Verbs, pizza and dust bunnies

Yesterday was another beautiful day here in Lima. We have now had three days of summer and everyday I keep thinking it is going to get cool again. Then I remember we have three more months of summer! In the afternoon I was getting antsy and had a hard time concentrating in the apartment, so I grabbed some homework and stopped to pick up some Chinese-takeout. My goal was to find a quiet place in the park and sit and memorizing verbs and vocabulary. My plan didn't work. Despite the fact there are many gringos and gringas in this area, no matter where I sat down, people came up and started chatting. I did get to practise my Spanish, which was great, but my memorization plan failed... Finally I moved on, left the park and found a hidden coffee shop, spotted a table in the back, grabbed a juice and sat down. Two minutes later I got company. A very chatty young guy who had gone to American school and he made himself at home at my table. I put my books away and gave up on my verbs... Next time I will try the library and see if I have better luck.


Pizza party



K dressed for last weeks prom

Tonight we had a huge pizza/graduation party for K who graduated from high school about a week ago. It was fun to have a full house. His family came from Huacho and I got to talk a bit more with his siblings whom I will be living with. It was fun to see them again, and I can't wait to move next week.

This morning my current roommate and friend A was in the cleaning mode, and we ended up rearranging the whole bedroom, cleaning and moving furniture. It was fun and we found a bunch of dust bunnies when we moved the heavy stuff... Cleaning house feels good, especially when a new year is approaching. It's a good time to take inventory of my life and think about, not new years resolutions, but what I want to see happen next year, set goals and plan how to make them happen. I'm sure I will clean out some of my very own dust bunnies...

Happy New... uhmmm Christmas!!??

Truly enjoyed my first Peruvian Christmas. I have to admit though, it felt a lot more like New Years Eve due to the fireworks and firecrackers. After a Christmas meal, consisting of ham, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, beet salad, corn on the cob and fruit salad, and gift giving at Larry's apartment we left and drove across town. We arrived at the house of my friend's family around 10pm, but that was OK because the festivities don't start until midnight. I even had time to rest a bit in my friend's very pink childhood room. I loved their house. Downstairs was a little store/restaurant, a dining area for their customers to eat, a couple of bathrooms, a bedroom and a kitchen. Upstairs were several more bedrooms and another kitchen and a dining/living room. My favorite part was the open space right when you walked up the steps. There was no roof, but that is not an unusual thing here in Lima since it doesn't really rain here. It has drizzled a few times since I got here, but it is more like a mist, not real rain... I know on a clear night that is where I would hang out and stargaze, although I am not sure how often that is possible here due to the smog. Maybe in the summertime...
For those of you who read my post about the Nativity scene in the park (see Dec 18th), wondering where Baby Jesus was, I got an explanation tonight. Jesus is put in the manger at midnight. Most families seem to have one in their living room. I thought that was so cool! What a nice tradition to do together!
At midnight we all went outside and watched the sky come alive with explosions in all directions. It was almost impossible to speak! It was so loud, but so beautiful. I was very impressed with the celebration and I could have stayed out there all night, but eventually it was time to go inside to eat dinner. I don't think I have had dinner at 1am before, but turkey tastes great at any time, day or night. Which is great because that is what we had for breakfast too. I could get used to this! Turkey is one of my favorite meals if you didn't know.
Christmas day we spent visiting relatives and neighbors. And ate. A lot. Amazing food as usual. Had a taste of the delicious ceviche that my friend's father cooked up for us and there was also fried fish, rice, chicken and salad. Both of his son's have been out of the country for a long time working, and they have been missing certain Peruvian dishes, so he went out of his way to make an amazing lunch/dinner for them and around 25 other relatives.
Everybody was so welcoming and friendly and despite the fact we had trouble communicating, I had such a lovely time. That night I was exhausted from all the concentration it took to try to understand as much as possible of everybody's conversations. I haven't started dreaming in Spanish yet. When that happens I know I will have had a breakthrough.

Feliz Navidad/Merry Christmas/God Jul

We have 4 little houseguests visiting over the holidays. Roy, Hector, Jamie and little Brian are staying with us until the new year. They live in an orphanage, but we get to have them for Christmas and New Years. They decorated our tree yesterday, so it is beginning to look a little bit more like Christmas now. Last night we went to church and watched a Christmas musical put together by the youth. Although I didn't understand much, I was so excited to see an older boy with down syndrome participating in the show and he did a wonderful job. And my friend Sheyla did a great job singing and dancing too!

Today I am planning on watching my Swedish cartoons online, listen to a few Swedish Christmas songs, talk to family on the phone, and tonight we are having a dinner here at the apartment before I go with Evelyn to her house to celebrate some more with her family. It's not a white Christmas, but it will be a good one! Merry Christmas to all my friends and family!

