Bolivia!

• so far in bolivia we have been in:


• copacabanala


• isla del sol


• la paz-valle de la luna, death road, national art museum- chilling in the plazas, tiwanaku (really interesting to compare to inka history!)

tonight we leave for an overnight bus to sucre (12 hours!) later potosí and salar de uyuni!

August 16th, 2011

totally random/typical* day, just thought i would share. Below is a picture of the Plaza.


Woke up and had breakfast with Michelle-

• freshly cut watermelon, grapes, maracuya (passion fruit), bananas, etc
• cheesy eggs
• bread, butter, jam
• freshly squeezed maracuya juice

Took a taxi to Maximo, got coffee and went to class from 10-1pm

- Learned about playing games in your lessons by actually playing Jeopardy to review ESL techniques. My team was the "Sex Cuys".

Worked on my lesson plan a little bit and went home to eat lunch

• i cant remember what lunch was right now- but it was something Peruvian and good.

Decided to go walking around the center, so Arielle and I took a taxi to San Pedro Market- which basically is a HUGE Peruvian market that has different sections for clothes, fruits, potatoes, meats, grains, etc. However they sell pretty much EVERY part of any animal you are looking for, including Cow's faces/noses/hooves, frogs, chicken feet, etc. In the back they have little restaurants (picnic tables with ladies looking right in front of you). But mostly only Peruvians eat there.

However, last weekend I went there with some Argentinian friends and we bought pan (bread) and went to a little booth. We got soup, Lomo Soltado (meat/rice/salad), mate (tea), and a coke for only 3 soles. That equals about 1 dollar. Also, as we were sitting there eating, a Peruvian family stopped and started talking to us and they said that they wanted a picture with me because they thought I was "Barbie". The little girl was so scared because she thought i was the REAL Barbie. They gave me their baby to hold and took a bunch of pictures of me. It was bizarre and hilarious. Afterward we went to the fruit section and got freshly made icecream smoothies, again for 1$.

San Pedro Market

(click on this picture)

After we walked around San Pedro Market, we walked to the Plaza de Armas and went to a little cafe overlooking the plaza.

La Plaza de Armas

We got Cafe con Leche and Alfajores- a South American pastry that is DELICIOUS. It is like two crumbly cookies that put together with some sort of filling that can be dulce de leche or caramel or jam.

Afterthat, we had to go back home to the family house because i needed to work on my lesson plan more. (I will write more about teaching later). We talked and hung out with Pricilla and Gaby- the cooks at the Family House that we love the heck out of and have become our new best friends and go out with us whenever they can (even though we are supposed to keep that secret for some reason :))

After getting ready to teach, I went down and had dinner

• Arroz con carne y ensalada- to die for.

Took a taxi to Maximo and finished up preparing my lesson. I have been/will be teaching everyday night from 8-9pm this week. My lesson was really fun and I enjoy my class a lot. As one student was leaving he said "Thank you teacher, you are a really good teacher" it was really cute. Had a little feedback session with Sabrina-my TEFL instructor who is observing me all this week.

Then, I took a taxi HOME and hung out with Michelle and Arielle for a little bit. Skyped with my dad- which was awesome cause i hadn't talked to him in a while and he always makes me laugh and feel happy.

Watched the movie "CHE" and went to sleep.

*Typical day minus going out.

Daily Differences pt. 1

First of all, I am LOVING life in Peru. Everyday is a new adventure. Getting to know a foreign city is really fun and exciting, so I decided to keep running list of daily differences I notice between Peruvian life and life in the states.

(In San Blas)

1. WATER. There are multiple issues with the water here in Cusco. First, in order to preserve water in the city, they shut it completely off every night. (Apparently they refill the general water supply all day until 6pm, when they do it for the last time). Then, it basically just runs out, whenever. Usually this happens anywhere from 9-11pm. What does this mean for us? Well no showering, flushing, cooking, or anything else water related past 9.....interesting, but surprisingly im pretty used to it already.





