Wow, I can’t believe that I have officially been living in South America for two weeks now. On one hand it feels like it was just yesterday that I was dragging all my belongings through the airport in Omaha and on the other it seems as though I’ve been away from for a year. Peru is a completely different world and we have been completely immersed in it day in and day out. There have been so many positive experiences and also a few negative, but through each I have been learning so much about myself and the world around me. The past two weeks have been filled with meeting interesting people, exploring unfamiliar places, and being completely thrown out of my comfort zone.
Even the simplest of things are so different here. Right off the bat, the first thing I experienced that felt so foreign to me was that everybody greets and parts everybody with a kiss on the cheek. If you are introduced to someone, you kiss on the cheek. When you enter a room, you kiss everyone on the cheek. When you see a Peruvian acquaintance on campus, you kiss on the cheek. The first couple days it definitely took some getting used to, in the United States its not even really typical to hug someone you aren’t close with, but now it has already become much more natural. I discovered this when a group of us UNK students were parting ways for the night and I felt inclined to kiss them as well before we left each other. It literally felt like our goodbye was missing something by just waving and saying, “Hasta Luego”.
The second greatest change I’ve become accustomed to is the weather. In Peru it is Summer right now. Everyday the average temperature is around 75-80 degrees with what feels like 100% humidity. By the time I have completed my 25 minute walk to campus in the mornings I am sweating and my hair is a curly mess. It only took about two days to realize hair-straightening and makeup-wearing were pointless actions. The sun is also very strong so 50spf sunscreen has now become the main focus of my getting ready routine (You’re welcome mom ;)). Despite the sunscreen precautions, I have already developed a few nice tan lines from spending many afternoons by the rooftop pool at my apartment complex. Hopefully soon I will be able to blend in more with the Peruanas and their beautifully bronzed skin :)
One change that I have struggled with is giving up a lot of my independence. The city life is something completely new and strange to me. There are cars, taxis, buses, and combis (little vans packed to the brim with people) EVERYWHERE! However, anytime I want to do something or need to go somewhere, I am no longer able to hop into my trusty Jeep and go, but now traveling anywhere has become a process. In order to move from place to place we need to hail a taxi, find a combi that is going your way, or figure out the intricate bus system. My most often used mode of transportation has become my feet-- my poor Birkenstocks are already almost worn out from literally just walking for hours each day. Each night when I climb into bed around 10pm (it always feels like midnight) I am completely exhausted, and it feels so good.
Next to endless walking, the second thing I’ve been doing the most of is eating. The food here is definitely not like I was expecting, but it has not disappointed me in anyway. Most mornings begin with café con leche, a fresh fruit smoothie, and some sort of assorted breads and cheeses. I can’t complain at all but as a breakfast-lover I am greatly missing my waffles and bacon. Lunch is typically the biggest meal of the day, served around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Most of my home-cooked lunches have consisted of a first course of brothy vegetable and chicken soup, and then a second course of white rice, meat, and potatoes. Peruvians LOVE potatoes! I’ve learned that there are something like 3,000 different types of potatoes grown in Peru. The most common that I’ve been served are papas amarillos, yellow potatoes. A lot of main dishes are usually accompanied with the Peruvian sauce, Aji, which I thoroughly enjoy. It is made from yellow peppers grown here and you can eat it on almost anything. It is even provided at the McDonalds right next to the ketchup and mustard. Another typical sauce is huancaina, which is a spicy, creamy sauce made with the aji peppers, garlic, milk, and cheese. Muy Rico! Dinners are not really a big deal here, some nights there will just be tea, bread and fruits on the table to snack on. Other nights if the family is feeling hungry, some rice and eggs will be made around 9 or 10.
The time I’ve spent here has been such a whirlwind and I feel as though I could go on and on about all the things I have noticed. With all that I have experienced in only 16 days I cannot wait to see what the rest of this semester has in store for me. xxx
--Mas Oberservaciones Aleatorio--
- The drivers here unlike anything I’ve seen- Rules seem to not apply. Stop signs are always optional. The lines that divide lanes are only suggestions.
- People here are ALWAYS cleaning! Public city workers are constantly sweeping the sidewalks, washing the roads with water, and mopping the stones all around campus. I’ve even seen a few people mopping the overhands to buildings and cleaning the rooftops.
- There is an abundance of ice cream. D’ono Frio Helados can be found on every street in almost every place whether it be across campus, in Miraflores, or on the beaches. They ride little yellow bikes with an ice cream cart on the front and blow yellow horns that sound like chickens.
