Spanglish
8.20.2015 Thursday
I like it here.
Yeah, it's far from what I expected but that's okay. Sure, maybe I have too much free time and the streets smell like a dirty pet store and it's not safe to go outside by myself and my stomach has started to feel a little funky and I don't have a mirror so I have to use my laptop or cellphone screen to do my makeup and when I shower I have to sacrifice water pressure for semi-warm water and everyday I feel like a fool as I struggle my way through conversations in Spanish and try to teach classes in English...
I still like it here.
If I've learned anything in this first week, and I promise you, I've learned a lot, sometimes we have to do the things which scare us the most. More than anything, we have to face our fears with an open mind and positive attitude.
I wish I could better describe the feelings I had when making my decision to come here. It was as if I was numb and blind... I didn't think much about it. I just said "yes" and kept going on about my daily business. Yet, as time slipped through my fingers, the numbness faded and I became afraid.
As I've already mentioned, I had the summer of my life and I didn't want it to end. More than anything, I didn't want to leave my family and friends behind.
The terrible thing with time is that it is constantly harassing us. It never cooperates with our desires.
When we want more of it, it seems there's less. And when we want it to move faster, it drags on for eternity. Worst of all, you can never stop it or create more of it. It's an uncontrollable, moody beast that enjoys nothing more than fighting against our wishes.
But, hey, it never stops propelling us forward and I suppose that is something to be grateful about.
Hard as it was, I boarded the plane from Denver and now I'm here.
And I like it here.
This first week has been spent adjusting to a new way of life. Kelsey and I have spent every day at the school meeting teachers and students. We didn't expect it to happen so soon, but we've already begun teaching classes with students ranging from first grade to high school.
Adapting to the school system we will be working with has been nothing short of exhausting. While the students, especially the younger ones, are sweet, excited to learn, and ridiculously adorable in their uniforms, they are also raucous and out-of-control. They are constantly out of their seats and distracted from their work. Excited to meet us American girls they ask many questions, which is, of course, understandable.* Yet, trying to keep them on task (and often not completely succeeding) is taxing and cumbersome. Moreover, though I am here to teach English classes, I am forced to use more Spanish than I would like to explain concepts, vocabulary, and homework. I want them to learn as much as possible and so far it's been difficult to find the best way to do that given the classroom environment and already established structure (or lack thereof).
Still, I am comforted to know that this is only the first week and cannot wait to be amazed to see the end results.
A typical day for us starts with breakfast at Daniel's apartment about two blocks away. We usually arrive for breakfast around 9:40 and eat fruit and breakfast sandwiches with fresh juice. For meals, the family always tries to eat together. Lunch is especially cool because everyone takes a break from whatever tasks they are working on to take a few moments with their loved ones.
At 10:30 we begin teaching. Between 10:30 and 1:45 I teach a total of four 45 minute classes and have a 15 minute break at 12:00.
After classes, Kelsey and I return to Daniel's apartment for lunch, which is always enough food to feed a small army of growing high school boys. The meals are fairly consistent. Every day we have had chicken, vegetables, potatoes, and rice all piled high onto a plate. There is also usually some type of fruit or dessert as well. Everything is delicious, but it is simply too much and I oft leave some food on my plate.
Around 3:00 or 3:30 we return to our apartment to relax. Between lunch and dinner we have too much free time - a concept I didn't know was possible until now. I have already finished reading one book as well as a 70-page short story online. I only have four books left in my arsenal so I need to pace myself or go shopping.
I'll probably just go shopping. Who am I kidding?
Our afternoons are filled with puzzles, reading, watching Netflix, and writing until we go back to Daniel's house one last time for dinner. Perhaps one of the most difficult adjustments for us so far has been the unusual meal times. Dinner is the worst because dinner is usually not until 8:00 and is usually the same meal as lunch. Daniel's family hires a woman to cook for them during the week so I believe she makes extra of lunch for us to eat later that night after she's returned home. Right now, it's still delicious but I'm sure it will get a bit old over time.
Ideally, we would be done with dinner for the night and back home around 9;00-9:30, but this has yet to really happen. Kelsey and I both would like to swim in the evenings but after heavy meals so late, sometimes all we want to do is sleep.
So that's a typical day in my Peruvian life. Pretty relaxed. However, I'm still exhausted from the adjustment and all of the new information we have received. It feels that it has been a much busier week than it actually has.
Earlier in the week, on Monday, we did have a bit of a strange experience. Daniel's mom did not feel well so dinner was post-poned as they needed to take her to the doctor. We knew Daniel was obviously preoccupied with his family so we told him to stay with his mother and not worry about us. We ate a lovely meal of snacks which we purchased at the store with Daniel on Sunday when he took us shopping after worship. Chips, yogurt, cereal bars - yum!
For now, it seems everything is okay though more tests will be run. Since Monday night, Daniel's mom has been at home and we have seen her everyday. From what I can tell, she is feeling better, which is the most important thing.
On a lighter note, Kelsey and I also went to the movies with Daniel and his son Tuesday night after dinner. We saw Mission Impossible, which was, naturally, dubbed in Spanish. We definitely didn't follow all of it, especially since we were tired and the movie didn't start until 9:40, but it was fun to go do something outside of the apartment for a bit.
Despite the things that arebad different, I'm adjusting and I like it here. I've already had amazing experiences even if my day to day life is less than adventurous. I've had memorable conversations and met extraordinary people. I can't help but marvel at the blessing that my conversations with Daniel can switch from Spanish to English effortlessly. It's incredible. In a world where we can connect with people thousands of miles away via internet I stand stunned that I can connect face to face with people in my native tongue as well as in my second language.
