My Peruvian Prom!

I went to prom yesterday!  I began the day by getting up and showering, then had to stop by my school with my host mom.  Then we went to the salon, pretty early, at like 12:30.  My host mom got her hair done too because it was her birthday yesterday.  So for my hair, I got a tight little french braid on one side, just a little one for a bit of  'decoration' as the hair-lady put it...and just curls.  At first, the curls were suuuuper tight and bouncy and I felt kind of childish, like I was 8 years old and getting my hair done for my first communion or something, instead of my prom....hahahaha but by the end of the night the curls loosened up.  So we left the salon at like 2:30 and went back to the house, had lunch, and I wore a hair-net so my curls wouldn't completely uncurl by the time prom started (we probably went to the salon too early)

Here's some pictures of my dress and shoes and stuff:

Up close pic of my dress

my dresss :)  90 soles= 32 $ USD

First time in heels actually didn't go too badly!  But my feet hurt reaaaallly badly by the end of the night 

The bracelet that my best friend Chachi's mom lent to me

My wrist corsage thing (blanking on what it's called)

Fake but still nice :)

So then I got dressed and ready by like 5:30, and my date, Eduardo (from my peruvian school) got to my house around 6.  Then Solange and Renato (two more people from my school) also came to my house so we could all go together.  I wanted to take photos all together in the little park outside my house, but by the time everyone had arrived at my house, it was already past 7 and pretty dark, so I knew the pictures wouldn't turn out very well.  So we just took some in the hotel.

Here's how I looked at that point:  (I looked the best at this point of the night, my makeup was good and my hair was still curly haha):

My host brother walked in and said "you look like taylor swift!" it was hilarious

I think I looked quite nice :) hahaha

So prom started at 7:30, but we arrived around 8:30 because we decided to stop at starbucks and mcdonalds beforehand hahaha.  It was funny.

So then we took a taxi from mcdonalds to the hotel, Los Delfines.  It is a huge, elegant hotel, but our prom was in a surprisingly small room, basically just tables and a dance floor, and a little 'reception' area outside, but it was still nice.  Unfortunately, there was limited table space, so a few students and their dates ended up sitting at the parents' tables.  Oh yeah, that's a pretty weird difference here...parents come to the prom.  I think that's pretty weird.  My host parents didn't come.  I am really glad I was not seated at a parents' table.  Some teachers and the school principal were also in attendance.

So yeah, we got there late, as I mentioned, but, being Peru, a lot of people still hadn't arrived at that point, so everyone was just chilling in the reception area, taking photos, admiring eachother's dresses and whatnot.

Here are some pictures from that point of the night:

Me and Eduardo

Eduardo and Solange

Me and my friend Andre.  He used to live in Miami

Andre and Eduardo

Me, Eduardo, Solange

Another of me and Eduardo.  As you can see, my hair had uncurled significantly, but oh well, it still looked good.

Connor and Emilie (connor is an exchange student from the US, emilie from Denmark)

 

Chachi and his date, Sandra

Victor brought a girl from our school named Almendra, and also brought Marcel, another exchange student from Belgium

So when everyone had arrived and was ready to start (probably around (9:20, nearly 2 hours late) all the 'couples' were lined up in the reception area while all the parents and other guests were seated, waiting inside.  And then we were called in and announced, couple by couple, and we would take a little walk in a circle around the dance floor, and then sit down.  So Eduardo and I were called in, did the lap, and sat down.

One of the last pictures I got before my battery died...

And we were served drinks and dinner, as you can see by the pictures above.  Dinner was decent/so-so (I rarely like anything, so it's always hard to tell if it's just my pickiness or if it's cooked badly hahaha).  And that would be about the time that my camera batteries died.  That is my WORST NIGHTMARE and it happened.  After graduation, I didn't charge them, because I didn't realize they needed to be charged....so although I did get some good pictures, I was disappointed I couldn't take anymore the rest of the night.  There was a photographer there, taking photos of everyone...but I'm not sure where those photos are.  So then we finished dinner and dessert around 11 I think...and then everyone danced pretty much the rest of the night!  And I actually did dance, somewhat!  Well, everyone around me would be like "Ginger, come on, why aren't you dancing? Move your body! Do something!" and I'd be surprised, like, "what? this is me dancing!"  hahaha.  It was tons of fun, typically not something I would enjoy, but I did have fun, and I am so glad I wasn't just moping around in a corner the whole night while everyone else was dancing away.  But my feet did hurt from my heels...luckily I am a genius and brought a pair of flats to change into for dancing :)

And then Eduardo and I left at like 3 AM, although many people remained dancing at that point.  Prom was supposed to end at 4 but I don't know if it actually ended at that time.