TAMBOMACHAY OR BATHS OF THE INCA
(Apparently the Incas had it figured out)


2. NO WATER. Last weekend the water went off in our half of the city at 3pm on Friday with no sign of coming back on. We had some drinking water, but that was it. It ended up being off until Sunday mid-day, but only for 2 hours. Of course I was napping and missed the water and my opportunity for a shower. I felt really gross. So I stole a large pitcher of warmish water (freshly boiled) from the kitchen and attempted to shower myself with it. Turned out to be rather successful and actually preferable to the cold showers I take 50% of the time.





3. NIGHT LIFE. As with every city that is not in the U.S. there are little to no rules/laws when comes to going out. Here in Cusco, there are plenty of "Discos" and bars to go to. Usually we go out around 11:30, 12, or sometimes 1. This means that the clubs stay open until about 5 or 6am. Another thing is that the "bouncers/promoters" basically fight for you to come to their clubs and pelt you with free drink tickets. Most of the clubs are in the picturesque square- Plaza de Armas or up in the hills of San Blas. The ones WE have been frequenting are Mythology, The Lek, and IncaTeam.





4. TAXIS. There are VERY few people with cars in Cusco. Pretty much every car on the street is a little tiny one with a Taxi sign on it. Each taxi ride is 3 soles wherever you go (= approx. 1$), and you don't have to tip. They honk CONSTANTLY, whether they are picking you up, telling you to get out of the way, or nearly crashing into another as they frantically switch lanes and weave in and out of traffic.



5. PLATA ($$$). So the currency in Peru is the Peruvian Nuevo Sol, more commonly just called "soles" (soul-es). The conversion rate is approximately 3 to 1. There is a lot more importance put on coins here since there are 2 sol coins and 5 sol coins so I'm always trying to get change.

Okay that's all i can think of in this moment, i will write more later!!

Why am I here? What am I doing? Where am I going? For how long?

For those of you that don't know.

Why?

Simple answer: I just graduated college and wanted to something fun/different/exciting to do before starting graduate school. Basically, delay becoming a "real grown-up person" for as long as possible.

More on Why:

- I remember the first moment I found out that people "Go Abroad and Teach English" over 3 years ago. I was in Ashley and Derek's living room in PB and I said, "I am going to do that one day." I fell in love with the idea and its been sitting in the back of my mind ever since. So when I decided I wanted to take a break after Undergrad, this was the perfect thing to do.

- I love the idea of LIVING in other countries and really being able to understand other cultures (to the best of our abilities) . Don't get me wrong, I love America.... but the way people of different countries live their day-to-day lives is just fascinating to me; and you don't always get to appreciate this when just traveling through a country for a few weeks at a time.

- Along with culture comes History. Most of the countries I have visited or attempted to live in, have a sprawling history that goes back centuries and even millenia. It blows my mind that there are still artifacts and relics standing today. Even cooler, is that we can study them to gain a better understanding of how humans were living in those days.

- I want to do something that is challenging. I know this will be hard at times, and already has been in some ways, but I know I will accomplish my goals and gain something from this experience no matter what. As Jimmy Dugan would say "It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everybody would do it. The hard...is what makes it great."

-Back in the states, I want to be a math teacher and I know this will be a great learning experience for me as far as pedagogy and teaching are concerned.

-A HUGE goal of mine is learn Spanish. I would love to someday be able to speak Spanish- or something close to it. Also, it will be extremely useful if I become a secondary school teacher in California!

What?

I am doing a TEFL (Teacher of English as a Foreign Language) Certification course. With this course I will be able to teach English....anywhere in the world... for the rest of my life.... and my Institution will help me do so. It is a 4-week intensive course on how to teach ESL (English as a Second Language) students.

Where?

My course is in Cusco, Peru. However, after the 4 weeks I am not exactly sure where I will get a teaching job. Mostly likely I will look for jobs in either Peru, Argentina, or Costa Rica. (Brasil is out because of Portuguese, even though i would love to go there. Visiting for sure!)

For How Long?

Unknown. There are many variables in this equation. Depending on where I get a job, if i sign a contract, etc, etc. As of now, I have a plane ticket home for April 2012- because that was the farthest in advance I could book a return ticket home (a must for visa purposes).

