DIET

MY DIET SUCKS
The doctor has me eating
porridge for breakfast
mashed potato and rice for lunch
and for supper also.
ohhh dearme.
Today they are eating STEAK and I am not allowed to have any.
I AM NOW ACCEPTING DONATIONS OF MEAT AND CHOCOLATE.
Jr.2 de Mayo 640 Cajamarca Peru
GRACIAS
Now Jean is talking to me on msn and playing the guitar and singing to me. Isn´t technology fabulous! haha
Yesterday I started my classes- the children are INSANE. I dont know what I am going to do with them. It was super super awesome to see my old students! Lots of screaming and hugs and all that good stuff ESBABA MUY CHEVERE!!!!!!!
I really like my Regular 15 class as they speak English quite well and we can have intereting conversations. Today I have to teach a VERY advanced class. That should be interesting. I also have a class of teenagers who are pretty good.
I worked out yesterday but I got dizzy because I was sick or whatever.The trainer told me to stop sleeping.HAHAHA. He also laughed when he set me at 10 kg and I changed it to 5 because I am pathetic.
Well gotta go! CHAU CHICOS!
PS: The photo is the library in Jose Galvez that the lady from the Peace Core has helped develop. Cute right!

SICKKKKKKKK

UGHHHHHHHHHHH you cannot IMAGINE how sick I have been.
Friday I travelled to Celendin and the car ride made me so sick it was weird- like someone had beat me up in the stomach and all my muscles were tight it was like dyinggggg :(
And then I went to sit in the front of the car an BAM. I felt better. Its not surprising I felt sick though as the mud roads wind around the mountains going up and down and you never face the same direction for more than 30 seconds its like the rollar coaster from hell ughhhhhhh. And Friday night I was puking and every other sickness you can imagine I did not sleep. The house in Celendin is set up so that you have to go outside to get to the bathroom and it rained ALL weekend so it was miserableee. I felt better yesterday and when we returned to Caxa we went out for supper. I should explain that I was on a strict diet all weekend after being sick. They knew I was sick because THERE IS NO WATER after midnight till 6 in the morning so the evidence was sitting there still. GROSS. I puked in the sink too because I didnt make it to the toilet in time. I hope you arent eating right now. It{s all a big adventure and I was only upset at the time now I think its amusing. So basically my diet was soup and herbal tea. And I cant drink ANYTHING that isn{t heated. Not even gatorade. Warm gatorade and pills was my breakfast yesterday. Yum.
So I felt better upon arrival and we went out for supper. I decided to be safe and ate spagetti bolognese because I THOUGHT it would settle my stomach. Maybe my mistake was the Pisco Sour. It was good though. Anyway after that I got sick again. So now Im on this diet ALL WEEK. I HAVE TO EAT PORRIDGE AND PILLS FOR BREAKFAST EVERYDAY. No chocolate. No cheese. Nothing that comes from a cow. Nothing greasy. Nothing that I want to eat. No juice even. I drink teas and warmed up water to take my pills. I eat soup for lunch and more soup for supper with soda crackers. It{s sad really, all this great Peruvian food and Im on this diet. At least I might lose some weight. Probably not though. I can still go to the gym luckily.
Today at 430 I start my classes. Wish me luck! I have little children first whom I hope will be cute and not little devils!
Yesterday I played soccer with Luis and I kicked his butt- okay hes 10. But still. hehehe
A surprise for you all. I WENT TO CHURCH YESTERDAY. Rosa really wanted me to go with her. Surprisingly I dislike Church just as much in Spanish as I do in English. Especially this Church. He was all about spreading the word of God and using your house as a temple to convert people. He was like if everyone here converts 10 people imagine how much we could grow. I was not impressed. Half the sermon was about growing the church. It{s a huge buisness as I see. I wont tell you how much Rosa donated. Its a huge amount she donates monthly. I dont like how you have to put your name on the donation. It seems very material to me. I would not like everybody to know how much I donated. Thats not what Church should be about. But what do I know little agnostic that I am. When I decided to try and understand instead of sitting there bored it was interesting what he was saying. It was like a huge production to me. At the end they brought in this band and they sang 2 songs. But I dont like how everyone has to love God first. When I get married my husband better love me first. Thats how it should be. And I dont like how hes all like- God will help you. Wait for Gods help. If you want something in this life you have to do it yourself. Thats how things get done.
Well I guess I shall write more later because I have more to say but I dont have time to say it!
Love you all!
Gemma xxx
PS: This image is just to make your mouth water... green spaghetti and steak yummmm

