today was a good day

I have been in Arequipa for three weeks, now. Oh my!! Some of the things that seemed so strange at first no longer seem strange. It doesn't surprise me anymore when cars do not stop for stop lights, and I have grown accustomed to the greeting kisses. I'm beginning to develop a routine.

This morning, the routine involved waking up around 8:00. Before going downstairs for breakfast, I showered and made my bed and got ready for school.

When I got into the kitchen, I greeted Julita, who had set out my breakfast, and I ate. I drank freshly squeezed orange juice, and I cut a triangle roll in half, as I do everymorning. On half of the roll, I put butter and fig jelly, and on the other half, I put pork paste (it tastes better than it sounds).

I washed my breakfast dishes and then headed off to school! I walked past at least half a dozen peluquerias (beauty parlors) and just as many little stands along the sidewalk that sell candy and water and pop.

I'm getting better at crossing streets. I like it the best when someone else is at the corner who seems to know what he/she is doing, because then I just go when that person does.

I made it to school and headed to the fourth floor for Algebra Lineal y Geometria Analitica, where we did word problems. I have always liked word problems, but today I learned that they are much harder in Spanish.  Estefania, the girl who was sitting in front of me, turned around a few times throughout the class and said things to me. Usually, I didn't quite catch what she said. I just nodded and smiled.

After class, I took my homework out to the park/lawn area and took a seat on a bench. I worked on the problems for a little while before walking home for lunch.

As I walked in the neighborhood, I greeted the guard and went in the house. Lunch was delicious. We first had soup. We always have soup first. I really like the soup. It's different everyday and always good. And then came papa la juan caina, a traditional Peruvian dish made out of hard boiled egg, potato, and crema de aji, which is a sauce made of cheese and chili pepper and milk.

After lunch, I went across the street to the park with Tita and Andrea and Kike and Greco (the doggy). We do this everyday after lunch for a little while. After that, we go back inside and it's rest time! I took a nap and read a bit before heading back to campus for Didactica de las Matematicas.

I had to give a presentation today about the importance of communication in math class. Try to think of a math class that does not involve communication. Yeah, it's pretty important.

After class, I walked home and Tita had dinner ready for me. Soup and a hot ham and cheese sandwich! And a fresh pear! After cleaning up, I went upstairs and watched some television with Tita and got to skype with my cool brother. And now... I believe I'm going to bed! Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Perhaps the routine will contine. Or maybe I'll climb up El Misti on an alpaca or something!