Thursday, February 13, 2014

This week has been great, like always. I am still very content here. 

On Saturday all I can remember doing is going to a party. I went with Yanela and her friend Barbara. I had a lot of fun. All the music was in Spanish but it was okay. I recognized some songs. I made a couple friends. A lot of guys kept asking me to dance. I don't know how to dance really so I kept declining. I felt so bad. I finally danced with one boy because he knew Barbara and he taught me how to dance. And so I did the Salsa with him. Very fun. On Sunday I felt like part of the family.  I love the church people and the members. Me and Yanela and the next door neighbor rode bikes around the neighborhood in the evening. The weather was gorgeous by that point. We rode down the street to another friends house. We sat in her living room and chatted with her family for about 5 minutes then returned home. We ate "picaron" if I remember the name correctly. It is like a funnel cake with syrup. It is very good. Sometimes. I've had some nasty ones. The syrup has to he right or it's gross. I love my "extended family" here a lot. Tía Mari is the cutest thing ever. Her and Chuy are brother and sister. They live on the 3rd floor with the grandma and grandpa. They are all just so cute. I think it was Sunday evening that we all sat around the table and worked on learning English. Tía Mari is a lawyer, but she is still taking English Classes at a university. Jasmine was there trying to learn too. Me and Yanela were instructing them. On Monday Yanela and I woke up early to go to the gym. We hoped to go and get done fast so we could come home and go to the beach and surf. When we got there it took forever for Yanela's friend who is a member to come. We ended up not getting home until 12:30. We wouldn't make it to the beach in time to go with my exchange student friends. Instead we just stayed home and slept. Then we went to the bigger grocery store in town. Still no chocolate chips. I did find a tiny expensive bottle of Peter Pan peanut butter. I made a pan of recess peanut butter cups when I got home. No graham crackers but we used vanilla ones instead. Local people that spoke English instructed me on what chocolate to replace for the chocolate chips and what crackers to use for a "pie crust". My host family and I have enjoyed eating them all week. That night we were supposed to go to a memorial service at 10 o'clock but our idiot dog broke a pipe on the roof. All 4 floors were flooded. It was kind of funny. It was funny for me. No one else. Haha. Stupid dog. Hahaha. He's a pain. But I guess he makes life interesting. We just went to sleep instead. On Tuesday I had dance classes so I didn't go to the gym with Yanela. Afterwards we went to the funeral of Elvis's cousin. He died of a heart attack. I like funerals. I know that's weird. They are peaceful to me though. After every funeral in Peru the family lines up and EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. in attendance has to go and say "me siento pasane" or something like that. I don't remember. It is basically just telling the family you feel bad or something. So I did that. I just thought how much that must suck for the family of the dead person. They aren't even thinking clearly at that point. I'm sure they don't want to stand there and have every person hug them and tell them "I'm sorry for you loss". Every. Person. There were a lot of people in attendance. I met the brothers of my grandpa here at the funeral. The are the cutest little men in the world. I just adore old people. They are all so cute. One was wearing this cute little hat. Awe. We also have a cousin I think with Down syndrome or something. She was so cute. She loved me and kept kissing me hand. We talked to her for a long time. She was hillarious. She made 2 I love you signs with her hands and would spin them in a circle like I super cool disk jocky all the time. It was super funny. So I thought the line was a pain. Get this. After every funeral in Peru the immediate family of the dead person has to prepare a meal for EVERY. PERSON. IN ATTENDANCE. AT THE. FUNERAL. at their house!!!!  That makes their house crazy messy I'm sure!  We ended up doing it at one of the family members work offices though because the house was too small. They line chairs up against the wall and the family serves you. Then. They pass around beer. They just sit in those chairs and eat and drink. Jasmine sat on my lap, the Down syndrome girl on my right, and Yanela on my left. I had a thouroly good time teaching Jasmine and the ds girl English. I was laughing a lot. We didn't stay that long at the after party. Yanela hates them. She doesn't like how it feels like they are celebrating someone's death haha. We rode home with the Grandma and Grandpa in a taxi. I came home and went straight to bed. Wednesday we woke up and ate. My host mom made us lunches to take with us. Then we went to the church at 8:30. We were picked up their by a taxi van. Darcie's dad works for a company who gives them taxis for free whenever they need it. They are company taxis and therefore always safe. We all piled in the van. There were 9 of us kids I think. We went to an orphanage 45 minutes away. It was my first time seeing real grass I think. I see the grass in the parks here. But this grass wasn't city grass. It was grass on the outside of the city. It was nice haha. The orphanage is not really an orphanage. It is more like a group home. It is where kids go when their parents are tied up in legal matters. The government just dumps them there. Their only access to electricity is through solar panels. On days it is cloudy they have no water or electricity. There was recently a long period of overcast days, like I have said before. They went 10 days without water. 10. Days. No showers. No drinking. They live off of donations. On the 7th day someone donated some fruit so they could make juice out of it. No air. No water. Summertime. On the 7th day Darcie and Nicole were there for their visit like always.  Darcie said one girl was crying to her. She was so dehydrated though that there were no tears. They live in sort of huts. It is very sad. The kids seem happy though despite the conditions. At least they have a roof, and food most of the time. We helped clean up one house. The boys bathroom was just disgusting. You know how I am with bathrooms. Can't take a dirty toilet. I spent a while scrubbing that thing clean. We also helped fold all the laundry. We were done surprisingly fast with the entire house. There were a lot of us though. And the older girls who lived there helped us too. I enjoyed talking to the girls who were 16 that lived there. Then we went and asked Tía Sara if there was anything else for us to do. Apparently the place is typically disgustingly dirty. They were having some form of an inspection though so it was really clean. There was nothing else for us to do. We played with the kids until lunch time. At lunch the kids went to their houses and we went to the library. We told all sorts of funny stories and were laughing the whole time. I felt bad because we were speaking English the entire time and Yanela speaks well, but not THAT well. It was hard for her to keep up with the conversation the entire time I am sure. She was probably extremely bored. On Wednesday night we went to the Rotary meeting. I had a ton of fun. I talked to everyone. Locals in Soanish and exchange students in English. My counselor, Maria, and I talked for a long time in Spanish. A local lady was sitting next to us and talking to us too. She was very very very impressed with how well I spoke for only being here 3 weeks. I guess that is a good thing then. I still feel like I don't speak that well at all though. When I get back from Ecuador me and Maria are going to go to a big ball in Miraflores with a bowling ally and stuff. I am excited. I am very happy here. I wouldn't mind living here. I am very happy with my life. I need to decide what I want to study in college. Still don't know. 