So we took a taxi and I got dropped off at my house, and went straight to bed, still in my curls!  haha and my hair is still kind of curly now, at 4:30 PM the next day! 

It was such a fun, memorable night, I am sooo happy that I had the opportunity to go!  What an amazing thing to be able to participate in--prom in another country!

I dun gradadjutatid

I must be so darn smart to have graduated at 16!!! Hahahaha I'm just kidding xd

A few nights ago I had my graduation from Colegio Santa Rosa de Lima.  We put on our awkwardly-short, dark blue robes and our uncomfortably-fitting hats and we were called one by one into the dim room (Jean-jair Peen-care-tone= Ginger Pinkerton).  Although I was still pretty sick, coughing, and miserable most of the night, it was still an enjoyable evening.  I received my diploma (with my name spelled correctly) and a nice silver bracelet (with my name etched in it--also spelled correctly!!).  I had someone take photos for me because they wouldn't let me keep my camera around my neck over my robes haha.

Here are some photos of everyone:

Me and Chachi before the graduation

Two of my classmates: Eduardo and Solange

The coolest people ever (AKA the exchange students of Colegio Santa Rosa de Lima 2013)  From left: Victor (Belgium), Emilie (Denmark), Me (USA), Tami (Canada)

Mid-graduation

That would be me walking up to the stage

And that would be me with my diploma!

This was when the whole class was singing a song they had prepared, and I was laughing because it went terribly and was such a fail

Throwing the hats--one landed in the cake

Me and Tami post-graduation

Me and some classmates: From left:  Raul, me, Eduardo, Andre

So that was my graduation!  It was funny because we were supposed to be there at 6o'clock to go over last minute stuff, and I got there at 6:40, and I was like "oohhh shoot I am suuuper late, I'm going to be in trouble" and we walked into the building and there was only like, 6 other people there hahaha.  That's Peru for ya!  (Be there at 6 actually means 'acceptable to arrive around 7')

Also, this is unrelated to the graduation, but a week ago or so, I found a small section of American soda in cans (it doesn't come in cans here) in one of the bigger Peruvian grocery stores called Metro.  And it wasn't badly priced, either (3 soles a can=a little over 1 $ USD).  There was Vanilla Coke, Cherry Coke, Cherry 7-UP (didn't even know that existed), Dr. Pepper.  It was awesome, because apart from that small section in that grocery store, you can't buy those here (it's more of a novelty it seems).  So I bought a can of Vanilla Coke and then afterwards enjoyed taking pictures of the can, for some reason.

That's the can sitting on the ledge outside my front door, with a cool view of all the banks that surround my house.  I was using a setting on my camera that let's me pick one color that shows up (red, obviously, in this one) and the rest shows up black and white.

And that would be the can, plus my friend Eduardo's hand.  I just thought it really looked cool, like it popped out with the flash.

Moving on to something else.  Tomorrow is my prom!  I am both nervous and quite excited.  And here is something that will shock all of you readers, I'm sure.........it is from 7:30 PM to 4 AM.  FOUR IN THE MORNING!  Now that's a party!  One of my classmates told me that if they had chosen to pay more, the hotel would have provided breakfast!  Our prom is being held at a hotel called Los Delfines.  It is a suuuuuper elegant and classy place, like seriously, I have never been inside but I drove past it once, it's in a super rich area of San Isidro and it is ginormous.  Just another reason I'm nervous hahaha.  That and:

1. I will be expected to dance 
2. I cannot dance
3. I will be wearing high, platform heels
4. I have never worn heels in my life
5. I tried walking around in my heels this morning and I am positive I looked like a moron
6. Now imagine me in those heels, attempting to dance
7. Now you get it?

hahaha...so yeah. Just a tad nervous.

And before I end this post, here is a nice picture that I took last week I think. 

