Spring Fever

Homesickness. I have had a lull in my traveling and experiences here in Peru and that has allowed enough time for homesickness to set in. Throughout my time in Peru I have felt many different things and I have felt homesickness before, but it never hit me as hard as it did this last week. When I am speaking English with my friends from UNK, I do not feel homesick because it feels familiar talking with them. As soon as I am on my own, I start to think and thinking is not good. Usually I am thinking about verb conjugations or what tense I need to be using in Spanish, but recently I have been thinking about spring because it just turned to “fall” here. Fall means the weather will not be above 85 (apparently). Ever since coming back from Machu Picchu I have just been ready to go home. The weather there felt like Nebraska in spring. Even though there was a weird thunderstorm with lightning, snow, hail, and rain I still want to be home! I am diagnosing myself with homesickness and Spring Fever.

Last Thursday was St. Patrick’s Day.. We had class in downtown Lima to watch the changing of the guard at the government palace. There was so much traffic and our taxi driver took the sketchiest route to get us downtown. A couple times throughout our ride I thought she (first woman taxi driver I have seen) was taking us to the slums to sell us. Finally we got close enough to walk downtown. Lots of roads were closed off and we had to find a different way to the main square. On our walk we went down a street that was lined with about 100 men ranging from 25-85 years old. As soon as we started walking down the street the whistles started which turned into cat calls and yelling. That was probably the most scared I have ever been in Peru and I road on a bus, down a mountain, without guard rails, at night. We finally made it to the main square, but the changing of the guard had just finished. Everything in Peru starts late and the changing of the guard is the only exception. It started and finished on time. We ended up going to China Town and ate some awesome Chifa that we couldn’t even finish for under $4. After that we went to an Irish Pub called Houlihan’s to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. We got our faces painted and even met some American’s from Mississippi State University. Their professor was dressed up like a Leprechaun. He was getting some weird looks from Peruvians because they don't celebrate St. Patrick's day. The owner of Houlihan's was from England which was the only reason it was being celebrated! 

I went to the beach last weekend and this is when the homesickness kicked in. After we got back from the beach on Saturday afternoon, I sat in a room and played Solitaire on my phone for 5 hours because I knew if I tried to think or talk in Spanish I would just break down and cry. There was even a surf competition going on and even that did not interest me. That was when I decided I was homesick. When we got home from the beach on Sunday I watched Up, Tangled, and Shrek the Third all in one night. Everybody is going on Spring Break in Nebraska and I watched Netflix like my life depended on it. I got to Skype my mom, Aunt Ann, and Demi so that made me feel a lot better!

This weekend I am staying in Lima while my family goes to the beach. Abby and Ahnika will be here this weekend and I think we are going to color some Easter eggs. It’s not a tradition or custom to do that in Peru so we might have to dye them with Kool-Aid! Peruvians celebrate Semana Santa (Holy Week), so starting today until Sunday most of the stores close up and most people leave Lima to go to the North, South, or jungle to celebrate with their families.

Have a safe and happy Easter everyone! Drive safe on the roads and eat some jelly beans for me!

Mariah

Random Things

• Peruvians know their way around a chicken wing. I have never seen a bone so clean before I came here.
• I ate chicken foot soup the other day. My host mom was eating the feet and told me doctors recommend chicken foot soup for cancer patients because they have something in them that’s good for your bones. She was just eating it because she liked it.
• Traffic has gotten worse because of school starting.
• Our campus is filled with people, and I about have an anxiety attack walking to class every day. 

I don't have any pictures from this last week so here are some that never made it to my blog! 

The Kearney group at the awesome restaurant outside of Cusco.

My little friend Fabrizio from the Shipibo school.
He broke my heart because he didn't know how old
he was or when his birthday was. 

Most of the churches here are this intricate. 

On the side with the stoplights it says
"respect the red light". People tend to run red lights here.