Another factor- I have been admitted into UCSD's Masters in Education program for Single Subject Credential and Masters for Mathematics. I deffered for one year. Meaning, if I go back by June 2012, I have a seat waiting for me.

Another factor- Depends on how much I love it or hate it :) I have no shame in returning home if I'm unhappy.

Another factor- $$$$- or should i say "Soles" (the Peruvian currency)

Time will tell on this topic.

Quinoa and Quechua!

Yesterday we had Quinoa* for lunch and it was amazing! Gabby made it with tomatoes, onions, and some other traditional spices (i think). If you don't know what Quinoa is, follow the link!

*kinwa in Quechua

Even cooler, today we had a Quechua lesson in my class! Jorge came in and gave us a lesson where he spoke ONLY in the Quechua Language. It was really amazing to hear someone speak to us in such an old and dying language. Even more interesting was the fact that none of us understood ANYthing that he was saying. Absolutely ZERO. And yet, he was still able to get the point across and get us talking and interviewing each other in Quechua. It was completely different from learning Spanish, Italian, or French that have cognates and root words similar to english. However, in just short of an hour we were able to

• conjugate both "to be" verbs
• greet someone
• express how we were feeling
• ask someone in return how they were feeling
• ask someone their name
• tell them our name
• express what country we were from
• express what state we were from

Try reading this OUTLOUD! (Its really hard, but fun) In parenthesis are what I THINK was the translation based on the context he was giving us.

Alillanchu.....? (Hi, How are you?)

- Ari alilianmi. (I am fine)

Imaynan Kashanki? (How are you?)

-Kusikan Kashani, Qanri? (I am happy, and you?)

Noqapas (Me as well)

Iman sutiyki? (What is your name? or Who are you?)

-Sutiymi Taylor, Qanpari? (My name is Taylor or I am Taylor, and yours/you?)

Maymantan kanki? (Where are you from?)

-Noqa Americamantan Kani (I am american)

Ima llaqtamanta? (From what region?)

-California llaqtamanta Kani (I am from the region of California)

This really great experience that I was not expecting!

The digs!

So for the next month or so, I will be staying at a "Family House" which is basically a mixture between a Traditional Home-stay and Hostel. It is called the "La Florida Family House." It is 3 stories with 8 bedrooms of varying sizes. It also has a kitchen, dining room, courtyard, TV room and multiple bathrooms. It is about a 20 minute walk from Maximo Nivel.

The House is mainly run by three Peruvian ladies, Gabby, Ruth, and Priscilla. They cook us 3 delicious meals a day (7am, 12pm, and 7pm)*, clean, and watch over us. There is no curfew as there are in traditional home-stays and we are allowed to drink wherever we want. All of the staff speaks Espanol, so it is good practice for us!

Priscilla preparing dinner

*If you are not going to be home for lunch, you tell them and they make a papersack lunch for you with a sandwich, banana, juicebox, oreos, and candies. AND they write your name on it. Its like 4th grade again!!

I got lucky and ended up with my own room with a full bed. Which as you may know, is better than I've had the last 5 years :) (The full bed part, not the own room part- Miss you Bromo!!!)

Right now there are about 12 or so other young people staying in the house, and its been really fun hanging out so far!!

Overall, this is a great set up and I'm super happy to be here!

I've Arrived!

Woke up at 6:00am on July 22nd to get in the car to drive to LA.

Arrived in Cusco, Peru at 9:45am on July 23rd (only a two hour time difference, so that is technically 7:45am July 23rd)

≈ 24 hours of traveling. I was EXHAUSTED.

Jacob, who is the director of Maximo Nivel, and who also reminds me of Napoleon Dynamite picked me up at the airport and took me on a mini tour of Maximo Nivel. It is an international facility that connects volunteers and teachers to projects and placements in various Latin American countries. It is also the facility that I will be receiving my TEFL certification from- I will write more about that once i know more about it. Anyway, after a quick tour of MN, Napoleon took me to my "Family House" which is an awesome set up that I will be staying at for the next month.

I felt okay, just a little short of breath, but I decided to go get money and buy an adapter for my computer charger. We went to the local "black market" called El Molino. It is a huge maze of store after store selling imported and imitation backpacks, electronics, toys, games, CDs, DVDs, clothing, shoes, jewelry, leather, for INCREDIBLY cheap prices. I got an adapter for 3 soles = 1$ and i bought 2 DVD's for 3 soles each as well.

