I had another energy session with Niki yesterday. This time, I was in a much better place to receive the work and receive it I did. We started touching on things that are much deeper and I'm aware need purging, but this is going to be a long process and my body and mind are not fully connected yet to do this.
I did become aware of something that needs to be addressed -- probably one of the major issues I need to face here: my dependency on others. It's not a financial thing, it's an emotional thing. I haven't been alone in a long time and the need to be surrounded by others is strong. I seem to have lost my independence and it sucks. I feel so needy at times I don't know where to turn. Sooooo...it's time to start working on this.
Since it was a full moon, Niki suggested that we do a lunar ceremony to honor it and each other. Me, Gab, Niki and a couple of other amazing women (and Alvaro, Niki's boyfriend) gathered in our courtyard last night under the full moon, burned Palo Santo and rosemary and purged some of what was holding us back by writing it down and burning the papers in the fires we lit (you can probably guess what was on mine). The process felt good, but it's only the beginning. Now I have to start the real work.
I cooked us a meal of potatoes, rice and eggs (just like a real Peruvian -- 2 carbs in one meal) and we sat in a circle in my room (it was too cold to stay outside), ate, drank cocoa and talked about my oils. I passed most of them around the room for everyone to smell and they had quite an effect. Just opening the bottles releases energies and scents that affect even the biggest of non-believers (but in a group like this, there really aren't any of those). It was a magical night and I felt the support of the group around me, even though I know I need to find this support from within me now.
On a lighter note, Susie, one of my best friends, just bought her ticket to come down in a couple of weeks! I'm so excited!! Soooo, if any of you have a treat or two you know I'd loooove, feel free to email me for her info and she'll bring it (ahem, almond butter and Welch's fruit snacks....)
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Machu Picchu or Bust
Yesterday morning Jeff and I woke at the crack of dawn (he slept on my floor) and made our way to school to meet our driver who was taking us to the bus station to take the train that goes to Machu Picchu. Thankfully the coffee at school was already brewing and we hopped into our little taxi well caffeinated and super excited.
Unfortunately for Jose, our taxi driver, he looked at our tickets after pulling into the bus station (a small parking lot with three buses) and realized that he actually had to drive us to Ollantaytambo, the main train station that goes directly to Aguas Calientes, the town beneath Machu Picchu. You used to be ableto take the train directly from Cusco, but can't for some reason anymore. Ollantaytambo is about 2 hours from Cusco. He wasn't pleased, so we shared some of our breakfast with him (pan, queso and leftover chicken from last night's dinner) and that brightened his mood.
We got to Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley with about 1/2 hour to spare, found more coffee, stocked up on cookies (and a hat for me) and got on the train. We were ticketed for the backpacker train going up (the cheaper one) and the Vistadome slightly more expensive) going back. After riding the backpacker train I really didn't see a need to pay more for the other one -- the seats were very comfortable and roomy. We also befriended an older couple across the way who, believe it or not, live about 1 mile from me back in DC. Por supuesto.
We had the whole day to kill in Aguas Calientes, the tourist town below Machu Picchu. It's atually a nice little place -- sure, the souvenirs are overpriced and most of the food is pretty crappy, but Jeff and I found a decent spot for dinner after a disgusting lunch of "quesadillas" and Coke Zero. We also found the only bakery and mercado in town and picked up some bread, cheese, tomatoes and fruit for the next day. We were set!
The day moved slowly and we embraced it. Just like Cusco, offers of massage abound and after some searching (and my grilling of the proprietors), we settled on the place across from our hotel and got massages ($18 each). And, believe it or not, mine was pretty good. I had to tell my therapist to slow down 3 times (which, after talking to Jeff, I realized I was actually telling him "bastante," or "enough"), but when he finally understood my "no rapido" request it was quite enjoyable. I even went back to our room and took a nap before dinner.
Our guide, Alberto (Beto) met us promptly at 7:30 pm to discuss plans for the next day. We were to meet in the lobby at 7 to make our way to the buses that take us up to MP. I was less than chipper the next day, as I'm fighting a yucky cold and Jeff snores like a locomotive.
I tried to nap on the bus up to MP, but the stunning views prevented me from dozing off completely. The buses hug some pretty narrow cliffs as they climb to the top, and you kind of want to hold your breath every time one bus has to pass another.
25 minutes later, we arrived at the top. The Sanctuary Lodge and it's very expensive snack bar greets you as you get off the bus, but we bypassed all that and made our way through the main gate and right into Machu Picchu. It's just like all the pictures and is pretty fucking spectacular. We spent abou 3 hours there with our guide and walked through most of the site. The sun was hot and the tourists in full, obnoxious gear. It's high season here so I shouldn't have been surprised, but after our quietly magical (and painfully brutal) trek to Choquequirao in February, seeing a place so spiritual overrun with tourists lost a little of the "otherness" for me. I'm so glad I went to Choquequirao first instead of MP.
Our Vistadome train ride back to Ollantaytambo was actually really nice. They fed us a yummy snack of fruit and little empanadas and the views were spectacular. The Andes are something else -- you feel so tiny here.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Living in San Blas
Oh yeah. Life is good. I moved into my new room in San Blas on Sunday night and absolutely love it. The space is friggin cold, but I have a new heater waiting for me and I've already started making the space my own. I put down woven mats like carpeting, made my bed into a sofa and will have my massage table in a week or so. People are already starting to ask for business cards (I ordered them this morning) and I've got to start thinking about prices. I can't bring myself to charge as little as the bad massages offered in the main square (about 20-25 soles/hour -- which is about $7-8), but I know that I have to be reasonable. I also know that my work is worth more than $10/hour.
Gabriela and I did a little shopping at Mercado San Pedro, an enormous market that sells every type of food you could possibly imagine. While I'm not about to buy the pig's head that stares at me every time I pass it, I can definitely drop a pretty penny on dried fruits, grains, popcorn, cheese, etc. I bought some gorgeous strawberries, bananas and oatmeal and Gab got some eggs, more dried fruit (I have plenty) and a few other goodies. We're ready to feast!
Some of our purchases (those fresas -- strawberries -- were amazing)
Our favorite snack EVER: Platanitos (baby bananas) with natural peanut butter and chocolate spread.
Tuesday was our last day of class -- just a half day -- and then we all went out for lunch to celebrate. Since Gab and I don't eat full meals, we shared an alpaca salad. Alpaca is pretty damn good. Tastes like meat.
Group photo
Our "Felicitaciones!" cake
I was exhausted when we got back to the house. I'm fighting a cold (after 4 weeks of sitting in a classroom with a bunch of sick classmates I finally caught whatever was going around). It's a little sinus, a little chest and a lot annoying. I knew I needed sleep, so I climbed up to the second floor of our house, crawled into the hammock and put on some meditation music. The views from the second floor are amazing, as San Blas (my neighborhood) is up on a hill over the main square. The nap was fantastic and it energized me for the rest of the evening.