-There is hardly any air conditioning but the houses somehow stay somewhat cool. The windows are always open and there are no screens, but somehow no bugs can be found inside. Mysterious…
-American music is played everywhere! While there is a fair share of music en espanol, many radio stations, taxi drivers, and Peruanas my age listen to the type of music that is played on Hits 106
-I really, really miss pizza.
Even the simplest of things are so different here. Right off the bat, the first thing I experienced that felt so foreign to me was that everybody greets and parts everybody with a kiss on the cheek. If you are introduced to someone, you kiss on the cheek. When you enter a room, you kiss everyone on the cheek. When you see a Peruvian acquaintance on campus, you kiss on the cheek. The first couple days it definitely took some getting used to, in the United States its not even really typical to hug someone you aren’t close with, but now it has already become much more natural. I discovered this when a group of us UNK students were parting ways for the night and I felt inclined to kiss them as well before we left each other. It literally felt like our goodbye was missing something by just waving and saying, “Hasta Luego”.
The second greatest change I’ve become accustomed to is the weather. In Peru it is Summer right now. Everyday the average temperature is around 75-80 degrees with what feels like 100% humidity. By the time I have completed my 25 minute walk to campus in the mornings I am sweating and my hair is a curly mess. It only took about two days to realize hair-straightening and makeup-wearing were pointless actions. The sun is also very strong so 50spf sunscreen has now become the main focus of my getting ready routine (You’re welcome mom ;)). Despite the sunscreen precautions, I have already developed a few nice tan lines from spending many afternoons by the rooftop pool at my apartment complex. Hopefully soon I will be able to blend in more with the Peruanas and their beautifully bronzed skin :)
One change that I have struggled with is giving up a lot of my independence. The city life is something completely new and strange to me. There are cars, taxis, buses, and combis (little vans packed to the brim with people) EVERYWHERE! However, anytime I want to do something or need to go somewhere, I am no longer able to hop into my trusty Jeep and go, but now traveling anywhere has become a process. In order to move from place to place we need to hail a taxi, find a combi that is going your way, or figure out the intricate bus system. My most often used mode of transportation has become my feet-- my poor Birkenstocks are already almost worn out from literally just walking for hours each day. Each night when I climb into bed around 10pm (it always feels like midnight) I am completely exhausted, and it feels so good.
Next to endless walking, the second thing I’ve been doing the most of is eating. The food here is definitely not like I was expecting, but it has not disappointed me in anyway. Most mornings begin with café con leche, a fresh fruit smoothie, and some sort of assorted breads and cheeses. I can’t complain at all but as a breakfast-lover I am greatly missing my waffles and bacon. Lunch is typically the biggest meal of the day, served around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Most of my home-cooked lunches have consisted of a first course of brothy vegetable and chicken soup, and then a second course of white rice, meat, and potatoes. Peruvians LOVE potatoes! I’ve learned that there are something like 3,000 different types of potatoes grown in Peru. The most common that I’ve been served are papas amarillos, yellow potatoes. A lot of main dishes are usually accompanied with the Peruvian sauce, Aji, which I thoroughly enjoy. It is made from yellow peppers grown here and you can eat it on almost anything. It is even provided at the McDonalds right next to the ketchup and mustard. Another typical sauce is huancaina, which is a spicy, creamy sauce made with the aji peppers, garlic, milk, and cheese. Muy Rico! Dinners are not really a big deal here, some nights there will just be tea, bread and fruits on the table to snack on. Other nights if the family is feeling hungry, some rice and eggs will be made around 9 or 10.
The time I’ve spent here has been such a whirlwind and I feel as though I could go on and on about all the things I have noticed. With all that I have experienced in only 16 days I cannot wait to see what the rest of this semester has in store for me. xxx
--Mas Oberservaciones Aleatorio--
- The drivers here unlike anything I’ve seen- Rules seem to not apply. Stop signs are always optional. The lines that divide lanes are only suggestions.
- People here are ALWAYS cleaning! Public city workers are constantly sweeping the sidewalks, washing the roads with water, and mopping the stones all around campus. I’ve even seen a few people mopping the overhands to buildings and cleaning the rooftops.
- There is an abundance of ice cream. D’ono Frio Helados can be found on every street in almost every place whether it be across campus, in Miraflores, or on the beaches. They ride little yellow bikes with an ice cream cart on the front and blow yellow horns that sound like chickens.
-There is hardly any air conditioning but the houses somehow stay somewhat cool. The windows are always open and there are no screens, but somehow no bugs can be found inside. Mysterious…
-American music is played everywhere! While there is a fair share of music en espanol, many radio stations, taxi drivers, and Peruanas my age listen to the type of music that is played on Hits 106
-I really, really miss pizza.