I am learning!!!!

I am living in a pretty cool place right now!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I am learning oh-so-much!!

1. Every city in Peru has a Plaza de Armas. This is a central park area that, during colonial times, was used for the army to practice stuff (I don't know what kind of stuff they practiced). In Arequipa, the Plaza de Armas is linda (everyone uses this word all the time. it means... beautiful, cool, wonderful... something like that)!


La Plaza de Armas

2. All of the old buildings in Arequipa (there are MANY) are made of sillar, which is white volcanic rock. Therefore, the city is known as "La Ciudad Blanca" (The White City). These buildings are from the colonial era of Arequipa and they are very ornate.


This is the Iglesia de la Compania, which was built out of sillar in 1698.

3. I live in Yanahuara. The city of Arequipa is divided into sections, and each section has its own plaza.

This is the Plaza in Yanahuara.

4. If your lawn mower is broken, I suggest you invest in a llama. There is a park in Arequipa that has llamas in it. They keep the grass nice and short.

5. The streets in Yanahuara are very skinny in places.

This is one of the strees of Yanahuara. It's narrow. But I'm sure that the taxi drivers manage to drive side by side here. Nothing stops them.

6. No one says "adios" here. Instead, the word for "good-bye" is "chau" (pronouced "chow").

See? I'm learning so much!!!!!! I can't believe that I'm here! And at the same time, I can't believe that it has only been five days! Arequipa is still celebrating its 472nd birthday. The festivities last all week long. I went back to the fiesta last night with three friends from the Calvin group. We had VIP tickets again, thanks to Andrea and Kike. It was still hard to understand what they were singing about, but this time I think that what I heard was a bit more accurate than last time; I'm pretty sure I heard the phrase "esta un hombre valiente" which means "he is a valient man". Before the fiesta, I had a great time with some friends at the home of one of my classmates. So far, we've been successful at speaking only Spanish to one another.

I have been having fun sitting with my family at night and watching television. It is a good conversation starter, I have discovered. Car rides are also great for asking questions. I went with Tita yesterday to buy some paint and flowers, and last night Kike and Andrea drove us home from the fiesta. Today I went to mass with Tita, and then I ate lunch with a classmate and a few of us met up at a mall and walked around the neighborhood. We found a place with an AWESOME view of the mountains, but... I didn't have my camera with me.

Oh God, thank You so much. Thank You for the family that You have put me with, and thank You for the classmates that You have chosen. Guide me in the days to come as classes start this week. Help me to remember who I am in You and to clothe myself with Your love. Jesus, bless Tita and Vincente, Andrea and Kike. They have been so wonderful to me--show me how to best receive from them and love them and be a blessing to them, as they have been to me.