My view from the hammock
Jeff crashed on my floor that night because we were leaving for Machu Picchu early the next day. Humberto and Gabriela also hung out with us for a while. Gab met a drummer that day who is going to teach her how to really drum. She's ecstatic and recounted the whole afternoon to us. We played some Reggae and laughed and talked. I love chill evenings like that.
Tomorrow: Machu Picchu!!
Monday, July 19, 2010
I can see the light!
Our practical teaching ended on Friday and damn, I’m glad that’s over. I enjoyed teaching 3 out of the 5 days, but the other two days I just couldn’t get it to work. My teaching methods just aren’t refined enough to teach 4 DAYS OF GRAMMAR IN A ROW. So, on the last day I decided to scrap the curriculum and created a new lesson on listening (we’re allowed to do that once in a while). I pulled the Barenaked Ladies song “If I had a million dollars” and we practiced listening and filling in the blanks over and over again. Then we got into a discussion about what you can and can't buy with a million dollars -- it was great(and I got a good review, too!).
I met up with some of my classmates afterwards and we decided to "house hop." Basically, that meant we bought a ton of booze, headed to Jeff's apartment and went to town. Since I don't drink, my perception of the evening was probably much different than then rest of the gang's. All in all, it was a lot of fun (Alex showed us how to open beer bottles with his teeth, Sierra got a little "closer" with a new friend, Kelly spent a lot of time praying to the porcelain god, etc), but it's about time for the craziness (that was never a part of my life back home) to come to an end for me.
The Friday night gang
Alex, Kelly and Greg
Alex teaching Kelly how to open a bottle with her teeth
Kelly unsuccessfully attempting not to chip her teeth while opening the bottle
Scott appreciating Becca's butt
After Jeff kicked us out, some of us went back to my apartment (because they were too drunk to make it home). I got to bed around 3:30 after putting Kelly in a taxi, Alex to bed on my couch and well, Scott was um, somewhere else. I got up at 7 to meet Nikki at my new place to go furniture shopping at the used furniture market about a 20-minute walk away and supposedly the most dangerous place for a gringo/a. No one wants to kill you -- just mug you -- and they have some pretty lame ways of doing it. I'm not saying that I won't get mugged here, but you have to be on your game to get something past me.
The market was awesome and we got a lot of stuff for very little $$. It's basically thousands of vendors spread out on the streets of this one neighborhood. You can find anything there -- souvenirs, kitchen items, clothes, shoes, cell phones (probably stolen) and it's extremely crowded. Some guy did try to mug me. He walked up to me with a newspaper and put it in front of me and tried to get into my bag. Puhlease. I grabbed his wrist and pushed him backwards. He yelled at me in Spanish and I yelled back in English (I'm sure the F-word was used on both sides). As he briskly walked away, the other vendors yelled "Criminal!!" and various other things -- they were pretty concerned with my well being, which was nice. I was fine.
The afternoon passed with a loooong overdue nap and then we headed out to the TEFL "graduation" party. It's essentially my school's reason to have a party every month. All of the volunteers and foreigners taking Spanish classes are also invited, but the Peruvian students aren't because the building would be overrun. It's unfortunate because they're more fun than the volunteers -- they'll actually dance. A few of them came (they had to be invited by one of us) and they were a blast to hang out with.
Sunday was moving day! I went to San Pedro with a friend for juice and then cafe con leche and pan y queso (bread and cheese) for breakfast. We then went on the hunt for curtains (which I couldn't find) and then a break in one of the many parks around the main square. It was such a beautiful day: the sun was out and there was a slight breeze. Unfortunately, you're not allowed to lay on the grass in these parks -- only sit on the benches. Totally not a comfortable place for a nap. I headed back home for a nap and then dragged my butt out of bed, packed the rest of my stuff and made my way to my new home in San Blas. So happy.
I met up with some of my classmates afterwards and we decided to "house hop." Basically, that meant we bought a ton of booze, headed to Jeff's apartment and went to town. Since I don't drink, my perception of the evening was probably much different than then rest of the gang's. All in all, it was a lot of fun (Alex showed us how to open beer bottles with his teeth, Sierra got a little "closer" with a new friend, Kelly spent a lot of time praying to the porcelain god, etc), but it's about time for the craziness (that was never a part of my life back home) to come to an end for me.
The Friday night gang
Alex, Kelly and Greg
Alex teaching Kelly how to open a bottle with her teeth
Kelly unsuccessfully attempting not to chip her teeth while opening the bottle
Scott appreciating Becca's butt
After Jeff kicked us out, some of us went back to my apartment (because they were too drunk to make it home). I got to bed around 3:30 after putting Kelly in a taxi, Alex to bed on my couch and well, Scott was um, somewhere else. I got up at 7 to meet Nikki at my new place to go furniture shopping at the used furniture market about a 20-minute walk away and supposedly the most dangerous place for a gringo/a. No one wants to kill you -- just mug you -- and they have some pretty lame ways of doing it. I'm not saying that I won't get mugged here, but you have to be on your game to get something past me.
The market was awesome and we got a lot of stuff for very little $$. It's basically thousands of vendors spread out on the streets of this one neighborhood. You can find anything there -- souvenirs, kitchen items, clothes, shoes, cell phones (probably stolen) and it's extremely crowded. Some guy did try to mug me. He walked up to me with a newspaper and put it in front of me and tried to get into my bag. Puhlease. I grabbed his wrist and pushed him backwards. He yelled at me in Spanish and I yelled back in English (I'm sure the F-word was used on both sides). As he briskly walked away, the other vendors yelled "Criminal!!" and various other things -- they were pretty concerned with my well being, which was nice. I was fine.
The afternoon passed with a loooong overdue nap and then we headed out to the TEFL "graduation" party. It's essentially my school's reason to have a party every month. All of the volunteers and foreigners taking Spanish classes are also invited, but the Peruvian students aren't because the building would be overrun. It's unfortunate because they're more fun than the volunteers -- they'll actually dance. A few of them came (they had to be invited by one of us) and they were a blast to hang out with.
Sunday was moving day! I went to San Pedro with a friend for juice and then cafe con leche and pan y queso (bread and cheese) for breakfast. We then went on the hunt for curtains (which I couldn't find) and then a break in one of the many parks around the main square. It was such a beautiful day: the sun was out and there was a slight breeze. Unfortunately, you're not allowed to lay on the grass in these parks -- only sit on the benches. Totally not a comfortable place for a nap. I headed back home for a nap and then dragged my butt out of bed, packed the rest of my stuff and made my way to my new home in San Blas. So happy.
Friday, July 16, 2010
My Last Friggin' Lesson!!
Every morning, I receive a "note from the Universe" in my email and today's stood out more than usual:
So what if you don't have it yet, Marissa?