View from my house

Okay that will be all.
Byeee
-Ginga

Graduation Day

Yesterday was my last day of school.  I didn't really feel sad at all.  I enjoyed parts of my time there, I guess.  I enjoyed the students and getting to know my classmates and stuff...but that's about it hahaha.  After school, I went with Tami, Eduardo, Alfredo, and Solange (some classmates) to a tattoo and piercing parlor because Solange wanted to get her lip pierced.  However, she found out that she needed to have her mom with her to get a lip piercing because she's a minor.  So she got her ear pierced instead.  It looked quite painful (it was a cartilage part, on the inside of the ear basically) but she insisted that it wasn't too bad.  Then we took a bus back to the school and went our separate ways from there.  My cough started bothering me a bit on the bus, so I went home and plopped myself down on the couch to rest. 

I didn't cough terribly last night, due to the wonderful relief of some cough syrup my host mom picked up, and also have been using that rub stuff that you put on your chest or under your nose and it smells lovely and makes me feel calm hahaha. 

I woke up at 9:30 today to use the bathroom, the bathroom was occupied, so I went back to bed and slept until 12.  My host mom just finished ironing my 'graduation robes'.  They're dark blue and super ugly (and strangely short, they go mid-shin on me) and apparently I have to wear my school uniform underneath them for the graduation ceremony. 

And now I'm going to distract myself with Netflix and possibly have lunch, before I have to start getting ready for my graduation.  Byeee.

Sick

Well, about 3 days ago I started getting a cough, it has slowly worsened, and yesterday it kept me awake for the first part of the night, despite my swallowing a spoonful of honey...and I think I may have had a fever yesterday in the evening too...and so today I did not go to school.  I slept until 12 and have been camped out on the couch for the last 5 hours, feeling kind of weak.  Tomorrow will be my last day of school, and I and the other exchange students were highly tempted to pull some kind of prank, but I truly just don't have the energy, so I'll leave egging for some other day.  I am graduating in 2 days (I didn't even realize it was that close already).  I don't even know where the graduation is being held, I should probably figure that out...should be getting my 'toga' (graduation robes) tomorrow at school. 

If you're wondering how I'm feeling about the whole plaque fiasco, well, the fact that my school still hasn't done anything to fix my name (they have not attempted to change it in any possible way, not even a piece of  tape, so I suppose I will remain Girger) hasn't exactly made me very happy.  I just try not to look at the stupid thing every morning when my class lines up next to it. 

I am feeling fairly 'meh' in this moment.  I am looking forward to a Christmas package from home in the coming weeks, I really want American food......I bought ramen noodles in the store the other day, made me crave pickles and grilled cheese :(((  I think I can make grilled cheese here...substituting the american cheese for, well, non-american cheese, of course, but still, something...

A Good/Bad Day

So yesterday was what would have been our 'last day' of colegio (Peruvian high school).  It was the last day for quinto, the graduating class, of Colegio Santa Rosa de Lima.  They had finished their exams and yesterday were just tying up loose ends, handing in notebooks, and in the afternoon, there would be a ceremony with cuarto and quinto (kind of like, the graduation of cuarto to quinto).  I got permission from the school director to go with quinto all day instead of with my actual class, cuarto.  I also brought my camera (and I'm really happy I did, we had a lot of fun with it).

In the morning, during formation (everyone lined up in the courtyard), quinto sang a christmas song (I think) :

Then they mostly just had free time, not actual class, for the rest of the day (with the exception of one last exam):  So we just hung out and took photos together and stuff :

Me and a classmate named Raul

Nicole and Andre

Meeee

Meeee

My best friend Chachi

And then we had a lot of fun taking some mid-air photos:

Emilie and I

Me, Tami, Emilie

And I still can't believe how good this turned out!! 