DAY 2

TODAY I WENT TO THE GYM
You will not believe how rude the people are here. I´m pretty sure that almost EVERYBODY has greeted me ¨HEY' YOU´RE FATTER!¨ so you see why I am going to the gym. They are giving me a complex. But I love their honestness.
I had green soup last night yumm
and Today I had Aji de gallina
it´s like chicken in some yellow sauce which is possibly curry and potatoes and rice and lettuce and an egg
it was good
I didn´t mention this yet but it´s dark SO early here. At like 530. So that´s sad.
I went to ICPNA at 6 for my briefing and ITS BIGGER. They have a library and a whole bunch of new classrooms and A STAFF ROOM. I will have my own LOCKER! wooooo!
I am going to have my own class of children. 5 year olds. Because the parents want their kids to have a native speaker. So here I am. That should be fun.
And I have to teach a conversation class. THERE IS NO CURRICULUM for that class. I can do WHATEVER I want. Any ideas of games or any activity that involves lots of speaking would be appreciated. They have given me a lot more advanced classes this year too. Interesting. I start on Monday so I´m going to Celendin with my family here for the weekend. No internet connection! It was great all the teachers were so excited to see me and it was cool to see them too! And they said I have curves now. HAHAHA. Like I think I have the same curves as last year. Or maybe that was a polite way of saying' you´re fat. HAHA
OH and I´m gonna have my own classroom. Classroom 2. Last year I had to move for every class. This is super cool. Except my childrens class. Because they have classrooms for kids now. With little tables and everything. They must have hit a windfall of cash or something!
Well I have a headache so I´m gonna go home and sleep now!
take care chicos!
PS: My Welcome sign!

LANDED

HOLA CHICOS
well here I am in CAJAMARCA and it´s a balmy RAINING but not cold at all
So my trip
Well I got to Toronto and sat next to some boring person who stuck in their earphones and ignored me on the plane. Then I went looking for my gate. So I´m walking around and following the signs and suddenly I realise my number isn´t there anymore. So I turn around and walk back a bit and realize its because my gate number points to a wall. So I go to the wall and turn left and see... AN ELEVATOR a hidden elevator THEY ARE USELESS AT PIERSON AIRPORT
yes so I finally got to my gate after walking for hours ( at least 15 minutes) and went to sit down and eat. This lady proceeded to enter the restaurant type of deal and complain that there was nothing to eat. The waitress showed her the menu and she made a huge fuss about how she didn´t like ANYTHING on the menu. So she went to buy a boring sandwich from another place and came back and sat on the table next to mine. She took a bite and... PROCEEDED TO TAKE OUR HER FALSE TEETH AND CLEAN THEM WITH A NAPKIN in front of me. So that put me off my lunch. They were really dirty. ewwwwwwwwwwwww
Anyway so I got on my plane to Lima. I tried to sleep but I didn´t succeed much. I managed to get a little conversatin out of the old man next to me but not much. I did not eat because I didn´t feel good. The flight attendants were kind of snotty. Finally they gave me a gravol but it was too late. I puked my guts out. By some miracle NONE of it got in my hair! OR over another person! That´s the main thing. Just all over the blanket and seatbelt and mostly in the bag. What an elegant puker I am! :D
After I felt better. My bag took AGES to come at Lima I was having a mini heart attack but it arrived. Then I went for pizza and INKA KOLA! yum. But I still had 6 hours till my flight and so I went and waited to check in being in the way off the cleaning crew all the time. I ended up stacking my bags on a cart and curling up on top of my cart. People thought I was funny. ha.
So I was waiting in the airport and Star Peru wasnt even there until 4 in the morning so I was just sitting staring at nothingness. but I did meet some cool people. I met Mr.Peru (no joke) on his way to Panama for the Mr.World competition. He´s a tad arrogant but it was good to have someone to chat too and not fall asleep.
Then I met a Canadian girl who had stayed many times in the Holiday Inn in Brandon. Small world. We talked about staples and Canadian Tire. THATS how bored I was.
Then I met this strange couple from Florida like stereotypically American with the buttoned up hawaii shirt and hat and all that stuff. It was hilarious. I took a photo of them. He told me I should read this book about two lovers in the jungle. It was strange. hahahaha
Then I had to pay 6.80$ for excesss weight on my baggage. The woman was so apologetic. I was like whatever ! ha
Then I finally got to the gate at like 4- 2.5 hours early for my flight. So I played spider solitaire on my laptop since I couldn´´t snag any internet connections.
And guess what
MY FLIGHT WAS DELAYED
I WAS SO TIRED
I HAD NO SLEPT FOR 24 HOURS
so I laid down over 3 seats and chilled until 7:15 when finally the plane came. It was good because a bunch of people had given up and left and so I had 3 seats to myself. I got on the plane and zonked out and suddenly I was in Cajamarca!
WHERE IT IS RAINING!
My adopted family met me at the airport with red roses and it was very nice!
And they had a little banner here at the house and sprayed me with silly string hahaha they are lovely.
I have just finished organizing my stuff and soon will commence gift giving!
LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!
Gemma xxxxxxxxxx
PS: The photo is Rosa and I in the Plaza De Armas in Celendin- check out the approaching rain..

