Hi all!

My first week in Peru has gone by. Things are going very smoothly. My family is great, I am learning lots of spanish, and everyone is very supportive here. Though I am starting to get a little frustrated with my spanish. It just is such a slow process, I am getting impacient. The other night, my family was talking about me at the dinner table, and I could really understand what they were saying. Thats a real downer. When someone talks about you when you are there, and you dont even know what they are saying! I wasnt feeling so great about my spanish, needless to say, but talking to other volunteers last night made me feel way better. They had similar experiences with their families. Some were worse. I am just going to have to get used to making a fool of myself. I dont really have that much time to myself as well. That was a big surprise. I am either at school, doing my homework from school, or talking to my family, trying to learn some more spanish. Its exhausting, engaging your brain the entire day. I always go to be around 10 and get up at 7. Though I am going to start working out with some other volunteers at 6 am. Thats kind of early. I'll have to see if they want to change it.

Last night I went out to tres de octubre, a town where some of the other volunteers live. They had a great cultural dace where they stood in lines. the men wore masks and had batons and big hats with plumes. the women wore colorful capes and lots and lots of gold jewlery. It was pretty cool. I got sick of the song the band was playing though. There were 15 saxophones playing the same rhythem over that over again. After that, there were a few bands singing on a pretty big stage, just like you would find in the US. Some people brought a baboo tower that they esembled during the concert. It was so intricate and detailed. I can't believe they put all that work into making it and then set it on fire. I think, but am not entirely sure, that it was supposed to represent the virgin mary or something religious like that. Peruvians are very religious.

Thats all of the stories I have for now! Enjoy!
Happy Travels,
Teigan