The Quiz Master!

Tonight our event was the monthly Pub Quiz (aka: Trivia Night). There were a few interns and volunteers that collaborated on the quiz questions, but in the end I presented them. And I'd say I did pretty good :) It was a lot of fun and I think all the participants had a good time...from what I could tell.

Here is a little sample of questions to get your brain ticking. Hope everyone is having a good week. I know I am!

1.) Harry Coover, the inventor of WHAT PRODUCT, died on Monday at age 94. What product did he invent?

2.) What does the 'B' stand for in SCUBA diving?

3.) Name one team that is in the Cricket World Cup Championship game on April 2nd?

4.) Colgate had trouble marketing their toothpaste in Spanish speaking countries, why?

5.) And from the picture round....

What famous sporting event do these trophies belong to?

...Answers to come in the next blog post! :)

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel unsure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. As we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." --Marianne Williamson

LO
VE

Sunday Lovin': Volume 5

Another Sunday is here! and I am loving it :)

Woke up and went to church. Ate at Longhorn Steakhouse (I AM SO FULL!), took a nap, watched VCU kick some Kansas butt, had a Skype sesh with Kyle, and next on the list...baking cookies! Yum! We'll see how they turn out, considering I am lacking some ingredients that aren't available here. But I can improvise...right?!

What am I loving recently? Here's your answer:

• Selling 7 memberships: On Friday I sold 7 memberships in 2 hours! IT. WAS. AWESOME. We have a goal to beat last month's numbers for new members and that helped our numbers immensely! We were getting a little worried that we wouldn't quite make the cut because the month is soon ending. But there we were on Friday gaining 7 new members. AWESOME!
  

Here's the lovely interns/volunteers that work at the clubhouse with me. We are all about the same age which is a lot of fun! We went to a variety/music show last night. I guess, it was kind of a celebration of a great month at the clubhouse. It was a lot of fun!

• Butler: Love, love, love watching Butler play and win! I have especially been impressed with Brad Stevens and what a class act he is. It makes me want to be a coach someday. Other than Butler, I am generally enjoying letting basketball take up some of my time here. It keeps me from getting too bored on weekends and has really taught me a lot about the game. I played (I use this term lightly....) in high school. But never really understood the game. Heck, the first day I went to basketball practice my sophomore year I had to learn what pivoting was. Yikes! So watching so much basketball has allowed me to learn more and really appreciate the strategy and intricacies of the game. I am loving it! :)

Go Dawgs!!

• Stickers on my mirror from mom: After a month and half of being here I have finally decorated my room a bit. I put up some photos of friends and family that I brought along and my mom sent me some awesome removable stickers for the walls and mirrors. It makes my room feel more like "mine" and also reminds me of my mom every time I look in the mirror in the morning! Love you, momma! Also, she sent brand new socks in my care package, too. New socks are honestly one of my favorite things. Not sure why. But I LOVE putting new socks on. Ahhh. I am going to go put a pair on right now!
  

Awesome Stickers on my mirror in my bathroom! lovely!

• Skype: Dear Skype, I will NEVER stop singing your praises. First, some recognition needs to go to whoever invented the internet, because Skype wouldn't even exist if it wasn't for the internet. I love you, Skype! So thanks for existing :)
  

• "Let's GO!": Every morning my host dad drives me half-way to work (to the metro stop) and every morning after we eat breakfast he goes upstairs to collect his stuff. On his way down, he yells "Let's Go!" in his best English accent. I love it. And it puts an instant smile on my face which makes me ready to face my day. I really love the time that I get to drive with him because we get to chat a bit, sometimes just listen to music. But it's a good time just to be together. He has been through a lot in his life and is such a kind, caring, and wonderful person. I am thankful for such a WONDERFUL host family! :)

My host dad with my host sister (left) and cousin (right)

That's what I am loving these days! I am excited for another good week. Can you believe that April starts this week?! What? Where is this time going. I am looking forward to some great events coming up in April and hoping to get stuff planned and organized before my internship is done.

As always, thanks for reading about my adventures here in Peru :) I appreciate everyone's support, prayers and love! Miss you all. Much love.

Lovely sunset outside my window last week!

