Larcomar and Beach

I've been in my new host family about 4 days now I think, and things are going fine.  Two days ago we walked all the way down the coast (Costa Verde) and made it all the way to Larcomar (like a shopping/entertainment area, I don't know how to call it...there are restaurants, shops, theater, bars, park areas).  I would say it was about a 40 minute walk from our house.  It's a really cool area, lots to do, just a fun place to hang out.

Here are some pictures of Costa Verde during our walk (I'm thinking it was about 8 o'clock):

And here's Larcomar:

We ate at Bembos (a Peruvian fast food restaurant, similar to McDonald's but with bigger, more exotic burgers..and by that I mean that some of them have some interesting ingredients, including bananas!)

Waiting for our food at Bembos

My new host sister

And then we walked back down along Costa Verde to the house.

And then yesterday, we got up reaaaally early (5:45) to put together our beach bags and we took a taxi to some spot where we got on a bus which drove us to the beach.  The beach we went to is south of Lima, and it was called La Tiza.  At first it was actually kind of cold and cloudy, but later it warmed up and the notoriously strong sun set out to burn me.  I don't think I burned at all on my body...unfortunately, this time my face took the blow.  It would have been okay but I think the reason my face got burned was because at one point, after my friends convinced me to change into my suit and go swimming, I got taken under by a strong wave and I think it washed my sunscreen off.  It was really scary actually, we were only like 8 feet from the shore, the water was only up to mid chest on me I'd say, but a big wave came and I was facing it, I tried to stand and like, I don't know, 'ride it out' but it kind of flipped me around and sucked me under aha...It was scary, swallowed a bit of salt water (first time in the ocean, HAD NO IDEA HOW STRONG THE WAVES ARE OR HOW DISGUSTING THE WATER TASTES).  It was so strong!  Made me realize how dangerous it can be, I was practically only stomach deep and the wave took me out!  Anyways, after that, I stumbled back to my towel, choking on the salty water and my eyes burning.  And I did put some more sun screen on my face, but just a bit on my cheeks and nose, and I guess it wasn't enough...in total we were at the beach like 6 hours! 

Tami and I!  I can't believe I finally look tan!

It was funny because we didn't even know Tami was going to be there.  In a city as big as Lima, running into people you know, especially so far outside of Lima (remember we were south of Lima, at one of the MANY beaches) is, I don't know, kind of significant.  We joked that it was like a scene from movie, both of us strolling casually along the beach, and then we see each other in the crowd of the hundreds and hundreds that had come to this specific beach today, and in slow-motion with dramatic music, we run towards eachother and leap into eachothers arms. hahahaha.

It was not only a beach, it was also kind of a club, with pools and stuff.

Tons of people-and to the right, even more people

So we ended up leaving the house to travel to the beach at about 7:00, and returned home from the beach at about 5.  It was a reaaaally long, tiring day (but also fun, of course).

Beach activities included:

• napping on towels in the sand
• swimming out to the floating dock
• jumping and bobbing on the waves
• choking on salt water
• licking our arms after we had dried to see if we were still salty ahaha
• eating choripan
• eating raspadillas (like snowcones)

 Well that is about it I suppose.  Goodbye people!
-Ginger

Oh P.S:  my return date has been picked.  June 28th.  It made me feel extremely weird and depressed when I had to send that confirmation email to the travel agent, picking the day that my exchange year will end, the day my peruvian life will end.  I don't like to think about it.

Second Host Family

So I have moved to my second host family!  I've moved south--still in Lima, and technically still in the same district of Lima as before (San Isidro) but quite a ways away.  Before, I was living at the very top of San Isidro, and now I have moved down to the very bottom.  And like I said, I'm technically still in San Isidro, but I'm basically on the edge--just about a block from Miraflores, a whole other district.

