My new favorite Popcorn Stand in Peru:
Krip Crap's Specialty Popcorn. For all your Popcorn needs.
Krip Crap's Specialty Popcorn. For all your Popcorn needs.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Friday, August 24, 2007
Hoy es Viernes....
Today is Friday and I am tired.
The week hasn't been busy beyond the normal, but the normal is busy in and of itself, and I think the last three weeks of normal have united their powers to bring down the great Energy machine. It's very captain planet-esque. En este caso, however, it is more like Captain Busy / He's our hero / Gonna take your energy / Down to Zero.
Well. Anyway....
It's Friday and I'm definitely am enjoying the perks of teacherdom, such as happily posting a new blog instead of taking a quiz, like my students are right now. Suckers! Just kidding. My class is great, I really love my students! Last night, after my 8:45 class let out, two of my students, Milagros and Guiliana stayed after class for a little and we got to talking about many different things. It was a very encouraging conversation, I shared a little bit about why I was down here and why I was teaching at SALI. They asked questions about my family, my life, and shared many stories about their lives and snippets about Peru. They promised to take me out and show me their city, and share their culture. It was very nice! They also promised to take me out to eat anticuchos (that would be cow hearts for those in the dark). I think I've actually had them before, but I'm up for trying anything once. They asked if it was hard to leave my friends and family behind. At the end of the conversation, Guiliana and Milagros told me "Somos tu amigas en Peru "We are your friends in Peru" It was so nice. It's amazing how one little phrase can mean so much to someone.
Reaching out to someone in the smallest way might end up having the biggest impact. I think it was a very good lesson to see. It's easy to be under the impression that mission work invovles something big elaborate tent revival or organized effort to deliver the Bible and spread the Gospel by preaching from the pulpit. I believe that sometimes this idea may hinder people's views of what the Gospel can look like. Sometimes it seems like we expect mission work and the spreading of the Gospel to appear like a Christian dog and pony show, with a magician that pulls tracts and Bibles out of a hat. However, the Gospel is not spread because of our human efforts and campaigns and sermons, etc. The Gospel is love, and sometimes God works through the smallest gestures that don't involve a pyrotechnic display of Christianity.
"Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." Matthew 13:32
The week hasn't been busy beyond the normal, but the normal is busy in and of itself, and I think the last three weeks of normal have united their powers to bring down the great Energy machine. It's very captain planet-esque. En este caso, however, it is more like Captain Busy / He's our hero / Gonna take your energy / Down to Zero.
Well. Anyway....
It's Friday and I'm definitely am enjoying the perks of teacherdom, such as happily posting a new blog instead of taking a quiz, like my students are right now. Suckers! Just kidding. My class is great, I really love my students! Last night, after my 8:45 class let out, two of my students, Milagros and Guiliana stayed after class for a little and we got to talking about many different things. It was a very encouraging conversation, I shared a little bit about why I was down here and why I was teaching at SALI. They asked questions about my family, my life, and shared many stories about their lives and snippets about Peru. They promised to take me out and show me their city, and share their culture. It was very nice! They also promised to take me out to eat anticuchos (that would be cow hearts for those in the dark). I think I've actually had them before, but I'm up for trying anything once. They asked if it was hard to leave my friends and family behind. At the end of the conversation, Guiliana and Milagros told me "Somos tu amigas en Peru "We are your friends in Peru" It was so nice. It's amazing how one little phrase can mean so much to someone.
Reaching out to someone in the smallest way might end up having the biggest impact. I think it was a very good lesson to see. It's easy to be under the impression that mission work invovles something big elaborate tent revival or organized effort to deliver the Bible and spread the Gospel by preaching from the pulpit. I believe that sometimes this idea may hinder people's views of what the Gospel can look like. Sometimes it seems like we expect mission work and the spreading of the Gospel to appear like a Christian dog and pony show, with a magician that pulls tracts and Bibles out of a hat. However, the Gospel is not spread because of our human efforts and campaigns and sermons, etc. The Gospel is love, and sometimes God works through the smallest gestures that don't involve a pyrotechnic display of Christianity.
"Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." Matthew 13:32
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Whoops! there goes another rubber tree plant...
WHEW! Did you catch that last week that just flew by? I barely did. It's once again, Tuesday, and I have just realized that another week has quickly passed. However, as short as the last week seemed to go by, I know that I am not the same person I was a mere 7 days ago.
In the last 7 days, I have learned more about God's grace; 7 different times, I have been made aware that God's mercies are new everyday; I have learned lessons from my students; I have made new friends; I have become closer with other friends; I have made mistakes; I have failed at various things; my perceived boundaries have been stretched farther than I thought possible; my Spanish vocabulary has expanded, perhaps by only one or two words, but has expanded nevertheless; I have been content, confident, grouchy, amazed, scared, humbled, happy, sad, wanting, selfish, stressed, and many other things. But I think above all, I have been blessed.
I don't think we always realize that everyday we spend alive is a day we spend learning. I don't always know why God is teaching me the lessons he is teaching me. Aw heck, who am I kidding? I rarely know why God is teaching me the lessons he is teaching me; however, it is my prayer for all of us that God will give us a heart that is yielding and eager to learn.
In other news-
Today, August 21, 2007 is quite the auspicious occasion...for me anyway. Today, dear friends and family, is my one month anniversary of moving to Peru. My first month of living the life of a Peruvian is over. How does it feel?
Blurry. Oh well. ¡Feliz Aniversario a Peru y mi!
How did I celebrate? I ate my first item of food with meat in it from off the street. Usually this is somewhat of a no-no in Peru, for somewhat obvious reasons- I live in a developing country (used to be known as third world, but that's not PC anymore) and it's fairly easy to get sick here. I however would like to think that I have been building up immunity to bad food for the past four years at Anderson University's cafeteria. So, today, I broke the rules and ate a papa rellena off the street. It was good. I'll let you know if I regret it later.
In the last 7 days, I have learned more about God's grace; 7 different times, I have been made aware that God's mercies are new everyday; I have learned lessons from my students; I have made new friends; I have become closer with other friends; I have made mistakes; I have failed at various things; my perceived boundaries have been stretched farther than I thought possible; my Spanish vocabulary has expanded, perhaps by only one or two words, but has expanded nevertheless; I have been content, confident, grouchy, amazed, scared, humbled, happy, sad, wanting, selfish, stressed, and many other things. But I think above all, I have been blessed.
I don't think we always realize that everyday we spend alive is a day we spend learning. I don't always know why God is teaching me the lessons he is teaching me. Aw heck, who am I kidding? I rarely know why God is teaching me the lessons he is teaching me; however, it is my prayer for all of us that God will give us a heart that is yielding and eager to learn.
In other news-
Today, August 21, 2007 is quite the auspicious occasion...for me anyway. Today, dear friends and family, is my one month anniversary of moving to Peru. My first month of living the life of a Peruvian is over. How does it feel?
Blurry. Oh well. ¡Feliz Aniversario a Peru y mi!
How did I celebrate? I ate my first item of food with meat in it from off the street. Usually this is somewhat of a no-no in Peru, for somewhat obvious reasons- I live in a developing country (used to be known as third world, but that's not PC anymore) and it's fairly easy to get sick here. I however would like to think that I have been building up immunity to bad food for the past four years at Anderson University's cafeteria. So, today, I broke the rules and ate a papa rellena off the street. It was good. I'll let you know if I regret it later.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Mi primer temblor...
Never fear friends and family. Trujillo was safe from the terremoto!
Terremoto is the Spanish term for earthquake, which was what happened in Lima. However, in Trujillo, because we are so far north, we only felt a temblor (more akin to a tremor). I was in the middle of my conversation class. I was pretty fidgety all day so I just figured I was getting dizzy from being antsy, but my students quickly assured me that it was in fact the building that was shaking. It felt like it was swaying back and forth. It was definitely a new experience.
But anyway, definitely be praying for the people who were affected by the terremoto for the families of those who were killed and for healing for all of those people who were injured.
