Exchange Student Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of my amazing friends and family all over the world. Although it's a beautiful time of year, it is one of the toughest times for exchange students. Experiencing Christmas in a different culture is exciting, but there really is no place like home for the holidays. My host family is missing their wonderful daughter who is living in Canada, I'm missing my family in the states, the beautiful Croatian girl living in my room back home is missing her family, and the student living in Croatia with her family is missing his own... It's a never ending chain. We are all connected and we are all in it together.

I just want to send a huge virtual hug to all of the other exchange students in the world who are missing their families right now. Don't forget to enjoy your time with your host family, because odds are, they're missing their son or daughter who is abroad too. We may not be with our biological families, but we're with the new ones we have created this year. This Christmas will be one that we will never ever forget.

Happy holidays from Lima, Peru :)

Graduation!!

Last night (Wednesday, December 19) I graduated from Peruvian high school. It was one of the best nights I've had since I've been on exchange (and that says a lot, because I've had A LOT of great nights). My graduating class only has about 40 students, so it's a very tightly knit group. Many of them have been in school together since preschool, but they accepted me into their group like I had been there forever. Throughout these past 5 months, I have become so close with so many of my classmates, that I was so happy to be able to spend this last night with them.

Throwing our hats in the air, cheering, hugging.... I really felt a part of their class and I couldn't have asked for a better senior class here in Lima. I will never forget them or our amazing graduation night.

Happy Hanukkah!

Last weekend began the 8-night Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. There are almost no Jews in Peru, so the holiday is not commonly known here. My host family has been very busy lately (December is a CRAZY month), so I haven't had much of a chance to share the holiday with them. I have been lighting the candles in my room every night, but not much else. I just let them burn down while I continue with my normal every day activities. Although one night was different. Night number 4-- my best night of Hanukkah so far.

I lit the candles in my room like I had done the first 3 nights, and while they were burning, I was wrapping Christmas presents. I was just doing my own thing in my room, when my little 5 year old host brother came in and saw the candles. He was so excited about them; he thought they were so beautiful! Mathias and I sat together and looked at the candles for a while. After a few minutes he said, ''Pero Caroline, faltan 4 belas!'' (''But Caroline, 4 candles are missing!''). I proceeded to explain the holiday to him, how one more candle is lit each night, etc. I even went into the story of the Haukkah miracle and why we light 8 candles. He was so intrigued by this new tradition he had never experienced. After explaining the whole story, it occurred to me that I forgot to tell him the name of the holiday! When I told him that it's called Hanukkah, his whole face lit up. He said that he had heard of Hanukkah on the TV. He was so excited that he had now celebrated it.

We sat together, doing arts and crafts and watching as each candle burnt out, one by one. We guessed the order that they would burn out, and each time one did, and the little ribbon of smoke would fly off of the wick of the candle, Mathias would laugh. He was so happy to be a part of this holiday with me. After the last candle had burnt out, I told him that normally families give gifts after lighting the candles, and that if he wanted, I would give him a Hanukkah gift to thank him for celebrating it with me. I went into my drawer and pulled out a box of his favorite candy that I had stashed away and gave him that as a present. He was so happy. He ran around the house showing the whole family that he got a Hanukkah present. After that, he came back into my room with his favorite arts and crafts set. He set it on my bed and told me, ''Caroline, te voy a prestar por 3 dias. Feliz Hanukkah!'' (''Caroline, I'm going to lend you this for 3 days. Happy Hanukkah!'')

It was such a fun night, and I loved sharing my traditions with my new little brother. I am so glad he and I had that experience together :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Spending Thanksgiving away from home this year was a very strange experience. Not only was I not at my Nana's house with my whole family like I am every year, but I am in a country where the holiday doesn't even exist! There was nothing special about that day; it was just a normal Thursday here in Lima. This was an interesting thing to experience, because in the States, Thanksgiving is such an important day!

Because there are almost 40 other exchange students currently living in Lima through Rotary, and 16 of us are American, we decided to organize a Rotary Thanksgiving dinner. It was held the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and all of the exchange students brought a traditional dish from their country (with the Americans bringing traditional Thanksgiving food). It was one of the best dinners I have ever had. Not only was there some good, homestyle American food that I've been craving for months, there was also a plethora of dishes from all around the world! All sorts of casseroles with every type of meat and vegetables, salads, cakes, pies, etc. Some of my friends from Belgium even brought Ratatouille (which was delicous)! It was also just a fun night. Spending Thanksgiving dinner with over 30 of my new best friends from all around the globe-- how many people can say they've done that?! I have become so close with the other exchange students living here, and spending that night with them reminded me how thankful I really am. I wasn't with my real family, but I still felt as though I was with family. These guys have become my second family, and I am so grateful for them.