16 days!

WOW time has FLOWN

Sooo yes soon I am off to the magical world of Spanish people

But first I chose to procrastinate my second research paper due on Monday as much as possible because I SO don't want to do it. But the longer I wait... well I'm sure you've been there.
I went to Son Latino last night and Cassandra and I danced the Macerena with the
band on the stage. HAHAHA I am such a child.

I have already got my insurance and my money so I'm good to gooooo!

See you soon! :)

52 Days

So I am sitting in the cold basement of my University- the only spot where I could find a wireless connection- reflecting on the fact that in less than 2 months I will be amoung my crazy and awesome Cajamarcino lovlies :)

And also to share with you all the honour I feel at winning Young Women of Distinction last night even though I may simply be distinctly insane ahahahahaa

One month and a half of essays and exams and then FREEDOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! Plus I get to leave my job and go and do something I actually want to do!

ahhh Cajamarca estoy emocionada y agitada verte otra vezzzzzz jejejeje
Una lista de cosas que extrano de Peru:
1) PEOPLE! mi familia adoptiva y mis estudiantes y amigos y la gente en general
2) PISCO SOUR
3) Inca Cola
4) las discotecas
5) la musica
6) Santa Apolonia
7) Banos del Inca...mmmm que ricooo la agua por alla!
8) Ensenando ingles
9) Chauffa
10)Lomo saltado
11)MOTOTAXIS y COMBIS (pues.. de verdad no me gusta los combis jajaja pero me gusta la idea de combis)
12)El gimnasio... mi pobre estomago ayayay
13)Caminado en general
14)La Plaza de Armas
15) Quinde. Pues.. no es muy especial... solo me gusta ver el gente :)

SEE YOU SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

GOING BACK

HEY ALL -- HOLA CHICOS

So guess what---
LAST NIGHT I BOUGHT MY TICKETS FOR PERU.
I leave April 26th and I am SO EXCITED!!
It should be even better this time because my Spanish is much improved and I know lots more people and they want to show me more of their country. Should be good! I might even get to ride a donkey- who knows?! haha

I will imposing my insanity upon Peru for 4 months and I hope to be fluent in Spanish by the end of it- would be good :)

SABES QUE?
Anoche he comprado mi pasaje por PERU!
Voy a estar en Cajamarca el 26 de abril y ESTOY MUY EMOCIONADA!

Puedo hablar la lengua mejor ahora y tambien tengo mas amigos. Ojala que voy a conocer mas de Peru y tal vez voy a montar un borro! Vamos a ver! jaja

Ojala que estas listo porque voy a estar en Peru por 4 meses! Espero que voy a aprender mucho mas del idioma.

And afterwards I'm going to write a book.
Y despues voy a escribir una novela.

NOS VEMOS EN PERU!

99 days!

chau amigos! xxx