Week 2 of Classes/End of March

Hi urrvreybuddy!

I've finished my second week of classes and I'm definitely getting the hang of everything. The professors at my university kind of start everything out in full swing, as in, they don't ease you into the material like most other universities where you have less to do at the beginning of the semester, but the work they give here is absolutely monstrous in comparison to what I was expecting. I've already had what is a ''control'' of my reading assignments in my Political Science class, which is essentially a pop quiz to verify that you've been doing the reading. I got all 5 points! :)

I'm really enjoying my classes now, even my literature class - the novels we're reading are interesting, the professor has started using the literature to make connections to real life (and hence why I should care about it), and encourages me to ask questions in lecture because they start debate. As for my history class, it's still awesome and I appreciate the professor more and more every time we have class (so what it meets once a week?). We do, however, have 25-30 minute presentations to do that begin on April 12. The professor told us that the Peruvians in the class would be presenting first so that we, the international students, could have an example and a bit more time to prepare so we wouldn't be so anxious, which was sounded wonderful to me! After receiving an email from the professor with the list/order of student presentations, I was appalled to see my name was first. Yeah. First. Oh well, I'd rather get it out of the way, and I've already made my outline. I think I should be good to go!

As for my linguistics course, I really enjoy the material and I'm starting to think I should change my major...hahaha. I missed lecture on Monday because we had to enroll in our courses (not via internet, you had to be present), so I asked the professor how I should make up the notes. He told me to ask someone in the course. So I did, and of course the Peruvian students I found were delighted to help the poor, adorable gringo student, though they were surprised at my command of their language. We headed to the copy center and made a copy of the page of notes I missed and then we set off so that the Peruvian girls could explain them to me. This is where they started asking me details about myself: How did you learn Spanish? Where are you from? How old are you? The response to the third question, 20, shocked them. They told me that I looked no older than 16, which was both a bit embarrassing and flattering. To my horror, both of the girls were 17. Fun, right? Hahaha.

To distract you from my geeky banter, please enjoy the following statue, one of many we have on our campus here:




As for my real life, I'm feeling good. I think I've gone through my culture shock already - about a week and a half ago, I was freaking out about everything. I thought I couldn't speak Spanish, I hated everything/everyone, and I was super depressed. I'm much better now. I've established a routine, including exercise, to keep my spirits up and celebrated the (near) end of my first Month in Peru by going shopping at Jockey Plaza, the fancy mall 5 minutes from my house. Disaster. I bought such nice things, but probably won't wear any of them until I get home. It's ok, though, because it'll still be in style upon my return because it's from the Peruvian winter collection, meaning we're a season ahead in fashion! :) Here's a picture of me with my shopping haul and a bull:


I also met up with Maria Isabel, a Peruvian student who studied at UW my sophomore year - we had juice in the mall and chatted for a while, which was very nice. Since her time at the UW, she's graduated from college and is working for an NGO that works with indigenous communities being threatened by mining companies (i.e. MY THESIS!). I love this country. Everyone knows everything.

Next week is only a three day week for Semana Santa (basically Easter Holiday), but my host family and I may be going to Huaraz, a city in the sierra (mountains), so it should be a good time. That is the tentative plan, I'm not sure if it'll actually happen. Let's hope so!

The First Week of Classes

Hey y'all! I know it's been about a week since I've updated this, so I have a lot to catch you up on! I'll try to keep it succinct!

We'll begin with last weekend. Many firsts for me. I went paragliding over the Pacific Ocean. One of the best experiences of my life - I got an entirely new view of a part of Lima I'd seen many times before, soaring over buildings and flying at the same elevation as some birds. My mom wasn't too pleased when she found out I had done it, but she'll be ok! (Love you, Mom!) :).


I'm the one on the left!