Even though I spent Thanksgiving with my new family, I was a bit sad to be thousands of miles away from my real family. I wanted my family to remember that even though I wasn't with them that night, I was still thinking of them, so I typed up a short toast to have my dad read at the table. This is what I wrote:

Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family and think about all of the things that you're thankful for, and even though I'm not at home today, I almost feel as though I am. I may not be having some big Thanksgiving dinner feast with lemonjello tonight, or watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on Nana's couch while eating cinnamon bread, but the core idea of thanksgiving is still with me.

The past few days, I've been thinking a lot about what I'm thankful for, and this year I have more than ever. But as I was making a mental list, one concept kept reoccurring: family. At the core of almost everything that I am thankful for, I've found you all. I have always known the importance of a loving, supportive family but I never fully understood it until I came here. I am 16 years old and having amazing experiences that most people NEVER get a chance to have in their lifetime, let alone at such a young age. Not only am I physically able to do this because of all you have given me, but I am emotionally stable enough to live in a life without my family, my friends, my house, my language. I am 100% out of my comfort zone. But I am okay with that, because of the way I have been raised. You all have taught me how to be my own person, how to make good life choices, and how to be happy. I have been given enough love throughout these past 16 years to last me a lifetime. Without you, I would not be able to accomplish nearly all I feel I have accomplished during these past 4 months.

Although I can't be there tonight, I want you all to know how thankful I truly am for each and every one of you. Happy Thanksgiving, my wonderful family :) Cheers!

I am so thankful for my family, my friends, Rotary, this wonderful experience, and everything else in my life. Happy belated Thanksgiving :)

Trip Number 2!

Earlier in the month, we had our second Rotary trip of the year. It was an absolutely amazing trip. It included stops in Madre de Dios (the rainforest of Peru), Cusco (the historical capital of the Incas), Machu Picchu (the lost city of the Incas), Puno and Lake Titicaca (the highest navigable lake in the world). We saw so many truly amazing things, but instead of giving a recap of ALL of it (because 10 days jammed full of culture is difficult to explain in such a short time!), I am just going to focus on the two parts of the trip that I consider to be the highlights: Machu Picchu, and the night we spent on Lake Titicaca.

We spent one full day at Machu Picchu, about half way through the trip. We woke up early to take the bus up the zig-zagging path to the ruins. Once we arrived, we made our way up to the top where we had a picture perfect view of the entire city. It took my breath away. I'd obviously seen Machu Picchu in pictures, so going into the day I already had a pretty good idea of what it looked like. I was a bit worried that it wouldn't be as impressive as everyone had built it up to be, but it really was. Being there and learning about all of the history that one site contains gave me such a strange feeling. It almost made me feel small. It's easy to get so caught up in your own life that you forget just how big the world really is. I have been so consumed with my new life and my exchange that I've forgotten about the big picture. But being there, in that lost city full of history and culture, I was reminded.

 

 

The other highlight of the trip for me was the last night. We spent our last night on an island in the middle of Lake Titicaca, where we stayed with ''host families'' who hosted us for the night. It was like a mini exchange, but in a completely different setting and only for one night. My friend Elise (from Belguim) and I were paired up to stay the night with this wonderful woman and her siblings. It was such a good time. They made us lunch and dinner (consisiting of salad, soup, potatoes and rice) and then brought dressed us up in the traditional clothing of the area (like the woman is wearing here) and brought us to a little party for all of the exchange students where we learned some traditional dances of the island. It was such a blast.

 

On this island, their native language is Quechua, the language of the Incas. While Elise and I were sitting at the table eating lunch, our ''host family'' was sitting around having a conversation in Quechua and we could not understand a WORD. That was when it really hit me how much my Spanish has improved throughout these past four months. I remember at the beginning of my exchange when I would sit around the kitchen table with my host family in Lima, feeling that same confusion... Being so lost, because I couldn't follow what they were saying. And now here I am four months later and not only can I understand almost fluently, but I can also be an active part of the conversation. This was such a slow, gradual change, I didn't even notice it happening! I sometimes get upset, or feel self conscious about my Spanish, because I worry that it hasn't improved enough, but being there really helped me realize just how far I've come. It made me feel very proud of myself :)

 

Overall, it was a really amazing trip full of great, new experiences for me!

Bye Bye, Janky Van :(

This week, my parents sold our old mini van, or the "Janky Van" as we called it. It's amazing how connected you can feel to a piece of machinery, and not even fully notice it until it's gone. We bought the Janky Van before my brother was born, over 12 and a half years ago. Every single family road trip we took, every Christmas, every Thanksgiving, every carpool to Hebrew school or just a simple drive to Hunan House, our favorite Chinese restaurant, we took in that car. I went from riding in a booster seat in the back to DRIVING the Janky Van (even though I was always so embarrassed to be seen driving that thing). We've had fights, spills, laughs, sickness, sing along sessions to our favorite radio stations, games of "I Spy" and the license plate game (where you try to see how many states you can find license plates from), and more in that car. It was truly a part of our family, and I can't imagine coming home and it being gone...

All I can do now is hope that our old Windstar van brings its new owner as many laughs and good times as it brought to my family.

