School Anniversary Part 2

August 31, 2017

I woke up thinking it was a normal day of school for the most part. I had been told the exchange students were going to be presented to the parents of other students and that I would be singing, but other than that I assumed my day would be pretty normal. Not quite.

After I arrived at school with my camera, my day started slightly different. As soon as I walked past the office, two girls from the Primaria spotted me and started pointing at my jacket. They asked me questions and told me how beautiful it was. They were super cute, and I like to talk with children because their Spanish is more basic/easier to understand. After I had answered their questions, I walked through and sat in the commons. Eventually the morning ritual began and we got into our morning lines. My grade was pretty impressed with my jacket.

Inside "Courtyard" of my school

Once classes began, the exchange students all had gym with Quinto. Except our schedule's were messed up and Quinto didn't actually have gym, they had math. When this had happened before, the exchange students simply went with the class written, not the grade. So after arriving in the math class, I tried to explain to the math teacher what was going on. Except she didn't like the fact that I was trying to get out of her class so instead she just said something I didn't understand and made me sit back down. So instead of getting to go play volleyball with my friends and maybe communicate in Spanish, I had to take a math test. Now I do love math, but with this math teacher (I have 3) she won't allow the exchange students to use calculators. Now I can handle basic math without a calculator, but I can't do trigonometry without one, so I did two problems on my math test before turning it in. After turning in the test, I wasn't allowed to talk (meaning I couldn't practice my Spanish with Peruvians) and I got yelled at when I started going through photos on my camera (not sure why, can't really cheat with it). After I turned in my math test, I went to talk to the teacher again to see if I could go to gym, but I got told/yelled at that I had to wait. By this point, I was done with the teacher so I just sat in silence.

Eventually our first class was done. The exchange students were supposed to have class with Segundo for communications (Spanish). Except Segundo didn't have communications, they had history. At this point, we were all a little frustrated so we went back to the office to talk to the office lady. She told us to go with our grades, which was confusing for me because I am in Cuarto but I am also kinda in Quinto because I have so many classes with them and I get to do stuff with them. I ended up going with Cuarto which meant I got to be with my friends. We did a running drill and volleyball drills. Here I feel very athletic compared to the Peruvians (the gym teacher agrees). After the hour was up, Quinto joined Cuarto for gym. We played volleyball until the gym teacher called all of the exchange students over and people from Quinto.

It was here we learned that we would be walking with the school flag. Jeanne and I nominated Tiia to hold the school flag (as she was much taller than both of us), which meant she not only had to learn the directions we would be going, but she had to learn how to command us in Spanish. We practiced a few times, asked Jesus to tell us the words again even more, and eventually got ready. After that we ate and hung out with our friends. We all took some pictures...

L to R: Me, Jeanne (France), Tiia (Finland)

I love them so much!!

Tiia and I didn't bring our flags...

Con estudiantes en Quinto

y cuarto!

After pictures, I went to ask the office lady what song I was supposed to sing for the school. All I had been told was that I was singing. I didn't really know what or when. I had sung for the competition between grades, so I assumed I would be singing the same song, but I wasn't really sure. After talking with her, she told me I would be singing the same song. I then proceeded to a find a random secluded part of the school. I ended up singing near the stairwell in a room filled with gym supplies. The room has a set of bars that are a kind of window that look out to the second set of stairs. After I began singing, I started to draw a crowd of kids from my school. I talked with some little girls and smiled at the older kids that looked surprised. Eventually I stopped practicing and went back with my exchange students so that we could begin this ceremony.

It was honestly so hard to act serious during this ceremony, but us exchange students somehow managed to make it through. After the flag procession, we just stood there for a while (until the gym teacher got the flags stands). After that, I went and got my camera back from Chumpi. After a while, I went back to my grade and we sat and watched the rest of the ceremony. I talked with my classmates, shared popcorn, and took some pictures. After some time, I went back upstairs to put my stuff in my backpack. After going upstairs, I found out that we didn't have school the next day. I then got invited to go hang out with the Peruvians on our day off. After that, we watched one more dance performance, before school ended. Then, I set off and took the bus home.

Spanish Test

Saturday, August 26, 2017

On Saturday morning (to my dismay) I woke up fairly early so that I could get to my school by 9 am. All of the exchange students in Lima (including myself), had a Spanish exam at my school. I of course woke up late, went to take the bus, and ended up in a taxi with Angye because I didn't want to be late. After arriving at my school, I departed from Angye and went inside to greet the rest of the students. It ended up that everyone was pretty late. While a few of the exchange students waited (including myself) we talked with a few rebounds. One of them happened to be a girl, and after talking for a bit (I think we were talking about families and I mentioned my siblings) she asked if I was Gavin Fritch's sister. After taking a moment to recover from my shock, I said yes. I am still unsure if she was in Sweden or they met on Eurotour, but I definitely wasn't expecting to be recognized as a Fritch in Peru.  

