The other day I was feeling homesick so being me, I decided to consult the chart of emotions we were given to determine what stage of adjustment to living abroad I was in. Basically, first you like it, then you start to get grumpy about it, then you really hate, and then you are adjusted. I was worried I was in the "hate it" stage. But then, that afternoon, we went shopping, walked outside, laughed and the sun shone in Lima! I was once again glad to be here.
It seems to me, that I flip-flop between liking and disliking Lima all the time. Sometimes it is just so hard. I can't communicate, my friends and family are thousands of miles away, and Lima is a HUGE city. Other times I never want to leave, I'm meeting new people, seeing interesting things, and learning a lot about the world and myself.
I think this is a pretty normal study abroad phenomenon, especially for those year-long participants. But, in the spirit of my thoughts I decided to make a top love/hate list about Peru.
LOVE:
1) Meeting new people: It has been really interesting to meet people from all around the world and the United States. I haven't made a ton of Peruvian friends yet (mostly because it is hard for me to carry out an interesting conversation with native speakers) but slowly I know it will be easier. And these new relationships are going to be so memorable!
2) Deserts: I have never been surrounded by so many good deserts in my life. They sell all sorts of cake like things at my school, and we ALWAYS have desert with dinner at my house.
3) Adventures: Everything is new here. I can go pretty much anywhere in the city and have it be a new experience, I can also travel interesting places. Also, because I usually don't know where I am going or what to expect, even running to the grocery store turns into a mini-adventure!
4) Prices: Peru is developing still, so the cost of living is a lot cheaper here. The cheap meal at my school costs fifty cents, and most things in general are just a lot less than in the U.S.. That means, I have more to spend on travel and other things that I love to do!
DON'T LOVE:
1) Pollution: This is not unique to Lima, but it is a new experience for me, who has always lived in the clean Midwest. Lima has a lot of trash in the streets, and constant smog. I have only actually seen the sun two days since I have been here.
2) Class Times: First of all, classes here are long. Most are 2 to 3 hours, with a 10 minute break. I also can only understand Spanish for about an 1hr 30min before I start zoning out. Basically, I miss all of the end of my classes. Second of all, teachers feel they can change class times according to their needs. I already had one class moved to Saturday, one class extended an hour, one on Sunday, etc. This gets difficult when you have other classes scheduled/other plans made for those times.
3) Hollering/Staring: There are not that many tourists in Lima, and especially not in my neighborhood. Therefore, many people stare or yell "gringa" or whisper about me and the other exchange students. Worse than this, there are men who always feel the need to say something (From hola to beautiful, one time we even got "charlie's angels") or whistle at you as you go by. Additionally, the taxis always honk at white people. To which I say; I WILL SIGNAL YOU IF I WANT A TAXI.
And finally, what I don't know what to think about is the constant feeling I am an outsider. On one level, this makes things really hard and slightly uncomfortable. On the other hand, it is a good experience to have and one that I think will definitely change my outlook on a lot of things. Also, I feel as I become comfortable with the language and customs and establish connections to the city I will feel less and less like this.
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