https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Universidad+San+Ignacio+De+Loyola,+Av+La+Fontana,+Lima,+Peru/Residencial+Santa+Cruz,+Lima,+Peru/@-12.0438718,-77.0357733,12z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x9105c6fadcaf64a7:0x91a8066253ed53de!2m2!1d-76.951703!2d-12.073026!1m5!1m1!1s0x9105c849a55992c7:0xe993eedaa15fe83c!2m2!1d-77.048171!2d-12.1062661
Maybe it doesn't look that long, but keep in mind, Lima is BIG. It takes a looong time to get places, especially when there's traffic (pretty much always). The first day my host mom and I took one route to get there and yesterday we took a different route and got there faster (by like 20 minutes maybe haha).
Here's my routine to get to university:
Let's say class starts at 9:
- Get up at 6:15
- Get all my stuff together and eat breakfast
- Leave house at 7:30
- Walk to Ejercito (a street about 3 blocks from my house)
- Wait a few minutes for a blue bus that says ATE ATE on the front.
- Board bus, ride bus for about 50 minutes, get off bus at the intersection of Javier Prado and Aviacion.
- Walk less than a block to the nearest bus stop on Javier Prado.
- Wait a few minutes for a bus that says CIENEGUILLA.
- Board bus, ride for about 30 minutes, get off bus at Av. La Fontana or around there.
- Walk 3 blocks to arrive at University.
- You have reached your final destination.
So, leaving my house at 7:30, I end up arriving at about 8:50. That's right. It takes me 1 1/2 to get to my college. ONE WAY. This means I'll be spending at least 3 hours a day traveling to and from college (or most days, I don't know if I'll have class every day). I haven't got my schedule yet, or any information on classes at all really (the organization here is ridiculous) but god forbid I get scheduled with some nonsense like one class in the morning and one at night/late afternoon. I will not let that happen hahaha.
Anyways, our first day was Monday and we were supposed to be there at 9. Most of us got there a bit before 9 or around 9. Nothing started until around 10. That's Peru for ya. That day was like an orientation day with presentations and stuff. It was very pointless for us and here's why:
Along with the rotary students, there are many college exchange students from universities in other countries who recently arrived in Peru and will be studying at USIL and actually gaining credit and stuff. So this day was more for them than for us. The presentations covered topics such as culture shock, information about Lima, safety tips, tourist destinations in Peru, etc. All of it was information was had already learned and already experienced. It was good info for these new students who had just arrived, but for us (having been in Peru 7 months already) it was a waste of time.
When we were released (after about 5 hours of repetitive information and lots of wasted time) me, Emilie, Connor (from Florida), and Ian (also from Wisconsin!) went and had lunch at this sandwich shop. And I had a chicken sandwich and I was at the counter directing the dude what I wanted on it. Here's the conversation translated to English:
Me: I'd like some aji* on that please.
Him: Are you sure?
Me: Yes.
Him: .....why don't you try it first.
Me: Okay.
Him: *hands me little plastic spoon of aji*
Me: *stupidly* sticks whole spoon in mouth.
Me: *dying from extremely spicy and hot aji*
Him: *laughing* *hands me cup of water*
Me: Oh my god. Emilie, how red is my face?
Emilie: Like a tomato.
Aji* = spicy chili pepper that comes in many forms (salsa, powder, creams/sauces, etc) some versions are milder than others.
After that we went to Starbucks and did a little practice for our spanish test the next day.
Tuesday (yesterday) was our second day. This day we would be taking a spanish test (written and oral). We were, again, directed to arrive at 9. I arrived about 20 minutes early (but only with a bit of luck, because I'd decided to take a different route that day to see if it was quicker) and at 9:00 on the dot, we were ushered into a classroom to take the test. By we I mean the 7 of us out of 22 that had shown up by that point. And so we were in this classroom taking the test (which was actually kind of challenging, I didn't know some stuff and I'm one of the few exchange students who was placed in the advanced spanish group when we arrived in Peru...so I had to imagine it was kind of difficult for those who had no spanish knowledge when they arrived). And at about 15 minutes in, a group of about 7 other exchange students arrived at the door and the teacher was like "you're late" and they're like "we've been here since 9 but we didn't know which classroom to go to" and so she let them in. And then about 20 minutes in some more came in, and about a half hour in, the last student came in. And we only had until 10 so those that came in late didn't have enough time to finish the test. I myself barely finished and I'd had the whole hour. I think it was a little unfair/misleading of them to tell us one day to come at 9 but then keep us sitting around and not start until after 10, and then the next day say 9 and of course everyone thinks 'well yesterday they didn't start until late so if I'm a little late it'll be okay' but actually start at 9...anyways, that's how it went. Then after the oral section of the test, we were allowed to go.
These last couple of days I've been very tired from having to get up at 6 AM to go to college and from spending 3+ hours a day on the bus, so last night I slept pretty hard and woke up today at around 10:30. I ate breakfast, and today I am planning on doing laundry, finishing this blog post, aaaaaaand I don't know what else.
Goodbyeeeee :)
No comments:
Post a Comment