After some time, we all checked in (I got my insurance information), and we all met up. We were divided back into our colors from camp, and then we set off to take the test. We didn't really know what was going on, but the test ended up being many parts. There was a written part that had grammar, a listening and comprehending section, a reading and comprehending section, an oral test, and an essay. If we answered something wrong, we got points taken away. During the oral section of the exam, they tried to have me talk with Valerie (Angye's best friend), but we couldn't really do that since we know each other. I ended up talking with Matt, which I was grateful for. Depending on the person, it is harder or easier for me to speak. I felt pretty comfortable with Matt (he is an American that is engaged to a Peruvian and helps with Rotary).

After getting my results back, days later, I have been sorted into the basic level (no surprise, I actually thought I would be below basic). I scored the best on the oral section (so I can talk but not understand anything), the writing section, and the section that I had to read and comprehend. Rotary in Lima is currently searching for Spanish teachers to help us learn once a week (hopefully they find someone).

After the exams, we all met up so that Henry could talk to us and give us more information. After that, all of the exchange students linked up and we walked to the nearby shopping center. Since I had grown to know the area, I was the navigator (I know my family is shocked). But I got us to the Rambla where we all had lunch at a Peruvian fast food place. We all struggled to order, succeeded, had lunch, and then went to shop. I didn't actually buy anything, but we just walked around and had fun. Eventually I had to leave (a bit earlier than the rest of the kids), and I set off to my bus stop. This was pretty exciting as I would be taking the bus by myself for the first time alone. After sitting at the bus stop, I got on what I was pretty sure was the right bus. I forgot to pay for my ticket (oops) but eventually got paid and sat down. I ended up getting the right bus and got off where I was supposed to go (yay me). I have since taken the bus by myself on a different occasion, and will now be taking the bus home from school everyday.

Anniversary of my School!

Friday, August 25, 2017

Friday was an exciting day for my school, for one, it was the school's 46th anniversary. This meant that we didn't have any classes, but instead had a day of sports. So on Friday after being dropped off at my school by Renato, Tiia and I walked over to the park across the school. Here, we met Jesus, Jeanne, and another boy from Quinto (can't remember his name). Together, we all walked through San Borja to the sports center where the anniversary activities were to be held. This was actually very fun, as Jeanne had a speaker and I had the Latin top 50 downloaded on Spotify. So we walked down the street dancing and singing in accented Spanish making up words when we didn't know them (Our Peruvian escorts found this entertaining). Eventually, we arrived at the sports center (it was actually pretty far). After arriving, we all sat around and waited.

Before we knew it, other classmates were arriving. With them they had balloons, streamers, and a smurf costume. Yes you read that right. The school had been divided into Yellow and Blue (school colors) and both teams had mascots. Team yellow (my team) had a minion costume as the mascot. Eventually we all got into our usual morning lines and we received ribbons for our teams. After attendance was taken, we all went in a parade by grade. Cuarto was looking a little lame considering all we had was the smurf costume to make us look spirited (the boys wanted to lift me up on their shoulders but I wasn't down).

After the parade the activities started. There was a food eating contest, soccer (fútbol) for boys and girls, volleyball for boys and girls, a balloon popping game for boys and girls, and a contest where the mascots danced. I participated in the soccer and the volleyball. The soccer was actually quite difficult for me to play. One of the reasons was because I was out of shape. The other reason was that I was used to playing with boys. You think this would make it easier, but you can't really shove into girls you are trying to make friends with. The Peruvian girls also didn't really know how to play soccer (not that I am that great but). This made it difficult as I had no one to pass the ball to and the ball was just randomly kicked in various places. Volleyball was more fun (the girls know how to play this). Team yellow lost in women's soccer, but won in volleyball. Volleyball here is much easier for me since my height doesn't set me apart.

Mascots dancing off!

Balloon game! Leave it to me to drop the balloon :)

Food eating contest (I had to stop watching because it made me sick to watch)

Boy's soccer!

*Sorry for the not so stellar quality photos and videos, I didn't think to bring my camera*

After volleyball, I sat with Tiia and Jeanne and we watched the men's volleyball (Amarillo lost). We were approached by a rebound who went to Canada. I had seen her at the night of the blazers and we all talked for a bit. Eventually, Angye met up with us and we all set out and left school to go home (we also left school earlier). Jeanne's host mom (my Tia) took us all home (she is great).

