A review of Thursday, June 10, 2010

 We visited the U.S. Embassy in Lima and met with five officials from different U.S. departments. We all agreed this was one of the most interesting and prestigious experiences so far. The U.S. Embassy in Lima is the coolest embassy structures I've seen. A walkway like the Great Wall of China leads to a tall multi-colored stone structure with small, square black glass windows!

We visited the U.S. Embassy in Lima and met with five officials from different U.S. departments. We all agreed this was one of the most interesting and prestigious experiences so far. The U.S. Embassy in Lima is one of the coolest embassy structures I've seen. A walkway like the Great Wall of China leads to a tall multi-colored stone structure with small, square black glass windows!

The memories of the taxi drivers blend together after awhile, but I will always remember today’s 63-year-old taxi driver, Ricardo.

The memories of the taxi drivers blend together after awhile, but I will always remember today’s 63-year-old taxi driver, Ricardo.

All the girls went to a Peruvian restaurant with our new friend and PUCP alum, Luis—what a lucky feller.

All the girls went to a Peruvian restaurant with our new friend and PUCP alum, Luis—what a lucky feller.

Then we went to La Calle de Pizzas in Miraflores to get our last dosage of Lima. We danced at a discoteca. There’s only three discotecas on La Calle de Pizzas that play Latina and American music, and we have been to all three.

Then we went to La Calle de Pizzas in Miraflores to get our last dose of Lima. We danced at a discoteca. There’s only three discotecas on La Calle de Pizzas that play Latina and American music, and we have been to all three.

Some taxi drivers try to make our prices higher than Peruvians’ just because we are Americans, but I refuse to allow that kind of discrimination (or any kind of discrimination). I’m the queen of bartering thanks to my world-traveling experiences; therefore, I am skilled at getting taxi rides to be the lowest price possible.

It’s probably because people are so intimidated by me. Ha-Ha. Not really. BUT Dr. Kenney said I look Peruvian. And I’ve had numerous Peruvians ask me which Peruvian city I’m from and others speak Spanish to me thinking I’m fluent. I wish!

We learned about Peru’s international relations in today’s class. We had rice with fried eggs and hamburger patties, chicken tamales, chicha (drink made from purple corn with a hint of lime) and rolls for lunch. I can’t believe we have been in Peru for 12 days!

We visited the U.S. Embassy in Lima and met with five officials from different U.S. departments. We all agreed this was one of the most interesting and prestigious experiences so far. The U.S. Embassy in Lima is the coolest embassy structure I’ve ever seen. A walkway like the Great Wall of China leads to a tall multi-colored stone structure with small, square black glass windows! It’s a shame cameras were not allowed past security—that is why I only took 20 pictures today.

Most of us wished we had more time to speak to the officials because they were so informative. We learned a lot within 1.5 hours. What a great and relevant afternoon activity. This is also definitely a rare opportunity. When would we ever be able to speak to these kinds of professionals again? It’s not easy to have a private meeting with U.S. Embassy and foreign relations officials.

An intern my age, Amanda, told us about her experiences while living in Peru for three years at numerous times. Her parents work for the Embassy. I found out she goes to school with my friend Kelsey in Gonzaga, at a small university in Washington. She shared her views with me, and later found me on Facebook. I love meeting new people, connecting with them and continuing relationships.

Our host family made my favorite dish, lomo saltado (rice with beef strips sautéed with onions, tomatoes and potatoes). This is my third time to have this dish in the 12 days I’ve been here, but this time was the best because it had the most flavor AND the host mom added bean sprouts and soy sauce! We also had a Peruvian-style egg drop soup, charo. I’m so sad we only have one more day with our host family!

It’s interesting and fun getting to know the Peruvian taxi drivers. Getting in cars with strangers can be scary, but it’s more reassuring when we talk to them. The age of our taxi drivers have ranged from 28 to 63.

The memories of the taxi drivers blend together after awhile, but I will always remember today’s 63-year-old taxi driver, Ricardo. He drove us from our host home to San Miguel Plaza, an outdoor mall. His personality and hospitality brought me joy in that short amount of time we were together for the taxi ride.

He made an impression on me because of what he stands for. Ricardo, along with many other senior citizens of Peru and around the world, do not have the opportunity to enjoy their later years. He does not have the opportunity to go on cruises with his wife or play with his grandchildren. Why? Because he does not have retirement savings or pension benefits like many Americans do.

No matter how hard Ricardo works, he does not make enough money to save; therefore, he cannot afford to take a day off of work. I am impressed with his ability to drive in this unorganized and unregulated traffic. I’m more impressed with his optimism and ability to support his wife and three children. Not only did Ricardo understand my Spanish clearly, he was willing to put the taxi in park to take a picture with us. Thanks, Abuelo (Spanish term for grandpa, which he gave me permission to call him).

All the girls later went to a Peruvian restaurant with our new friend and PUCP alum, Luis—what a lucky feller. Luis has been Dr. Kenney’s assistant for the past 12 days we have been in Lima. He is an anthropologist. He also works for Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru international services department, which is why he helps Dr. Kenney. It was our last time to see him, but only God knows what the future holds.

Then we went to La Calle de Pizzas in Miraflores to get our last night life dosage of Lima. We danced at a discoteca. There’s only three discotecas on La Calle de Pizzas that play Latina and American music, and we have been to all three. We got silly on the dance floor––I think the Peruvians think that’s how we normally dance. Well, they’re correct!

Based on our observations, Peruvians do not go out on Thursday nights (at least where we go) like people go out in the United States. Plus, Peruvians go out at a much later time. We usually go out around 10 p.m., but we do not see many Peruvians until around midnight, when we are headed home. The discotecas, or clubs, are also much smaller. We practically had the entire discoteca to ourselves tonight because we were there earlier than the time Peruvians go out. We still took up the dance floor with our group. These gals are so much fun!

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