On second thoughts...I will blog something!

After saying last night that I wasn't going to blog during my hols, I have decided to fill you in on the happenings of my last few days in Lima. Then, I won't blog any more!

Last Saturday night I took Diana and Daniel out for a meal to Chili's in Larcomar. We had a lovely meal and a great time together. I am very appreciative of the kindness they've shown me these past 3 months and of the sacrifices they've made to have me in their home. I ate those wonderful fajita quesadillas in Chili's; I eat them every time I go to that restaurant. Creature of habit. :-)

And Monday night was the graduation of the 5th years from Colegio San Andres. It was a loooooong meeting, but it was nicely done. There were 55 graduates, and they wore the San Andres caps and gowns. It took long enough with 55 graduates...just as well there weren't 350+ like there were in my high school graduation...groan. Lots of prize givings and speeches and this, that and the next thing. But it was good to see it, and I wish them all the best.

My farewells weren't too sad, as I will be returning to Lima in January.

At the moment, though, I am enjoying being at home with my family and spending time with Benjamin. My friend Hannah arrived today to spend the next 10 days with us. We're planning a trip to NYC next week! Yay!

Happy Christmas!

Chili's!!! With Daniel and Diana.

La Promocion 2011

Catriona and myself after the graduation

Back in the States

Just wanted to let you know that I arrived safely back in Carlisle, PA, in the early hours of Wednesday morning. I am very happy to be back at home with Mum and Dad and Caitriona (who arrived the day before me from Glasgow) and Benjamin. :-)

I won't be blogging during the hols unless I have anything really important to say! So, here's hoping you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year, celebrating the birth of our Saviour.

Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano Nuevo!

4 days to go...

I am only 4 days short of completing my first spell in Peru. It's hard to believe it's here already, and that's partly because the weather is so hot and un-December-like. But the time has also gone quite slowly, and I'm very ready to go home for Christmas. I'll have about 4 weeks to enjoy an English-speaking environment (albeit American English...oh well...can't have everything, can we?!) and all the wonderful things about being in my house with my family and piano and familiar food. :-)

The students have not had classes this week, although some of them have been in for various prize givings and meetings and resit exams. Since I am not a teacher, I don't have all the paperwork that the others have to complete; but I've been given some odd jobs to do in the past few days. Today I was sneezing my way through the English library books, arranging and making a catalogue of all the copies.

I've also been getting lots of Christmas shopping done. In one way, it's quite easy this year because everyone is just getting something Peruvian! But I still manage to hum and haw over every little thing and do the typically Scottish 'well, I'll think about it' response to the incessant advances of the eager shopkeepers. There are so many lovely things that I would love to bring to people, but I need to keep my space and weight limits in mind. I saw a massive toy llama with real fur in one little shop this afternoon...it's SO soft...beautiful! But it would've cost a lot of money. And taken up a seat of its own on the plane. Oh well.

Last Friday and last night the choir performed some Christmas pieces - at school and then in Larcomar (the really nice and posh place with shops and food court by the coast). There is so much stress in trying to get the group all organised and sounding nice, especially in a culture where organisation and time-keeping are not priorities. I do all the panicking for the whole group. :-) I won't say any more about it...

On Tuesday Rachel and I joined the 5th year trip to a camp place, just for the day. We sat by the pool and attempted a safe and mosquito-repelling sunbathe. Hmm. It didn't work. I'm still bright white. We went in the pool (yes, an outdoor pool - 12 days before Christmas!!!) and played in the park and took photos of the beautiful flowers that were blooming. I am no gardening expert, but I can certainly appreciate the amazingly rich variety of flowers and colours that make Peru even more attractive. I'll put up some pictures, and if you can identify the plants please comment!

Jodie left Peru on Wednesday to return to Aberdeen. I have enjoyed spending time with her and having another person to talk to about all the newness and differences that we've experienced lately. It will be cool to meet up with her when I return to the Granite City next September. Catriona and Rachel are leaving on the same day as I am, although we're going to different continents! We're all looking forward to seeing family and friends again. In our last staff prayer meeting on Monday we volunteers were presented with some gifts from the school as a thank you for our work in the past months. The people here are so kind, and I will miss working alongside them.

Now, it's after midnight. I haven't eaten since lunchtime. I think I'll make some porridge... Night night!