You will be missed, Janky Van ❤

Frequently Asked Questions

Just like in my post about my most commonly spoken words, I also find that I am asked a lot of the same questions over and over and over again. Here are a few of the questions people are always dying to get the answer to (translated from Spanish, of course):

1.) What Peruvian dishes have you tried? What are your favorites? - Food is a huge part of the culture here, and Peruvians are very proud of their cuisine. They love hearing how delicious the food is. Also, every dish here has a name!!! It's not like back home where for dinner you just have a bowl of noodles and a salad. There are always legit names for what you're eating, and Peruvians love hearing about which traditional dishes you like.

2.) Have any of your friends had a baby?! - Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant both air here... Thank you MTV for making the rest of the world think we all have children as teenagers.

3.) Have you ever been to New York City or Disney World?!? - People ask me this all the time, and it's made me realize how truly blessed I am, every time I answer that I've been to New York City 4 times and Disney World 3. For them here, both of those places are like dream vacation destinations, like the Eiffel Tower or the Great Wall of China. They think it's amazingly cool that I've been so many places.

4.) The traditional food of the United States is fast food, right? - This isn't even a joke, they all think that we eat fast food for every meal.

5.) Do you like to dance? - Dancing is also a huge part of their culture. They love dancing, and they actually know how to do it. Every time I'm asked this, I have to explain that back in the States, we don't know how to dance. At parties we just jump up and down, if we're even doing that much. Here everyone dances at parties!!! Like, really dances. Like boys ask girls to dance and they actually dance! Like facing each other, holding hands moving your feet and hips and doing spins and what not... It's so cool and fun and waaaay different than dancing at parties back home.

6.) Do you miss your family? - I hate being asked this... Of course I miss my family! I think I would be crazy if I didn't!

7.) Can you sing us a song in English? - Yeah that one's always awkward cause I always do it even though I'm a horrible singer... So yeah, that's always fun...

8.) Is your school back home like Glee? - I've been asked this soo many times... They are all really curious about cliques: cheerleaders, jocks, nerds, etc. I never really know exactly how to answer. One time I convinced a girl that we actually just burst out into song randomly like they do in Glee... I'm still laughing about that one ;)

These are just a few of the most common ones, but there are always sooo many questions! People ask me things about the USA, Peru, my family, everything!!! I guess that's just part of being an exchange student. Everyone's always curious about you!

Weekend Trip to Ica

This weekend I, along with 6 other exchange students, went to Ica, Peru, a city about 4 hours south of Lima. Our Rotary counselors decided it would be fun to take us down for a few days, so we drove the 4 hours and stayed with my counselor's parents who live in the area. It was a ton of fun. Ica is known for its sand dunes, so naturally we took advantage of that and spent an afternoon out sand boarding in the dunes. That was a blast. They put you in these cool cars and drive you really fast through the dunes, like a roller coaster, and then there are places where they let you off at the top of a dune with a board and let you go down. Some people went standing up, but I always went on my stomach instead. It is much easier, and you get a lot more speed. It was the most fun I have had in a very long time. I'm hoping a get a chance to go back and do it again, because it really was an amazing experience! Not only was it a blast, but it was just very cool. I have never been in sand dunes before, so it was a completely new and interesting experience for me. I felt like I was in a movie or something (Aladdin came to mind a few times).

On our way home from Ica on Sunday, our car broke down. That was a fun time. We were stuck on the side of the road for over an hour waiting to find someone who could pull our car! When we finally did, they only pulled us half of the way back to Ica, and from there we had to find ANOTHER car to take us the second half. Once we made it back to Ica, we found out that there wasn't even a bus we could take back to Lima until Monday morning, so we ended up spending another night and catching the bus home on Monday morning. It was a little crazy, and I am exhausted, but it was a great time!

American Food!

A couple Sundays ago, I was really bored, so I decided I would cook lunch for my host family (here in Peru, lunch is the main meal, not dinner). I started the day by going to the grocery store, where I found everything that I needed!! I was so happy that they had everything, including Ranch dressing (which was a BIG hit with the host family).

I made a fresh salad with vegetables and Ranch, garlic bread and home style Mac n Cheese. My host family LOVED it!! They told me they want me to be the new chef of the household. I was so happy that it turned out well and that they liked it, because I had never made homemade Mac n Cheese before, or garlic bread with actual garlic (Usually I just put garlic salt... Much easier).

This past week, I taught my sister to make some good traditional chocolate chip cookies, which were also a big hit. They were so amazed by the fact that I could make cookies so similar to ''Chip's Ahoy''.

They've been bragging to our extended family about the meal I cooked and the cookies ever since. I can't wait to cook for them again. I'm thinking we'll make BLT sandwiches some day soon :)

El Primer Viaje!

Arequipa, Peru

Chivay, Peru

View out my window while driving through the Andes!

