Just Things

Today I went shopping to buy my prom dress and shoes.  I went with my best friend Chachi and his mom.  We went to a place called Gamarra, which I know I explained in a post from a while ago, but I'll explain again.  It's an area of Lima, that is blocks and blocks and blocks filled with shops, stands, clothes, shoes, everything, and it's a really busy, crazy place.  It's known to be kind of dangerous there (you can get robbed pretty easily) and it is also known to be reeeally cheap.  We shopped, walked around, and had lunch, all lasting a total of about 4 1/2 hours.  I tried on about 6 dresses I believe, and then finally decided on one.  I don't really know how to explain how it looks...it's a blue/green color (maybe it could be considered a dark teal, I don't know haha)..you'll see what it looks like when I post pictures from prom haha.  After the dress, we looked for shoes.  I will be wearing heels for the first time in my life (maybe I wore little heels as a toddler playing dress up or something, but I don't remember, so it doesn't count), and not just any heels--tall, sparkly, silver heels! hahaha

Comparing the prices to an American prom:  In the US, most people buy their prom dresses for around $200 or $300, right? (I've never actually been to prom, I'm just guessing here) and then shoes for, what, $50?  I don't know exactly... anyways, the point I'm trying to make is that it is expensive, and people go all-out.

Now here's what I paid for my prom items here in Peru:

Dress:  90 soles= approx. $32 US
Heels:  45 soles= approx. $16 US

And they're nice too!  And Chachi's mom lent me a very nice bracelet, so all I have left to buy is earrings I suppose.  Yay!  I'm really looking forward to prom...well, I'm a little nervous, as I've never been to prom before, and it's being held in a really fancy hotel here in Lima, and I can't dance, and everyone here can dance, and it's going to be super embarrassing...but hopefully it will be a good time haha.

In addition to going to prom, I'll also be graduating!  And this is all happening in about 2 weeks...crazy!  I'll be wearing a gown and graduation cap, just like they do in the US.  It will be a much smaller graduation than my school has in the US (the graduating class in my school here has about 28 students I think). I'll make sure to get pictures!

Let's see...what else....well, tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the US!  They don't have it here in Peru.  I think some of the exchange students have plans to have a picnic on Saturday in place of a Thanksgiving dinner, but I already have plans that day (the Interact club at my school is having a 'cine' like a little movie night, showing two movies and selling snacks and pizza and stuff).  I'm planning on Skyping with my family tomorrow, other than that I don't have plans for tomorrow other than to go to school and I'll probably play basketball with Chachi at recess haha.

Also something I wanted to post, just because I think it's kind of cool/funny...differences of names.  Spanish names are cool haha.  Here are some cool names from kids in my school:

Almendra
Diego
Jesus
Renato
Alfredo
Giordano
Giuliana
Rocio
Fabrizio
Pietro
Zezur

Aren't those cool names? ahahaha that was just a little something I wanted to share. lol and while I'm on the subject of school/classmates, I'll add a weird difference that I've come to know here in my Peruvian school.  Hopefully no one is offended by what I'm about to write...I am simply describing a difference that stood out to me here.  They use the word 'nigger' or more specifically 'nigga' quite often here in my school.  When I first heard it, I was shocked to hear them addressing each other as 'mah nigga'.  But they have assured me that, while in the United States it is quite offensive, here it is okay, and they say it to each other with care, if that makes sense ahaha...for example, there are a few students in my class (like 4) that are significantly darker-skinned than the rest of the class, and they will often greet each other 'que tal, nigga' = 'what's up, nigga' or something along those lines.  There is also a girl at my school that says to me every time she sees me 'what's up mah nigga?'... why she calls me that, I have no idea (I am one of the whitest people in the school ahaha) also not sure why she says it to me in English...anyways, that's just something I thought I'd mention...I don't know, it was interesting to me ahaha.

Okay I don't know what else to say sooo...I'll throw in a few pictures.

Chachi and I skyped with my brother and sister

Me at Lake Titicaca

Okay bye!