After returning to the house I took a nap for a few hours. When I went down for dinner, I could barely eat and felt nauseous. I guess I was feeling the effects of altitude sickness since Cusco is around 10,000 feet and most people start to feel a little something at 8,000 ft. Anyway, I had some "Coca Tea" which is tea made from the Coca plant (same plant that cocaine is made from). This is a traditional remedy to help cure Altitude Sickness. I also took a Diamox which is a prescription for it as well. Anyway, I really wanted to go out with my house mates but I went to bed and slept for about 12 hours. Waking feeling even better.

Anyway that was my first 24 hours in Cusco.

My ba-ags are packed...I'm ready to go-o

It's two o'clock in the morning and I can't sleep. More like I don't WANT to sleep. I leave for Peru at 7am. Which means waking up before 6am. Of course, I left everything to the last minute, even making this blog. I am actually re-creating what was my Italy travel blog from 2009, that I of course never kept up. Hopefully I will do better this time. I never really liked the idea of spending time typing away at a computer, when you could be exploring the interesting places you are visiting. However, I realize it is kind of selfish to think that way since some people may be wondering what you are up. Who are they? I'm still not really sure :)

Baggage:

I am taking ONE suit case/duffel bag that I got for my birthday. It is packed with enough clothes to last me an entire year. I hope. We'll see if the clothes I packed are as abundant, versatile, appropriate, and cute as I am imagining. We weighed it earlier and it topped off at 49.5 lbs. I added a few things after that so hopefully it does not exceed the 50 lb weight limit the airlines enforce, or I will be like Ashley stuck trying to stuff 8 lbs of god-knows-what into my carry-on at the checkin counter :)

I am also taking ONE backpack (45 liter, The North Face multi-day pack), right now filled with random junk like paperwork, cameras, makeup, waterbottle, etc. The water bottle, also a gift, removes bad taste with a carbon filter and filters out "bugs" (pathogenic cysts) that cause Giardiasis and other diarrhea-causing infections. And we all know, diarrhea is NOT cool, so lets hope this thing does its job!

And, ONE pink over-the-shoulder-purse that has my phone (soon to be dysfunctional), passport, book, ear plugs, travel notebook/journal (also a gift! :)), and Burty-Bees chap stick.

Jet Plane (s):

I will be taking a series of FOUR airplane rides tomorrow mor-yikes-THIS morning. After driving to LAX, I will depart at 11:45am and travel from

• LA to Dallas/Fort Worth- arrive 4:30pm
• Dallas/Forth Worth to Miami- arrive 9:35pm
• Miami to Lima- arrive 4:20am (yes 420)
• Lima, to Cusco- arrive 7:40am

I realize now that when ever John Denver wrote that song he was not traveling as far as I am tomorrow.

Goodbyes:

Sadly, I had my fair share of goodbyes this week (including two special ones just an hour or two ago, another thing left to the last minute :)). Well, I really dislike goodbyes. They are sad, usually make me cry, and leave a pit in my stomach the size of a watermelon. I like Aunt Margaret's method better: Just say "See you later". That way no one feels like they are dying, getting left behind, or like we are never going to see each other again, because I know that I will see all of you guys "later". Whenever "later" may be.

Happily, I had my fair share of goodbye PARTIES and celebrations and meals this week. Obviously, my favorite was the one on Monday! There I was, thinking I was going to have an intimate dinner with Ashley, when all of sudden as we walked up to the restaurant, 30 people turn around a yell "Surprise!!". Boy, was I shocked! I had NO idea. Despite the numerous signs I could have picked up on, and how weird certain people were acting. Anyway, I am so lucky to have such great friends that care about me so much. Thank you all for coming and saying goodbye, it meant so much to me.

Well its three now and I might as well try to get in two sleep cycles before my hellish day of flying tomorrow.

PS I'm extremely excited for tomorrow! Shoot- TODAY.

PPS I will try to write next about the purpose of my trip- goals, expectations, fears, etc.