I like it here.
I never thought I'd be here.
I thank God that I am.
Ciao!
"What gives me the most hope every day is... knowing that nothing is a surprise to God."
-Rick Warren
Me gusta acá.
*Some of my favorite questions: "Are you married?" "Do you have kids?" "Do you like bananas?" "Is there Disney Channel in the U.S.?"
I like it here.
Yeah, it's far from what I expected but that's okay. Sure, maybe I have too much free time and the streets smell like a dirty pet store and it's not safe to go outside by myself and my stomach has started to feel a little funky and I don't have a mirror so I have to use my laptop or cellphone screen to do my makeup and when I shower I have to sacrifice water pressure for semi-warm water and everyday I feel like a fool as I struggle my way through conversations in Spanish and try to teach classes in English...
I still like it here.
If I've learned anything in this first week, and I promise you, I've learned a lot, sometimes we have to do the things which scare us the most. More than anything, we have to face our fears with an open mind and positive attitude.
I wish I could better describe the feelings I had when making my decision to come here. It was as if I was numb and blind... I didn't think much about it. I just said "yes" and kept going on about my daily business. Yet, as time slipped through my fingers, the numbness faded and I became afraid.
As I've already mentioned, I had the summer of my life and I didn't want it to end. More than anything, I didn't want to leave my family and friends behind.
The terrible thing with time is that it is constantly harassing us. It never cooperates with our desires.
When we want more of it, it seems there's less. And when we want it to move faster, it drags on for eternity. Worst of all, you can never stop it or create more of it. It's an uncontrollable, moody beast that enjoys nothing more than fighting against our wishes.
But, hey, it never stops propelling us forward and I suppose that is something to be grateful about.
Hard as it was, I boarded the plane from Denver and now I'm here.
And I like it here.
This first week has been spent adjusting to a new way of life. Kelsey and I have spent every day at the school meeting teachers and students. We didn't expect it to happen so soon, but we've already begun teaching classes with students ranging from first grade to high school.
Adapting to the school system we will be working with has been nothing short of exhausting. While the students, especially the younger ones, are sweet, excited to learn, and ridiculously adorable in their uniforms, they are also raucous and out-of-control. They are constantly out of their seats and distracted from their work. Excited to meet us American girls they ask many questions, which is, of course, understandable.* Yet, trying to keep them on task (and often not completely succeeding) is taxing and cumbersome. Moreover, though I am here to teach English classes, I am forced to use more Spanish than I would like to explain concepts, vocabulary, and homework. I want them to learn as much as possible and so far it's been difficult to find the best way to do that given the classroom environment and already established structure (or lack thereof).
A typical day for us starts with breakfast at Daniel's apartment about two blocks away. We usually arrive for breakfast around 9:40 and eat fruit and breakfast sandwiches with fresh juice. For meals, the family always tries to eat together. Lunch is especially cool because everyone takes a break from whatever tasks they are working on to take a few moments with their loved ones.
At 10:30 we begin teaching. Between 10:30 and 1:45 I teach a total of four 45 minute classes and have a 15 minute break at 12:00.
After classes, Kelsey and I return to Daniel's apartment for lunch, which is always enough food to feed a small army of growing high school boys. The meals are fairly consistent. Every day we have had chicken, vegetables, potatoes, and rice all piled high onto a plate. There is also usually some type of fruit or dessert as well. Everything is delicious, but it is simply too much and I oft leave some food on my plate.
Around 3:00 or 3:30 we return to our apartment to relax. Between lunch and dinner we have too much free time - a concept I didn't know was possible until now. I have already finished reading one book as well as a 70-page short story online. I only have four books left in my arsenal so I need to pace myself or go shopping.
I'll probably just go shopping. Who am I kidding?
Our afternoons are filled with puzzles, reading, watching Netflix, and writing until we go back to Daniel's house one last time for dinner. Perhaps one of the most difficult adjustments for us so far has been the unusual meal times. Dinner is the worst because dinner is usually not until 8:00 and is usually the same meal as lunch. Daniel's family hires a woman to cook for them during the week so I believe she makes extra of lunch for us to eat later that night after she's returned home. Right now, it's still delicious but I'm sure it will get a bit old over time.
Ideally, we would be done with dinner for the night and back home around 9;00-9:30, but this has yet to really happen. Kelsey and I both would like to swim in the evenings but after heavy meals so late, sometimes all we want to do is sleep.
So that's a typical day in my Peruvian life. Pretty relaxed. However, I'm still exhausted from the adjustment and all of the new information we have received. It feels that it has been a much busier week than it actually has.
Earlier in the week, on Monday, we did have a bit of a strange experience. Daniel's mom did not feel well so dinner was post-poned as they needed to take her to the doctor. We knew Daniel was obviously preoccupied with his family so we told him to stay with his mother and not worry about us. We ate a lovely meal of snacks which we purchased at the store with Daniel on Sunday when he took us shopping after worship. Chips, yogurt, cereal bars - yum!
For now, it seems everything is okay though more tests will be run. Since Monday night, Daniel's mom has been at home and we have seen her everyday. From what I can tell, she is feeling better, which is the most important thing.
Despite the things that are
I like it here.
I never thought I'd be here.
I thank God that I am.
Ciao!
"What gives me the most hope every day is... knowing that nothing is a surprise to God."
-Rick Warren
Me gusta acá.
*Some of my favorite questions: "Are you married?" "Do you have kids?" "Do you like bananas?" "Is there Disney Channel in the U.S.?"
"Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?" Job 12:9-10
ReplyDeleteGod bless your time in Peru, and I do hope you can bring the Good News of salvation to the people around you.