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams"
--Eleanor Roosevelt

LO
VE

I'm Moving On

Welp, it's time to blog about something other than things that are frustrating me. Such as my commute and my iPod getting stolen and the fact that I want to go back in time, run off the bus, grab the man who stole my iPod, throw him to the ground by the collar of his shirt, and take my iPod back! Ugh. Yes, I am still upset and get a sick feeling in my stomach thinking about all the things I could have done differently, but it's time to move on. Nothing can be done about it now. So I'll move forward and be thankful that it was only my iPod and I didn't get beat up in the process. Whew.

So, I'm blogging at half time of the Butler/Wisconsin game. Watching online has been a little sketchy, but CBS sports is doing great at keeping the stats and scores up to date. Have you seen the "Boss Button" on the CBSsports march madness video player. It's hilarious! You should check it out even if you are watching March Madness on a TV. Go. Now. Do it! Anyway, it's a Great game so far, hoping for a win for Butler. Go Dawgs!

So here's a few things that have been going on with me recently:

• At work, I am working on a internship manual for incoming interns. Basically outlining all that interns do and then specifically what the event intern does, step-by-step. That is going well so far. I am hoping that I will be having a meeting with headquarters soon to discuss my Facebook proposal that I wrote a few weeks ago. I am hoping they like my ideas and I can move forward with the project. We'll see how that shapes up the coming weeks. But it's definitely becoming a reality that my time at SAE is short so I am trying to get stuff planned and in order so that transition to the next intern (or lack of intern) is smooth as possible.

• Personally, I am trying to tie up all the loose ends of Kyle and I's trip to Machu Picchu in May. Buying tickets and paying for the trip package from Peru for Less...I am ready to just be done so I know that everything is booked and good to go. Hopefully, by next week it will be done! Thanks to the best travel advisor ever, Hannah Groff. If you are looking to book a trip anywhere in South America Hannah Groff is your girl! Just look up Peru for Less and request Hannah. She rocks! :)

• My one-on-one Spanish classes are going REALLY well. I am learning a lot and trying really hard not to be lazy with my Spanish. It is taking a lot of energy, but I am glad I am learning all the rules of the language. It feels good! I am picking up on a lot more and expect to learn tons more over the next 4 weeks. My teacher is so funny and nice we always end up just conversing (with her correcting me along the way) this has been an excellent way for me to learn. However, we also follow along in a book and I am learning (mostly re-learning) verb conjugations, past, present, future verbs, pronouns, how to use por and para, and my least favorite IRREGULAR VERBS...the list goes on and on.

• I am definitely looking forward to the weekend. This week was one that seemed to go extremely slow. The first week to seem like that. So this makes me way more excited for the weekend. Tomorrow, tomorrow, I LOVE YOU, TOMORROW!

• I am thinking about making cookies, probably monster ones, this weekend. That's exciting!

Alright, back to the game.
Sunday Lovin' will be coming your way this weekend.

"Don't let what you can't do stop you from doing what you can do."
--John Wooden

LO
VE

Seriously @#%(&#(

My iPod touch was stolen on my commute home today...it was taken right out of my hands as I was sitting there. I can't believe.

But I just wanted to post real quick and let you know that if you see anything weird from me on Facebook or through email please let me know and hopefully I can get my iPod locked or erased.
Thanks, friends.

UPDATED: I changed all of my account passwords that I can think of. Bye, bye iPod :(

$!@%#^&*

If you want a good laugh go ahead and look at my route to work on GoogleMaps.

1.) Go to this link: GoogleMaps--Alli's Route

2.) Look at how many miles it is (it's about 7 miles in case you don't know how to convert kilometers to miles...I had to google it! ha)

3.) Tell me how it takes 1 hour and 15 minutes to get to work.

Then you can laugh because it really does take THAT LONG!

The first few weeks of the commute I was just thinking “hm…this really won’t be too bad. It’s just a commute”. But day after day, 2x a day will eventually start eating away at your patience. Even if you aren’t going to be late—in fact, I am on average an hour early to work because my host dad’s start time and mine are about an hour different—you can still feel your patience dwindling. It STINKS sitting in traffic for that long and just inching ahead. If you’ve ever had to commute by car in a big city I am sure you understand. Maybe you love it? But I am not cut out for this stuff!!