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Residencial+Santa+Cruz,+Lima,+Lima+Region,+Peru&daddr=Castanitas,+San+Isidro,+Peru&hl=en&ll=-12.100256,-77.03124&spn=0.045571,0.084543&sll=-12.101515,-77.0333&sspn=0.04557,0.084543&geocode=FeZFR_8dlVZo-ynHklmlScgFkTE86F-h2u6T6Q%3BFVZ6R_8diMJo-ynZsQ8je8gFkTGhB9AjHJ13wg&oq=Residencial+San&mra=ls&t=m&z=14

That would be the link on google maps to see the distance.  In normal traffic, it is about a 50 minute bus ride (plus a few blocks of walking to get to the bus stops).  In bad traffic, I don't even want to know how long it would take...And I still haven't figured out how to go in bus (where to get on, which bus to take, where to get off).  So, anytime I want to see my friends, they'll either have to come here or I'll have to take that 50 minute bus ride (because all my friends live around the same area, where I used to live, near my school).  Or I could pay 15x the price of the bus to go in taxi (50 minute bus ride sounds better and better). Hopefully the distance won't be too much of a challenge.

Today a friend did make the trip in bus and we went to Costa Verde (beach).  Well, we didn't go to the beach exactly...I'm not quite sure how to explain it, along the coast there are nice parks and gardens, biking and running trails, a skate park, and then off the side of the cliff, down below, is the actual beach (but people don't swim there I think...it's pretty rocky, it is primarily a surfing area from what I understand).  That's one of the advantages of where I'm living now--it is a really nice area of Lima. It is literally just a few blocks from the beach, close to the nicest (and most expensive) residential areas of Lima. 

And so we just walked down the coast, through all the parks and gardens and stuff, and stopped for a little while to watch the skateboarders in the skate park.

It's a really nice area, and luckily today it wasn't as terribly hot as it has been recently--and little sun so I didn't get burned! Yay!

So tonight will be my 2nd night at my new host family.  It's been hard--I feel a bit like when I first arrived in Peru and got to my first host house.  I felt uncomfortable, missing familiarity.  Here it's the same--I miss feeling comfortable in my old host house.  It has been a hard week...switching families is stressful.  I had to pack away everything I had accumulated in my room in my old house, and was definitely short on space (I'll have to buy a second large suitcase when I return home, without a doubt) and had to lug it all to a new house and somehow store it in my new room, which I share with my little host sister (I think she is 10 or 11).  We have bunk beds, not sure how I feel about that haha...but at least I'm on the bottom so I don't have to climb up and down haha.  But it's okay. 

Here I live in a residencial area called Santa Cruz...it's a really big residencial area, with tons of these buildings that look EXACTLY the same, the only way you can tell which are which is by their lettering (I live in P) and I could easily get lost within the residential area haha.

Well I'm bored.  I'm going to watch TV.

Byeee.
-Ginger

What's Been Happening

So let's see...a few days ago I went to the pool.  And I was there for like, 2 and 1/2 hours TOPS.  Only when I was leaving did I think "Ooh, my legs look a little red..hmm..." and only that night did I realize "My god....I'm burnt EVERYWHERE."  The worst areas are the tops of my feet, some spots on my thighs, my shoulders, and my stomach.  I had only applied some sunscreen to my shoulders, chest, and face (my face is notorious for burning so I'm sooo glad it didn't this time, just my nose is a tad red).  Anyways, that night, I laid on top of my covers, straight and stiff as a plank, trying not to move unless it was completely necessary.  I've been rubbing after-sun cream on the worst areas as often as I can for the last two days, and today when I woke up I was relieved to find that I was feeling a little better (haha I can stay standing for more than a 20 seconds now) and even braved a shower.

It's worse in person...

I think my feet got it the worst-- they're not used to being exposed to the sun, I rarely wear sandals :(

And last night we went out for dinner with some family members I don't really know...it was to celebrate my host dad's birthday.  We had Chifa (Peruvian Chinese food) which I used to despise but have now grown to enjoy (But it's still definitely not my favorite) and cake afterwards.  I was sooo exhausted, I think we got back home at around 12:30 and my feet hurt so badly from wearing shoes and socks :(

And then today, there were some plans to go to the beach, but I decided that in my current exhausted, lobster condition, it wasn't such a great idea.  And I absolutely hate turning down opportunities like that, but I was in a lot of pain and more sun exposure wouldn't help.  So I stayed home.  Later tonight there will be a reunion/party type thing in my house, another celebration for my host dad's birthday.

