Storytime with Sarah.

My posts are getting more lengthy because I have accumulated so many interesting things (to me at least), to mention. Some topics will be short, others quite involved. First, I am frustrated that I don't have internet in the current apartment. So, when I do get the opportunity to be online for more than 40 minutes, it is a big deal. I have so much to catch up on, and I've been pretty busy. I'll move into the new apartment in Yanahuara around the end of this month or the beginning of December. 

First of all, I LOVE this city. I don't know it well yet, but I just know I love it already. The people I've met so far are nice, and I do feel semi-safe. :) I love the atmosphere-it is "small town" but in a city. There are a few things that are annoying: Construction here seems never-ending; there are "traffic cops" that blow their whistles for no reason at all; people here think I'm an alien or something because I look very different. Perhaps the worst thing about AQP so far is our current apartment. The location is great, but it is just too loud. For example, yesterday and today we have received wake up calls at 5 am. What kind of wake up calls, you ask? About 5 sledgehammers knocking down walls in our building, right above us. Needless to say, I've had about 9 hours of sleep over the past two days. Steve tried to help us out by coming over and talking to them, but we can't do anything about it. I cannot wait to move out of downtown, as cool as it is, to somewhere I can call home. 

Over the past few days, we've been shopping for apartment stuff and going to English/Bible studies that Nicole teaches, which I will eventually take over. I have enjoyed going and seeing what I will be doing. Arequipenos are nice, and so much easier to understand than Limenos. Nicole, Steve and I have been hanging out: we have made dinner, watched movies, fixed things in the current apartment, etc. They found this place that has puppies and cats for sale, and they want me to get one. We'll see....maybe in the future, if only to see if I can keep it alive, thus being able to care for children. :) 

We went to the market yesterday, where I met Gregoria, my new fruit lady. She was so sweet and kept saying how cute and nice I am, so that made me feel good. The market was fun, but I need to learn how to barter. Someone sold me a melon for way too much. If it weren't for other tourists here, mainly fair-skinned Europeans, I'd be the only blonde-haired-blue-eyed gringa in Arequipa. 

I'm currently sitting in Cusco Cafe, which has free internet. I love it here, but am excited to explore the city and find other cute spots. I need to also be a tourist for a day and take some pictures and explore. Yesterday, Nicole and I came over to the cafe (where I always get Cafe con leche) to check out current events, given that the election had just happened. I wasn't surprised to hear that Obama had won, but instead of getting tons of info from CNN or Fox, I got much of my information from facebook; it was so hysterical reading people's statuses on facebook. I was so entertained by all of you in the States, so thank you. You're passion, zeal, and humor told me very much about the state of our country. On a side note, praise God that He is still in control, not any one person. 

Other fun things: 

-I hear more American music here than anything. Sad day. Yesterday Fergie's "Clumsy" came on, and I also heard "Sarah" in Saga while we were shopping.

-Oh, shopping. It's an experience in Peru. Plaza Vea is fun: It is Walmart, basically. Siglo Veinte is a cheaper version, but kinda sketchy. It's huge and has everything. The Mercado is also huge and has tons of great food. There are cute tiendas here with cool stuff, as well as "normal" shops: Topitop, Estilos, and Saga. Saga is somewhere in between Sears and Dillards, and it has tons of stuff. When you buy at Saga, you pay for everything separately, which is an adventure; you pay for the TV in electronics, cookware in the Kitchen section, blenders and coffee pots in another section, etc. It is very involved. 

-The airport likes to cancel flights, I've decided. Our plane was canceled from Lima to AQP, then Kathy and Pam's flight was canceled from AQP back to Lima. We made it, miraculously. Needless to say, I won't be surprised if I show up in the future and my flight was canceled. 

-Right before I left Lima, I watched the GA/FL game at an American bar...it was awful, I was with all Florida fans, who I really think are the most obnoxious people on earth. While we were at the bar, there was an earthquake. Don't worry, Mom, I'm fine. I never heard where the epicenter was, but it was a nice shake. 

-My taxi driver the other day started asking me if I was married. He thought I was married to Anibal, and I quickly put that to rest. Then, he kept insisting I was married, so finally I just agreed with him. Big mistake. This led into a convo about family planning, "planificacion familial," I think. He basically was asking me why my fake husband and I don't have kids yet, and he wanted to know the best way to prevent that from happening, and how I, specifically, did that. I'm not kidding. It was weird at first, and I kept trying to change the subject, but he wanted to talk about it, so I just started making up answers. I would have been more concerned, but he was just an old Quechua man with 5 kids. Who knows, maybe he was just curious for his own sake. 

On that sketchy story note, I think that's all for now. There is finally some Spanish music playing in the cafe, and I'm happy. :) I'll be touch.