Today was a big day. I have been with my family for one week now, and it is going great. I had a busy day today. This morning I had an orientation with AFS. To get there, me and my sister, Lucía, had to walk through the town and then take a special taxi to the school. Apparently it always goes to the school. Also, it is not just for the person or group that gets in first, it is for anyone that can fit, as long as they are going to the school. It was pretty cool. At the orientation, there were six other students. Everyone I already knew from the bus ride to Huancayo except for two. Two kids from AFS Germany are not in school here. They are working here. Instead of school everyday, they go to work, which I guess means that they already graduated. I did not know AFS accepted kids who are not going to school, but I guess they do. The orientation was basically about rules and things that are different in Peru. Like manners for school and for at home with your family. Apparently everyone here is starting school on monday, except for the two who are working. Although two other kids are going to a university.
After the orientation, my sister and I walked around town a bit, we stopped and picked up an ice cream bar for each of us. The ice cream here is way different then in the US. It is less creamy and more icy. Also, vanilla and chocolate flavored ice cream is not like the vanilla and chocolate flavor in the states, but it was not bad. After we took a taxi home to wait. After about three hours, we went out as a family to do some shopping. We picked up a notebook for school, but we had to go to three diferent stores to find one at a good price. We also picked up an x-large bottle of water and Inca-Cola. Inca-Cola is this yellowish clear soda that tastes sweeter than most sodas, but not a sugar kind of sweet, more of a honey kind of sweet. It is really good, they have it everywhere, at restaurants, at bodegas, and just about every house.
After shopping, we went to the park to walk around, there was a procession for some kind of catholic celebration. My little sister was along, so of course we had to get a treat. There are these little soft serve ice cream dispensers here that are really convenient, so we each got a little ice cream cone. It was the best ice cream I have had here, so I guess that is a plus, even though it does not compare to the kind I get in the US.
While we were at the park, my older brother showed up for the first time. He lives in Lima for his job, and wanted to visit. We went out to a restaurant with him, and this resaurant had Inca-Cola. This restaurant only served pollo a la braza, which is basically chicken roasted over a fire. This also came with a side salad and french fries, but they were not normal french fries. They were not fried, they were cooked in oil, so they were not really crispy on the ouside, it was the same texture throughout. They were all right, but the highlight of the meal was the drink. Besides Inca-Cola, you could also order a big pitcher of Chichimorado. It was amazing. It might not sound good but it is truly one of the best drinks I have had. It is crushed up purple corn which is dried out before they crush it up, then they add lemon juice, pineapple juice, sugar and cinnamon, and it is awesome. I had three cups, and my four year old sister loves it, too. She drank her glass, and then swapped it with Lucía's full glass (talk about sneaky).
After the restaurant we drove home. My older brother from Lima, Charleys, is going to stay the night and leave the next afternoon. We had tea when we got home, and some crackers with this caramel honey sauce, that was really good. Despite all this really good food I had today, my stomach was really upset a little earlier, but now it is fine. Tomorow is Sunday, so that means we are going to the market, and relaxing until my first day of school on Monday. I should have gone to bed earlier to get used to getting up at six for school, but oh well, I did a lot today.
Anyway, I will finish this with a word of advice. One of the best things you can do while you are here is smile and laugh often. Laughter is one of the greatest things, and it is universal. There is no language where laughing is forbidden. Laugh at yourself sometimes. Don't feel upset if you do not know how to say something, laugh about it, and look it up later. It is definitely what has helped me get through this first week and it will definitely help me in the future.
After the orientation, my sister and I walked around town a bit, we stopped and picked up an ice cream bar for each of us. The ice cream here is way different then in the US. It is less creamy and more icy. Also, vanilla and chocolate flavored ice cream is not like the vanilla and chocolate flavor in the states, but it was not bad. After we took a taxi home to wait. After about three hours, we went out as a family to do some shopping. We picked up a notebook for school, but we had to go to three diferent stores to find one at a good price. We also picked up an x-large bottle of water and Inca-Cola. Inca-Cola is this yellowish clear soda that tastes sweeter than most sodas, but not a sugar kind of sweet, more of a honey kind of sweet. It is really good, they have it everywhere, at restaurants, at bodegas, and just about every house.
After shopping, we went to the park to walk around, there was a procession for some kind of catholic celebration. My little sister was along, so of course we had to get a treat. There are these little soft serve ice cream dispensers here that are really convenient, so we each got a little ice cream cone. It was the best ice cream I have had here, so I guess that is a plus, even though it does not compare to the kind I get in the US.
While we were at the park, my older brother showed up for the first time. He lives in Lima for his job, and wanted to visit. We went out to a restaurant with him, and this resaurant had Inca-Cola. This restaurant only served pollo a la braza, which is basically chicken roasted over a fire. This also came with a side salad and french fries, but they were not normal french fries. They were not fried, they were cooked in oil, so they were not really crispy on the ouside, it was the same texture throughout. They were all right, but the highlight of the meal was the drink. Besides Inca-Cola, you could also order a big pitcher of Chichimorado. It was amazing. It might not sound good but it is truly one of the best drinks I have had. It is crushed up purple corn which is dried out before they crush it up, then they add lemon juice, pineapple juice, sugar and cinnamon, and it is awesome. I had three cups, and my four year old sister loves it, too. She drank her glass, and then swapped it with Lucía's full glass (talk about sneaky).
After the restaurant we drove home. My older brother from Lima, Charleys, is going to stay the night and leave the next afternoon. We had tea when we got home, and some crackers with this caramel honey sauce, that was really good. Despite all this really good food I had today, my stomach was really upset a little earlier, but now it is fine. Tomorow is Sunday, so that means we are going to the market, and relaxing until my first day of school on Monday. I should have gone to bed earlier to get used to getting up at six for school, but oh well, I did a lot today.
Anyway, I will finish this with a word of advice. One of the best things you can do while you are here is smile and laugh often. Laughter is one of the greatest things, and it is universal. There is no language where laughing is forbidden. Laugh at yourself sometimes. Don't feel upset if you do not know how to say something, laugh about it, and look it up later. It is definitely what has helped me get through this first week and it will definitely help me in the future.
Good advice! Keep it up! Especially at school tomorrow!
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