Day 20

Here I am with the ladies at Buen Pastor after making chocolate-covered fruit kabobs. Today, I'm rocking the infamous "wolf" shirt. [[Special shout out to Erika Gulick for this one]]

Today I went to class, and we were let out at 12:40...a half hour earlier than we are used to! Woo!

After class, I walked home with Nichole and took lots of pictures of advertisments because I am going to do my independent study assignment on ads.

Then, Estefania, Nichole and I went to Buen Pastor to do our activity with the girls. We had so much fun, and the girls truly enjoyed it. 

Here is Estefania prepping the fruit.

Here is Nichole melting the chocolate.

Here is the table all set up and awaiting the girls...and the chocolate of course.

The girls of Buen Pastor in action!

Me and Roxana with her finished product.

There are a total of 41 girls at Buen Pastor, and each girl was able to make their own chocolate-covered fruit kabob. It was great to see all of their smiling faces.

After we completed our activity and cleaned up our mess, I helped peel some fava beans and toasted some pasta for the dinner course at Buen Pastor.

That is my day in summary. Tomorrow I have a paper and presentation due. The assignment is on culture in the United States - I am doing the subculture that exists at Rutgers' football games. 

Hasta manana mis amores!

Oh! Don't forget to check out my previous entry, "Vending Without The Machines"

Vending Without The Machine

My picture observation of this week: Vending without the machine.

All along the main street in Peru there are many vendors. Here are some pictures of all the vendors' side hustles.

There are no vending machines in Peru, but there are, indeed people that are vending machines.

1 - Picarones [Delicious]

2 - Fruity

3 - Jello-ish Cups

4 - An "Established" Vending Machine

5 - Peruvian Redbox

6 - Peruvian Soft Drink Vending Machine

7 - Peruvian Ice Cream Truck

8 - The Competition

9 - Breakfast Bar

10 - Bakery to Go

11 - Peruvian Payphone (Yes you pay her, and you can use her phone)

12 - Peruvian Fast Food

13 - Breakfast to Go

14 - Peruvian Food"Trucks"

15 - Solo Food Truck

16 - Peruvian Breakfast Cafe

17 - Peruvian Food Truck Close to the Main Bus Stop

18 - Another Solo Food Truck

19 - Popped Corn on the Go

20 - Peruvian Barnes and Noble

Day 19

Here I am with Edid playing cards. I'm wearing my EPIC t-shirt. Shout out to all the Sony College Marketing Reps!

Today is my second to last Monday here in Cuzco, boy does time fly! 

I started my day off walking to class. I began my second semester today. I have the same teacher that I had my first week. Her name is Luz. However, this time, she is teaching Culture and Civilization instead of grammar.

I also have 7 other people in my class this time around (a little bit more than before).

In class we learned about the Aztecs. Interesting stuff. Want to know why? Because both the Aztecs and the Incans, in essence, got screwed over in the same way. Damn those tricky traidors!

After class, I walked home with Nichole and we went to Buen Pastor shortly after.

Today I played cards and volleyball with the girls.

Here is a picture of Janet goofing off behind me.

I also walked around and talked a decent amount with Gladys. We asked each other questions about our respective countries. I enjoyed our walking and talking a lot.

Here I am with Gladys...still rockin' my EPIC Tee.

After volunteering at Buen Pastor, Estefania, Nichole and I went to a restaurant called, Romana. 

Romana is an Italian restaurant, and we have all been craving some decent pizza, so we ordered two personal pies - one margherita and one with vegetables - and split them amongst ourselves. 

We also got some fresh lemonade. Deeeee lish.

The pizza was great, and it was accompanied with three different types of sauces that were a perfect addition to our pizzas.

1) creamy basil pesto

2) spicy pepper sauce

3) garlic crema/mayo

After pizza, we all got dulce de leche bon bons from a little sweet shop called, Sabrosa de Leche.

Then - the supermarket. We went to the supermarket to purchase fruit for our activity with the girls at Buen Pastor tomorrow. I am very excited to make chocolate covered kabobs with the ladies!

Well, that's all for now, stay tuned to read all about our activity with the ladies of Buen Pastor that will take place tomorrow =)

Hasta luego mis amores!

Day 17/18

Here I am wearing my Beatles T-shirt in front of Inka...fe.

Yesterday and today were our free days on the trip so what did I do? I shopped! 

Yesterday, I went to one of the markets and bought a few (cough cough) things here and there. 

Afterwards, I went to a small cafe and got a chicken sandwich for 3 soles...followed by a dulce de lech bon bon...yum!

