Tiempo Libre - Free Time!

It's been a fun week off from work, filled with lots to do...

One day, my friend Kim and I went for a long walk and lunch. Another day we went shopping at Jockey Plaza (a big shopping mall here). She also inspired Arturo to cook his famous tacos since she gave us fantastic new dishes for Christmas - specifically for tacos as she knows about Arturo's obsession...

Arturo and I have also been shopping, but for a used car. We found one, but after the trip to the mechanic, decided it wasn't the car for us. We've got another appointment tomorrow. I really want to come back and have a car. Although there are tons of cheap buses within Lima, they are very, very slow and the routes rarely take you directly where you need to go. For example, in a taxi it takes about 30 minutes from my apartment to school. In a bus, it takes almost 2 hours and you have to transfer to two buses. So, a car is really a necesity here.

Another nice thing that started this week is exercise. I've been going to the gym again. Although I realize this is a false start as I leave for New York on Sunday and am sure I'll be eating my way through the next three weeks, it's always good to raise your heartbeat and burn some calories.

Tonight, a Swiss guest is making fondue and tomorrow we have another reunion with some of Arturo's friends from school.

Sunday I will hopefully be on an airplane. Close family friends gave me one of their stand-by tickets (they used to work for an airline) which is a blessing as it's saving me a lot of money, but it's a busy time of year so I hope I make the flight. If not, I'll be flying on New Year's Eve!

Christmas Celebrations

Fireworks! Cheering! Kissing! Champagne! What holiday am I talking about? Christmas in Peru, of course!


Christmas Eve started with a big turkey dinner at the hostel. There were about 10 of us, from the United States, Switzerland, Germany, Brasil, Australia and Peru. Arturo has 'discovered' that Brasilians call turkey peru (this is pavo in Spanish) because the turkey originated in Peru. I don't know if I believe this claim so I looked online and didn't find anything. Arturo has yet to provide me with a credible (or any) source to prove this. However, it is true that Brasilians called turkey Peru and I will leave it at that.


After dinner at the hostel, we went to Arturo's uncle's house for more of the same. His parents, brother, uncle and aunt and cousins all joined together to celebrate the holiday and, as promised, at midnight there were fireworks, cheering, champagne and a lot of kissing all around. Then, at midnight (!!!) dinner was served. After we ate, the kids were woken up, and presents were handed out. At about 3:30 a.m., his parents drove us back to our apartment where we promptly passed out.


One part about this tradition that I really like is that you don't have to buy presents for everyone. You exchange presents with your immediate family or the people you are closest to. No obligation to find some small, but nice, but inexpensive present for every single breathing being. We gave his mom new clothes, books to his dad, and a really cool laptop adapter set to his brother, as well as gifts to the young kids. His brother brought some food, and we brought three bottles of wine. Surprisingly, I also got some gifts myself. Arturo's brother gave me a fantastic t-shirt from Abercrombie and Finch, a pretty expensive brand here. He called Arturo a few weeks ago to ask my size. This made me feel very much a part of the family and means a lot to me. However, as nice as my t-shirt was, the star present was definitely Arturo's gift to me. He bought an incredible necklace/earring set from some designer he knows here in Lima. It's polished silver, and a piece of special wood from the jungle. It's beautiful and definitely the nicest piece of jewelry I own (perhaps it's time I stopped buying the $1 earrings on the street!).


More than just presents, though, what I enjoyed most was being part of Arturo's family. Everyone was friendly, gracious and warm. They even said that they were impressed with my Spanish (which, of course, made me like them immediately). It felt like any normal holiday, talking, laughing, catching up on old times, and getting to know new people (me!). I felt so comfortable. When I was telling Arturo how much I enjoyed the night and how sweet it was for his brother to buy me a gift, he said "of course, you're part of the family." (Is it too cheesy to write how great my boyfriend is?)


Christmas morning, December 25, we enjoyed a relaxed morning and delicious lunch (thanks to a big surprise and very appreciated food delivery from his brother and fiance in NJ). Then, Arturo went to the hostel and I went...drum roll, please...paragliding! An Australian guy, Pete, who has stayed in the hostel on and off for the past six months offered to take me (ok, he didn't exactly offer, I sort of asked - but he said yes!). Marco, who works at the hostel, went with me. I didn't feel nervous at all, even while Pete was connecting me to all the straps and tightening the helmet. Then, just before we took off, he started talking about how I shouldn't worry and it was safe. This, of course, made me a bit nervous. But, within two minutes we were floating in the air, sailing over the sea, the cliffs, the buildings of the city and it was incredible. I left the camera on the ground so all I needed to do was sit back, relax and enjoy. Many people feel queasy their first time. Luckily, this didn't happen with me and Pete told dirty jokes, old paragliding stories, and spun us up, down and around. It was beautiful and peaceful. Then, just as my stomach started to react, we cruised back to the ground and landed gently on the grass. I decided that instead of a car, we should buy two para gliders, but Arturo thinks that might be a difficult way to commute to work. I think we could make it work...

