peru. After church was over last night, I knew I had to take the opportunity since it might be the last one I had. So, Laura, my host sister and I found the priest and I asked him if he would be willing to bless my rosaries. And guess what?!?! We ended up having a nice little conversation!!!!

            Well, that about sums up my weekend! Now, it’s time to get started on the huge to-do list awaiting me! Hope all is well wherever you are!!!

            Mary

Inspired!!!

My Inspiration over the past 3 months!!! :)

“Times goes by so fast, people go in and out of your life. You must never miss the opportunity to tell these people how much they mean to you.”

“Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts and we are never, ever the same.”

            A couple weeks ago I came to the very sad conclusion that my time here in Peru is coming to a close. Ever since then, I have been thinking about what the perfect gift would be for one very special person I have met here in Peru. This person has inspired me beyond words and I have never even been able to come close to telling her how much I appreciate everything she has done for me. After three weeks of thinking, I still haven’t come up with anything that would even come close to sufficing what I want to convey to her. One of the many things that I have learned while I have been in Peru is too enjoy and appreciate all the little moments. I have come to realize how truly insignificant material things are. The person that I have learned all these wonderful insights from is my host sister, Marylinda. I know that she wouldn’t want any material present from me and so this blog is my final gift to her. It’s the best present that I can think of giving her.

            I wish each and every one of you could be gifted with meeting my host sister. She is a gorgeous person both inside and out. I have never ever seen a person with more patience or a better attitude. Marylinda passes the day watching her nieces/nephews. I have never heard her even once raise her voice to them. Marylinda has spent countless hours with me checking over my homework and if I could pick one person, class, or event that has allowed me to improve my Spanish the most it would be Marylinda hands down. And the best part about it is she does it so willing. She never makes me feel like it is a burden for her to constantly check papers, or to constantly correct my mistakes that I continuously make over and over again while I am speaking. Also, Marylinda has such a positive and welcoming attitude. I am going to miss hearing her cheery voice when she answers the phone or when she greets someone at the house.

            Something else I really really admire about her is her faith life. Just being able to watch her from afar during mass or seeing her read the Bible. She clearly illustrates how much her faith means to her in both her actions and words. I don’t know if any of you remember, but I wrote once in my blog that I have been able to see the Eucharist in a new light since I got here. Well part of the reason for this is because of my host sister. After see comes back from receiving the Eucharist she just has this bubble of reverence, admiration, and appreciation that radiates off of her.

            The way she cares about others amazes me. I have honestly never seen someone care about their family so much as Marylinda. Marylinda and her mom have a really special relationship. Marylinda always accompanies her mom when she has to pick up something from the store, or always carries groceries or her mom’s purse for her. Her mom and her spend countless hours together going to church, watching movies, or just simply talking and spending time together. Outside of this relationship, the way she treats her nephews and nieces amazes me. She treats them all equally and makes they all feel special and unique. You can tell she is one of the best aunts out there just by the fact that every time Lyah or Flavia see her they scream her name and coming running up to give her a big hug. Furthermore, Marylinda also makes sure that I am always okay. The day I flew to Arequipa I had to wake up at 3 AM to catch my flight. I set an alarm clock in my room and then Marylinda told me she would set the alarm on her phone and put her phone next to her ear just to be a 100% sure I would make my flight. She just holds her family in such high regards. They always come first in her life. She is also excited about attending a cousin’s birthday party or going to the uncle’s beach house in San Bartolo!

            I think the many changes that have occurred in me since I came here are due to her. She is such a positive role model in my life. The way she holds her faith in such regards, how caring and respectful she is to her family, and her patience inspires me to be a better person.

It makes me sad because I can’t even come close to explaining how amazing she is in words. Blessed and grateful don’t do justice about what I want to say about being able to live with her for the past 3 months. I’ve always wanted to experience having a sister and wow has it been amazing. I know some people that are here in Peru have not been as blessed as I have with my host family. I am also 100% sure that no one here has been gifted as much as I have been with my host sister. She has made so many positive footprints in my life that I will never forget. Thank you so much for everything, Marylinda! It is greatly appreciated! I will miss you beyond words!

XOXO Mary 

La Semana Santa (Holy Week)

Men carrying the cross as we walked from station to station!

