Hola Hola Hola!

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Hello all!

So as it turns out I'm a terrible blogger. So much for the short and sweet ones once a week? What has happened? I think I told you last time that I moved in with Julia, which is still great! I'm continuing to work at the orphanage throughout the week and on the weekends. Also, I've picked up a few more English classes that I will be teaching for the next couple of weeks, BEFORE I HEAD BACK TO THE STATES FOR THANKSGIVING! That's right, I'll be headed home for my friend Jenny's wedding in December and I just so happen to have a plane ticket to overlap with Thanksgiving 😊 Before my departure I have my great friends Nathan and Melissa, and Lauren (not Lauren Koehl, Melissa's sister) that are coming to visit. We will be traveling around Southern Peru and so I'll keep you guys posted with pictures.

Ok, what am I doing here? When I go to the Home throughout the week I literally just hang out with the girls. Sometimes we run errands together, sometimes I just make bracelets with them. On the weekends I'm a "helper" so mainly I am like a chaperon, but I would like to think I'm a "cool" chaperon haha. I just make sure they're not making out with the boys--- and vice versa. I spend the nights there on the weekends. I really just live here folks, it's not all glamorous, the same day to day grind, just in a different language. Last week I had a very informal interview for a different institute for teaching English--- and dude didn't show up! Yes I was a little irritated, but I've been told.. that's a kinda typical of Peruvians. Also, all of you know me, know my lack of direction,, I have no inner compass. Oh but I do here! I know my way (and am continuing to learn) around this city. Over the last few weeks, I have gone to a concert, gone to a couple of school anniversaries where the children dress up in "traditional" Peruvian attire, and I've gone to a few salsa classes with Julia and her fiance Edu, who's the teacher. I also watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II in Spanish. It was still amazing, and I'm still obsessed 😊 OH YEAH Halloween here is CRAZY. I was a little skeptical to go out because THE ENTIRE CITY WAS DRUNK-- Julia and I walked around a little bit, bought some pumpkins to carve (they don't do that here,,, it's the first year with pumpkins), I bought a mask, but we stayed pretty low-key.

Newsie things- I eat "Menu" at least twice a week. A menu is a lunch for the day, that is written on a dry erase or chalk board in front of a very very very small restaurant. It serves typical Peruvian food, it's anywhere from 4-10 soles ($1.50-$4.50). It includes a soup: rice, potatoes, a baby potato vegetable thing that I don't like, and a meat. You eat your soup with a knife, fork, and a spoon. Next your second plate is typically an option of 3-4 dishes. Gotta be careful here.. because I'm not trying to eat pig intestines or cow pancreas while I'm here. Fortunately I've had very good luck guess, and asking what part of this animal am I eating..no nasty surprises. Lastly, there is a "refresco" that is served with your menu, it's a Peruvian tea, or just like a juice of some kind. I drink it... so far so good? 😊

Next order of business,,I take the bus everywhere I go, and I use it at least 2-3 times a day. It's nice, it helps me learn the city. There are also "buses" that are like vans, (not mini-vans) they typically can hold up to 20-25 people at a given rush hour. I don't use those often, but I have... quite the experience.. now I know what sardines feel like.

Julia and I use a gas stove, we light a match and fire it up. Little primitive? However if the electricity goes out... we still got a stove because it's hooked up to a gas tank. 😊

FYI
A little project that I'm working on that has extended to my family, friends, and now my Mom's church is.... We're making stockings for the girls. We're labeling the stockings and filling them with fun "girl" stuff and I'll be delivering them to the chicas for Christmas.

That's all the highlights I can remember for now. Pictures to come soon!

Besitos 😊

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