Holiday Cheer

Luckily, I have rebounded from the tough weekend last week. A few things have happened which have helped this along.

First, school ended and I don't have to work until Feb. 18. Yeah!

Second, I've been hanging out more with my friend Kim. This has been a great outlet to feel like I have my own life here. We went Christmas shopping together, have been walking on the weekends when we can, and talk on the phone regularly. It's starting to feel less like we're getting to know each other and more like we're just friends. Which is really, really nice.

Third, and most important, I went with Arturo to two reuniones (see below for more info.) and had a great time at both of them. One was with his close friends from school, grades K-12, and the other was with some friends from his university. Everyone was friendly and Spanish was flowing off my tongue (ok, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it was much easier). For the first time, I wasn't even aware of where Arturo was in the room. I just sat and talked...and it felt wonderful. Above is a photo of me deep in conversation -- in Spanish!


Along with this Holiday Cheer, I've realized that while the holiday season here is filled with much of the same commercial stuff, there are several Peruvians holiday traditions that continue to amaze me:

1) Reuniones
Reunion in Spanish means a meeting or gathering, but I think this isn't descriptive enough. It means you get together with friends/relatives and stay with each other until there is some major reason why you need to leave. Time is not an acceptable reason. If it's 3:00 a.m. and you don't have another reunion to go to, you just stay and talk. This idea is not only with close friends. If, for example, your company's holiday reunion is a lunch, you must go prepared to stay for many hours, possibly through dinner and into the night. (This idea extends to weddings where young and old stay out all night and the bride and groom must provide both dinner and breakfast for their guests)

2) Panetón
According to Wikipedia, panetón originated in Milan and comes with several different legends, many including romantic love, of course. I haven't heard any legends told, but I have realized that, whatever the reason, Peruvians are obsessed with getting their Christmas panetón. The dome-shaped bread is sweet and usually has some dried fruit or other delicious ingredients. However, it's just a sweet bread. I have been struggling to find out what the obsession is all about. For example, Arturo often receives clients from taxi drivers (they pick up foreigners at the airport and they need a place to stay). So, yesterday, we bought 20 panetónes for each driver. Every taxi driver I've had in the last two weeks has asked me if I've had panetón and if I love it.

3) Christmas Turkey
For the most part, people don't cook full, big turkeys in their house. It's something that is done for a special occasion. Here, everyone receives a voucher for a free turkey from the company they work for (yes, I received one from my school). There are special areas set up throughout Lima where you can go and claim your free turkey. Many people at school told me they give this voucher to their maids, as a big, frozen turkey can be more of a hassle than anything else. We went yesterday and the system is really incredible. In fact, it's one of the most organized things I've seen in Peru. Of course, my voucher (called a valet here) was for a 9 kg turkey and they only had 7 kg or 13 kg, for which you had to pay extra. Tricky, eh? Anyway, I think the most interesting part about the whole system is that most people don't actually cook the turkeys themselves. After you defrost the turkey, you bring it - in your own pan - to special turkey-baking places and pick it up about five hours later.

Now, I'm off to take a nap. At 5:00 we're having a Christmas dinner (complete with the turkey I got from my school) at the hostel, and then at 10:00 the family Christmas reunion begins. That's right: 10:00 p.m. is when it starts! Arturo told me we will most likely be finished around 2 or 3 in the morning...I think after my nap I'm going to get coffee!

The Best of Times...the Worst of Times

It was the best of times...it was the worst of times...

There have been some tough moments in Peru, but for sure the toughest was this past weekend. At the same time, though, it was an incredible weekend.

First, the incredible part...Every year, Arturo and his friends pitch in money to buy Christmas gifts for some small villages in the mountains. It's informal, but well organized. They get an official list of the names and ages of all school children in the village, and give each one a gift with his/her name. Every year is different depending on how much money there is or what is donated. For example, for the past 5 years, one baker has donated enough paneton (a special Christmas bread) for each child to have a piece. Other people give baseball hats with their company logos and others just donate money. This year, over 30 people made donations and a group of 20 went up north to visit the villages and hand out presents.