Today I woke up.  Seminary for a few minutes. Then I made breakfast for my host family. They leave pretty early for work so I had to start at 7:30. I suck at cooking. My breakfast tacos just don't compare to moms. I suck at cooking. I'm marrying rich and hiring a cool. For sure. I just want to tell you The Lord answers prayers. I don't know why even in the small things he answers my prayers.  Always. The small insignificant things. Anything I ever want he gives me. I don't understand why. I really don't. It baffles my mind. I do not understand why I am so blessed. I am very very blessed and The Lord sure does love me.  

Girls at the orphanage. 

Pray for me to learn Spanish faster. Love you all. Bye. 

Friday, February 7, 2013

Wednesday:

We had a huge water fight that extended up all 4 flights of our stairs, our garage, our street, and our neighbors. It was so much fun. A cold shower was easier to take once you're already soaked. At lunch we talked about the difference between here and the US. I like it here much better. I don't know how to really explain it. The people are more humble I guess. No one is constantly running around like a chicken with their head cut off in their own selfish busy world. I even live in a big city and it's still different. Family is more important here. I haven't met someone who is divorced yet. People live with their families forever, really. We have family that lives above is, just like many other people in Peru. People work but somehow it's just simpler than in the States. I like it a lot. 

Thursday:

I read the 1st hunger games all day. Literally. Finished it.  Went to dance. Loved it. It was more of a pop dance. Came home. Read.  I took a quick shower after a couple of hours then went to on the long drive to pick up Yanela from the airport. It took us 2 hours even though it is in Lima too. The tragic was horrendous. I got another headache. The exhaust from the trucks does something to me. Those car rides are horrible. I was in the worst mood I've been in in a long time. I guess my medicine was wearing off. I wanted to kill everyone. I was sitting in the back middle seat with Yanela's friend and Grandma on either side of me. I was extremely irritable. Extremely. I wanted to murder someone irritable. Thankfully I don't get like that often. When I finally got out of the car I was thrilled. I walked into the airport and felt like I owned the world. I realized I loved being here, again. I can't speak to anyone, really. I'm in my own world. No friends. No family. Just me. It makes me feel confident and strong not to rely on anyone at all. I love it so much. I keep thinking maybe I will get tired of being alone, but I really don't. I love it. The airport was horrible though. While we were waiting for Yanela not one, but 2 flights from Madeid Spain landed and we got to watch all the happy people hug, kiss, cry, and run to great their friends and family. That was miserable for me. I know it's stupid, but it was just Spain and peoples reactions who hadn't seen eachother in a long time. I felt like it was a reflection of how I'd feel inside. I know I just said I love being alone. Which is true. But it was just strange to here all the people saying "Spain" when asked where they were from. Anyways. That was miserable and I wanted to leave so bad but I just had to stand there. And then there was this little 5 year old boy who wrapped his arms around his brothers neck when he arrive and just hung there. He wouldn't let go of his embrace. Even when the brother stood up to walk. That was torture too. Made me miss Eathyn. THEN this little Peruvian girl rode by in a stroller. Peruvians don't typically remind me of Mari. They are just different. But this one had her hair straighted and had it half up. It was about the same length as Maria's. I was brought back to the time I straightened Mari's hair. It was just all together horrible. I wanted to go home to my house here and hide in my bed. But again, I just had to stand there and wait. We waited for Yanela to come out for 2 hours. I think. There was tons of her friends there and her family, too. She's only been gone about 2 months. It was funny to me. They acted like it'd been a lifetime. Her mom cried. Kids are not as independent here though I don't think. They can't drive until they are 18, so that probably has something to do with it. We all went to McDonald afterwards. I had more fun their. I got out of my horrible mood with some more food in me. I was laughing and having a great time. It's funny. Here they sell buckets of chicken at McDonald's. Peruvians and their chicken!!!  It's so funny. Elvis ordered buckets of chicken and paid for everyone. How funny. The whole experience just didn't feel like a trip to Mcdonalds for sure. 