Short visit to Huacho

On Wednesday we headed to Huacho in a rental car. Kevin had gone on the bus the day before to visit his family so there was room for me. The weather is a lot warmer and sunnier than in Lima, and it was nice to get some more color on my face, arms and legs! This is my third time to Huacho and I was so excited to see the kids again, especially my boy Jose. We were going to the orphanage in the evening when they were getting out of school, but right when we got there, we found out that government officials were there so we couldn't get in and had to wait 24 more hours before seeing them. I had to tell myself - what is one more day when I have waited over a year?
I met the family that I am renting a room from starting in January. I bought and dropped off a mattress and I will need to get a fan b/c summers get pretty hot there and it already felt like a sauna in there. The 2 kids, 15 and 10, will help me with my Spanish and I will try to teach them English. It's a good trade.

My new neighborhood and mattress

Saturday was our Christmas party for the kids; took them out for dinner, showed a movie, read the Christmas story and handed out presents. It was so good to see the kids that I remember from the previous years and also some new ones, but especially Jose. I can hardly believe how big he is getting!! Not just in age, but for a Peruvian he is pretty large. We sat together during dinner and did our best to communicate about life and compared scars! Turns out we both have scars on our arms from getting cut on glass. We also sat together on the floor in the room back at the orphanage when the movie was playing. He put his head on my shoulder and his hand on my arm, and I will cherish that moment forever. Not many 14 year old boys would do that when his buddies are around. I am so thankful to be here! This morning we drove back to Lima very early. I am anxious for the holidays to be over so I can get back there again!!

Jose

Cow heart, soccer balls & baby Jesus

 

I have been staying with my friends here in Lima, but they had a guest from Colorado who flew in late Wednesday night and early next morning the whole group flew off to Cusco for 4 days. I could have gone, but ticket prices are pretty high when you get them last minute, and I would like to go for a little longer when I do go next time. I always suffer from insomnia and get sick when I am there due to the altitude, so I decided to stay back this time. Used my time to study, laundry and go for long walks. Logging lots of step on my pedometer since I had plenty of time to explore the area where I am staying. The photos above are some of the amazing views I am blessed to see on my daily walks. I am grateful I don't have to pile on three layers of clothing to go outside like I would have if I was still in AK. Their temperatures dropped pretty low this past week. At least that is what most FB posts tell me...
Although I thoroughly enjoyed my solitude for a few days, I was so happy to see everybody again on Sunday night! They had lots of stories to tell about the Christmas party they had prepared for about 150 kids. I have to admit I was a little disappointed I missed that...
It was their guest's last night before flying back home early the next morning, so we all went out for dinner before he had to go to the airport. We went to a famous American restaurant, but I don't think I will have their burgers again, if I do come back. I'll stick with the pasta dish next time. I guess there were a couple Peruvian celebrities at the table right next to us, an actor and a singer, but I was clueless until someone pointed them out to me of course.
Sunday was also the day when I tried cow heart. It wasn't that bad at all, to my surprise. A little chewy.

Cow heart

Tomorrow we are all heading to Huacho, where I will be living after the holidays. We are leaving early in the morning, in a rental car loaded with Christmas presents, and are coming back Friday. I get to see "my boy" Jose, whom I met 2 years ago for the first time and have been sponsoring since. He was 12 then, almost 15 now, and I can't wait to spend more time with him. I braved the department store today to find him a soccer ball for Christmas - success. I was even able to get their membership discount when the lady behind me was nice enough to offer me her membership card, so I got the ball for half price - $8. And they wrapped it for me. I wasn't looking forward to trying to figure out how to wrap a ball... but now I know how!

Today on my walk I found this life size nativity scene in one of the parks. Very nice, but there was no child... I wonder if they will put it out later, or if someone perhaps stole Jesus??

Christmas party at Wilma's

Today was Christmas party number one. We did a quick Spanish lesson in the morning, then drove over an hour to an area called Comas to see Wilma and her kids. Last time I was there was two years ago, and at that time her building was not finished yet, it still needed a roof. This time the school/daycare center was in full swing. It was great to see the place full of kids, from three years old to thirteen! Having the Center is so valuable for both the kids and the moms, knowing their kids are safe and cared for when they are working. Most of the mom's also volunteer their time to help run the place, by cooking or cleaning etc. There were about 70-80 kids there today, and we set up a bunch of little chairs, played a few Christmas cartoons, served hot chocolate and handed out a fruitcake-like sweetbread that is super popular here - paneton, and shared the true Christmas story with them too.

paneton

We brought big bags full och Christmas presents, but Pastor Wilma will hand them out on Sunday and they were so excited when they saw all the presents!

lots of hot chocolate

My favorite part of the day was seeing my little friend Amaru again, although he isn't so little anymore! He is fifteen and grew a few inches since I last saw him. About a year ago, my church raised money and I got to help build him and his family a house on a piece of property he had bought with his own earnings. It was great to see his mom and younger siblings too!!! I hope to get a chance to come back and visit their house and spend some more time with them.