Jodie, me, Rachel at our English department farewell 'do'

Jodie and me when we went out to eat before Jodie left - Rachel straightened my hair for the occasion!

Enjoying the roundabout at Koricancha Camp

Pretty flowers at the camp - name?

Aren't these hedges so cool?! They're shapes!!!

Well...more pretty flowers! Name?

An exquisitely beautiful orange flower. Name?

Tomorrow is the last day of school!

I can't believe I'm at this point already. Tomorrow is the last day of school - well, for the children, anyway. I will most likely have to be in a bit next week to help with end of year stuff. The summer holidays are almost here! And so is Christmas... It's just so odd!

Another odd thing is that today was a national holiday and a day off school! The day before the last day of school! It's been feeling like a Saturday, but I still have to go back into school tomorrow. I had a rehearsal with the choir and band this morning because we have our Christmas/end of year concert tomorrow evening. A lot of the kids didn't appear for the rehearsal, and as I predicted, it didn't start on time. Sometimes this lateness really annoys me, and it certainly did today, after I'd made an effort to come into school on a day off.

The choir here is not technically a class; it's more of a 'club' or activity, although the students do still receive a mark for it. I suppose I have such high standards after the brilliant choir director I had in high school and the great opportunities I've had then and since to be in good music groups. My patience has been put to the test here because there are differences in the outworking of the definition of 'choir' and 'learning music'. I want to expect much more from the students, but there is such a different approach to how they learn music and the purpose of their singing together. It is exasperating sometimes; I will just have to get used to it....

I will be playing the piano for some of the pieces tomorrow night, which I'm looking forward to. It has been a while since I've done that.

It's less than two weeks till I go to the States for Christmas!!!! I can't wait!!!! Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Photos from Saturday

Here are the photos I wanted to post from Saturday's activities - the trip to the centre of Lima and MC's baby shower. Enjoy!

La Plaza de Armas

Peru's goverment buildings behind me

La Plaza de San Martin

Outside a really posh and expensive hotel. I don't really look like I belong in there...

The lovely ladies at MC's baby shower

Erick and MC opening their gifts

With Diana at the baby shower

December in Lima: Let it shine!

While all my family and friends are having to wrap up warmly these cold December days, I am enjoying the heat and sun of Peru! Ha ha ha. Yesterday (Saturday) was especially hot, and I had a great morning with Diana in the centre of Lima. She took me to some market places where things are really cheap, and I bought some Christmas presents. Then we walked through the old historical part of the city before getting a bus home. We went to the Plaza de Armas, where there are the cathedral and government buildings, and then through the Plaza de San Martin, where there are other important buildings and a statue to Peru's liberator San Martin. I'd like to return in the next couple of weeks and do a little more exploring because we didn't have time on Saturday to go into the cathedral or spend much time in the beautiful surroundings. It's all quite European-looking - I suppose that's because of the influence of the Spanish conquerors. It all looked great in the bright sunshine and a lot nicer than the dingy crowded markets I'd just come from... The markets were crazy! People everywhere! And the most random things being sold left, right and centre! I don't know how to describe it... There were lots of floors full of tiny stalls and tiny shops packed full of goods to be sold, people squeezing through asking about prices (most stuff didn't have a price written on it), so much noise and heat. Aaaaaah!!! It's quite an experience and definitely what one imagines a far-away poor country's city market to be like. If it weren't such a stupid idea to take out a nice digital camera in there, I'd have taken some photos for you. But I am not up for someone nicking my camera.

In the evening we invaded the Baileys' home for a surprise baby shower for MC. We just had a small group of ladies from the school - mostly English department or primary teachers. MC didn't suspect a thing, and she was very pleasantly surprised! She and Erick got lots of lovely things in neutral colours. There was great banter and lots of good food. What a happy combination!

*There has been a problem uploading photos tonight. I'll try to add some in the next day or two.

23 things for which I'm thankful

Since Thanksgiving was just celebrated last week in the USA, I've been thinking about being thankful. I thought it would be a good exercise for me to write down many things I'm thankful for in my life here in Peru. It's sometimes easy to focus on the difficulties and differences and to spend time complaining about how things aren't how I do things. So here is a list of 23 things for which I am giving thanks to the Lord - some are more serious than others!

