Ahhh back to the ¨lab¨it is, a term used with a love/hate taste in my mouth.
The lab is a 5 minute walk from my house.
It has 30 delapitated computers with equally slow internet and functioning abilities
it is dark and smells like an after school day camp;
a haven for screaming peruvian ninos playing juegos and taunting:
¨POLLO!!! POLLO POLLLLOOOO!!!¨
I am right in the middle of all the action,
My blood pressure has no choice but to rise
as if a bullet will fly through the window at any second
or hands clasp hard on my shoulders
The lab is where I go to write, unwind the mind, and type..
I guess sometimes it´s a small world, and all we can do is share.
a photo, for reference:
West Wall 5:30 pm
!=indicates the screamers
ñ=the stand behind and watchers
¿= me
(X ) (X! ) (X !) (X!!)ñ (*¿*) (X!!!)ñ (X !)( X)ñ( X!)(X)
Ah okay, well, I´m going to try and get something done anyways. I really must tell you about all the charactars I have met this week, but I really don´t think I can do them justice at this time. I will say that I find myself really settling in around here, finding a flow, getting the hang of things, communicating more effectively, not having cabbies try to rip me off at every turn.. etc.
I experienced real Cuzco nightlife for the first time since I´ve been here on Saturday. My friends Thomas and Mia that´d I´d met in Lima were back from a 5 day jungle macchupicchu excursion and reuniting was as if we were old friends. Mia has a sense of humor like mine, expect tweeked more..swedish? and it was like a huge dose of revitalization to laugh with her... like snot nosed lose control excuse yourself kind of laughter. Perfect. I´m going out to dinner with them in an hour or so and that´ll be goodbye. Until of course the Europa travels begin.
Being comfortable being alone has really benifited me on this trip. Besides the Swedes and some folks at school I´ve been befriending mostly locals and truly feel like my Spanish is being taken to a new level. Yesterday I was hackeysackin at the Plaza and a new friend approached me as if my skill was our sacred bond. (hes a juggler, of course. and a artiste de muchas cosas,he informs me). He´s the first true jungle-Peruvian I´ve met (the name of exactly where escapes me but it´s near to Iquitos.) He´s also the first person I´ve met that I´ve suddenly wanted to draw versus write about, which I found interesting. We climbed to a high corner of the city where we were accompanied by 3 adorable little girls and of course, a llama. When it started to downpour, we went to his house, which was only a room with cement walls and two thin mattresses on the floor. There I met his brother, and for the whole time we hung out I spoke probably 3 words of English, and it wasn´t because we weren´t conversing. It was awesome to be able to say so much and be understood so well, as well as ask questions and be interested in responses (because hey, i actually get it!). When I started speaking English much later it was like suddenly snapping out of a different world. Truly amazing.
I´ve also been meeting with Oskar, a 65 year old traveling musician playwright. We are currently working on translating one of his scripts to English, with intention of possibly getting it to the US. It´s really interesting (especially because the play is actually quite good) and fun to work through with a dictionary (no, not google translate- have I mentioned the internet?) and try to keep the original meaning and artistic intent intact. I think it´s definitely something Im going to start getting more into, both here and back home. I would like to find a bookstore here, especially as I´ve gotten a couple recommendations for spanish speaking poets, writers, etc.
My time here is winding down, and it looks like rain. Until next time
xo KM
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Mi Familia y mas
I was greeted to my new home with warm hugs and a hot meal.
My temporary mama Rossa is extremely lovely, as is my broha Martin(17). They don´t speak much english--Rossa vritually none. Virtually? Does that make sense? Ah well, practically none. So that´s been really fun and is a great learning experience. I love Martin and have such a good time with him. He speaks a little English and is a great assest in helping me learn. He gives me crap sometimes, well, most of the time, but I am so grateful for his patience and his willingness to help me out, look over my homework, etc.
