Part 3

So here I am at work *we clearly aren't busy*...just finished my last exam of University (although I might return) of my third year! It will be strange not having to study all the time because I can honestly say that I studied hard this year...that's what happens when your boyfriend lives in another country and you are spared that distraction!! So come June (so long as my academic counsellor was right and I took the correct courses to be eligible to graduate) I will be armed with my Bachelor's Degree, love in my heart, and a song in my mind, as they say. They say that right?!
Time to spend with my lovely family + 3 additional little ones, my sister's recital, band concert, and graduation and then June 27th and my parent's 24th Wedding Anniversary plus my departure from this wonderfully cold land to one a little bit warmer but somewhat rainy. That's right amigos! It's Peru take 3! Welcome to my fabulous blog once again and I promise to keep up with you more this time around!
I am off in search of exciting travel, a teaching job I love, and a man who is one cm taller than me! hehehe! I feel that I have paid my dues with working and studying and now am off to have some fun and adventure~!! 67 days left here!
Undoubtably I will miss my awesome family and great friends very much, but there have always been people I love living at a distance from me, and thanks to that and the support I receive from the people I love I feel I am ready to take on a year of below the eqautor living.
And I can't even lie and say I'll come back tanned because we all know that's not going to happen!
So, I got my Typhoid shot in form of pills and it was terrible. I felt like I got Typhoid, which I guess I did but in a smaller form. My stomach hurt so badly that I couldn't even stand up for an hour and a half after my first meal. Not to self/ get the vaccine when I need it next time! At least the pill variety works for 7 years and me being cheap I opted for that over the 3 year vaccine.
I still need to get some Peruvian moolah/ that's soles...and I hope to be able to get at least 1000 soles which XE converter tells me is 338$ and that should be enough to survive for the first couple of months at least. And I need to buy travel insurance too.
I really hope to be able to travel to Ecuador and Colombia while I am south of the eqautor and of course throughout Peru more! I still haven't explored the South of the country at all!!
I will be sending emails and making phone calls because the cost of mail is A LOT! However if you want to send me a letter by mail it costs less than 2$! So you should! And I'll email you back. I don't know my address yet but when I do I will let you know! :)
Well, I guess I should get back to work now..haha!
Love and all that! xx

ADVENTURE!

Hey chicosssssssssssssssssssss
I am sending you much love from PERU.
And I am gonna tell you all a little story about my life.
So yesterdy we like...lets go to San Marcos because we are like vagabonds or something haha. So poof poof toot toot off we go
And about an hour away from Cajamarca the poor car is having trouble climbing the mountain and poof! nothing else.
So they decided to suck gasoline out of a pipe. I think it was delicious. Whatever it was that they did it worked because the car moved!
So poof poof toot toot and then we reach San Marcos and go for lunch. Yummy hen soup! And then we drive off and BANG. Flat tire. Hmmm well you wait here with the car and we will roll this tire around the city looking for a tire shop.
Okay great! Waiting wait wait lum de da de doo. Ah ya! Now its fixed! Great
so off we go visit friends little beer and lots of football! Funnn.
Okay its getting late we better go back to Caxa. Off we goo poof poof toot toot dum de da and poof.
Ahhh chicos... I think we have another flat.
Get out the car.
So we look and yup. Flat flat flat. This baby is not moving.
Lets phone everybody we know and beg for help.
Nobody loves us.
Okay so ummmmmm
well lets jack it up and take off the tire and walk. GREAT wonderful where are we? Hmmm dunno well lets follow the road until we hit a place with people!
The stars are really beautiful in the middle of the Andes. Walk walk walk and YESSSSS I SEE A SIGN!!!! MATARA baby we have arrived. So lets look for the tire shop.
I have to pee and I am a woman... okay lets go to this really fancy looking chicken restaurant... how much for the toilet? Free! Score! Ohhhh that means its really RANK! And it is. There is no light... thankfully my cell phone has a light. What a beautiful hole. Well luckily I am getting good at squatting. Great. Well lets go to the tire shop then. Okay lets ask that lady over there. Where is the tire shop? Down the road. Okay great thanks.
The Tire man is on vacation.
Ohhh wonderful.
Hmm lets bug people until someone helps us...
OK GOOD IDEA!
You go search and we will guard the tire.
So they go
and we wait
kinda hungry
okay lets buy chips, munch munch
at least its not cold!!... justtt wait chica!
YES found someone. An hour later. Okay lets go.
But he has no tools
they are blunt.
And then
AN AXE! This could work. Nope.
Well keep trying boys use that muscle!
Hmmm
okay lets go and look for some better tools.. Wesley has friends here... they are on vacations too.
Is everybody in this country on vacation!
okay well
lets try again with the axe- so off we go. And finallyyyy someone takes pity and brings us a pickaxe type of deal. And finally it works. And we fix the two holes. And blow up the tire. Anddddd
it blows up wonky
okay lets take it out and try again
and then
score
its about 80% good lets go!
Hey guys,,,, wouldnt it be funny if someone had robbed the car while we were here with the tire?
Yes Gemma. That would be really funny.
Who is this weird foreigner anyway.
This is a great celebration of the day of friend. Here there is a day for everybody I swear. Teachers Day on Tuesday. I still have to work. And I have to pay for the lunch we are having! cheappp!