This was the amazing part.

We gather all the kids together, sing songs, get promises to study hard and be good, and then hand out gifts.

At first, this felt a bit superficial and classist. The light-skinned, tall Peruvians from Lima coming to the small mountain villages for one day -- and then most will leave and never think about these people again. However, watching the sheer joy on these kid's faces left me thinking that this did way more good than harm. It isn't with an official organization (so no money gets taken out for 'expenses' or lost), it isn't anything that gets promotion or advertising. It's just people who pool their resources together and donate money, products and often their time.

One interesting detail is that the parents are separated from the children. Why? Sadly, the parents tell their kids (who are grinning from ear to ear) that there present isn't enough and to go ask for more. Or, they thrust their babies in your face and ask for money. Without their parents, however, the kids are just kids enjoying themselves.

What was the bad part about the weekend?

Of the 20 people who went on this trip (which was an 8 hour drive each way, including an overnight stay), only a handful spoke to me. Some not only didn't speak to me, but actually ignored me when I spoke. There was no friendly encouragement to speak Spanish and despite a one-on-one acknowledgement that it's difficult when 6 people are all speaking at the same time, using slang, and speaking quickly, no one made an attempt to speak to me slowly and clearly. Obviously, Arturo was there, but it was so busy that outside of the car trip, he really didn't see how I was treated and we had no time alone to speak. He also, in his own way, just tried to be encouraging by telling me that it's normal and I should just relax. This was not very comforting. Essentially, I arrived back home and burst into tears.

For the first time since arriving, I began to seriously question if I wanted to be here. Learning a new language - really learning it, not just being able to order in a restaurant or tell a taxi driver where to take you - is hard. I hate having to constantly ask people to speak more slowly or to nod along and smile while not understanding what is being said.

At the same time, earlier this week, Arturo and I went out with his friend and wife and had a lovely time. I didn't get everything and couldn't say all that I wanted to, but it was all in Spanish and it was fun. I am speaking more quickly, I've expanded my vocabulary and I am reading a short Stephen King novella is Spanish.

So, I'm trying to be positive and just live life day by day (along with a friendly smile and Spanish-English dictionary).

A relaxing weekend

Now that I'm done with Fodor's and there is only one week left in the school year, I am left with only one question: What will I do with all of my free time?

We started enjoying the extra time by having Arturo's mom and brother over for lunch.

Here I am cooking our...well, our, edible lunch. I can't say it was the best food I've ever made, but the afternoon was fun anyway. The wine over lunch might have helped me to relax, speak Spanish and not obsess over the fact that the food was pretty bland.

This is the outside of our apartment building, surrounded by a black fence and a couple of parking spaces (which we do not have included in our rent).

Arturo and I even went for a walk in our neighborhood. We realized that it's actually the first time we walked together without an agenda.

The weather was lovely, the para gliders were out by the dozen, floating above the city, and the ice-cream vendors had a nice selection of refreshments to enjoy.

After, we lazed around for the day, watched a movie and went out to dinner with some friends who were in town for the weekend.

The next day, Sunday, we had a barbecue and then went to a rock concert. That's right, a rock concert. A famous Argentinian band, Soda Stereo is on tour and a group of seven of us went to enjoy the show. Soda Stereo began in 1982 so, needless to say, the crowd was a bit older. The music was great and the show was lots of fun. The midnight hour-long walk to find a taxi after wasn't fun, but it was worth it.

Checked off the To Do list!

It's been a busy and exciting week.

First: the Fodor's work is finished! Many late nights, many full days and much moaning and groaning on my part, and it is completed and sent to my editor. He told me that he's sure to have some questions in January, but to go ahead and send in my invoice. So, maybe I'll get paid back all of that money I spent already!

In addition to 'quite an experience,' I believe that this work is also testament to the strength of my relationship with Arturo. I can't say that I was easy to live with (or to look at) for the past week. Arturo took it all in stride, cooking me a fantastic taco meal, going to get me some coca-cola for an extra sugar/caffeine boost, making numerous phone calls to fact check information, and even putting up with having his picture taken.

Anyway, that is a load of both of our shoulders. Even when I wasn't working on it, I was thinking about it.

Second: grading at school is finished! Final exams were this past week and I have finished grading the exams and all the last minute homework/projects I've received. I've figured out my students' averages and written their individual comments for their report cards. There's tons more to do before school is over, but it will all be during the school day. No more work after school! Plus, in just a week and a half, I'm off for two months! Yeah!

