I would never have imagined that living in a city with nearly 15 million people I would spend so much time in my house. The first time I went to the center of Lima started off great, but got progressively worse throughout the day. When we arrived we spent about an hour walking around and seeing the sights. Then the crap hit the fan. People began to protest against a law that is being passed in Peru. The police came in with attack dogs and my friends and I had to flee. We were walking for hours. We were warned that it is not safe for white people to be out after dark. A girl who had blonde hair had to disguise herself with a hat. The police pushed us to the front of the line at the train system because of the danger of being out so late. When we finally arrived at our homes around we all breathed sighs of relief. That experience was one of the things that has shaped how I spent my days here in Lima. My naive preconceptions of everywhere being just as safe as good ol' Nebraska were shattered. My days here consist mainly of going to the mall, eating, sleeping, or surfing the internet. I know there are plenty of things to do here, but I prefer the comfort of my home ever since that less than pleasant day. People warned me there is a high crime rate in Lima, but since I have the street smarts of a sheep, I placed my purse with all of my belongings under my seat while I ate with the group. Unfortunately, it happened to be the one day where I needed to bring everything of value. Our orientation to UPC was that day, and my biggest fear was forgetting something I needed, rather than the concern of theft. I brought my passport, health insurance card, driver's license, American phone, Peruvian phone, cash, debit card, and lip gloss. I comforted myself with the humor of the fact that it was the single worst day that I could have possibly had my things stolen. I like my family here because my mom cooks food for me every day. At home I am usually too unmotivated to cook, so I love having a variety of foods here. Last night we celebrated my host brother's baby turning 6 months old. We went to Barranco to eat cow heart, which struck me as one of the most interesting ways to celebrate a family occasion possible. Here's to more adventures and mall shopping.