It's coming. You're gonna get it. You're gonna love it. And then you're gonna forget there was ever a time when you didn't have it.
How true. I thought I had it for a while, but I only had part of it. I'm still searching for the rest of it. And I think I know what I have to do to find it (or at least some of it).
Yes, I'm being vague, but I think it's because these journeys are just so personal. And maybe the vaguer I am the more it can resonate with others on their own journeys.
But enough of the deep stuff for now. The good news is that today is my last day of student teaching and the celebrations begin tonight! There's a big party at school tomorrow (open bar, lots of food, dancing, etc) that eventually leads to club/bar hopping. Not usually my scene as you know, but I'll embrace it this weekend.
So, my lesson plan for today is all about listening. I've been stuck doing grammar all friggin week and I'm burned out. I completely understand grammar but I have no idea how to explain it. So today I'm whipping out my iPhone, a borrowed set of speakers and the Barenaked Ladies. We're going to listen to "If I had a million dollars" (or at least the first stanza), count the number of times the title comes up, then listen again and fill in the blanks. Finally, they're going to tell me what they'd do with a million dollars and, if there's time, we'll discuss whether or not you can buy love. Done. Give me my certificate.
Ok, well, I can't get my certificate until I turn in all of the paperwork, which I'm still working on. Hopefully most of that will get done this weekend, but since I'm in no rush to actually have the physical certificate, I might take a week or two to complete the work. It's a lot of work.
I think we ventured into the dumpiest place yet for lunch today. The front room was full, so the guy led us to the back room, which seemed to be used mostly for storage (and gringos he wants to hide from his regulars). The food was pretty good (a little salty, as usual) and he even turned on the TV for us (we shamelessly had him stop at the E! channel). Total cost (with soup, entrée, and a Coke): 4.5 soles (about 2 dollars). Sweet.
Alex, Kelly, Julia and Selena at our high-class lunch
We were hidden away in the back room with the storage.
Kelly making faces and the fabulous TV (before he turned it on)
I also move on Sunday. I'm going furniture shopping tomorrow morning at a used furniture market. I'll take pictures and post what I get.
So what if you don't have it yet, Marissa?
It's coming. You're gonna get it. You're gonna love it. And then you're gonna forget there was ever a time when you didn't have it.
How true. I thought I had it for a while, but I only had part of it. I'm still searching for the rest of it. And I think I know what I have to do to find it (or at least some of it).
Yes, I'm being vague, but I think it's because these journeys are just so personal. And maybe the vaguer I am the more it can resonate with others on their own journeys.
But enough of the deep stuff for now. The good news is that today is my last day of student teaching and the celebrations begin tonight! There's a big party at school tomorrow (open bar, lots of food, dancing, etc) that eventually leads to club/bar hopping. Not usually my scene as you know, but I'll embrace it this weekend.
So, my lesson plan for today is all about listening. I've been stuck doing grammar all friggin week and I'm burned out. I completely understand grammar but I have no idea how to explain it. So today I'm whipping out my iPhone, a borrowed set of speakers and the Barenaked Ladies. We're going to listen to "If I had a million dollars" (or at least the first stanza), count the number of times the title comes up, then listen again and fill in the blanks. Finally, they're going to tell me what they'd do with a million dollars and, if there's time, we'll discuss whether or not you can buy love. Done. Give me my certificate.
Ok, well, I can't get my certificate until I turn in all of the paperwork, which I'm still working on. Hopefully most of that will get done this weekend, but since I'm in no rush to actually have the physical certificate, I might take a week or two to complete the work. It's a lot of work.
I think we ventured into the dumpiest place yet for lunch today. The front room was full, so the guy led us to the back room, which seemed to be used mostly for storage (and gringos he wants to hide from his regulars). The food was pretty good (a little salty, as usual) and he even turned on the TV for us (we shamelessly had him stop at the E! channel). Total cost (with soup, entrée, and a Coke): 4.5 soles (about 2 dollars). Sweet.
Alex, Kelly, Julia and Selena at our high-class lunch
We were hidden away in the back room with the storage.
Kelly making faces and the fabulous TV (before he turned it on)
I also move on Sunday. I'm going furniture shopping tomorrow morning at a used furniture market. I'll take pictures and post what I get.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
As the week unfolds....
It's been a busy few days. Emotional roller coasters galore, good (and bad) times had, and work, work, work.
Alfredo got back into town last week for about 9 days and we hung out for the first time in 4 months. It was a lot of fun and we went to his friend's bar, Inkaria, for most of the evening. I know Lucho, the owner, and it was just like old times (old, as in 4-months-ago-old).
We planned to get together again on Sunday and he never showed up. He also didn't answer his phone all weekend. When he finally texted me on Monday, he apologized with some lame excuse. So disappointing. He's all of a sudden become MIA and that hurt a little. Maybe he's got some shit to work out (he's pretty dramatic), but I'm not really interested in having a friendship with someone if I'm doing all of the work. And I can't stand unreliability. We'll see what happens.
I went out for pizza with Julio Cesar, the tutor at my school, on Friday night. He had lived in Queens for a few years and so I trusted that his standards in pizza were higher than most Peruvians. We walked up to San Blas (or the neighborhood next to it, I'm not sure) and into this little pizza joint (there were a few next to each other and he directed me to this one). There was a clay oven in the middle of the main room and it smelled sooooooo good. We ordered a veggie pizza and, after about AN HOUR it showed up nice and crispy and yummy. Still no comparison to NYC pizza (or New Haven pizza, which is even better), but it definitely wasn't some shitty Bisquick crusted, sauceless pie.
The funniest part of the meal was the condiments they brought to the table. We got a small bowl of salt, some spicy sauce, a small container of dried oregano, a spicy red powder, and the last -- wait for it -- mayonnaise. I really want to understand the Peruvians love for mayonnaise. I've heard that the obsession is just here in Cusco, but still. Cusquenians: Mayonnaise does not belong on your pasta or your pizza. You might want to give tomato sauce a try (it's sorely missing down here).
Pizza!
Funky condiments!
Saturday was an attempted work day, but kind of unsuccessful. I tried to pull together lesson plans for the upcoming week, as I would be student teaching one class for the entire week. My level is Pre-Intermediate 1, which means that the students aren't novices, but they're also not advanced. Kind of right in the middle. No matter -- I still didn't get much done. I was waaaaay too tired. I called it a day around 3 and went home for a nap. We were all going out later that night, and I certainly wasn't going to function without more sleep.
Becca and I met up with some friends (including Sabrina, our teacher!) and went out for some dinner and dancing. I haven't gone club hopping in ages and it was kind of fun. Definitely not the way I plan to spend most of my Saturday nights, but still fun. I crashed around 2 and woke up in time to get over to Niki's (my new house -- soon) for yoga by 11 am.