That same evening, a group of students, including Peruvians, Germans, a French girl, and Americans went to El Circuito Mágico del Agua (essentially a park filled with various fountains. As things in Lima tend to be, it was absolutely stunning. Every half hour or so the park puts on a show at the main fountain, using a variety of special effects, images, and lights to astound the crowd. We were no exception. See the photo below for proof!



The next day, my program partner, Lucho, his girlfriend Carla, and my Peruvian friend Cynthia and I went to Plaza de Armas, essentially downtown Lima. Our first stop was the second most important church in South America, the Peruvian Franciscan Church from way back when the Franciscans dominated Lima. With 4 soles, roughly $1.80, we got a guided tour through the church (though we were not allowed to take any photos). The last part of our tour was the best: we went and saw the Peruvian equivalent of the Catacombs, an underground chamber filled with bones - skulls, femurs, funny bones - by the thousands. Our tour guide informed us that there were over 5,000 bodies in that dungeon....creepy, right? Nonetheless, I loved it.

After seeing the dead bodies, we went and purchased some churros stuffed with apple. For those of you who don't know, churros are a fried dessert (kind of like a doughnut) covered in sugar/cinnamon that originated in Spain. Peruvians, per usual, put their own twist on it by stuffing it with apple and some special spice that the vendor wouldn't disclose. Regardless, they were fattening-ly delicious!

Unfortunately, all of the fun had to come to an end (for the time being), as classes started. This week was essentially a shopping week, during which we got to attend various classes to see which professors we preferred and whatnot. I didn't really go to a variety of classes - I was pretty much set on what I was taking (described in the last post). I do, however, loathe my literature course. Only because it's a literature course. I enjoy reading, just not for a class. The professor is very sweet and open to international students, but I could just care less about the material. She also talks too much, so I space out very easily...during the two hour class period. So let's hope that's not going to come back and bite me! So far I think my favorite classes are my History of the Peruvian Amazon and State and Politics in Latin America courses. The professors are both highly intelligent and have my academic respect.

The highlight of my week, however, was when my History professor agreed to work with me on my Senior Thesis, meeting with me to discuss ways to better improve my research methods, telling me who to talk to, helping me revise my interview questions, and trying to secure me connections in the Amazon so that I don't head to the Amazon and have no one to talk to! Though it is currently too dangerous to travel to Bagua, the area my research focuses on, my professor has a variety of alternatives for me to pursue!

Funny stories of the week:
1) The world is so small - I think I actually met my history professor while working at the Bursar's Office. While he did go to the UW for a period of time, he doesn't remember if he ever went to the Bursar's Office or not. Nonetheless, he also knows the professor with whom I'm doing my research project.

2) There's another exchange student from the US that attends my University. I met him at debate camp 3.5 years ago. I know. It was shocking to me, too! :)

Until I post again!

Oh Wait, I'm in School?!

Well, it seems as if most of us (including myself!) have forgotten what I'm here for...to study! I spent Wednesday and Thursday this week on campus learning about the various buildings, classes, and procedures of the university. I also met a lot of the other international students, most of whom are (surprisingly) not American. Featuring groups from the US, the Czech Republic, Spain, Bolivia, Germany, France, Finland, Argentina and other countries, there were a plethora of people of various backgrounds and interests to meet.

Not wasting any time, I quickly introduced myself to my fellow classmates, quickly making myself known among them...so much so that they started talking about me to other people who knew me, causing them to believe that I really do know everyone (it's true). During this time, we also met our Peruvian exchange partners. Mine is named Luis Caballero, but everyone calls him Luchito (nickname is Lucho). "-Ito" is called the diminutive and is used as a term of endearment. As such, I would be "Amjadcito" or something along those lines. Lucho and I hit it off almost immediately, chatting about life and my research project - he was able to give me some great insight (though I really should get cracking on my interview questions...)!

