It looks like I am only having the time right now to do weekly updates. Settling into a new country can be very time consuming and busy busy busy! We have had so much to do and figure out. Learning the city, figuring out where we need to go without getting lost, how long it will take to get to where we are going,and settling into our new home.
Monday we got back from Cusco (it was supposed to be Sunday but you will hear more about that in my Cusco entry coming soon!) and moved into what is going to be our new home for the next four months. Our room is small, but not less than what we need. Right now we have two twin beds that we have converted into a King, but should be getting Queen size bed soon. The first floor is all common areas, the second is the rooms for the family and the third is rental rooms. There are 5 (i think)rooms on the third floor and two shared baths which Mitchell and I use. It is nothing elegant or fancy, but it is exactly what we need and we are very excited to have found it. The family that we are staying with is amazing. Fanny, the mother, has been great already teaching me how to cook and helping me SO MUCH with my Spanish. I really look forward to the time that we have here getting to know them.
Tuesday this week we met with the rest of our group and went on a tour of Historic Lima. We got to see so much and so many beautiful buildings. Mitchell understood more than I did, but it was amazing seeing so much of the city. We plan on going back and exploring more soon. Maybe I can even get him to contribute to the blog and help me to explain some of the things that we went and saw! I can tell you where we went but the history I understood was amazing and hopefully we can share more of that! Tuesday was a really long day and by the end of it we were for bed.
Wednesday and Thursday Mitchell had Orientation for his school and a chance to meet his professors and I think choose some classes. While he was gone I walked around our area a little bit, visited our local Starbucks and found the laundry mat where we will be dropping off our laundry while we are here. It is 5 or 6 soles per kilo of laundry and we pick it up the next day. Since I dropped it off Thursday and Mitchell left early this morning to go to Iquitos with the group we had to pay 28 soles in order to get it back in time for him to pack! Lesson learned. We also braved the bus system a couple times this week. Mitchell more than myself. We have been taking Taxi's around the city, usually about 10 soles, because the buses are a bit confusing and we have had deadlines since we arrived. As we get to know the city more I am sure that it will become easier and easier We do have it figured out to get to the ISA office and Mitchell can get to school. Hopefully the next weekend we have off we will take the bus to Pachacamac where I will be doing my internship starting September!
At about 2 a.m. the alarms started ringing and going off for Mitchell to get up. By 2:30 a.m. he was out the door to another exciting adventure while I am here doing my own thing. I slept in this morning, went to the grocery store and then came home and spend some time with Fanny. She taught me how to cook a local Peruvian dish which I am excited to try when we get back to states and I spent the afternoon just talking to her, as best as I could. I about killed my cell phone battery using Word Reference to figure out some of what she was saying. I feel very lucky to be in this situation where technology is available to help bridge the language gap.
Being in a country, especially alone like I am this weekend, and not being able to speak fluently and converse the way I am used to can be extremely overwhelming. One on one it isn't horrible, but in a large group of people where it is hard to keep up it is draining. I am enjoying the challenge though, tiring as it may be, and learning little by little. I am determined to fit in and not stand out as a typical American. I will slowly learn the customs and I am positive my language skills will improve. I am confident going to the store, ordering food and such alone; I know that eventually it will come naturally to me.
I have a lot to catch up on this weekend, writing in my journal, organizing our room so that we are comfortable living in it and hopefully finding time to tell you all about our amazing time in Cusco and visiting one of the seven wonders of the world. I find myself being a little bit of a hermit as I adjust to our new home and surroundings. Hopefully that will all change as I become more comfortable but as for right now, I am enjoying the break and down time. Keep an eye out for a second entry from me this weekend! We miss you all bunches and can't wait to see you in December.
Hasta Luego!
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