I am thankful that the Lord hears my prayers and is with me at every moment.
I am thankful that I live in a safe apartment with people who care about my well being.
I am thankful for a Christian school environment in which to get some teaching experience.
I am thankful for the Baileys and for their concern and care and provision of amazing Sunday lunches.
I am thankful for the other English teachers and volunteers who are good company and an encouragement.
I am thankful for an opportunity to use my music skills in the classroom and for the two very pleasant music teachers I can work with.
I am thankful for the snack kiosk, my free coffee every morning, and the good meals that are provided at school - and the care the kitchen staff take over my egg allergy.
I am thankful that I can walk home from school.
I am thankful that Rachel and Jodie don't live far away, that there is a Starbucks near them, that I can get fresh milk in the Vivanda (a shop) near them, and that there is a bus service that goes from their house to near mine.
I am thankful for those children who give me big hugs and show me affection.
I am thankful to have a mobile phone to use here and internet access in the house.
I am thankful for the foods I can eat here and the availability of some things familiar to me.
I am thankful for a chance to see whether teaching is for me and a chance to work with children.
I am thankful that I'm growing in my knowledge of Spanish and my confidence to use it.
I am thankful for MC and Erick and for the care they take of me, making sure I get to church safely with them and inviting me to their house.
I am thankful for a small church that preaches the true gospel and for the friendly members there.
I am thankful for the infrequency of the times I feel unwell due to the food and water.
I am thankful for a growth in independence which allows me to get a bus by myself, walk to the little supermarket nearby, and not have to wait at school for Diana.
I am thankful that my accommodation costs are covered by the school and that I have a monthly allowance to keep me going on daily necessities.
I am thankful to be living near a main road (Salaverry) and near an important landmark (the hospital) - this is important for bus services.
I am thankful that I haven't found it impossible to get up each morning at an early hour.
I am thankful that the shower is not stone cold anymore.
I am thankful for a comfy bed and for the good sleep I've been enjoying.

Pachacutec: Christmas come early

Today a group of us from Colegio San Andres went to a part of the city (about 1 and 1/2 hours from the school...it's on the outskirts) called Pachacutec. It's a very poor area. The housing is basic, and the only attractive thing about the place is its position on the coast. There are dogs covered in fleas wandering around, and the roads aren't necessarily paved. It's so desert-like too.

There is a small Presbyterian church in this district, and it was to the children of this church's Sunday School that we were giving gifts. Of course, there are often children who come to these San Andres visits who are not associated with the church - they just want the presents! - but there was a good group of children of all ages waiting for us when we arrived.

The 4th and 5th year prefects in secondary, the chaplain Juan Jose, another teacher Carlos, the Baileys, Jodie and myself were those who went on the trip. The students had prepared a short programme, with quiz, games and a play. They did really well, and the children were full of energy and excitement. Then the school chaplain Pastor Juan Jose gave a brief message about the Christmas story and about how God does miracles and changes people's lives. After all these activities, the children were called out one by one to receive their Christmas gift.

The gifts were toys and clothes that had been donated by San Andres children, parents, teachers and volunteers. They were all wrapped in Christmas paper, which made it even more exciting! The children opened their presents as soon as they got them - who would wait?!

It was lovely to see their reactions and have an opportunity to talk to them and give them a cuddle. Some of them are in such sad circumstances and have some problems that most children would have seen to immediately. As much as I loved going there and being with them, it was very sobering. It makes my complaints about a lukewarm shower seem so petty. It's good to have something like that to put my life and comforts in perspective. Please pray for these children and their families. Pray also for the church there, that it would have a good influence in that area.

From the bus, on the journey upwards to Pachacutec. Basic housing in the desert.

The Pachacutec children, waiting for their Christmas presents!

With a sweet little girl called Darma.

The San Andres students who presented a programme for the children.

Little Stefanie was thrilled with her baby doll!

Our group outside the church.

Hooray for Starbucks!

One of the best things about being a student in Aberdeen is meeting up with friends and having FCYA meetings and YF committee meetings at little cafes and tea shops like the ones on campus and Kilau. I miss that soooooo much! I can't wait to see you all again, my dear Aberdonians!

