Getting ready for the Holidays and wrapping up part 1 of Lima living

Well, it's been a long minute since I last posted, I suppose it's about time to update. Honestly, I found a bit of a rhythm, teaching, cleaning, cooking, starting to run a bit again, and doing little things here and there with the apartment. Oh yes, and spending time with Alvaro of course. I'm quite relieved to have found a rhythm, something to make me feel like I'm truly living, and not just getting by. It certainly helps diminish the feeling of foreignness that seems to constantly find me (for obvious reasons).

One event that broke the schedule was my trip to Argentina to see my parents!

Trip to Buenos Aires!!!

So I decided to visit my Mom and Dad in Buenos Aires (there was a Pediatric Infection Disease Conference there that my Mother was speaking at) and sooo glad for it. The city was certainly a different experience from Lima. Huge streets, organized bus systems and an underground metro called the Subte. Oh yeah, and everyone was tall and white. Argentina has a SUPER STRONG Italian influence and it was obvious. Many of the most common dishes were pizza, pasta and empanadas (okay, so that last one is a pretty common South American find).

It was fun to be a tourist again for a bit. Wandering around, living and being guided by the infamous Lonely Planet and sticking to tourist centers and hotels. It was great to see my parents, and just hang out with them again. I feel like after all my 4 years in college, the first time I've truly missed them (my family in general) has been now that I'm done and here in Lima. I've decided that since Oberlin (and most American universities) create families/homes-away-from-families/homes the idea of missing your own is slowly diminished as your friends, professors and mentors absorb themselves into the folds of your life to a point where the warm sense of "home" doesn't truly seem to disappear. I've found myself realizing how truly important it is to have that sense of comfort and support; without it, I feel as if I'm more prone to worry, doubt, confusion, and simple instability. But, the Bayona clan has aided me, whether they know it or not, in keeping my sanity. Although it's not my family, they've been extremely gracious and supportive that I don't feel quite as lonely as I think I would if they weren't around.

Well, a quick recap of Buenos Aires: went to Tango shows, shopping, eating fabulous foods and breakfast buffets, staying up late watching TV and meeting the doctor who invented the first measles vaccine....(this is what happens when Mom is a doctor...). It was a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of my famiry in about a week!

Alvaro will be joining me in my 3 weeks at home to visit my family and travel around California! I'm extremely excited to show him my home and to catch up with family and old friends. It'll be great to do some more California trekking, too :D. One thing that will be missing, however, is Eric sleeping on my couch :( sad times, I got used to having him at home. Well, I will be sure to update more after my trip at home. Love from afar! <3

Oh the times they are a'changin

Hello friends,

So I've made a couple changes to my life, specifically involving my work situation. I basically quit my job at the colegio for a variety of reasons. While I'll still be working Tuesdays and Thursdays, I realized for mental, financial and time-constraint reason I could not work there full time anymore. Also, I have the ability to work mornings teaching private classes through the various institutes I work for, which are much more enjoyable (and pay more ;)). I was getting way too stressed out, and for a workaholic to admit defeat in the working-sphere is a lot. I simply could not aguantar a minute more working there all day with so many barriers to working in what I would consider an efficient manner. Also, the pay way terrible (not that I'm teachers ever make quite that much), but given everything I think I made the right decision. Let me explain a bit more.

So, I basically had a "what am I doing here?" moment, and I felt super confused about my purpose here. Why?Why?Why? kept running through my head, but I think I've gotten a little more clarity. Although (to satisfy my desire/need to work) I can't have too much free time, I was not eating most of the day in order to make it to all my classes, and that is simply ridiculous. I simply need time to read, cook, and watch a movie every once and a while, no? So yes, in sum: Lauren quits-Lauren is happier-the end.

