Settling in...or diving in!

You never quite remember how disorganized and last minute everything is here until you arrive. The meeting I was supposed to have at 4 on Friday...didn´t happen. I got my books in the office and the lady who was supposed to meet me showed up at 435 and told me I had students waiting for me. Might I note here that I was told that I would be starting yesterday (saturday) so that I had time to prepare class after the meeting on friday evening. So, lucky me, I had to walk into a class of 15 preteens and pull a class out of my butt. Luckily, since I thought I just had a short meeting I was not dressed formally at all, so the students didnt think I was their teacher, rather a random stranger pulled off the street to subsitute teach them. Great, right! Anyway, somehow I managed that and then came out to meet my boss she proceded to tell me that I had to give a speech the next day, or yesterday, for 20 minutes about the importance of American Independence Day. I said, you do realize I am British right, and therefore the ¨bad guy¨ in the war of Independence. She was like, basically they just want a white native speaker to talk about it. So I gave this speech in English to about 50 students with basic English so they didnt understand and it had to be translated into Spanish anyway...and they filmed me! Weird feeling. Anyway, I didnt appreciate having to spend Friday night after teaching preparing a powerpoint and speech about July 4th. AND, I didn´t have a chance to prepare for my 4 hour Saturday morning class with 20 lively teenagers. They were pretty good though, so it was ok. So, there I am at 1 after the presentation and my boss tells me she has a family emergency and has to travel to Chiclayo, and can I teach her class for her. Ok, mmm how long is it? Well, its 1245-630!! Wow! That is suchhh a long time to sit still. But I agreed because she gave me cash and I need to buy things like a bath towel which I didnt pack because it was too heavy. I was CURSING the decision to wear high heels to work by 630 believe me, because I was standing up and teaching from 8 in the morning until 630 with 1 hour of breaks but all broken up, in 2 of which I was still teaching because students came to me with questions about other random things they wanted to know in English or culturally. Actually, I am glad I took the afternoon class because it was not a regular cycled class from ICPNA. The students were all public school teachers, all at least 6 years older than me and the best thing about teachers? THEY ANSWER WHEN YOU ASK QUESTIONS!! They know what it is like to ask a question and have nobody volunteer an answer. Also, since they are English teachers, their English was quite good and I didnt have to try to speak slowly for them. They also had interesting input as to the topic, which was big business and corporations. Apparently this class is paid for by the mine, which I dont really get. One of the students travels from Bambamarca every week for her class, which is a 2.5 hour journey providing there are no hiccups en route. So, rather than being oozed slowly into work here I feel that I have dived in!
Apart from work, Cesar and I are busy trying to keep the apartment clean. Due to developments across the road we get a lot of dust come in, which is lovely.
Last night we went out for his friends birthday, and later met up with my collegues in this bar that used to be an artsy rock place, and is now full of teenagers (seriously, 13 yr olds) and pop tunes, which is a shame.
As for today, I am off to meet Cesar´s mum for lunch, and then we´ll see what happens later...
thanks for checking in! Hope you like the pics of our home! The stained glass roof doesn´t look too dirty there right! byeee!

I find myself in Cajamarca!

Hey everyone! Well, after what seemed like an eternity on a bus here I am in Caxas, feeling...sort of well. Although I didn´t actually puke on the bus (probably because I took 2 gravols) I did a lot of gagging and all that nice stuff. The breakfast they gave us this morning on the bus was pathetic! It was just a corn muffin, like the little ones they give you at Joey´s Only. They may as well not have bothered! Not that I could eat anything anyway, because the sight of food made me want to upchuck even more. Really interesting so far right!
So the most exiting thing today was seeing the apartment that Cesar found for us to rent together. The owner actually said he´d paint it whatever colours we wanted, and since Cesar is cool and let me choose the rooms are orange and the open space and stairwell is green. It is in a decent part of town, well lit, busy highway so it´s easy to catch a cab and there is a metal door and then a wooden door heavily bolted and all our other doors have deadbolts too! We have a little balcony which shows a busy street and a new devolpment being built, but the concept is nice, and we have stained glass windows in those doors and part of the ceiling in the open area is stained glass too, so it is nice a light. The only problem is that it is quite dirty and neither of us is likely to be able to reach it. I will put some pictures up here later. We have a gas stove, so I have to try not to burn the place down. We live on the third and top floor, the landlord lives beneath us and has lots of kids, although they live with their mother, and the first floor is a restaurant and sells basic foods like a gas station would so it smells great!! From here lying on the bed you can see this great view of all the houses going up the mountain and at night its all lit up. However, the closer you get to the window the uglier the view gets, thanks to constuction! So, good excuse to stay in bed right! We had a MENU which is like a cheap 3 course meal that costs about 3 dollars and is usually good. We had vegetable soup and then chicken and rice and then rice and purple corn pudding. Pretty gentle so that my body doesnt reject it too much. Today we went to buy basic stuff to live with and tried to clean up somewhat. I like that we have high ceilings. The traffic is pretty loud, but Cesar says it is quieter at night. I will let you know if that is true. My friend Davo came to visit and pick up the ipod nano I brough for him since its cheaper in Canada and you can get them engraved. So he was happy and me too because I didnt have to pay an exchange rate to get some peruvian cash. The one picture is people dressed traditionally in a park in Lima and other is me upon arrival in Lima in a wonderful restaurant where the server was half deaf. Tomorrow I have a meeting where I am going to teach to get books and stuff, and I start work on Saturday! I will probably do some cleaning tomorrow because I will be bored since Cesar will have to go back to work so we don´t end up on the street...just kidding, kind of. Send me your news! love, me!

Back in Lima!

Wow that seemed like a long voyage! But I made it! The flight from Winnipeg to Toronto was great and we arrived 20 minutes early! I then had to wait for 5 hours in Pearson Airport...voted best improved airport of 2010. I hate to think what that says about other airports. I was bored in Pearson until this random old man from India whipped out some playing cards and we spent 4 hours playing blackjack and cheat and speed and rummy. I lost. But it helped pass the time. And according to him I will live until I am 85 thanks to this line on my left hand. The flight to Lima was fine it just seemed long because I was anxious to arrive and because I was up at 430 am and didnt arrive in Lima until 1am because we were delayed almost an hour due to various reasons. I didn´t feel nausous on the plane though so that´s great!The guy at immigration gave me 183 days just like that which was awesome because usually they make me pay. Must have been my day! And then I met up with Cesar and that was nice :) We´re staying in the Qorianka hotel which is where we stayed the night when Cesar dropped me off at the airport 10 months ago. We´re even on the same floor. It´s nice and most importantly safe and has hot water!! We were going to go back to Cajamarca leaving at 5 this evening but we decided to stay an extra night because I was very tired and the thought of 16 odd hours on a bus was not a welcome one. So tomorrow we will travel at 5 with CIAL which is a great company we have used before. Today we spent the day in Lima. We went to this museum about instruments that Leonardo de Vinci invented which was neat. They were all cool except the one that was literally dripping water. Not sure about the genius of that! We walked around and walked-.--and walked...and walked and now my legs are exhausted! We did sit down for an hour after superr (SPINACH FETTUCINI YUMMM) on a bus tour but there was so much traffic all we saw was a lot of cars and then when we got to the good bits it was like zooooom ok no photo ops there then! After that Cesar went to print stuff from the University and in the internet cafe there was a sign on the wall that said ¨no bad words allowed¨ which made me laugh a lot. Now I have discovered this hotel has wifi (it just gets better) and I am taking advantage of it fully! Here are some pics! Thanks for tuning in! More news soon! xx

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!