Anyway, what I was going to say is that I am happy that there is a Starbucks just down the road from where Rachel and Jodie stay! We've been...a few times... :-) Chocolate caliente, anyone? Or a frappuccino? Yummm.... It's not very Peruvian. Actually, when I walk into Starbucks I feel like I'm walking into the USA or UK. It looks exactly the same as at home.

I can't believe that Christmas is coming so soon. It's November the 23rd already! (And Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends for tomorrow!) It's so un-Christmas-y here, in terms of weather and all that. I was in a department shop earlier this evening, and on the ground floor there were bikinis galore, while just a floor above were the Christmas tree decorations and toy snowmen holding 'Let it snow!' signs. It's rather amusing!

In Starbucks last week, the background music was a jazzy collection of British/American Christmas songs, including 'Let it snow!' I laughed out loud at the words 'Oh the weather outside is frightful' and then 'How I hate going out in the snow'... It's almost summertime here! It's just so weird...

On a rather different note, please remember in your prayers a trip this Friday to a far-away part of the city called Pachacutec. It's a very poor area, and a few of us from the school (older students and helpers) are going out there to distribute presents to children. Jodie and I went toy shopping after school today; it's been a while since I've done that, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I got a little doll for a girl and a ball for a boy, and Jodie bought PlayDoh. Children at school have been donating toys too, so we should have a happy collection of Christmas presents for the Pachacutec kids. Pray that we will have good opportunities for service on Friday and that the Lord will bless the people we meet.

Jodie and myself in Starbucks a couple of months ago :-)

There is a hope

Just wanted to share this song with you all. It's quickly becoming one of my favourites, and after the ups and downs of the past few weeks it has become special to me.

THERE IS A HOPE that burns within my heart,
That gives me strength for every passing day;
A glimpse of glory now revealed in meagre part,
Yet drives all doubt away:
I stand in Christ, with sins forgiven;
And Christ in me, the hope of heaven!
My highest calling and my deepest joy,
To make His will my home.

There is a hope that lifts my weary head,
A consolation strong against despair,
That when the world has plunged me in its deepest pit,
I find the Saviour there!
Through present sufferings, future's fear,
He whispers 'courage' in my ear.
For I am safe in everlasting arms,
And they will lead me home.

There is a hope that stands the test of time,
That lifts my eyes beyond the beckoning grave,
To see the matchless beauty of a day divine
When I behold His face!
When sufferings cease and sorrows die,
And every longing satisfied.
Then joy unspeakable will flood my soul,
For I am truly home.

Stuart Townend & Mark Edwards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCQj5zU6PPI

Art History Presentation

I've just woken up from a nap...ah... I was up quite late last night because I was preparing a presentation for today. My leaving it to the last minute, but still getting it done, will be no surprise to those of you knew me throughout high school and uni! :-) Some things never change...

On my first day of school, back in September, I was introduced to the art teacher Mariano. I mentioned to him that I enjoyed studying art history in my senior year and then at university for two years. He asked me then to give a short presentation to some of his secondary students on a topic of art history that I really enjoyed. Inwardly I was thinking, 'Oh dear oh dear oh dear,' but I just smiled and said, 'Si!'

A few weeks ago he mentioned it to me again, and we fixed today as the date. I spent about 6 hours in the past few nights preparing a 30-minute talk with a PowerPoint of photos. My subject was cathedral arquitecture during the transitional period between Romanesque and Gothic, with my two main examples being Durham Cathedral and St Denis. It's an area on which I've written more than a couple of essays and done extra reading and research, and I also find it really interesting. I love visiting cathedrals and ancient churches.

The main problem with giving this presentation was that I had to do it in Spanish!!! I wrote out a complete script for myself because I was scared to go up and then go blank! All the technical terms of arquitecture were difficult to translate, but I got through it in the end.

What was discouraging was the pupils' lack of attention and rude behaviour. They whispered and laughed among themselves during my entire presentation, although they were old enough to know to stop that. I found that very difficult to deal with and felt that from a teaching point of view my spending 6 hours in preparation had been a waste of time. Some of their behaviour is cultural, but I don't know how to distinguish between the talkative cultural part and plain disrespect. To me, it all seems like disrespect. Needless to say, I was rather discouraged by the end of my presentation.

