So what's happened in the last week and a half? Just getting settled into taking spanish classes, mostly. I just completed my second week of classes. While I'm definitely learning, it's frustrating to take on a new language when you just want to talk to everyone like you regualarly do in your native language. The point at which I start thinking in Spanish seems long away. Although, I do have the random thought in spanish. But I'm just going to work at it and hopefully it will take hold.
The big drama of the last couple of weeks comes from my aunt Maria Elisa. She doesn't like me to call her my aunt because we're actually the same age (she married my uncle Ricardo who's only 6 years older than me). Anyway, she had these two cats Jefferson and Jacinta, who were about a year old. About a month and a half ago she took them both into be fixed. Jefferson came back a bit woozy from the drug they used to knock him out. A week later he was dead.
When she took Jacinta home she thought everything was fine. But then they realized that when the doctor cut her tubes, he never checked to see if she was already pregnant, which, of course she was. And veterinarian was actually the vice-president of the veterinary school! So this poor cat carried these kittens to term, but when it was time for them to be born, they had nowhere to be born to, since Jacinta's tubes where already cut. Well, the cats were due last week and they took her into a much better veterinarian who operated on her and delivered four kittens. Unfortunately, Jacinta's poor little heart gave out on the operating table and she passed away.
This has left my aunt raising these orphan kittens (Jefferson was the father) on her own. They were so small that they one would easily fit within the palm of your hand. Poor Maria Elisa stayed up for the first five days feeding the little gatitas every hour and a half. Her room was turned into a kitten intensive care unit. We would all help out picking up these little critters and feeding them with a little baby bottle. They are so cute in a newborn kitten sort of way. Well the prognosis is good, although I just found out this morning that the kitten that didn't like to eat very much had passed away because of troubles with her digestive track. I'll send some pictures as soon as I get my technology set up.
Well, the weekend has come and I'm going out dancing with some of my classmates. There are so many clubs and bars in this town it's crazy. Like I said before, peruanos are hard drinkers, so I'm going to try my best to have a nice calm night out. But it is hard.
Hope everyone is doing well,
Tim
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Well, I've been here a week and getting used to Cusco life. What has happened in the last week? Not much. Basically, trying to get everything into a comfortable swing, but everything takes forever here. Still haven't got my hot shower working, the guy who came to check on a few handyman projects last week (including my shower), never turned up on Sunday when he said he would. Typical for Cusco, patience is something that you really have to learn here.
Soccer is a bit of a religion here, as you might imagine. Last Wednesday the local Cusco team was playing a match against a Columbian team. The city set up a big projection screen in one of the main plazas here. It was packed. I spent the game in a bar just above the plaza. The TV in the bar wasn't working for half the game but came on just in time for Cusco to score a GGGGGOOOOOAAAALLLL!!!!! We ended up winning the game and everyone went crazy. I drank and danced a little, but went home early because my uncle had to work at 4:30am.
I've decided to take on soccer as a viewing hobby. When in Cusco, do as the cusquenos do. Tomorrow is a big game with Peru battling Ecuador. Everyone seems to plan their lives around soccer. It is fun, it's a good thing I don't like to drink that much, or else I'd be off my rocker alot.
Yesterday was the start of my Spanish classes. I settled on a school on the Avenida del Sol called Academia Latinoamericana del Espanol. I'm getting into the habit of shcool and study. It's still frustrating, but with hard work, I'll be able to better express myself in the coming weeks.
Saturday night found me going out with my tio loco (crazy uncle) Ricardo. He's only 6 years older than me and has a very festive temperment, which makes him my most common companion. We went to his favorite bar and hung out with his friends: a river rafter, a bar owner, a lawyer and others. They were actually quite sad as one of their friends had killed himself on Wednesday over a woman. We drank for a while and then headed over to El Ritmo Latino to dance our blues away. I accidently spent 80 soles. Luckily that's only $23 with the currency exchange. The night ended at 5am. Cusco is a rocking little town.
I need to acquire a few pieces of technology here as I forgot my Memory Stick adapter (and thus cannot get photos off my camera) and I need to purchase a floppy disk/USB adapter, so I can write email at home and transport it to the Internet cafe, and then just copy and paste. It will save me time and money. As soon as I get that worked out, you'll hear from me on a more frequent basis.
I hope everyone is doing well in their respective endeavors.
Tim LaTorre, signing off.
Soccer is a bit of a religion here, as you might imagine. Last Wednesday the local Cusco team was playing a match against a Columbian team. The city set up a big projection screen in one of the main plazas here. It was packed. I spent the game in a bar just above the plaza. The TV in the bar wasn't working for half the game but came on just in time for Cusco to score a GGGGGOOOOOAAAALLLL!!!!! We ended up winning the game and everyone went crazy. I drank and danced a little, but went home early because my uncle had to work at 4:30am.
I've decided to take on soccer as a viewing hobby. When in Cusco, do as the cusquenos do. Tomorrow is a big game with Peru battling Ecuador. Everyone seems to plan their lives around soccer. It is fun, it's a good thing I don't like to drink that much, or else I'd be off my rocker alot.
