Why Not?

I've been back in Lima for 10 days now, and those days have been filled with all sorts of adventures, emotions, excitement and disappointment. So I'll try to get you all caught up.

I got here super early on Tuesday morning (last Tuesday, the 10th), went through customs without any problems whatsoever and got 183 days on my visa. (Which is exactly what I wanted) Then a very nice taxi driver (hired by CIEE) took me to my home in Surco and we had a very lovely conversation. It was nice to know that even after a month of not speaking Spanish I was able to hold an intelligent conversation with a native speaker. I called my home when we were on our way so that someone would be awake to unlock the door for me. Alfredo got up to let me in. I dragged all my stuff in, hugged Ruth and went to sleep for a few hours. In the afternoon I went over to la Católica for the volunteer meeting. And guess what happened? First time back on a micro and the peruvian time warp got me. The streets are even bigger of a mess than before and traffic is worse. I really didn't think it was possible to get worse, but it did. Oh well...thats just how it goes here in Lima. I spent the next few days going back and forth to la Católica doing some pre-registration stuff (side note: I was thinking of taking a class called History of Spanish I, but I am not able to. Want to know why? Apparently you have to know Latin to take that class. Hmm...where is Dr. Bird when you need him?) and trying to get to know the new group of students. I think I have all their names down. But I'm not positive. Its been kind of hard to get to know them because I came in after they had all gotten to know each other and I'm not taking the CIEE classes so I don't see them much. But they all seem like very cool people and I hope to get to know them better throughout the semester. Friday I called my mom at work because I think she was getting worried about me. On Saturday CIEE had a cultural activity - we visited an arqueological site called la Huaca Pucllana. Some wicked old ruins literally in the middle of the city of Lima. That was pretty cool. Then I went out for lunch with my friend Sam from Gordon. (Oh yeah, by the way there are two girls, Sam and Dani, from Gordon that are studying here this semester. Its so nice to have a friendly face down here and someone who understands where I'm coming from and someone that I can talk about Gordon stuff - people and professors - with.) Sunday I went to church with the Webers - a missionary couple that my home church in Peabody supports - and had lunch at their apartment afterwards. In the evening I was able to skype with my parents which was awesome. We even did the video skype and it was great to be able to "see" them sitting together, its almost like we weren't separated by thousands of miles. But it also made me a bit homesick.

Monday was the official star of classes at la Católica. I had a long list of classes to try out this week. Monday ended up being a very long and stressful day. I got home around 10:15 pm and had a bit of a breakdown. Everything seemed to happen all at once. But life goes on and I'm doing better. So this week was filled with going to classes and trying not to get stressed and overwhelmed by what is to come. I will *hopefully* be taking 4 classes, which really isn't all that much. I take 4 classes at Gordon and yes I have work to do, but it's never incredibly stressful. But here in Peru everything just seems 10 times as difficult. So I'm just trying to stay calm and make friends in my classes so that maybe they'll be willing to help me out if I start drowning. Next Monday (the 23rd) is registration day, so after that I'll have a set schedule and actually get down to business. I *hope* to be taking:

Linguistic Analisis

Themes of Contemporary Linguistics - (this semester's theme is Chomsky)

Amazonian Ethnography

Creative Writing Workshop

(3 out of the 4 are in facultad, aka upper level and intimidating)

So we'll see how that goes on Monday. In the meantime I'm doing the work for these classes, which is a lot of reading. I really enjoy the linguistics classes and only wish that I would speak up in class every once in a while. It's scary. I think about something to say, then I chicken out and don't say anything. Grrr. I frustrate myself. Then yesterday in Themes of Contemporary Linguistics we were discussing the reading (which I did and enjoyed). I saw that the professor was taking note of who was talking during the discussion and so I thought to myself, ok Abby, just say one thing today, just one, you can do that. So all class I was trying to find the right time to say something - anything. Sometimes I was planning out what to say in my head, then another student would step in and say what I was going to say - and in a more eloquent and intelligent way than I would have ever come up with. I don't know why I hesitate so much, I mean I am intelligent, I can discuss topics such as language competency and the innateness theory, but it's just so much more difficult in Spanish. I have all these ideas and thoughts but they are stuck in my head with no way of coming out in a way that even makes sense and doesn't sound completely ridiculous. So I really need to work on just putting myself out there and going for it. I mean what's the worst that will happen? I'll slip up and make a grammatical mistake? Big deal. The other students will think I'm stupid? Well I'm not. Or maybe, just maybe, they'll respect me more for trying. I sure hope it turns out to be the last option.

Yesterday afternoon after classes Amelia, Sam and I hopped on micro #28 to go to Amelia's house in Barranco. There we watched "10 Things I Hate About You" and had cheddar popcorn (not very good, but hard to stop eating). After the movie we ended up spending 3 hours in her kitchen just talking. And it felt good, refreshing almost. I'm so blessed to have good friends who I can just be around. I don't have to try, we can just sit (or stand) and talk for hours without running out of things to say. Its great.

So I'll leave you with some wise words from a song called "Why Not?" by (no I'm not ashamed to say it) Hillary Duff. Sometimes I enjoy a good blast from the past and right now I'm in need of some inspiration to step out and take a chance. So, why not?

So why not
Take a crazy chance?
Why not
Do a crazy dance?
If you lose a moment
You might lose a lot
So... why not?
Why not?

You always dress in yellow
When you want to dress in gold
Instead of listening to your heart
You do just what you're told

You keep waiting where you are
For what you'll never know
Let's just get in to your car
And go, baby go

Why not
Take a star from the sky?
Why not
Spread your wings and fly?
It might take a little
And it might take a lot
But... why not?
Why not?

So why not
Take a crazy chance?
Why not
Do a crazy dance?
If you lose a moment
You might lose a lot
So... why not?
Why not?