Yoga in the courtyard of my new house is amazing. Yoga in Peru is mind blowing. I swear I can do so many more poses here than I ever could at home (including inversions -- yes, I can stand on my head!) and I can actually feel the spiritual connection here. I was close to tears a few times. And to think that this will be happening outside of my room every Sunday...holy crap!
The past few days have been full immersion here in school. I teach at 8 pm and every day after class ends at 1 (and we go for a nice, cheap lunch), I'm back at school preparing my lesson for that evening. I go home for a couple of hours to nap, change clothes (we have to dress professionally when we teach) and mentally prepare. The first night was terrifying. I had crazy nerves leading up to showtime, but as soon as I got in front of the class it was awesome. We all had a blast and some of my students even hung out with me in our school's cafe afterwards. The second night was fun, too, and hopefully tonight will go just as smoothly.
A quick update on Becca: She technically got hired to start in August, but the school fired a teacher last week and asked her to step in. She's now teaching 7 classes a day and, while she's enjoying it, I hope she doesn't burn out. She still has to finish our TEFL program to make it official, but she's working like a full-time teacher right now.
Alfredo got back into town last week for about 9 days and we hung out for the first time in 4 months. It was a lot of fun and we went to his friend's bar, Inkaria, for most of the evening. I know Lucho, the owner, and it was just like old times (old, as in 4-months-ago-old).
We planned to get together again on Sunday and he never showed up. He also didn't answer his phone all weekend. When he finally texted me on Monday, he apologized with some lame excuse. So disappointing. He's all of a sudden become MIA and that hurt a little. Maybe he's got some shit to work out (he's pretty dramatic), but I'm not really interested in having a friendship with someone if I'm doing all of the work. And I can't stand unreliability. We'll see what happens.
I went out for pizza with Julio Cesar, the tutor at my school, on Friday night. He had lived in Queens for a few years and so I trusted that his standards in pizza were higher than most Peruvians. We walked up to San Blas (or the neighborhood next to it, I'm not sure) and into this little pizza joint (there were a few next to each other and he directed me to this one). There was a clay oven in the middle of the main room and it smelled sooooooo good. We ordered a veggie pizza and, after about AN HOUR it showed up nice and crispy and yummy. Still no comparison to NYC pizza (or New Haven pizza, which is even better), but it definitely wasn't some shitty Bisquick crusted, sauceless pie.
The funniest part of the meal was the condiments they brought to the table. We got a small bowl of salt, some spicy sauce, a small container of dried oregano, a spicy red powder, and the last -- wait for it -- mayonnaise. I really want to understand the Peruvians love for mayonnaise. I've heard that the obsession is just here in Cusco, but still. Cusquenians: Mayonnaise does not belong on your pasta or your pizza. You might want to give tomato sauce a try (it's sorely missing down here).
Pizza!
Funky condiments!
Saturday was an attempted work day, but kind of unsuccessful. I tried to pull together lesson plans for the upcoming week, as I would be student teaching one class for the entire week. My level is Pre-Intermediate 1, which means that the students aren't novices, but they're also not advanced. Kind of right in the middle. No matter -- I still didn't get much done. I was waaaaay too tired. I called it a day around 3 and went home for a nap. We were all going out later that night, and I certainly wasn't going to function without more sleep.
Becca and I met up with some friends (including Sabrina, our teacher!) and went out for some dinner and dancing. I haven't gone club hopping in ages and it was kind of fun. Definitely not the way I plan to spend most of my Saturday nights, but still fun. I crashed around 2 and woke up in time to get over to Niki's (my new house -- soon) for yoga by 11 am.
Yoga in the courtyard of my new house is amazing. Yoga in Peru is mind blowing. I swear I can do so many more poses here than I ever could at home (including inversions -- yes, I can stand on my head!) and I can actually feel the spiritual connection here. I was close to tears a few times. And to think that this will be happening outside of my room every Sunday...holy crap!
The past few days have been full immersion here in school. I teach at 8 pm and every day after class ends at 1 (and we go for a nice, cheap lunch), I'm back at school preparing my lesson for that evening. I go home for a couple of hours to nap, change clothes (we have to dress professionally when we teach) and mentally prepare. The first night was terrifying. I had crazy nerves leading up to showtime, but as soon as I got in front of the class it was awesome. We all had a blast and some of my students even hung out with me in our school's cafe afterwards. The second night was fun, too, and hopefully tonight will go just as smoothly.
A quick update on Becca: She technically got hired to start in August, but the school fired a teacher last week and asked her to step in. She's now teaching 7 classes a day and, while she's enjoying it, I hope she doesn't burn out. She still has to finish our TEFL program to make it official, but she's working like a full-time teacher right now.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Becca got a job!
Our school is hiring, so Becca applied and got a job here! She starts early August and, if you can believe it, already taught her first class. One of the teachers called in sick yesterday and she was asked to fill in for one of his classes -- so she did! Woo hoo! And she's teaching two more tonight!
I, on the other hand, am not applying for a job ANYWHERE. Pria is selling me his table and I'm moving into Nikki's house in two weeks, which means I hope to have a practice up and running by mid August. In the meantime, I need to finish up this crazy-ass program, get certified and then put my certificate away on a shelf to never be seen again. I kid. I might pull it out once in a while to remember how excruciating these four weeks have been.
On another subject, Raoul is in love with me. He pretty much told me this tonight -- and that he thinks about me when he wakes up in the morning. Seriously, I didn't ask for this and I really don't want to hurt him, but... any help here would be appreciated, Peanut Gallery.
Another fabulous lunch today for 3.5 soles. Soup, stuffed chili and rice. Mmmmm....
I promise to have more to report soon, it's just that I'm spending all of my time at school -- like 12 hours a day. Eventually this will go away and I'll have more time for adventures (and less time to write about them -- but I will, don't worry).
I need some emails from you! Tell me what you're up to. PLEASE feed me.
I, on the other hand, am not applying for a job ANYWHERE. Pria is selling me his table and I'm moving into Nikki's house in two weeks, which means I hope to have a practice up and running by mid August. In the meantime, I need to finish up this crazy-ass program, get certified and then put my certificate away on a shelf to never be seen again. I kid. I might pull it out once in a while to remember how excruciating these four weeks have been.
On another subject, Raoul is in love with me. He pretty much told me this tonight -- and that he thinks about me when he wakes up in the morning. Seriously, I didn't ask for this and I really don't want to hurt him, but... any help here would be appreciated, Peanut Gallery.
Another fabulous lunch today for 3.5 soles. Soup, stuffed chili and rice. Mmmmm....
I promise to have more to report soon, it's just that I'm spending all of my time at school -- like 12 hours a day. Eventually this will go away and I'll have more time for adventures (and less time to write about them -- but I will, don't worry).