One Month Update

As of August 23, I have been in Peru for ONE MONTH! I don't really know how this has happened, the time has completely flown by. Since I want to remember and incase you missed something here are a few of the amazing things I have done:

1. Met and bonded with my host sisters/family
2. Met so many nice Rotarians
3. Made so many new friendships with people from around the world
4. Went to Ica
5. Explored Ica's dunes at night and at sunset
6. Went on an amazing tour of Ica
7. Met the First Lady/President of Peru
8. Explored the city of Lima
9. Started school and made some friends
10. Tried so much amazing food

And while this is obviously not everything amazing I have done, it is a good little chunk of some of the great things I have experienced here. I want this blog post to talk about my first month here and some of the differences I have found between Indiana and Peru. Somethings I knew and was expecting, others not:

1. We have to wear shoes at all times around the house (even in the shower).
2. We don't use hot water for a lot of things (Ex. laundry, dishes, etc.)
3. All of our clothes usually air dry which means if you wash both pairs of your jeans you will be wearing leggings for 3 days.
4. We eat rice with everything (expected) and we eat chicken a lot (the chicken is usually still on the bone).
5. I am asked to eat food all of the time from my host mom, host aunt, and host grandmother.
6. Here people kiss you on the cheek in greeting (this means at a family gathering you kiss more than 50+ people).
7. Toilet paper goes in the trash can.
8. Not all of the students respect the teachers.
9. In Lima, you can't watch the sunset or rise because the sun isn't usually out (it is winter).
10. In general, things are much cheaper here (excluding some random things, ex. coconut oil).

In terms of the language I can confidently say that my skills have progressed slightly. This by no means says that I am good at speaking Spanish. I usually can't understand anything and the only people that usually understand what I am trying to say are Angye and Naty. It is difficult for me to talk in Spanish around people that speak English (there are more than you think) and people that I don't know very well. I think this honestly boils down to a fear of making mistakes and not being comfortable with people. However, I have promised myself from now on to:

1. Speak less English
2. Study Spanish more

I am going to try and only speak English with Peruvians during my English class in school. This will obviously be difficult, but I know it is something that has to be done if I want to become bilingual. As for studying the Spanish, I have invested in some good old flashcards to help with the verbs and I will not only have extra Spanish classes at school, but I may have Spanish classes provided by Rotary.

In conclusion, during my first month here, I have fallen in love with my new, beautiful country. While not everything here is beautiful and I am forced to see things that are hard to watch, everyday Peru is opening my eyes a bit further to seeing the realities of the world. And for this, I am eternally grateful.

Weird Weekend

August 18, 2017

After school, I got home and started packing my bags for Ica. My family was heading to the desert for the weekend so that we could go the Baptism of my adorable baby host cousin. My Tia was to become the Godmother of the cutie pie, so we needed to get down there. I attempted to do my homework, failed, and then got into the car to get to Ica. I slept most of the way, as did everyone, and we arrived around Midnight. After arriving at our house, we all got around for the night and went to bed.

August 19, 2017

On Saturday I woke up around 8:30 and got around for the day. I ate breakfast (bread stuffed with chicken and onions) and talked with Ange and Mama. Eventually we all set out with Mamita and headed to a beauty parlor thing. I have been to to one in Lima (it was for sewing and shoes), but the one in Ica was only for beauty. You basically enter the building and it is like a mini mall, with shop after shop of the same thing. Upon entering, we all searched for colors we wanted our nails to be, and we ended up all spreading out. I waited with Mamita as she got her nails done, and Angye went with Mama to get their hair done. After a while, another nail lady arrived and I started to get my nails done. Before I knew it, Angye was bringing Mamita and I juice. After my nails were done (I got a nude color since I am not allowed to have nail polish with my uniform), I went to join Angye at the hairdresser. Upon my arrival, Ange asked if I wanted to get my hair done. After telling her yes, it was decided that I would be getting my hair done after Naty (who had arrived later with Tia). 

Upon sitting in the chair, the plan for them to get my hair curled changed to waves, and then to them straightening my hair. I didn't know what they were saying, but all of a sudden my hairdresser gave me a deep part and the other hair dresser pulled my hair back to mimic the hairstyle they were going to give me. I wasn't really sure what was going on, but before I knew it my hair was getting straightened. I wasn't too keen on the hairdresser's idea for my style so while she straightened my hair, I planned on what I would be saying so that I didn't get their intended hairstyle. However, as soon as my hair was straightened, the second hairdresser pounced on my hair and before I knew it, I had gel in my hair, and I was receiving my first cornrow. I was kinda in shock, but I was more focused on the fact that I thought I might go bald from how hard the hairdresser was pulling on my hair. I had been told that cornrows were painful, but I thought I might be bald after my experience. Once getting out of the chair, I headed back to the nail lady who was now working on Angye's nails. 

Close picture of what my hair looked like (minus I only had one large cornrow)

While I think Shakira can pull this look off, I personally don't think it was the most flattering. Additionally, I was heading to a baptism and not a rock concert, so I wasn't too happy with the look. When Angye saw me she did a double take and asked if I liked it. Mamita approached me, and all she had to say was "Oh" (and not in a good way). So I sat in a chair and waited for Angye to get her nails done until Mama came and pulled me away so that I would eat. After eating, I returned to Angye and Mama, Tia, Naty, and Mamita all left to return to the house. Angye and I talked while she got her toes done, and when she was finished I asked her to ask her kind nail lady how much it would cost to have her straighten my hair where the cornrow was. I ended up costing me 5 soles (1.54) to have this lady fix my hair. It was definitely worth it, as I felt much more comfortable after my hair was looking normal and church ready. After my hair got fixed, we set off in a mototaxi for the house. We ended up having to go back to the mall because Angye forgot her things in our mad dash back home. Nonetheless we eventually got home, changed, and got ready for the baptism. I was feeling pretty confident as I walked out to join the rest of my host family until I realized they were all wearing dresses and heels (I was in jeans and tennis shoes). Now feeling horrible underdresses, I promised myself to never ask Naty how formal something was (Angye told me Naty doesn't believe in dressing up). 