Almost done...but so far to get there...

The final work for Fodor's is due at midnight tonight. And what am I doing? Blogging.

I just cannot motivate to get this done...but, I am showered, dressed and at the computer at 7:00 a.m. on a Sunday after staying up to work until 1:00 a.m. (of course, this is after procrastinating most of the day and going out for a cup of coffee with a friend).

Arturo has been amazing, putting up with my crankiness and cooking for me. Which, of course, just makes me more cranky because I just cannot write this bloody chapter.

I'm sure it will get done. It must. It will. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....

Dad's Visit Part II

This past weekend was Dad's final weekend in Peru -- although, as he says, it's only until next time.

We did a lot of the usual touristy things...shopping, visiting a museum, eating out, walking around, etc. All the things I haven't had time for yet in Lima. Needless to say, I had a great time!

Highlights include:

* Visiting Larcomar. This is essentially a huge shopping mall built into the side of the cliff, facing the ocean (the "mar"). There are excellent restaurants, tons of shops, a bowling alley, movie theater, arcades and more. Dad seemed to be especially taken with one of the arcades called "Coney Park." The best part? It's about five blocks from my apartment! (Did you notice the ocean behind us?)

* Sunday Lunch. We had a lovely, relaxing lunch at Punto Azul, a local lunch-only restaurant that I hadn't been to yet. Dad got some fried shrimp, and Arturo and I shared a fish dish and, of course, ceviche. The sun was shining and for the first time since I arrived here, I was actually wearing a t-shirt! This bustling place was filled with Peruvians craving seafood. Here in Lima, they generally only eat seafood during the day. It's considered 'old' and 'not fresh' if it's eaten at night. This, of course, makes it frustrating for people who work and don't get to go out for lunch. So, we have to head out on the weekends to enjoy our fresh fish!

* El Museo Pedro de Osma. This museum is in Barranco, one of the oldest and best-preserved parts of Lima. Just being able to enter one of those huge, old colonial mansions was enough, but we also got to enjoy the current Baroque exhibit in addition to making Dad and Arturo stand in cheesy poses. The art, silver, gold and other pieces on display were fascinating, as well walking around the beautiful grounds.

Happy Thanksgiving

Last week I got an email from someone saying "Have a good holiday" and it took me a few minutes to realize that Thanksgiving was coming up. Of course, there is no Thanksgiving celebration here, but I did go to a celebration: Vicky's baby shower. Vicky is the woman who has worked for Arturo since he started the hostel three years ago. This was her last week as she is having a baby in three weeks. It was sort of a bittersweet good-bye...although we know we'll see her and the baby soon for a visit.

However, this was not the only 'celebration' going on this week. While Dad was in Puno/Lake Titicaca on the actual Thanksgiving day, he came back to Lima last night and we had a Thanksgiving meal together (or, rather, a version of a meal). At Dad's request, I made stuffing, as well as mashed potatoes and toasted chestnuts. As I had to work all day, there was no time to cook a turkey so we just had roasted chicken. Joining us was Elizabeth, an American woman from Maine who is here studying Spanish (she's been living at the hostel for the past two months). She brought delicious wine and dessert which helped make the meal that much better. And thanks to Dad, we had Thanksgiving plates and napkins.

Another cause for celebration is the fact that I now have a Peruvian bank account. My school contacted the bank they use and I was able to get a local account. Now, I don't have to pay 3% extra every time I withdraw money. Yeah! Also, school has come through on health insurance. As of December I will have health insurance. Although there is national health coverage - so if there was an emergency, I would be fully covered - the private clinics, for which you need private insurance, are better.

Well, now we're off to finish shopping for Dad - and if the weather is right (meaning it's windy), we might go paragliding!

Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving. It really is one of my favorite holidays...I think because it's the least commercial...and it was sad to miss it.

Dad's Visit Part I

* 12:45 a.m. Alarm went off
* 1:00 a.m. Arturo left for the airport

* 2:00 a.m. Dad arrived in Lima

* 3:00 a.m. Dad and Arturo arrived at our apartment (I woke up)

* 4:00 a.m. Back to sleep

* 6:15 a.m. Alarm went off, got up and went to work

Despite such a crazy beginning, having Dad here has been fun. Busy and tiring, but very entertaining. We went out to fancy dinners (thank you, dad!) and saw some sights in Lima (the center of Lima with beautiful colonial architecture, the ocean walk in Miraflores near my place, etc.). At Dad's request, we also stopped into one of the numerous casinos, my first and probably last time, as well as a Nissan dealership to get some foreign brochures to give to his local Nissan dealership. He also came to my school and went to Arturo's hostel, and even joined us on a jaunt to one of my favorite stores, Ripley, where we bought a washing machine (yeah!!)...and got himself a sim card and now has a working cell phone.