However, there are some positive sides to it, of which some of my fellow Scottish volunteers were kind enough to remind me: I got great practice for my Spanish in preparing a long oral presentation, I got to review a subject that interests me, and the art teacher appreciated it. Also, he gave me a thank you card with a painting he had done himself on the front. It's wonderful! I've attached a photo below. It's called 'Mujer Mochica' ('Mochica Woman'; apparently, Mochica is an ancient Peruvian civilisation), and I'm thrilled to have it. Mariano is a lovely older man (he's been at the school longer than any other teacher...40-something years!), and I'm glad that I got to do something for him even if the students weren't so cultured in their appreciation for art and history... ;-)

'Mujer Mochica' by Mariano Lint

DISASTER at the school function

Last night gave me sufficient material for a dramatic blog post! Every year the parents of San Andres students give a gift to the school, and this year it was a stage for use on the patio outside. It was a grand looking stage, all decorated in blue and white, and a programme of choir performances had been planned for yesterday evening. Our own school choirs and a few other choirs from schools and groups in Lima were invited to sing on the new stage as it was gifted to the school. I was there to help direct the other choirs to their rooms, etc.

At 5 o'clock, an hour before the programme was due to start (although it's always doubtful that Peruvian things will start on time), we were getting our San Andres children ready for a rehearsal on the stage. They climbed up onto the new stage and were standing on the risers for the next 45 minutes or so. As they started to descend, just before 6, to get properly lined up inside, a large section of this brand-new stage collapsed, taking children and risers with it. It was a rather panicked time, as people ran to get the children out and stop other instruments and large speakers from falling into the hole too.

Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt. A few of the little ones were very upset, understandably, but no one had more than grazes and bruises.

So much for the wonderful new school stage.

The whole thing had to be swiftly moved indoors to the auditorium. The school janitors and security men worked so well at extricating the risers and fallen drums and moving everything else to the much safer stage inside. It was mayhem for a while, and the concert started almost an hour late. But everyone was just so thankful that no one was badly injured and that it had happened during a rehearsal and not during the actual concert.

The programme went smoothly after that, and all the groups sang well. I was trying to keep a group of 2nd graders quiet at the back of the hall - not easy! They'd had a long day and were just simply not interested in the choirs... I was trying to encourage one little girl to listen to the music because it was really good, but she said, 'But Miss, there isn't any music; they're just singing.' Ummm...haha... I was really tired when I got in last night, after all that stress and a busy week. Hooray for the weekend!



Children climbing onto the stage for the rehearsal, just a little while before it collapsed



One of the 1st grade teachers, Silvana, and me

The San Andres Choir in its new performance location

Pachacamac School Trip

Last night Diana mentioned that Daniel was going on a school trip today, and as there was space for another chaperone, I went along to the Pachacamac Archeological Site with the second years. It is to the south of Lima, at the coast. It looks very desert-like and it's hot! Unlike other ancient sites like Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, we couldn't walk in the most of the sites themselves - only in the roads beside them. Not all of them are Inca ruins; other groups of people who lived before the Incas built some temples and cities. The Templo del Sol is the highest part and is Inca; it faces the sea (where the sunset can be seen) and the large rocks just off the coast (which are significant in an Inca legend). There isn't as much to see there as there is in the other places I've visited recently, but it was an interesting trip. I was glad to have this last-minute opportunity to see another ancient Peruvian site.

Templo del Sol in the background and my group of San Andres students in the foreground

Interesting ancient pyramid (trapezoidal)

From the Templo del Sol, looking out into the Pacific Ocean

On the way down back into the desert!

A beautiful collection of exotic plants

Recent Events

Many of you probably heard of the earthquake that happened in Peru last week. It was felt in Lima, but there wasn't any damage done here. In fact, I didn't even feel it!! Jodie and I were leaving a class at the time, and suddenly the alarm bell went off and everyone was running towards the playground. They take it all very seriously here, but there wasn't anything to worry about, thankfully.

On Saturday morning I went to the opera in the Museo de la Nacion. One of the school music teachers, Jorge, sings with the National Choir, and they were performing an opera of Hansel and Gretel. Jorge gave me two free tickets - brilliant! Ruth Bailey came with me, and we really enjoyed it. It was aimed at a younger audience, so there were lots of children in attendance. Hansel was a mezzosoprano and the witch was a man, but apart from these 'oddities' and the fact that all the singing was in Spanish, I thought it was super. After the opera, the Baileys took me to the Jockey Plaza, a big shopping centre, where we ate at the American restaurant Chili's! One of my favourite restaurants! And, being a creature of habit, I chose the same thing from the menu that I would have chosen in Carlisle! Yummm...