Arica, Chile

After a week, I am FINALLY getting around to blogging about my first trip. It was such a blast. I saw some of the most beautiful and insane things I've ever seen in my life. The entire 10 days felt like a dream...

We started the trip by driving to Arequipa, which is a beautiful city in the south of Peru. There we met up with some other exchange students; it was such a blast. We spent one night in the center of Arequipa, and danced with a Mariachi band that was playing in the plaza. We attracted a big crowd, and by the end of the night we had everyone dancing!

After a couple days in Arequipa, we drove to Chivay to visit Colca Canyon. In my opinion, this was the most beautiful part of the trip. Driving through the Andes Mountains was such a new and crazy experience for me. Just looking out the window and seeing the pure beauty that surrounded us... It was unreal. Colca Canyon was also INCREDIBLE. It is more than twice and deep as the Grand Canyon. Being there gave me a feeling unlike anything I've ever felt before.. I don't even know how to explain it, other than an incredible high. Just feeling so alive and free.. It was really amazing.

After Chivay we drove further south to Tacna, and then to Arica, Chile. Both of those places were also very fun. I loved going into Chile! Arica was really beautiful. We did a lot of tours there, but we also had a decent amount of free time, in which we convinced a group of Chilean kids at Mcdonald's that my American friend Kate is from France and doesn't speak a word of Spanish. She just kept throwing out random words like ¨Bounjour!¨ and ¨Baguette!¨ and when she wanted to sound really legit, she would just make up some random gibberish sentence that sounded French. They totally bought it. It was hilarious, we could not stop laughing.

I've always known how lucky I am to be having such amazing experiences, but during this trip I really felt it. How many people EVER have the chance to see things like that? I am only 16 years old.. My life is just beginning, and I am already having experiences like this. I am so blessed and fortunate to be where I am, doing these amazing things.

Falta un Día!!

Our first Rotary trip begins tomorrow and I am SO excited. We leave at 5:30 P.M. in a bus and spend all night driving, then arrive in Arequipa, Perú Saturday morning bright and early. The trip lasts 10 days, during which we will visit Arequipa, Colca and Tacna, Perú along with Arica, Chile. During our stays in each city we will participate in tours, go to museums, do some shopping and eat delicious food. 10 days off of school to travel around Perú and Chile with all of my other exchange student friends.... Sounds good to me :)

Here are some pictures of the places I will see during my trip:

Arequipa, Perú

Volcano Misti in Arequipa, Perú

 

Colca Canyon

 

Tacna, Perú

 

 Arica, Chile

 

 

I will post some of my own pictures once I return! I'm not sure how much internet access I will have during the trip, so I may not be able to blog until I get home... But if I have access, I will post as I go!

Granadilla

The other day I went to the market with my host family and my host dad was quizzing my Spanish by asking me the names of all the fruits they had there. I was doing pretty well until we got to the fruit featured in the picture below. I had no idea what this fruit was called in English, and when I told my host dad I had never tried it, he bought me one. I had no idea how to eat it. My host sisters thought it was hilarious when I went to bite into it without peeling it first... Oops! Once I partially peeled it, I was so shocked at what the inside was like. It was so different than most fruits we have back home. The only thing I could think to compare it to was a pomegranate, but it was still so different!! You take a bite into the middle part and the little things pop in your mouth and juice comes out!! But then you eat the seeds too.. And they have the texture of like, black watermelon seeds. It was so strange for me, but it was pretty good!

If You Want to be an Exchange Student....

It's been about a year since I went to my very first Rotary orientation camp and really began considering being an exchange student. At that first weekend, I made some amazing lifelong friends that are now living in completely different parts of the world. It's amazing to see how far we've come from that first weekend, whether it was the inbound students who have now completed their exchanges, or it's us-- the outbounds, who are living it now. From that first weekend, all of us have learned what it really takes to be an exchange student.

When someone tells you ''Oh, I'm going to be an exchange student!'', you automatically think ''That is so cool, that would be so fun, it's like a vacation'' etc., and as amazing as it is, it's not ALL fun and games!! There are definitely some other things you need to consider when making the decision to be an exchange student.

1.) You WILL have hard times. If you are considering being an exchange student, I'm sure you've already been told this. It's not always easy to be in a life where you don't understand everything, where you don't have your close friends and family to rely on for support. You will be 100% out of your comfort zone at times. You will have moments when you ask yourself ''What am I doing here? Why did I choose to do this again?!''. You will be confused and homesick at times-- it's inevitable.