Upon arriving at the church, we all stood outside and took pictures...

I'm going to miss my Nena <3

Mama and I :)

Afterwards we headed into the church and the process began. Can't say I remember going to a baptism in English, but it was definitely harder to understand in Spanish. During the ceremony Mama  got a call and she left our pew. I didn't think anything of it, but when she returned she was very quiet and she and Angye began to quietly converse. I was super confused but I didn't think anything had happened until after the ceremony had ended and Angye and Mama told Tia something that made her begin to cry. 

Pre-Bad news: Tia, Renato, baby Ranata, Anaiss, & Kiko

We promptly left the church and headed back home. I had Nati explain to me what exactly was going on. After being informed, we all got around again but for cute little Renada's Birthday party. We arrived very early and we all talked with the family and ate more food. I wasn't really sure what was all going on with the Two passing away, but I just followed what my host family did. Eventually I headed over to where the party was being held, and I got a little jealous of this spoiled baby. It was hands down the largest birthday party I had ever been to...

It seemed a little extravagant for a party for a child that won't remember anything but it was all very cute. There was of course a magician as well...

The slightly creepy mouse magician  

Me and the cousin :)))

The party was a lot of fun and included kids dancing around, loud music, a piñata, and of course some good Peruvian food. After the party had ended, we all went and met in my Aunt's house. The talking of the Uncle began again because Mama, Tia, Nati, and Angye all had to go to the funeral. I didn't really want to go, but Mama didn't want to leave me home by myself so I had no choice but to go. 

After we arrived, we all kissed everyone hello. I felt horrible when I saw my Tia Carmen crying (it was her brother that passed away). I gave her a hug and a kiss and then sat down with Angye and my host cousin. We all just talked quietly around the coffin until we all eventually returned to the car. After that we drove back to the house and called it a night.

August 20, 2017

The next day I woke up and we all waited around the house. I wasn't really sure what we were doing but we talked and blew bubbles we had gotten the previous night at the party. We began to clean the house so that we could leave and so that when we returned a different weekend, it was ready for us. While we were cleaning and dancing around, the doors began to rattle very strongly and next thing I know Angye shouted "Terremoto" (earthquake) and we all sprinted down the stairs out front. While nothing drastic happened, it was my first earthquake. It completely caught me by surprise, and while I wouldn't say it was the most terrifying thing, it definitely got my heart racing. After a few minutes we went back into the house, but it made you question if everything was safe. Nonetheless, we eventually finished cleaning and headed out to my Aunt's house. We ate lunch and visited a bit more until we left again. I thought we were leaving and going home, but we ended up driving to where the funeral had been the previous day. Naty, Angye, and I all stayed in the car while everyone else got out.

Naty, Angye, and I ended up just sitting in the car and talking. It got very hot pretty quickly, but we all prevailed. I met Angye's host family on Skype (as did Mama and other various family members). After a while everyone began to exit the building. All of a sudden, I saw the coffin being carried by family members out of the building as well. The women carried flowers and a few were throwing petals on the coffin. There was a band playing music behind them as the coffin was carried down the street with all of the family members walking and helping. They were all dancing with the coffin, going up and down and back and forth. It was definitely different from the funeral I had gone to in the United States. 

Before I knew it, Mama and Tio had joined us back in the car and we went around the corner to follow the coffin. As we waited behind the coffin, we rolled down our windows to converse with other family members waiting. Eventually we passed the coffin and headed for the cemetery. During our ride there, my Tia began singing in Quechua (Native Language in Peru). It was honestly one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. I had no idea what he was singing about but it was eerie and full of longing. Eventually, we got out of the car and walked around before the coffin caught up with us. The family didn't carry it the whole way (it was very far) but had loaded into a vehicle and then taken it out to carry again. Flowers were continually being thrown as they all walked toward a place to set the grave. At one point, Angye and Mama were carrying the coffin, until they set it down and songs were sung and speeches given. 

After the speeches and songs were done, the coffin was picked back up again and was carried to the burial site. Here more speeches were given after they placed the coffin inside (all the coffins are above the ground in a wall thing). After the coffin was placed inside, speeches and songs continued while someone sealed the grave. Afterwards we went back to the car, and headed back home.  

First Day of School!

