La propina

I would just like to share something with you all that may come as a surprise to you. In this culture, I'm generous. Today, I went to eat at a restaurant in my town with some of my local volunteers. (I know, I forgot my camera again to take a picture of the food.) It's really cheap to eat here. For a big bowl of soup (as an appetizer), your "segunda" (main course...today it was a type of Peruvian sauteed chicken with salad, potato, and rice), and your "refresco" (today it was a juice made from purple corn), you pay only 4 soles...ie $1.33. (For some places, it's even cheaper but I splurged today.)

Normally I eat with my host family so to be going out in my site is a rare treat in itself. And then the service was so good at the restaurant. Usually restaurant people don't like to explain things or they walk away if you start asking questions. But, today, they explained everything and was so patient with our broken Spanish. So I gave them a 3 soles tip ($1) to which my friends all ridiculed me to say it was too much and blah blah blah as people don't tip here. But you should have seen the waitress' face when I told her that the rest was for her to keep. She was so happy and asked me over and over again if I was sure. Could you imagine someone in the states being that happy if you only tipped them a buck?!

Un actualizacion y no mas

Just wanted to update everyone that I'm still alive and kicking. I don't have too much to report except to say that life has been pretty good here in Peru lately. I picked up some new work with kids out in the "campo" (children farmers who give new meaning to the word "underprivileged"). So now I'm working at six schools, continuing the radio show, aerobics class, and Spanish class. Peace Corps also has us do a Community Diagnostic report which is due next month. Writing in Spanish definitely presents a new challenge! But in 5 months, I dare say that I'm proud of myself. My Spanish has come a long way.

So, overall, I'm doing okay. Last month was horrible. I was homesick, foodsick, and just sick in general. But, now, most days I wake up with a feeling of optimism and just ready to start the day. This weekend I'm traveling to the city again to assist in a Peace Corps project. After that I look forward to spending Thanksgiving with some other local volunteers. I've picked us out a restaurant that should be all right for our 1st Thanksgiving here...out in the Peruvian farmland, fresh turkeys and duck that they'll slaughter for us, fruits and vegetables grown on the land itself.

Soon I'll take some pictures of the foods I eat here. Not to sound like a hippie, but the selection of fruits is amazing...fresh figs and other things that I've never seen before. Last week, I also learned how to make yogurt from scratch. (It was a lot harder and more complext than I thought.) Later, I hope to also learn how to make cheese and wine. Yep, I'm turning into a regular Peruvian Asian farm girl! :)

I hope this e-mail finds you guys doing okay as well. I do try to keep up on the news in the states, but you know me, it's hard for me to tear away from the gossip pages. :( (What is this about Josh Duhamel!?!)

Un Camino de Fe

So each year people from around this area take their "Walk of Faith." It happens one day only at a certain church located in a small community called Marcabati. For my family, this four hour walk begins every year at 3 a.m. and lasts until 7 a.m. It includes walking over valleys and streams just so you can make your religious offering. So, this year, I decided to join in on the fun and made my first Walk of Faith!!! I woke up at 2:30 a.m., dressed warmly, and grabbed my "Jesus stick" to start my flashlight lid hike. (I'm not sure what the Jesus stick was for except that I saw my host siblings and host dad whacking each other a lot with it.)

I was so proud of myself, firstly, for waking up that early and, second, I made it without falling or a complaint (even though it was really long and my calves are now killing me, but anyways...) I'm not sure if I felt more "faithful" afterwards though. Mostly, I just focused on not falling over a cliff in the dark so that I didn't have time to think about anything else.

But regardless, for the large part, I've avoided participating in any type of Catholic activities with my family within the church so I thought this would be a good way for us to spend some time together. Or at least I tried anyways.... We got to the church a little after 7 a.m. and I was so exhausted that I fell asleep right on the church bench. And it isn't a good sleep unless you drool a little of course...he he. I woke up to my host brother jabbing at me and two of my students looking and laughing at me. I swear! Is it just me or has Peru made me less refined?