The First Day of School

Riding the waves!!!

La Playa Santa Maria

Pedicures!!!! :) 

As a future teacher I couldn’t help but be all smiles this last week as I continued to hear/see all the preparations being made for the first days of school. Last week many trips were made to various stores to buy all the necessary school supplies and articles of clothing. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I looked at the table and saw all of Aleesia’s school supplies. “Un monton de cosas!” She had all the typical school supplies we would buy in America (markers, crayons, folders etc.) however, on top of that she had to buy all the books that the schools typically provide us with in America. And if you think Alee had a ton of school supplies, you should have seen Flavia’s pile. Alee’s supplies covered the entire kitchen table, but Flavia’s took up the table and all the counter space as well! Thursday morning finally arrived and you could hear all the bustle as four girls prepared for their first day of school. All four girls go to a Catholic school and therefore all had to wear uniforms. I was expecting a uniform like what I wore at Kearney Catholic. However, their uniforms are way more formal-the girls were a skirt with a while collared shirt and a tie. They even have a separate outfit to wear when it is P.E. day at their school.

Last week was mid-term week for us so when Thursday at 6 P.M. rolled around we were definitely all ready to have some fun!!!! We ended up playing soccer and then going to eat at Bembo’s (Peru’s version of McDonald’s). It was so much fun just hanging out with friends and joking around. Friday morning at 8:30 we all headed out to a beach called Santa Maria. It is a beautiful beach and what made it even better is that there were not very many people around since it was a weekday. The first thing we did once we got to the beach was try to ride the waves. At first we didn’t understand that it is a lot easy to dive completely under the wave. Consequently, the first couple of times we all were knocked down by the strong waves. However, in the words of Emily, “Es un milagro que descubrimos para ir debajo de los olas! Es un mundo nuevo!” (It’s a miracle that we discovered to go underneath the waves! It’s a whole new world!) That night we went to Kathy’s to watch a movie and cook none other than grilled cheese! J

This whole past week really seemed to turn things around for me. I have been on an all time high since Thursday. I am loving life and FINALLY loving Peru!!! It is like I am living in a dream. I mean how many people do you know only have school four days a week and then on Friday gets to spend the day on the beach??? I guess it just took me two months to get adjusted to my new life. Now I am dreading the day when it is time to pack my bags and go home. But, it’s time to think in the present so for now let me just name off a couple cultural differences I have discovered since I came to Peru:

1.)    The whole traffic/driving situation here is WAY different. Driving here is similar to a video game-you drive as fast as possible weaving in and out of lanes and cutting off as many people as possible. Stop signs just add to the scenery here. I didn’t understand at first why there are so many speed-bumps everywhere. Now I get it-it is the only thing that will actually make a person slow down when driving.

2.)    Peru time is WAY different than Nebraska time. For example, I had a mid-term for one of my classes this past week and it was just a one-on-one oral exam. My scheduled time to take the test was 4:40. My turn finally rolled around at 5:30 or so.

3.)    If you plan on eating at a restaurant here you better set aside at least two hours. When we were in Cusco it was a three hour process for us to just to eat a couple pizzas!

4.)    It is imperative that one remembers that drivers do not yield to pedestrians. This past week I accidently forgot and was definitely reminded right away be all the horns that were going off!

5.)    You greet and say goodbye to everyone with a kiss on the cheek. This way of greeting has actually grown on me. It is way more formal and to me it shows you really care about one another!

One aspect of Peru that never ceases to amaze me is church. It is something I look forward to each and every Sunday and I have even started to go throughout the week because it is sooo awesome!!! Just the little variations between the mass here compared to the U.S. make all the difference. I love when the Eucharist is being put away in the tabernacle and everyone goes from kneeling to standing. Every time I go to church this indescribable feeling comes over me. I don’t know if I get more out of mass now because it is in a different language or what, but all I know is that I am soaking up every minute I spend in a church.

Speaking of the differences in language, I was sad to discover that a friend of mine who I met here in Peru has only been studying English for the past two years and he already knows more English and can speak better than I can in a foreign language and I have been studying Spanish for six years! It amazes me how much more effective the strategies used to teach foreign languages are here! I am glad my investigation of the way in which English is taught in Peru compared to how Spanish is taught in America is underway! Hopefully I will be able to discover what makes the system here in Peru so much more efficient!

This upcoming weekend all the Nebraska students live for another field trip to Ica. Ica is another part of Lima about four hours away. There, I look forward to sand surfing and exploring yet another part of Lima. I will be sure to post many pictures when I get back!

Cuidate (take care)!,

Mary