Yesterday was the start of my Spanish classes. I settled on a school on the Avenida del Sol called Academia Latinoamericana del Espanol. I'm getting into the habit of shcool and study. It's still frustrating, but with hard work, I'll be able to better express myself in the coming weeks.
Saturday night found me going out with my tio loco (crazy uncle) Ricardo. He's only 6 years older than me and has a very festive temperment, which makes him my most common companion. We went to his favorite bar and hung out with his friends: a river rafter, a bar owner, a lawyer and others. They were actually quite sad as one of their friends had killed himself on Wednesday over a woman. We drank for a while and then headed over to El Ritmo Latino to dance our blues away. I accidently spent 80 soles. Luckily that's only $23 with the currency exchange. The night ended at 5am. Cusco is a rocking little town.
I need to acquire a few pieces of technology here as I forgot my Memory Stick adapter (and thus cannot get photos off my camera) and I need to purchase a floppy disk/USB adapter, so I can write email at home and transport it to the Internet cafe, and then just copy and paste. It will save me time and money. As soon as I get that worked out, you'll hear from me on a more frequent basis.
I hope everyone is doing well in their respective endeavors.
Tim LaTorre, signing off.
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
Well, I have finally commenced my life-long dream trip
and found myself living in Cuzco, Peru.
After a great gathering of friends on Saturday night
and a sad farewell with Sarah on Sunday night, I
touched down in Lima at 6:00am on Monday after an 8
hour flight. After breezing through customs and
waiting for 4 more hours, I caught my flight to Cuzco
at 11am.
Waiting for me were my uncle and grandfather, both
named Adolfo. As some of you know, I´m staying with
my family at the 5-bedroom house my parents bought in
the spring. Of course, this means that I´m living
with eight other family members: 2 grandparents, an
uncle, an aunt and 4 cousins. Being the guest, they
have given me the room that would be my parents, if
they were living there. It´s great because I have my
own bathroom, but I do feel a bit guilty that i have
the best digs in the house. But I´m not complaining
as that would be rude.
If any of you plan to visit, there are some
differences in everyday living from the States. My
least favorite is that you can´t put toilet paper in
the toilet as the plumbing systems here aren´t great.
There´s always a garbage next to the toilet where you
place used paper. A nice warm shower is also
difficult. Most houses here don´t have a central
water heater or any heating at all! You buy a
contraption that is both a shower head and a water
heater. Which means you have electric chord coming
into your shower. While it is above anything that
gets wet, it is a bit worrisome. Also, generally you
need to bundle up and have lots of blankets when you
sleep to brave the cold. These are small things that
I´ll easily get used to, but it is different.
Today I visited many Spanish language schools and
narrowed it down to 2: one that has a more homey and
social feel and one that seems academically more
rigorous. I have to decide which one to attend this
week and I´ll start my studies on Monday.
My social calendar is starting to fill up. This
weekend I´m going to go a town called Abancay with my
uncle Ricardo (who´s only 3 years older than me).
This town is where my parents met and fell in love oh
so many years ago.
My uncles are always wanting to hang out (especially
Ricardo), but my cousins are a bit wary of me because
of the language barrier. Hopefully, with hard work,
that will melt away soon.
Anyway, I thought I´d drop you all a line every so
often and let you know what´s up.
Tim
and found myself living in Cuzco, Peru.
After a great gathering of friends on Saturday night
and a sad farewell with Sarah on Sunday night, I
touched down in Lima at 6:00am on Monday after an 8
hour flight. After breezing through customs and
waiting for 4 more hours, I caught my flight to Cuzco
at 11am.
Waiting for me were my uncle and grandfather, both
named Adolfo. As some of you know, I´m staying with
my family at the 5-bedroom house my parents bought in
the spring. Of course, this means that I´m living
with eight other family members: 2 grandparents, an
uncle, an aunt and 4 cousins. Being the guest, they
have given me the room that would be my parents, if
they were living there. It´s great because I have my
own bathroom, but I do feel a bit guilty that i have
the best digs in the house. But I´m not complaining
as that would be rude.
If any of you plan to visit, there are some
differences in everyday living from the States. My
least favorite is that you can´t put toilet paper in
the toilet as the plumbing systems here aren´t great.
There´s always a garbage next to the toilet where you
place used paper. A nice warm shower is also
difficult. Most houses here don´t have a central
water heater or any heating at all! You buy a
contraption that is both a shower head and a water
heater. Which means you have electric chord coming
into your shower. While it is above anything that
gets wet, it is a bit worrisome. Also, generally you
need to bundle up and have lots of blankets when you
sleep to brave the cold. These are small things that
I´ll easily get used to, but it is different.
Today I visited many Spanish language schools and
narrowed it down to 2: one that has a more homey and
social feel and one that seems academically more
rigorous. I have to decide which one to attend this
week and I´ll start my studies on Monday.
My social calendar is starting to fill up. This
weekend I´m going to go a town called Abancay with my
uncle Ricardo (who´s only 3 years older than me).
This town is where my parents met and fell in love oh
so many years ago.
My uncles are always wanting to hang out (especially
Ricardo), but my cousins are a bit wary of me because
of the language barrier. Hopefully, with hard work,
that will melt away soon.
Anyway, I thought I´d drop you all a line every so
often and let you know what´s up.
Tim