A Cooped Up Chick(a)
1.27.2016 Wednesday
<< Como fue tu tarde? >>
"How was your afternoon?"
This has become the dull greeting that I robotically have with Danielito every night when he comes to take Kelsey and me to dinner. It's nice that he always asks about my day, but it doesn't look like I will have a riveting response anytime soon. Still, he tries.
Unfortunately, being that it's summer vacation for Peruvian students, I really don't have much to fill my day with. I try to stay productive with my free time, but there just aren't that many options out there for a white girl living in a foreign Red Zone neighborhood. During the day, I do feel safe outside alone, so I could go walk around, at the very least. However, there just isn't anything left to see and do in this populous pueblo. There are a few small parks/plazas, bakeries and restaurants, a garbage-dump river, and apartments. My options are quite limited and I can tell that it's mentally starting to take it's toll on me.
Kelsey and I do are best to stay busy. We have been running, doing some form of cardio video on YouTube, and/or doing yoga every day for the last two weeks. A few weeks ago, we walked for 45 minutes to the nearest mall just to kill some time. Even still, we stay cooped up most of the day. I usually fill my time with devotions, playing music on our small keyboard, lesson planning, using Duolingo to aid my Spanish, reading, calling home, and watching Netflix. It's hard to find beneficial activities to fight the inevitable boredom.
Some students do attend summer school, so that helps, though not much. I teach from nine to eleven in the mornings but only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. In February I will have an hour-long afternoon class as well; it's still not much.
In my two classes I have a grand total of five students. It's more like tutoring than teaching really. That part I really like. It's nice to have so much individual time with all of the students; it helps me to see their strengths and weaknesses. I am constantly amazed to see how their brains work and how quickly they grasp concepts. It's an incredibly rewarding experience.
I'm also genuinely grateful for how willing my Peruvian family has been to let Kelsey and I go on adventures on the weekends. Before Christmas, we thought they would never be comfortable with letting us out on our own. However, Kelsey's boyfriend and his brother visited Peru for Christmas. While here, Kelsey went with them to Downtown Lima, Miraflores, and Barranco, places that are all quite close to Callao, our district. I believe that Kelsey traveling with the boys made the family much more comfortable with the idea of just us girls exploring. No matter what it was that helped put their minds at ease, I'm glad it finally happened! If Kelsey and I weren't going out on the weekends, I would be even more stir crazy.
Alas, a lack-of-idleness doesn't seem to be in high supply here at the moment, so, naturally, I've been longing for home and mulling over my future constantly. I have no idea where I'm headed at this point, but the hot topic remains: should I transfer to a different university?
If I ever figure that out, I'll let you know. Stay tuned.
This past weekend was lovely. After my Saturday morning classes we went out for breakfast chicharones (fried pork) with the family. While there, I tried chanfainita, a mix of spices, potatoes, and meat. I asked Daniel what type of meat it was because, though I thought it tasted delicious, the meat's consistency was different - reminded me of clam, somewhat chewy. Of course, he refused to tell me what kind of meat it was until I was done eating. My mind raced with possibilities of what it could be but kept coming back to the conclusion of cat meat. Didn't bother me much, so I kept munching on it. Turns out, I was overzealous in my presumption. It was cow lung.
After lunch, Daniel took Kelsey and I to El Museo de la Nacion - the national museum we tried to visit months ago only to arrive and find it closed for construction. This time, it was open, but only the sixth floor, the terrorism exhibition.This was the main reason Daniel wished to take us there. It was an impactful exhibit, narrated mostly through photographs. From 1980-2000 Peru faced incredible amounts of fear and violence from its own people. Living here now, I never would have guessed that less than twenty years ago the country endured such tragedies. I imagine living through this epoch must have been jarring for Daniel and his siblings. His older brother Roberto is fortunate that he wasn't forced to be a soldier. Daniel said that his family often doesn't talk about those years.
We spent the evening with Daniel at the mall walking around and eating ice cream. For weeks now he's been very busy trying to fix the pool's filtration system, often staying the night in one of the plastic pool chairs so that he can change the filter every two hours. Despite his best and numerous efforts, it still isn't completely fixed, so being able to spend some time with him was nice.
On Saturday we celebrated Daniel's Aunt Lourdes' birthday. For the festivities, we went to her house. This is the same house we visited before Christmas where we held rabbits and then ate some for dinner (see Rule #32: Enjoy the Little Things). Oh, what fond memories...
I spent my day there saying hello to the critters and reading in the poolside hammock until we played volleyball with the family. Volleyball is always fun and funny. Let's just say that the family is quite competitive.
That afternoon, Kelsey and I were even able to watch the Broncos versus Patriots game in the family's loft! Well, the first half. We ended up leaving for dinner during halftime, but Kelsey's boyfriend sent us text updates throughout the meal. We're going to the Super Bowl, baby!
For the big game, Kelsey and I plan to head to Miraflores to watch at an American sports bar. The last time we watched a game there, there were quite a few Broncos fans, so I'm sure it will be quite packed with Blue and Orange fans.
Other than that though, I really have no plans in the near future. I hope that I am successful as I continue to battle the boredom as best as I can and try stay positive. Recommendations are always welcome.
At least I have plenty of time to figure out my life, right?
Haha, that was a good one Nicole.