I need some emails from you! Tell me what you're up to. PLEASE feed me.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
The workload is intense but the lunchtime adventures continue
This picture has absolutely no relevance to anything I'm talking about here, but this is, by far, the creepiest mannequin I've ever seen (and he lives off the main square in Cusco). I thought I'd share.
These next two weeks are insane! I haven't had a workload this heavy since college. Class observations and write-ups, 5 mini lessons, 2 papers and -- get this -- next week we each take over a class for AN ENTIRE WEEK and teach. Oy.
I wouldn't mind doing this if I thought this were still my path here. But let's be honest: This was never really my path -- it was just a way to make $$ until I figured out how to set up my massage practice. I just didn't think that would happen as quickly as it did.
I went out on a date last night. Well, I didn't realize it was a date until I was actually on it. You see, all of the students here are very friendly and some of the more advanced ones love talking to us TEFLers in English. Raoul befriended me last week and we've spoken a few times since. Then yesterday, he told me that it was his day off from work and would like to meet up for coffee. Since I'm swamped with work and basically travelling from school to cafe (w/wifi) and back to school again all day every day, I told him that I could meet him at a cafe around 7.
He arrived much more nicely dressed than I remembered from the morning and was very uh, "attentive." I realized a little too late that we were completely NOT on the same page (I just wanted coffee and to take a break from work -- he wanted a girlfriend). I cut the evening short because I had to get back to school to continue working, so he walked me back, bought me some anticucho (street food -- meat on a stick with a potato at the end) and proceeded to hang out at school, hoping I'd finish quickly. Oy. At one point though, he saw me talking to another student (a guy) and I think he got a little jealous -- when I saw him today and said "hello," he seemed less than pleased. It was not my intention to hurt him, but I think it was inevitable. I'm such a heart breaker.
So, lunch today was a much-needed break from a long day of grammar lessons. Greg, Sierra, Gab, Alex, Kelly and I wandered back up the cheap-food street we love so much and stumbled upon a little restaurant with a multi-course menu for 3 soles (about $1.25). Excellent. We started with a soup and got to choose a second course. I picked the "carne" which turned out to be a deep fried cut of beef and a side of fried rice with cut-up hotdogs (arroz con chaufa). Too much food. Alex and Greg finished my plate and then we all waddled back to class.
Our hostess
First course: Soup
Second course: Carne!
The mini lesson today was speech-focused. I had the students talk about their favorite movies. Kind of boring (and I don't think I did too well). Ugh. The next mini lesson is on grammar. Double ugh.
These next two weeks are insane! I haven't had a workload this heavy since college. Class observations and write-ups, 5 mini lessons, 2 papers and -- get this -- next week we each take over a class for AN ENTIRE WEEK and teach. Oy.
I wouldn't mind doing this if I thought this were still my path here. But let's be honest: This was never really my path -- it was just a way to make $$ until I figured out how to set up my massage practice. I just didn't think that would happen as quickly as it did.
I went out on a date last night. Well, I didn't realize it was a date until I was actually on it. You see, all of the students here are very friendly and some of the more advanced ones love talking to us TEFLers in English. Raoul befriended me last week and we've spoken a few times since. Then yesterday, he told me that it was his day off from work and would like to meet up for coffee. Since I'm swamped with work and basically travelling from school to cafe (w/wifi) and back to school again all day every day, I told him that I could meet him at a cafe around 7.
He arrived much more nicely dressed than I remembered from the morning and was very uh, "attentive." I realized a little too late that we were completely NOT on the same page (I just wanted coffee and to take a break from work -- he wanted a girlfriend). I cut the evening short because I had to get back to school to continue working, so he walked me back, bought me some anticucho (street food -- meat on a stick with a potato at the end) and proceeded to hang out at school, hoping I'd finish quickly. Oy. At one point though, he saw me talking to another student (a guy) and I think he got a little jealous -- when I saw him today and said "hello," he seemed less than pleased. It was not my intention to hurt him, but I think it was inevitable. I'm such a heart breaker.
So, lunch today was a much-needed break from a long day of grammar lessons. Greg, Sierra, Gab, Alex, Kelly and I wandered back up the cheap-food street we love so much and stumbled upon a little restaurant with a multi-course menu for 3 soles (about $1.25). Excellent. We started with a soup and got to choose a second course. I picked the "carne" which turned out to be a deep fried cut of beef and a side of fried rice with cut-up hotdogs (arroz con chaufa). Too much food. Alex and Greg finished my plate and then we all waddled back to class.
Our hostess
First course: Soup
Second course: Carne!
The mini lesson today was speech-focused. I had the students talk about their favorite movies. Kind of boring (and I don't think I did too well). Ugh. The next mini lesson is on grammar. Double ugh.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Ayahuasca.
Words don't do justice to the ceremony I participated in this weekend. Visions, journeys into the depths of my mind and body, sensations I’ve never felt before and a clear message that my path ahead is going to be a difficult one is only part of what happened. And I remember it all as clear as day.
I don’t think I was fully aware of what I was getting into when Gabriela first told me about Ayahuasca. She had never done it before either, but spiritual journeys seem to call out to us. While we’re definitely here in Cusco to have a good time, we’re not here to go out and drink every night and put notches on our bedposts in the process. Spending the weekend in Pisaq with a community of like-minded, spiritually guided people couldn’t appeal more.
I’ll start from the beginning. Around 6 pm Friday evening, Gabriela and I met up with a couple of Ayahuasca regulars, Denise and Bobby (Bobby is Gab’s good friend), as well as one of Gab’s roommates, Lilly, who just came back from the mountains where she was learning about the textile industry. We climbed into 2 cabs, taxied to a taxi/bus “station” about a mile away and climbed into another taxi to get to Pisaq. The ride is about ½ hour and as we climbed out of Cusco and into the Sacred Valley, I remember looking up at the clear night sky and marveling at the brightness of the stars and assuring myself that what I was about to do was extremely special.
We switched to yet another taxi when we got to Pisaq and drove to Melissa Wasi, a retreat in Pisaq owned by Diego and his wife, Milagros. Bobby and Denise led us down a lighted pathway to Diego’s house, a beautiful structure with quietly imposing beams and enough windows to light the space during the day without electricity. The compound also contains housing for guests who come for longer retreats and the temple, where we would spend the rest of the night.
Diego and Milagros' beautiful house that I didn't actually see until morning.
The beautiful, beautiful temple
Inside their house, we met the other ceremony participants: a couple of Australian women passing through Peru, a Peruvian family (no kids), an American, a Brazilian couple and a small group of regulars. We shared tea and sat by the fire as Diego gave us an orientation. There were rules (to try) to follow, particularly keeping the door to the temple closed at all times and to maintain a noble silence – that is, until the drink (medicine) kicks in and whatever happens beyond that point is fine (so long as the door stays closed). Noble silence is not new to me, and Diego emphasized its importance with 3 simple words: Holding the space.