There are also 3 other students living here; Alana and Austin, 2 girls from California that came with a group and are attending a different school, and Richard from Germany who goes to Amauta with me but is staying for 5 months. We´re all pretty close in age, but I´m the oldest in the house.
I have a nice private room and am able to hang my clothes in a closet and put my socks in drawers, which is soo nice and makes me feel like, yeah, wow, this is my house. We all have our own set of keys and come and go as we please. We get two meals a day, which for me is generally desayuno (breaky) and ceña (din-din). We eat a lot of rice and a lot a chicken. Surprise? It´s all good and I haven´t had something I haven´t liked yet.
Classes are pretty good, and a little (kind of a lot) challenging. The first day was kind of like a oh crap feeling, but I´m definitely catching on pretty quick. Áfter a placement test the first day they put me in an Intermediate level group with 4 or 5 other students. People are always coming and going, so it´s my understanding the the group is a little different every week depending on people´s travel agendas. I´m in classes for 4 hours a day which doesn´t seem like a lot, but when it´s all at one go it gets to be pretty darn long. But yeah.. it´s good, the profs are good, the students are fun, everyone is there because they want to be and that makes a big difference. The only semi- negative thing how far it is away from the school. It takes me 35-40 minutes to get there on foot, or is 3 soles (like 1.50ish) by cab. The walk is interesting with lots to see along the way, and has got to be some darn good exercise, but yeah some days it seems longer than others... (when you´re running a little late, for example).
I don´t hang out all to much at the school right now, but that´ll probably change in the following weeks. Sometimes it feels a bit clostraphobic to be around so many nice people in one space. Is that weird? Obviously most of them are awesome, but it´s fun to stroll around and meet with the locals too. (I feel like that sentence was a pretty obivous statement?) I brought a hackey sac to the Plaza de Armas (the main square) and that was a huge hit with some of the young vendor boys.
Well, my time with the computer is just about up, but I´m feeling like I´ve pretty well gotten this thing up to date. I mean, minus all the stuff that has happened this past week... ay ay ay. But yeah, good. Now I can hook you up with more of my present than my past. And the future...oh boy the future!
Take care, be well, and mucho amor
xo Kait
My temporary mama Rossa is extremely lovely, as is my broha Martin(17). They don´t speak much english--Rossa vritually none. Virtually? Does that make sense? Ah well, practically none. So that´s been really fun and is a great learning experience. I love Martin and have such a good time with him. He speaks a little English and is a great assest in helping me learn. He gives me crap sometimes, well, most of the time, but I am so grateful for his patience and his willingness to help me out, look over my homework, etc.
There are also 3 other students living here; Alana and Austin, 2 girls from California that came with a group and are attending a different school, and Richard from Germany who goes to Amauta with me but is staying for 5 months. We´re all pretty close in age, but I´m the oldest in the house.
I have a nice private room and am able to hang my clothes in a closet and put my socks in drawers, which is soo nice and makes me feel like, yeah, wow, this is my house. We all have our own set of keys and come and go as we please. We get two meals a day, which for me is generally desayuno (breaky) and ceña (din-din). We eat a lot of rice and a lot a chicken. Surprise? It´s all good and I haven´t had something I haven´t liked yet.
Classes are pretty good, and a little (kind of a lot) challenging. The first day was kind of like a oh crap feeling, but I´m definitely catching on pretty quick. Áfter a placement test the first day they put me in an Intermediate level group with 4 or 5 other students. People are always coming and going, so it´s my understanding the the group is a little different every week depending on people´s travel agendas. I´m in classes for 4 hours a day which doesn´t seem like a lot, but when it´s all at one go it gets to be pretty darn long. But yeah.. it´s good, the profs are good, the students are fun, everyone is there because they want to be and that makes a big difference. The only semi- negative thing how far it is away from the school. It takes me 35-40 minutes to get there on foot, or is 3 soles (like 1.50ish) by cab. The walk is interesting with lots to see along the way, and has got to be some darn good exercise, but yeah some days it seems longer than others... (when you´re running a little late, for example).
