Monday, April 9, 2012

Semana Santa in Peru

Easter here is celebrated just a tad differently than in the United States. Thursday and Friday are days off due to the holiday and people do nothing but party. Many stores and businesses shut down on Thursday and Friday and it’s weird because on Sunday everyone goes back to their normal life and everything is open. The beaches and clubs are def. poppin’ that’s for sure! How rare though, because in the U.S. Easter is a wholesome family holiday!

Nela has been in Trujillo for a little over a week now because she is staying with her family but Fabricio left on Thursday morning at 2 a.m. with some friends and partied hardy all weekend. So I had the apartment to myself from Thursday to Monday morning. PARTY!! Just kidding. On Thursday my friends Mary, Laura, and Emily came over in the morning and we swam and soaked up some rays in the pool on the roof of my apartment building. We reunited at about 4 that afternoon and went to Miraflores to the Indian market to continue with our souvenir shopping. That night we thought it would be a blasty-blast to make some French Toast. We all know if it’s French toast it won’t be a letdown! So while Mary and Laura went to mass, Emily and I went shopping for the ingredients and met back up at Derek’s house to do some cooking. We ate our feast, played some charades, and telephone in Spanish. Before I had left my apartment, the door man told me that there would be no electricity from 1 a.m. until 10 a.m. on Friday morning. While I was at Derek’s I looked down at my watch and it was a little after midnight!! So I raced home so that I could have some light to get ready for bed, securely lock the 9 locks (not an exaggeration) on my apartment door, and get to sleep. The lights went out at exactly 1:08 a.m. J I know this because I laid down in bed at 1:02 and I couldn’t help my curiosity. Every so often I would lean up and flick the switch and boop the light would turn on. But finally at 1:08 when I flicked the switch nothing happened.

On Friday I got up, made some eggs with cheese and Emily came over and we worked on our tans once again! For lunch we walked to this chicken place called Norky’s and it was quite delicious! We then dispersed and I spent my afternoon sleeping, doing laundry, and I took my 5th hot shower this semester. It was AWESOME! I’ve gotten used to cold showers and almost like them but still, nothing can beat a hot shower! That night Derek and I met at Vivanda’s (a grocery store about 10 min, walking, from my house). We took a cab to Miraflores and met up with Emily, her host sister, and her host sister’s boyfriend. We all walked around Parque Kennedy, got some churros, and some ice cream from Bembo’s.

The next morning, Saturday, Emily and Derek came over and we swam in my pool again. (Bring on the skin cancer) After we were done we decided to order a pizza for delivery from Papa John’s which is just up the street from me. I am so proud of myself for ordering that pizza in Spanish! Butttt I can’t say it was done perfectly! I have no idea what my cell number is or my home number so the first time I called he asked what my number was... I panicked and hung up on him. Hahaha Then I went to my room and got my little cheat sheet with all my phone numbers on it so I called back and it was a little more successful! That night Mary, Laura, Derek and I were invited by Hugo to go with him and some friends to a disco down South. We met up with Hugo in Miraflores at 10 p.m. and took a taxi. We were all a tad worried because “the south” is about 30 minutes in a taxi from our district and the last time we went there in January we did not have the best time getting home! But this time was way better and I didn’t feel my life was threatened…always a good thing!

On Sunday, I was still home alone so I slept in, made some Kraft mac n’ cheese, and cleaned the apartment. In the afternoon I became a skypin’ fool. I skyped my dad, Sam, and my whole family while they were all at my aunt’s house doin the usual Easter festivities. It made me a tad homesick but I just pretended it wasn’t really Easter and all was well!

This week is crazy busy with group projects because our semester is coming to an end. I had a group project for my class of Indigenous cultures, I have to act out a skit in conversation class with Derek, and I have to write a paper with a group for our grammar class.

Today, after class, Derek and I were talking to our friend Hugo. Hugo studies English at an institute of American English and often asks me to help him with his homework and correct his grammar. He does pretty good with English but there are a lot of phrases he doesn’t understand, which you can’t blame him…languages are tough to learn! Today as we were talking he said “how do you say aprovechar in English?” We replied “Take advantage of” So he said “Nicki, I am going to take advantage of you” Derek and I both burst out laughing and immediately Hugo knew he had said something inappropriate and was freaking out asking what it meant. All he really wanted to do was ask me to help him with his homework. Hahahaha 

The plate of bananas we used on our French Toast...DELICIOUS!!!!!

The whole feast

Playing charades

Playing charades

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