Going to congress or something

So in a few minutes I'm leaving to go to the center of Lima, all the exchange students are being welcomed by congress or something along those lines/fancy ceremony/formal clothing/nervousness....I think there might be TV cameras present  :O

Also on Thursday we leave for our first rotary trip!!  I'm flying to Arequipa bright and early at about 6:30 on thursday and we'll be touring Arequipa, Tacna, Canon del Colca, and Arica, Chile for a little over a week!  So a post will not come until after then.

Chau!

A Kid Named Alfredo

So I've been in cuarto for nearly 2 weeks, and it's gotten better.  Although it's hard to be away from my best friend Emilie from Denmark (she remained in quinto) and my closest peruvian friend Chachi (also in quinto), I have to admit that the kids in cuarto actually talk to me more than most in quinto ever did.  And although the class is almost completely boys (I believe it's 17 boys, 4 girls) it's actually not too weird.  They all admire my drawings, and are always willing to help me with my spanish and explain anything I don't understand.  They have also been teaching me lots of jerga (slang) but a lot of it seems....how do I put this.....obscure? questionable?  Unofficial?  I think a lot of it is just what they say amongst themselves.  Like we were in communication class (like spanish class=the equivalent of our english class) and one boy said "don't let the teacher see that" because I had been writing down the words that they taught me, and I said "why?" and he said "she'll get mad if she sees we've been teaching you that, because she doesn't think it's real spanish".  And I understood what he meant, it's like using bad grammar/nonsense words in front of a literature professor or something (like waddup homie, shizzle wuts crackin dawg (lmao I don't even know what I'm saying anymore)).  It's not that they're teaching me bad words, it's just that, well, it's jerga.  It's slang, it's basically made-up, but it's understood within a certain crowd.  Does that make sense?  I hope that was somewhat coherent.

Here's some of the things they taught me.  They are all very happy when I actually say these things in the right context (and they laugh because, well, it is amusing, and I don't get offended when they laugh, I get it)

* Also, like I said, all of this is pretty questionable so typing it into a translator won't help you in the slightest!

Causa (cow-sah) = :friend
Habla causa (ah-blah cow-sah) = it's like a greeting, how you would greet a good friend, it basically translates to "speak friend"
Ya pe (yah pay) = this one is super obscure...I'm still not even sure what it really means haha... they explained to me that it's like, for example, if a friend is eating cookies, and you want them to give you a cookie, you would go up and be like "invitame una, ya pe" which is basically like saying "give me one/can I have one" so ya pe= something along the lines of please/begging hahaha from what I understood...I'll ask for a more concrete definition on that tomorrow but I doubt I'll get one haha
Tabas (tah-bahs) = shoes.  sneakers.  When they taught me this one, they had me go around to random people in the school saying "que cheveres son tus tabas" = "How cool are your shoes" = "Your shoes are cool"
Jato (hah-tah) = house
Jatear (hah-tay-ahr) = to sleep

So that's some more jerga.  Also, if you're wondering why the name of this blog post is called "A Kid Named Alfredo" it is because in my class, there is a kid..........named Alfredo.   Yes, you read that right.   His name is ALFREDO.  I'll put that again..................................Alfredo.  OMGGGGG isn't that just hilarious/great/unbelievable?  After I mentioned to some classmates that I thought it was funny that his name was Alfredo, a kid named Diego asked me if I thought his name was funny, and I explained to him that yes, his name is funny because of the whole Dora connection.  

 Oh and one last thing, I received a package yesterday!  Well, we picked up my package yesterday.  I won't tell the whole story because it is exhausting/confusing/long, but basically getting my package was a nightmare.  A slight error in the addressing of the package led to nearly 6 hours of filling out forms/scanning and copying documents/going to a notary/getting told we needed to fill out different forms than the ones we had already filled out/going back and forth from the post office/me screaming a little bit/me missing school because it took all day/finally getting my package the next day.  WHEW.   So, for those reading this, if anyone is ever considering sending me a package, PLEASE CONTACT ME FIRST so I can explain how it should be addressed.  because it was super confusing and I don't want to go through that nightmare again ahahaha. 