The final station of the cross

The activities of the week really started up on Thursday night when my host family and I headed to mass for the washing of the feet. The ceremony is very similar to what happens in my home parish. The only major difference was here instead of having everyone who wants go up to get their feet washed, 12 prominent parishioners (representing the 12 disciples) get their feet washed by the priests. After church was when activities that I am not accustomed to started. On Holy Thursday the tradition here is that people go to seven different churches for adoration. The number seven represents the seven grand trials Jesus suffered (i.e. getting a crown of ashes placed on his head, being whipped etc.). The décor that surrounds the tabernacles is gorgeous. Each church has their own way of decorating, but in every church there was this huge arch that was decorated with ribbon and lights and inside this arch was the tabernacle. This tradition is a big deal here and you could literally see one of those gray hound buses going from church to church dropping people off.

The First Station of the Cross inside the church!

            On Friday I was able to go to two different Stations of the Cross ceremonies. Both of them were very similar in regards to what happened. The first station of the cross is actually held inside the church. After this, the congregation then files outside of the church and makes a big loop around the church going from house to house. The owners of various houses volunteer to make one of the Stations of the Cross right outside their front door. Every station is obviously different, but all stations had a picture and some type of flower. As you walk from station to station, different members of the congregation take turns holding the actual large cross.  (Laura, my host mom, and I all helped carry the cross from station 4 to station 5). You sing and pray as you walk. You start out by praying the "Our Father" then the "Hail Mary" and finally the "Glory Be." When this is over you sing until you reach the house. Upon reaching the house, the priest takes out the incense and spreads it all over the cross. He explains what station it is and what happened. You then say the "Our Father" "Hail Holy Queen" "Hail Mary" and "Glory Be." and pray for something or someone. For example, one time we prayed for all people that have committed themselves to the religious life. Another time we prayed for all young men and women and children that they may live out a Christian life etc. Next, you pray for the people who made the station and then you are sent on your way. The 14th station is held right outside the church. There, they put the cross that Jesus is on inside the tomb and shut the tomb with a rock. The congregation then flows back into the church which is completely dark for part two of the ceremony.

There is not really a good translation for the title of this ceremony in English. Basically, it translates to the vigilance in the dark. The entire church is dark because it represents that Jesus has died. At the center of the altar is a candle holder with 9 candles. 5 lectures are read from the Old Testament that predict what is to come. (people will sin, make fun of others etc.) Each time after a lecture is read, two candles are blown out. Then, you sit in silence and pray for as long as you desire until you are ready to leave. 

The Easter Vigil mass on Saturday and then the Resurrection mass on Sunday was very similar to what happens in the U.S. Besides these religious activities, I really enjoyed my Easter break!!! What I find really odd here is that Friday is the really big celebration day here. On Friday is when all the shops are closed and everyone has gone away from Lima to celebrate. Then on Saturday the shops open up again and school is even held as usual.

Hugo is a true Peruvian! (Even though he is eating American
food he still cuts everything up into little pieces!)

My other happenings of the week included some good American cooking. :) Thursday night the gang headed over to Derek’s house to cook some American breakfast! We then had fun that night playing charades and telephone. For lunch on Friday my host family and I headed to San Bartolo and then after eating we went down to the uncle’s beach house. I really enjoyed sitting and conversing with the family! On Sunday I was able to talk with my aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, and parents via Skype. It was really fun being able to see them especially since I was feeling a little homesick!

I am sad to say it, but my time here in Lima is coming to an end. Yesterday officially started dead week. I am doing my best to live in the present and live out my final days here in Lima to the fullest. I am beyond grateful to have had this AMAZING experience and am thankful for all those who encouraged me to come!

Happy Easter from the Flores family in Peru! :)

Abrazos y besitos!

Mary

Amando y viviendo la vida en el Perú!!!

            La semana pasada fue tranquila. No me fui de viaje, ni tampoco tuve muchas obligaciones. Me divertí, me relajé y disfruté la vida en Lima, Perú!!!  Porque nada del otro mundo pasó la semana pasada, en este blog voy a hablar sobre cosas muy aleatorias!