As a therapist, that’s what I do. As a massage teacher, that’s what I teach. And as a person, that’s how I’m trying to live. I can honor noble silence. At least until the medicine kicks in.
Another detail of the ceremony is the buckets. As in vomit buckets. Yes, this ceremony has the power to turn the emotionally rooted toxins in your body into a physical purge. Everyone gets a bucket.
After the orientation, we left the house and walked to the temple, about 100 feet away. There was a small “mud room” of sorts where we left our backpacks, shoes, etc., grabbed some cushions and entered the temple. The temple is a circular room with bedding-like cushions all along the walls and a teepee-like hole in the roof (it was closed for this ceremony). We each took a few blankets from the pile by the door and settled in. I sat next to Gabriela. At 9 pm, Diego began the ceremony. He lighted 3 candles and said a couple of prayers in Quechua and then, one by one, we each came up and knelt in front of Diego as he poured what he deemed enough medicine for each person (you can bet that we newbies got a lighter dose).
When it was my turn, I remember almost floating from my seat to kneel in front of Diego. We held eye contact for what seemed like 5 minutes and he smiled, poured me about half a cup of medicine, said a small prayer and handed it to me. The cup was heavier than I thought it would be, so I took it with both hands, held it close to me, said my own prayer, held the cup over my head and said, “Caupayra,” ('m sure I've spelled it wrong) the Quechuan word for “to life” (and everyone returns the salute) before drinking the concoction in 3 gulps.
I must interject that when I told my mother what I was planning to do this weekend, she wasn’t very supportive of the idea. Leaving Cusco with a bunch of people I barely know, going to a stranger’s house to drink a potion that’s going to put me on a “higher spiritual plain,” and then spending the night there… Yeah, ok, it sounds a little crazy when you read it, but it never felt that way. It always felt right.
So, I finished my drink, thanked Diego and walked back to my cushioned, blanket-laden spot. After the last few people drank, Diego cut the lights and we sat there in the dark. At first, my thoughts were normal ones, thinking about class, the pair of shoes I just bought, etc. and then, like a light switch, my mind went psychedelic. It was like someone turned on a neon green and blue kaleidoscope in my brain and there was a soundtrack accompanying it.
I don’t know how long that part lasted, only that I had a few moments of fear and then, thankfully, was able to just go with it. I was sensitive to every sound around me. Doors closing, bodies shuffling, heavy breathing. The kaleidoscope part eventually went away and my thoughts became clear and heavy. If I wanted to touch base with reality I could open my eyes and the blurry darkness was there, but I didn’t really want to. I was eager to let my mind and body connect as intimately as possible and the only way to do it was to keep my eyes closed.
After some time, Diego asked if anyone wanted more medicine. I know I was unable to move – my body felt like 1,000 pounds – but apparently someone did go up for more (a regular – someone who is accustomed to functioning under the influence of the medicine). Moving wasn’t going to happen for me for quite a while, and I was fine with that.
Soon after, the vomiting began. It was all around me, but because I was in my own bubble/on my own journey it didn’t bother me. I knew early on when the medicine started taking its effect that I wasn’t going to vomit. My issues lie deep, and unfortunately this wasn’t the night I was going to start purging them.
And just when I thought I couldn’t handle it anymore, Diego started playing his guitar and singing medicine songs. The regulars joined in. Someone had a wooden flute. The music was so beautiful and served as an anchor for me to the world outside of my body.
The ceremony ended around 2 or 3 in the morning. Diego lighted the candles again and said a few more prayers, thanking Pachamama and all of us for honoring the sacredness of the space and each other. By then, the effects of the medicine had worn off for most people and we began to share our experiences. Gabriela and I stayed close and I shared a lot of what I went through with her. Diego came and sat with each of us and listened to our stories, and when he got to me, I told him how scared I was of the path ahead. His words were reassuring and he reminded me that he didn’t get to where he was overnight – he had a lot of purging to do – and he said a few more things that hit home hard.
Every journey is different and personal, so I won’t go into full detail about what I experienced. I can tell you that I talked a lot, saying things like “Just let go,” “You have to be free,” and I pounded my right hip with my fist at one point. I also made myself painfully aware that the journey ahead is going to be scary and difficult, but rewarding. I need to participate in more of these ceremonies, but how I process all of this will determine when I return. It could be next month, or even next week.
Many of us spent the night in the temple, comfortably snuggled under layers of blankets. I woke around 10 am and the little group that I came with lingered on the compound (it’s unbelievably beautiful) until about 1:30 before finally heading back to the main square in Pisaq, where we hunkered down at the Blue Llama restaurant for a few hours on their comfy couches and ate, shared our experiences and napped (it was pretty empty so the staff didn’t mind).
Hanging out in Pisaq
The Blue Llama
Gabriela and I slipped out at one point so she could buy a drum. I purchased a beautiful dream catcher made with condor feathers (the condor was an extremely important animal to the Incans). We headed back to Cusco around 6 pm with Denise while Bobby and Lilly stayed over in Pisaq for one more night.
Today is a working day for me. Lots of homework to catch up on. But I’m different now. That’s for sure.
I don’t think I was fully aware of what I was getting into when Gabriela first told me about Ayahuasca. She had never done it before either, but spiritual journeys seem to call out to us. While we’re definitely here in Cusco to have a good time, we’re not here to go out and drink every night and put notches on our bedposts in the process. Spending the weekend in Pisaq with a community of like-minded, spiritually guided people couldn’t appeal more.
I’ll start from the beginning. Around 6 pm Friday evening, Gabriela and I met up with a couple of Ayahuasca regulars, Denise and Bobby (Bobby is Gab’s good friend), as well as one of Gab’s roommates, Lilly, who just came back from the mountains where she was learning about the textile industry. We climbed into 2 cabs, taxied to a taxi/bus “station” about a mile away and climbed into another taxi to get to Pisaq. The ride is about ½ hour and as we climbed out of Cusco and into the Sacred Valley, I remember looking up at the clear night sky and marveling at the brightness of the stars and assuring myself that what I was about to do was extremely special.
We switched to yet another taxi when we got to Pisaq and drove to Melissa Wasi, a retreat in Pisaq owned by Diego and his wife, Milagros. Bobby and Denise led us down a lighted pathway to Diego’s house, a beautiful structure with quietly imposing beams and enough windows to light the space during the day without electricity. The compound also contains housing for guests who come for longer retreats and the temple, where we would spend the rest of the night.
Diego and Milagros' beautiful house that I didn't actually see until morning.
The beautiful, beautiful temple
Inside their house, we met the other ceremony participants: a couple of Australian women passing through Peru, a Peruvian family (no kids), an American, a Brazilian couple and a small group of regulars. We shared tea and sat by the fire as Diego gave us an orientation. There were rules (to try) to follow, particularly keeping the door to the temple closed at all times and to maintain a noble silence – that is, until the drink (medicine) kicks in and whatever happens beyond that point is fine (so long as the door stays closed). Noble silence is not new to me, and Diego emphasized its importance with 3 simple words: Holding the space.