On top of just the general waiting, you have idiot drivers (particularly the bus drivers) that are trying to get all around the traffic. Dodging in and out and trying to get the best position. “Um excuse me, sir, but you aren’t going anywhere. NO ONE IS because we are in a traffic jam that is 10 miles long!”

If you want a really good laugh, you can think about me cursing in my head; first, at the traffic that is stopped and then at the idiot bus drivers who are about to take my side of the car with them. AND then you can imagine me rolling my eyes and cursing in my head to all the guys that look at me like I am from some other planet while I’m walking to the metro. “Hey people! I am a human. I have feelings, too, and I don’t appreciate being looked at like I don’t belong here. Thanks”. Maybe when my tourist visa runs out 3 days before I am supposed to leave the country (oops? details, details...) THEN you can look at me like I don't belong here!

Honestly, I am not a big “curser”. I don’t let a lot of bad words slip from my mouth…but in my head, sometimes the words just fly! :) and for now that’s okay because I have to do something to release my pent up rage. Okay, rage is a strong word. But you get my point! Haha.

So there ya go. There’s some good laughs for you on this sunny Tuesday. Straight from Lima, Peru!

But honestly, I am enjoying my time here 110%. The commute is NOT fun, but the trade-off is that I fall asleep in a safe and quiet part of town. This I am thankful for. So it definitely balances out. Today was just one of those days that you want to be mad and impatient, but you know there is nothing you can do about it so you just laugh. I like laughing, so I’m cool with that.

Have a great Tuesday everyone! Miss and love you all.

"Laugh as much as your breathe and love as long as you live"

LO
VE

Sunday Lovin'

Just another relaxing Sunday in the Barta household. Probably going to eat some food, do some reading, and catch some rays. Pretty perfect Sunday if you ask me! Want to know what I have been loving recently? Read on...

1.) Twin Finder: Something I always catch myself doing is finding twins. I am the ULTIMATE twin finder. Now I don't mean two people standing together that are brothers or sisters. I am talking about people who I am friends with from home who I "think" I see everywhere. Someone walks by and I say, "Oh my word, that looks like Jocelyn" or "That girl has the exact same eyes as Liz Naf" or "I didn't know Luke and Brittany were down here surfing?!" or "That taxi driver looks like my dad" I see all of you everywhere. If you are reading this I have probably found your peruvian twin. I need to start taking pictures of these things...but most people just think I am crazy when I show them their twin that I found so it's probably not worth it :) Just know that I am probably thinking of you when I see your twin. Nice, right?!
Oh I did find one twin from Goshen College and I insisted we take a picture together....Meet Hannah Groff's twin :)

Just kidding, of course. That's the 100% original Hannah!
(Photo cred: Groff)

2.) March Madness: The Madness has begun and the madness bug made it all the way down to Peru to bite me! Ouch.This is the first year that I haven't filled out a bracket since probably freshmen year of high school. A little bummed about that! It's a little harder to find games on TV down here so mostly I have been watching all the biggest shots and craziest endings of games online. So I get all the good stuff without the whole game. Which is okay with me, because between Spanish classes and working it would be tough to sit through a whole game. I am hoping to go to the Corner Sports Bar and Grille, which is a huge expat hangout, to watch the championship game. But only If I can find friends to go with me. I'm not one to just walk into a bar all by myself. ha. After watching Butler's last two games I would love to see them back in the championship game. Go dawgs!

3.) Conversations on the combi: My commute back home every night has been getting kind of old. I do it everyday so after a while there is nothing new to look at from the window and nothing new to hold my attention. So I turn my ipod on and listen to music the whole way home. But recently, I have been meeting some nice people on the bus. I my way home on Friday There was a family sitting across from me. A mom, dad, and little boy and girl. The boy kept saying "Hola!" and then hiding his face. So after a few times, I said "Hola" back and asked what his name was. We ended up talking for the rest of the way home and his older sister even practiced her English with me. It was too cute! And made the commute go much faster. It always makes the city feel a little smaller, too, which is always a nice change.

4.) Drinkable yogurt: People who had been in Peru for their SST told me that I would fall in love with the yogurt here. I have! It is so delicious. It's like go-gurt I guess? But way better! Sometimes I even put some in a cup and freeze it for a frozen yogurt treat. My fave flavor right now is fresa (strawberry).

