Los Ninos!

Friday we had off from classes which was a nice break from the daily grind and allowed me to catch up on some of my work and finally finished my Lima book in the morning. Then we went to the Air Force school for our last day there. They had put together a closing ceremony for us filled with cultural dances and music. The ceremony started with a presentation of flowers and much deserved gift for our wonderful teacher Monica. Then they called us each up in our speaking partner pairs to receive a very nice gift of  a t-shirt and hat. Then the show began with the students playing traditional music from coastal Peru with students playing traditional cajons and even and instrument made from a donkey's jaw which was really cool to see. They had some of the students do a traditional dance from .the coast as well. Then they switched to music from the jungle region of Peru and a traditional dance from that region as well and they even pulled a few of the students from my group up on the stage. All the performers were amazing and it was a really nice send off. Unfortunately after the performance it was time to say goodbye but of course we had to get a few group pictures together first and we even got a "fluye" one with a few of the girls who taught us that. We did eventually leave and at this point 10 of us headed to Buckingham Colegio de Ingles.


The Buckingham Colegio de Ingles is a elementary school teaching Pre-K through 6th grade and when we arrived we had no idea what to expect but we got more than we could have imagined. It seemed like the whole town had come out to meet us and and they had prepared a show with the kids about the history of Peru and surrounding the front area was foods galore from all the areas of Peru. They then started the night with a surprise parade that they threw just for us . They even had a banner with our picture on it from the airport that they led the parade with. There were balloons and noisemakers as we made our way around the Plaza de Dos Calles and back to the school.
 
 Back at the school we started the show with the Pre-K students who taught us about the three different regions of Peru, Coastal, Sierra, and Jungle. I was able to escort two of the little girls up to the stage which was a really cute and memorable moment. The Sixth graders who presented to us a few of Peru's historic heroes and then it went back to the First graders who taught us about the sea and Lima's dependence on the sea. The second graders came next and they taught us about the Chavin civilization putting on a fake offering ceremony which was well done especially for only being in second grade. The third graders put on a play about the pirates that use to ransack Callao. These kids were born to act and they were very invested in their part of the show. Next were the fourth graders who taught us about the ancient civilization of Paracas and how they did brain surgery during ancient times. Then the fifth graders came on and taught us about colonial Lima and gave us some delicious food like piquerones which are basically donuts covered in honey. Lastly the sixth graders came back out and led a group song for the end of the show which was absolutely adorable.
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What I forgot to mention was that during all of this they we showering us with food and gifts. I had emoliente, chicha, tamales, causa rellena, pantillas, and so much more food along with a flag and handmade boat, a keychain and a few other things. The party did have to come to a close with some picture taking though. I felt famous with all the parents and the kids that wanted to take pictures with us. I tried to learn most of the names but there were just so many. We did have to leave at some time though no matter how much I wanted to stay but I can say that without a doubt this was one of the most fun and amazing experiences I've ever had in my life and I'll never forget it and I hope I get to return one day.

Agua, Agua, y Mas Agua

   Thursday was our last day of classes for the week and we learned a little bit about when phrases or "cuando frases" ins Spanish. I found them to be pretty difficult because we had to switch between tenses depending on what tense the the verb was in following the "cuando". I didn't really get it the first time but when I do the homework over the weekend I will check my answers online and hopefully figure it out or ask Andres on Tuesday. In culture we continued on with the Incan civilization and learned a lot about their economy and how they conducted trade.  A lot of their economy was based on trading of favors nothing was ever done for free. Also there society was run by a pyramidal hierarchy with the Inca or king on top and the workers in the different groups called allyus on the bottom with advisors relay information in the middle.
   After class we spent our last day in the classes of the Air Force School. Today we did the same where we broke up into groups and talked with the kids this time it started with shoplifting in America but that was hard to talk about and we had a shy group so me and Jessie moved on to another topic. We mainly talked about sports with the kids because we had a group of boys and they loved talking about soccer but shockingly enough I found a boy who didn't like soccer that much and preferred to play volleyball like me! Even though they were quite it was still a great experience and I think it really helps both us and the kids even if its just a little bit.
   After classes today we had a fun trip to the Magic Circuit Water Show in the center of Lima. It was a really cool place that had fountains all over this huge park. We were taken there in a Mirabus and had tour of the park with them too but the best part of the night was the actual water show. Using lasers that were able to make all sorts of shapes in the water including these really cool videos showing all the amazing styles of Peruvian dances from the coast to the jungle. It was a really cool experience that I was glad I went on.