Other things going on, hmmm, well, I hung out with some gringos for the first time, really, since I've been here. There is a girl, Elizabeth, who is studying with CIEE (the program that originally brought me to Lima) this semester, and she has been helping me out with 1 of my classes twice a week. Alvaro and I met up with her the other night and passed the night away running along in a fairly large group of gringos. It was funny to speak hours on end in English, and not have to explain my (former...) social reality to anyone. I've been so used to being the outsider, the foreigner that I forgot that the way I am comes from a social reality that many other people share with me. Not that I mind being the foreigner, I just forgot what it was like, even though I haven't been away for that long. Aside from that, it was just fun to go out since it happens once in a blue moon now, although my pocket suffered a bit, it was certainly worth it.

I went to an English Teachers Conference last weekend which was fabulous. I met some great people and got a lot of amazing advice. Funnily enough, it actually helped me to decide to quit. Realizing many other teachers have gone through the same thing, it is never worth it to stick with something that is so dissatisfying, since there are always more opportunities ahead. There were 3 workshops in the morning, 2 lectures, and some free time in between to check out book-fairs put on by various language resource companies (Pearson-Longman, Nutesa, etc.). I picked up a couple books and won a free bag! I was quite excited. The Conference took place La Universidad del Pacifico, a well known University for its Economics program. It had a very well organized set-up and some talented speakers. I learned a lot and am excited to take those tips into the classroom.

Bueno, I need to get back to my grades and evaluations, so this is goodbye for now. Chau friends!

Learning how to be a non-academic-student

Soooooo, figuring out what to do with myself outside of work has proved surprisingly perplexing. I have spent much of the past 2 months or so looking for a job, looking for an apartment, getting accustomed to the different ¨jobs¨ I´m doing, getting moved into the apartment that I haven´t had much time for ¨chilling¨if you will. Well, I haven´t allowed myself the time is more like it. I´m used to having my schedule so packed (in typical Obie fashion), that I tried to do the same here. I stressed myself out for absolutely no reason. I have since changed my attitude thanks to a little enlightenment from Alvaro and some soul-searching.

I have decided to chill out more and not rush things that certainly do not need to be rushed. This change of mindset has made this last week of work significantly more bearable. Although I am certainly trying to do my best in my new environment, I am not getting worried when plans change every 5 minutes and my job description streches far beyond what I would have imagined originally. When I´m suddenly asked to teach 3rd grade math when I´m supposed to be teaching 11th grade English, I now can shrug my shoulders, go downstairs and teach away, well, at least try to (step one: find book, step 2: figure out what page they were on, step 3: figure out that I have the only book and they supposedly copy what I put on the board, step 4: explain whole fractions, step 5: sigh in relief when the seem to understand and move on to the next change of plans)

Some of what I have called disorganization comes from what is simply a Peruvian understanding of time clashing with my own American understanding of time. Another part is this particular case of my school. They are quite understaffed and not efficient with time, nor do they (and by they I mean the director) explain to the entire staff what changes happen so we are just as confused as the students. ¨what are we doing now, Miss¨?¨ Many times I just shrug my shoulders and start to teach them something in English for as long as I can until they are called out to do some activity that was apparently planned to happen 3 hours before but never got done.

I´ve learned a lot about how important time is to my life and that I simply have to change that in order to maintain my sanity. (Kirsten, I know you can relate). I am extremely happy right now knowing that even at age 22 when many of my habits are fairly set, I can still change something that I consider quite essential to my sense of self, being obsessively organized and obsessed with time. Although it can be good, it is certainly a vice in this situation.

Back to the chilling part, I have decided to take up some dance classes a few blocks away. I´m really excited to take some time to have some fun and hopefully meet some new people, more posts to come on that front. I also have taken up reading again! Finally! While I used to consider myself a voracious reader, I haven´t allowed myself much time to do so, but have made it a priority to just hang out instead of filling it up with job searching. I have one English and one Spanish book, one just for relaxing pleasure and another for advancement in my Spanish literacy which hopefully improves.