Ciao!
"Keep calm and carry on."
<< Porque yo se muy bien los planes que tengo para ustedes -afirma el Senor-, planes de bienestar y no de calamidad, a fin de darles un futuro y una esperanza. >>
Jeremias 29:11
<< Como fue tu tarde? >>
"How was your afternoon?"
<< Muy tranquilo. Gracias.>>
"Very peaceful. Thanks."
This has become the dull greeting that I robotically have with Danielito every night when he comes to take Kelsey and me to dinner. It's nice that he always asks about my day, but it doesn't look like I will have a riveting response anytime soon. Still, he tries.
Unfortunately, being that it's summer vacation for Peruvian students, I really don't have much to fill my day with. I try to stay productive with my free time, but there just aren't that many options out there for a white girl living in a foreign Red Zone neighborhood. During the day, I do feel safe outside alone, so I could go walk around, at the very least. However, there just isn't anything left to see and do in this populous pueblo. There are a few small parks/plazas, bakeries and restaurants, a garbage-dump river, and apartments. My options are quite limited and I can tell that it's mentally starting to take it's toll on me.
Kelsey and I do are best to stay busy. We have been running, doing some form of cardio video on YouTube, and/or doing yoga every day for the last two weeks. A few weeks ago, we walked for 45 minutes to the nearest mall just to kill some time. Even still, we stay cooped up most of the day. I usually fill my time with devotions, playing music on our small keyboard, lesson planning, using Duolingo to aid my Spanish, reading, calling home, and watching Netflix. It's hard to find beneficial activities to fight the inevitable boredom.
In my two classes I have a grand total of five students. It's more like tutoring than teaching really. That part I really like. It's nice to have so much individual time with all of the students; it helps me to see their strengths and weaknesses. I am constantly amazed to see how their brains work and how quickly they grasp concepts. It's an incredibly rewarding experience.
I'm also genuinely grateful for how willing my Peruvian family has been to let Kelsey and I go on adventures on the weekends. Before Christmas, we thought they would never be comfortable with letting us out on our own. However, Kelsey's boyfriend and his brother visited Peru for Christmas. While here, Kelsey went with them to Downtown Lima, Miraflores, and Barranco, places that are all quite close to Callao, our district. I believe that Kelsey traveling with the boys made the family much more comfortable with the idea of just us girls exploring. No matter what it was that helped put their minds at ease, I'm glad it finally happened! If Kelsey and I weren't going out on the weekends, I would be even more stir crazy.
The pure joy before we left the apartment to take public transportation for the first time by ourselves.
Parque Kennedy in Miraflores a.k.a. Cat Central
Kelsey and the boys came to Peru about a week before I flew back. Luckily, I had a couple of days that overlapped with the boys before they left. It was fun to go adventuring and hang out with them. I'm certain it made transitioning back into my Peruvian life infinitely easier. It's hard to miss home when you're busy!
If I ever figure that out, I'll let you know. Stay tuned.
This past weekend was lovely. After my Saturday morning classes we went out for breakfast chicharones (fried pork) with the family. While there, I tried chanfainita, a mix of spices, potatoes, and meat. I asked Daniel what type of meat it was because, though I thought it tasted delicious, the meat's consistency was different - reminded me of clam, somewhat chewy. Of course, he refused to tell me what kind of meat it was until I was done eating. My mind raced with possibilities of what it could be but kept coming back to the conclusion of cat meat. Didn't bother me much, so I kept munching on it. Turns out, I was overzealous in my presumption. It was cow lung.
After lunch, Daniel took Kelsey and I to El Museo de la Nacion - the national museum we tried to visit months ago only to arrive and find it closed for construction. This time, it was open, but only the sixth floor, the terrorism exhibition.This was the main reason Daniel wished to take us there. It was an impactful exhibit, narrated mostly through photographs. From 1980-2000 Peru faced incredible amounts of fear and violence from its own people. Living here now, I never would have guessed that less than twenty years ago the country endured such tragedies. I imagine living through this epoch must have been jarring for Daniel and his siblings. His older brother Roberto is fortunate that he wasn't forced to be a soldier. Daniel said that his family often doesn't talk about those years.
On Saturday we celebrated Daniel's Aunt Lourdes' birthday. For the festivities, we went to her house. This is the same house we visited before Christmas where we held rabbits and then ate some for dinner (see Rule #32: Enjoy the Little Things). Oh, what fond memories...
I spent my day there saying hello to the critters and reading in the poolside hammock until we played volleyball with the family. Volleyball is always fun and funny. Let's just say that the family is quite competitive.
For the big game, Kelsey and I plan to head to Miraflores to watch at an American sports bar. The last time we watched a game there, there were quite a few Broncos fans, so I'm sure it will be quite packed with Blue and Orange fans.
At least I have plenty of time to figure out my life, right?
Haha, that was a good one Nicole.
"Keep calm and carry on."
<< Porque yo se muy bien los planes que tengo para ustedes -afirma el Senor-, planes de bienestar y no de calamidad, a fin de darles un futuro y una esperanza. >>
Jeremias 29:11
I'll bet you are just glad to have the electronics and connections at your disposal to keep you in contact with the outside world. I know you'll be glad when the break is over and you're busier again. Nice work on the blog!
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