Anddd
where is the car? It seemed closer than this.


OHHH there it is! And the battery... nothing.
Ok get out and push and shine a light in front of the car so we dont roll off the mountain. Good good
BRRRRRRRMMMMMMMMMM finallyyyyyyyyyyyy!
Score!
And we came home.


Well chicos apart from that I am working lots having a blast. Trujillo last week was the maximum it was gorgeous I went to the beach found Brandy her shot glass and visisted some ruins. I think I will travel to Chiclayo next Saturday night because last year I didnt get to see much of the city since we went for a conference. I would like to see the beach there too.
Take care lovelies! xxxxxxxxxx

Long time no posting!

HEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY AMIGOS!
WOW I have been SO busy sorry for neglecting you folks!
Hmmm well I have visited La Colpa which is a cool place with like 200 cows and all of them know their own names. The man is like ¨Princesa¨ and he cracks his whip and she comes running around the corner and into her stall with her name to eat. It is really pretty cool!
Well I have put lots of pictures on facebook its fast so you can check them out if you want proof that I am still living haha.
The past Sunday I went to Cumbemayo its a beautiful place we walked most of the way there (we travelled via back of a truck with many other people partway) and all the way back. LOTS OF WALKING my poor nose and head got a little burnt.
I have lots of classes yesterday I went early to teach a remedial advanced 4 class with one student which was kind of funny because it was one on one for 2 hours.
On Saturday I have to give a workshop to all the teachers and I am kind of nervous!
Well I have been watching the world cup a lot and SPAIN LOST this morning way to go Switzerland! I was very depressed with England´s performance on Saturday. I watched the inaugaration and first two matches on Friday while doing other things but I was so excited I wanna be in South Africa. But I know that being here is pretty awesome too!
In two weeks I am gonna travel to Trujillo for a day its about 8 hours away and there is beach wooooo should be fun!
Yesterday morning I went with Rosa to her program in Alta Miraflores and its really pretty because the view is nice and its on top of a hill. She had a meeting with the parents and they looked at me like I was an alien from another planet which may actually be true hmmm but many of them have never even been to Cajamarca. Its about half an hour away.
I have finally checked out what everyone tells me is the nicest club in town El Diablo and it was okay but after we went to a better one which is like something you see in movies with black and red poofs and sofas and a wooden roof its very sophisticated I liked it!
I won a scholarship! Girl Guides of Canada! Pretty cool!!!!!!!! woooo
Ok more later! take care!

SPLITS!