Basically, I feel like I´m definitely still a student, just a slightly different kind, one that doesn´t require tons of books and sitting in classrooms (well, I suppose as a teacher some of it is sitting in classrooms....), but still just as much thinking and sometimes a little bit more relaxing ;)

Bueno, I have more to say, but don´t want to overwhelm the post. Hugs and love to all! I miss you!

Hustlin' my gringo identity for cash

So quite a few weeks have past since my last post, but I feel like every time I have a spare moment I spend it taking a nap or trying to have a longer-than-5-minute conversation with a friend or family member. But yes, since I last post, I have found an apartment (which I should be moving into in the next few days), got contracted by 3 English-teaching agencies, made lesson plans for 9 different English classes (for my students who range from age 5-20...) and considered many a time about trying to have a social life (although the application of such thoughts have yet to be completely fulfilled).

Teaching English ain't no simple thang, lemme tell you. My main job (at a very small school that goes from inicial to secundaria, basically pre-school to high school) was a bit stressful the first week, and, although it continues to have its moments, I'm definitely more comfortable with it. Basically, I work from 7:30-3:30 (classes from 8-3) teaching English. I teach each grade 3-4 hours a week, and whatever extra classes that need to be covered if a teacher doesn't show up. Every class has its own challenges, since every student has their own strengths and weaknesses, but one of the hardest things was figuring out how to teach younger children.....

I have ZERO experience teaching small kids and trying to run a class with super hyper 6-7 year olds is a magnificent skill that I certainly have not mastered, but applaud heavily those who have. Most of the kids (up to primero de secundaria- which is basically 8th graders for us Americans) do not have the custom of sitting in their seats during class and must be reminded every minute or so that their job is to sit and not whack their fellow classmate upside the head. I have now drastically enhanced my reflexes and ability to hop from one end of classroom to another in nanoseconds in order to stop one whack from reaching its destination and another 5-year-old from escaping from the classroom and locking me in (who puts a lock on the outside of the door???!!!). With all its locuras (insanities) the school has grown on me and I greatly appreciate the opportunity to work there.

The teachers all recognize the stresses of working with kids who have very little resources for school and many much less moral support at home. They are fabulous co-workers and its great to know that I'm not working at this on my own. There are about 4 other staff who are new and we all are learning about the dynamics of the Colegio. For what it may lack in academic formality, it certainly replaces in warmth and friendliness. Today is my birthday, and I think every single teacher and student gave me a hug and wished me the best. Given I know very few people in Lima, it was quite comforting to feel like I belong somewhere.

Bueno, moving on from the work scene, a short anecdote. Last weekend, Alvaro, his friend Kuni, Kuni's girlfriend Sandra and Kuni's family (brother, mother and father) and I all went to a paseo about an hour outside of Lima. Kuni's family is of Japanese descent and the family originally came from a province of sorts called Fukuoka. They belong to the "Fukuoka Club" which basically is like a fraternal organization for those Japanese Limenos who want to hang out with other Fukuokans (spelling?). Anyways, we arrived and found that we were the youngest people there by about 50 years and had neglected to bring cards or pictionary or anything to entertain ourselves. The first half an hour made us a bit worried, but after a while we started playing games and they were just far too hilarious to resist. The viejitos were in great spirits and really kept the energy going. The final game after lunch was Bingo, and the prizes consisted primarily of lovely household items (rice cooker, dishes and other knick-knacks). Alvaro and I were determined to get something as we currently have ourselves and our great personalities to contribute to our apartment, which doesn't exactly supplement cups and bowls. Despite not winning, Mikio, Kuni's brother, won a 20-piece kitchen set that he had absolutely no use for and graciously donated to our cause. I am very grateful for the donation and will forever be reminded of old, Japanese women playing bingo whenever we use them.

