Hola de Lima! The time is really flying and is beginning to wind down…only three more weeks to go!
The last week was certainly an interesting one. It was only a four day week since Monday was a national holiday in Peru as the country celebrated the great Solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul. “But wait,” you’re thinking, “that’s a religious thing! A national holiday for a religious thing?” Absolutely! Of course here the Church and state are separate, but can you really ever separate yourself from the driving force of your life and culture?
Entonces, thanks to all who have been sending their well-wishes for my health and asking for updates. For those who haven’t: seriously? We’re moving through the various stages and types of sicknesses. We’ve had the food poisoning and the vomiting and “tummy issues” and the fevers and the body aches. Currently we’re in the midst of the common cold. The climate in Lima and I do not get along. It’s technically winter here as I’ve mentioned before so the weather is very sporadic. It is cloudy and misty in the morning and sunny and hot after school. Or it’s real sunny in the morning so I don’t wear a coat and then it’s windy and raining for the walk home. We’re also being impacted by El Nino which I first learned about in an episode of something on the Disney Channel when I was probably 9, and so it’s neat that I get to experience it in real life.
The common cold is just that: common. Everybody gets a good ol’ cold once or twice a year or so and there’s not usually anything special or alarming about it. But when you’re away, as I’ve been blabbing on about over the last 3 weeks, being sick absolutely sucks. Suddenly the sneeze that you write off at Mundelein becomes a sure sign of Cholera while living in Peru. Ryan, tranquiillllooooo. Who’d have guessed that even a sneeze could be scary? I’m just ready to be done being sick so I can get out there and enjoy the last few weeks.
To celebrate the fourth of July, we all took a trip a la Embajada de los Estados Unidos in Lima and, man, what a compound. That place is massive.
There was a friendly Peruvian soldier stationed out front who was clearly watching us very closely even though we were practically the only people on the block. Then we tried take a picture with the sign but we got a little close and we got yelled at. What a compound. What a gun that guy had. Makes you feel good to be an American, actually. In a weird way.
Anyway, after that we had a nice dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe – Lima where I had my PULLED PORK and COCA COLA YESS followed by a too-legit-to-quit BROWNIE SUNDAE. It was a perfect night.
And to top it off, Jimmy got interviewed for a university documentary regarding his views about posting ads for prostitution in the newspapers.
Now all’s well that ends well I suppose. Here’s hoping this cold takes a hike so I can get back out there and enjoy the time that remains.
Please keep me in your prayers and I would love to keep you in mine.
In Christ,
RA