And I was informed 3 days ago that I will be changing families on the 15th (I got a week's notice).  I will not get into the whole situation,  I will just say I'm not particularly keen to change to this family because of some issues another exchange student had there and that student requested to change to a new family...hopefully I don't have any issues.  I wish I could stay in the family I'm in for a load of reasons:

• We all already know each other
• I have my own room here
• I have gained trust from my host parents here and therefore have freedom to go out when I want
• This house is close to where all my friends live
• I am finally getting used to this area and how to get around
• This house is really close to Javier Prado, one of the busiest, biggest highways here and it's easy to catch a bus to go to most places in Lima
• I am just used to a way of life here

And I knew that I'd eventually have to change families, but being in Lima makes it tons harder because it is such a huge city.  Although I'm moving to a new family within the same city, the place I'm going is a good hour away by bus (depending on traffic) and I am pretty sure it has a different zip code.  I just worry it'll be hard to see my friends...luckily, my host mom with the family I'm in now told me I can come back here to the house to visit and have my friends over whenever I want, which is extremely generous of her.  She said she'd liked to have had me stay in her house but unfortunately our rotary club has already scheduled the family changes and a different exchange student will be coming to this house and taking my place, so I have to move.

So within the next few days I will have to pack up everything in my room and I'll be moving to my second host family.

Oh and sometime early this week I think, I don't remember, I went over to a friend's house and we all enjoyed taking webcam photos:

Me, Eduardo, Camila, Jampiere

Oh and I almost forgot!!  I got my Christmas package!  Finaaaally a letter came in the mail that said it was here in Lima and could be picked up, so my host mom and I went down to the post office and got it.  It was much easier to pick it up this time (last time it was a FIASCO and we spent all day jumping through hoops)
so I was relieved to get it within an hour or so this time.  And I was not expecting such an amazing package! 

beef jerky, heath, reeses peanut butter cups, pop tarts, homemade caramel puff corn, airheads, soft caramels, sour patch kids, chex mix, smores makings, milk duds, candy cane flavored pop rocks, pickles, makeup, a necklace, and my beloved moccasins

How lucky am I, right?!  I couldn't believe it.  Thank you TONS to my family for sending me this!  Love you all!

-Ginger

Beach Trip

So yesterday my host family decided to take a day trip and we drove about an hour and a half to a beach outside of Lima called Asia.  But we didn't go directly to the beach, first we stopped at a commercial area, I don't really know what it was, a few blocks from the beach and browsed around the stores and we had lunch.  We ate at a pollo a la brasa place (chicken and french fries) and I enjoyed a refreshing frozen lemonade.  At that point I was already exhausted from walking around in the unbelievable heat (It was probably 80 or 85 degrees, and in the sun).  After lunch we had ice cream, and for my two flavors I chose cappuccino and maracuya (tangy jungle fruit), which are delicious flavors when served separately but don't go particularly well together hahaha. 

Then we drove a few more blocks to the beach.  Weirdly enough, by the time we arrived at the beach, the sun had gone away and it was significantly cooler, which I actually preferred because it and been terribly hot.  My host brother and host dad swam and me and my host mom just relaxed on towels in the sand, and I took a lot of pictures. There were some decent waves at first, and a couple people surfing, but the waves died down after a little while.  There wasn't a ton of people where we were at, so it was nice and peaceful. 

This turned out better than I was expecting

Kind of cloudy and foggy, but actually comfortable temperature-wise

I love Macro!  Wish it were clearer though...I need a super macro setting haha

And of course, tons of black and white photos:

These two were being ridiculously adorable

One of the surfers

Brothers

Hello there.

So yeah, we hung out at the beach for a few hours and then drove back into Lima.  It was a tiring day.

-Ginger

New Years

Now both Christmas and New Years have passed, and I have been in Peru for over 5 months.  Before I know it, I'll be back in the airport, sporting a blazer filled with pins and memories, attempting to lug a year's worth of crap back to the United States, and will have to leave behind the life I am living here.  It's crazy to think about, and not something I'm quite ready to face yet.