How we feel everyday at our school (prison)

We found this really hilarious hahaha...that we all go to a Catholic private school and none of us are Catholic haha

We're pretty weird

Tami carrying our classmate, Zezur hahaha

And here are some photos from the ceremony with cuarto and quinto.  It was like, quinto was passing on the flags to cuarto, and cuarto became quinto...if that makes sense haha :

Quinto girls

Cuarto girls marching

Cuarto girls after receiving the flag from quinto

And I don't really know what these 3 were doing hahaha

Cuarto boys with their flag

Cuarto boys with their flag

And then, after that, there was the unveiling of the plaque.  A quick explanation:  Each year, a nice, shiny plaque is hung on the courtyard wall of the school, listing the students in the promocion (quinto).  And so, we all stood in a half circle and a blue curtain was pulled off the wall to reveal a lovely, shiny, marble plaque.  I wasn't close, but I could see the words "Intercambistas de Rotary" and so Emilie and I made our way forward to see.  And I said, "Look, Emilie, our names are on it!"  And I was really excited.  We made our way to the front and stood in front of the plaque.  And I said "Emilie, I can't believe they spelled your name right!" Because typically they leave out part of her name, or miss the  ' ø ' that her name includes.  And we were laughing, and then I saw my name.  And I froze.  

"Girger Pinkerton"

Girger Pinkerton.  I stood there, my mouth open in shock, for a few seconds.  And around me, my classmates began to see the mistake in my name.  And it got very quiet.  And then I pushed my way out of the crowd and ran into the bathroom, and started to cry.  I don't exactly know why, but it hit me hard.  Hard.  After working so hard, for years, to come on exchange, busting my butt and saving, and finally making it here...after 4 frustrating months of Peruvian high school, in which we were often treated badly, ignored, confused, constantly lied to, and despising every day that we had to spend locked inside that school...and I had seen the plaque from last year, with the 4 exchange students names, our "oldies" as we call them, and I had felt so excited to think that my name would be on a plaque, hung on the wall in the courtyard, and for years, students and exchange students would look at it and see my name, and I would be remembered.  I would have meant something at that school, even if during our 4 months there we felt quite insignificant, at least my name would be etched into the plaque and I would be remembered as one of the 4 exchange students of Colegio Santa Rosa de Lima, 2013.  But instead, my school let me down again.  Instead, years from now, people will look at that plaque and see "Girger Pinkerton" and think...."who the heck was that?"  

And so I ran into the bathroom and started to cry, feeling completely worthless.  And then two of my friends, Andre and Eduardo, followed me in and hugged me and told me not to feel sad, that it didn't matter.  Then a teacher saw us in the bathroom and yelled at Eduardo and Andre to get out (they are guys....and we were in the girls bathroom haha) and so I was consoled by my classmates outside.  And everyone told me very sweet things, things like "This doesn't matter, and years from now, the people that will see it? They don't matter either.  But us? We love you, and we will always remember you, we know you are Ginger" 

But honestly, as much as my friends consoled me, and tried to convince me that it doesn't matter, I still feel disappointed.  I didn't have very high expectations.  It doesn't seem much to ask to simply be remembered correctly, to be remembered as who you are, to have your own name spelled correctly...  And the real kicker?  It is an unbelievably small school.  There are no more than 150 students in the entire school.  4 exchange students.  No more than 30 students in our 'graduating class'.  That school did nothing for me....they switched me out of my class after a hard first month, away from my only friends, I was rarely listened to, was treated like I was stupid by nearly every teacher...I asked for very little, and it was a hard kick to the gut, after everything, to see my name spelled like that on the plaque...I am just very, very disappointed.

a nice, marble plaque...

so that's how I'll be remembered....

I felt pretty crappy the rest of the school day.  After school, cuarto and quinto went to lunch and had pollo a la brasa (chicken and french fries).  It was kind of a 'goodbye' lunch, from cuarto to quinto.  After that, I had ice cream with Emilie, Eduardo, and Chachi at Mcdonalds, and then we ended up going over to Andre's house.  And then I woke up today at 1.  I don't have any plans for this weekend.  And then supposedly, we exchange students have to go to school on Monday (and tuesday, wednesday, thursday, and friday...) for our 'exams', but I am highly considering just skipping, and then if they call to ask why I didn't come, I will tell them to call Girger and ask her.  lol, not actually seriously considering that, I just have a bit of hate towards my school at this moment (and most moments..lol)

Sorry for all the negativity.  Here's to hoping for a good week to get my mind off this.
Bye
-Ginger

