Swimming pools and movie stars

So it turns out that I live only a couple of blocks from the travel agency where Zac Efron works. Who knew?















What do you think? Attempt at subliminal advertising? Blatant face-dropping? Should I call Zac's publicist?

And hey kiddos, in case you don't read the comments below, Sensible Footwear just pointed out to me that we also have a Pussy Cat Doll on the left there. I think I didn't recognize her at first because of all those clothing she has on.

I've found the source of the Converse

As the first in my series of things-I-have-to-do-before-I-leave for the summer, I took a solo trip to Polvos Azules today, Lima's black market. Let me ask you, what do you think of when I say that, black market? Dirty corners, backs of vans, dodgy men in overcoats? Me too. I mean, I'm pretty sure "black" implies "illegal," right?

But unexpectedly, Polvos Azules is the closest thing that I've seen here to a mall. It was a big multi-level concrete complex with the name printed in large right out there on one of the busiest street fronts in Lima. In fact, it even had escalators, which I think probably worked at one point. It was filled with little stores who apparently each choose one type of item and sell the heck out of it. There were separate stores lined with shoes or clothes or cds or luggage. They obviously rejected the department store model of mall. But they sell brand new brand name stuff, as far as I can tell. Only just... illegally, somehow.

Are you wondering right now, why don't the police come in and shut that operation down? Me too. I don't really have an answer for that.

My own trip was mostly to just check it out, but I also bought a ton of movies. Old favorites (like Grease), new favorites (like He's Just Not That into You), things I just want to see (like the Pianist), and Christmas movies for my family (like A Christmas Carol). And after a couple hours of testing them, I can proudly say that they almost all are in English.

And then of course I had to watch one, which ended up being Valentine's Day. Pretty good. Best part was Julia Roberts outtake in a limo at the end when someone asks her if she's ever shopped Rodeo Drive before and she says, "I did once actually. A big mistake. Big. HUGE."

I don't know if anyone gets my references, but they make me smile.

I got them to sign forms so I could put them in this blog, of course.

Peliculas=Movies...But I'm sure you already knew.

Have you eve seen so many different kinds of Converse? I HAVE! Every day. Everywhere.

Happy Monday, my lovely readers!!

Lazy cockroaches and the girls who photograph them

Scene: A woman gets up in the middle of the night, shuffles in bleary-eyed to the kitchen and fumbles for the light switch. Flip. SQUEEEEEELL! A dozen little leggy roaches go scattering and scuttling in every direction as the lady chases them vainly with her slipper or, in some versions, hops up on a chair and wails for assistance.

Isn't that how it's supposed to go?

But it was quite a different thing tonight as I was sitting up on our roof terrace, for the first time since spring really set in, and several little cockroaches came wandering idly up to my little blanket. They came one at a time, posed very nicely for some pictures, and then trotted away without a single scuttle when I shooed them. Very odd little bugs.

But then, I guess they were expecting different from me too.

Calling all procrastinators

This is my last break before I crack down on the books. Hey, it is! It totally is. The last. The very last.

Do you want a little window into how focused this student of a prestigious Peruvian University has been during her finals week?

Thought process:

7:00 Home sweet home. Traffic was horrible. Micro smelled worse than usual. I'll take 10 minutes to relax before homework. But then I really need to get things done.

9:00 Wow...it's getting late! Two hours doing....well, I can't remember anymore. Time to work. A quick check of the facebook, then time to work.

10:00 Oh my gosh, random-person-on-facebook-who's-also-in-my-class is right! That whole essay is due tomorrow. I haven't even started! Gonna be up late tonight....might as well watch this new youtube video quick...really quick...2 minutes.

11:00 Ugh...ok...must start. I hate writing these essays! Must start. Should I watch a movie online while I work? Bad idea. Inefficient. I wonder if there's any new ones?

2:00 Movie over, and I can't do this anymore! Oh hey, I have like 3 hours right before class tomorrow. Sleepy time.

Maybe you can relate? But seriously peeps. Study abroad procrastination takes it to a whole new level.

Prestigious university.*

Unfocused student.*

*In case the above explanation was just too many words.

You should ask me later if I worked diligently today. Really you should. There's nothing like accountability. And then my answer will probably be something like, "Well kiddos, the thing about that was..."