Amaru (and goofy Pocho in the back)





My newest little friend - Geraldine



Wrapping, wrapping and wrapping some more...

Slept great, because I slept in one of the rooms facing away from the high-traffic road - haven't adjusted to the city noices quite yet, and had a really relaxing morning listening to a great teaching on Genesis online. My church in Homer doesn't post the teaching until later this week, but I found one on You tube. Later I went to the store to buy a newspaper and food and brought it to the park for a picnic. Struggled reading through the travel section of the paper without using a dictionary, just to practise my reading comprehension. It was difficult but fun, and I felt like I was just like one of the locals hanging out in the park on a Sunday afternoon. Talking with a man that had lived in Europe for awhile and he wanted to discuss religion with me. His English was very poor but he did speak French, so we had a long conversation in a mix of French, Spanish and of course a little English... I knew studying French would come in handy one day!!

When I got home it was time for the elves in Santa's workshop to get busy. There were seven of us wrapping for over 5 hours, and we still have a few more toys to wrap next week. We all had a lot of fun and I got to practise Spanish and the other elves practised their English. Lots of talking and laughter. I am so glad I get to be part of all these Christmas preparations. I won't have a white Christmas, but I think this will be a good one!

Later tonight I got to S kype with

a few friends from Homer. It was great to hear their voices again and catch up on what's been going on with them this last week. I miss them, but not the weather - ice!! It is supposed to be summer here in Lima but the winter haze is stubbornly lingering so the sun can't break through.It will be here soon though and I am looking forward to feeling the warmth of the sun once again.                             

Moises

This little guy, Moises, stole my heart today... he is four years old and  full of energy, mischief, love and kisses. I was invited to go with my friends, this morning, to a Christian orphanage they recently connected with. I was told beforehand how different this place was compared to most of the State run orphanages they work with, and as I walked through the gates I could feel the difference immediately. It was a beautiful piece of property which included the dorms, school, church, playground and an area for ducks and chickens. The kids worked together, helping with cooking, doing laundry, watching the younger kids, etc, and it felt like they were one big family. It warmed my heart that there are places like that for the kids, after visiting so many other, "gloomier" orphanages these past few years. If things don't work out for me in Huacho, I would love to come and volunteer my time and help teach the kids English in their school, but Huacho is still my next stop...
When we arrived home, we found bags and bags full of toys in the living room, that had been delivered, and that will need to be wrapped and tagged tomorrow for upcoming Christmas parties at several different orphanages this month! It was so exciting too see all the fun stuff the kids of all ages are going to enjoy; balls, dolls, MP3 players, action figures, trucks, jump ropes, marbles, watches etc. I am so excited I get to be an elf and help get them ready for the kids.

I've been having lots of opportunities for cultural experiences this whole week. Yesterday was jam packed full of "firsts" for me! First time on one of the city buses. First time I saw a Starbucks with valet parking. First time I used a man powered treadmill (circa 1960's maybe?). First time I went to a soccer game in Peru! This was an exciting event for me. Can hardly remember last time I went to a soccer game, but I have missed it. Growing up I went to as many games as I could. Boy, those Lima fans know how to cheer. There were drums and a lot of clapping, chanting and jumping. Sounded a lot like what I think a Rio carnival must sound like...We were over an hour early and there was not a quiet moment for the next 3 hours. Don't think the swedes in my hometown could quite measure up to last night's crowd. The game ended 0-0, but the second half was especially exciting. I hope I get another chance to go, although I must admit, getting home at 11pm was a little nerve racking... I put my hoodie up to cover my "gringoness" as much as possible, but I know from experience that things can get out of hand quickly with crazy soccer hooligans around. A merchandise lady got robbed in front of us and we saw a cop on a horse whip somebody that was being a bit rowdy. Luckily we eventually found a taxi and made it home safe. I believe we were at high risk of getting mugged if we would have stuck around much longer. It was still so worth it!!
After being here for a week, I am starting to notice the language is getting a little easier for me, as my vocabulary is growing and I am having more and more chances to practise communicating. Today I got lots of practise with the kids and the workers at the orphanage, and I am definitely understanding more and more. Creating proper sentences is the most challenging part, but I'm trying and I am doing better than a week ago! This is a good motivator for me to continue studying, believing that I'll make more improvements this next week.

Waiting for the whistle...

