Alot Happens in a Week

It has been a very busy week! I am going to try and update this at least weekly if not more.

Let's start with the weather, which has been surprisingly great. I had braced myself for the worst but in this past week it has been sunny half the days that I've been here. It's about 20 degrees but the humidity makes it feel about 15. I don't wear my coat unless it's at night. I've gone about half of Miraflores on my own now, and I'm finally comfortable ordering at restaurants and going shopping without help. A couple of times I've gotten a little tongue-tied but when that happens, usually someone around me just comes over, tells the person what I want in Spanish and then turns to me as says something along the lines of, "It's okay, dear, you'll get the language soon enough" with a pat on the back. It's kind of funny. I call it "Secret English": everyone here speaks it, but nobody knows that everyone else does. Even our doormen possess secret English, two native Peruvian-looking tough guys speak it with me, both of whom have asked me out (to Pedro's dismay). One wanted to give me a "private tour of Miraflores when I get off work at 8" until he found out I wasn't living on my own ;)

I haven't been able to update you wonderful people until now because I've been running all over the place. Thursday was our anniversary, which we celebrated by eating both lunch and dinner at some swanky restaurants. Pedro took me out to lunch to this restaurant called Tanta, owned by a world-famous Peruvian chef named Gaston Asturian. We shared three appetizers which were the sizes of main courses and had a dessert each for $30 canadian. I'm geting fat. For dinner we went to La Rosa Nautica, a Peruvian style restaurant which is situated on this little outcrop that extends into the ocean. Two things I have realized about the food here: I love their fish and I love their corn. Every restaurant I go to I am trying a new type of fish and eating a new type of corn. They have purple corn here that they even make into a drink; how weird is that?! I don't crave chips anymore, I crave fried corn kernels that haven't popped with salt. Dinner was amazing: cebiche, seared tuna, veggies, and pecan pie for dessert. It's a little ridiculous as to how well you can eat here for the price, even when you are on a budget. "Expensive" here is about $40 for two people. The only thing we are having trouble finding for a reasonable price is sushi but I'm willing to pay the little extra when I crave it.

This past week was full of interviews and applications. I had three job interviews and was hired! Langrow, a well-respected business institute in Peru, has given me a couple of classes. My hours are sporatic; I had my first class this morning from 7-8:30am which runs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I have another class Monday-Thursday from 1:30 until 3:00pm. Both classes I have mentioned are private lessons a little way away from my house so unfortunately I have to take a semi-sketchy bus. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I also have evening classes from 8:00 until 9:30pm at the main headquarters (short walk) with 3-4 people in my class. I work 15 hours a week and its enough to cover the bills! Kind of relaxing I must say. This morning I came back from teaching an Operations Manager for an Oil Tools company. He's incredibly enthuiastic about learning which helped me alot considering I had no idea what I was doing there. This afternoon it was a banking exec who is an incredibly fast learner. I'm excited I am finally making some money and feel a little more secure. Soon I can open my own bank account and be a real person.

I also joined a gym, which doesn't seem like a huge venture unless you know me well. I went a couple of times last week but nothing to scream about. The gym itself is huge but really badly ventilated so I end up walking home drenched. Yes, I did say walk, another one of the many perks of my neighbourhood. I also signed up for my first official half marathon so I really need to start training again. We'll see how I survive it, its been incredibly hard getting used to running here because of the elevation.

Friday was Pedro's mother's birthday and there was a huge shindig at her house. About thirty people were there, friends and family, drinking and eating tons of food and some delicious sushi. After having a late and semi-drunk evening the night before Pedro and I stuffed our faces and headed home. We found out the next day that they party continued until 4am that night and felt a little old.

Saturday we relaxed for a bit before heading out to Lima's Chinatown. It is a main strip of Chinese restaurants and stores close to the center of Lima. Pedro took me to a restaurant he used to go to back when he was in highschool with some of his friends, which had amazing Chinese wontons that I definitely consumed at a rapid rate. We then walked around the city center for a bit and went for some late night ice cream at my favourite ice cream parlour in Parque Kennedy. It's an old school parlour where you can get your ice cream made into random designs, like Micky which is two scoops with oreos for ears in a waffle cone cup, or a little skier make out of licorice on top of your ice cream. It's crazy and delicious. Ice cream here is a little different than anywhere I've tasted as it is actually really icy, kind of with little icy pieces in it. Not the consistency that I like the most but yummy nonetheless.

Saturday night we were supposed to have a 'little get together' with some friends which turned into an all-out massive party in our apartment. We had about 20 or so people altogether but moving in and out of the apartment so it worked out okay. A number of vodka shots, vodka rebulls and pisco sours later I ended up a mess at 5am eating sandwichon and fries covered in mayo to mask the spicy ass aji sauce I originally covered them in. The next morning I woke up with a terrible terrible hangover at 9am because we still have no damn curtains and the light just loves staring me in the face. An hour and a bit later I decided I was mad at Pedro for sleeping through the sun so I woke him up and made him go get ceviche and corn with me. Pedro's cousins, Lucia, Raul and Blanca, had invited us to a soccer, ahem futbol game Sunday afternoon between two rivaling Limean teams so right after lunch we headed over to the stadium. To 80,000 screaming Peruvian fans and a private booth to watch the game. It was absolutely mindblowing, terrifying and amazing all at once. I've included some pictures. After that we grabbed a pizza and went home to our discusting apartment. Every single glass was used and all over the place, so gross!

It is now almost 5pm and I am absolutely exhausted from my morning classes and staying up late preparing lesson plans for my classes last night. I am going to nap, so enjoy these pictures and I'll write again soon. Still so much to tell!