1.)    Mi parte favorita de regresar a la casa después de nuestro viaje a Ica fue la bienvenida que recibí de Luciano ya que al verme se emocionó mucho. Estaba parado en la puerta y Aída no pudo verme. Ella le preguntó a Luciano “Quién es?” y el dijo con una sonrisa muy grande : “Maryyyy!!!” Oh voy a extrañar a mi familia mucho!

2.)    La semana pasada empezamos a ir a los colegios alrededor de Surco para ayudar a los estudiantes con su inglés. Estuve asombrada por su nivel de inglés, especialmente al colegio que fuimos el lunes. Los estudiantes hablan fluido en inglés. Algunas de las clases que ellos llevan son en inglés en vez de castellano como biología. Es un poquito triste porque he estudiado el castellano por seis años y todavía mi nivel de español es  menos de lo que quiero. Por otro lado, los estudiantes de estos colegios pueden hablar fluido en inglés aunque no han vivido en un país donde se habla inglés.

3.)    El viernes pasado tuve muchos exámenes. Lo crean o no, disfruté mi examen el miércoles. Era un examen oral que duró veinte minutos más o menos. Al inicio del examen mi profesor y yo hablamos sobre un artículo que se llama “Una Mirada al Creacionismo.” Además, siento que aprendí mucho esta semana del examen que tomó el jueves sobre el tiempo subjuntivo. ¿Quién hubiera sabido que si un adjetivo está detrás del verbo “parecer” entonces el verbo tiene que estar en el tiempo subjuntivo?!?!

4.)    La noche del sábado tuvimos la fogata número dos. Me divertí mucho! Pasamos tiempo en la playa, tomamos fotos, hicimos “smores,” y escuchamos música! En momentos como estos siento que nunca quiero regresar a los Estados Unidos!

5.)    Aunque cometo muchísimos errores cuando hablo en castellano, me encanta hablar en la lengua y voy a extrañar eso!!!

6.)    Tengo que decirles que copié el título de este blog de mi amiga, Amanda. Su estado en Skype desde que nos conocimos ha sido “estoy viviendo y amando la vida.” Pero, esta es la verdad, yo estoy viviendo y amando la vida acá en Perú y me hubiera gustado poder quedarme medio año para pasar más tiempo con familia/amigos, mejorar mi español, y conocer más la cultura del Perú!

El domingo pasado empezó con el inicio de la Semana Santa. Estoy emocionada por experimentar la semana acá en Perú. Mi familia ya me dijo un poquito sobre las actividades para la semana. La Semana Santa empezó muy bien cuando fuimos a la misa en domingo. Los ramos que nos dieron eran asombrosos! Los ramos son de diferentes formas y diseños. La misa empezó con una reconstrucción de Jesús entrando en Jerusalén. No puedo esperar para ver las otras actividades!  

Espero que tengan una Semana Santa con mucho fe!

Mary :)

Just living and loving life in PERU!!!!!!!

Me, Hugo, Nicki, Laura, and Derek!

          
            This past week was actually relatively calm. I didn’t go on a trip to a different part or have any major obligations to fulfill. It was actually really nice just to be able to relax and enjoy life in Lima, Peru!!! J Since I didn’t have anything incredible happen to me this past week, this blog is going to be filled with some random things!

1.)    My favorite part of coming home from Arequipa was the greeting I got from Luciano. I walked into the house and his face lit up when he saw me. I was standing in the doorway and Aida (Sr.) couldn’t see me. She asked Luciano “¿Quien es?” He got a big smile on his face and said “Maryyyyyyyy!!!” Oh how I will miss my family!

2.)    We started going on school visits to surrounding high schools! I am amazed at their level of English, especially at the Monday school. The students speak fluently in English. Some of the classes they take are actually in English rather than Spanish, such as Biology! It’s just so hard for me to think that I have been studying Spanish for 6 years and am nowhere close to the level I want to be at while these students speak fluently in English without ever having been to an English speaking country!

3.)    Last week was filled with exams. Believe it or not, I actually really enjoyed my test on Wednesday. It was a 20 minute or so oral exam that began with my teacher and I conversing about an article titled, “Una Mirada al creacionismo” (A Glance at the Creation). I also feel like I learned a lot from the test I took on Thursday over the subjunctive tense. Who would have ever know that if an adjective follows the verb “parecer” than the verb has to be in the subjunctive tense??? I just love the Spanish language!