As a therapist, that’s what I do. As a massage teacher, that’s what I teach. And as a person, that’s how I’m trying to live. I can honor noble silence. At least until the medicine kicks in.
Another detail of the ceremony is the buckets. As in vomit buckets. Yes, this ceremony has the power to turn the emotionally rooted toxins in your body into a physical purge. Everyone gets a bucket.
After the orientation, we left the house and walked to the temple, about 100 feet away. There was a small “mud room” of sorts where we left our backpacks, shoes, etc., grabbed some cushions and entered the temple. The temple is a circular room with bedding-like cushions all along the walls and a teepee-like hole in the roof (it was closed for this ceremony). We each took a few blankets from the pile by the door and settled in. I sat next to Gabriela. At 9 pm, Diego began the ceremony. He lighted 3 candles and said a couple of prayers in Quechua and then, one by one, we each came up and knelt in front of Diego as he poured what he deemed enough medicine for each person (you can bet that we newbies got a lighter dose).
When it was my turn, I remember almost floating from my seat to kneel in front of Diego. We held eye contact for what seemed like 5 minutes and he smiled, poured me about half a cup of medicine, said a small prayer and handed it to me. The cup was heavier than I thought it would be, so I took it with both hands, held it close to me, said my own prayer, held the cup over my head and said, “Caupayra,” ('m sure I've spelled it wrong) the Quechuan word for “to life” (and everyone returns the salute) before drinking the concoction in 3 gulps.
I must interject that when I told my mother what I was planning to do this weekend, she wasn’t very supportive of the idea. Leaving Cusco with a bunch of people I barely know, going to a stranger’s house to drink a potion that’s going to put me on a “higher spiritual plain,” and then spending the night there… Yeah, ok, it sounds a little crazy when you read it, but it never felt that way. It always felt right.
So, I finished my drink, thanked Diego and walked back to my cushioned, blanket-laden spot. After the last few people drank, Diego cut the lights and we sat there in the dark. At first, my thoughts were normal ones, thinking about class, the pair of shoes I just bought, etc. and then, like a light switch, my mind went psychedelic. It was like someone turned on a neon green and blue kaleidoscope in my brain and there was a soundtrack accompanying it.
I don’t know how long that part lasted, only that I had a few moments of fear and then, thankfully, was able to just go with it. I was sensitive to every sound around me. Doors closing, bodies shuffling, heavy breathing. The kaleidoscope part eventually went away and my thoughts became clear and heavy. If I wanted to touch base with reality I could open my eyes and the blurry darkness was there, but I didn’t really want to. I was eager to let my mind and body connect as intimately as possible and the only way to do it was to keep my eyes closed.
After some time, Diego asked if anyone wanted more medicine. I know I was unable to move – my body felt like 1,000 pounds – but apparently someone did go up for more (a regular – someone who is accustomed to functioning under the influence of the medicine). Moving wasn’t going to happen for me for quite a while, and I was fine with that.
Soon after, the vomiting began. It was all around me, but because I was in my own bubble/on my own journey it didn’t bother me. I knew early on when the medicine started taking its effect that I wasn’t going to vomit. My issues lie deep, and unfortunately this wasn’t the night I was going to start purging them.
And just when I thought I couldn’t handle it anymore, Diego started playing his guitar and singing medicine songs. The regulars joined in. Someone had a wooden flute. The music was so beautiful and served as an anchor for me to the world outside of my body.
The ceremony ended around 2 or 3 in the morning. Diego lighted the candles again and said a few more prayers, thanking Pachamama and all of us for honoring the sacredness of the space and each other. By then, the effects of the medicine had worn off for most people and we began to share our experiences. Gabriela and I stayed close and I shared a lot of what I went through with her. Diego came and sat with each of us and listened to our stories, and when he got to me, I told him how scared I was of the path ahead. His words were reassuring and he reminded me that he didn’t get to where he was overnight – he had a lot of purging to do – and he said a few more things that hit home hard.
Every journey is different and personal, so I won’t go into full detail about what I experienced. I can tell you that I talked a lot, saying things like “Just let go,” “You have to be free,” and I pounded my right hip with my fist at one point. I also made myself painfully aware that the journey ahead is going to be scary and difficult, but rewarding. I need to participate in more of these ceremonies, but how I process all of this will determine when I return. It could be next month, or even next week.
Many of us spent the night in the temple, comfortably snuggled under layers of blankets. I woke around 10 am and the little group that I came with lingered on the compound (it’s unbelievably beautiful) until about 1:30 before finally heading back to the main square in Pisaq, where we hunkered down at the Blue Llama restaurant for a few hours on their comfy couches and ate, shared our experiences and napped (it was pretty empty so the staff didn’t mind).
Hanging out in Pisaq
The Blue Llama
Gabriela and I slipped out at one point so she could buy a drum. I purchased a beautiful dream catcher made with condor feathers (the condor was an extremely important animal to the Incans). We headed back to Cusco around 6 pm with Denise while Bobby and Lilly stayed over in Pisaq for one more night.
Today is a working day for me. Lots of homework to catch up on. But I’m different now. That’s for sure.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
The crapload of work continues, but at least there's lunch
The workload to become a TEFL-certified teacher is insane -- and truthfully, I'm not sure how much teaching I plan to do now that I'm confident I can set up a massage practice as soon as I want. Our morning class was grammar review and, as a former editor, I actually enjoy this stuff, but I'm not really up on all the rules. Just like most of us English speakers, I just know what's right and wrong. I might know a little more only because I spent many years with a red pen glued to my right hand, but I still missed at least 50% of the answers when Sabrina called on me.
We also had a Quechua lesson today. Quechua is the indigenous language in Peru and it's absolutely beautiful. Jorge, our Quechua instructor, spoke nothing but Quechua and we just had to adapt -- kind of like many of the beginning English students here (and who we could potentially be teaching). The first 10 minutes or so wasn't easy, but it began to connect with us and the hour flew by. I doubt I'm going to retain it from just one lesson, but it was a great way to understand how a non-English speaker feels on his/her first day of English class.
Between grammar and Quechua, we had lunch. Greg, Sierra and I returned to the same street we visited the other day to find another cheap lunch and this time Gabriela joined us. Yesterday we went to a cafe that only sold chicken sandwiches and fruit juices. It cost 4.50 soles (about $1.50) for a huge glass of fresh juice and a hand-carved chicken sandwich (there's a lady carving the chickens in the window). Best. Lunch. Ever.
