Queso Helado

This morning began a bit earlier than most mornings. I went with Tita to the hospital where she has been working hard for Operacion Sonrisa (that is, Operation Smile, an organization that provides free operations for people with cleft lips and cleft palates). Tita was invovled in bringing Operacion Sonrisa to Arequipa, and she has been busy this past week at the hospital, and today I got to go with her!! All of the operations are over now, so today was a day for the patients (mostly very young children) to come in and make sure that there are no infections.

It was so cool to get to see this today! First of all, it is beautiful to see the children who are being helped through this vision, and second of all, I was so glad that I got to do this with Tita. Operacion Sonrisa is her heartbeat--she loves it and it has been so cool hearing her talk about it this week.

When we got home from the hospital, we ate lunch. We had a very yummy salad with lettuce and cheese and avacado and eggs, and we had fish, and we had huevos sucios, which, I think, are fried hard-boiled eggs. They were delicious!

And after that, I got to go with Tita and Andrea and Kike to eat queso helado, which means cheese ice-cream. I learned that there isn't actually any cheese it in, but it's still good!!!!

I signed up to be a part of a volunteering club at the university, and that met this afternoon. I left a bit early and decided to explore a bit on my way there. I was PRETTY sure that Avenida Quinones would take me to Bolivar, and then I could take that street to the university, right past the Plaza de Armas. And I was right! Horray!!!

The voluntariado meeting was good! Every saturday there are gatherings where, I think, they talk about service and stuff and do some planning. Then, on Sundays, the group goes out and volunteers. For example, tomorrow, they are going to an elementary school and spending time with the studends, providing breakfast, and doing some work around the school. I can't go tomorrow, but now that I know what the deal is, I'd love to go some weekend!

On the way home from class, I stopped at Saga Falabella (it's a store) and bought some sweatpants. I walked in and the store was playing the song "Just Can't Wait To Be King" from Lion King. In English. And I bought some pants. Next week, hopefully we are going to be able start going to Club Internacional, a gym really close to the university. And, I have noticed that no one wears shorts here! But shorts are all that I brought to work out in. Since I don't really want to look like a tourist, I thought that sweat pants might be a good buy.