Early this morning, he left for Cusco to begin his travels to Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca. Despite some affects from the medicine to prevent altitude sickness (the pills to prevent feeling sick from altitude comes with side affects...which makes me question why one needs to take them...).

He arrives back to Lima on Friday afternoon to spend the rest of the weekend with us before heading back home.

Now, I get to unpack all of the wonderful goodies that Dad brought for me. Thank you Grandma, Mom and Cathy!! And a huge THANK YOU to my sister who searched my boxes in storage and completed my shopping list (sleeping with my down comforter last night was so cozy).

My first guest

Dad arrives tonight. I still can't believe it. It's been two months, but it feels like no time at all.

I'm really excited, but I was thinking about where we should go and realized that I don't know my 'new' city very well. I don't have a favorite restaurant in Lima to take him to. I don't have my favorite cafe. I just don't have my usual 'tourist route' of places to go with visitors (in fact, I've barely explored the city myself).

So, I've decided to accept that I won't be as good of a tour guide as I usually am, but that I should relax and enjoy my Lima with my dad (and pass the torch to Arturo).

Here's a photo of our last visit together in September.

Procrastination

My goal for this weekend was to stay in and finish all the Fodor's work. I have done a tremendous amount of work, but some procrastinating has, of course, happened. I made some phone calls to friends I haven't spoken to in a while. I watched a movie (while typing, but you know how that goes). I also looked at some old photos and thought about how fast time is moving. It seems like just last year that my nephew was born. Now, his younger sister - who turned two in September - recently told me "I love you, Aunt Avi" on the phone.

(OK, enough procrastinating...back to work...)

Good worries

Much of this week has been spent shopping online and talking to my sister on the phone. Why? Because Dad comes next week -- and with him, two bags of stuff for me! Yeah!!

I also watched one of the South American Rugby Championship games this week. The championship is taking place at my school so it was pretty easy to get to. There's even a women's rugby team (remember, I used to play for a bit in college), but I'm not sure I want to attend practices from 8-10 p.m. twice a week in a place that's 30 minutes away from where I live. On the other hand, it would be a fun way to meet people. We'll see.

Another 'good stress' worry is about our...well, for lack of a better word...maid. I know that it's part of society here and that I've given someone a job who didn't have one. I also know that starting to cook dinner at 9:00 at night when I want to be in bed by 10:30 puts a stress on our relationship (and my stomach). However, it still feels awkward. One of the most awkward parts is that I haven't met her yet...and at the same time, I'm incredibly nervous for our first meeting tomorrow. Although I am sure, as one colleague at school put it: You'll get used to it in no time. Who wouldn't?

At last -- tofu!

Slowly, routines are being established...and it feels really nice. I have a regular taxista (taxi driver) taking me to school in the mornings. I take Spanish lessons on Mondays and Tuesdays. We joined the the gym and started going this past week. We've been cooking at home (I finally found tofu!) and sit down together each night for dinner. It's been busy, but relaxing at the same time.

This week was especially fun, though. November 1st, All Saints' Day, was a holiday so we forged new friendships and went out the night before, on Halloween. Instead of dressing up and gorging on candy, we shared several bottles of wine with my new friend Kim, an American, and her husband Hugo, a Peruvian. I was connected to Kim through a friend in NY and she has been a tremendous help. It is through Kim that I found out about the job at Newton and she patiently answered numerous questions before and after I arrived in Peru. However, due to schedules, this was the first time we were all able to get together. It was so much fun that it will definitely not be the last. In fact, we already got together this morning to go walking together...

Note on Halloween: here it's a mix of the commercial Halloween, criolla traditions and a religious holiday. The younger kids do the 'usual' custom we are used to in the U.S. of dressing up in costumes and going around trick or treating. While many stores have Halloween sections, but it's refreshingly less commercial than I am used to. The only thing I missed was candy corn - I couldn't find it anywhere!

However, despite a lovely week, reality has hit home: I have a lot of work to do. My Fodor's work is not finished. There are still two places to visit and all of the updating to type into a very specific Word document, filled with codes and queries. After five hours of work, I have only finished one page. Like we keep saying to each other, this has been a great experience, but I don't think I'd repeat it. The oh-so-romantic-sounding travel writer idea? Checked off my to do list.

p.s. Despite the odd-looking picture my rice, tofu and vegetable dish makes, it was a thrill to eat the combination once again. For some reason, this culture which eats tons of beans, has not embraced (or, it seems, know about) tofu. Luckily, I found it in a nearby grocery store. Mmm...mmm...good!