HEY CHICOS! I got my splits back! I feel really healthy and in shape and stuff and am delighted to have my flexibility back.
I am currently on a two day holiday but not really because I spent the whole afternoon marking and just got back from giving all my marks in to ICPNA. And tonight we are having a pyjama party...that is right. And Ana and I are going to share the deepest secrets we have (not likely.!!!)
Today Ana didnt have school and she doesnt tomorrow either. At the end of the week is Corpus Christi which is a religous festival here and should be fun to check out.
Well last night David and I were the judges. We had our own two tables at the front of the room and we had to ask questions and give suggestions and final marks and all that to them. It is called Project Citizen and they were teachers from schools all over Cajamarca concerned about the problem of teenage alcoholism. They had to present the problem, current policies and laws and then their own idea. It was a good experience and a little difficult because it was in Spanish but interesting. Ironically after everything we went to hand out certificates and drank...pisco sour! hahaha
Last night after that I went to supper with my family as they had just got back from Celendin and we went shopping (how ordinary haha) but I love seeing my students out and about it is nice to get hugs from little kids haha.
Saturday night I went out with a couple of nice respectful friends to chat and that was nice.
Jean moved house and its nearer the university! cool!
I got a tattoo!
It´s a little dragon and it says carpe diem.
No. I´m kidding.
Did you jump out of your skin Dad? HAHAHAHA
Since I will probably spend tomorrow preparing the 6 hours of class in a row I have on Wednesday it wont be much of a day off! haha
Hm well I will report more later I have left a few pics for you to peruse! loveeee!

