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.