Then, I sat outside and wrote and did a little homework. It was a beautiful day.

For dinner I went to go get lamb's heart on a stick. Once I saw the lamb's hearts, I couldn't get past the sight, so I only tried a bite of my friend's. It wasn't bad...but it definitely isn't something I'd like to ever eat a lot of.

OH! Yesterday was Independence Day in Peru, so at night, we went to a club called, "Mama Afrika." It was VERY fun. We caught the end of a salsa class and then danced the night away! There were a lot of Pitbull songs in rotation that made for very fun and recognizable dance tunes.

I took a cab home from Mama Afrika with Cristina and Luis. Our cab got rear-ended while we were in it. We had to pull over on a side road and sit patiently in our cab as our cab driver and the other cab driver argued about the damage.

Sigh.

Don't worry, no one was hurt.

TODAY MARKS THE HALFWAY MARK OF MY TRIP

Today, I got up and went shopping...again.

I bought a few things (cough cough) here and there are the market. Then, Cristina, Nichole and I went to a new place to eat called Inka...fe. [[Get it?!]]

The food there was delicious. Below is a picture of what I ate - a veggie sandwich!

I also got a cup of coffee, which was also delicious.

NOTE: I have only had 5 cups of coffee the whole duration of my trip. For those of you who know me, be impressed =)

After lunch at Inka...fe, we briefly went back to the hostel. Estefania and I then ventured off to Plaza de Armas.

I bought a new hat.

Here I am in my new hat

I got a hair wrap...from some Peruivan hippies.

Here I am getting my hair wrapped.

After, we went to Bembo's. Bembo's is a fast food chain in Peru. I got an ice cream sundae and a burger. Both were delicious.

Then I came home.

Now that I am home, I am writing my last journal entry for school and then I will be going to bed shortly. I have my first day of my last semester, here, in Peru tomorrow!

Hasta manana mis amores!

Thought of the Week: 2

Thought of the week: What do you consider a luxury?

When I think of luxury, I usually think of something fairly expensive car, an iPhone, internet access 24/7, ect... 

But I wonder what Peruvian's consider a luxury. I can tell you this, I have not seen one luxury car or one iPhone from a native Peruvian, so clearly, our definitions of the term vary. 

Something that I have found most interesting here, in regard to I have just written, is the luxury of a cup. Yes, you read right, a cup. 

In Peru, cups are something that are not used as frequently as we use them in America. Instead of using a  plastic or paper cup, want to know what is used? A bag. A plastic bag. You stick a straw in the top of a plastic bag, and that is how drinks are drank around here. 

Today, I was walking home from school and I saw a young couple walking together, holding their bags of juice and drinking through straws. 

I went to the supermarket yesterday and there was a machine that dispenses fresh milk...into a bag. 

So next time you drink out of a cup make sure you take note of how luxurious you feel. You don't need to go out and buy yourself a new gold watch or a Lambo to feel luxurous...just use a cup!

Stay fancy, America.

Day 16

Here I am performing at the Independence Weekend talent show at Academia Latinoamericana de Español. I'm wearing a "Make Art, Not War" T-shirt. [[Special shout out to Marlene for this awesome tee!]]

Today, I have officially completed my first 'semester' abroad! That's right everyone, three credits in the bag. I took my exam this morning, and after, our school began celebrating Independence Weekend.

Here are some of my classmates dressed up in tipical clothing. They helped host the ceremony.

There were different competitions throughout the ceremony. There was a poster contest and a cooking contest. Rutgers' held it down winning first and third place in the cooking contest - Go RU!

In addition to the contests, there were opportunities to perform - hence why I played my guitar. For those who are wondering I played my own rendition of Foster The People's "Pumped Up Kicks."

BREAKING NEWS: I have officially played my first international show =)

Here are pictures of some of the dancers that performed during the festival.

At the end of the celebration, we were able to try all of the dishes that students prepared. They were all quite delicious. Also, there was a lady making picarrones (a Peruvian fried donut), so I purchased two. Yum. 

After the celebration, I walked back to the hostal and then went to Buen Pastor. I hung around there for an hour and chatted a bit with the girls, but they weren't doing much today. 

So, Estefania and I decided to go and buy supplies to do an activity with the girls. After much searching, we purchased dipping chocolate, wooden skewers, and sprinkles. We are going to make chocolate covered fruit skewers with the girls at Buen Pastor. 

Don't worry, we will buy the fruit the day of our creative endeavor. 

Well, that's all for now...I'm off to El Encuentro (vegetarian restaurant) for dinner. I will post another entry later. 