That is, until we found the next place. Right across the street from the chicken sandwich shop was a ramshackle "restaurant" with a small menu of papas rellenos (a mini mashed potato football stuffed with meat and veggies and fried) with a side of rice (which includes diced hotdog -- Peruvians love their processed meats), and a few slices of tomato. We all ordered the papas rellenos and devoured everything on the plate. Greg (who has finished many of my meals) ordered another plate, this time a stuffed and fried chili pepper. We all tasted -- sooooo good.
Our cozy little restaurant on Day 2
Papas Rellenos con Arroz (with chopped hot dog)
The "kitchen"
Back at school, we had a vocab lesson. Basically, whenever we teach we create a vocab list based on what the students don't know. You can anticipate some of the words they won't know, but not all of them. And we have to get them to understand as quickly as possible so we can continue on with the lesson. This can be easy if you have to explain what "smile" means, but not so easy when the word is "while" or "under." It's a process that gets easier with practice, but right now it sucks. So we did vocab drills today. We had more Spanish-speaking students to perform in front of and we had to randomly pull our words out of a cup. My word was "colorful." I thought I blew it big time, but Sabrina didn't seem to think so. I'm not the brightest bulb in the box when it comes to thinking on my feet, but with practice I think I'll get it down. Just don't give me a word like sternocleidomastoid (a little shout out to my massage peeps).
I stayed late at school to observe some of the other teachers in action (a requirement and extremely valuable) and was impressed by what I saw (well, at least one of the teachers). It was a "Basico Nuevo," -- essentially, it was the first day of class in Basic English 101. Alex, the instructor, was excellent. He managed the class well and by the end of the hour, the students were speaking and comprehending about 3-4 sentences in English. Good stuff.
A Catholic Priest Walks Into a Bar...
I left school around 8 and went home to change and drop my bag (carrying around my laptop all day isn't doing my shoulders much good). I headed out to San Blas to a bar/restaurant called Yerba Buena to celebrate Nikki's birthday and hear her band play. I met up with Gabriela and a few of the people who will be joining us in Pisaq this weekend for the ayahuasca ceremony. I did get one "Oh, you're the massage therapist!" which cracks me up. I've been here for less than 2 weeks and people already know who I am -- let's hope I can keep it going to bring in the clients!
Yerba Buena is a cool space -- multi-leveled, lots of lounges/couches and hammocks. A couple of us were hanging out on one of the upper levels listening to the band when 3 burly men came upstairs and sat near us. One of them started talking to me -- they were all Polish -- and since I lived in Poland (many, many years ago) for a summer, conversation (at least about Poland) came easy. Turns out my new friend is a Catholic priest (it was hard to tell, since he was drinking an enormous Cusquena beer, but apparently that's not against the rules) visiting one of his missionary friends. Yep. I kind of lost interest after that and since my friends had meandered back downstairs (birthday cake was being served) I used that as an excuse to say goodbye.
The evening was a lot of fun. I made it home by 11:30 and crashed hard. My body is still working through the session with Pria and I've got to take care, especially with the ceremony in Pisaq on the horizon and teaching the next day.
We also had a Quechua lesson today. Quechua is the indigenous language in Peru and it's absolutely beautiful. Jorge, our Quechua instructor, spoke nothing but Quechua and we just had to adapt -- kind of like many of the beginning English students here (and who we could potentially be teaching). The first 10 minutes or so wasn't easy, but it began to connect with us and the hour flew by. I doubt I'm going to retain it from just one lesson, but it was a great way to understand how a non-English speaker feels on his/her first day of English class.
Between grammar and Quechua, we had lunch. Greg, Sierra and I returned to the same street we visited the other day to find another cheap lunch and this time Gabriela joined us. Yesterday we went to a cafe that only sold chicken sandwiches and fruit juices. It cost 4.50 soles (about $1.50) for a huge glass of fresh juice and a hand-carved chicken sandwich (there's a lady carving the chickens in the window). Best. Lunch. Ever.
That is, until we found the next place. Right across the street from the chicken sandwich shop was a ramshackle "restaurant" with a small menu of papas rellenos (a mini mashed potato football stuffed with meat and veggies and fried) with a side of rice (which includes diced hotdog -- Peruvians love their processed meats), and a few slices of tomato. We all ordered the papas rellenos and devoured everything on the plate. Greg (who has finished many of my meals) ordered another plate, this time a stuffed and fried chili pepper. We all tasted -- sooooo good.
Our cozy little restaurant on Day 2
Papas Rellenos con Arroz (with chopped hot dog)
The "kitchen"
Back at school, we had a vocab lesson. Basically, whenever we teach we create a vocab list based on what the students don't know. You can anticipate some of the words they won't know, but not all of them. And we have to get them to understand as quickly as possible so we can continue on with the lesson. This can be easy if you have to explain what "smile" means, but not so easy when the word is "while" or "under." It's a process that gets easier with practice, but right now it sucks. So we did vocab drills today. We had more Spanish-speaking students to perform in front of and we had to randomly pull our words out of a cup. My word was "colorful." I thought I blew it big time, but Sabrina didn't seem to think so. I'm not the brightest bulb in the box when it comes to thinking on my feet, but with practice I think I'll get it down. Just don't give me a word like sternocleidomastoid (a little shout out to my massage peeps).
I stayed late at school to observe some of the other teachers in action (a requirement and extremely valuable) and was impressed by what I saw (well, at least one of the teachers). It was a "Basico Nuevo," -- essentially, it was the first day of class in Basic English 101. Alex, the instructor, was excellent. He managed the class well and by the end of the hour, the students were speaking and comprehending about 3-4 sentences in English. Good stuff.
A Catholic Priest Walks Into a Bar...
I left school around 8 and went home to change and drop my bag (carrying around my laptop all day isn't doing my shoulders much good). I headed out to San Blas to a bar/restaurant called Yerba Buena to celebrate Nikki's birthday and hear her band play. I met up with Gabriela and a few of the people who will be joining us in Pisaq this weekend for the ayahuasca ceremony. I did get one "Oh, you're the massage therapist!" which cracks me up. I've been here for less than 2 weeks and people already know who I am -- let's hope I can keep it going to bring in the clients!
Yerba Buena is a cool space -- multi-leveled, lots of lounges/couches and hammocks. A couple of us were hanging out on one of the upper levels listening to the band when 3 burly men came upstairs and sat near us. One of them started talking to me -- they were all Polish -- and since I lived in Poland (many, many years ago) for a summer, conversation (at least about Poland) came easy. Turns out my new friend is a Catholic priest (it was hard to tell, since he was drinking an enormous Cusquena beer, but apparently that's not against the rules) visiting one of his missionary friends. Yep. I kind of lost interest after that and since my friends had meandered back downstairs (birthday cake was being served) I used that as an excuse to say goodbye.
The evening was a lot of fun. I made it home by 11:30 and crashed hard. My body is still working through the session with Pria and I've got to take care, especially with the ceremony in Pisaq on the horizon and teaching the next day.
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