Well, this post is growing longer by the second and my fingers are growing a bit weary. Many hugs and love to all those I haven't seen and won't see for a while! :D

Belated- but here it is :) My post-GRE, Quinceanera and beginning Lima adventures

Alright, so I'm still getting used to this whole posting thing, but here it is. Sooo, things have been quite busy, I took my GRE and am happy with my scores and can now coast fairly easy for a while until next year when I start applying......
I packed up a whole bunch of shit in my room so that my family can use it for their own purposes. It was a strange thing to see, everything neatly arranged in large plastic bins from Big Lots, stacked in my closets. I left a few things hanging around that I intend to bring to Lima after my Christmas break in a few months. While cleaning and organizing is certainly something I absolutely love, it was a bit surreal the last week to be living out of boxes and suitcases in what (was?is?) my room. I was torn between being sooooo excited about my return to Lima a year after departing and leaving home to try my hand at in the world of work, living on my own and travelling to a (fairly) new country.

The big event that dominated my last 2 weeks was my sister Lindsey's Quinceanera. It was to be held in Los Angeles as that is where the majority of my family (on both sides) resides. It was put together quite haphazardly and despite our efforts to plan ahead a little bit, stuff was still left to the last minute, and when I say last minute, I literally mean minutes before the supposed start time of the event. But, such is my family and nothing less is expected at such a momentous occasion. It was still a fun occasion and it was amazing to see all my family together again before my departure, all gathered together for the celebration of my little squinky who is not so little anymore. We had the semi-traditional part at the Church we always go to first, then continued on at a club of sorts for the reception where I danced folklorico despite my not totally being prepared in any way to do so, haha. Ces't la vie. I am soo grateful for my amazing cousin V for rescuing me and taking us plus my other cousin/her sister Christina and our other cousin Natasha to get some dranks over at their place. Nothing a little alcohol can't help when you're rushed and stressed.

Anyways, we stayed until Monday the 20th when my father, brother and friend Venice and I drove back up North to the Bay Area. My mother flew out Monday morning to go to Mexico for work and my sister stayed in LA with our cousins to continue in her fun-times. I got home and got to see Eric again after many days apart (although we unfortunately did not celebrate with LOST watching...tear...). I washed clothes, went to buy last minute supplies, and stayed up all night long with Kelly and Eric before my 7:30am flight out of SFO. It is great to come home and know that there will always be people there to spend time with, laugh with and be mushy and sentimental with (a new acquisition of mine, oy, emotions, where did you come from ?!).

The past week has been busy, but relaxed at the same time. I have been spending time with Alvaro after 3 months apart, looking for work, and hanging out in the Bayona household which is so graciously keeping me during my settling period. I have found work at a very small international school in a district called Magdalena. I am supremely excited to be doing this and get from 3pm onwards off to do some private tutoring and just attend to my own needs and desires. It isn't a super high paying job, but something I'm stoked to embark upon. I have a new cell phone, am getting a bank account here, and will soon start the apartment search. It all seems to go by so slowly, yet so rapidly in equal quantities. I had many days of rest as I arrived (after 7 hours of extreme delay in the stupid Houston airport...grrr) since I had the weekend plus tue and wed (28th-29th) were holiday. We took a short evening vacation with 6 of Alvaro's friends to Huachipa and El Bosque which are a bit north of Lima. Now it's the weekend again and while I continue looking for more work tutoring, I'm happy with the position I have and I can't wait to start working again.

West Coast is the Best Coast

So I've come to a conclusion of sorts about the past 3 weeks that I've been home.

Week 1: Quite similar to many other visits home- lots of CSI watching, a reunion or two with some of my closer high school friends, and a shit ton of cleaning, sleep and laziness.

Week 2: "What am I doing with my life?" moments. Will I be able to be a productive human being outside of the constructs of undergraduate life? Do I have a purpose? I actually really missed those sleepless nights in Mudd....for a hot second....but the moment was there ;)