Just a normal week in Lima

In many ways, this is my first 'real' weekend in Peru. When I first arrived, I didn't have a job so everyday was a weekend day. Then, I went travelling...then I went away again after my first week of work. This weekend we're staying in Lima and having a very 'normal' weekend of laundry, shopping for our apartment, and a barbeque at Arturo's parents' house. After so much happening so quickly, this is exactly the kind of weekend I've been craving.

So, this blog is dedicated to a few interesting updates from the week (and then I'm off to enjoy my weekend):

PHOTOS

I finally got around to downloading photos from last weekend's trip to Huaraz. Arturo also stayed a few extra days to sort out some paperwork/legal stuff for some land he owns in nearby Mancos.

To see all the photos, go to: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=9od46cm.b3bn1e3y&x=0&y=-4z74ow

This part of Peru - the northern highlands - are incredibly beautiful. Everywhere you look, you are surrounded by snow capped mountains and bright shining sun. I am really looking forward to going back.

LA COCINA

We have been enjoying our kitchen (la cocina) and Arturo has been surprising me with his cooking expertise. My favorite meal so far has been 'taco night' which included homemade refried beans, fresh guacamole and deliciously heated tortillas. Of course, the perfect complement to this meal with a fruity cocktail made with Arturo's special vodka that he 'imported' from NY.

Arturo isn't the only one who has been in the kitchen, but I am definitely not the 'domestic' one in the apartment.

And I don't mind one bit.

ARTS FESTIVAL

Last night there was an annual arts festival at my school. It was incredible. I felt like I was in a museum. As part of the IB (International Baccalaureate), students study and produce art for two years. Last night showcased their best work in all mediums from painting, photography, digital designs, fabric, paper, charcoal and more. In addition, there were performances by the orchestra, brass band and dance groups. I so wish I brought my camera as I now feel more proud than ever of my new school (and, of course, sad that the arts have lost their place in most public schools in the U.S.).

And that's my week.

Now, I'm off to enjoy the weekend.

Staff Photos

Another week has begun. It's hard to believe it's only my second week of teaching...it already feels so comfortable.

Anyway, my photo was taken for the school website and I thought I'd post my official teacher photo here (That's me in the middle, surrounded by some of the my fellow English teachers).

I also got my very own Vivanda card. Vivanda is the best - and most expensive - grocery store nearby. It has an incredible selection of wines and prepared foods, and is open 24 hours per day. I even found the much-sought-after tofu and feta cheese (I've been missing the strangest foods lately).

Guess I'm really settling in now.

The Census Weekend

Today, Sunday October 21, is the national census in Peru. Why is this important enough to write about? Because the entire country is closed for an entire day. Every business must close and people must stay in their houses/apartments from 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Obviously, there are exceptions. If you cannot be home, there is a form you can fill out. If you work for a hotel, you are allowed to work. However, for the most part, everything is closed. There is nowhere to buy food. The buses aren't running. Everything has shut down and Lima is a ghost town except for the university students, volunteers, and 'managers' walking around in the Census 2007 shirts. The census doesn't happen every year, but the less accurate and successful the census, the more often it needs to be held.

Of course, as a gringa, I am excluded from the census and have the freedom to go wherever I want. Since everything is closed, though, my options are limited. Actually, Arturo and I went away for the weekend to update Huaraz, another city I need to update for Fodor's, and I had to come back to Lima early. We took an overnight bus on Friday, arriving about 6:00 a.m. Then, after a full day of touring, updating restaurants and hotels and more, I took an overnight bus back on Saturday night, arriving about 6:00 a.m. in Lima. I really, really wanted to stay in Huaraz and arrive early Monday, but was afraid to risk it. Sunday night/Monday morning is going to be a crazy time since everyone was cooped up all day for the census. As I must leave my apartment no later than 6:45 a.m. to get to school on time, I didn't want to chance being late. It is, after all, only my second week of teaching there.

However, I did manage to see most of Huaraz on Saturday. Of course, people don't go to Huaraz for the town...they go for the mountains - and that is what I didn't get to see. Huaraz is one of the most popular destinations in the north of Peru, second to the Amazon. It's a very small town, filled with hostels, restaurants, tourist agencies and guides. People go to Huaraz to trek and see glaciers, the tallest mountain in South America, ice-climb, mountain bike, rock climb and any other outdoor activity you can think of.