Random Facts

• I wear a plaid skirt to school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
• Here in Peru, we have Rotary Exchange Students from the USA, Canada, Belgium, France, Germany, Taiwan, Denmark, Australia, and Finland
• Only 3 classrooms in my entire Peruvian school have any sort of technology (computers, phones, anything)...well, a few of them have clocks, but I'm not going to count that as technology
• My first time on a plane was the day I came to Peru, and now I've been on a plane 8 times
• My best Peruvian friend's name is Juan Roberto, but everyone calls him Chachi
• Almost everyday, I buy a little bag of chips from my school's tienda (more or less a concession stand) for 50 centimos, the equivalent of 18 cents US
• There are 4 other students at my Peruvian school that have lived in the United States, and all of them lived in Florida
• I eat chicken and rice everyday (I'm not exaggerating)
• I drink Inca Kola (the most popular soda in Peru) almost everyday 

• My host family has a dog named Nossa and she smells bad pretty much all the time (I'm not a huge fan of her)
• There is a display of Santa Rosa de Lima (Saint Rose of Lima) in my school:

There it is

•  I have seen (and attempted to hug) countless llamas and alpacas
• I'm graduating Peruvian high school in 8 days
• I have developed a love for taking black and white photos (my favorite subject: Peruvian children):

cuties

•  One teacher at my school here has called me 'Ringer' about 5 times:

And so, naturally, a classmate had to change my name in my notebook: Ringer Rederton

•  The same kid at my school asks me for a piece of my hair at least once a week
• I have been to the movie theater in Peru 3 times: I have seen Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, We're the Millers, and Carrie.  I desperately want to see The Hunger Games; Catching Fire
• I miss the following things (and many more that I can't remember/don't have the motivation to list):
• sweaters
• snow
• boots
• my moccasins (really wish I'd brought them!)
• my parents
• my siblings, a lot actually!!
• baths
• reading in the bath haha
• culver's
• butterburgers
• bbq sauce
• chicken tenders
• sourdough melts
• custard
• cheese curds
• everything
•  my mom's lasagna
• bona casa spaghetti sauce
• chicken fajitas
• being able to open the refrigerator or cupboard and find a large variety of food
• ramen noodles, grilled cheese and pickles
• stars in the sky at night (can't see them typically here)
• family get togethers with all my cousins , aunts and uncles, and grandparents
• playing tennis
• dr.pepper/cherry pepsi
• reading (IN ENGLISH)
• movie nights
• arizona iced tea (peach flavored specifically!)
• going outside barefoot (in the summer, obviously) 
• getting lunch at school (even if it is a terrible lunch)
• being able to leave school to go out for lunch
• crisp fall days with beautiful, crunchy leaves on the trees and a blue sky
• barbecues 
• any and every holiday (Halloween, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, etc)
• heated and air conditioned classrooms and houses
• american breakfasts (pancakes, bacon, eggs, toast) 
• having lots of ice cream in the freezer to eat whenever I want
• Watching TV with my brother and sister (The Office, How I Met Your Mother, Parks and Recreation)
• Having lots of decorations for holidays
• My big, nice bed
• Orange Julius smoothies
• Drinkable, good-tasting tap water
• Bonfires and smores
• Hot chocolate or hot apple cider in the winter
• potato chips

Bye for now! ✤

-Ginger

Holy Bananas It's December

Well, I woke up this morning, opened up my laptop, and pretty much went into cardiac arrest when I saw that the date was December 1st.  Okay, so I'm exaggerating a bit, but still, I was shocked to see that it was actually December 1st.  I can't believe it's December.  I ARRIVED IN PERU MORE THAN 4 MONTHS AGO.  More. Than. 4. Months.  Holy Bananas.  That means that I am more than a third of the way through my exchange...and that is insane.

I'm not sure if December will be a hard month for me or not...while I have a lot of amazing things coming up this month to look forward to--

• Prom
• Graduation
• Beginning of summer vacation
• No school (that's an obvious plus)

--I also will be missing a traditional, chilly, snowy Christmas in Wisconsin...but Christmas will be waiting for me when I get back, so I can't be too upset about missing it. 

Anyways, today, I got up at 12, did pretty much nothing for most of the day, watched some TV at a friend's house and then went to McDonald's.  For those that are wondering, the Chicken McNuggets are pretty much the same here as they are in the United States hahaha. 

And tomorrow I have school.  Bleh.

Okay, byeee!