I don´t hang out all to much at the school right now, but that´ll probably change in the following weeks. Sometimes it feels a bit clostraphobic to be around so many nice people in one space. Is that weird? Obviously most of them are awesome, but it´s fun to stroll around and meet with the locals too. (I feel like that sentence was a pretty obivous statement?) I brought a hackey sac to the Plaza de Armas (the main square) and that was a huge hit with some of the young vendor boys.
Well, my time with the computer is just about up, but I´m feeling like I´ve pretty well gotten this thing up to date. I mean, minus all the stuff that has happened this past week... ay ay ay. But yeah, good. Now I can hook you up with more of my present than my past. And the future...oh boy the future!
Take care, be well, and mucho amor
xo Kait
Sunday 0812 Bus to Cuzco
Looking back at the journal entries I wrote on the long bus trip from Lima to Cuzco there really isn´t too much worth sharing. Although it was a decently long journey I was really tired and sort of on the verge of feeling car- excuse me, bus-sick.
I went with the company Cruz Del Sur and I´d recommend them to anyone thinking about taking the bus around South America. Mostly because the seats were comfortable I guess. You could recline almost to a laying position with a leg cushion and everything. Life is sweet, no? All the services were in Spanish, so of course there were times I had no clue what was going on. It wasn´t really an issue though, I mean, I had a pretty good idea of what was going to happen...We played Bingo, and I was very excited to actually win for once ¨Ah! BINGO!! Si!¨flashing the service light and the whole nine yards. Turns out we were playing Blackout...whoops
The trip was supposed to take 21 hours but a rock slide about 2 hours from Cuzco made for a 5 hour delay. So, yeah, that got a little long. Especially because nobody ever informed us with anything about the situation or had an idea of how much longer we would be sitting there. Just a lot of waiting around. But the view was pretty? So that was a plus...
Some fragmented bits I had written that day:
----------------------------------------------------
We drive mountain roads through clouds
up and up
white on all four sides
acension into the unknown
but make no mistake,
I know what awaits me.
--------------------------------
So much of what we drove by looked like junk. Seeing people was like seeing a flash of life among the dead. What is all this stuff? Broken, empty, falling apart. So much and only that for miles and miles. Those tired skinny dogs I feared I´d see.
In the beginning there was vastnass of desert. Piles and piles of sand and in the distance the mighty Pacific crashing and roaring silently from behind thick glass. Then again from nowhere--flashes of life. Tents of brightly colored inflatable goods--toys, palm trees, floatie rings... who oh who will buy these things? I imagine they´ve got to be hot in there.
------------------------------------------------
Drift to sleep...more sand...and small strange shelters along the roadside. Flags with heads of aliens, Peruvian scrawl, a graffitti skulll and crossbones. Danger?
Who lives here?
If I smiled, would they smile back?
I went with the company Cruz Del Sur and I´d recommend them to anyone thinking about taking the bus around South America. Mostly because the seats were comfortable I guess. You could recline almost to a laying position with a leg cushion and everything. Life is sweet, no? All the services were in Spanish, so of course there were times I had no clue what was going on. It wasn´t really an issue though, I mean, I had a pretty good idea of what was going to happen...We played Bingo, and I was very excited to actually win for once ¨Ah! BINGO!! Si!¨flashing the service light and the whole nine yards. Turns out we were playing Blackout...whoops
The trip was supposed to take 21 hours but a rock slide about 2 hours from Cuzco made for a 5 hour delay. So, yeah, that got a little long. Especially because nobody ever informed us with anything about the situation or had an idea of how much longer we would be sitting there. Just a lot of waiting around. But the view was pretty? So that was a plus...
Some fragmented bits I had written that day:
----------------------------------------------------
We drive mountain roads through clouds
up and up
white on all four sides
acension into the unknown
but make no mistake,
I know what awaits me.