In Christ,
Gillian
Terremoto is the Spanish term for earthquake, which was what happened in Lima. However, in Trujillo, because we are so far north, we only felt a temblor (more akin to a tremor). I was in the middle of my conversation class. I was pretty fidgety all day so I just figured I was getting dizzy from being antsy, but my students quickly assured me that it was in fact the building that was shaking. It felt like it was swaying back and forth. It was definitely a new experience.
But anyway, definitely be praying for the people who were affected by the terremoto for the families of those who were killed and for healing for all of those people who were injured.
In Christ,
Gillian
Monday, August 13, 2007
How Quickly time flies when you are trying to make the English Present continuous fun...
It's true, this week has gone by quickly. I find myself already sitting at the SALI office late in the afternoon Tuesday, wondering how I will finish everything that I need to finish before tomorrow. The life of an ESL teacher in Peru is apparently a busy one. However, do not be fooled, it is incredible.
I am continuously learning lessons about the mercies of God while going through a little prunage (the act of pruning). But it's all good in this hood.
I'm still settling in I suppose. As usual, I find it easiest to express my feelings through an analogia (that's an analogy for all you English speaking cats out there):
Do you remember that game "Perfection" from Milton Bradley? No? Well here's the jingle (don't forget it's sung to the tune of Pop goes the weasel):
Essentially the game is this: You have a game board with different shaped slots in it and you have a whole mess of pieces that have been thrown on top of the board. Your job is to put all the pieces into the right slots.
I currently feel that with coming to Peru, or really going into any new situation, the pieces of my life were all of a sudden thrown into the game and I must put them back in order (read: put my life in order) I am currently putting the pieces into place. But there is no clock in my game. All I have to do is put the pieces in. And I am working on that right now.
***************************************************************************
In other news, I am also having a blast teaching. I enjoy teaching my students with the use of fun activities and exciting games. So, naturally, we played what is quite possibly the most fun game I have made up yet. What game, you ask?
Gringo Bingo.
That's right. Gringo Bingo. We were studying future tense (I am going to, you are going to, etc.). The object of the game is simple. Each student gets one Gringo Bingo gameboard with various activities listed in each square. Such activities include "Go to a Movie, Spend time with friends, Travel to Lima" and other exciting life events. Downstairs in the lobby were some strategically placed gringos (p.s. this isn't an offensive term, it's just any white foreigner, tourist or otherwise) and students had to use the correct future tense question format to interview the gringos. If the answer was yes, the students could mark their square. The winner was the first person to get five squares in a row and to shout GRINGO BINGO! Flores won. We will undoubtedly be playing gringo bingo in the future. Patent Pending.
That's about it for now. This was a long post, but I made it colorful so that you would remain engaged with all these words.
Oh and one final order of business. Please feel free to check out two Youtube videos at the following links:
Click here to see a video of my friends playing traditional Peruvian folklorica music.
Click here to see how gringos stay entertained between classes.
I am continuously learning lessons about the mercies of God while going through a little prunage (the act of pruning). But it's all good in this hood.
I'm still settling in I suppose. As usual, I find it easiest to express my feelings through an analogia (that's an analogy for all you English speaking cats out there):
Do you remember that game "Perfection" from Milton Bradley? No? Well here's the jingle (don't forget it's sung to the tune of Pop goes the weasel):
Put the pieces into the slots
Make the right connection
Just be quick, You're racing the clock
POP! Goes perfection.
Make the right connection
Just be quick, You're racing the clock
POP! Goes perfection.
Essentially the game is this: You have a game board with different shaped slots in it and you have a whole mess of pieces that have been thrown on top of the board. Your job is to put all the pieces into the right slots.
I currently feel that with coming to Peru, or really going into any new situation, the pieces of my life were all of a sudden thrown into the game and I must put them back in order (read: put my life in order) I am currently putting the pieces into place. But there is no clock in my game. All I have to do is put the pieces in. And I am working on that right now.
***************************************************************************
In other news, I am also having a blast teaching. I enjoy teaching my students with the use of fun activities and exciting games. So, naturally, we played what is quite possibly the most fun game I have made up yet. What game, you ask?