August 14, 2017

Monday was my first day of school. I thought I was starting the week before, but as it turns out, I had an extra week of not going. I initially thought that I would be taking the bus to and from school, but on the first day, my host cousin Fernando took me (along with Mama). I woke up around 6, got out of bed around 6:20 and got around. The first thing that was asked of me was to eat breakfast (this is every morning). As my family all knows, I struggle to be a person in the morning. Add trying to speak Spanish at 6 in the morning and I am failing miserably. Nonetheless, I got around and sat down at the kitchen table to eat breakfast (or attempt, I drank half of a smoothie). After everyone had finished eating, we got into the car and we all headed to my school.

Upon arrival to school, Mama and I got out of the car and walked in. We waited in the lobby (not really sure why) before Mama gave me a blessing and I walked into my first day. My school here is very different from my school back in the USA. The first apparent difference between the two (after acknowledging my school is private and I have a uniform) is that the school here is partially outside. This sounds kind of weird and the best way to explain it is that in order to get from class to class you walk outside and go up and down stairs, past the office however is a large space that I would call a commons area (although this area is also used for our gym class).

So after walking past the office, I was outside in the commons area. I quickly spotted Tiia (Rotary exchange student from Finland). We both sat down and talked while the Peruvians all stared at us. My school is Primary and Secondary combined, so you saw kids as young as 5/6 to teenagers that were 17/18. Eventually, Jeanne walked through a different door off the side of the commons and going our little foreign group. Jeanne was a lot more nervous than Tiia and I so we all just talked out our nerves. After a while, a whistle was blown and all of the students got into lines. We were then signaled to the middle (the students were in lines to both our right and left). We all stood there as they sang the school song and Peru's national anthem. After, we were introduced by the school Director (A Rotarian in mine and Jeanne's host club). She asked us all to say our name, where we were from, and how old we were. Afterwards we all went to join our grades. I am younger than both Jeanne and Tiia, so they are in the highest grade (5th) while I am in the grade below (4th). Upon me getting in line, the girls in my grade turned around and the tallest started speaking to me in perfect English. I was more than a little confused, she didn't necessarily look "Peruvian" either (she was fairly tall and had aa fairer complexion). Turns out I'm not the only American at my school. The girl giving me all of the confusion happens to be from the U.S. (Florida to be exact). After asking about her life, she told me she was born in the U.S. (both of her parents are Peruvian) and she lived there until she finished elementary school. After that, she moved to Peru.

After getting over my initial shock, I met the rest of the girls in my grade. I had been told my school was small, but by small they meant very small. In my total grade, there are around maybe 15 -20 kids. This is actually really nice, it makes it easier to get to know everyone and hopefully (eventually) remember their names. After the whistle was blown again, we headed up two flights of stairs and into what I am calling homeroom.

After going into the room, we all took seats (I stuck with the Peruvian American) and we did nothing. I found this very confusing as we literally just sat there in talked. I was very confused why we had a class where we didn't do anything but it was explained to me that it was for homework or helping around the school. Since we didn't do either, we all just talked. I was introduced to Christian and Lorena. After this, we all went to "Psychology" class. I don't really know if it was psychology or not but upon entering this class I received a brochure about periods and a sheet of paper to fill out to help me figure out what career path I might take. I was able to figure out what most of the words meant (go me) and afterwards, all of the Peruvians got packets for careers that wanted.

My other morning classes included history and religion. The history teacher was really kind and kept asking if I understood what was going on. I didn't fully understand, but I was able to decipher what was going on since all of the notes were written on the board. While the history teacher didn't speak any English, he did speak German (kinda random, but also cool). We all got into groups and someone from each group had to pick a piece of paper from the teacher. I think this our group's project, not really sure, but I picked the Russian revolution. After history we had religion. The teacher asked me what my religion was, and when I told her that I had none, she seemed confused/shocked. She asked me why and I just told her it was complicated (kinda difficult to explain why you don't love religion when you don't speak Spanish). I later told my host family this story and my Tia laughed (maybe not the best choice to tell your religion teacher you aren't religious, but it's too late now).

The school day continued on with other classes and more random breaks. Before I knew it, we were having lunch. Or snack time/recess. We don't ever actually have a lunch, we all just have a giant recess that we can eat snacks and let loose some of our energy. During lunch, I met back up with my gringas and we all discussed differences we had thus found between our schools in our home countries and our current school. We all agreed that the largest difference was the lack of respect between students and the teachers. Many students played music during class (the girls in 5th grade said someone sang throughout their classes), were on their phones the whole time (this happens at my school in the US), or just simply didn't pay attention. We all shared our food, caught up, and eventually had to go back to class.

After recess, we had to line up in the same lines that we were in at the beginning of the day. We were then approached by a teacher (I think). He asked if I was an exchange student (yes) and then went on and got all of the students laughing. Eventually, we all continued with the rest of the day. It flew by and ended with science class. My classmates all had projects to present so I just listened to them talk without understanding anything. The teacher all asked them questions and afterwards we got a form that our parents had to sign. After class ended, we all got to go home. My cousin was waiting for me, and he took me and Mamita home (she decided to come and get me from school). Upon getting home, I took a four hour nap (school is difficult).