--------------------------------
So much of what we drove by looked like junk. Seeing people was like seeing a flash of life among the dead. What is all this stuff? Broken, empty, falling apart. So much and only that for miles and miles. Those tired skinny dogs I feared I´d see.
In the beginning there was vastnass of desert. Piles and piles of sand and in the distance the mighty Pacific crashing and roaring silently from behind thick glass. Then again from nowhere--flashes of life. Tents of brightly colored inflatable goods--toys, palm trees, floatie rings... who oh who will buy these things? I imagine they´ve got to be hot in there.
------------------------------------------------
Drift to sleep...more sand...and small strange shelters along the roadside. Flags with heads of aliens, Peruvian scrawl, a graffitti skulll and crossbones. Danger?
Who lives here?
If I smiled, would they smile back?
Optimism in Bilbao 01/07/12
meditating in hotel rooms
honking cars like geese
fly in anxious circles
four stories below the sky
white light enlightenment
for now only flickers
awaiting rescue from a wall of mirrors
glowing softly
pink silken petals
honking cars like geese
fly in anxious circles
four stories below the sky
white light enlightenment
for now only flickers
awaiting rescue from a wall of mirrors
glowing softly
pink silken petals
Friday, January 13, 2012
Friday Jan 06 2012. Beach Swedes and Sweet Solitude
Woke up to a brand new day, and it was wonderful. I ended up having breakfast with Thomas and Mia, two Swedish amigos. After the typical coffee and toast chit chat, it was clear that we were going to be friends. I´m so glad I met them early on, it really was a boost to my sola travler spirits.
We decided to wander the four blocks to the beach to explore. It was beeeautiful. After the sort of overall negative things we´d heard about Lima it was an excellent surprise--rocky beaches and steep green cliffs, huge crashing whitecaps and views for miles. The beach was covered in bronzed surfers, men and women alike, and others like us who were content with sitting and taking it all in. The sun was blazing and inescapable, and despite my best sunscreen efforts I´m already burnt. Se la vie.
Backpack strapped tight and dripping with sweat I said goodbye to the Swedes with a happy heart and plans to meet up when they get to Cuzco a few days after me.
Which, speaking of, I tried to get my bus ticket today as planned, to find there were no seats left. I´ll have to go tomorrow, which may make me late for the ´meet and greet´at school, but is by no means the end of the world. At the very least I had a very charming broken spanish conversation with a young man at the bus station that only further fueled my happy go lucky attitude. Yeah, I think I could really get into this travel business...
I ended up splurging on a cheap hotel directly across from the station to avoid lugging my bags around, more taxis, and a cramped hot hostel. IT HAS BEEN FANTASTIC and worth every single sole. The best shower, comfy private bed, and space to sprawl out and get my stuff together. Room service with lots of free perks including a ´welcome to Peru´ Pisco Sour. Most excellent. I am much more relaxed and prepared for the journey tomorrow. I feel like I´m in a good headspace and am able to think on my feet and make decisions without regrets, knowing that either way it´s all gona be good. So..hurrah for that!
Many people I´ve encounted have been surprised that I´m traveling alone. ¨Sola? Sola?! Porque?!¨
ONE ANSWER: PARA UNA ADVENTURA DE LA ALMA
for an adventure of the soul
XO KM
We decided to wander the four blocks to the beach to explore. It was beeeautiful. After the sort of overall negative things we´d heard about Lima it was an excellent surprise--rocky beaches and steep green cliffs, huge crashing whitecaps and views for miles. The beach was covered in bronzed surfers, men and women alike, and others like us who were content with sitting and taking it all in. The sun was blazing and inescapable, and despite my best sunscreen efforts I´m already burnt. Se la vie.
Backpack strapped tight and dripping with sweat I said goodbye to the Swedes with a happy heart and plans to meet up when they get to Cuzco a few days after me.