5.) Silly YouTube vidoes: Sometimes you just need a good laugh. And these are some youtube videos that NEVER fail to put a smile on my face.
Neature walk
Aicha
Kittens

That's all for this week! :) What are you loving this week? Post a comment and let me know.
Chau.

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because, those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." –Dr. Seuss

LO
VE

Work=Wine Tasting?

If you ever hear me complain about my internship, just remind me that last night part of my job was to attend a wine tasting. You can't really beat that!! :) I have been so blessed to do so many amazing things through this internship.

I have hosted events that are interesting and informative. Some events I learned everything right there on the spot. For example, this week we hosted an archaeology event where one of our members who is working on the PhD came in presented information about archaeology and her thesis research here in Peru. It was awesome! I never thought that history could be so interesting.

Through these events I also get to meet really cool and interesting people. Everyone that comes through our clubhouse has a different reason for being in Peru whether it's travelling or for work or they've fallen in love with the country and decided to retire here. It is such an diverse blend of people and life stories that it keeps me daily interactions very interesting.

I am also developing important skills that will be needed in a future job. Communication, planning, organization, deadlines, have all become a key part of what I do for SAE. These skills will translate over into whatever I find myself doing in the future.

Not only am I seeing the personal benefits from my internship at SAE, but I am currently working on planning an event about children in Peru who are living in poverty as well as a TOMS shoes event where we will screen their documentary. I am hoping to raise awareness through these events and maybe we can even raise some money. We also host events on sustainability and other important topics that people need to be informed about.

So, about the wine tasting. We had the "Wine Guy" come to our clubhouse and teach us all about the fine art of tasting wine. It was so cool! The tasting was focused on Peruvian wines (which have never really been that great) but this guy knew his stuff and brought in all the best. Along the way we learned about using our eyes, nose and mouth to tell the story behind a wine. We also learned proper etiquette for wining and dining :) I must say, it was a good way to kick-off my weekend and when I got home I went right to sleep.

I was able to sleep in today which was nice. I read outside in the sun, ate a mango, took a nap, wrote this blog post, worked out and it's only 3:30pm! :) Later, I plan to meet up with Hannah for dinner and a movie which will be a perfect end to my day.

The start of the new week means I am half way through my time here in Peru. That is just CRAZY talk. Like I alluded to in my previous posts time is flying. I will be starting in on some more projects at work, as well, so that will make time go event faster and keep me busy.

I am so looking forward to my last week here when Kyle is coming to visit and we are taking a trip to Machu Picchu. But I also am trying to not wish my time away here. I am learning so much about myself, about work, about this new culture and Spanish! I want to keep learning more. So for the second half of my time here I am going to SOAK IT UP as much as I can.
I hope you, my reader, can do that, as well. Soak up your experiences like you would soak up the sun! No matter where you are, your everyday experiences are in some way shaping who you are. SOAK IT UP! :)

Alright, gotta go jump in the shower. Sunday Lovin' tomorrow. Meet ya there :)
Chau.

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is more people that have come alive."
--Howard Thurman

LO
VE

Time...it flies

These days time really does seem to fly by. I've heard as you get older time just zooms right on by. And while I am quite OLD :) I think that my time perspective has been skewed by living in my "event planning" world. Instead of living day-by-day I am living months in advance! I have all my events planned for the month of April and I am starting to contact people for the month of May. Mentally, I am already in May...Physically, not so much. I think THIS is what makes my time here in Lima feel like it is going so fast. Which isn't necessarily good or bad. Because I do miss things from home, but am loving life here in the city.

I do miss a lot of things from home. Actually, I shouldn't say things because honestly anything I wanted I could basically get here in Lima. I mean...I pass 5 Starbucks on my way to work every morning--And I stop at 3 of them everyday. Just kidding! But what I really miss is the people. My family and friends and my boyfriend. Some days it is hard being away from home and the people you love the most. But it's also comforting to know that they all are just a phone call or a Skype chat away. And I have people here who love and care for me like they're my family. It's an amazing feeling. And honestly, 3 months is such a short time in perspective. And I will be home before you (or I!) know it

This summer I am looking forward to attending 8 weddings. Yes that number is accurate...8! Crazy. I am also looking forward to finding a job. A real job. That pays money :) I get excited thinking about future jobs and careers. I have never really had to do a full out job search...so we'll see how I feel after applying to 100 different places. ha. I'm sure it's not as fun as it sounds, but I am excited! I am ready to spend weekends at BBQs, hang out with family and friends, go on dates with my boyfriend, play some volleyball and go from summertime in Lima to summertime in Goshen! It's looking like a bright future, people!!

