Comments!!

Today everyone should leave me a comment! I´d like to know who´s all out there reading :) and it´s fun hearing from you.

Monday was pretty nice at La Católica. One of my professors didn´t show up and so I helped my friend with his math and then we spent the rest of the time teaching each other English/Spanish slang (jerga). It was quite the challenge trying to explain words that I didn´t know the Spanish equivolent to, in good enough Spanish for him to understand and likewise for him in easy enough Spanish for me to understand. Monday was also my second dance class and although I improved a hundred percent, it still was very ugly and it proves what a lack of rhythm I have- it´s still extremely fun though. 9/11 too. It´s crazy, I still remember exactly where I was that day when I found out and I remember watching clips of the news at school. Qué triste...

Tuesday: Everyone in my Comunicación Oral class has to do a presentation over any topic and today a girl presented on 9/11. It was really weird seeing what it looks like from another countries point of view and what they have to say. I was wondering what was going through everyones minds when we were looking at pictures and if they felt anything like the way I did.

On a happier note, I went out with one of my friends from school to a concert at the giant Catedral in La Plaza de Armas. It was part of the Festical Internacional de Música Arequipa, a weeklong music festival here put on by the Alianza Francesa de Arequipa. It was incredible...the cathedral is amazing, it´s huge and beautiful in itself and then the music was amazing too. El Catedral has a really old organ that was played - the place was packed and so they had screens all over showing the flying hands and fingers of the musicans. Also playing was a local ensamble se llama, Barroco de Arequipa, they were really good and then there was a cantante too, which was very pretty. La Plaza de Armas is extra beautiful at night, I need to get you some pictures of that and El Catedral también.

Yesterday I realized my Spanish is getting better. I was at the table after dinner with my dad and we had a conversation about the poor and the hospitals/medical care for them in Peru and the US, I tried to explain welfare to him and he told me about the current President of Peru and how bad the economy was with him (insane amounts of inflation, something like 3000%) last term and how the government gives land, food, electricty, water to the poor (the majority) for free, doesn´t have them pay taxes, etc. and in turn recieves there votes at elections. It´s cool having conversations that have a little more depth that my usual "where are you from, what´s your name/age, how long have you/will you be here?" kind. Although I really like these conversations now because I can whip out the answers now and it makes my Spanish seem better than it is...jaja. What else... I also learned earlier that doctors and like professionals once they finish schooling have to give one year of work to the government, who can place them in whatever place around Peru. My dad worked in the smaller pueblos outside of my city and my brother is currently doing his service at a airforce base about an hour out. I think you can pay some sort of money and then have some say in where you work but not much. Also, according to my dad, the year of service used to be required for all professionals, lawyers and such, and he said it really helped the economy. I´m not quite sure why they stopped it then, I´ll have to ask.

Today I tried my first Peruvian empanada for breakfast after going to El Inter with my sister. It wasn´t like I thought it would be, being used to the sweet, fruit filled ones of home, but it was really good like all the rest of the food here. I had empanada Arable and it had carne (meat), limón and rocoto (a type of pepper). Yum. After that we raced home and got ready for the U, I had classes, came home, buzzed the door, no one answered and I didn´t have keys -I got in fine, no worries, but let´s just say I have keys now. My mom and I just went and got copies made, yay! No much else is new other than that. I think me and my sis might go to a concert this weekend or go see Click (which just came out here) and then I told her that we have to get a movie and I´ll make nachos, guac and salsa (in this whole huge city there is one place to get mexican tacos..sad). All for now, love and miss you all! Don´t forget to leave a comment!