Peace out
-Ginger

A Picture Post

This shall be a blog post not on any specific event or day, but on photos: 

When I went to Gamarra (kind of a black market) I bought 2 soccer tees,

above is one of them: it cost 8 soles, about $3

I mentioned in a previous post that an interesting form of advertisement here was through landscaping.  Here is an example of that.

Shacks/slums/ghettos in the outskirts of Lima

This is called Aji.  It is a very spicy chili sauce that people use here.  My host family is impressed when I willingly use it haha

Selling woven baskets in a park in Chosica (north of Lima)

I don't remember if I've posted this photo already.... anyways, this is Chicha Morada: a drink made from purple corn.  Didn't like it very much.

And I've also started something new: taking photos in black and white.  Here are some of the best ones:

Just kind of cool with the lights

Candles in a church in the center of Lima

I don't know why I like this so much, it's just kind of neat. 

This is my favorite photo.  It was a girl studying at a little table on the side of the road. 

Words I've Learned and Jerga

Here are some spanish words I have learned and some jerga (peruvian slang) and their approximate meanings (from what I understand)

Bodega -  a little grocery store
Chevere - cool, awesome
xvr - abbreviation for chevere
Polo - tshirt
Colegio - school
Luca - slang occasionally used in place of 'sol' (the peruvian currency)
China- slang occasionally used for the 50 cent coin
Pasadores - Shoelaces
Cholo - an ethnic slur used to describe someone with mestizo heritage
Canela - means cinnamon, but is used to describe someone with dark (but not black) skin, also said as 'canelita'
Chifa - Peruvian Chinese food
Carpeta - In spanish class I learned that this meant folder, but here carpeta means a student's desk and chair together.
Lapisero - pen
Basquet - basketball (the sport, not the ball itself)
Celular - cellphone
Gaseosa - soda
Casaca - a zip up jacket
Polera - a hoodie
Tipo - dude/guy
Gorra - hat
Zapatillas - sneakers/casual shoes
Torta - cake
Caja - cashier/where you check out at the store. also means box
Enamorada - like girlfriend/boyfriend but not quite, like not as official
Recreo - recess
Cabello - hair. In spanish class I learned the word 'pelo' but here 'pelo' means animal hair and 'cabello' means human hair haha.
Chompa - sweater
Ceja - eyebrow
Pata - means leg, and also can mean friend.  haha
Choro - Means oyster, but here it's slang for a thief; choro, someone who robs people

That's just some of the many, many words that I have learned here.  And I could probably add quite a few spanish swear words that I've learned but I won't because I am a responsible youth ambassador ;)

Switched Grades

So, as we had been told, we exchange students at school were separated.  Before Victor (from Belgium) came, all 3 of us girls were in the same grade, called quinto (the oldest grade), and we were there for a month.  But when Victor came, they told us that there were too many people in quinto (and this is absolute nonsense because although 4 exchange students came in, 3 from their class left, so the class was only gaining one student...) and so two of us were to remain in quinto, and two were to be moved to the grade below, cuarto.  Emilie and I figured we would be moved to cuarto because were are the youngest of the 4 exchange students, but on Monday we were told that it was Victor and I who would be placed in cuarto.  I was quite upset over this because, as I previously posted, we had just begun making friends and actually felt somewhat comfortable in quinto.  And so Emilie and Tami get to remain in quinto with our friends, and I was moved to a new grade with new people (not to mention that the class has 3 girls and 17 boys........).  I feel this is quite unfair.  I have been in cuarto two days now.  Cuarto is okay, but like I said, it's almost completely boys, so they talk more with Victor than me.  They asked me a few questions (have I been to a party yet, do I drink, do I smoke, what spanish swear words do I know) hahaha.
     So overall, I just want to be back in quinto.  My friends are there and I prefer being in that class.  After a couple more days, I am going to ask if I can return to quinto, because I don't think it's fair of them to uproot me like they did.  I talked with an exchange student from Canada who went to this school last year, and she said the school did the same thing (separated them) but she asked to be switched back, and the school let her, so hopefully they'll let me.  We'll see how it goes. 

