Me? Procrastinator?

This blog is quite a testament to its title. I wrote this out at least three weeks ago in one of my classes and just haven’t typed it out. I guess it’s kind of fun to procrastinate on things that you can procrastinate on, like blogs. Anyways…

I have never been someone to procrastinate. In fact, in the past I’ve tended to do quite the opposite, get all of my homework done for the week ahead of time so I could enjoy the week, sometimes “enjoying” the week by doing the next weeks homework. Sounds crazy, I know.  I guess I don’t like the feeling that I have homework hanging over my head so I’ve always been on top of it. But I’ve realized something…

 

There is always something I could be doing.

But that doesn’t mean that I always should be doing homework (not that I’m always studying by any means).  I wouldn’t say that I’ve become a huge procrastinator here, but I would say that I’ve found more of a balance between staying on top of my homework and putting it off when I need to or want to. This is for a couple reasons.

First, I have much more time in Peru to push off homework so I really don’t have to stay on top of things because I know I’ll eventually get it done.  I’ve definitely found that it’s a lot easier to find time for schoolwork when you don’t have a job.

Secondly, in Peru, time management gets lost among the emphasis put on relationships and family. And I really like that. I could stay home and get ahead on my reading, or I could push it off and go to the movies. The latter option is obviously the more fun choice, but the non-procrastinator (and the do-er) in me pushes me to go for the first.  But one thing Peru has taught me is that building relationships and doing fun things with friends are the moments I’m going to remember in life (duh), not checking that last thing off my to-do list. I’m not going to look back on my life and marvel at the amount of things I accomplished because real lasting memories are made through relationships with others, enjoying life.

teaching Paola how to make chocolate chip cookies

I realize that this new view on life may slap me in the face when I get back to Madison and I actually have to manage my time, but I think I’ll be able to find a good balance.

Now to check “blog” off my to-do list.

Amor y Paz.

In Mancora…

Surfers find their niche among the olas

And seafood is as fresh as it comes.

Gringos bathe in sunscreen

And skin is rejuvenated by bathing in mud.

A mototaxi breeze keeps you cool

And is the chevere way to get around.

Clothing means a bikini with a wrap

And some pirated ray-ban sunglasses.

In Mancora, me divertí un montón!

Here’s some picture highlights from the trip:

Our hostel

Hammocks!!!

Hanging out on the beach

Mud Baths

Jungle Party

Mototaxi!

Amor y Paz.

Extrañando algunas cositas

Along with the last blog, I thought I’d write about things that I miss and don’t miss about home (besides the obvious things like family and friends).

Things I miss:

• WI FRESH milk
• Mexican food
• walking to class (although not so much in the winter months)
• change of seasons (spring and fall)
• short 50 minute classes (here they’re two hours, one of mine is even three!)
• feeling cozy (coffee shops, carpet, cozy couches)
• drinking faucet water
• using my debit card instead of cash
• blending in (aka not getting whistled/stared at constantly)
• pedestrians having the right of way
• general organization and efficiency
• texting, cheap phone calls, and a nice cell phone
• thunder storms (it literally never rains in Lima)
• not having to be worried about getting robbed

Things I don’t miss:

• winter (especially walking to class in freezing weather)
• how expensive it is to eat out
• $1 bills (I much prefer dollar coins)
• really expensive textbooks (I’ve spent a total of $25 on ‘textbooks’ this year)
• having class everyday
• working (although making money is nice)
• getting tan only in the summer
• super expensive movies (You can be $1 movies off the street, or to see a movie in theaters as cheap as $2 on Tuesdays)
• having to cook for myself all the time
• lack of traveling
• speaking English all the time
• having to be on time to everything
• being constantly busy and having very little chill time

For now,  I'll marvel at the differences between Peru and the US because in just over two months, I'll be missing a whole new list of things.

Amor y Paz.

Foreigner?

It’s odd how familiar Lima has gotten. I know what buses to take to get around the city, what Peruvian snacks are my favorite (margaritas), where the good places are to eat, when I’m getting ripped off, or what a non-Peruvian Spanish accent sounds like.

When taxi drivers try to make me pay twice as much, I refuse to pay the gringa price.  When people tell me prices in dollars, I convert it back to soles and think how many lunches or how many alfajores I could buy with that many soles.  When people talk about Peruvian food, I try to avoid saying that I don’t like ceviche, but emphasize the fact that I love pollo a la brasa and aji de gallina.  I may struggle with my Spanish at times, but I love it when I can throw in the word “manyas?” (Got it?) or the ever-so-popular “chevere” (cool).

It no longer feels strange to eat rice with nearly every meal, drink juice instead of milk, use soles, write the date as day/month/year, or speak Spanish.  It kinda feels like a second home and if I didn’t know I was so far away, I wouldn’t feel like I was so far away. A lot of times I have to picture myself on the map of South America to remind myself that I can’t drive home on the weekends (although tanning in January was a good reminder).

And despite what Peruvians might say about my appearance as a foreigner, I really don’t feel like one anymore.

Amor y Paz.

Thinking about the EEUU

I finally have a flight back to the States! I’ll be in the land of red, white, and blue on the 12th of July (sadly, missing the freedom celebrations by a week but not much I can do about a July 7th final).  It’s weird to think about going back because I’m sure a lot will have changed in the almost year that I’ll have been here.  I guess I kind of have this thought that while I’ve been here life just stopped back in Madison and Menomonie (my hometown) and will start up again when I get back. Obviously that’s not the case because 8 months have gone by. Honestly, it’s hard to believe I’ve been here that long already.  Based on how fast last semester went by, I know these next few months are going to be gone in the blink of an eye (so to say).