Tripping

So this morning I successfully tripped over a box in the hallway...1...2...3 times. Lucy the housekeeper thought that was hilarious. Really it was prettyyyy sad!
Well last night one of my classes had their finals and I didnt have to fail anybody! I feel good about that! The rest of my finals will be on Friday and Saturday. Today I don´t have any classes but I just got back from a meeting with my mentor which was useful... I learned a lot. David didn´t show up so it was a private class. Tonight at 6 there is a meeting for all teachers on learning strategies so that should be interesting. Next cycle I will have more classes, I will teach until 10 at night 3 days a week. But that is good because I will get more experience...although I am sad because I am not continuing with the same students and I really like my students. But it will also be good to get to know different students and levels too. I am little worried about my advanced classes because to be honest I am going to be learning some of the grammar at the same time as they are. When you speak a language you dont think about its parts. It is interesting because I am constantly learning too but could be a bit embarrassing if I dont understand something...hmmm lots of preparation time I think.
Well on Monday morning I went to a different poverty program with my mother here near to Llacanora. We had to take 2 combis to arrive there. It is not my favourite way to travel as it is hot and if people smell bad it´s sort of unbearable. And they dont wait for you to sit down before they drive off so you have to grab the pole quickly, time is money right...and I think it is sort of dangerous. I hear they are gonna have another strike on Monday... or I should say I read that on the windows of various public transport... huelga 31 de mayo
Anyway the program only had 6 children and one really bad kid. He was jumping on the table so I told him to get down and he shook his fist at me. Kids aged 3-5. That is bad. Rosa says the program cant continue if there aren´t more children- like they may have to move.
I don´t like the dogs I think they want to bite me.
Haha my Regular 1 class asked if I would be their teacher next cycle and when I said no one student said MISSSS YOU HAVE TO GO IN THERE AND FIGHT FOR US. hahaha. They are lovely. My Regular 15 class said they will miss me. It´s nice to be liked hahaha
On Sunday I am gonna go to Collpa with some collegues to help them practice English in a natural setting and because I wanna see new places. Should be cool!
I would just like to say that Jean has not lost a finger. I just suck at Spanish apparently. He did hurt his hand pretty badly but he is not without a finger.
I went looking for new heels for my skirts because I am a woman and I want new shoes but then I remembered that I dont have any money. HAHAHA. But it was okay because I didnt see any I really wanted. Except one pair but they were reallyyyy pricey.
My laptop is living once again! Que chevere no!? And I have not lost the 2000 songs I have on there nor my documents from Uni.
I love the cake here it is yummmmmmmmmmmy. I am gonna put back on all the weight I have lost but oh well it may be worth it.
Yesterday I went with Rosa to the bank and we stood in line for an hour. Goodness me! But I did see Orlando one of my friends from the Church so that was cool.
Meal times are always fun. Still they introduce new dishes to me...sometimes I am not too keen but I always eat it of course. Some of it is delicious!
My childrens class, typically, was observed just when the children decided to be REALLY noisy! We were doing an exercise where they had to draw each other big and label the body parts and they were so excited so they were really noisy and speaking spanish ohhh dearr me. But anyway. I never claimed to be a childrens teacher. My observation reports for the adults classes are good. Good suggestions and comments. Nobody believes I am 19 so I think that is a good sign! I havent received my feedback from the childrens class so that should be ...uh,....interesting.
What I notice about ICPNA this year is that the teachers are closer and there is more joking and talking between us. It is WAY more organized. We have staff meetings regularly. There are workshops 3 saturdays every month to improve our teaching. We have weekly meetings with our mentors. Last year it was like... hey here´s the books... ok bye! Now they are watching us closely and I think it is good. People are friendlier and for every mistake you make they give a positive comment about something else. I am much happier. Last year my mentor didnt help me at all. She just wrote on my end of year report-without explanation and following a good observation feedback sheet-that my teaching was below level. And I was very angry with her because I asked for help and she gave me nothing. Anyway my students last year got great marks on their exams and they liked me and learned lots so thats the main thing. And I didnt have any complaints from anyone else. I also am not happy with her because she was gossiping with my host mother about how I was so awful to Antonio and how all foreigners treat people here badly which is simply not true I dont believe I have treated anyone here with anything less than the respect due from a teacher...if anything the people here treat foreigners without respect- I make reference to the comments I hear from the men here when I walk down the street, but I dont generalize all the men in peru based on them- anyway Antonio and I are friends and there are no problems between us so I think she should just keep her opinions to herself, that is nothing to do with our job and I do not comment on her private life. Anyway she is in Chiclayo now so no problems. And nobody in Peru knows about my blog and I have not used any names so I think that is okay to say. That is my vent for today. ha
I can now walk really well in high heels but I want some new ones to switch it up a bit. And a new shirt and a new skirt. Hey did I tell you the housekeeper got bleach all over my green shirt so I cant wear it to work because I look ridiculous. It is a shame because I like that shirt. It cost me all of 5 dollars but it was nice. I mean it went well with my skirts. Oh man I am turning into a typical woman talking about clothes like they are important.Okay they are not important I just like to look professional for my job.
Yesterday Ana didnt have school so she was there at lunch so we had ice lollies afterwards like milky ones they were yummmmy!
The other day Rosa asked me to go to the pharmacy and buy her some nail polish remover because she was in a rush so I went and what a palaver! I went and you have to ask one person for what you want. So I was standing there waiting for her to bring it for 10 minutes and then someone told me I had to go to another section to pay. So I paid and she gave me a slip and directed me to another section. So I went there and they had given me the wrong slip because I didnt need any pills- so I had to go back to the pay place and then return with the correct slip and finally they gave me the nail polish remover. I mean this whole process could have been done in 2 minutes. Let´s make things as difficult as possible...
Anyway I am enjoying myself again now that I am not sick and have adapted and I think the next 3 months will be a blast!
Thanks Brandy for the ideas for class!
Take care chicos!
xxx

Pointless journey and scare back home

Hey chicos!