2.) You will embarrass yourself. It will happen, and it's okay. There will be things that you're not used to and you don't quite understand... You will eventually catch on, but a lot of times at first, you make a bit of a fool of yourself. I know you're dying to hear examples of this...... So I'll give you just a couple:
Every day here at school they end the day by standing in a circle, holding hands, and  praying. This absolutely NOT something that I'm used to. The first day, we were in the circle and the teacher went to hold my hand for prayer, and I gave him a handshake instead! The whole class thought it was hilarious, but I was a  little embarrassed.
Also towards the beginning of my exchange, my host sisters took me on the local bus for the first time.... The busses here are crazy! They're really jerky and crazy and a lot of times you have to stand because there aren't enough available seats. So my first time on the bus, I was standing and I was holding onto a poll, but I didn't realize how tightly I had to hold, and when the buss started I completely wiped out. Good times...
But the point is, when you're introduced to something that you are not familiar with, it may take a bit of time to adjust. You will eventually catch on to all of these little things, but there might be a couple embarrassing moments in the process ;)
3.) You may feel lonely. Towards the beginning of exchange, it's normal to feel lonely sometimes. You will make friends, but it does take some time to make BEST friends, espeically when you don't speak the same language as the people you're with. Back home, I'm surrounded with best friends that I've had for years, so it is a bit strange to be here, surrounded by people that I've known for no more than 2 months. There will be times when you just want to be with people you're close to- best friends or family. That's completely natural!! It's not easy to go from seeing those people every day to not seeing them for 11 months. It's a difficult transition, and it's 100% normal to struggle with it a bit.

4.) YOU HAVE TO BE OPEN MINDED! If you are not willing to try new things and learn, this is NOT the program for you. You have to be willing to say YES to everything (unless it's illegal or immoral), even if it's something that you wouldn't do at home, or that's outside your comfort zone. You have to be willing to try new foods, celebrate new hollidays, learn new traditions.. Everything. When your host family or friends ask you if you want to do something, you say yes! NO FEAR, JUST DO IT! This is a seriously important characteristic for exchange students to have. Be open to anything, and you will have a good exchange :)

5.) You will learn. I have been here less than two months, and I already feel myself changing. I'm learning, I'm growing, I'm maturing. I can feel it all happening! I can feel myself learning a new language and culture. I can feel my mind expanding and my mentality changing. I have become so much more open to new ideas and adventures. I am learning who I am, what I can deal with, what I can't, one day at a time. It's really amazing how much I can feel myself growing, and it hasn't even been two months! I can't imagine what I will have learned once the 11 months are up.

6.) Exchange is NOT to party. If you want to go somewhere to get wasted and go to clubs every night, exchange isn't the trip you're looking for. Exchange is a learning experience, and you have to treat it as that. It's fun and you will have a great time, but it's no senior spring break trip to Mexico where you just go get drunk every night. If that is what you're looking for, please... Don't do an exchange.

7.) It is ALL worth it. It will be the best year of your life.... Don't waste it. Don't take it for granted. You have to live every moment as much as you possibly can. You will see some absolutely amazing things, so don't forget to look around and take it in. Experience everything, learn as much as you can. Don't be sad, it's not worth wasting your time on! You will experience something unlike any other.... You are one in 7,000 students that will have this experience, so enjoy it.

Random Thing #1

So the other day the sun was out so my host family and I were outside playing with the random stray dogs at the park outside of my house, naturally. Anyways, some man with a cart came walking down the street, playing a little song on some Peruvian instrument I'd never seen before. My host dad then explained to me that on the man's cart was a wheel that is used to sharpen knives. He told me that all of the knife sharpeners here walk around with their carts, playing that exact tune on that instrument, so that everyone here knows, when you hear that tune, you can go get your knives sharpened. I don't know why, but I thought that was really funny. Just the fact that there are people who walk around on the street sharpening knives is funny, but the fact that they all have the same little jig they play... I don't know, it just made me giggle a little, so I thought I'd share it with you all.

I also didn't know what to name this post, so I figured Random Thing #1 was a good title.. From now on whenever I have a post about something little and random like this, I'll just add it to my list of Random Things! :)

Cuadernos!

One big difference that I've noticed in school since I've been here is that their notebooks are extremely important. Teachers do weekly notebook checks, and our notebooks have to be very neat and organized... Oh, and pretty too. They love using colors to take notes!! It's kind of fun, but it's also strange for me. My notebooks at home are so sloppy, organized in a way that I understand them, even if that means no one else can. But here, they have to be so perfect! It's a lot of pressure for me, as I'm not exactly the artsy, perfectionist type. I'm used to doodling and doing scratch work in my notebooks, but here they don't do that!! If we're doing math problems and need to do some scratch work, they do it on their desks, and then erase it later!

Along with this post, I added some pictures of my notebook, so you can see what I mean. We've got some geometry, trigonometry, biology and music (finally, a language I can understand!)

September 11, 2001 - Never Forgotten

Today marks 11 years since the attacks that tore out the heart of the Big Apple and left so many families mourning. It's so strange to not be in America today... Of course the whole world knows about September 11, 2001, but for most of the people here, it's just something they've heard about on the news, or read about in a text book. As crazy as it sounds, I remember when the towers got hit. I remember coming home from Kindergarden to see the horrifying images of New York's two tallest buildings going up in flames and of all the people affected by it on the news. I remember the panic. I remember the fear. I didn't quite understand it at the time, but I remember it.