4.)    Saturday night we had bonfire round 2!!! It was TONS of fun! We chilled on the beach, took pictures, made smores, and listened to music!!! Its times like this that make me never want to go home!!!!

5.)    Even though I make a countless amount of mistakes when I talk in Spanish, I absolutely LOVE speaking the language and am going to miss it sooooo much!!!

6.)    I have to say, I stole this quote from my friend, Amanda. Her skype status has been “just living and loving life” since I meet her. But it’s soooo true, I am just living and loving life here in Peru and I wish I had another half a year or so here to spend more time with my family/friends, to keep improving my Spanish, and to just be amidst the culture!

Laura and I at the bonfire! <3

            Sunday marked the beginning of Holy Week here. I am beyond stoked to experience this week here in Peru. My family has already let me in a couple tidbits of what we will be doing! Holy Week started out with a bang when we went to church on Sunday. The palms that are given out here are awesome! They come in all different shapes/designs. Church started with an actual reenactment of Jesus entering Jerusalem! I can’t wait to see what is to come!

Wishing you all a faith-filled Holy Week!

Mary 

Arequipa!!!

            El viernes pasado un grupo de estudiantes de UNK y yo nos embarcamos hacia Arequipa a las 5:30 de la mañana. Aterrizamos alrededor de las siete de la mañana y luego tomamos taxi para ir hacia el hostal y dormir. Al llegar tuvimos un primer obstáculo: habían seis camas para nueve personas. Estábamos agotados y la única cosa que queríamos hacer era dormir. Por eso, Laura, Nicki, y yo decidimos compartir una cama. Nos despertamos dos horas más tarde y decidimos estar listas a tiempo para explorar. Fuimos a la Plaza de Armas donde muchísimas personas se nos acercaron a ofrecernos los diferentes tours. Encontramos una muy buena opción, en  la cual nos ofrecían un tour para ver la ciudad en  bus y duraba cuatro horas, el costo fue de 15 soles por persona. Lo cual fue una decisión muy buena. Estuvimos en un bus con dos pisos y paramos en diez lugares por toda la ciudad. El tour tuvo como primera parada un rancho lleno de llamas y alpacas. Después de esto, vimos varios lugares famosos como “La Iglesia San Miguel Arcángel,” “Palacio de Goyenecha,” “Mirador y Plaza de Yanahuara” etc. La última parada fue en los “Molinos Colonials.” En este lugar se ofrecían  muchas actividades divertidas y decidimos montar a caballo. Como recientemente he ido a montar a caballo a la casa de un amigo, tenía confianza en mis habilidades. Todo iba muy bien y todo el tiempo le estuve diciendo a mi caballo “Tú eres muy bonito” y “buen trabajo.” De pronto, mi caballo tenía hambre y quería la comida de los árboles, es por ello que se acercó y mientras comía, aplastó mi pierna contra la pared de piedra. Le dije “a la izquierda por favor” pero no me hizo caso. ¡Y ahora tengo una herida en mi pierna!. Después de este accidente, nunca más le volví a hacer un cumplido a mi caballo.

            Mi actividad favorita el sábado fue una excursión de canotaje que duró cuarto horas y fue muy divertida. Nos reunimos en la empresa de los guías en la Plaza de Armas y ellos nos llevaron a un lugar para ponernos los trajes de neopreno. ¡Era muy difícil ponérselos! Luego de esto, nos fuimos al río y nos dividimos en grupos. Mi grupo era de cinco personas y nuestro guía dijo que era mejor si nosotros practicábamos un poquito. La primera instrucción que él nos dio fue “a la derecha detrás y a la izquierda adelante.” Nosotros nos miramos como diciendo “¿Cuál es el significado de eso?!?!?”y luego nos reímos. Después de cinco minutos, fuimos al río a pesar de que nuestro guía pensaba que aún necesitábamos practicar más. Nos tomó dos horas más o menos completar el viaje en el que nos divertimos y durante este, Emily y Derek se cayeron. El guía subió a Emily en el bote en seguida, mientras que veríamos a Derek cada vez más lejos. De repente, Derek se subió a una roca, saltó y agarró el bote. Entonces, Laura y yo subimos a Derek dentro del bote. Luego, nosotros seguimos remando en el río cuando de repente vi que una roca se estaba acercando a mi cara y a la de Nicki. Oí que nuestro guía le gritó que tenga cuidado a Nicki y yo salté hacia el centro del bote. Cinco minutos después nuestro guía nos advirtió que había un árbol a la distancia y que cuando nos acerquemos necesitaríamos echarnos sobre nuestros estómagos. Cuando el momento llegó, sentí y oí las ramas cuando pasaron encima de mi cabeza. Llegó el fin del viaje y tuvimos que sacarnos los trajes de neopreno. Cuando retornamos, Laura y yo fuimos a la misa y luego decidimos que era el momento para ducharnos y acostarnos. Afortunadamente, era la treceava persona de UNK para ducharse y el agua la sentí como hielo en mi cuerpo. Cuando regresé a la habitación, Emily se paró y me preguntó si yo estaba bien porque todavía tiritaba.

