New Expereince with Food!

Happy Mother´s Day!
I celebrated my going to my Grandma and Aunt´s house! While there i asked what we were having for lunch and my mom proceeds to say speghetti. The night before I distinctly remember her asking if i like speghetti and I said,¨yes.¨ So i look at the bowl on the table all knowing that we stopped at a the ¨Chifa¨(a chinese restuarant) before we came to my Grandma´s house and there sat noodles and chicken with a type of chinese sause. All thinking to myself this was not what i pictured but i told my mom i liked speghetti the night before so i had to eat it! in the end i actually really enjoyed it and got seconds for once since being here!

Part 2 of Food:
Today the group broke off and we were able to go out and eat at any restuarant of choice. It ended up being Rachel, Julia, Jordan and I in a group. After walking for some time and trying to find a decent looking place to eat we find one and order the ¨Menu¨ which is different here. The ¨Menu¨ includes an appitizer, main dish, and drink all for 6-7sols. After sitting down and ordering our appetizers we then ask how much it will cost and our waitress says 5 sols.- mistake one!
She kindly brings us our soup and I look at it and all i see if a chickens FOOT!- mistake 2! like the skin and everything in tack. I lookk over at Jordan who starts to smile and i try to not make any facial expressions. I just tkae the entire foot out of my soup and only eat the noodles! when i was done i put the foot back in and handed the waitress my bowl. the main dish comes and i ordered steak because all I´ve had here is chicken and wanted something different. This is the main reason I always order the same thing because i know what i´ll be getting in the US. She hands me my plate of beans, rice, cole slaw, and ¨steak¨ All that the steak is a little sliver of meat covered in fried Grease! - mistake 3 If you know my well you know how sensitive my stomach is to grease, so i took a few bites but i couldn´t even taste the meat so all i ate was the rice! And the pure fact that we couldn´t see the kitchen which we were advised to go somewhere the kitchen is in view, which we didn´t do! - mistake 4. Needless to say it was an experience but the 4 of us had a great time and we tried to have fun with our mistakes! Let´s just say now we know! and with the 2 sols we saved from eating out cheap we went and got some icecream in a package from a lady on the street! :) ohhh good times in Peru!

Finding my way around this Large City

So it all started friday afternoon. We got out of class early and Julia and I decided to walk home with Rachel Funk and visit where she lives and possibly meet her family. Well this was Rachel´s first time walking home without one of her family members with her. All she remembered was that she had to walk through 2 parks to get home. On the way there we got lost... more like Rachel forgot what street would take her home. So i told her to pull out her map of her city. I looked at it turned it the right way and we were on our way again. finally after what should have been a 30 minute walked that turned into an hour we finally made it! once there Julia and I met Rachel`s mom, sister, and brother. We decided to then walk to the grocery store and but some food that we were craving. mainly an apple and ice cream for me! After some time we left and went back to her house. it was nearly 5pm and time for me to start going home if i didn`t want to be walking in the dark (it gets dark around 6 here). Once Rachel`s mom called my mom to say that i was on my way home on a Combi (small bus) she put me on my way. After some confusion on what bus i was taking and where it would drop me off at i asked a girl on the bus and she said yes the bus stops at your desination. thinking to myself ok great but all knowing that this was a different stop than what i`m used to. I only know one way home and this combi was not going that way. an hour later i was dropped off. now it is 6:45 and dark out. i get off the bus look around and just head into a neighborhood having no idea where i was at. All i knew was that i was somewhat close to home but yet i had no idea where it was or where i was for that matter. i found a park and went to the middle so maybe people wouldn`t be able to see me. Got out my map of where i lived and looked at what parks a could be standing in. i think i know where i`m at and start walking again. a man playing soccer with his kids accidently kick the ball my way and i hand it back. I stop and think maybe i should ask for some help because i really don`t know where i`m at. i try and speak in Spanish and the man says, ¨it`s ok i know English!¨ what a relieve!!! Needless to say i was walking in the opposite direction of home and he walked me to a corner that i was familiar with. i finally made it home at 7:15 safely! Thank the Lord!

Tomorrow is Mother`s Day which is a very big deal i`m told, but i`m not sure what my family is doing to celebrate... guess I`ll find out.

Fiesta!