After waking up, Naty and I got cracking on my Religion homework. I don't really understand what I was doing or how it was helping me learn, but we searched things into google, copied them, and then pasted them into a Microsoft document. Afterwards, we printed it off.

Quick photo of my awesome uniform! It is basically a tracksuit with a t-shirt underneath!

Noche de Los Blazers

August 5th was the Night of the Blazers, a very important Rotary event for inbounds and outbounds. Angye and I arrived at the event at 4:15 (45 minutes before we had to be there). We stayed in the lobby and hung out with other exchange students. As more students arrived, a pin exchange quickly unraveled. I got quite a few cute pins from the Peruvians and the other inbounds. Eventually we went into the room of the event and started trading pins in there. Eventually we all stopped and listened so we could take photos by country and with the Peruvian outbounds that were going to that country. Eventually, Phoebe (American) and I went to go practice our song that we had to sing later in the evening for everyone. We all eventually went back into the room so we could get our table that we would be sitting at. We all then went to sit at our tables. I was sitting with my host family, Valerie, and Zidanny (Peruvian that is being sponsored to go abroad by Rotary). Once the ceremony began, the flags from every country were carried out, and everyone from each country had to go up and sing their national anthem. After that we all returned to our seats before we had to go up for photos and the speeches. After I returned to my seat, I thought I was in the clear, until we were called up to go sing (Phoebe, Axelle, and I). We didn't know where we were singing or when we were singing (we had all met that morning to learn). After singing, we went back to the table and ate dinner. We took pictures and then we went to dance.

The French singing their anthem.

All the outbounds getting ready to leave!

L to R: Lucia, Valerie, Zidanny, Me, and Angye

Valeria and I :)

Dancing was fun and of course included a lot of awkwardness (how could it not be with so many gringos?). I danced with a Peruvian boy that had gone to Belgium a few years ago, attempted to learn some kind of Peruvian dance with feet tapping, and just had a lot of fun. I did some gringo dancing with Paul (My French boy), which included some spinning and making up of random dance moves. I saw some Peruvians get it on the dance floor, and even saw Henry and Veronica out there. The dancing ended at 1:30 to the dismay of the Peruvians who stayed on the dance floor singing their own songs and dancing.

Eventually, we were all done. I hugged Sabrina goodbye (around 4 times to be exact) and wished her luck in Arequipa. After that we headed home and called it a night.

Meeting Nancy Lange!

During camp, all of the exchange students learned that they would have the opportunity to meet Nancy Lange. For all of you reading, I am sure the vast majority of you do not know who Nancy Lange is. Nancy Lange is an American woman born in Wisconsin in 1954. She was a past exchange student to India and she also happens to be the Pedro Pablo Kuczynski's wife. Now I am sure you are all beginning to

1. Read Pedro Pablo Kucztnski's name and deciphering how to pronounce it

2. Figure out who Pedro Pablo Kuczynski is

To answer the first question Kucztnski is pronounced Kuh-zin-ski (not as hard as it looks). The second question has a simple answer, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski is the President of Peru. Which makes Nancy Lange the Prima Dama of Peru (First Lady). So in short, to be blunt, Rotary gave me the opportunity to meet the First Lady of Peru (and her husband too). I never imagined having this experience on my exchange, so I honestly can't thank Rotary enough. Not only have they sent me on exchange, but they have given me so many amazing opportunities already! The reason we got to meet  Nancy Lange and the Kuczynski was because of the amazing work Rotary and exchange students have done for the less fortunate in Peru. Every year the exchange students get to head a giant project in the Amazon to help villages. In the past, water projects have been done so that citizens have access to clean water and last year, the students built a school. This just goes to show you all of the amazing things that can happen through volunteering and bettering the lives of others.

August 4, 2017

I woke up fairly early (not as early as intended) for Peruvians because Angye and I had to travel to a different part of Lima so we could get her dress for the night of the Blazers altered (again). I was coming because the location of the dress altering shop was surrounded by tons of shoe shops. Angye had gotten her shoes the previous day, but I didn't have enough money on me to buy any (its better to not walk around with a lot of money if you don't have the intention of buying anything so you don't get robbed). This being said, we woke up later than we wanted, but nonetheless headed out so we could get our tasks done. Once we arrived, we realized despite us waking up late and arriving later than we wanted, it didn't really matter. None of the shops where I wanted to buy shoes were open yet (got to love the late lifestyle). It was around 10:30 am at this point. Angye's kind sewing lady was in her shop, however, so we gave her the dress to fix. After awhile (Angye and I burned time walking around and looking in more expensive shops that were open), the shops started to open. After trying a few stores, I found the right heels (paid around $20), and Angye and I headed back home so I could get ready to meet the Nancy Lange. 