The second day of orientation was more stressful because it required us to go around to the various facultades (faculties/schools) on campus to meet with advisors and to see which classes would best suit us. With the help of these advisors and some Peruvian students, I was able to pick classes that would help me finish my majors, learn more about the background surrounding my research project, and enjoy the rich Peruvian culture. My courses are:

History 348 - History and Geography of the Peruvian Amazon
Literature 216 - Contemporary Peruvian Narratives/Prose
Linguistics 118 - Linguistic Theory
Political Science 222 - The State and Politics in Latin America

15 credits. Monday-Friday, possibly a day off on Thursday, not too bad if I say so myself. My only concern is that I need to have my History and my Linguistics class approved by the Spanish Department at the UW in order to have them transfer as equivalents of the courses I need to graduate. I think history will transfer...I'm not so sure about Linguistics. Here's to hoping!

The last thing we did during orientation was have a security discussion. As if the title wasn't cryptic enough ("Surviving Lima"), there were a plethora of reasons for us to be scared: earthquakes, robberies, freeloaders, etc. The information wasn't really anything new for me, though, especially since my host parents have been wonderful about making sure we know how to take care of ourselves and to keep a low profile!

That's all for now - I will update about my last weekend before class ASAP!

La calle de las pizzas (Pizza Street)!

It's been several days and I have a lot to tell! I will try my best to be succinct because I know you're all very busy :). I greet you all by informing you that I have a friend from the UW now living in my house here, Carissa, and I couldn't be any happier! I have someone to relate to/confide in while undergoing this difficult transition.

Monday night, two days before our orientation at our Peruvian university, most of the program participants from the UW decided to get together to got out to La calle de las pizzas to celebrate Monica's, a UW student, 21st birthday (note the drinking age in Peru is 18). Prior to leaving our home, my host mother warned us about the jaladores ("the pullers") who would try to get us to enter their bar/restaurant before exploring any others. Boy was she right! The second our sizable group stepped onto the street, we were bombarded with requests to enter their restaurants, some even taking those at the front of the group and trying to lead them into the restaurant. I took the lead and started warding off the persistent Peruvians, telling many of them to leave us alone while we discussed our options. We finally decided that Monica should decide because it was her birthday, which was a great move on our part because she chose the pizzeria closest to us. We proceeded to enter and chatted the night away (in Spanish, of course!) over beer and (for me) Coca-Cola. The waiter we had was a hoot - very flamboyant and chatty, he explained the differences in beer and taught us some Peruvian slang. For example, the word for drinking straw is "sorbete," but the Peruvian slang word for it is "cañita." He then proceeded to tell me I spoke with an Andean accent, which was surprising because I'm normally told I sound Spanish because of my cursed lisp. Guess that means I'm doing something right, huh?

While we were chatting, an adorable little girl approached our table offering us candy, which is a move typically employed by siblings/parents of small Andean children with the goal of convincing sappy American tourists of giving the child money. Normally, none of us fall for it. This time, because the girl was just too darn cute, two of us decided to buy a piece of candy each. Later, after returning, I asked my host mother about it, and she informed me that a lot of Andeans leave their well-established lives in the mountains in an attempt to sell candies and other cheap products in Lima. She also stated that it's generally more difficult for them to live here because of their lack of housing/money for housing, so more and more members of the same family tend to migrate in order to supplement the income. I find this nonsensical to some degree because of the cost of living in the city versus the mountains - every new person to feed is less money available to the original migrant.

Upon leaving La calle de las pizzas, we walked by a club called "Canadian," which featured karaoke and dancing, where the bouncer featured to cat call all of the women in our group and tell me that I had "las mejores muñecas del mundo" (the best dolls/darlings in the world), to which I responded "claro" (clearly). After a brief conversation with said bouncer, we all headed home after a great night out with the gringos.

The next day, Monica's actual birthday, we were going to go skygliding (parapentes) over the Pacific Ocean, but upon discovering that there wasn't enough wind to carry the glider, we were turned away for another day. We did, however, meet an American man named Andy who has spent 10 years living in Lima, though his Spanish is absolutely terrible. It was shocking how awful it was after he spent such a long time in South America. Just throwing that out there.