            Al día siguiente, domingo, nos levantamos muy temprano para arreglarnos antes de que nuestro bus llegue a las dos y media de la mañana. Subimos al bus y el recorrido fue de cuatro horas a “El Cañón de Colca.” ¡Nunca en mi vida había subido en bus tan  incómodo! Sentía hasta el metal del asiento. Al llegar al Cañón del Colca, pude ver que era hermoso, el Colca es tres veces más grande que “The Grand Canyon.” Fuimos de excursión a pie por un ratito y luego fuimos a las aguas calientes. Regresamos a nuestro hostal alrededor de las cinco y media de la tarde, comimos, y fuimos de compras alrededor de Arequipa. Esa noche, nos acostamos temprano porque nuestro vuelo era a las siete y media la siguiente mañana.

            Finalmente, llegamos a nuestras casas en Lima alrededor de las once de la mañana. Entonces, aún tenía tiempo para estudiar para nuestro examen de “culturas indígenas.” Esa semana habíamos empezado la unidad sobre Perú. Yo, por supuesto, tengo mucho interés en este tema. Aquí comparto un par de hechos contigo sobre Perú para que conozcas más:

            Perú tiene tres zonas distintas: la selva, la sierra (similar a las montañas), y la costa. Cada región es muy distinta en su vestimenta, música, y comida. El nivel de pobreza en Perú es 53%. ¡Qué mal!  10% de la población controla 35% de la riqueza. Antes de venir a Perú, leí estos artículos, y cuando pensé en Perú, automáticamente pensé en el Inca. Sin embargo, habían muchas culturas que vinieron a Perú antes de la cultura Inca, como Huari, Chavín, Nazca etc. Pero definitivamente, el Imperio Inca realmente incorporó muchos aspectos de esas culturas.

            Ayer, en mi clase hablamos sobre el Perú en general y como hemos tenido la oportunidad experimentar algunas de las cosas que leímos. Espero que hayas podido aprender un poquito sobre el país en el que vivo.

           

            Pues, es el momento para que empiece mi tarea. En esta semana ya tengo muchas cosas por hacer como exámenes, visitas a la escuela y otras obligaciones. ¡Que tengan una buena semana!

            Mary 

Arequipa!

Arequipa!!!

Horseback riding!!!

Enjoying our little nap!

This past Friday a group of UNK students and myself boarded our 5:30 A.M. flight to Arequipa. We landed in Arequipa around 7:00 A.M. and then loaded up in taxis in order to find our way to the hostel so we could get some much needed shut eye. We got to the hostel and encountered obstacle number one of the trip: we had six beds for 9 people. We were all exhausted and all we wanted to do was take a little snooze so Laura, Nicki, and I decided to share a bed. We woke up about 2 hours later and decided it was time to do some exploring. We naturally went to the Plaza de Armas where we were bombarded with people trying to get us to go on their tours. We ran into this man who offered us a four hour bus ride of the entire town for only 15 soles per person (about 6 American dollars). This was definitely an AWESOME decision. We rode in a double deck bus and stopped at 10 different places throughout the city. The tour started off with a ranch full of llamas and alpacas. From there we hit up various famous sites such as “La Iglesia San Miguel Arcángel,” “Palacio de Goyenecha,” “Mirador y Plaza de Yanahuara,” etc. Our last stop was “Molinos Coloniales.” This place offered lots of fun activities and we decided to try out luck with horseback riding. I had actually been to a friend’s house horseback riding fairly recently and I was somewhat confident in my abilities. Everything was going smoothly and I kept telling my horse “You are really pretty,” and “Good job, you are doing great.” (In Spanish of course!) Then, all of a sudden my horse decided it was a little hungry and wanted a little grub from the trees. As my horse went along eating, it was dragging my leg against a stone wall. I kept telling it “a la izquierda por favor” (to the left please) but it wouldn’t listen. Needless to say, I now have a nice little scab on my leg. After that little incident I refused to compliment my horse the rest of the ride.