Actually, Arturo owns land about an hour outside of Huaraz and is very familiar with the area. So, I have no doubt we'll go back. And next time, I will get to enjoy the mountains!

First Week of Work

I just finished my first week of work...and I'm actually looking forward to next week! So far, Newton College is a great place to teach. It's not perfect (but what is?), but it's both serious and relaxed. The students are nice people, the staff are friendly and helpful, and the beautiful campus has grass, flowers and a small lake.

Currently, I am teaching two classes, a Form II (sort of like 9th grade) and a Form IV (11th grade). Unlike in the States, it's the younger students who are easier. They are little lambs who are sweet, try hard, and really do want to learn. The older students are more interested in being 'cool' than focusing on the teacher. However, the Form IV students are two days away from taking an exam they have spent two years preparing for (the IGCSE, International General Certificate of Secondary Education from Cambridge University) . So, I can understand a little agitation at school...especially since the English exam is only one of numerous exams they will take.

In terms of behavior, it's like night and day. Even the toughest kid is easy to deal with. The 'episodes' are over before I have to raise my voice and I even get an apology without asking for one ("Sorry, Miss. I'll stop talking."). Of course, the talking doesn't always stop completely, but it's so different it's incredible. As one might expect, it's amazingly simple to get used to teaching students who listen and behave.

Of course, school problems are always the same and the problems in this school are very similar to some of the problems in NYC. For example, much like "Advisory" which started at ACORN and was dismantled after only one year, Newton has PSE (Physical & Social Education). This used to be taught by special PSE teachers, but now falls into the hands of teachers from all subjects who have a 'tutor group.' The obligations to my tutor group include: a 15 minute homeroom each day and a 40 minute period every Friday. During the Friday period, I have to teach what the PSE Coordinator has put together. Today's lesson was about drugs. Additionally, I had to look at the students' grades and put students on "report," meaning they have to have a special paper filled out and signed by their teachers and parents to make sure they are on track. Yes, this is another responsibility. Yes, this is challenging linguistically as the PSE Coordinator only creates materials in Spanish. Overall, though, this just isn't such a big deal. Having less stressful classes, less physically and emotionally draining classes, just makes everything else

easier to deal with.

The majority of students are Peruvians, but as it's a British International School, almost all classes are taught in English. While the students' English isn't perfect, sadly, it's no worse than my students in Brooklyn. There are some native English speakers, as well as some other languages, but for the most part, it's native Spanish speakers being taught almost exclusively in English. As a result, classes are divided into Top, Mixed and Lower levels. For the most part, their English abilities are what divides them into these groups.

So, despite the fact that Newton is about 30 minute drive (which means I have to leave by 6:45 a.m. every morning), I am planning on signing a full contract. I'll spend a few extra minutes to get somewhere if I know that my time while there will be pleasant. Through December I will teach part-time, 2 classes only, and starting in the new Peruvian school year in March, will have a full class load.

One of the best parts has been starting my day off with Arturo's freshly squeezed orange juice. Unbelievably, he has gotten up every morning and squeezed me a glass. Spoiled? Yeah, just a little bit...but I love it...

The Trip North

THE TRIP

Pease read below for a detailed account of the past week and a half.

Or, just check out the photos at:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=9od46cm.3g2b53vy&x=0&y=-comwfv

I haven´t had time to sort through all the photos, but am sending this out now...because otherwise it will be another week until I finish.

(of course, you may look at the photos and read the blog, but I understand if you just skip to the photos)

We began our trip with an overnight bus to Chiclayo. We left at 9:30 p.m. and were supposed to arrive at 8:30 a.m. Instead, we awoke at our arrival time to discover that we were lost somewhere in Trujillo (a stop about three hours south of our destination). The driver was literally pulling over on the side of the road to ask other drivers. One of the other passengers went down to talk to the driver who explained "You see, the problem is that I'm lost." The entire bus could hear him say this and unanimously broke out in laughter and jokes. As if driving around in circles and stopping every five minutes to ask where to go wasn't enough clues that we were lost. Eventually, we got to our destination about four hours late.

We hopped in a cab and, after about five minutes, hired Pablo to drive us around for the day. We explained that we were updating a guide and we needed to go around the city to many hotels and restaurants. Of course, we didn't mention this was our first time doing this and, many hours later, we were all exhausted and realized this was more work than it sounds. We also quickly realized that three and four star hotels do not hand out free rooms to scrubby looking people who had clearly slept in their clothes (on the bus, though!). However, we did manage to find an affordable room at a place Pablo knew, had a semi-hot shower and finished almost all of the hotels and restaurants, as well as stopping at several of the sites and the Peru Information office for tourist information.