Anyway, that's enough rambling for one night! I have a LOT of Spanish homework to finish and a Skype date with someone special. But I hope you all are having a stellar week! It's almost FRIDAY! Speaking of...if you want to hear a TERRIBLE song about Friday watch this youtube video and listen to the awful lyrics and the terrible auto-tune of her voice...if you can make it through the whole song I will be impressed. Ha. Rebecca Black--Friday. Hurts my ears!

This is a bakery we saw in Guancayo named Kevin! :) Had to get a picture for the lil' bro.

Mucho amor.

"Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity."
--Henry Van Dyke

LO
VE

Wanted: Good Interns

This post is just a little plug for my organization.

South American Explorers is looking for interns starting...whenever. There are a variety of internship positions available including, but not limited to: marketing, advertising, sustainable tourism, volunteer resources and general office assistant. Positions are available in Quito, Ecuador. Lima, Peru. Cusco, Peru. Buenos Aires, Argentina.

You get to work with fun people from all over the world. Learn a lot about South America. Have a flexible schedule as well as flexible responsibilities. And, of course, the adventure of living in another country! The positions are not paid, but you get free lunch and free Spanish lessons, as well as a 1 year membership to all clubhouses. Awesome benefits! :)

So if you know anyone looking for a tourism, Spanish, travel, business, non-profit, internship/experience. Let them know about South American Explorers.

Here's the website for more information: http://www.saexplorers.org/club/home
You can click on the individual clubhouses to see what internships that specific clubhouse is offering.

Hope everyone is having a great week! :)

"I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe." --Dalai Lama

LO
VE

Sunday Lovin'

And Sunday Lovin' is back after last week's hiatus. Did you miss me?? :)
Here it goes...

1.) Welcome to Lima: The event we had at work this week was "Welcome to Lima". There are a lot of new extranjeros (foreigners) arriving in Peru to teach English. The school year is JUST starting here. So we decided it would be a perfect time to bring new people to the clubhouse and present some important information about living in Lima/Peru. Sooo, guess who was in charge of it? ME! I've lived here for about 1 month...ha. So I ended up doing A LOT of reseach, learning a lot, formatting a presentation and PPT, and giving about a 45 minute presentation. We knew we would have some people at the event who have been here for a while so we hoped that it would be more interactive and that people could jump in and add their 2-cents. And to my delight, that's exactly how it went! People were asking questions, adding their input. It was great. I talked for about 45 minutes but the whole thing took about an hour and 45 minutes which was perfect! Plus, we got 4 new memberships that night. I got a a lot of compliments on how the night went, that felt really great. So currently, I am loving on the events that we have been having recently. They have been going great!

2.) "Knowing" people: I am loving that fact that I kind of, sort of "know" people around here :) I have Millie's friends who are always so welcoming and great. And then I have the regular people I pass on my way to work or see at the cafes that I stop at in the mornings before work. I eat at one cafe about once a week and always sit in the same section so I get the same waiter. He is probably about 60 and always asks how I am doing and even if I am just walking by the restaurant he waves in my direction.

This is the restaurant I frequent. I'm starting to make friends, mom!! :)

3.) Planning: If you know me, you know that I love planning. Making lists etc. etc. Between my job and planning for a trip to Machu Pichu (with my boyfriend!!!) I am in heaven making lists, planning and following-up on details. Love it! :)

4.) Peruvian birthday cake: This week was Millie's 22nd birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MILLIE!!). Her friends threw her a surprise party here at the house and it was a lot of fun. The best part of any party is obviously the cake :) And you really can't beat peruvian birthday cake. It is so good, in so many ways! You can look on my facebook page for pictures from that party.

I don't know who Drew is...but this cake looks about right! :) YUM!!

