Observations

The summer rainy season has officially begun in Peru; as a result, snow has returned to the mountains, everything has become more colorful, and the city is a bit less dusty. The beginning of the rainy season also heralds the end of school and many people are heading to the beach for the summer.  Everyone tells us the city will be less crowded in January and February but for now it is total mayhem due to the holidays.  Last night we took a taxi to the closing ceremony for Hannah's gymnastics program and what is normally a fifteen minute ride took over an hour due to the traffic.

Speaking of ceremonies, we have been very busy with all kinds of year-end activities. The girls had final exams at school which was quite a long haul but they both did very well. Then of course came all the various parties, closing events and holiday festivities.

December is also a big birthday month for us.  We organized a birthday celebration at the girls' school but  since parents are not allowed into the classrooms, we only got to hear about it.  Not wanting to be left out, we also held small party at home and the girls invited a few close friends.  Hanukkah was celebrated with a homemade menorah and potato latkes and Christmas will be spent with some friends.

The end of the school year also marked the beginning of what the kid's call "Mommy and Daddy School."  We are trying to home school the girls to help them get ready for the next academic year in Peru and the USA. We have done a few fun projects, including a marble track which is still a work-in-progress. The I-Pad has come in handy as there are many excellent educational apps when one of the "teachers" gets frustrated.  Don't worry, our summer break will not be all work and no joy. We are planning on travelling to the countryside before our visit to the United States in January; we also hope to visit Northern Peru in February. Everyone is looking forward to these upcoming adventures and a MUCH needed break from Mommy and Daddy School.

As part of our home schooling efforts we asked Emma and Hannah to practice their writing by sharing some observations about Peru.

Emma

• People in Peru are very creative with Christmas decorations.  I have seen Santa on a ladder and "Santa stop here" signs.
• I have never seen a lawn mower in Peru.  I have only seen alpacas and llamas eating grass.
• The Peruvians speak differently than Nicaraguans.  They still speak Spanish but many words are different. For example, if I say "mecate" (rope) people do not understand me but if I say "cuerda" they do.
• Almost everybody in Peru has bread for breakfast.  When we go to the bread store in the morning there are always lots of people there.
• Almost everybody in Arequipa goes to private school.  There are hardly any public schools.

Hannah

• I like my school because I have lots of friends there.
• I like to sing at school with my music teacher.
• I like the people in Peru because they are very good people.
• My gymnasium in Arequipa is very good because I am learning lots of things.
• The food in Peru is very good, my favorite is tallarin (noodles).

The adults will add a few observations to the list:

• There is a constant struggle over small change in Peru; if you buy something for 9 soles and give the store a 10 sol bill, they still ask if you have exact change.
• Like much of the world lines mean nothing in Peru and unless you are vigilant about getting to the front, you never will.  However, if you are really rich you can apparently walk to the front of whatever line you want.
• Peruvians hate lines but love rules.  Conformity seems to be rampant so it is very exciting when we see folks dressing or acting outside the norm.
• Once you get to know most Peruvians, they treat you like family; our friends always invite us to their celebrations and shower us with warmth and affection.
• There is no such thing as bad food in Peru (unless you go to KFC).

Well, those are all the observations we have for now.  It is has been an absolutely wonderful year and we are looking forward to 2012 with great anticipation.  We hope you all have a lovely holiday season.