abrazos gratis
Feb. 19th, 2010 05:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
arishaWe interrupt this program to bring you the Peru post!
So a while ago I mentioned that I'm going to be in Peru for two months this spring, and I guess it's about time I expanded on that. xD This trip is going to go a little bit like my Japan trip did, where my dad is coming with me for the first week and we're going to travel around and see the sights, and then he's going to return to Canada while I stay behind. For the rest of my time in Peru, I'm going to be living in the capital city of Lima, and volunteering through the BaseCamp International program. I'll admit right now that I don't see this as a particularly noble venture. Of course I hope to be of some help to the people I'll be working with, but I realize I am not particularly bursting with useful skills and I'm sure I would probably be of more help if I simply sent them the money that I am instead using to pay for my flights/hotels/travel insurance/whatever other travel expenses. I don't know what it says about me that I think of it like this and yet am doing it anyway. Feel free to judge. :)
I don't know yet exactly where I'll be volunteering; I registered for the social programs category and picked my top three choices, but I won't know where they decide to place me for about another week. I could be teaching English and computer skills, or I could be working in a daycare, that sort of thing. Hopefully I don't totally fail at whatever I'm asked to do! xD The reason I picked Peru is because I really want to step it up in my second languages, and so yes, I would love to be surrounded by/forced to speak Spanish for two months! Peru was also the centre of the Inca empire, and today it's still littered with all sorts of interesting ruins, which I am down with! We won't be going to Machu Picchu, because heavy rains have recently knocked out the train that takes you there (we could hike, but, um, have you met us?) and it's not due to reopen until too late, but I don't terribly mind. There's tons of other things to see. :)
Anyway, to be rude and steal pictures from other people's Facebooks, this is the building in which I will be living and taking Spanish classes. According to the orientation handbook, in this building there is a computer we can use, there is a TV with cable, and there is a little library of books and movies for our use. So that's pretty awesome! It's a little less awesome when I remember that I'll be sharing a room with like three other people and sleeping in a bunk bed (in a country plagued by earthquakes - awesome!), and also that we've been warned not to drink the tap water at all for any reason ever, but hopefully I'll learn to deal. x) Oh, and here's a picture of some volunteers hanging out in what I guess is the living room, lol. I love how colourful it is, as befits the image that I have of South America. :D
ENOUGH TALKING TIME FOR YOUTUBE!!
I kid you not, this is the second video that comes up when you search for Peru. I feel this is a very good sign. :D
THE JOBROS HAVE BEEN THERE!!
"THRILLER" DANCE FOR MJ'S BIRTHDAY!! :D :D :D
They have an anime convention there!?!?!? Here's Edward Elric, mocking his brother and telling kids to Just Say No to human transmutation. xD; And here's a group cosplay, in which they redo the entire series as a five-minute fight scene, lol!!
LOOK AT THE AWESOMENESS OF THEIR TV SHOWS!!!! Time to bust out my old LazyTown tag! XD
My roommates are going to hate me, aren't they. :D
So a while ago I mentioned that I'm going to be in Peru for two months this spring, and I guess it's about time I expanded on that. xD This trip is going to go a little bit like my Japan trip did, where my dad is coming with me for the first week and we're going to travel around and see the sights, and then he's going to return to Canada while I stay behind. For the rest of my time in Peru, I'm going to be living in the capital city of Lima, and volunteering through the BaseCamp International program. I'll admit right now that I don't see this as a particularly noble venture. Of course I hope to be of some help to the people I'll be working with, but I realize I am not particularly bursting with useful skills and I'm sure I would probably be of more help if I simply sent them the money that I am instead using to pay for my flights/hotels/travel insurance/whatever other travel expenses. I don't know what it says about me that I think of it like this and yet am doing it anyway. Feel free to judge. :)
I don't know yet exactly where I'll be volunteering; I registered for the social programs category and picked my top three choices, but I won't know where they decide to place me for about another week. I could be teaching English and computer skills, or I could be working in a daycare, that sort of thing. Hopefully I don't totally fail at whatever I'm asked to do! xD The reason I picked Peru is because I really want to step it up in my second languages, and so yes, I would love to be surrounded by/forced to speak Spanish for two months! Peru was also the centre of the Inca empire, and today it's still littered with all sorts of interesting ruins, which I am down with! We won't be going to Machu Picchu, because heavy rains have recently knocked out the train that takes you there (we could hike, but, um, have you met us?) and it's not due to reopen until too late, but I don't terribly mind. There's tons of other things to see. :)
Anyway, to be rude and steal pictures from other people's Facebooks, this is the building in which I will be living and taking Spanish classes. According to the orientation handbook, in this building there is a computer we can use, there is a TV with cable, and there is a little library of books and movies for our use. So that's pretty awesome! It's a little less awesome when I remember that I'll be sharing a room with like three other people and sleeping in a bunk bed (in a country plagued by earthquakes - awesome!), and also that we've been warned not to drink the tap water at all for any reason ever, but hopefully I'll learn to deal. x) Oh, and here's a picture of some volunteers hanging out in what I guess is the living room, lol. I love how colourful it is, as befits the image that I have of South America. :D
ENOUGH TALKING TIME FOR YOUTUBE!!
I kid you not, this is the second video that comes up when you search for Peru. I feel this is a very good sign. :D
THE JOBROS HAVE BEEN THERE!!
"THRILLER" DANCE FOR MJ'S BIRTHDAY!! :D :D :D
They have an anime convention there!?!?!? Here's Edward Elric, mocking his brother and telling kids to Just Say No to human transmutation. xD; And here's a group cosplay, in which they redo the entire series as a five-minute fight scene, lol!!
LOOK AT THE AWESOMENESS OF THEIR TV SHOWS!!!! Time to bust out my old LazyTown tag! XD
My roommates are going to hate me, aren't they. :D
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-20 03:45 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-20 09:55 am (UTC)I'm glad you're excited, since it's pretty much your fault that this is happening! xD lol lol lol~
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-20 04:40 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-20 09:55 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-20 05:46 pm (UTC)Lol, I love how you're all, "I realize this isn't a noble venture or anything," and in the meantime I've been telling my parents how you're going down to do volunteer work in Peru and they're all, "Ooooh! Good for her!"
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-20 10:26 pm (UTC)And yeah, I dunno. Well if people want to think well of me I'm not going to stop them, lol. xD
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-21 11:36 pm (UTC)Pollution, pollution~ /Tom LehrerXDRe: roommates- it'll be fine! Bunk-beds are awesome, and probably they'll have rules (like a time for lights-out) and stuff that should help you guys keep off each other's nerves. :D
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-22 11:13 pm (UTC)D:
The impression I've gotten so far is that they're fairly laid back about the whole ~rules~ thing. The orientation book is like, "Yeah, there are some rules, they're posted around the house, basically just be nice to each other." Um, okay!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-23 12:09 am (UTC)Be excellent to each other!