My New Years was extremely memorable.  I had two options: go to a party thrown by the exchange students, or go to a party thrown by a classmate.  I decided to go with the classmate-thrown party, and went in combi (bus) with Eduardo (another classmate).  A little background info: the classmate that threw the party is gay.  And when Eduardo and I walked in, we found ourselves to be two of the few straight people in the entire house.  There were maybe 25 people that came, and of those 25, about 20 of them were gay.  I have no problem with gay people, I'm not homophobic whatsoever, I'm just describing the night, and hopefully I don't say anything that someone could take the wrong way.  So anyways, it was really chill at first, just music and eventually they ordered pollo a la brasa (chicken and french fries).  There were some fireworks outside, starting at like 10 o'clock, and going strongest at midnight obviously.  At midnight everyone went crazy with confetti, party poppers, silly string type stuff, and what appeared to be 'snow in a can' or something along those lines.  I am so glad I didn't get hit with any of that stuff because I had just bought the shirt I was wearing ahaha and would have been super upset if it had gotten ruined hahaha.  They did a toast (I passed my glass along and stuck with my bottle of Coke) and then started the 'party music' (discotech stuff, dance music) and everyone was dancing, a lot of them were smoking (most teenagers here, even if they don't smoke normally, at least smoke at parties) and I passed on that as well, obviously aha but did enjoy watching a friend attempt to blow smoke rings out of his mouth for a while.  Then the boyfriend of the classmate who threw the party got really drunk, and because Eduardo and I were two of the few that were sober and not dancing like crazy people, we hung out with him and 'took care of him' ahaha.  And he was obviously blabbering and stumbling around and not making a ton of sense at some points, but he did say some coherent things, some of them quite nice actually.  He told me "I love when you speak in Spanish, you're perfect, you're beautiful." hahaha and he's gay so it wasn't like he was hitting on me or anything haha.  He did try to kiss Eduardo, though, which was absolutely hilarious. 

And I ended up getting home at about 3:15 in the morning (would have liked to stay longer, I was extremely entertained by the drunk boyfriend) and went to bed.

And then today, the 1st, I had a fairly productive day.  I was up at my normal time, around 11:30 I think, despite my late return the night before.  And I ended up doing a thorough gutting and cleaning of my room, including putting away all my clothes, changing my sheets and making my bed, hanging my flags on my wall, organizing and tossing away anything unneeded (I ended up with 4 grocery bags of trash) .  I felt good afterwards.  Oh and Mom guess what, I ironed for the first time yesterday hahaha.  I ironed one of my shirts haha.

Tomorrow I'm going to try to go to the post office to send out some post cards (it was closed the last time I went) and other than that I don't think I have any other plans. 

Oh and by the way, I forgot to mention, they have a few strange New Years traditions here..here's a few that I remember:

• Eat 12 grapes at midnight
• Wear yellow underwear
• Take a suitcase/bag around the block (for luck with travel in the coming year)

I think some people also burn large dolls in the street....I don't know for sure hahaha I think my host mom mentioned something about that, but I didn't personally see that happen so I don't know..haha.

Byeeeeee!

Navidad!

Hello! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!  Mine was enjoyable, and a bit different from what I'm used to.

Well, I went with my host brother's to pick up our turkey at around 8 something, I don't remember...

At around 9:30, me, my host parents, and my host brothers went over to my host dad's mom's house (aka my host siblings' grandma) just to visit I guess, and I ate some turkey, then we returned back to our house at about 11. 

Then there was some more eating, and my host mom's family was over to celebrate with us. 

Preparing the table

Me with my host dad and host brothers

This is a bread they eat a lot around Christmas...I don't like it haha

So yeah, we ate at about 11, and starting around 11, people all over Lima started setting off fireworks, up until probably 3 AM.  So I went out and watched my host brothers set off some fireworks in the park in front of our house, and we also went up on the little roof of our building to see some.  And by fireworks, I mean fireworks, not just little fountains on the sidewalk haha.