Week 3: Finding some purpose. I started studying for the GRE 2-3 hours daily at the public library (which I love!), mailed some letters to people (staff, mentors and some friends in between) that I'd been meaning to send in Week 2, but was contemplating my state of non-job, non-college and total(-ish) freedom that time flew by and I forgot. I've also met up with a few Obies and high school friends which has kept me happy and reminds me, despite how much time passes, friends, real friends, will certainly be there when you come back from your journeys.
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So, the reason for the title of this post (besides its obvious TRUTH beyond all truth) is that I've (re)discovered how fucking amazing it is to have organic-hipster-hippie-biker crazies, cliffs dropping off into endless ocean water, farmer's markets, warm days and cool nights, hiking trails and flocks of youth confused and trying to figure out what to do to make the world better....over some fair trade coffee (or a cup of microbrewed beer) and a cigarette (thanks Sid and Penina...and Zeitgeist). I mentioned in my last post how I had missed the West Coast, but really, I'm remembering that about 4 years ago this was my home and I didn't really know it until I left. And now I'm back ready to bounce again, onto the next adventure...

Speaking of which, I finally acquired my ticket to Lima! I'm glad I finally have a concrete something to look forward to (25 days!) While despite being certain of my desire to get to Lima by the end of July, not actually having my ticket there kept me anxious. I've been waiting so long to see Alvaro again, and I'm absolutely ecstatic about my return to Lima (almost exactly a year from when I left).

I haven't yet mentioned the fabulous Eric Oeur yet in my posts, so I must here. Eric is living in my house for the summer and it really feels great to have an Obie around. While I feel kinda guilty every time he comes back, tired from sitting at his computer all day at work while I've usually slept in, gone running, showered, chatted with a friend, kicked it at the public library and played with my cats......I remember I put in my 4 years worth of work and I can still look at myself in the mirror without (too much) remorse :) Eric, my sister Lindsey, my brother Stephen and I have been watching Lost religiously (we've gotten through all of Season 1 and about half of Season 2 at this point....) and I have a few short thoughts:

Said is the shit, Sawyer is an asshole, but awesome (quite similar to my feelings towards a Dr. House- Lizzie!!! you know what I mean), I want to kick Jack, Charlie and Michael in the face for being idiots, and I really, really, really, really wish I'd won the lottery like Hugo. Dammit! All in all, I'm addicted and am glad I took to never watching T.V. at Oberlin as it takes up many hours of my evenings at this point and I probably would not be done with my college education had I decided to commit myself to T.V. series following (Lizzie, Obed, I don't know how you do it)

Goodnight friends!

R.I.P. MJ

Updates from the Road Trip and Commencement Reflections

Hello again friends,
Okay, so I really have to get used to this internet thing. I haven't written much, nor have I uploaded promised pictures, but some day I'm sure I will. Soooo, since I last wrote a few things have happened. In a general note, I am going to be getting my wisdom teeth out the 2nd of July (booo!), my sister's Quince is now officially dated to be the 18th of July, and I've done most of the packing of my room pre-moving out to Lima...

Seattle was great. I got to see Kirsten Hansen-Day and Alice Manos for a lovely afternoon in Volunteer Park, munching on a delicious picnic lunch, laying out in the sun and walking through a bomb green house/conservatory with gorgeous plants. Andrew's family is awesome and they put me and my dad up before we headed out down the 101 to California. We explored Seattle, had some good foodie moments and enjoyed a nice dinner a really sweet Chinese restaurant on our last night.

The ride down was sweet, we went pretty fast, got home in 2 days. We stopped at Tilamook, Oregon and got some derricious (thanks Cheska) cheese and had some yummy huckleberry ice cream before we kept driving on. Day 2 we drove through and walked around the Avenue of the Giants. I forgot how amazing the West Coast is. Coming home, it just felt right, peaceful, serene, full of amazing places to get lost in. Ohio, you're awesome and all, but nothing compared to California. You could just feel the trees alive, knowing that the space I was in had many years of life in it, and I was just passing through. It's nice to pass through places though, I don't know if I like standing still.