I am excited to go home, but I know when I get back to Wisconsin I’ll be hit with real life. It’s a kind of paradise here as I have much less homework and I don’t have a job.  This is the most free time I’ve had since….probably Middle School, and probably the most free time I’ll ever have again in my life. So I’m really soaking in every Peruvian second, knowing that I’ll miss it, but at the same time looking forward to going back to everyone in the EEUU.

Amor y Paz.

So long sweet summer...

School is now in full swing and I actually have homework again. I do miss the time at the beach and the unlimited free time, but I guess it’s  nice to feel productive. This semester I’m taking four classes-Peruvian Narrative Literature, Phonetics, Human Development 1, and Education and Development in Peru.  I’m interested in all of my classes (although my literature class is pretty boring) so that makes doing homework not so bad. My favorite class is by far phonetics as I love anything and everything language. I’ve also already taken phonetics in English at UW, so that makes it easier to understand the linguistic vocabulary. Anyways, I do have some homework I have to get to, so I’m going to get back to that!

Amor y Paz.

Carnaval in the land of blue, green and yellow

If anyone knows anything about Carnaval (Portuguese spelling) or Carnival (English spelling), you know that Brazil is world-famous for their pre-lent celebration, or maybe a better word to use would be crazy-over-the-top-country-wide-festival.  The biggest cities, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, are famous for the competition of samba schools in their Sambodromos.  While in northern Brazil the celebration is carried out in blocos, big groups of people following semi-like trucks calld trios topped by Brazilian bands. The party really isn’t complete without music, a very important part of Brazilian culture.

Well, when I decided I was going to study abroad in Peru, there was one vacation destination that I for sure was going to hit up–Brazil.  I’ve taken Portuguese at UW, but that’s not the only reason I wanted to go. In fact, the reason I wanted to go to Brazil was the same reason why I wanted to learn Portuguese in the first place.

My senior year in high school I became good friends with an exchange student from Brazil, Carol.  I figured if I was already in South America, I had to go and visit her in Brazil as I hadn´t seen her for two and a half years. I started saving money early on, as Brazil is pretty expensive, and when I got to South America I started planning my Brazilian adventure, deciding that I would go for Carnaval in March.  After buying my flight, the trip was official and I was really excited! I decided to spend two weeks in Carol´s city, Joao Pessoa, located on the eastern most point of Brazil.

When I arrived, my thought was “this is paradise.” She lives really close to the beach and the sun shows its face all day long among the striking green palms and perfectly blue sky.

Here’s my top 10 from the trip (in no particular order).

1. Jet-skiing and eating crab in areias vermelhas (red sand) out in the ocean.
The ocean near João Pessoa isn’t very deep, so you can stand up in the ocean pretty far out. Oh yeah, and the Atlantic is warm unlike the Pacific!

2. Speaking Portuguese.
I´ve taken three semesters of Portuguese at UW and it was great to practice. To me it sounds like a mixture of Spanish and French and I think it’s a beautiful language. Considering how easy Spanish is coming to me now, Portuguese was frustrating at times, but Brazilians LOVE speaking English so I was able to give my brain a rest every now and again.

This is one of the souvenirs I bought. Their flag says “order and progress.”

3. Cafuçu.
This is a Brazilian pre-Carnaval party that takes place at night in a plaza with a live band. Cafuçu is known for its crazy costumes and outfits and Carol and I did not hold back.

4. Learning Brazilian music.
Brazilian tunes are a key part to Carnaval, as it’s a huge part of their culture.  A lot of the songs are summer hits that get repeated by various bands throughout the festivities. I was able to learn some songs and I even got a cd to bring back so I can keep jamming to hits brasileiros.

5. My going away/American food party.
The last night I was there, Carol and I threw a party and made American food aka cheeseburgers, fries and milkshakes and let me tell you it was delicious.  Seven of her friends came over and besides pigging out, we talked and even had an impromptu sing-along as some of the guys brought guitars.

6. Trying lots of new food.
My favorite Brazilian treat was definitely açai, a fruit (kind of looks like a blueberry) that they freeze and then blend. It has an ice-cream like texture and is just the right amount of sweet. It’s very refreshing and apparently really good for you too. In Brazil they serve it as a drink or as a snack with whatever toppings you want. I had mine with strawberries and bananas, sweetened condensed milk, and different kinds of cereal. So yummy!

7. Carnaval in Olinda.
João Pessoa doesn’t have a Carnaval celebration, so Carol and I took a bus to Olinda, a city about two hours away.  And while I was begging middle school boys to spray me with their squirt guns (it was super hot!), I really felt like I was experiencing culture at its finest as we danced through the streets to Brazilian music.

8. Virgens do Tambú.
This is a Carnaval party that takes place in the streets of João Pessoa at night. The best part of Virgens is that all the guys dress up as girls, complete with dresses, makeup and for the extra brave guys—heels.  Needless to say, I was laughing all night.

9. Hanging out with Carol’s friends.
I had a blast spending time with Carol and her Brazilian friends. I really enjoyed not playing the role of tourist with my nose in my Lonely Planet book, as I could just let Carol be my guide to everything Brazil.

10. Staying with Carol’s family.
I felt so blessed to stay with Carol and her family in their home. They fed me amazing Brazilian food and treated me like I was one of their own. I couldn’t say “obrigada” enough!

Amor e Paz.