On Monday night I was at another theatre performance, but this time it was a school production. As a kind of counter-Halloween, the school put on an evangelistic play/musical, Celebrando a Jesus. The play and the music was mostly written by the school's own staff, and both students and teachers took part. That was really nice, and its uniqueness made it all the more worth seeing. It was an enjoyable evening at school, and the gospel was presented clearly to many parents and friends who might not necessarily be believers.

Tuesday was a day off school! I can't remember why there was a holiday, but it was great to get a day off. I spent the day relaxing and meeting up with Rachel and Jodie.

Today has been English Day at school. It was a morning of English-teaching activities with an animal theme for the Kinder and 1st grade students. We have spent quite a lot of time this week preparing for it. I was with two Kinder classes first thing in the morning, and we were learning the names of a lion and a parrot. I had made animal masks for them to colour in and wear, and they really enjoyed that. Later in the morning I was working with one of the 1st grade classes, and we made puppets on lollipop sticks and then a mini book with the pictures of mother and baby animals - duck and duckling, dog and puppy, cat and kitten, horse and foal. The kids are adorable; it's great fun interacting with them and getting all those hugs and kisses! :-)

I can't believe it's November already. I arrived here 6 weeks today, and it's just about that amount of time until I return to the States for Christmas. Overall, I am happy to be here in Peru. The difficulties of a culture change are to be expected, and I'm still figuring out many things and getting used to the lifestyle. You can pray that I will be given the strength and grace to overlook the small inconveniences and to remain positive in all the challenges that I face, linguistically and culturally. No one ever said that Lima would be just like Aberdeen or Darlington or Carlisle, so why should I expect it to be like them?!

Meal times and food

It is taking me a while to get used to some of the different customs of Peruvian life, especially meal times. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, and teatime could be as late as 9 or half 9 at night. At the weekends, lunch will be later in the afternoon, but because I'm working in a school 5 days a week, lunch is midday. That's a long time to go between meals! It's been throwing my blood sugar scores a bit, and I feel a need to snack more often.

I usually have cereal for breakfast, and anyone who's ever lived with me will know how much of a cereal fan I am! In the supermarkets you can buy many of the same brands of cereals - like Kellogg's Corn Flakes and Special K and Fruit Loops and Nesquik. They're more expensive than the other cereals, of course. I'm trying to make the cereal in the house last, although sometimes I just buy my own box to save Diana from having to restock too often.

But MILK! Ah, milk is an interesting topic here. No joke, there are aisles full of tins of evaporated and condensed milk in the shops! I've never seen so much shelf space given over to tins of evaporated milk! There are also lots of cardboard cartons of UHT or soya milk or other such stuff. In the fridge section, there are a few kinds of bagged milk. Yes, milk in a little plastic bag. (It's awfully messy to pour, believe me!). Fresh milk (something that seems so normal to those of us who live in the UK or USA) is hard to come by. When I first arrived in Peru and moved into Diana's flat, she gave me a tin of evaporated milk for my cereal. I was shocked and horrified. Haha...I had to dilute it with water, and cereal eating was not its usual pleasant experience. Circumstances improved, though, and I got some bagged milk. Yesterday I bought my own fresh milk for the first time! Yippeeee! I'm still using evaporated milk for my tea and coffee, though. It's funny how some little things that would normally not be an issue at home suddenly become so important to you. I'm really looking forward to being able to nip down to Tesco to get my 2 pints of semi-skimmed for 89p when I return to Aberdeen...!

How can I go any further without mentioning rice?! It's eaten with just about everything. I was once given a plate of chicken nuggets and chips...and rice. And dishes with potatoes...have rice. Lots of starchy carbs. If you had a 3 course meal, you could potentially have rice in all 3 courses: rice in the soup, a large portion of rice with the main course, and rice pudding (arroz con leche) for dessert. I have yet to find someone who cooks brown rice or a substitute like cous cous or bulgar wheat; it's all white rice. They have a knack for cooking it well here, and it's a good thing I like rice!