As far as racing goes, I can't say I have much experience standing on that line, waiting for the whistle to blow, but I believe I am feeling the same kind of urgent restraint inside right now...
Today is day 5 in Peru, and I wish I could put my Spanish books under my pillow and wake up tomorrow morning being fluent! My plans were to put in about 8 hours of language studies once I got here, but my brain hasn't wanted to co-operated at that pace, at least not yet. Up until now I have only managed to do about 4hours/day but I am hoping to increase that gradually.
I am enjoying my time with friends here in Lima very much, but I am so longing to get settled in Huacho, maybe around Christmas time... In the meantime I am trying to take advantage of all the opportunities and help I have here. Every morning I get to sit in on L's Spanish lessons, led by A, for about an hour, and then throughout the day I study on my own, mixing it up with grammar, vocabulary, P imsleur, R osetta and Mango...
Last night A let me help her make L omo S altado, my favorite Peruvian dish - with meat, rice, potatoes, onions and tomatoes. It was amazing as usual. She is an excellent cook and a patient teacher and I hope I can learn a lot from her while staying here, both Spanish and Peruvian cooking... Last Sunday I got to come with her to her parent's house, meet her wonderful family and have sweet bread and hot chocolate. I felt so welcomed by all of them, and both A and E helped me with translating, so the conversation went a little deeper than just introductions. I'm so looking forward to the day when I can say exactly what I want on my own!!! Whenever I have visited Lima before I have never had the time to visit my friend's families, and I am excited to meet the rest of them during the next few weeks. It is such an honor to be invited to their homes.
A few days ago I went for a walk down to the ocean to take a break from the books, check out the waves and watch the surfers. I met a very friendly instructor whom had lived in the US for 4 years, so his English was great. We talked for almost an hour. Turns out he is also a singer in a punk rock band, and I checked out his band on You tube when I got back to the apartment. Although our lifestyles are very different, I am happy to have made a new friend. Spoke with a few other people down on the beach, and got to practise some Spanish, since they only knew very little English.
When I lived in HI, around the surfing culture, being invited to parties or being offered drugs wasn't an unusual occurrence, but it still threw me off a little when it happened since it's been so long and I am much older now. Instead I got the opportunity to share a little bit about my life & faith and what I will be doing here in Peru, and I know that the guys I met at the beach aren't much different from the disciples that Jesus hand-picked when He chose His fishermen to follow Him... They just haven't met Him yet.

On the road

My last evening in AK was so special. I got to spend it doing a worship night with friends. We have been meeting weekly, for what we called "Jamin's house of bread", for the past several months, and I can't think of a better way to end my time in Homer... I don't believe I'm done in that town yet; I love the beauty of the place and the people there way too much, but it is still goodbye for now.
As usual I had way too much last minute stuff to do, such as packing & storing away stuff, that I didn't go to sleep at all the last night home. One of my roommates was such a trooper and laid half asleep on the floor on the doggie pillow all night long, to keep me company. She is such a sweetheart and I hope she was able to stay awake at school and work the next day. You go down in my book as best roommate ever!!!! I will miss your company a lot JP.
Flew out on the first flight at 7:30 am and spent about 6 hours in Anchorage, making phone calls and writing some Christmas cards. My next layover was 5 hours in Seattle, where I made more calls and did a lot of walking back and forth at the airport to get the stiffness and swelling out of my legs. I never used to have this problem flying, but the past 3 years it seems to happen every time I fly.
I crossed the whole country and had another layover in Miami; this one was 8 hours long. I had never been to FL before and was considering leaving the airport and enjoy the warm weather outside, but didn't feel like going through security again, so I just stayed inside. As my last American meal I had French toast with berry topping for breakfast, and for dinner a bacon cheeseburger with sweet potato fries. It was delicious and I downed about 10 glasses of ice water. Unless I make my own ice, I won't be having it for awhile, so I thought I should get it out of my system today...
I have known for the past couple years that I wanted to come back to Peru for an extended time, and it is almost unbelievable to me that the day is finally here. There are still so many uncertainties how it will all work out, but I am not worried. I was talking to my mom on the phone today, and we were both amazed about the overwhelming peace both of us are experiencing. If you know my mother, you know that this is truly a miracle, as she is normally the biggest "worrywart" in the world. I know that this perfect peace is coming from my heavenly Father, and I am so thankful He has my life in His hands. He is going ahead of me, and not matter what will happen, He will be right there with me. I serve such a trustworthy God! He is worth everything!

Packing & Goodbyes

Tomorrow is my last day in Alaska, atleast for awhile. Leaving the beautiful State which has been my home for the past eleven years is bittersweet. I will be saying goodbye to my wonderful friends, roommates, dog, church, career and a snowy Christmas, among other things... for an adventure, new friends, new language, warm weather and a lot of unknowns... I have so many amazing memories to take with me as I leave and begin a totally different chapter in a new country. I first visited Peru in 2010, and back then I left a piece of my heart in an orphanage in the city of Huacho. I've been back to Peru twice since then, but only for a few weeks at a time. I can hardly believe all that has happened these past two years to make this move possible, but I'm filled with joy and thankfulness. I'm ready for whatever is ahead!