It's in the little things

Only just over a week now before I'll be hopping on a plane and heading out of Lima. And being me, that means I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, trying to evaluate how it's going to feel to be back in the good ol' U.S. of A. after 4 and a half months. Not that that's really such a long while. People live overseas for years, all their lives, and I got nothing on them. But still, Lima long ago stopped being a vacation and started being, well, my life. And I'm gonna miss it.

And while some of the biggest things I'm going to miss are the beautiful friends I've made here (see the lovely ladies above) my life has always revolved around a repetition of the small and seemingly trivial. The things which I have time to enjoy and savor and love on my own. That might be why of all the things I remember at Machu Picchu, I can recall with special clarity the little place in which I sat by myself for a good half an hour to eat a mandarin and look out over the city. The prickly grass, the dilemma over where to put my seeds, the group of three men who asked me to take their picture.

And so for me, I think some of the things I'm gonna miss the most are the tiny things that make up my everyday. Let me give you a sampling:

The two note song of the pigeons outside my windows. The first time I heard it I had to ask my host sister (conveniently named "Paloma") if someone was playing an instrument outside, and she laughed.

The micro drivers joking and competing among themselves. It's like a little road community with protocols and ruffians and pals and spats. I love watching it.

Stopping traffic by holding up my hand when the policewoman has already motioned cars to stop but they continue to roll up and you're thinking "Are they...?" but you're in a hurry so you walk into the street anyway and give them the I-ain't-stopping-so-you-better hand while looking all blase like. Love it.

The paper bag my bread comes in which makes me feel all old-worldy despite how people in actual old-worldy times may or may not have carried their bread.

The happy bliiiing sound washing machine makes a when I turn it on and turn it to the setting I want. It makes me feel like I'm giving attention to a small child. A small child which I've neglected for 3 weeks.

Seeing someone from la Catolica with their carnet, our student id card, around the city and feeling just a little connection with them. And then feeling a thrill realizing that I can feel connected with Peruvians who I don't know on the micro.


They might not be anything ground-breaking or even life-changing, but they're my life right now. And I hope I'm gonna miss them.

A scary story: You're Not Alone

Relive with me a rather frightening journey I took the other night...

Ah, crap. Shouldn't have had that third glass of water. Off to the water closet with you then. That's a good name, we should use that more I think. Water closet...water closet...do they use that in Europe?

I think it's down this way.

Ooo, isn't that nice? I wonder why they put it here? Silly string art doesn't the match decor, possibly.

Kinda dungeon-looking down here. Maybe there's some secret passage or something.

Wow..bathroom is high class...i hope that means there's soap....and paper towels and toilet seats and....

YEEPS! Ooookay...didn't see that coming. Are those a woman's hands? With SLITS in them? Creeeeepy.

WOAH! Okay, you're in here too. Ahem..hi there...I'm just gonna...could you maybe just cover your..?...but I guess the hands over eyes wasn't working for you before.

I feel the need to do minimal undressing in here. The dress was a good move.

The art of an intercultural art class

Today was the last day I actually had to go to the university for a class! Yeah, I'm still gonna call it a class, even though my pumpkin whoopie pies only took up a small corner of the food table. Yup, food table. I think the janitors really appreciated our class today.

I have mixed feelings about the end of most of those classes. I've learned quite a bit in them, after all. (You have mixed feelings Dani? Never.) But honestly, there was one class that I could not wait to get my butt out of. And it wasn't one of the ones for which I did tons of research or burned the midnight oil....

It was art. And an entry level art class at that.

But before you judge me an uncultured art-hater, let me explain. It wasn't the creation of the art specifically that I disliked. It was professor. And I feel horrible saying it, because I think she's probably quite a nice lady.

But interacting well with people who don't speak your language easily, or don't always understand you the first time, is difficult. I've only met a few people who really excel at it, and I've met a whole lot who really suck at it.

This professor's solution to the problem was to speak to me and, worse, treat me like I was five. I think she was trying to be helpful. She really just had me on the verge of tears more times than I care to admit. In a class where we made collages, for goodness sake! Not my finest moments.

But anyway, the bad interactions at least teach me how not to speak to my own English students, I hope.

Well, onward and upward.


It says that because my class was on Tuesday. But wouldn't "martes" be a cool last name?

The little photo shoot we did on the last day. Two minute photography unit?