Sorry about the mood swing

Well I finished my last post quite depressingly, but that's how it goes here, one minute I'll feel great, so happy to be here, and the next I will feel sick to my stomach, aching with homesickness and dying to go home.  I felt much happier yesterday and had an awesome night.  Emilie and I went over to our friend Chachi's house to watch the soccer game: Peru VS Uruguay.  We lost....but it was still a fun evening including pizza, caramel popcorn, and tons of laughs.  I am so happy that we are finally getting closer with our classmates. 
    Yesterday at school I actually had some good conversation with some classmates.  They admired some drawings I had done in my notebook, complimented me on my spanish, and gushed over my 'blond' hair.  Yes, that's right, I'm apparently blond here.  I was actually sitting in my chair while several people sat behind me, holding my hair and gushing over how soft, long, and beautiful it is.  It was the funniest thing ever. 
   

Me and sleepy Emilie

Also, I found cheese from Wisconsin in a peruvian grocery store.  I was so excited.

-Ginger

The Arrival of the Belgian

Well yesterday my host mom and I went to Gamarra.  Gamarra is a place to shop, but it is not a store.  It is several blocks worth of shops, booths, food stands, people haggling and bustling about.  It's not a black market, per say, but it is definitely quite sketchy, and apparently fairly dangerous.  But it is also very cheap, so I wanted to check it out.  Before we left, I went to put on my jacket and my host mom said "No, put on something old," because I had just recently bought the jacket and I said "someone will steal my jacket right off my back?" and she said "sometimes if you have nice shoes, they'll take them off your feet."  So I left my phone at home, brought a small amount of money, and we went.  I ended up buying two soccer tees for 16 soles.  So, 8 soles each.  8 soles is approximately $3 USD.  Can you believe that?  I bought one Peruvian jersey and one USA jersey.  They are super cool. 

And then today, after school, we had plans to go to the airport to meet Victor, a boy from Belgium that will be attending our school.  He is also in Emilie and I's rotary club.  So we took a bus all the way to Callao, the far left side of Lima, and the ride took about an hour (keep in mind that this is all within Lima, that's how big it is!) and we were going to get pizza in the airport before Victor arrived, but it turned out that his plane had arrived early.  So we waited with our poster for him to walk into the waiting area.  I sat on Tami's shoulders and held the sign above my head (a lot of people stared at us like 'look at those crazy gringas' but it was awesome and was totally worth it when Victor walked out, saw us, and smiled ear to ear). It was a good thing we got there early, because Victor's host family hadn't actually arrived yet, so if we hadn't been there, Victor would have arrived and no one would have been there to receive him.  So we met Victor, and since we had to wait for his family to come, we all went upstairs in the airport and got pizza.  We can't really communicate with him because he only speaks french, but I think we'll be good friends all the same.  I hope he had a good arrival (but I'm sure he's exhausted -- 7 hour time difference)

 

And then Victor's family arrived, some pictures were taken, and we all left.  I'm not sure when Victor will start colegio, maybe the beginning of next week so he can get a few days rest.  

From left:  Emilie (Denmark), Victor (Belgium), Tami (Canada), Ginger (USA)  and the sign I made

Unrelated to Victor's arrival, yesterday at school we had a frustrating experience when a teacher decided to explain to us that Peru is located in South America.  She then went on to tell us that the capital is Lima, as if we didn't know that about the city that we are living in... it made us so angry, and she kept repeating "do you understand? do you understand?" and repeating the simplest sentences and facts.  How could we not know that Peru is located in South America?  She then informed us what North and South were.  At this point, we were beyond angry.  It was extremely demeaning and kind of offensive, actually.  We were treated like children--no, not just like children, like dumb children.  People here think we're stupid, and constantly choose to say the most basic things like "thank you" and "goodbye" and "sorry" to us in english instead of spanish.  We're actually having some problems with this in our school, and I also found out today that they will be separating us.  As of now, two of us will be in grade quinto (the oldest grade, and the grade that we are all currently in) and two will be moved down to cuarto (the grade below quinto).  I was very angry when I heard this because we are having a hard enough time making friends (most people don't talk to us at all) and the few 'friends' we do have are in quinto.  Why they are choosing to separate us NOW, after a month of trying to fit in with our grade, is beyond me.  And so now, most likely Emilie and I will be moved to cuarto because we are the youngest.  We do not know anyone in cuarto.  I almost started crying when I was informed of this.  I am so frustrated with my exchange sometimes.  It is really hard to be here sometimes.  So far I have only posted about the happy experiences, the fun outings and trips, when in reality a lot of my time here is not sunshine and daisies.  While I am happy quite often, I also miss my family and city, think about what it would be like to be back, and wish I didn't have to go to such a terrible school every day.  I'm hoping that I feel more positive tomorrow.