5.) Mate de Coco: Ever since we visit Huancayo, I have fallen for mate de coco. It's a tea that is supposed to help with side-effects of altitude sickness and other ailments. I like it because it tastes good and is better for me than coffee. And with a little bit of sugar and a touch of honey. Yummmmy! Perfect. Oh, and did I mention it is made of of coco leaves (cocaine..)? haha. Only trace amounts, of course. But I have heard stories about how it can be hard to even bring the tea bags into the U.S. Interesante......
6.) LivingInPeru.com: At work we get a lot of our information and share a lot of our information with this website. Living in Peru is a great resource for people, mostly foreigners, living in peru (hence, the name). It's all written in English and it has great updates on news and events. With the elections coming up in April, I get a lot of the election updates from that site. Events around Peru are also posted on their events calendar so you always know what is going on. I encourage you to check it out if you are interested to see what is going on in Peru.


My Sunday Lovin' will now continue with Loving Jesus (we're going to church!), Loving friends (I am going to Hannah's--my good friend from university who is also working here--for lunch and to hang out for the day) and Loving Spanish (Spanish homework....!! yeah!)

Hope you're Sunday is great! Take a nap :)

LO
VE

Just one of those days....

Today was just one of those days that nothing seemed to go quite right. My coworker and I were talking today about how little things just seemed to be off all day. It was a weird. weird. day.

#1: I was 5 hours...yes...5 hours late to work this morning. I sat at the Peruvian post office for 3 hours today to get a care package my mom sent. Ridiculous. If you've ever lived in another country/culture there are always a few things that you just never really "get". Like you know and understand that it's their process and that this is how they do it and they've probably always done it like that. But yet, you still don't GET IT. Here was the process today:
My package wasn't sent to my work (the address on the package), so I got a notice saying my package is at the post office on the TOTALLY opposite side of town. I guess it was being held hostage there? Because once I arrived at the post office, with my host sister, I had to sign papers, show my passport and wait in a line for some lady to stamp the paper I just signed and give me a number. That all took about an hour. Then with my little number in hand I waited another hour to get called up to show my passport again, get stamped by someone else. Then sit and wait another hour and finally get called to the "tax" window. To find out that I didn't have to pay any import taxes on the package that was sent to me.
Throughout this whole process I KNOW that I don't have to pay anything and I can SEE my package sitting behind the desk. Ahhhh just let me take it!! So finally I get my receipt that says I owe NOTHING and I go pick up the package at another window. And we're good to go....and 5 hours late to work. Whew.
Now I am not sure how it took 3 hours to sign a paper, show my passport, print a receipt and grab my package and go?? I just don't get it. People at work told me that sometimes that need to ask questions and see what you are doing with the stuff in the package...but no questions were asked and no one even really told me what was going on It's one of those things you just chalk up to being frustrated in the moment for not understanding and then you move on...Bleh.

#2: At work we have a frequent visitor that comes in and acts like a member and tries to sell us stuff and then looks like he is going to take some of our stuff. It's kind of scary. We finally learned his face so now he is sneaking in when our "real" members walk in through the door. Today, we "trapped" him in our entry way and waited for the security to come and tell him what's up. That's he's not supposed to hang around like that. So it was a whole ordeal, he ended up escaping before the police could get there, so we are hoping he knows that we are serious and that we are willing to call the police if he comes around again. Weird.

#3: All the buses and metros were SO full today. I was not really in the mood to be grinding up on a bunch of random strangers.

#4: I have a weird, unknown, really irritated bug bite on my arm. It's a red spot about the size of a softball on my bicep. It looks like i got punched really hard. It's so weird looking and of course I have been googling "bug bites" all week to make sure I won't need to have my arm amputated. You know how Doctor internet goes...scares your pants off. So now I am paranoid! No worries though...I can still feel my fingers.

#5: Our whole apartment has come down with a cold. Just that nagging, stuffy nose, coughing, sneezing sort of cold. Blah. I plan on sleeping a lot this weekend!

#6: And of course our work place was rather somber today because we woke up to the news of a huge earthquake and tsunami in Japan. That made the day feel rather sad around the office because we just did presentation about earthquake and earthquake safety here in Peru. The videos of the disaster are so sad and so real. My heart genuinely goes out to all affected.

So, in perspective, my "off-day" doesn't seem so horrible. I received a package from my AWESOME family. I am safe. There's nothing a strong cold medicine can't fix. My apartment building is still standing and the tsunami warning for Peru has been canceled. So now, I am going to sleep it off and get excited for the weekend!