We made it home a lot earlier than intended, although it was somewhat less exciting than I though. The house was empty save for my 2 cats and psycho pomeranian dog (who I love dearly despite his tiny size). Everyone was out doing their thing, as expected, but yeah, it was nice to be able to chill in my own room for a while, relax, think about the last time I was here this long. It was a break from commencement week, which was, to say the least insanity. I hadn't really sat down for more than 20 min ever since, well, since finals, and it felt quite surreal to be back in my old room, decorated almost exactly the same way when I left it 4 years ago.
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Commencement week: haven't really settled my mind on that yet, either. It was packed full of madness, and I really felt like it began during finals. The first 2 papers I sent off to my professors, I didn't get that "you're-doing-the-last-academic-thing" feeling. Just regular old, you're-done-with-one-thing-now-hurry-your-ass-up-and-get-on-to-the-next-thing feeling. But that last one, the final one, I really took my time on, let it sit and mull over in my mind (especially during that hour Lizzie, Jackie and I watched "House" in Mudd.....), and sent if off, finally achieving that you're-done moment.

I can't quite remember all the details of that week. It was filled with absolutely no sleep, goodbyes, I'll-see-you-laters, thank yous, Feve drinks, drives to the airport, last minute packing, delicious home cooked meals, long nights, last minute errands, 13 family members flying in from California, warm weather long overdue and plans for my last trip out of Oberlin.

All in all, I'd say it was good. I slept little, which means I made the most of my time while I had it. I think I'll miss Oberlin soon, but right now it still feels like just another summer. By the time September rolls around, however, I might be singing a different tune. As for now, I'll keep enjoying the comforts of little responsibility and try and the lovely California summertime.

On the West Coast again

Hello friends,
Soooo, I've been incommunicado for quite some time now due to the fact that I have been traversing across the country in my '97 Volvo with Andrew Liang. We hit up Obed's house (complete with adorable kitty from the Ginko Gallery!) in the Chi, then Andrew's friend Eric's place in Minneapolis, spent a night in some random town in North Dakota and just got in to Seattle last night from a couple of GORGEOUS and AMAZING days at Glacier National Park in Northern Montana. We've seen some beautiful landscape and some boring shit too, such is life on highway 2.

With that introduction, I just want to say that I hope this blog allows people to skim though a bit of what I briefly write about my time post Oberlin. Keeping in touch is quite hardly my "thing", if you will, and I hope a blog is useful in maintaining some sense of contact with people. That being said, I will keep going with a couple of tidbits from our trek.

Given my inability to function with technology, I will see how I can upload some pictures, but as of right now I can only use my words to describe some of what I've seen. Sooo, we went through the great plains (much better than the view that the I-80 gave me and Cheska on our 2.5 day speedy trip from CA to Oberlin). Saw some antelope, a whole bunch of oil wells, a billion small towns that make Oberlin look like a big city, 2 Indian Reservations, and some breathtaking mountains, rivers and lakes.

In Glacier we stayed at a lovely hostel in the East side of the Park. We were practically the only people there, not just in the hostel but in the entire park. We arrived the day the that the main Lodge opened, which was pretty exciting because it meant we'd be hiking on almost empty trails. After growing up with trail filled people in Yosemite, walking around in the serene forests and mountains of Glacier would actually be calming and not filled with tons of tourists. This did mean, however, that some of the trails were closed and Logan Pass (the faster connection between East and West Glacier), which is supposed to be quite beautiful once the summer hits was not available to us.

We did a couple of great hikes though, nothing too hard, on the East side on Saturday and the West side on Sunday. We saw a small Glacier, and it made us really wonder how much longer it would actually be there. Recalling my trip to Alaska a few years back, thinking about the size of the glacier we saw out there, I got quite nervous at the thought of how small it might be now. Thanks global warming :( Aside from that sad moment, the views were so amazing. We didn't see too much wildlife, but a deer came surprising close to us on the trail and a chipmunk followed us around for a bit of a trail as well, he was quite the model, and came up right to my shoe. But yes, needless to say, the pictures should speak for themselves once I figure out how to make that happen.

Well, that's about all I have for now, Andrew and I are going to go figure out lunch plans for my first day in Seattle. More updates to come!