I have had the opportunity to try a few new dishes, especially Peruvian favourites. Pollo a la brasa is just cooked chicken (cooked on one of those sticks that turns around) with chips; MC and Eric took me to a restaurant recently that did absolutely spectacular chicken. Salads are often a few pieces of lettuce, a few pieces of carrot or cucumber (which is much bigger here), and avocado and beetroot. For years Mum has been trying to get me to eat and like avocado, and the good news is, Mum, that I am learning to eat it a little here! Not love it, but eat it. :-) Diana made a Peruvian soup for me once, which had what looked like a chicken drumstick floating in the middle and a few small pieces of veg. It was tasty. I went to a restaurant with Catriona MacD and a few others before going to Cuzco, and I was pretty much forced to try the famous anticucho de corazon (cow's heart). Hm. Yeah. I won't be eating that again. I honestly did try to swallow it, but I was unsuccessful. Someone got a hold of my camera while I was trying it, and you can enjoy the photos below...

There are many other foods that I have tried, and the names are escaping me right now. There are also some things that are just part of a normal diet for me. It's interesting to see how many brands are familiar in the supermarket. Ritz crackers and Oreos are two that immediately come to mind.

Rejoice with me that I found porridge yesterday! Well, it's not proper porridge, but it's close enough. I had it this morning for breakfast, and it cheered me up. :-) This topic of food is one example of how many things we can take for granted at home and how much we have to be thankful for - the Lord provides.

Pollo a la brasa and a salad

Catriona's sister Joan and I with the anticucho

Tentative first bite

Oh dear, I don't think she's too keen on it...

Yep, I'm afraid it's going to have to come out!

Test your knowledge on Scotland!

One of the other volunteers, a West Lothian lassie called Rachel, and I had great fun and lots of laughter in writing this 'Test your knowledge on Scotland' quiz today! Rachel was having a class of primary children learn things about Scotland, so we thought this quiz would be a good starting point.

Have a go yourself, if you wish! Family and friends in Scotland: enjoy!! :-)

1. What is the capital city?
    a) Aberdeen
    b) Glasgow
    c) Edinburgh
    d) Stirling

2. What countries are near Scotland?
    a) England, Wales, Ireland
    b) Peru, Wales, Morocco
    c) England, Greece, Ireland
    d) Wales, India, France

3. What language do the Scottish speak?
    a) Spanish
    b) English
    c) Scottish
    d) German

4. What colours are the flag?
    a) blue, red, white
    b) yellow, blue
    c) blue, white
    d) red, blue

5. What is the name of the famous Scottish outfit for a man?
    a) haggis
    b) kilt
    c) tunic
    d) clogs
    e) Irn Bru

6. Which drink is famous in Scotland?
    a) Coca Cola
    b) Irn Bru
    c) Inca Kola
    d) Sprite

7. Which of these is a Scottish football team?
    a) Manchester United
    b) Chelsea Football Club
    c) Hibernian Football Club
    d) Liverpool Football Club

8. Which of these is NOT a popular sport in Scotland?
    a) football
    b) baseball
    c) rugby
    d) shinty

9. What is the famous musical instrument of Scotland?
    a) recorder
    b) banjo
    c) panpipes
    d) bagpipes

Scottish Slang: What do you think the correct English is for these Scottish words? Circle...
1. Tatties - potatoes   popcorn    turnips
2. Neeps - frogs    turnips    sleep/siesta
3. Numpty - boiled egg    tool    silly person
4. Breichs - lake    trousers    boots
5. Loch - bagpipe    lake    look
6. Dinnae - don't    type of boat    type of money
7. Aye - no    yes    maybe

Since Benjamin asked...

Here are a few other photos of yours truly on the trip to Cuzco and Machu Picchu... ;-)

We're getting back into the rhythm of school again. This is the last term of the academic year for the students and teachers, so things will be getting wrapped up in the next few weeks. I've had a few classes in the past couple of days - mostly reading classes with 4th and 5th graders.

Tomorrow lunchtime I'll be teaching a Bible lesson to any 4th graders who wish to attend. Catriona MacD usually does the Scripture Union class, but she asked me to do it tomorrow. We'll be talking about forgiving people who are treat us badly, for we have been forgiven greatly by the Lord. It only lasts about 15 minutes, and it will be completely in Spanish. I'd appreciate your prayers in leading this, but more importantly pray for the students who will attend.

