MY BIRTHDAY
Mom arrived late on the 4th, the night before my birthday. But, since it was after midnight by the time we got home from the airport and I have absolutely no patience, Arturo and Mom gave me my gifts around 1:00 a.m. on the 5th of July.
Arturo got me exactly what I needed: a new (really cool North Face) backpack. Now, I finally have something comfortable to bring to and from work...plus as a daypack for a trek. Mom gave me a beautiful pair of earrings and butterfly scarf, but the best gift was that she gave it to me in person. I love getting mail, but it was so nice to say thank you to her in person. She also gave me gifts from Dad and Grandma (thank you to both of you).
The biggest surpise of all was a package from Sarita, which arrived a few days later, filled with my favorite fruit leather snacks, the new Barbara Kingsolver book and an iTunes giftcard (does
she know me or what). Plus, there was a lovely card reminding me that I may be far away, but I am not forgotten. The combination of this package and the many other emails, facebook messages and phone calls were received. It really helped me to feel a bit closer than I am to all of my friends and family.
Anyway, enough sappy stuff. What did we do on my actual birthday? Well, we walked around Miraflores, our neighborhood, for most of the day. The weather was incredible and we lunched at the park and walked for hours along the
malecong, the sea cliff wall.
Then, that night my friend Anna came over and we had an
apperitif before heading out to dinner. Anna brought me, after listening to me complain for a week of treking, a fantastic type of head gear that I have always wanted to buy. I don't know what it's called, but it's a kind of scarf that you can change into about 50 different ways. She also wrapped my wonderful surprise gift in the best wrapping paper ever - photos from our trek! After our mini-cocktail hour, we left for one of my favorite restaurants - ever: Rosa Nautica. It's on a pier in the ocean and it just beautiful, with delicious food!
The next day, we went to another of my favorites, Punto Azul, for ceviche and other fish/seafood dishes with Arturo's family, his parents and brother.
All in all it was a great birthday.
MY PROMOTIONAnother wonderful 'present' that happened to be 'given' to me the day before my birthday was a semi-promotion at work. Unfortunately, the head of our English Department is leaving. Even though I have only worked with him for a short time, I am very saddened by this. Steve is, seriously, the best person I have ever worked under. But, he has a fantastic job offer in India and, after over 10 years in Peru, is heading to another country and continent. Maria, the Deputy Head has moved up to Interim Head of Department and I was offered the position of Interim Deputy Head. I was quite surprised since I have been here less than a year and, truthfully, still learning so much about the int'l exams we prepare our students for. However, the headmaster, Steve and Maria have all assured me I was their #1 choice. They complemented me on learning quickly, speaking up with new ideas, and bringing a fresh perspective to the department and the school. As Steve told me: "We all know what we are doing - we've been doing it for years. What we need to know is how to do it better, how to change what we have been doing for years to further improve." So, I have accepted, will earn about $100 more per month, and will be the Interim Deputy Head through the end of the this school year. Then, we shall see...
MY MOM
It's been great having Mom here. I really feel settled here now - really at home - so it has been great to show her My Lima. So far, I think we've done a good job of showing all the best that Lima offers.
We've eaten fabulous food (Peruvian food really is incredible), toured center of Lima where old colonial buildings and the enormous catacombs, been to La Punta, a
beautiful peninsula nearby, and taken her to the black market where she bought numerous DVDs for about $1 each (yes, they are all pirated). On her own, Mom went to a museum and a bus tour to some nearby ruins.
Together, we played scrabble - in Spanish (and thanks to Arturo's help, I came in 2nd place) - and went shopping at the Inca Markets nearby. As you probably can tell, this section should really be called My Mom & My Boyfriend since Arturo has been with us almost the entire time.
Trujillo
For mom's final weekend here, we went to Trujillo, a small city about an 8 hour bus trip to the north. Unfortunately, the day before we left I was sick with the flu and mom's stomache wasn't doing very well. However, thanks to the wonders of modern medicine, we both felt well enough to get on the bus-cama (a bus with seats that recline back like in 1st class on an airplane) and so all three of us went up to Trujillo.
There, we took an amazing tour of Chan Chan, one of the larget pre-Incan cities in South America. Although it is still being reconstructed, it was incredible. We had an amazing guide who explained all sorts of fascinating details included in the palace we walked through. For example, the Moche people considered squirrels incredibly important. They watched their habits to see if El Niño was coming. The squirrels would essentially get all crazy, and flit around storing extra food...alerting
people to what was coming. Check out wikipedia for more infor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chan_Chan
We also walked around the beautiful city with amazing buildings, most of them now banks or other businesses. Since it is costly to restore and even more for upkeep, there are also a large number of building that are in a state of disrepair. Luckily, though, more and more there is an effort to reverse this affect. Plus, most restored buildings are open for the public. We walked around several of them and were stunned by the beauty.
After going to the Museo de Jugetes, a Museum of Games, we got together for an afternoon refreshment with Arturo's friend Fito who lives in Trujillo.
For our final day, we went to Huanchaco, a small little beach town about 20 minutes from Trujillo. 
We walked along the beach, mesmorized by the surfers, the waves, and the fisherman in their traditional caballito boats. They use these boats for just 15 days and must make a new one every 2 weeks. We, of course, enjoyed some more delicious seafood for lunch, did a bit of shopping, and then headed back to the city of Trujillo.
On the way, we stopped at a new shopping mall to see the financial improvements that Trujillo is currently experiencing. Then, we lazed around the hostal reading, talking and relaxing before getting out
bus-super-cama. This new service is about $15 more expensive than the bus-cama, but lets you literally lie down, completely. I was impressed, although Mom said she still ached from the ride.
Another birthday & Mom's last day
Monday, July 14, was Arturo's mom's birthday and mom's final day here. Arturo's dad organized a little party for her with the aunts and uncles and delicious
criolla food. It was a very enjoyable afternooon which involved lots of stories, lots of jokes and lots to drink. But, mom left feeling happy and comfortable leaving me with such a warm and welcoming family and, all in all, it was a wonderful way to end her trip.
OUR VACATION
Now, we are heading off to the Amazon for our July holiday. Yeah!! We are taking a bus to a boat to a town...I don't really know the details as Arturo is planned it. All I know is that we'll be in the Amazon (yeah again!!), away from bustling Lima, phones, Internet and work (a.k.a., no blog updates, no phone calls and no emails for the next couple of weeks). Yeah!!
July 31st: The big day. "Sex and the City" movie opening in Lima! Everyone else has seen it. Now, it is my turn! Wait! I'm in Iquitos, at the beginning of the Amazon Jungle...