Miercoles al colegio

Wednesday in class with Andres we learned a lot about agreeing with opinions and how we need to use different phrases of agreement depending on how the original opinion was presented. For if the opinion started with "Creo que" then you could respond with "Yo tambien lo creo". It was a little strange at first because I was having trouble relating it to how we speak in the English language but then I realized that it is the same because if someone stated their opinion saying "I believe" or "I think" you would return with a response matching the way they presented their opinion. After I figured that out it was a little easier for me. In culture class Wednesday we finally started on the Incan civilization. We on;y had time to just start on the topic but during that time we learned mainly the geography of the Incan empire and how they spread from Chile to Ecuador but were never able to spread into the jungle because they didn't have the resources to survive there. Also I learned how the king of the empire was called the "Inca" and the people of the Incan culture believed that he was closer to the gods.

  After classes we once again headed to the Air Force School and got to talk to the kids and teach them in English . Many of the kids were really interested in fast food of America because they thought that fast food is all we have to eat which is a little sad but true. I told them that we do have some different things depending on where you live like clam chowder in New England but when in came to Buffalo talking about chicken wings didn't help my case against fast food in America. After teaching English we headed back to the library to learn about the Independence of Peru. We got to do all types of activities with the kids like making a flag and a word scramble. It was a really fun way to learn and a nice change of pace.

 After the lesson came the fun part. We had some free time to go play sports with the kids. There were two groups the soccer group and a volleyball group. I went to the volleyball group because I'm not a huge fan of soccer which is crazy in Peru. But we still had a lot of fun and we got to teach our professor how to throw a frisbee it was great! I hope we get another time to do this this because its a once in a life time experience that was great fun!

Ellos quieren me ensenar Ingles!?

Back at El Sol today we learned another completely new topic in our grammar class with Andres. Today we learned about using llever + gerund phrases to express a duration of time that you've been doing an action. It sounds complicated but it's not that bad because all you really have to do is conjugate llevar in the present tense and then add then gerund of the action verb you are using. For example llevo trabajando means "I have been working". I think that it will come in very handy in conversation because Andres actually said that this phrasing is actually very common in the streets of Peru. Then Romeo came in and we had culture class where we learned a lot about the culture of Huari or Wari. This culture is considered to have built the first Empire in Peru spreading outwards to Pachacamac and the area of Tiahuanaco near Lake Titicaca. The Huari were influenced by a lot of the cultures they had conquered and had a very mixed culture because of it. The Huari were also a very military based with those in the military being higher up in the class system and not the priests which was more common in the other cultures.
 After classes I had a delicious lunch from the restaurant next to the school. I got " Bistec a la pobre" which essentially just a piece of steak with a fried egg on top and its delicious. The meal also came with a fried caramelized plantain which was delicious as well. But with the days packed as they are I was actually eating that on the bus to the Air Force School . Today was the first day we were suppose to teach English. My group was given the lesson plan of food and traditions but we didn't really know what to expect when we got to the class. When we got there though it was set up really nicely with the kids all separated into groups of desks and then each one of the people in my group was sent to a group to meet with the kids and get to know them all. This time it was a lot easier for me at least because it was in English. I was so much fun getting to know all the and I got to talk about my favorite food, chicken wings! I also learned from them and found out a new dessert to try called picarones which is kind of like a doughnut with honey drizzled over the top so I'm really excited to try those.

  After teaching the class we went back to the library to talk with the second group of  kids from yesterday. The one girl whose name is Cindy doesn't speak much English but loved talking with us and she even taught us a new word for cool, "fluye"  and apparently it always has to be done with a wave type hand movement haha. Again it was a great time at the school I can't wait to go back tomorrow!

