Okay, so we´re coming up on October 3rd this weekend and since I live in ¨3 de Octubre¨, there is going to be a fairly large fiesta this weekend. Apparently, there is a tradition here that all of the gringos (aka me and six others) have to put on some form of ¨show¨for the rest of the community. I don´t know which person came up with this idea, but it is a terrible one. The last Peace Corps group living here put on a rendition of Michael Jackson´s ¨Thriller.¨ The Peruvians loved it. Seriously, I wish I could convey to you all how much Peru loves Michael Jackson. I hear Billie Jean, Man in the Mirror, and Thriller eminating from houses on the street EVERY NIGHT. So naturally, the people here want us to dance to Thriller again this weekend. Little do they know, that is not happening. I am awkward to begin with, and playing the role of a zombie on stage for the community´s viewing pleasure is terrifying. And so we come to plan B. Grease. The people here don´t really know as much about Grease (they refer to it as Vaselina), but they know John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John so I think we´re onto something. Tonight commences our practices, so I will keep you all posted on how those go.
While on the topic of dancing, I took part in one of our instructor´s dance classes after school today. I a) had to stand in the front of the room and b) got laughed at by my peers. This only intensifies my anxieties about dancing this weekend. However, I am trying to immerse myself in the culture as best I can, so every Tuesday I will be with Pablo learning how to do the merengue (sp?) or something.
As mentioned in an earlier post, I went to Lima this weekend. It was really cool! However, it is always cloudy there and stays around 60 degrees so it´s not really beach weather. However, this one area we visited called Miraflores, had a McDonald´s and the second I saw those golden arches, I thought I was going to cry. I spent 5 and a half soles on an "Extreme McFlurry." I don´t know if this special is going on the US, but it´s a chocolate-vanilla twist with Double-flavored OREOs mixed up inside. For those quick five minutes in which I downed my McFlurry, I was in pure happiness. I think that´s what Buddhists refer to as Nirvana. I cannot wait to go back. We (six of us) all walked to the edge of Miraflores (which is seated above sea level), where we were able to look over and see the Pacific Ocean 300 feet below us. One of the girls I am living with had never seen either the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean so it was pretty exciting to be with her for her first viewing! The only complain I had about Lima was the incredible amount of pollution that was in the air. Driving back in traffic on Friday night, I slowly felt my lungs blackening because there really is a ridiculous amount of traffic between Lima and Chaclacayo and all of the cars just give off an enormous amount of pollution. Ew.
Other than that, life is continuing on in the same fashion. I had a meeting with my Program Director today to give some input on where I would like to serve my two years time in Peru. After coming to terms with myself (I really wanted to be up in the beautiful mountains), I told here I need to be somewhere hot. For all of you who lived with me at school these past four years, I HATE THE COLD. So I really don´t think I would be that productive in a colder climate. Therefore, I´m kind of hoping I am put on the coast where it is a heck of a lot warmer. We´ll see.
I reallllllllly miss you all so much and no that life is no longer new, it is a little bit easier to think about how much I miss the US and good ´ol fashioned pizza. I would maybe punch Alma (reference to school) for a bagel. But alas, I had homemade popcorn tonight for dinner which wasn´t that bad!!!! Keep me all updated with how your lives are going, I love reading emails (even if I am terrible at responding to them).
Was that Chris Cady in the Barney suit? I love reading your blog. Becca Cady
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