Many people say their weeks are full of surprises, however, mine was filled with dogs. It all began the first day I arrived in Peru. I fed my host family's dog a few pieces of toast. Ever since then, I have been his best friend. He follows me around the house and begs for attention. Unfortunately, I think he is the reason I now have pink eye. Yesterday, a dog followed my friend Anna and I to school. I went inside the school to buy snacks for the dog, and when I came back he was gone. Today a small furry dog followed my host mom and I to the pharmacy. Not sure what it is about this country, but their dogs love me or at least think I can provide for them. Four girls from the school group and I are thinking about our spring break plans. We are planning to travel by bus to the north of Peru. The beach we want to go to is called Mancora and it is 17 hours away. However, I am really looking forward to this trip because the beach and our beach house seem beautiful. I really like my culture class, the professor is nice. I also enjoy our school field trips. Tomorrow we are going to a town two hours to the north to go hiking. There are waterfalls at the top of a mountain and I am excited to see them. I have the same professor for my conversation and grammar class. I like him for the most part. I'm also taking an online class which I didn't realize was so expensive until today. Its almost $1,000 for an online class, which I find slightly ridiculous considering the majority of the class consists of doing grammar review worksheets. Right now I am strongly considering changing my major. I enjoy Spanish, but I don't think I want the pressure of being a Spanish teacher and having to know the language like the back of my hand. I also do not like the idea of a teacher's schedule. I don't know what I would do if I had several months off from work every day. Kudos to teachers but I'm beginning to think more and more it is not the right decision to me. My ideal job would be something that really benefits people. I took a health equity class this summer and I was able to see how many people really do try their best to succeed in life but they are unable to due to different circumstances. I want to help homeless people not only to receive food and shelter but also to learn certain life skills. I think many people are unable to find work just because they do not know how to present themselves professionally. I would like to help people not only short term, but also for life. Dinner in Mancorakrok timeHeart of Mancora
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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. Exploring LimaIn el CentroGEtting to know Anna |