I have one very distinct memory of a photo from that day. It was a woman, blood streaking down her face. She expressed a look of pure horror and pain. Being only 5, I remember saying "Wow! That's a cool Halloween costume!". Upon hearing that it wasn't a costume, I was scared and confused. I didn't understand. I was only 5, but I still remember that moment so vividly.

I went through the entire day today without hearing one word about the attacks. That's when it really hit me that I'm not in America anymore. For most of the people here, today is just a normal Tuesday, but not for us. Today represents so much for my country. Today I am especially proud to be an American. RIP to all of those who perished in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. You're gone, but never forgotten.

¡Hay bastante carros!

The traffic here is honestly unlike anything I've ever seen. There are so many cars, busses and motos all "sharing" the road. I put sharing in quotation marks because... Well, let's just say they don't exactly like to share. It's every driver for himself out there. If they can cut another car off to get ahead, they will. If they can swerve around another car to get ahead, they will. They have lanes, but they don't really use them. Seriously, the street will have 3 lanes, but there will be 5 cars across. It's amazing. Quite frankly, it's very scary!! The driving age here is 18, and I can understand why.. In fact, I might even push is BACK a little! As much as I love having my license back home, I would NOT want to drive here!

Safety First!

Safety is always the number one priority, but it's especially so in Lima. There are many precautions that you need to take here to remain as safe as possible.
The first, watch your purse, ALWAYS! When youre walking down the street, always make sure your purse stays right at your side or in front of you. Don't let it get behind you. The same goes when you're on the bus. The busses are CRAZY and always jammed pack. They're similar to subways in New York, where there are many people standing, but they're about 10 times more extreme. They're very small, and it's very hard to maneuver your way to the exit. Because they're so packed, it's not too difficult for someone to casually take something from your purse without you noticing, so always make sure your purse is in front of you, and you can see it at all times! The same goes when you have a seat on the bus. Put your purse in your lap and hold it with your hands. It's rare that someone would just grab your purse off your lap, but better safe than sorry!
Another safety precaution that I've been told to take is to be careful with your phone. If you're on the street and you get a call, it's usually safer to go into a store to answer it. And be careful about taking it out on the bus too. I think the most common crime here is theft, so it's something that you always have to pay close attention to, just like in any big city.
When I first arrived here, I found it strange that you have to do all of these things just to make sure nothing gets stolen. Bexley is such a safe town, and I guess I always took it for granted.

It's not difficult to keep your stuff safe, just as long as you understand the precautions you should take. Don't worry Mom and Dad, I'm keeping my purse close at all times, and I'm staying very safe :)

Bafa Bafa, Anyone?

At my last Rotary event in the States, we played a game called Bafa Bafa. Bafa Bafa is a cultural simulation game where the group is split into 2 subgroups. Each subgroup is given a culture to take on, and the two cultures are VERY different. Each group is taught every last detail about their culture: language, movements, values, what is considered culturally unacceptable, etc. The two cultures are separated into two different rooms. Once each group learns the details of their culture, members of each culture are chosen one by one to enter the room of the other group and attempt to fit in and understand the other culture.

This game was fun, but at the same time, it was frustrating. It was hard to communicate and hard to understand. Sometimes you would do something that to you was no big deal, but in their culture it was completely unacceptable and rude, and you would be shut out. Sometimes they would do something that offended you, or at least took you by surprise. It was easy to get annoyed or frustrated at these cultural differences, especially the ones that you just couldn't understand.

I didn't understand at the time how accurate that simulation was. All of the feelings I described above I have felt since I've been here. It's hard to understand and it's frustrating! Different parts of the world have different cultures, and when you travel you have to learn how to fit into the new cultures you visit. It can be frustrating sometimes, and there will always be things you don't quite understand, but that's just a part of the adventure!

Internet

So sorry I haven´t posted anything recently, the internet was out for a few days.. We officially have WiFi at my house now, so I will try to post more often. Thanks for reading! :)

Most Commonly Spoken Words

I was thinking yesterday, and I realized that I say the same words over and over and over again. I thought it would be fun to make a list of the words I say the most here, so here goes!

My Most Commonly Spoken Words (In Order):

1) Si - So often.... Whenever anyone is talking to me and I don't really understand, I just nod and say ¨Si, si!¨... Smile and nod, smile and nod

2) Gracias - Manners are so important always, but especially as and exchange student. I am really living in a dream here and it is beyond crucial to thank everyone who made it possible for me. Even when I couldn`t say much else, I ALWAYS said gracias!

3) Ciao - Here, every time you enter or leave a place you need to give everyone there a kiss on the cheek and a greeting, and here they say ¨ciao¨ as goodbye. Whenever anyone leaves, they always kiss you on the cheek and say ¨ciao!¨ and you do the same.. So I've said a lot of ¨ciao¨s!!