I just needed to vent a little bit and a blog is for self-expression...right?? So there you go. You got all my expressions! :)

Here's a happy picture from a few weekends ago when we went to a dinner show!


Keep praying for those affected by the tsunami and earthquake!
Have a good weekend.
Chau

LO
VE

A Weekend Away

This past weekend my host sister and I went to Huancayo for a little get away/delivery trip. Now, let me get a few things straight. I said that Millie’s mom set up a school in this town, however, it’s an after school program for kids whose families can’t afford sufficient food. So it’s a place for kids to go after school to eat, work on homework, and do other activities with other children. It seems like a great program and it seems like there is a great need for something like this. Millie's mom passed away about 3 years ago and now her aunt and uncle are doing most of the work for the program. I wish I could have had the opportunity to meet Millie's mom she sounds like a wonderful, loving, and warm-hearted person.

So, We went up to help clean up the building before school started (this week) and to drop of care packages of school supplies. We were able to leave the school supplies there, but by the time we got to the location they had already cleaned everything up. So…we didn’t really get to do anything hands on. We used most of our time to go to markets, eat TONS of delicious food and watch LOTS of movies (mostly because it was raining). But if you ever need a good pick me up just watch the last two musical numbers of the movie Grease. Guaranteed smile! :) We spent a lot of time just hanging out with Millie’s awesome aunt, uncle and cousins. They were a lot of fun.

It was stunningly beautiful where we were. This town is set in a valley of the mountains and everywhere you looked a mountain was there. It reminded me a LOT of my SST Experience in Jinotega. The mountains, the cold, the wet, the rain, the mostly unpaved roads and the size of the city. It really hit me that what I am experiencing in Lima is SOOO different than anything I experienced on SST for a variety of reasons. Millie and I talked a little bit about the differences between Lima and Huancayo (She grew up in Huancayo) and I think she said it best when she said that Lima is very cosmopolitan now. It’s so true! She said her life, studies and friends are all in Lima but that she would love to move back to Huancayo to work. They have such a rich culture that they are still holding onto. It was really beautiful to see. Lots of traditional outfits, however, there was a mix of modern and traditional and we saw LOTS of mothers with kids on their back like this...

photo from art.com

...Man, we gotta learn how to wrap up the babies like that in the states. Looks so fun! and if the baby gets tired you just cover up their little head with the blanket and let them sleep away :) I was thankful that Millie took me with her to visit her hometown and to meet more of her family (who are WONDERFUL!!)

It was really nice to get out of the city for a bit and to breathe the fresh, but thin air. The altitude difference didn’t really hit me until I got back last night and had a pounding headache (plus, I didn’t shower all day and rode on a bus for 8 hours...that all together would cause a headache) Millie said I had a cuerpo fuerte (strong body ) because I didn’t get sick from the altitude, water or food. Yay for me!

Now I am back in the midst of the hustle and bustle. As I write this I am sitting a McDonald’s near central Miraflores (about 2 blocks from my work) drinking a latte because every morning my dad drives me to the metro on his way to work, but our schedules are about an hour different and my office doesn’t open until 9:30am. So I usually find a cute little café or even splurge on Starbucks and then get online and write a blog or catch up on facebook, the news, etc… It actually has become one of my favorite parts of my day because I get to relax, drink coffee, and just be ! It’s quiet nice especially after the traffic congested, horn-honking commute we take every morning!

So back to the weekend, I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story. Pictures really don’t do the beauty of this place very much justice, but you’ll at least have an idea of where I was!

On our way! We took the bus line Cruz Del Sur. These busses were NICE! They were double decker buses, had huge seats that almost fully reclined, huge windows, food, drinks, movies, and wifi! Wow. Living the life. On the way there we drove through the night which went SUPER fast. On the way back we drove during the day. We sat on the second level in the front of the bus. We had a terrific view as we were winding through the mountains. Amazing. However, it seemed like it took ages (8 hours) to get back because we didn't sleep. Finally, we made it back to WARM Lima :)

Here's one view of the mountains surrounding the city

We visited a cool park where everything was made of stone, including the sidewalks. It was beautiful.

Another view of the mountains. Looks like rain!!

The after school building where the kids eat.

The family we stayed with. So much fun! :)

The ladies waiting for the pizza

The whole family out for some wood-fired pizza. YUMMY!