Well I just got back from San Marcos and I cannot figure out why we went. When we got there we went to the bathroom and came home. I mean it was nice to see the countryside and San Marcos and all the new villages and all that but It seems like a waste of a truck rental and gas to me. It was really bizarre. When we arrived in San Marcos they were by some luck having a festival so there were people dressed up like devils, we didnt stay to watch them dance though because we were in such a rush to go...nowhere? But I did get a picture with them! We went for lunch in LLacanora where I had pork and potatoes and lots of vegetables with weird sauce. The pork was very fatty so I have probably gained back all my weight in one meal. No I am joking. It was interesting on the way home we went to a cheese factory so that was kind of cool. They said to be ready to leave this morning at 8 so I got up at 7 and went to the kitchen and saw their grandad ready to go and he was like ¨ready then?¨ and I was like yup but nobody else is up! Luis and Luis got ready fast but Ana wouldnt get out of bed so we didnt leave until later- could have slept more. Especially as I didnt sleep much the night before---
Because I was so worried about Jean because his best friend sent me a message that he had had a car accident and I had no way to contact him so I didnt know any details. But now I know that he is fine except he has lost one of his fingers. So that was not fun. The accident was in Winnipeg- he was on his way to play with his band. His friend is in much worse shape by the sounds of it. He called me in the middle of the night so I am waiting for more information.
Yesterday I was at ICPNA till 2 because we had a workshop on how to write a lesson plan after our classes. That was just enthralling. I spent my time finding all the spelling mistakes in the presentation. Her English needs a lot of work. Then we had a coffee break. The good thing about it was that I got to know my collegues a little bit more.
This week coming will be finals. I cant believe I have already been here for almost a month. Time flies.
My childrens class was observed on Friday. Not sure what she thought of it though. We were doing a spelling test at the time and about 6 people were late so that complicated things a lot. The spelling test was not part of the book or anything I just decided to start doing daily spelling tests because their spelling is awful. On Thursday at 9 am I have a meeting with David -the American teacher- and our mentor Sarita. That will be interesting.
Last night I went to a youth group religious thing again.It was kind of fun and although maybe I dont agree with the lessons they are at least interesting.
I gave my class another set of homework yesterday. They love me now. HAHA. They might actually learn something though.
Well chicos cheers for your emails and your news!
Take care!
xxxxxxxxxxx

TREMOR

WOW DUDES there was a TREMOR here and I am SO UPSET because I didn´t feel anything! It was exactly 3 seconds long and I MISSED IT. I was sleeping. What a shame! My collegue said he felt dizzy and then he realized it was a tremor wowwww. Their last tremor was two years ago so I probably am not gonna have another opportunity to experience it. Ohhhh man!!! Nobody in my house felt it- it is earthquake proof apparently- not quite sure how that works though...
I went to observe another class at ICPNA to see how other people approach the method and it was very interesting and informative. I have some new ideas to put into play!
Well this morning I went with Rosa to her new project. She is no longer working in the projects of Cajamarca- now she is working with the programs in Baños Del Inca which is like 5 minutes outside of Cajamarca. The children in the class we visited were ages 3-5 and there was one girl of maybe 13 years who was clearly not well. We spent the morning learning how to crawl to work on coordination. Then we learned about what foods it is good to eat to have a healthy body. Then lunch came and it wasnt very much for all the children. Like maybe 5 people. That was sad. They were not that well behaved and their teacher is not actually qualified to teach but with this program teachers at Davy College (i.e. the resort school in town) are training them so it should improve a lot.
Yeah last night we had a staff meeting again and I understood most of it whoopee. So everyone was invited to my conversation class haha I think I went red. David and I have the special privelege of not having to get the homework we assign to our students approved first. Cool right!
I know there was something I wanted to write about but I have forgotten.
OHHH there is the cutest little kid playing peekaboo with me beside the computerrrr I want a child. But dont worry because I dont have one.
Here I have put a picture of me teaching and also of the kids this morning.
Oh a student said my life is a nude instead of knot! Because knot in Spanish is nudo. HAHAHAHAHA. That was great!
Well my loves I spent all my time uploading pictures!
See you on teh sunny side
xxxxxxx