Along the way, we also found out restaurants liked to give a discount or a free dessert, but that little was given for free...this may also have been the result of the fact that 99% of the people had never heard of a travel guide for Peru. It wasn't just that they didn't know about Fodor's - they had never heard of Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Footprint, etc. and didn't understand the importance of this guide to tourists. After much consideration, we decided that budget accommodation and restaurants realized their importance, but that the upscale places we were visiting didn't have any experience with backpackers walking in, clutching their 'bible' travel guide.

After a late dinner, although exhausted, we went out to the three discotecas that were listed in Fodor's. By 12:30 a.m. we were on our way back to our hotel and the line at the new hot spot in town was literally around the block. The next morning, Pablo came to meet us at 8:00 a.m. and we began our tour of the three different outlaying areas with ruins and museums. These were far away from each other and in the middle of nowhere, but were incredibly interesting. Sipan, Sican and the world-class museums were amazing...and sadly I was the only foreigner there.

From Chiclayo, we took another overnight bus to Tumbes, a small town about near the Ecuador border. This is where most people stay before/after crossing the border. I always find border towns fascinating, although Tumbes was definitely the least interesting border town I've ever been to. The best thing I can say about it is that it was warm and sunny (near the equator and all). After our luck in Chiclayo with Palbo, our favorite taxi driver, we quickly hired Alberto to take us around the town and to the surrounding national preserves. Instead, he took us to an area near the mangrove preserve which, although nice in its own right, it not what we needed to see. He assured us that he knew where to go and was just confused and then did, in fact, bring us to the right place...but then we missed the window of high tide which was needed to canoe through the preserve. Next, we went to a nearby small beach town to stay...and then were taken into the middle of nowhere, were promised it was the only way he knew to get to the forest preserve. Let's just say that Arturo taught me a few new Spanish words and we turned around and went to our wonderful little hostel on the beach, swung on the hammocks, walked along the beach, went out to a delicious fresh fish and seafood dinner, and passed out from exhaustion.

Oh, and we also found out that just down the street was an agency that organized actual trips to the preserves. So, the next morning, we sat down with the lovely couple, originally from Lima, and got all the information we could have ever wanted. We hope to go back north soon to do the canoe, trekking and camping in the area.

From there, we took a collectivo (local type of bus) to the nearby beach resort area of Punta Sal, followed by Mancora, another beach area. We were tired and worn out, but managed to finish by late afternoon to have some time to relax. The weather was delicious - sunny, hot, cool breeze, and a sandy beach everywhere. Arturo's brother and girlfriend were also there, coincidentally, and we were able to relax at their hotel until our bus left at 9:30 p.m. Arturo managed to take a dip in the warm ocean...forgetting the warning about the rocks and completely cutting up one of his feet. He came back limping, bleeding, but still smiling -- and ready for a beer.

Our next stop, after a six hour overnight bus (aka: very little sleep), was Piura. This was one of the better looking cities we'd been to in the north and we very much enjoyed walking around and seeing the beautiful colonial architecture and eating in some delicious restaurants. Also, much to our enjoyment, all of the sites were near each other and did not require much travel to get to. We even had time to check our email - at which point I leaned over to move the small backless plastic stool and smashed my head on the side of the computer desk. Tired? Oh yes! But, we realized that if we hurried we could also get to Trujillo and, thus, not have any cities more than a few hours away from Lima left to cover for Fodor's.

Trujillo was clean, fresh and sunny (although cooler). The city has some incredible architecture, as well as nearby ruins to explore and learn about. This was what was missing in Chiclayo - a beautiful city. Also, Arturo's friend Fito was in Trujillo so we had our own personal chauffeur and tour guide...one we trusted. We explored the city and had a big night out (until 2:00 a.m. - early by Peruvian standards, late by my standards considering I was exhausted). The next day we went to the Chan Chan ruins and the adorable beach community of Huanchico. I left later that night on a 1st class sofa-bed sleeper to Lima where I think I had the best night sleep the entire trip. Arturo stayed one extra night to enjoy the International Spring Festival.

Overall, the trip was both incredible and exhausting. Now, I am back home in Lima and - more than I expected - that was how it felt to come back. Teaching at Newton College has begun, my Spanish classes are starting again and we are settling into the apartment (more on both later).