Listening and dancing to the music from the functioning juke box

Our view of the streets of Huancayo from the top of the bus! Front seat!!

Winding through the mountains all the way home

Beautiful mountains. Beautiful weekend.

By the way, Today is dia de la mujer here in Peru. It’s the day of the woman. Woo hoo! So feliz dia de la mujer to all my lady friends and family! You are all very special to me!

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Until next time, Chau...

LO

VE

P.S. Sunday Lovin’ took a vacation, too. You’ll have to wait until next Sunday to see what I have been lovin’ on recently :)

Sweet Summer Time

Yesterday we had a BBQ event at our clubhouse in celebration of summer time! We invited everyone. Members, non-members, staff...and I was in charge of the planning, the organizing, and the follow through with the event. I guess that's how it goes when your title is "Event Coordinator" :)

It was tons of fun. We had chorizzo (sausage), corn on the cob on steroids, chips and guac, a raffle with some sweet prizes, and music (I made the playlist!) I think everyone had a good time and we ended up making a pretty good chunk of money, which is a big reason why we do events like that. So overall a success and I am excited to go into work today and see how much money we actually made.

After the BBQ, I was exhausted but was very pleased with how the event went. I still had a long commute home, so off I went. I ended up sitting by the nicest old man (probably about 70-80 years old and a lawyer). He asked how I was and we talked the whole hour home. It was great practice for my spanish, he was really patient in repeating himself and decoding my awful accent. haha. It is always nice to know that there are normal people in the city, too :)

Then I arrived home, and I didn't think I could be smiling any bigger after such a great day. But, to my surprise I had a message from Kyle and he said he has a week off work in May and he can come visit me, and then we can travel home together. Ahhh!! I think I screamed out loud. And then I REALLY couldn't stop smiling.

So it really is sweet summer time here in Lima, Peru! Today after work I will go home and pack my bags because Millie (my host sister) and I are off to Guancayo on a 6 hour bus trip. We are going to drop off books at a school that her Mom started. They have family there, so we will stay with the family until Monday and then head home and I'll be back to work on Tuesday. It will be a nice weekend get away and good time to see another part of the gigantic country of Peru.

Not sure what the internet situation will be like there. So I am probably going to take a blogging hiatus until Tuesday...so I guess it's going to have to be Sunday Lovin' on Tuesday :)

I hope you all had a great week. Happy Friday!!

LO
VE

Beauty. Strength. Humor. Grace.

Each time March 1st rolls around I just can't help but feel a little sadness throughout my day. As many of you know, it has been 6 years since Ali Cloud passed away. I can't believe how much has happened since then. I can still remember that day and the weeks following very vividly even though it all kind of felt like a blur. I miss her so much and wonder what adventures we could be sharing today. She was such a light in my life and such an inspiration and I am thankful for the time that I had to get to know her.

I find it very appropriate that I learned how to surf this weekend. It was always something that Ali and I talked about doing. We watched the surfing movie Blue Crush hundreds of times and promised that one day we would learn to surf (even if it was on Lake Michigan...Yes, people surf there! We researched it.) and all this would eventually lead to meeting some hot surfer dudes! There was one time on Sunday when my surf instructor left me alone to catch a final wave. In that moment, I teared up thinking about how I needed to make this last wave worth it for Ali because it was a dream we shared.

I am also reading a book written by Ali's mom, Lori Schuster. It is an well-written book that pulls you right in. It's part romance, part mystery, part AWESOME. I am really enjoying it.I haven't finished it yet, but I am very excited to. And if you are interested here is the link to the book. Woven.

Miss you everyday, Ali.
-----------------------

I have grown. And I thought things would get easier. The grief and sadness would become less. But after all these years, it still doesn't seem any easier. Maybe it's less obvious, or less constant. But it's still there. Always will be, and i don't know if i would want to have it any other way.


"Close up these eyes, try not to cry
All that I've got to pull me through is memories of you" -Yellowcard

Me, Maya, Ali. This is probably before any of us could drive so we decided the only fun thing left to do was take pictures of ourselves using the timer function :)

Anjuli, Me, Kyle, Ali, Maya. Not sure how Kyle got so lucky to sit in-between such awesome Ali/Alli's?? :)