So, I figured I would write some things about what I miss, but also what I like, because I'm homesick and I need to remind myself that I like a lot of things here.
Things I Miss about the USA:
1. English all the time
As much as I love Spanish, it is really hard to always talk in your second language. I want to go to the grocery store and not get freaked out when the cashier asks me if I have exact change. Hopefully, when I get home I will be less shy about talking to strangers because at least I won't have to do it in Spanish (most of the time).
2. Safe driving
Every day I have to cross a very busy street that does not have crosswalk signs. It is terrifying. People don't always use their turn signals and so 7 out of 10 times I end up running across the street. It's okay, the locals do it too. Also, the bus systems are part of the mafia or something. People can buy bus routes and then all the buses and combis on that route have to pay that person for using their route. It's nuts. One of the girls in my program was in a combi when it got pulled over for having fake license plates. Another girl got pulled over in a taxi and found out her driver didn't have his license. But it was okay because he just bribed the police officer. Basically, what I'm saying is, I will ride the COTA bus when I get home and I will love it.
3. Taco Bell
You all knew this was coming. Over the month of May I developed a pretty serious Taco Bell addiction. I went through a rough withdrawal period where the thought of a Doritos Locos Taco would bring tears to my eyes. I'm better now, it isn't as much of a struggle. Who knows, maybe by the end of July I won't even want TBell anymore. Probably not.
4. Close Friends
Don't get me wrong, I have met some really cool kids here in Lima. But I have only known them for a month. It takes me a long time to warm up to people, probably about one month. So I'm not terribly close with anyone, at least, in comparison to my friends at home. That's kind of rough because I'm getting hit with some heavy topics, but I don't feel comfortable enough to say, "Hey, so what did you think about the way the Inca were oppressed in the 1600s? I'm not sure how I feel about them mostly embracing Catholicism now, is that wrong of me?"So yeah. It's not like I'm looking for answers to those questions, but I wish my friends were here to work things out a little with me.
5. My fam
Yeah, I know. But it's true. I just miss them, okay? I haven't been in the same room as Dana for more than 24 hours for 2 months now. It's rough.
6. Quiet
One of the professors here said that the car alarm is Peru's second national anthem. I have memorized the sound of a car alarm. I could sing along. Also, people honk to pass other cars here. And to try to get taxi passengers and to say, "Get out of my way!" It's just loud. And I miss quiet.
Things that I love about Peru:
1. The History
People have been in Lima for 5000 years. No, I did not type too many zeros. There are prehistoric pyramids in the city! Machu Picchu is only the most famous cool thing, not the only cool thing. There are ruins everywhere. And museums everywhere! A lot of the museums here are free. I haven't had the chance to go anywhere, yet, but this month is more promising.
2. The diversity
Yeah, the US is diverse, but more so in people. The geography differences are more spread out. Peru has 11 eco regions. It has 28 of the 32 different types of climates. You can drive from the coast to the desert in less than an hour. And then you can go from the desert to the mountains and from the mountains to the jungle. Each area has its own types of food and music and dance. It's crazy. Even the weather changes as you move around the country. So there is a lot to do here.
3. The Food
Of course I love the food. Everyone loves the food. Peru is one of the best places to go for food. That's actually a type of tourism. Thank you, Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern. The classic Peruvian dish that everyone has to try when they are here is ceviche. One of my professors told us that it was named by tourists. The fishermen would eat raw fish out on their boats with a little lime juice. When tourists encountered the meal, it was on the coast. Sea + beach = ceviche. Basically, ceviche is raw seafood mixed with onions and lime juice. It's pretty good, but you have to eat a sweet potato with it to really love it. I had my first ceviche last night. It was wonderful. And if you haven't noticed, I love the fruits. Maracuya (passion fruit) is my favorite. And lúcuma ice cream. It kind of tastes like cake, only kind of fruity. They also have this pepper called the ahí pepper. It's really spicy, but they take out the seeds and boil it down into a sauce that isn't spicy at all. It is so good and we eat it on potatoes all the time. Basically I eat a lot here.
4. The Shopping
Okay this is bad of me. I spend too much money on clothes. I just like clothes a lot. Peru has a lot of cheap clothes. It's actually kind of a black market thing, but the government doesn't really care. They call it "informal." There is one place downtown that I haven't been to yet called Gamarra. It is a big clothes market where you can get lots of cheap things. One of our leaders said you can get 3 polos for S/.20 which is like 9 dollars. Yeah, I know. I want to go to there.
5. My host family
They are super nice. My host mom is so loving. She is kind of a mother hen. She always makes sure I wear my scarf when it's cold. I get a hug everytime I leave and when I get back. It hasn't started to annoy me yet, so that is good. They are probably the people I speak the most Spanish with and have been so helpful.
Basically, things are different. I miss home a lot, but there are a lot of great things happening in Peru that I don't want to miss out on. Still on the list of things to do are surfing, probably shopping, playing with kids, going to museums, and eating more foods. Maybe another little trip somewhere. The Peruvian Independence Day is July 28 and they said that they celebrate with some fireworks and barbecues and free pisco sours. So at least I will get to celebrate one Independence Day right.
No comments:
Post a Comment