In celebration of my brothers 22nd birthday we had a party here with all of his friends. I got to meet 3 of them that he studies with at the University. It was exciting be be able to speak in English with the his friends and actually have them understand me! I learned things about Peru and they in return asked many questions about the United States which I was happy to know they were interested in my culture and where I´m from as much as I was interested in their culture. They gave me their telephone numbers so that we can hang out which I thought was very nice of them.

I ran for the first time today... since I was put in a home where a park is just a few houses down and my mother saying you like to run, right? I now feel obligated to run ALOT and who knows it is probably for the better since I eat lots of rice potatoes and chicken. I need some way of staying in shape! I mean volleyball will be here before I know it and it will come in handy later... let´s just hope i keep it up. Ohhh... plus there are benches made of stone that seem like a great height for a jump box to improve my vertical! :) oh how I can´t wait to do those. Anyways, it has been very overwhelming but I´m getting more relaxed and not as many headaches from not understanding the Spanish. Off to finish up my homework for the first day of classes.

° All my UT friends: Good Luck on your finals! Last week of school and you are done for the summer!!! :)

I´m Here

Well I made it safe and sound! The first 2 days were just orientation and becoming familiar with the culture and customs here in Peru. Some being very different then what I´m used to in the United States. I met my host family yesterday (Friday) and i'm thankful that i have one older brother, Carlos,22, and two sisters Norma and Gloria. Carlos and Norma both speak English so they have been veery helpful when I do not understand my parents. This morning i woke up and my mother asked me if I would like to go somewhere. I thought we were just going next door to get water since the water stopped working this morning. To my surprise i walked out of the house and went to the grocery store with my pajamas on! I missed the store part when she was speaking in spanish. While there she helped me pronouicate the different kinds of fruit and whether I liked them or not. She then asked if i liked cheese (in spanish of course!) i said yes not knowing that it would be my breakfast this morning! so far are is well and Í´m learning alot. Classes start Monday and I will have to learn how to ride a combi (small van) negotiate a price and know where to get off... I´ll tell you how it goes later. I´m very fortunate that my family has the internet and a park where I can run and be safe!

Lindsey

Background Information

Taken from Goshen College website about Peru:

Located along the Pacific Ocean on the Western Coast of South America, with the Andes Mountains running throughout, the Amazon rainforest within, desert blanketing the coast and a wealthy capital surrounded by shantytowns, Perú is a country of contrasts.

The Inca named Perú, the land of four quarters, because of its Amazon jungle, high Andean mountains, coastal deserts, and islands teaming with bird life. Modern archeologists added a fifth world - Lima, the capital brimming with 8 million people in the desert. 

Study

In the morning you study Spanish with a private language teacher. In groups of 5-10, language practice challenges you to improve your speaking ability, while afternoons exploring Lima and evenings with your host family provide an opportunity to practice.

In the afternoon, seminars explore the vibrant Incan and pre-Incan history, the 1980s civil war fought against the revolutionary group, the Shining Path, as well as lectures on the indigenous movement to Lima, and the success of the women's movement in Perú.

The classroom expands outward, with visits to Callejon de Huaylas in the highlands, the shantytowns of Villa Salvador and Pamplona, and explore the catacombs of the Catedral de San Francisco in Lima.

Service

During the second six weeks, you will experience new elements of Perúvian culture, moving in with a new host family and engaging in daily service.

Service assignments range from volunteering with clinics and hospitals in the Amazon to working in schools with children, volunteering at a Quechua women's weaving cooperative, or working with a nonprofit such as Food for the Hungry, World Vision, or Habitat for Humanity.

Common dishes

Lomo Saltado - This dish consists of rice with French fries, a combination that will make newcomers look twice. It also has spicy, marinated beef strips, along with onions and hot peppers. It is very common in the highlands and along the coast.

Aji de Gallina - Also common in the Andes and on the coast, this dish of spicy chicken sauce over rice will have anyone’s mouth watering.

Paiche con Yuca - Served only in the Amazon, paiche con yucca is big boneless fish steak with fried yucca. Yucca is a root that can be found in some restaurants in the southwestern United States.

Anticuchos - This shish kabob is alpaca or beef heart, which is grilled over an open fire. This kabob is easy to purchase on street corners in tiny mountain towns to Lima. It often comes with a baked potato or fried yucca. 

Yikes! I could be in trouble if everything there is muy picante (very spicy)!!!  I will try and make the best out of it though.

Time In Peru: 

I leave April 29th and return July 28th

Please keep me in your prayers during this time!