Gringo Bingo.
That's right. Gringo Bingo. We were studying future tense (I am going to, you are going to, etc.). The object of the game is simple. Each student gets one Gringo Bingo gameboard with various activities listed in each square. Such activities include "Go to a Movie, Spend time with friends, Travel to Lima" and other exciting life events. Downstairs in the lobby were some strategically placed gringos (p.s. this isn't an offensive term, it's just any white foreigner, tourist or otherwise) and students had to use the correct future tense question format to interview the gringos. If the answer was yes, the students could mark their square. The winner was the first person to get five squares in a row and to shout GRINGO BINGO! Flores won. We will undoubtedly be playing gringo bingo in the future. Patent Pending.
That's about it for now. This was a long post, but I made it colorful so that you would remain engaged with all these words.
Oh and one final order of business. Please feel free to check out two Youtube videos at the following links:
Click here to see a video of my friends playing traditional Peruvian folklorica music.
Click here to see how gringos stay entertained between classes.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Get out your schoolbooks, kids. There's a new teacher in town.
Ok, Just kidding. But it's official. I'm an ESL teacher in a foreign country.
Yesterday marked the first day of August classes at the San Augustin Language Institute, affectionately referred to SALI by all who pass through its hallowed halls. Here at SALI, we encourage students through small class sizes, opening and closing class with prayer, great teacher/student relationships, and by kicking bad grammar in the face.
Classes, as stated before, began yesterday and more specifically, Basic 8 with your friendly neighborhood Denverite began yesterday. The Lesson: Teach students how to describe people and objects around them. I knew what I had to do, I had no other choice; so I did it. I broke out Guess Who. Yeah that's right, the original mystery face guessing game from Milton Bradley. Alright, maybe it was just a rip off of it, but hey, it got the point across. Students had to use their deductive skills and their newly learned format for describing to guess which object, person, or animal teacher was thinking of ("teacher" being me, for I am now a teacher).
I'd like to think that I might have made a little difference in the world of English yesterday. I suppose we'll find out today when I review with my students, who by the way, are pictured below. All in all, it was good day yesterday, and now I must return to my teacher-ish work, and find a good topic for my 5:45 conversation class.
Chao!
Mis Estudiantes, Junior, Cynthia, Flores, Milagros, y Renzo. Chevere, di?
Let's practice some spanish by the way:
Chao- Peruvian farewell, you do not say Adios.
Mis Estudiantes- My students
Chevere, di?- A sort of slang phrase which means something along the lines of cool, right?
Yesterday marked the first day of August classes at the San Augustin Language Institute, affectionately referred to SALI by all who pass through its hallowed halls. Here at SALI, we encourage students through small class sizes, opening and closing class with prayer, great teacher/student relationships, and by kicking bad grammar in the face.
Classes, as stated before, began yesterday and more specifically, Basic 8 with your friendly neighborhood Denverite began yesterday. The Lesson: Teach students how to describe people and objects around them. I knew what I had to do, I had no other choice; so I did it. I broke out Guess Who. Yeah that's right, the original mystery face guessing game from Milton Bradley. Alright, maybe it was just a rip off of it, but hey, it got the point across. Students had to use their deductive skills and their newly learned format for describing to guess which object, person, or animal teacher was thinking of ("teacher" being me, for I am now a teacher).
I'd like to think that I might have made a little difference in the world of English yesterday. I suppose we'll find out today when I review with my students, who by the way, are pictured below. All in all, it was good day yesterday, and now I must return to my teacher-ish work, and find a good topic for my 5:45 conversation class.
Chao!
Mis Estudiantes, Junior, Cynthia, Flores, Milagros, y Renzo. Chevere, di?
Let's practice some spanish by the way:
Chao- Peruvian farewell, you do not say Adios.
Mis Estudiantes- My students
Chevere, di?- A sort of slang phrase which means something along the lines of cool, right?
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Too Legit to Quit.
Happy Colorado Day! Colorado is 131 years old today.
Don't worry sweetie, you don't look a day over 125.
Don't worry sweetie, you don't look a day over 125.
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