OH - and don't forget to stay tuned for my "Thought of the Week"

Hasta pronto mis amores! 

Day 14/15

So yesterday I was not feeling one hundred percent, which is why I didn't do a blog entry. 

In summary, I went to school, and went to Buen Pastor. I played 'nerviosa' ( a card game ) at Buen Pastor and then shelled some Java beans for a while. 

Then I went to bed afterwards because, as I said, I was not feeling well.

Moving forward...

TODAY MARKS MY OFFICIAL TWO WEEK STAY IN PERU!!!

Here I am flaunting my HOMEMADE chocolates. I'm rockin' the RAC PAC T-shirt.

[[Special shout outs to all of my RU basketball players and fans. I especially want to shout out everyone who stormed the court with me and/or has been to a game with me]]

Today, I walked to class - as per usual. 

For lunch I purchased a sandwich from the store inside of our school - avocado, tomatoes, lettuce and CHEESE - 3 soles. Great deal =)

Today was also the last day that our classes run until 1:10. I am very happy about this. From now on classes will only be until 12:40. Score!

After class, I sped walked home. On my way I purchased a bag of fried java beans for half a sole.

Then, I went to Buen Pastor, however there wasn't much to do there today because the girls had began to celebrate Peru's independence day weekend. They were all preoccupied. 

At 4 pm I went back to school to go to a chocolate making class - so delicious! First, we watched a short documentary on chocolate's origin, and then we got to the fun part; the actual making of chocolate.

Fun Fact: Chocolate originated in Tabasco, Mexico and was often drank as a liquid and accompanied with crushed spicy peppers. Centuries later, the Swiss created a recipe for milk chocolate.

To make our chocolates, we first painted the molds with a layer of melted chocolate. After, we put the molds in the freezer to let them harden. THEN, we filled the shells with dulce de leche and/or peanuts. Then, we put the molds back in the freezer and let them harden.

Then we ate them. 

DELICIOUS.

Here I am at a restaurant called, Tabasco. 

What you see in front of me in the picture above is, "Palta Reyna" - translation, "Queen Avocado."

It was stuffed with chicken, chopped up french fries, onions, peas, and celery. All ingredients were lightly tossed in mayonaise. In essence, I had an avocado stuffed with chicken salad. Pretty tasty dinner.

After dinner, I went to the local grocery store, Mega. I got some crackers to snack on during the week.

Tomorrow, I have an exam, so I must go study.

After I take my exam, I will officially have completed 3 credits! Woo!

Also! This weekend is Peru's Independence Weekend. In honor of this the school is hosting a mini festival after our exam tomorrow. I will be participating in the event's talent show. 

Stay tuned for more exciting updates from Independence Weekend!

Hasta luego mis amores!

Day 13: Part 2 - Shadow and I

Here I am rockin' my Big Chill T-shirt. 

In honor of 'The Dog Days Being FAR From Over" I am standing next to Shadow, Buen Pastor's faithful dog.

Today I went to school and was informed that because our teacher let us out a half hour early yesterday, we have to stay 10 minutes into our 'break' time for the whole week to "make up" for the time we were released early. 

Yeck.

During class, my teacher, Erwin, pointed at the wall and said, "mira," and we all turned and saw a rather large spider on the wall.

My teacher thought it was funny how disturbed we all were by the little fellow. 

He then stepped up to the plate and killed the spider. 

Here's a picture of Erwin and our additional classmate...before he was sentenced to death.

After class, I went to Misky (the coffee shop) again. I went with Nick, Dan and Estefania. This time, I got to drink all my coffee, instead of bathe in it like I did yesterday.

Then, I walked back to the hostal. I purchased some Chiflas off of a street vendor for 1 sole. Delicious.

I did community service for 3 hours today again. This time, I played cards with the girls, hand-washed some laundary with the girls, and helped out with gathering and transporting some of the toasted corn from the field. 

I hung around with Gladyis for most of my time there today. She is a very sweet girl who is eager to learn English.

After Buen Pastor, I went to Don Esteban's again and just hung out and read for a bit. Quite a relaxing night. 

Time for me to rest my eyes soon.

Hasta manana mis amores!

Day 13: PART 1 - The Dog Days Are FAR From Over

For those of you who don't know, Peru has A LOT of stray dogs wandering around the streets. 

I took a picture of every dog that I saw today walking to and from school.

Note the different breeds and locations...

Diverse.

 1

2

3

 4

5

6

7

8, 9, 10

11

12

13

14 (one of the few on a leesh)

15

16

17 (peep the balcony)

18

19

20