Rotary Happenings

Well I've had several Rotary gatherings/events within the last week...I'll try to remember what they were haha.

Oh but before that, I almost forgot, one day we had something called "Clausura" at my school.  Each grade did a dance/performance, and afterwards, everyone in quinto went to our classmate Rocio's house and we had lunch and a secret santa gift exchange (I was not included because I'm technically not in quinto)

Quinto's dance

Some classmates and I at the lunch

And also, I think that same day...afterwards, me, Tami, Eduardo, and Solange went into Miraflores (a district of Lima on the coast) and went to a tattoo/piercing parlor.  Yep, that's right people.  I am now officially inked.   JUST KIDDING.  I did not get a tattoo, nor will I be getting a tattoo.  However, I did get my ear pierced (I had my host family's permission and my real family's permission).  I already have my lobes pierced, and my cartilage pierced (helix) and decided to get my rook pierced.  It's kind of a difficult piercing to get because it's a slightly awkward location to pierce...pictures will explain better than words, and I'd been considering getting it done for a few weeks but was a bit scared because I'd read online that it was a very painful piercing.  Anways, so I picked out my jewelery and held Tami's hands reaaaaally reaaaaaaalllly tight, the piercer clamped my ear (like I mentioned, it's an strange spot to pierce, so they have to clamp part of the ear in order to be able to actually pierce it) and that was a little bit painful, but then he pierced me with the needle and that was even more painful.  I didn't cry, but came close, I'm sure my face was puckered up as I struggled not to cry haha.  I mean, when I got my helix pierced, they used a gun, and it was like, 4 seconds of pain.  This time, he had to put the needle through, and then also put in the ring or whatever, so it was significantly more painful.  It bled a little bit, I continued strangling Tami's hands, and finally it was over and I took deep gulping breaths, I was a little shaky because it was kind of scary.

Clamping the ear

Smiling on the outside, screaming on the inside

That would be the needle in my ear

Final results (I quite like it) :

I like it a lot

It is just slightly sore now, 3 days later, can't sleep on that side of my head, only hurts if I bump it

I also ended up filling out like 10 post cards, but have yet to send them:

Firstly of the rotary events, I don't remember what day, but one day we took a tour/visit to the Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace), basically the equivalent of the White House, but Peruvian hahaha.  Anyways, it's where the president works and whatnot.  So we all went to the Center of Lima and waited for a good hour and a half before actually being able to go in.  Not sure why we got there so early when the tour didn't start until later...whatever.  And it was a fairly boring tour, we just went through like 6 different rooms and then it was over.

Center of Lima and it's so-called 'christmas tree'

Some nice chandeliers and stained glass windows inside

There were lots of those guard guys, just standing there completely still.  They wouldn't move at all, didn't react whatsoever if anyone stood right in front of them, waved in their face, wanted to take a picture with them, etc.

So that was the tour.  We didn't see the president, nor the changing of the guard, which was happening that day.

Secondly, my host rotary club, Rotary Club Nuestra Señora de Gracia, held an event in some little place outside of Lima (a poor area), for the children that live there.  There was a show with a Santa Clause, dancing, games and music, face painting, hair braiding, prizes and gifts, and at the end of the day, all the kids were given some clothing, a gift, and their parents were given vitamins.  Victor, Emilie, and I (the exchange students in our club) helped out with the prizes and gifts, and I took photos.

Before-hand

Getting her hair braided

Face Painting

Victor and I hahaha

The 'show'

There were a little over 200 children, and their parents

Victor and Emilie putting together some gifts

I think it was a very successful day.  

Thirdly, today, the exchange students organized a Christmas lunch and a secret-santa gift exchange.  Each exchange student brought a dish (most of them brought something typical from their country; we had about 3 plates of crepes from several french students haha).  I wasn't able to cook, so I went to the store yesterday searching for something to bring.  And I came across a tin of Danish cookies, so I decided to bring those as a little surprise for my friend Emilie.  I also got her some Haribo gummy candies (Haribo is Danish).  While I was at the store, I also picked up some nice chocolate to give as gifts to a few of my Peruvian friends.

There was a lot of food (taco salad, deviled eggs, turkey, various pies and cakes, sushi, rice, many other things I can't remember)

Irene from Taiwan with the sushi she made

Crepes!

Deviled eggs!

Yuuuum!

My plate haha

And then for the gift exchange; here's just some of the many photos I took:

Mandy (Taiwan) and Bastien (France).  Bastien got a t-shirt with a Peruvian beer logo

Ben (Germany) got hair gel and a comb haha

I got a cool wallet

Simon (France) got a bottle of wine

Marcel (Belgium) gave Felisa (Germany) a pair of underwear hahaha

I gave Brooke 4 cans of different American sodas and some cookies

Tami (Canada) gave Guillame (France) a shirt, but it was a little small hahahaha

And that was that!  It was a good day.  I returned in combi (bus) without getting lost, so that was a definite achievement, and now I am waiting for Chachi to come over to my house.  I think we'll watch a movie or something.  Well, that's about it I think!

Chau!
-Ginger