Like the slogan on the back of the box of my favourite breakfast cereal, "LIFE IS FULL OF SURPRISES," I'm constantly seeing the truth in that statement.
Take this morning for instance. The university authorities threw a wrench in the teaching schedule to celebrate the 29th anniversary of the humanities department (which actually should have been celebrated in July), so I don't have class this morning. I decided to sleep in late =) After rolling out of bed around 7:15 and doing some exercise, I thought I'd shower before eating breakfast and mopping up the dust all over my floors. For starters, I've been here nearly 7 months, and still am surprised by that first splash of cold water shooting out of the shower head. Moments later, a lizard jumped on me! Needless to say, after being unable to capture and remove that squirrly critter, my shower was cut short.
Sometimes I'm asked to prepare an entire course or a series of lessons or workshops for university professors, teachers at the language institute or for university students. I put in a fair amount of time putting together the sequence, planning the activities searching for resources and materials and sometimes purchasing them, for the individuals who have requested the service to either fail to show up or to tell me just beforehand, that actually they'd rather not participate (although the idea and request had come from them). Those moments are very frustrating, but once again, LIFE IS FULL OF SURPRISES, so we just have to move on.
A few weeks ago, after deciding that I really wanted to buy a blender to be able to make fresh fruit juices in my apartment and different sorts of pasta sauces and salsas, Igor accompanied me to the market to search. We asked after several inside the market where people sell from their little cubicals, but the prices were high. Outside the prices were cheaper, as usual, but there are also shadier characters there. When asking one man his prices, he told us, "50 soles! It's the original Oster! Robbed it out of a house last week!" Shameless. I prodded Igor to just keep walking. LIFE IF FULL OF SURPRISES. Eventually, we found one for a good price from a different dealer.
After several botched attempts of backing in round tin ovens valued at $25 with the women, Sarah and I had a few theories about the problems. They weren't preheating the ovens long enough, they weren't measuring with precision and the flour the were using was not of good quality. Needing to improve upon our week, we got together last night and decided to try to bake a chocolate cake. It turned out perfectly! Let's hope that the women can replicate this cake on Thursday. What a nice surprise!
A few other mundane experiences that may strike a newcomer as surprising and that on occasion continue to seem bizarre to me include the following:
*In order to exit most homes, one must have a keep to open the lock (from the inside too)!
*Toilet paper is a precious commodity and is almost never found in a public place. Understandably so, when you watch many Peruvians unwinding and unwinding the roll to take half of it with them to do their business and stuffing the rest in their purse!
*Nearly every taxi driver seems to think you'd like to get into his vehicle, and if he honks enough, you will.
*Many people whistle to attract the attention of family members and have a different whistle to call waiters or hail taxis.
*Men seem to have no qualms about peeing openly anywhere in this city rather than finding themselves a restroom.
*Toilet paper cannot be thrown in a toilet as that will clog up the sewage system; but rather must be placed in a garbage can.
*Trash can only be placed in a pile outside in the street at night to be collected.
*Despite ignoring many people in the market or not buying their product, most are helpful and point you in the direction of whatever you ask for.
Let the Little Things In Life Surprise You! .... A little lizard I captured in my home the other day...
Take this morning for instance. The university authorities threw a wrench in the teaching schedule to celebrate the 29th anniversary of the humanities department (which actually should have been celebrated in July), so I don't have class this morning. I decided to sleep in late =) After rolling out of bed around 7:15 and doing some exercise, I thought I'd shower before eating breakfast and mopping up the dust all over my floors. For starters, I've been here nearly 7 months, and still am surprised by that first splash of cold water shooting out of the shower head. Moments later, a lizard jumped on me! Needless to say, after being unable to capture and remove that squirrly critter, my shower was cut short.
Sometimes I'm asked to prepare an entire course or a series of lessons or workshops for university professors, teachers at the language institute or for university students. I put in a fair amount of time putting together the sequence, planning the activities searching for resources and materials and sometimes purchasing them, for the individuals who have requested the service to either fail to show up or to tell me just beforehand, that actually they'd rather not participate (although the idea and request had come from them). Those moments are very frustrating, but once again, LIFE IS FULL OF SURPRISES, so we just have to move on.
A few weeks ago, after deciding that I really wanted to buy a blender to be able to make fresh fruit juices in my apartment and different sorts of pasta sauces and salsas, Igor accompanied me to the market to search. We asked after several inside the market where people sell from their little cubicals, but the prices were high. Outside the prices were cheaper, as usual, but there are also shadier characters there. When asking one man his prices, he told us, "50 soles! It's the original Oster! Robbed it out of a house last week!" Shameless. I prodded Igor to just keep walking. LIFE IF FULL OF SURPRISES. Eventually, we found one for a good price from a different dealer.
After several botched attempts of backing in round tin ovens valued at $25 with the women, Sarah and I had a few theories about the problems. They weren't preheating the ovens long enough, they weren't measuring with precision and the flour the were using was not of good quality. Needing to improve upon our week, we got together last night and decided to try to bake a chocolate cake. It turned out perfectly! Let's hope that the women can replicate this cake on Thursday. What a nice surprise!
A few other mundane experiences that may strike a newcomer as surprising and that on occasion continue to seem bizarre to me include the following:
*In order to exit most homes, one must have a keep to open the lock (from the inside too)!
*Toilet paper is a precious commodity and is almost never found in a public place. Understandably so, when you watch many Peruvians unwinding and unwinding the roll to take half of it with them to do their business and stuffing the rest in their purse!
*Nearly every taxi driver seems to think you'd like to get into his vehicle, and if he honks enough, you will.
*Many people whistle to attract the attention of family members and have a different whistle to call waiters or hail taxis.
*Men seem to have no qualms about peeing openly anywhere in this city rather than finding themselves a restroom.
*Toilet paper cannot be thrown in a toilet as that will clog up the sewage system; but rather must be placed in a garbage can.
*Trash can only be placed in a pile outside in the street at night to be collected.
*Despite ignoring many people in the market or not buying their product, most are helpful and point you in the direction of whatever you ask for.
Let the Little Things In Life Surprise You! .... A little lizard I captured in my home the other day...
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