Anyway, we headed to Larcomar (the mall on the ocean) to go figure out what we should do, and we all decided to head home and reconvene at 9 p.m. to go see Alicia en el país de las maravillas (Alice in Wonderland) in 3D, but by the time we had arrived, all of the tickets had sold out. So we decided to go see a Spanish movie, Los abrazos rotos, featuring Penélope Cruz, instead.

After I had an embarrassing encounter with the woman at the ticket window (I couldn't understand what she said through her microphone, so she started laughing at me...though I did make quite a fool of myself. In all fairness, however, I can't even understand what American ticket-sellers say through those microphones!), we entered the movie theater where we were literally served by waiters/waitresses while viewing our film. We could also order appetizers and sandwiches, beers, wines, liquors, etc, as we wished for small fees. Amazing. Combined with the company and the wonderful movie, it was a fantastic night!

Becoming a Regular!

Here's a quick run down of my past couple of days:

The good:

+ Hung out with some of the other Wisconsinites on the program, breaking my last couple of days of wandering the streets of Lima unaccompanied.
+ Went back to a restaurant (Manolo) where the waitress (Marina) recognized me and was very happy to see me.
+ I'm getting really good at taking the combis (buses)
+ Went to Parque del amor (Love Park) today, where people get together with their loved ones and snog in public.
+ Had a very bilingual day, but it was good because I moved fluently between Spanish and English, no stuttering or anything. I guess if I'm going to speak English, it might as well be to the benefit of being able to manage both languages almost simultaneously.
+ Stopped another cab driver from ripping me off. Thieves.

The bad:
- While walking to Parque del amor, a shoe-cleaning man literally threw himself at my feet and cleaned my (albeit dirty) white shoes. Then he charged me 12.50 soles for it (about $4.50). Although I told him not to, he insisted I pay him. Though I knew I could've won the argument, I figured $4.50 to me is nothing, but to him it could mean a lot, so I just gave it to him and moved on. However, the next time it happens, I'll probably refuse.
- Although it was cooler today, it was very humid on the Pacific Coast. Let's hope that's not common.

I hope to upload pictures soon!

Exploring the City

One thing before I begin this post: I forgot to mention that I toured my university the other day and there were DEER just roaming around on the campus. Adorable.
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Yesterday I walked around Lima and went to the very modern and very touristy area called Miraflores. Stunning. I went to Larcomar, an outdoor mall overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Even more stunning. After that, I walked for what seemed like miles up Avenida Larco in Miraflores, a main street in the district, and found a restaurant called Manolo. I walked in and was instantly guided (almost physically) by the server, a 50ish year old woman named Marina. She was very nice and helped me decide what to order. She pushed ceviche on me, but I didn't want to try it in that restaurant because I wasn't sure of their refrigeration capacities and didn't want to get sick! Thus, we settled on a chicken breast with potatoes and a Coca-Cola. Delicious. I had a similar meal when I was in Madrid over Winter Break, but the Spanish version had absolutely no flavor. The Peruvian dish was bursting with it. I also tried a delicious hot sauce called aji (a-hee), which was not very spicy, but it gave the food a nice little kick and more flavor.

After eating a churro for dessert, I walked up the avenue and found a place called Saga, which was basically a Macy's. I went inside and looked around, finding lots of American and European brands like Tommy Hilfiger and the United Colors of Bennetton. It's a nice place.

After about an hour or so perusing Saga, I left and continued my journey in Miraflores, stopping in Parque Kennedy, a famous park in Lima, which I found to be decent. Apparently there are special events that happen on the weekends, so I may have to go back to see more activity.