After getting ready and eating lunch (you can't skip a meal in Peru), Angye and I left with plenty of time to spare. I have quickly learned in Lima that if you want to be on time somewhere, you better leave very early, traffic is constantly present. We were both glad we left early as we did end up getting stuck in traffic which set us back a bit. Eventually we got there, made it through the gate the police were guarding that blocked off the street (teachers were protesting inside of the park near the Plaza Mayor). After we convinced the guards we needed in, we walked towards the palace and the giant group of exchange students waiting there. We didn't really know where we going so we all just stood there and talked. While we waited, we had several people stare, and even had a group of Argentinian tourists ask to take photos with us. After a while, we were approached by Henry and we all headed inside.

First we all headed toward the back of the building where we all went through security and surrendered any cell phones we might have had. We then all headed through a garden into a separate building. We were unable to take any photos, but inside was truly beautiful. After we went into the building, we all went and sat down in the main section. We didn't know exactly what was going on so we all just talked amongst ourselves. After a few minutes, we all got up to take group photos. We walked through a separate room to a giant staircase. We all climbed up to take a photo (we were also joined by two late exchange students who didn't anticipate the traffic).

Before the photo was taken, a man I instantly recognized appeared with others. I didn't really know what to say as the President of Peru smiled at us all. The guide of us all awkwardly said to everyone who didn't recognize Pedro Pablo Kucztnski, "This is the President". We all just smiled at him, no one really knew what to say. He asked us where we were all from (which was quite a few places) and if we were enjoying our time in Peru. He was very nice and made you feel very comfortable (as expected from a politician). We then all took photos together. 

Sin el presidente (without the President)

And with him! He is the one waving

After photos we went back to our seats. An introduction was given and the traditional dances began...

During the dances we were given food and drinks. Macie gave her speech to the First Lady and Nancy Lange spoke to us about her Rotary experience. It's crazy how different everyone's experience as a Rotary student is. Nancy Lange went to India for her exchange. She began by stating how she had imagined her year abroad in Paris or London (a famous, beautiful city in Europe), but when she got her assignment letter in the mail, she was a little shocked to find she would be going to India. She wasn't in a city, but a remote village. She had no running water inside the house, used an outhouse, and could only communicate with her host siblings (her parents didn't speak any English). She slept on the porch because the family had no space inside for her, was always wet during monsoon season, and had a snake charmer wake her up every morning. While her Rotary experience wasn't what she had imagined, she talked about how she formed amazing bonds with the people of the village and how she had gone back to India 3 times to visit. During her speech she talked about all of the amazing things Rotary had done for Peru, and how she was so happy to have us in Peru. After her speech, the dancers came back out for a group dance. During this time, the dancers came up and grabbed the students to dance (me being one of the selected ones). My Peruvian and I pranced around, went in circles, spun each other, and he tried to teach me how to move my feet (I never really got it). Before long, all of the exchange students were up and dancing. We formed a giant circle, had some dance in the middle and switch partners (I ended up dancing in the middle because my partner was pretty adventurous). Eventually, the dancing moved so we were dancing nearby the door. We formed a different circle and kept at it. With all these students dancing in their Rotary jackets, pins were falling off left and right. I lost about 5 pins (my partner picked them all up) and a tusk from a mammoth on the floor (never found it). No one wanted to stop dancing but eventually we were all herded out (one by one). We all got to shake Nancy's hand and talk with her one on one. She asked me where I lived in Lima (I live in Lince), which happens to be very close to Nancy. She told me if I were to ever see her to come say hi (not really sure of those odds but..). 

Nancy Lange during her speech...

And shaking the hand of the First Lady!

After that we all met back up, walked back through security, and headed out. I met up with JeAnne (my beautiful French girl/host cousin), and we both went to go find our family. Once we found Angye and Lucia, we walked around the square, JeAnne took pictures, and we all walked out. 

Jeanne and I outside the Palacio with our gift bags from Nancy Lange!

Campamento de Entrenamiento

The Campamento de Entrenamiento (Training Camp) was a requirement for all of the inbounds in Peru so that we could all meet, but more importantly be trained for our year in Peru. We all arrived in San Borja at 3 pm so that we could all board the buses. I went with Ange by taxi to the meeting place, joined the giant crowd of students and immediately started scanning the crowd for familiar faces/people I had talked with online but had yet to meet in person. I quickly found JeAnne (my French girl that is being hosted by my host cousins). I then found Sabrina (girl I had talked with online quite a bit but hadn't met). It was really exciting to meet so many people I knew but had yet to talk to in person. Eventually, we all went to board the buses, put our luggage underneath, and settle into our seats. No one knew where the camp really was or how far we had to go. We all talked and caught up (I have no phone so I haven't talked to anyone for a while). Sabrina and Kaitlynn (inbound from TN) sat infant of Macie and I, while Courtney and Leonora sat to our right. It was intresting to hear of everyone's arrival stories (Sabrina's laptop had been stolen and Courtney lives very close to dead chickens). We talked a lot, and before we knew it, we were at the camp.