Friday: Started hunger games 2. Can't put it down either. Doing something with Yanela and her friend who spent the night last night. Yanela is speaking to me in English today.  I don't like it. I will make her stop. Tonight some exchange kid is having a birthday part tonight so me and Barbara are going to go to it. 

Monday, February 3, 2014

Saturday I had another dance class. It is funny trying to move like Latinos. I'll get there eventually. Hahahaha. I was supposed to hang out with the young women afterwards at a pool party. I didn't get home until like 1:45 and we still had to eat. We were supposed to meet at the church at 2. So I didn't make it. They gave me the address but did not know the district. My host dad didn't know where the address was. I couldn't find it on google maps either.  I just stopped trying and took a much needed nap. It was so nice. Me and Natasja had been staying up way too late. She had gone shopping with the other Danish girls while I was at dance classes. I slept for 2 hours. Then when I woke up we went to a movie at the mall. Diana came with us. We went and saw some movie about dinosaurs. I actually understood everything even though it was in Spanish!!  I went somewhere by myself for the fist time in a long time. It felt good and scary at the same time. I didn't have access to wifi so if I got lost or something I would have to somehow try to communicate without knowing a lot of Spanish. Google translate wouldn't work. I asked a man where the bathroom was in Spanish and then went. Yes that is it, just to the bathroom. But it was still such a relief to be alone and not depending on anyone. I am an adult, after all. It is strange to have to rely on people so much. When we came home we were going to go kareokeing. We didn't though. We put in a movie to watch while we ate dinner. We ended up just watching the entire movie. Then me and Natasja just ate more and talked. We quizzed eachother on who knew the most European countries, us states, and South American countries. I have GOT to learn more about the world. I am very ignorant and I don't like it. I barely knew any countries in Europe!!  We ended up not going to bed until about 3 again.  We enjoyed eating and talking though. I am so addicted to strawberries and condensed milk. The milk here is sweeter and it makes for the best dessert!!  On Sunday Natasja came to church with me. She said church is just not a big deal in Denmark. She loved the support system of our church. She said no one at her church knows eachother. They all go so rarely that they don't develop friendships. She was bored in Sacrement meeting, but once we got in Sunday School and Young Wemons it was better. She said she was jealous and that I was lucky to have such a support system and automatic friends and ward family no matter where I went in the world. She loved how nice and accepting all the people were. I bore my testimony in Spanish in Sacrement meeting. I do not use a lot of church words such as "prayer" in my everyday vocabulary so I couldn't do a very complex testimony. It was short and simple. It was great to be able to speak in front of all those people in Spanish though. It shows I've already came a long way from that first Rotary Meeting when I couldn't!! I worked on getting my membership records transferred yesterday. On the way home we stopped by the store. We could have gone home if I wanted first because they know I don't go into stores and stuff on Sunday. But it was hot. It was a  hot trip back to the store for them, and we were passing it anyways. I told them they could go in and I'd just wait outside. I did. I just say on the sidewalk outside and waited. We came home and ate lunch. I then took another nap while Natasja went and bought some last minute things for her flight home.  While laying in bed I thought of the fact I was sad to be away from my mother. She is my best friend and it is sad not to rely on her in the same way. But it is good for me. I can't rely on my mother for the rest of my life. I have to grow up at some point. I hope she will always be my best friend though. I didn't let myself get sad over the fact. I just went to sleep. Then we made Danish cake!!  It is super yummy. It was fun to make that with Noda (I thought it was spelt Nora with just a rolled "r". But it is in fact, Noda), my host  mom, Diana, and Natasja. We had fun.