           

The highlight of the day on Saturday was this awesome four-hour White River Rafting excursion we went on. We met up at this tourist company in the Plaza de Armas and they took us to a rafting company’s place where we changed into our wet suits. Man, those things are hard to get on! After we were all dressed and ready to go, we headed up to the river. We divided up into groups and my group had 5 people in the raft. Our instructor decided it would be best if we practiced a little before entering into the water considering some of us had never gone rafting before. The first instruction he gave us was “right back, left forward.” All five of us kind of just looked at each other like “what the heck does that mean?!?!” and then we burst out laughing. After about 5 minutes or so of instruction, we headed out to the river even though our instructor thought we could have definitely used a lot more practice. It took about 2 hours for us to completely the journey. It was soooooo much fun. At one point, Emily and Derek feel out of the boat. The instructor pulled Emily back in the raft right away but I could see Derek slipping away. Then all of a sudden, he had this awesome jump off of a rock and was able to grab onto the side of the raft! Laura and I then pulled him in. Shortly after this experience we were all paddling down the river happy as can be when all of a sudden I saw a rock coming directly at my face!!! All I heard was the instructor yell at Nicki and I to get inside raft. At one point we were also warned that there would be some trees coming up in which all of us would need to lay inside the boat in order to avoid being wacked by the branches. I could literally feel and hear the branches as they swiped over my head!!! We finally made it to the end and then were left with the hefty task of taking off our wet suits (we thought they were hard enough getting on but taking them off when they were wet was a whole different task in and of itself!) When we got back from rafting, Laura and I hit up church and then decided it was shower and bed time. Unfortunately, I was the 13^th person (out of 13) from the UNK group to shower and the water literally felt like ice hitting my body. When I came back in the room Emily sat up and bed and asked if I was alright because I was still shivering!!!

Sunday we woke up bright and early to get ready for the bus that was coming to pick us up at 2:30 A.M. We all loaded up in the bus for our four-hour ride to Colca Canyon. I have never been in a more uncomfortable bus in my life. It just felt like you were sleeping on metal. So…we decided to make squirrel families!!! (Look at the pictures!) Once we finally got to Colca Canyon it was pretty sweet. Colca is three times the size of the Grand Cayon. We hiked a little and then went and soaked up some rays in the Hot springs!!! We got back to our hostel around 5:30 P.M., showered, ate dinner, and did a little shopping around Arequipa. That night we hit the hay early since we had a 7:30 A.M. flight the next morning!

Colca Cayon

We finally arrived back to our houses in Lima around 11 A.M. Then, it was time to hit the books for our Indigenous Culture quiz. This week we started the unit on Peru. I, of course, find it very interesting. I thought I might share a couple facts about Peru with you so you can get to know it a little better:

 Peru has three distinct regions: the selva, the coast, and the sierra (similar to mountains.) Each of these regions are very distinct in their dress, music, and food. Peru’s poverty level is a whopping 53%. Yikes!!! The richest 10% of Peruvians hold 35% of the spending capacity. Before I came to Peru and read these articles, when I thought of Peru I automatically thought of the Inca. However, there were actually a lot of different groups that came before the Inca, such as the Huari, Chavin, Nazca etc. In fact, the Inca Empire actually embodied many key aspects of other cultures.

In class yesterday we talked a lot about Peru in general and how we have been able to experience some of the things we read about! I am hoping that through my blog all of you have been able to learn at least a little bit more about the wonderful country I currently live in!

Well, it’s time to get going on the homework! This week has already filled up with tests, school visits, and other obligations! Hope you all are having a great week!

Mary