Which, speaking of, I tried to get my bus ticket today as planned, to find there were no seats left. I´ll have to go tomorrow, which may make me late for the ´meet and greet´at school, but is by no means the end of the world. At the very least I had a very charming broken spanish conversation with a young man at the bus station that only further fueled my happy go lucky attitude. Yeah, I think I could really get into this travel business...
I ended up splurging on a cheap hotel directly across from the station to avoid lugging my bags around, more taxis, and a cramped hot hostel. IT HAS BEEN FANTASTIC and worth every single sole. The best shower, comfy private bed, and space to sprawl out and get my stuff together. Room service with lots of free perks including a ´welcome to Peru´ Pisco Sour. Most excellent. I am much more relaxed and prepared for the journey tomorrow. I feel like I´m in a good headspace and am able to think on my feet and make decisions without regrets, knowing that either way it´s all gona be good. So..hurrah for that!
Many people I´ve encounted have been surprised that I´m traveling alone. ¨Sola? Sola?! Porque?!¨
ONE ANSWER: PARA UNA ADVENTURA DE LA ALMA
for an adventure of the soul
XO KM
Jan 05 2012 Top Bunk Condor´s House
Made it to the hostel in Lima. First impression: HOT and kind of stinky. Or maybe that was just me. The reception hambre showed me to my room, a door tucked right behind a table of young people drinking and shouting in Spanish.
I was so looking forward to finally reaching a safe haven--some oasis from the airports and planes and walking with heavy bags. But alas--a sweaty room with stacked beds and my bag load times 4 of my fellow travlers equally heavy packs of hiking boots and dirty clothes.
Oh well, this is the dirt huh? Bring it on.
I´ve now got a bottle of water and a hot shower in me and despite my seemingly ongoing headache I´m feeling good and optimistic..I think.
I really want to get the motion part over and get into the settling down (well, you know what I mean) So I can relax a bit, and stretch out to better absorb the things around me. Very much looking forward to moving in with my new Peruvian family.
Had a pretty lively interaction with the cab driver on the way over here...fell into practicing my Spanish pretty darn quick. It´s fun to be forced to remember it and to have to explain things differently to try to reach an understanding but man, I can also see how it could get pretty frustrating. I´m going to try and sleep, big day tomorrow.
Challenges: learn to accept the weight I carry and handle it. I can totally do it. I am strong.
Language, an obvious initial barrier
Stand up for myself even though everything seems big and I seem small
Oraganization!
Don´t worry...you´ve got everything you need.
xo Kait
I was so looking forward to finally reaching a safe haven--some oasis from the airports and planes and walking with heavy bags. But alas--a sweaty room with stacked beds and my bag load times 4 of my fellow travlers equally heavy packs of hiking boots and dirty clothes.
Oh well, this is the dirt huh? Bring it on.
I´ve now got a bottle of water and a hot shower in me and despite my seemingly ongoing headache I´m feeling good and optimistic..I think.
I really want to get the motion part over and get into the settling down (well, you know what I mean) So I can relax a bit, and stretch out to better absorb the things around me. Very much looking forward to moving in with my new Peruvian family.
Had a pretty lively interaction with the cab driver on the way over here...fell into practicing my Spanish pretty darn quick. It´s fun to be forced to remember it and to have to explain things differently to try to reach an understanding but man, I can also see how it could get pretty frustrating. I´m going to try and sleep, big day tomorrow.
Challenges: learn to accept the weight I carry and handle it. I can totally do it. I am strong.
Language, an obvious initial barrier
Stand up for myself even though everything seems big and I seem small
Oraganization!
Don´t worry...you´ve got everything you need.
xo Kait
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Jan 05/12 Big Day Travel Day
9:15 Awaiting Take Off
Well, here we go, slowly rolling backwards into our take off taxi position.
I feel exhausted and the day has just begun. Was up until 2am packing/repàcking/organizing/reorganizing and wine drinking. I can´t tell if I don´t feel well or if it´s just the nerves making my stomach touchy. Either way, I guess it doesn´t matter much. We´re picking up speed...