Upon returning home, I talked with my host mother about how my day went. She asked me if my first taxi-taking experience went well, and I told her it did. The man who drove me to the mall was very nice and even gave me his cell phone number for future rides if I ever needed a ride home. On the way home, two taxi drivers tried to rip me off, saying the price was 10-11 soles (about 4 dollars) for a ride home, which is far too expensive, even with the currency difference. I told them both to go on and found one who gave me a ride home for 8 soles (about $2.83).

After our conversation, I went to Wong, a Wal-Mart type place and purchased some school supplies and then headed home, where I proceeded to spend over 3.5 hours speaking with my host sister about an array of topics, including love, life, ferrets, family, Spanish phonetics, vocabulary words, her time in Australia, the future, pets, accents, the difference between girls from the US and other women in general, and the food in Spain. Those are just some of the topics. It was great! The best part is that my host sister corrected me whenever I made a mistake while speaking, which was nice, but she also gives me time to see if I catch the mistake by myself, which I normally do. My host family is wonderful and very accommodating - they've actually helped make the transition here a lot easier.

Now, I bid you farewell as I try to go running...though the task has managed to elude me for the past couple of days. ;)

My First Day in Lima

Hola a todos!

Well, I've arrived, and let me tell you, it is hotter than a monkey's right butt cheek down here! Seriously, I haven't been this hot since the summer of 1974 when the Mississippi River dried up!

Ok, now that I'm done being Southern, I can tell you about the last couple of days. My flights went fairly well - none of my suitcases were overweight, it all arrived in Lima on time, etc - and I met up with several of my fellow program participants in the airport. They're very friendly and I really like them, so I have a good base of American friends to start off my trip!

After arriving in Lima, I went through la aduana (customs), where the customs agent interviewed me and was seemingly very impressed that I could hold my own in a conversation with her. She stamped my tourist visa for 187 days, giving me ample time (over three months!) to get my student visa. The customs declaration area was really interesting because they make you push a button to get randomly screened: if the light turns red, you must submit to a search of your person and your belongings. If it turns green, you're good to go.

Fortunately, I was good to go, clearing the security gate into a swarm of Peruvians. Almost instantaneously, I was bombarded by taxi drivers asking me if I needed a cab. I didn't, fortunately, because my host parents, Nancy and Tito, came to pick me up. It took me about five minutes to find them, but I was actually the one who noticed them first. Nancy is this really fashionable fifty-something year old woman who is super short and a psychologist. Tito seems to be in his later fifties/early sixties and works as a negotiator between the indigenous groups in Peru and the government's mining/development corporation, which is ABSOLUTELY PERFECT for my research project. More on that in later posts.

After a 30 minute drive, we arrived at my home for the next nine or so months. It's gorgeous! I've got my own room and bathroom, which is awesome.

After a while, I met some of the other people living in the house. Barbara, an amazing Austrian woman on vacation here for two weeks, and I hit it off almost immediately. We chatted and then went to Wong's, which is basically Wal-Mart except Chinese. Later, my host parents, Barbara, and my host sister Melissa, and I went to my university to look around. I met some other Americans there, one of whom was named Tila (and both Barbara and I had to bite our tongues before we said "Like Tila Tequila?") The university is beautiful and their are wild deer that run around munching on the vegetation, which is quite different from Madison, but in a non-dangerous, that's-kind-of-cool way.

Afterwards, my host family took me around Lima in their vehicle (most South Americans drive like maniacs - my host father is no exception), and I saw some wonderful areas. After about an hour or so, we returned home and my host dad took me to buy a SIM Card for my cell phone so I can receive calls. What's interesting is that the word for "SIM Card" in Peru is "chip" (pronounced "cheap"). Everything's working out really well so far - even the heat is tolerable. Hopefully the weather continues cooling off - I'm fine with year-round fall weather, but can't handle the humidity!

Chao por ahora!

EDIT:

PS. I heard Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance," Britney Spears' "Toxic," and the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feelin'," upon arriving at my place of residence. Oh how American culture spreads.