-Ginger

A Little About Lima

Since nothing too monumental has happened within the last few days, I figured I make a post generally about Lima and some of the differences here that I've noticed.  I apologize if I have already talked about some of these ( and I probably have, but this will be a more descriptive post )

Beginning with size:  Lima is extremely large.  Nearly 10 million people I believe.... and Lima is split into a whole bunch of districts, like the photo below:

That's actually the best photo I could find online... you can click on it to see it full size I think...  Anyways, I live in San Isidro, the yellow skinny one in the middle.  But I live at the top/right, only a few minutes away from San Borja (pink).  I live so close to San Borja, in fact, that I attend a school there, and I walk home every day, so its not terribly far.  Callao (reddish district, far left) is where the airport is.  I think it takes about 30 or 40 minutes by car to get from Callao to San Isidro, also depending on traffic (traffic can get really bad here).  I live in a pretty nice area, in the financial district, so when I look out my bedroom window I literally see several huge, bank skyscrapers.  Also, there's a lot of construction...so that's a downside.  But other than that, it is a pretty safe, nice neighborhood, with a little plaza/park area in front of my house, with a fountain and benches. 

This is a few blocks from my house.  It's a pretty nice area (and lots of banks)

Plaza in front of the house

Something different here is that when they take out the trash, they put the bags in a.... a thing that I cannot explain. Well, I couldn't find a picture online so I will have to attempt to explain it.  It is like a big, metal basket, with an open top, on a post.  Instead of big garbage cans on the side of the street, they have those metal basket-on-post things that you put the garbage bags in.  Then the garbage people come pick it up.   Wow, that was an awful explanation.  Oh, well.

There are also awesome, abundant food stands on basically every street.  They are great.

As you can see, there is candy, snacks, drinks, etc.  And this type of stuff is cheap here.  Candy bars are like, typically 1 sol to 1.50 soles, which is about 35/45 cents USD.  It's cool.

Houses/properties here are also drastically different.  Houses are smaller, often apartment style (hard to explain), just condensed in general (or at least from what I've seen).  Yards are not common (some have very small courtyards) but to have a backyard or actually own acres of land around your house is basically unheard of (well, it is a city, so that makes sense).  Security is BIG here.  Every house has some of the following:  Gates, fences, walls, everything locked, mechanized door to get your car out if you have a car, barbed wire, metal spikes and rods, even broken glass bottles cemented on top of the wall to dissuade climbers, etc. 

Above is a decent example.  It has the mechanized door for the car, and you can't see it, but there is a little thing to the right of the normal door where you can buzz for someone inside the house to come open the door if you don't have a key.  To the right, there is barbed wire on top of the cement wall.

Another difference in Lima is transportation/traffic.  Firstly, a significant amount of families here don't have their own cars.  They use the public transportation instead.  This is a big difference, because in the US, each family has at least one, sometimes two or three cars.  Also, even though my family has a car, we don't use it unless A: my host dad takes it to work I think, or B: we're all going out together, because gas is more expensive here.

Modes of transportation available: (well, the two most common)

Taxis:  Taxis are everywhere here, you can just flag them down off the street, or you can call a service and have one from a specific service come to your house (this is a safer option apparently).  People here tell me taking taxis can be kind of dangerous, especially for me because I am a gringa and I could get kidnapped.  So I'm not supposed to take them alone.   To take a taxi here, you wave it down from the side walk and then you talk to the driver through the window, telling him where you want to go.  Then (and this is something different than in the US) you determine the price before you even get in.  There is no meter that determines your price, so unless you want to get ripped off, you should have a good idea of how much it costs to go a certain distance.  So here's an example situation:  I will put it in english so you understand.

Me:  "Guardia Civil, International Clinic" (me saying where I want to go)
Him: "7 soles"
Me:  "It's only 4 blocks.  5 soles."

Now at this point, if he agrees to 5 soles, he'll say yes, and then I'll get in the car and he'll drive to where I want to go and I'll give him the money at the price we determined.  But he doesn't have to agree to the price I want.  If he doesn't think 5 soles is worth his time for the distance, he'll just drive away and I'll have to find a different taxi.