 I are the cake to watching the Super Bowl. It was probably the boringest came of football I've ever watched. Games that a blow outs just are not fun to me. Seahawks won over the Broncos by a long shot. At least Mrs. Lancaster is somewhere disappointed in the world. It brings me great satisfaction. I need to serve more. The other day I held a girl I didn't know on my lap on the bus. It is not often people are generous on the buses. The mother of the girl seemed so relived and grateful that I held her stumbling daughter. It is hard enough for an adult to stand in a full bus. It is harder for a child. It made me happy to make her happy. Anyways, back to the day, Natasja left at 10:30. It sucks. We has fun together. It was cool to spend a week with her. I will definitely stay with her again someday. Hopefully I will stay with her sometime this year in Chile. If not I will definitely stay with her in Denmark. They have a beach house in Denmark that she said we will go to someday. As soon as I earn enough money, I guess. I skyped my babies while watching the Super Bowl. I miss them. Ryan already looked bigger and Eathyn talked more maturely. I love them so much. It sucks I have to grow up and go to college a and get married and do adult things. It sucks I don't get to be with them every second while they grow up. It isn't fair. But such is life I guess.

I heard kids having a water balloon fight in the street last night. Me and Natasja wanted to go throw balloons at them from the top of out terrace, but we don't have balloons yet. 

Me and Natasja rode in a motorcar. They are so cute and Peruvian. The man kind of posed in the picture, which made us laugh. 

Saturday, February 1, 2014

On Thursday I had my first dance class. It was hot. It was fun though. I was definitely the oldest person in the class. The other girls seemed maybe 13. But it was still fun. Afterwards I went to hang out with the exchange girls. My Spanish has probably not improved at all this week because we speak English to eachother so much. They had made Danish desserts. So amazing. We are going to make them at my house tomorrow. Then me and Natasja came home. We went to the market to buy junk food for a movie. I also bought the only slightly healthy snack food I could find in our grocery store.  I bought granola bars to carry with me all the time. We came home and watched a "scary movie". It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. On Friday I woke up and went and purchased my ticket for the Ecuador trip. On my way out the door Natasja was coming back from the market. She told me she had found Catching Fire on DVD in English. I was so so so excited. Elvis drove me, Nora, and Natasja right across the street from Paola's house. I could see their house from the car. But he still had Nora get out and walk us to their house. That must have sucked, because then Nora had to ride a bus back to the house. It was litteraly so close. Then we all went shopping in the "Centre". It was amazing. I've never seen shopping like that. I was never ending. Streets and streets packed with shopping like 6 floors up. Crazy. I didn't have any money because I'd just bought the ticket so I didn't buy anything. At about 7:30 I ate a granola bar. It saved my life. We came home by bus. Now I know the bus from Paola's house is bus "G". Nora showed us. We stopped at the market before coming home so I could buy the Catching Fire movie too. Natasja had to buy more grapes, of course. She loves them. Then we came home and did Zumba. My hips and butt are sore from it now. We ate pizza. Then did more Zumba. We did Zumba until probably 12:00. Nora and my host mom did it too. My host mom was so cute doing it. Haha. She's just so tiny!!!  Then we started the catching fire movie at 12:30. Me and Natasja both hopped in the shower and rinsed off the sweat from the dancing first thought. Zumba and no air. Not a good combination. We watched catching fire and pigged out. Once again. It was fun. I love that movie. We ended up going to bed finally at 3:30. There is one tradition that I should warn you about here. It is super funny and kind of sounds like a joke. Every February (for the entire month) they fill up big balloons with water. Not the small ones like in Texas. They use normal sized ones. Then they wait by their balconys or windows. When people walk by they throw the balloons at them!!  Everyone!!  For the whole month!!  I've already got hit by 2!!  I guess I just have bad luck!!  I got hit by one on he 29 and one on the 31 of January. My host mom was mad because it's not Febrary yet. That is just so funny to me!!!  Everyone in Peru does it!!!  I guess because February is hot or something. Today is February 1. I haven't been out of the house yet though. This will be fun.