It's final exam season here at SALI as the month of October is quickly coming to an end. In fact my students are currently taking their last Basic 8 exam before they (hopefully) pass on to Basic 9. I'm so proud of them!
I'm sitting here trying to rack my brain for any sort of an important update about Peru and life in it, and I'm coming up with nothing. I'm definitely looking forward to this extended weekend as tonight concludes October classes, and the next cycle begins on Monday. I plan on spending this weekend accomplishing precisely two goals: Cleaning and making pumpkin pies. That's right. Pumpkin Pies.
Up until recently pumpkins were merely fabled gourds in the land of Trujillo. I was disappointed when I found out that I would not be able to eat pumpkin pie this year. Especially since everyone who's anyone knows my mom makes the world's best pumpkin pie and I had been granted the recipe. I didnt know what I was going to do; but then...the miracle that is Plaza Vea occured. The Vea (aka Plaza Vegas, aka Valhalla) is essentially a Peruvian Target or Walmart. It is the only one of it's kind in Trujillo. Before, all your shopping would be spread out over various markets in town or specialty shops, but now with Plaza Vea, anything you could want can be found in one spot, and don't forget at Plaza- Todo cuesta Menos! "Everything costs less!
In any case, I bought a pumpkin from P-Vegas and now Thanksgiving will contain one more very good reason to give thanks.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Strikes, Sickness, and Some other word that begins with S for alliteration's sake...
I am beginning to write this blog at 5:46, precisely one minute after my 5:45 ESL class is supposed to begin. However, the language institute is not bustling with Peruvians scurrying to their various classrooms and conversation groups. Why? Because today, October 17th, the transportation drivers decided to hold a one-day strike.
Ok, Ok, the transportation strike in general is probably a negative thing; but because we all have selfishness issues, I was thankful for this today. Working on the mission field often means that you do not have a 8-5 job and the weekends off. Many times, I feel like we work in three and a half week cycles and then have 5 days off. Sort of like a five day weekends...that occurs once a month and takes the place of the rest of your weekend. But I do love it, I couldn't picture myself anywhere else right now.
In other news, I am currently sick. Those that know me know that usually being sick is a silly little thing that slows me down a bit, but I ignore it until I feels better. Unfortunately, I've had this pretty persistent cough that eventually, as I found out yesterday at the clinica, has turned into a bacteria, thus requiring me to get antibiotics.
I actually was pretty stubborn about not going to the doctor, thinking that I surely could kick this thing with plenty of green tea and as many home remedies as I could try. Peruvians are awesome for knowing home remedies to get rid of the cough, including such favorites as drinking tea with honey and cayenne pepper, gargling water and a slice of ginger root in your mouth for a few minutes and this next one, that I sort of regret.
I went to a little market in Peru and found a vendor that had all sorts of honey. The honey here is amazingly good because it's all fresh, so I was pretty excited when the vendor told me about this product called Bronco Miel (Bronchitis Honey). It's a jar of honey that supposedly gets rid of what ails ye with only 1 teaspoon, three times a day. I was personally excited to learn that honey is a natural expectorant, so I quickly bought the jar for a mere 8 soles (roughly $2.50) and went on my merry way. After I returned home, I grabbed my little teaspoon, ready to enjoy a delicious spoonful of honey, but before I did, I decided to take a whiff of how awesome this honey smelled. I put my nose to the jar and inhaled deeply. Then jerked back wondering how and why a seriously offensive odor creeped into the Old Factory. Surely this rancid scent could not be my newly purchased honey?!
Then I turned the jar over and read the back: (Translated from Spanish)
Recommended for coughs, it serves to cure asthma, and facilitate the secretion of phlegm. This formula is processed with honey, eucalyptis, and garlic.
No transportation=No Students=No Classes=Happy Gillian.
Ok, Ok, the transportation strike in general is probably a negative thing; but because we all have selfishness issues, I was thankful for this today. Working on the mission field often means that you do not have a 8-5 job and the weekends off. Many times, I feel like we work in three and a half week cycles and then have 5 days off. Sort of like a five day weekends...that occurs once a month and takes the place of the rest of your weekend. But I do love it, I couldn't picture myself anywhere else right now.
In other news, I am currently sick. Those that know me know that usually being sick is a silly little thing that slows me down a bit, but I ignore it until I feels better. Unfortunately, I've had this pretty persistent cough that eventually, as I found out yesterday at the clinica, has turned into a bacteria, thus requiring me to get antibiotics.
I actually was pretty stubborn about not going to the doctor, thinking that I surely could kick this thing with plenty of green tea and as many home remedies as I could try. Peruvians are awesome for knowing home remedies to get rid of the cough, including such favorites as drinking tea with honey and cayenne pepper, gargling water and a slice of ginger root in your mouth for a few minutes and this next one, that I sort of regret.
I went to a little market in Peru and found a vendor that had all sorts of honey. The honey here is amazingly good because it's all fresh, so I was pretty excited when the vendor told me about this product called Bronco Miel (Bronchitis Honey). It's a jar of honey that supposedly gets rid of what ails ye with only 1 teaspoon, three times a day. I was personally excited to learn that honey is a natural expectorant, so I quickly bought the jar for a mere 8 soles (roughly $2.50) and went on my merry way. After I returned home, I grabbed my little teaspoon, ready to enjoy a delicious spoonful of honey, but before I did, I decided to take a whiff of how awesome this honey smelled. I put my nose to the jar and inhaled deeply. Then jerked back wondering how and why a seriously offensive odor creeped into the Old Factory. Surely this rancid scent could not be my newly purchased honey?!
Then I turned the jar over and read the back: (Translated from Spanish)
Recommended for coughs, it serves to cure asthma, and facilitate the secretion of phlegm. This formula is processed with honey, eucalyptis, and garlic.
Yep. That'll do it.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Back to Reality...
Well Ecuador, in case you were wondering, was wonderful. Guayaquil, Ecuador is considered the economic center of the country. But it was a little strange though, as I definitely felt like I was taking a miniature trip back to the US. The currency is the US dollar, and there are many US businesses there including Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, Payless Shoes, and many others as well. Payless was a special treat for me and here's why: Peruvians in general are short people with small feet. I am not a short person, nor do I have small feet. What this normally means is that I cannot ever go shoe shopping here. Not without being ridiculed about my giant feet by peruvians with much smaller feet anyway, so I usually just avoid that mess all together. However, when I went to Ecuador, and found a Payless Shoe Source, I went directly to the size 10 section, and tried on every pair of shoes in my size. Not to buy them of course, but just to be reminded that the world really does make shoes in my size. It was nice.
I took over 200 pictures, there. It was nice to be a tourist. When I'm in Peru, I do my best to never look like a tourist, but since I was actually going to be a tourist in Ecuador, I figured it wouldn't be a problem to let my hair down a little, and whip out the old camera every 15 steps. I've posted all my pictures to my flickr account, you can view them by clicking on the flickr banner on the right side of my blog. It was a wonderful trip, very renewing (again, visas and spirits-wise). On top of that, when I was leaving, I definitely realized that I was ready to go home to Trujillo. I liked Ecuador, but I wouldn't want to live there. Sometimes, it's nice to get away to get your bearings about where you should be.
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