Revuelve a la escuela

Today we were back at school and learning a new topic. It was the direct and indirect styles of writing which was a new topic for me. Basically these styles of language are common in interviews with direct being what the interviewee says themselves and then indirect being used when someone is repeating what they said later in the day. It was a little complicated because you have to change tenses depending on what tense the direct sentence was in. But once you memorize which tense goes with which in the indirect style it's not too bad. Then after grammar class we started back with preincan cultures and the cultures of Tiahuanaco and Chimu which were both coastal cultures. The culture of Tiahuanaco was actually very influential on the much bigger Huari culture that came a little bit later on in history.  The Chimu civilization was best known for their beautiful metal work and monochromatic art. Tiahuanaco has very famous architecture like the "Gate of the Sun"
   Later that day we had our first day at the Air Force School where we met our student partners and they gave us a tour of the school. The school was a lot bigger than I expected with over 2 thousand students and multiple buildings for classes it was basically a small college. It was much different than my high school that's for sure because at my high school there was no going outside for different classes there was too much snow in the winter. So that alone shows how the climate can change the way schools work here. After our tour we changed partners and got to talk to a new group of students. The girl I was talking to was 15 and she really liked books so she told me how she wanted to see The Fault in Our Stars and how her favorite movie right now is Divergent. It was very interesting and I had a lot of fun. We then had just a little bit of free time and were able to go play volleyball with the students which was a lot of fun because volleyball is one of my favorite sports. We played for a half hour during which I was able to teach one of the girls how to serve overhand she didn't like it though because she said it was easier underhand. We have a planned time to play with them on Wednesday so I can;t wait for that!

Paracas y Pinguinos

 So after that very long day before in the desert and Cachiche we had to wake up early one more time for our trip to Paracas the place where an ancient civilization thrived. We took a boat ride thorugh the "Islas de Ballestas" and saw penguins and sea lions which was really cool because it isn't too often you get to see such marine life in the wild while on a beautiful boat ride. We also saw the candelabra a mysterious marking in one of the islands of Paracas. It looked very similar to the Nazca lines just to the south of Ica but no one actually knows how it got there or what it represents.
    
 During the tour of the islands we also saw many other animals such as different types of birds and a specific type of crab native to the region. After our morning in Paracas we had to return to Miraflores. To our surprise though we made one more stop on the way back in Chincha. In Chincha there is a very large Afro-Peruvian population and its here where we were able to witness the  most amazing cultural experience. The Ballumbrosio family is a very famous family of Zapoteros dancers that put on on a show for us with their amazing dancing. I was amazing to watch how even the little kids moved so well with the music like they were born to dance zapoteros. One of the best parts was when the family grabbed us all and taught us to dance. It was a unique experience that I was glad to have because its not everyday something like that happens.

 After the show we returned home to Miraflores for a much needed good night's sleep. It was an amazing weekend but we had school in the morning on Monday!

El Desierto Divertido

After a long night dancing and singing at Karaoke we all had to wake up early for our trip to Huacachina the oasis in the middle of the desert in Ica. We were a little surprised in the morning because it was so cold but thankfully I listened to my host mother and had brought a few sweaters for the weekend. So we arrive in Huacachina and first we see the dune buggys and as we all strap in we are really excited. The engine starts and and we are of climbing the mountains of sand until we reach the top of one of the bigger dunes and the buggy stops to let us out and see our surroundings. Honestly I can look back on this and say it was one of the coolest moments of my life to be standing on top of the world it seems just surrounded by sand with civilization off in the distance.

After a little while on top of the world we got back in the buggys and went riding off into the dunes where we stopped again at the top of a different dune this time to sandboard. Now I have been snowboarding for awhile now and I can tell you that they are very different sand boarding is a lot harder to turn with but nonetheless it was a great time and I would love to go again. Sadly our trip in the desert did have to end but it ended with the beautiful oasis of Huacachina below us I was able to take a really cool picture of my friend while here.

 After returning to the town of Huacachina we got a brief tour where we learned a little about the history of Huacachina and the legend of the princess of the oasis and her mirror. Then back on the bus went to take a really cool and interesting tour of the sites of the witches of Ica in Cachiche. Here we heard the tale of the seven headed palm tree and then were able to see the tree for ourselves also we were able to visit the park of Julia the good witch, the most famous of the witches of Cachiche. I even tried the drink "Orgasmo de Bruja" which despite the name was very good. After all this we went back to the hotel and got dinner. Me and my friends returned to Plaza 125 because it was so good the night before. But then later that night we got to experience an authentic discoteca in the heart of Huacachina. Again this was si much fun to be able to dance with all of my friends in the group and just relax for a little.