The best way to phrase this is that the location for our camp was simply stunning. I don't think anything is going to top the location (sorry Ancilla college). I am still unsure of exactly what it was, but I think it was an off season resort. We were the only ones there, which was awesome. Once we arrived, we all got our luggage, and met so that we could be assigned our rooms/roomates. We were also assigned a color and received a bandana. My roommates were Grace (USA), Marion (Belgium), Tiia (Finland), and Lise (France). We all headed to our room and put our stuff in quickly, we all wanted to go explore our new home (for 3 days). We all grabbed our flags, took in the beautiful sunset, and enjoyed our first night.

Pretty amazing views for our Rotary venue!

My fav American gals! L to R: Sabrina, Me, and Macie

One last picture of the view :)

Eventually we had to go in and stop taking pictures so we could have our first session with the Rotary. Everyone introduced themselves, and we played a few games.

After that we met with all of our teams. We had to elect a team captain, make up a team cheer, and have three people speak in Spanish about why our team was going to win at the end of the camp. Every team was competing to win first prize, we got points for punctuality, winning team exercises, and for having team spirit. We got points taken away for having bad behavior, etc.. I should also mention that I was team AMARILLO (yellow). After our team got into a group, we elected Elsbeth (Netherlands) to be our team leader. We then all attempted to make a cheer (we kinda failed) and I somehow got roped into speaking for our group. My team had to go up there, we said our cheer ("Amarillo-yo-yo-yo") and I said "Nosotros somos intelligente". The other speakers from our team were Jessica (Brazil) and Emily (USA). We ended up getting 3rd place (no surprise, we kinda failed). After that our team ended up playing the selfie game. We basically got a list of random places around the resort. Our team then needed to take a selfie with the item/place, making sure everyone was in the picture and that the lighting was good. Our team ended up running around like crazy people trying to make up for our loss earlier. We did pretty well, but we couldn't find the infirmary (we ended up asking an employee who didn't understand why we wanted to go to the closed infirmary). Eventually we got back, we got there second, but we ended up placing first (our photos were all clear and had good lighting). After that, we all went to bed before our early morning the next day.

The next morning, we got up way too early and walked to the restaurant for breakfast. After that we returned and had a day full of presentations. We learned things like what to wear for the Night of the Blazers, how to react in emergency situations, etc. In between learning sessions, we got to eat snacks, and we did a few more team exercises. The team exercises we got to do throughout the day included sitting in a circle moving a ball with our butts around the circle (I was good at this, attributing it to soccer. We moved the ball around 1.5 times),  putting a sand shovel between our legs and walking to dump the sand into a bucket (I was horrible at this, but we still filled our bucket the most), and having a team relay trying to get water from the ocean into our bucket further up the beach (We got second in this). We also had to build the Rotary wheel out of sand (we also got second place in this). Later that night we played a game in the empty swimming pool (yes you read that right, there was an empty swimming pool). It was an imitation of the Amazon jungle and we had to cross our entire team over using wooden blocks. We couldn't touch the cones, the alligators, or piranhas. My team was prime to get first but we lost after two team members lost grip of each other (we had to touch each other the whole time). All in all, we ended up getting third place. Afterwards we went back in, had more presentations, and eventually went to play a game with a string. We had to chose a partner from another team (I chose Sabrina), and we had to tie our hands together and undo it. Sabrina and I epically failed at this, felt like idiots, and eventually had to get help from someone else. After we played the game, we went through and started making clothing out of paper or other recycled materials for a fashion show. I somehow got roped into the show, and ended up walking the runway with a traffic cone on my head. Our team had an ocean theme (I was a starfish) and we ended up placing 1st. Afterwards, we called it a night and went to bed exhausted.

Team Amarillo <3

Ball moving with butts game

Team Amarillo's masterpiece

Leading my team through the Amazon!

The third and last day of camp was one of the more difficult. By this point, everyone was exhausted and it was really hard to listen to speeches throughout the day. This day in particular we learned about earthquakes, fires, and we got a lesson about self defense from some police officers. We also got a thorough lesson on manners. After our lessons, we went to the beach to play capture the flag. My team didn't do too well with this, but I particularly went full out and tried to get some flags. I ended up stealing a flag from a team (my team later lost it but I got it), and I also went crashing down a sand hill. In order to get put into jail, you had to be dragged in, so I gave it my all and thrashed around (Mason helped me practice for this particular game, I had to use my slithering skills). After capture the flag, we had to play a game that involved a bunch of squatting. Basically we all got in a circle and the adults sang a song. Whenever they said "Lorenza" or a day of the week (in Spanish), we had to do a squat. This resulted in me squatting continuously for about 10 minutes (my legs were already tired from all the stairs and this was a real test of my strength). After that each team elected someone to do a plank (thankfully not me). After the fitness test, we ended up all going inside, getting the results back for the teams (We got second) and going out to take pictures. Everyone ended up using my Peruvian flag (leave it to me to be prepared). After that we headed back home.

After capture the flag :)