Merry Christmas!

And then we returned inside to open presents a little after midnight I think.  As the youngest, I was appointed 'santa' ...in other words, I was given the job of passing out the presents, and announcing their recipients and whatnot. 

I got Froot Loops!

And then after everyone finished with their gifts, I was pretty tired, so I excused myself to bed at about 2 AM.  And then slept until like 12:30 the next day.

So then at about 1:30, I Skyped with my family.  And didn't do much the rest of the day.  The 25th was just a normal day, all the Christmas stuff was done on the 24th.

So that was Christmas! 

T'was the Night Before Christmas

Hello everyone!  Yesterday I decided to go out and do some 'errands'.  That began with me going to the post office to mail the post cards I had filled out, plus send a card my host mom wanted me to send.  And so I walked the 5 or so blocks to the commercial area (I don't know what else to call it, there are a few department stores, a McDonalds, a Starbucks, some shops, a few large banks, etc) only to find that the post office was closed (at 1 o'clock on a Monday...?) Not sure why haha...but anyways, I decided, instead of going home and sitting on the couch with my computer, that I would instead do just a little shopping.  And so I browsed some stores for a little while, bought 2 shirts, and returned home quite happy with myself.  I just felt very proud that I could go out and 'run errands' all by myself.  I'm sure it doesn't sound like much, but in a new, huge city, and in a different language, I find it quite an accomplishment just to go shopping haha.  I can't really explain it.

Then today, the 24th, I met Chachi at McDonald's and we had lunch.  Then I returned home.  Here, today is more or less considered Christmas, because they celebrate on Christmas Eve (family gets together and opens gifts and eats dinner around midnight).  It has not felt like Christmas, whatsoever.  About a week ago, someone said to me something along the lines of "6 days till Christmas!" and I couldn't believe it (and here's some of the reasons why):

1. It's 73 degrees out (5:20 PM, it was hotter earlier today).
2. I'm wearing shorts and a tank top.
3. I'm on summer vacation.
4. There is no snow, nor will you find any, in Lima.
5. I'm both tan and sunburned .
6. No Christmas tree in my house (I think there's one downstairs in my host grandma's house).
7. No Christmas lights on my house.
8. Very few Christmas decorations in my house.
9. No Christmas cookies.
10. I won't be going to my grandparents' houses to be with all my cousins.
11. No hot apple cider.

Just overall, no feel of Christmas.  There is some Christmas music on the radio, a few red bows and a red table cloth on our table, but besides that, if I didn't look at the date at the bottom right hand corner of my computer screen, and see that it says 12/24/2013, I probably would have forgotten that it was Christmas.

I was talking to Chachi earlier today, and I told him that in the United States we celebrate during the day on the 25th, and starting in the morning, the gifts are opened (because Santa (in spanish=Papa Noel) came during the night and left them under the tree) and then the family typically gets together that day to eat dinner. It was a weird concept to him haha.

So I don't exactly know the plans that my host family has...I think that we'll just be having dinner here but I have no idea... I will post about what we did tomorrow or within a few days.  Until dinner, I think maybe I'll watch Home Alone on Netflix to get me in the Christmas spirit.

And although it doesn't feel like Christmas, and nothing is the same, I don't feel homesick.  But I do know that for Christmas 2014, I'm going to go all out.  I'm talking lights covering the house, decorations galore, tons of presents for my family, insane Christmas sweaters from Goodwill, an astounding array of Christmas cookies and gingerbread men, and hot cider with candy canes.  And I will enjoy the time with my parents and siblings, whom I miss more than anything else...besides food hahahaha.

And in the mean time, here is a video that I found that I find quite hilarious (copy the link, right click 'open link') : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idnXrzDtusA&feature=share

And here is a video that a few exchange students made of all of us exchange students in Lima: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHXXcb7ezOI&feature=youtu.be

Enjoy your Christmas!  
Tons of love,
Ginger

Btw:  If anyone reading is willing to leave me a comment, I'd appreciate it.  Thank you.