Saying goodbye to Alan was hard, but it feels good to love someone so much in such a feel- good genuine way. We are parting ways to both do our own adventures/travels etc. and will be nice to be stimulated in those way. What a great guy that one...
I´m already missing Rob and Josh too. I really am so glad to have met them, and just thinking of these past five days brings a smile to my face. I think it partly boils down to loving the feeling of loving others--and not in a saintly Gosh, I love everyone! kind of way, but connecting with people whose company you truly love and enjoy...man, that´s gota be one of the most spectacular heart bursting feelings in life. So ecited, but just feel so tired. Ahh here we go...
Speed
Acension
Eyes closed
Eyes wide open
Deep breath
Take Off.
xo KM
Well, here we go, slowly rolling backwards into our take off taxi position.
I feel exhausted and the day has just begun. Was up until 2am packing/repàcking/organizing/reorganizing and wine drinking. I can´t tell if I don´t feel well or if it´s just the nerves making my stomach touchy. Either way, I guess it doesn´t matter much. We´re picking up speed...
Saying goodbye to Alan was hard, but it feels good to love someone so much in such a feel- good genuine way. We are parting ways to both do our own adventures/travels etc. and will be nice to be stimulated in those way. What a great guy that one...
I´m already missing Rob and Josh too. I really am so glad to have met them, and just thinking of these past five days brings a smile to my face. I think it partly boils down to loving the feeling of loving others--and not in a saintly Gosh, I love everyone! kind of way, but connecting with people whose company you truly love and enjoy...man, that´s gota be one of the most spectacular heart bursting feelings in life. So ecited, but just feel so tired. Ahh here we go...
Speed
Acension
Eyes closed
Eyes wide open
Deep breath
Take Off.
xo KM
Thursday, January 5, 2012
made it thus far
here safe and sound. no time to write, but for those of you who worry here{s my way of letting you know. hope you get it. handwritten entries to be transcribed later. 20 hour bus ride tomorrow. love you all.
love peru.
talk soon
kait
love peru.
talk soon
kait
Monday, January 2, 2012
j'aime FRANGLISH
An attempt to write in a house full of people noise stimulation. Suppose that's something I best be getting used to before I begin the quest of busy airport planes busses hostel dorms and public transit.
I'm spending my last few days in the USA at Alan's place in Minneapolis. Some of his 'AWKD' snowskate homies from Quebec are also visiting to collect footage for different videos/blogs/marketing etc. So it's a bit of a snowskate party..minus an abundance of snow. This lack is a bit of a struggle to make things work, but I guess that's how it goes and why they make the 'big bucks' ..or something. All in all it has been a real pleasure getting to know them and spending time with Alan. They are all a ton of fun to be around and are all talented and interesting human beings. Which are much better than the other kind... In anticipation for my trip, my current frenchie speaking surroundings and my native english tongue, I'm contemplating declaring Franglish as my new language of choice.
New Years eve was fun and we got a bit of Montreal-ian culture drinking flaming 'de gaz d' avion' or plane gas and playing with sparklers in the freshly fallen permanently-temporary snow. I have a great feeling of knowing that 2012 is going to be an absolutely fantastic and positively life changing year. Be prepared for greatness, for it is then that great things will happen.
Somebody could have said that once, right?
I'm ever-thinking about my trip South, but am also trying to stay present--without getting too worried about any one thing...or everything at once. There are a couple of loose ends hanging around that I'm doing my best to take care of but are also out of my control. Mi tareja credito has yet to come, y no tengo informacion de mi hostel en Lima para mi primer noche en Peru. It's a bit tricky to have to rely on email to these places with the phone being long distance but se la vie, it'll work out.
It still seems a bit surreal, but time as always continues to somehow move onward. Minneapolis is serving as a good transition zone from home life to road life, and I am grateful to be surrounded by love and new friends. I simply must remember to breathe, and not taken a second for granted.
KM
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)