4) ¿Que? ¡¡No entiendo!! - What? I don´t understand! Story of my life

5) Habla despacio, por favor - Speak slowly!! They seriously talk so fast here... I'm getting a lot better at understanding though :)

6) ¡Estoy cansada! - I'm tired! It's already exausting to have to focus so much to understand or communicate with people, and having to wake up at 5:30 every morning doesn`t help. I`m exausted!

7) Yo extraño mi perro - I miss my dog. Really, I miss Buddy Wilson so much... There are a ton of stray dogs here that just walk around the street, and every time I see one it makes me miss my beagle boy :(

8) Buenas noches/Hasta mañana - Goodnight/See you tomorrow. It's always nice to say goodnight to everyone in the family before going to bed, and there are 7 of us in this family, so that`s a lot of goodnights!

That's just a little sample of my Spanish knowledge... But don`t worry, I can say much more than just those things ;)

El Campamento!

This weekend I went to a weekend Rotary conference with all of the other exchange students in Lima. We went to a resort on the beach, which was BEAUTIFUL! It´s ¨winter¨ here right now, so we didn´t swim much, but it was still a ton of fun. We had a lot of training and team building workshops, but it was still a good time because we were all together. I am honestly so grateful for such a great Rotary district here (4450) and such great exchange student friends to share it with!

One activity that we did was called a trust circle, where we had a circular rope, and everybody had to hold onto it and pull it back tight. Then the instructor asked for volunteers, so I raised my hand, along with one other guy. He told us to each start of different sides of the circle and WALK on the rope, at the same time, but going opposite directions. It was really scary, because we were totally relying on the strength of the people in the circle. It was a really cool experience, and it was super fun!

Care Package!

Yesterday I recieved my first package from home. It mostly contained things I forgot to pack, but there were also a couple little things in there just to make me smile. Recieving something from home made me SO happy. I felt so stupid while I was opening it, because I could not wipe the smile off my face! I absolutely LOVE getting things sent to me from home, so if any of you ever feel like sending me anything, whether its a care package or just a letter, I would be absolutely thrilled to recieve it, and I just might send something back ;) (Oh, and if you do send a package.... PLEASE send me some cookies n cream Hershey's drops... I´m craving... ;))

My address is written in the picture above, but here it is again:

Caroline Shapiro

Calle Pablo Neruda No. 126

Urbanizacion Santa Raquel 3rd

Stage Construction Tie-Vitarte

Lima Peru

My First Rough Day

Bexley High School starts school today... I didn´t think that I would feel sad about it, but I do. All I can think about is what all my friends are doing at school right now. I know that my life back home is going on just like it always had, except I´m not there. I know that my friends will sit at the same bench for lunch, but I won't be sitting with them. It's just a strange feeling... I miss my school and my normal life.

When I told my friends that I was going to live in Peru for a year, many people said ¨That's so cool! It´s like a year-long vacation, you´re so lucky!¨. I am lucky, and it is cool, but it is NOT a vacation. It´s so far from a vacation. It´s hard. It's hard to be placed in a new city, a new country, in a new life. A life where you don't know anyone, and it´s hard to get to know anyone, because you barely speak their language. It´s not a vacation, and it´s not easy.

I know that it´s normal to have days like this. It´s part of the experience. I know that I am growing so much and I am becoming a stronger person from it, and that makes me feel a little better.

A few days before I left home, I was up in my room packing with my mom and brother, and Stronger by Kelly Clarkson came on the radio.. My mom said ¨Caroline, this should be your theme song for the exchange! Whenever you feel down, just listen to this!¨, and then she and Zach started singing along and dancing. So today, I´m listening to that song, and it does make me feel a bit better. What doesn´t kill you makes you stronger, right Mommy?! ;)

School!

My last post mainly focused on my dramatic experience the first day of school, and I didn't talk much about what the actual school is like! It´s a private Catholic school, so it's pretty different than what I'm used to in Bexley. We have to wear uniforms (featured above. They're not great pictures but you can get a general sense of the uniform. It consists of sweat pants, a t shirt, and a jacket). It's not cute, but it's actually really comfortable, so I don't mind it much. The school building holds elementary classes and high school. I am in the last year of high school here, which is called ¨Quinto¨. I am in a class with about 35 other kids my age (only 4 of which are boys!) and we stay in that same classroom for almost the whole day while the teachers switch rooms. The only times we leave the classroom are during two 30 minute breaks we get throughout the day and for English class. The students are split based on English levels. I was placed in the highest level of English (for obvious reasons) for the first few days, but I think pretty soon I will transfer out and help assist some of the lower classes, helping with vocabulary, etc. That way I can be practicing my Spanish too!

The days are looooong. My host family just moved houses, and their new house is much farther from the school. We wake up at 5:30 every morning, get ready, eat a small breakfast and walk to the bus stop. The bus ride is about an hour and a half to get to the school, so with the walking to/from bus stops it takes almost 2 hours! So we leave the house at like 6:30 in the morning and don´t get back until 5:30 in the evening, and by that time it's already getting dark, because it´s winter here. By the time we get home I´m already exhausted and I still have to do all my homework and everything, and that requires a lot of energy because it's all in Spanish! Although I suppose it's good that I'm staying busy.. It takes my mind off of home and all of the Spanish practice is definitely helping.