It's safer to take registered taxis (taxis that have their registration numbers on the side and back of their cars) as opposed to cars that just put a little taxi sign on top of the hood and could be dangerous.

Combis/Micros:  Combis and Micros are both buses, the only difference that I know of is that Combis are smaller and a bit more ghetto and Micros are bigger and more official.  But I think the prices are the same... anyways, Combis and Micros are typically a better option than taking a taxi because they are a lot cheaper.  While a ride in a taxi could cost you 10 soles, you could go the same distance in a combi or a micro for 1 sol.  I'm pretty sure that no matter where you're going, a combi or a micro will cost you either 50 centimos (20 cents USD) or a sol (36 cents USD), and if it's a longer distance, maybe 1.20 soles.  So obviously that's a better option price wise.  However, there are some downsides to taking the buses.

A:  You have to know which ones to take (different ones go to different places and its confusing) to get to where you want to go.  This is a major problem for me.
B:  You have to know where to get off
C: They can get INSANELY crowded (like, people smashed against the door) and its a lucky day when there is an open seat.  If not, you gotta stand, and due to the driving habits here, that can be nerve-wracking.
D: It's easy to get robbed on these buses.  Hold your bag on your lap and be alert.  One exchange student got a cell phone from his family, and after a week, it was stolen while he was on a bus.  I haven't seen this, but apparently thieves have some pretty elaborate schemes in order to steal.  An example:  someone will spill something on you, then while you try to clean it up (and you're distracted) someone else will sneak up and steal your phone/ipod/whatever.  I have not yet been robbed :)

To get on one of these buses, you can get on at a designated bus stop, or sometimes you can flag it down from the street, depending on whether or not they want to stop to pick you up ;)  There are typically two people working on the bus:  The driver is one, obviously.  The other is the dude that goes down the aisle and takes the money.  After you pay, he hands you a paper ticket to prove you paid.  Simple. Sometimes the same person acts as the driver and the money-taker, so he'll be swerving around on the road, one hand on the wheel, while counting your change.

Above is a combi.  As you may be able to see, there are words on the side of the bus.  That's how you know where the bus goes (also I think they're numbered)

Driving here is a bit different.  People drive kind of loco=crazy.  I'm pretty sure Lima has the highest amount of traffic accidents in the world.  Pedestrians do not have the right of way, so crossing the street can be a dangerous challenge.  Traffic can be terrible, specifically around 5-9 because people are coming home from work and what-not.  And everyone honks.  A lot.

Something else about Lima.... it is very dirty.  Yes, there are nice, groomed parts, but a lot of Lima is really dirty.  There is a lot of trash, pollution, graffiti, rubble, and the farther out of Lima you go, the worse it gets.  There's also an unbelievable amount of stray dogs.  You wouldn't believe it.  Again, the farther out you go, the more you see. 

There's also a lot of advertisements.  There's the typical billboards and signage, but something new that will probably surprise you:  advertisements made by hedges/shrubbery to spell out words, typically on the slope of a hill by a busy road.  I couldn't find a picture online, but I'll try to take a picture next time I'm out.

And lastly, the weather.  Currently, Lima is in winter.  But it's not at all like winter in wisconsin.  Winter here means temperatures typically around 60 degrees Fahrenheit.  But it can feel really cold because the sun very rarely shines here in the winter.  Also, while it rarely actually rains, there is often a very fine, cold mist/thick humidity (which I don't understand because Lima is in a desert....?) that makes everything damp and gross.... including my clothes in my room.  For real, I'll feel clothes in my dresser and be like '....why do these feel damp?'.  Ick.  so, during the day, if the sun is out, you'll be fine in jeans and a light jacket.  But if there's no sun, and its misty out, you'll need a sweatshirt, jacket, and scarf or you'll be chilly!  But of course, there's no snow in Lima.  So for me, this is a pleasant winter.

I can't think of anything else at the moment, and this has been quite a long post, so I'll end this one with a couple pictures:

School Olympics for my school's anniversary:  Above is Tami (from Canada) who is another exchange student at my school, and our friend Chachi from school.

Also for the school's anniversary, each grade did a dance.