'Could we bear from one another what He daily bears from us? Yet our glorious Friend and Brother loves us though we treat Him thus: Though for good we render ill, He accounts us brethren still.' - John Newton

Caterpillar kebab, anyone? Haha, not. It's just corn on a toothpick...

Cute little lamb!

I don't know why I just want to laugh every time I see this photo...

Cuzco and Machu Picchu!

This week has been the October school holiday, so Jodie and I planned a sight-seeing trip south to Cuzco and Machu Picchu. We left on Monday and returned to Lima yesterday. If there is one thing that was constantly on my mind when I was away it was that this is an amazing world that only God could have designed and created. The scenery of the towering Andes Mountains is just breathtaking, and no pictures are able to capture it well enough.

On Monday, Jodie and I arrived in Cuzco and did a little exploring of the main Plaza de Armas. We found a little cafe in the evening where I ordered a hot chocolate. It was a great drink, but what I thought was a chocolate log sticking up in the drink was actually just a log... We weren't quite sure what to make of this piece of wood, but I'm sure the chew marks on it must have amused the waitress when she cleared up after us. :-)

Tuesday was a Cuzco day. Most of the little stands and shops are aimed at the tourists, so we looked at plenty of bags and nic-nacs and handmade goods. We also visited the cathedral. It was interesting to see lots of women wearing the traditional outfit and carrying their children or their goods on their backs. If you wanted to take a photo with them or of them, they wanted you to give them some money. The shopkeepers were so desperate to sell us things that by the end of the day we were tired of hearing 'Senorita, senorita' all the time.

We joined a tour group on Wednesday morning for a trip out of Cuzco into the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We visited the Inca ruins at Pisac and Ollantaytambo and made a few other stops for food and photos and visiting the Pisac village market. The setting of these Inca sites was impressive. They built on mountains for security (from enemies and from the effects of earthquakes), so the views from the sites are amazing. There was quite a lot of walking and climbing stairs involved in visiting these places, and because they are at a high altitude we were often out of breath. Jodie and I left the tour group at Ollantaytambo so that we could spend the night there in a hostal and go to Machu Picchu the following day. Our hostal was very basic, and unfortunately we had eaten something that disagreed with us. I was in so much pain and was up a lot of the night. Even the next day I was feeling a bit queasy and didn't eat very much. I'm much better now, thankfully!

On Thursday we got a PeruRail train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. The train is quite slow compared to most passenger trains, but it meant that we could enjoy the scenery much more. At Aguas Calientes, we joined the hordes of people getting on buses. The bus took us up the side of the mountain to the location of the famous Machu Picchu Inca site. Amazing! The Inca city itself is so impressive in its use of space and the various architectural skills and knowledge of astronomy that the Incas employed. But what I think is even more impressive is simply its setting in the mountains. Machu Picchu is the name of the mountain on which the city is located, and the sides of the mountain are steep. All around are even taller mountains and huge drops into the Urubamba Valley below. It's difficult to describe - you'll have to go and see for yourself! We got a long tour through the city, learning about the Incas' religion, their astronomy, the latest theories on what their life was like, the discovery of their sacred city by Hiram Bingham, the architecture, etc. It is all very fascinating, and I only wish I had been feeling better to appreciate it more.

We got an evening train back to Cuzco and stayed in another hostal before flying back to Lima on Friday. It was a super trip, and I could hardly have spent an academic year in Peru without visiting the country's most famous spot! On the plane yesterday, I was again amazed at the views of the mountains and then the coast from the air. We live in a beautiful world.

Psalm 8:3, 4. Psalm 24:1. Psalm 65. Psalm 104.

Cuzco - Plaza de Armas

The hot chocolate...with a stick in it?

Women in traditional dress with child on back, lamb in a blanket, llama at side.



View from the Inca site at Pisac.




I'm sure he said 'Hola' to someone else, but I couldn't get anything out of him. Disappointing!



The town of Ollantaytambo.

Inca work at Ollantaytambo.



Jodie and me enjoying the sun at Machu Picchu.



The famous viewpoint on Machu Picchu.

Looking down onto the temple. This temple has great significance in astronomy because of its marking the June and December solstices. 

A panorama shot of Machu Picchu in its amazing setting.