Socially I'm doing great at school. Everyone loves talking to me and I've found a lot of people in the class with similar taste in music, shows, etc. They're all very nice when it comes to helping me understand what's going on in classes and they're eager to teach me all of the Spanish slang words. When we leave the classroom and walk through the hallways or in the court yard, people from other grades just stare at me when I pass by. Sometimes people say hi to me or come give me hugs... It's so strange having so much attention on me! I know it will get old for them after a while but right now they´re so intrigued. They all think it's amazing that I've been to New York City and Disney World.. And they think it's so cool that I can go see all of the bands I like in concert. I forgot that when a band comes here it's a big deal... There aren't nearly as many concerts here as back home. South American concerts for American artists are pretty rare.

I feel a bit uncomfortable being at a Catholic school, but my classmates and teachers are nice and it´s very helpful for my Spanish, so all is good!

Oh, and I forgot the best part! I get to wear my Merrells to school every day! I know my Daddy is gonna be very happy about that :)

First Day of School!

I think it´s safe to say that my first day of school could have gone a little better.... It wasn't exactly bad, it just got off to a bit of a rough start. The school day began with the entire school meeting out in the court yard to say a prayer (because it´s a Catholic school), sing the national anthem, listen to a welcome speech by the principal, etc. The entire school was standing out there for about 15 minutes. After a while I started to feel really hot, dizzy and sick, so I grabbed my host sister´s hand and dragged her out of the crowd with me saying, "Necesito sentarme" which means "I need to sit down." However, as soon as I started walking, it got worse. My vision starting to blur and I couldn't stand straight. I couldn't even explain to my sister what was going on. I could barely form sentences in English, let alone in Spanish! All I could say was "I'm about to pass out, I'm about to pass out!" My sister was practically carrying me to the nurse's office while I was collapsing in her arms. At one point I fell all the way down and a group of students rushed over to help me up and bring me the nurse. Everyone was staring at me.. When we got to the nurse's office, they laid me down in a bed and I was out. I laid there for a while before getting up and going to class, partly because I was still pretty woozy, but mainly because I was afraid to go meet my new classmates after what had just happened!

On my first day of Peruvian high school I passed out in front of every single student, teacher and faculty member at the school. How's that for an embarrassing first impression?! Not only am I the new girl from the United States, but I´m the new girl from the United States who passed out on the first day of classes. Oh and I´m Jewish too. In a Catholic school... To them I´m like an alien. But they're intrigued, and everyone wanted to talk to me so it looks like I have some new friends!

It was so strange to have school in Spanish. All of my notes are in Spanish and I had to write a poem in Spanish for one of my classes! It´s just so different. Everything is so different. I am 100% out of my comfort zone but hey, that´s being an exchange student. I'll get used to it, and eventually this will become my comfort zone!

It's normal to feel lost, uncomfortable and even embarrassed at times. It's all part of the experience. Even though my first day of school felt a little uncomfortable for me, I know that I´m going to do just fine there. I already have friends at school, and I can feel my Spanish improving. So yes, I passed out and embarrassed myself in front of everyone, but I know that in a couple of weeks I´m going to be laughing about it. It's definitely a memory that I won't be forgetting any time soon!

Inca Kola

Inca Kola- the drink of Peru. It´s delicious. It kind of tastes like chewing gum... I love it!

La Comida

The food here is delicious! It consists mostly of rice, chicken and potatoes. The main meal of the day is lunch, which is served around 3. It´s very strange to have lunch as the biggest meal, but I like it! The above pictures are 3 of the lunches I´ve eaten since I´ve been here. So far I´m really enjoying the food! ¡Que rico!

El Centro de Lima

  

Yesterday, my host family brought me to the center of Lima. My entire family (all 8 of us) packed into the car and drove the 20 minutes to get there. In the center, there are many beautiful government buildings, cathedrals, etc. and a TON of people! It was packed, but very cool. The President of Peru also lives in the center of Lima. The below is me in front of the President´s palace!

Mi Familia

My family here is so wonderful. Living with 3 other teenage girls is so helpful for me. I feel totally at home with them, and I'm learning how to fit in to their family. They treat me like a real sister which I am so grateful for.

There's also my little brother, Mati. He is a piece of work. Adorable, but crazy!!!! He's always full of energy and eager to teach me Spanish. He will come up and grab my hand, dragging me around the house, holding up an object and telling me how to say it in Spanish. It's strange learning a language from a 4 year old, but he's very helpful to me.

My host parents are incredible as well. They are extremely loving and welcoming. Although I don't always understand what they are saying to me, I can always tell that they are being very sincere when they tell me that I am at home in their house.

They are very loving and friendly and I am so grateful to be put into such a warm, welcoming family!