Fuimos de compras!!

So last night was my first night out in the district of Barranco.  Barranco was pretty interesting, it is filled with night life and a lot of students go to that district to hang out at discotecas.  I had a lot of fun, but it was a long night!  One of my favorite parts of the night though was making new Peruvian 'acquaintances.'  I say acquaintances because obviously we just met, but I know that we could become friends very fast.  We met this group of Peruvians through a student, Mary Ellen, who studied here last semester.  Last night was Mary Ellen's last night in Peru so she had all her friends out with her.  It was wonderful getting to know a student who just studied here for a whole semester.  It was helpful, too, because she was able to give us tips about our upcoming semester.  It was also amazing that we got to meet all her Peruvian friends and I hope that I soon become friends with them, too.  It's also a great way to practice Spanish! :)
Today, I met up with two girls from my program and we went shopping around Parque Kennedy, which is only 5 or so blocks from my house.  Of course I bought a new pair of boots and a new long sleeve shirt!  I couldn't resist!  Plus, both will keep me warmer. :)  That's a good excuse, right?  Of course today was nice though.  I had my usual layers on, but I got really warm in them.  We went to some markets to that were filled with homemade crafts and things, but I didn't buy anything.  I do plan on going back there for a whole day sometime and going souvenir shopping though. :)  We also just walked around the park for a little while.  There's a Bicyclist fair going on this weekend so there were a bunch of bikes being sold, fixed, riden, etc.  Also, every Sunday they close one of the main roads so that people can ride their bikes, roller blade, skateboard, walk, etc.  Also, in the park there was a line of artists selling their paintings!  It was the coolest thing and if I could fit one on the plane I definitely would have bought something because they were gorgeous.  One guy was like, "This is canvas, you can take it off, roll it up, and then re-frame it in the states."  I considered it, but said no.  Of course I did get pictures of them so you could see how pretty some of the stuff was.

This is the line of paintings being sold in Parque Kennedy

    

I just thought this was amazing, because it was watercolor
and there was so much detail.  Watercolor is hard to work with.




This is the one that I really liked..there were quite a few that I
would've gotten if I had the money & a way to transport them.

 In the park, we were also entertained by a DJ who was playing different mixes which sounded really cool!  We also got to see an older lady break it down with another girl who was dancing to the music.  It was fun to watch and of course it was one of those things that just make you smile.

Tonight, some of us went to the cine (movie theater) to see "Harry Potter y las reliquias de la muerte parte 2."  I don't know about you, but that movie sounds like it would be in Spanish right?  Wrong!  I obviously saw Harry Potter before I left the states, but I was okay with seeing it again because it was a wonderful movie and I knew it would be more exciting for me in Spanish.  Unfortunately, rather than being dubbed, it was only subtitled.  I still enjoyed the movie, but the whole time I was wishing it was in Spanish.  Next time I'll have to make sure I go to a movie in Spanish.  However, I will say that I like seeing how they translate things in the subtitles.  And it especially made me giggle seeing "Sr. (Señor) Potter" for "Mr. Potter." :)  Tonight, I also had the chance to eat at Pizza Hut.  Tastes pretty much the same and for some reason the pizza americana here is ham pizza.  I love ham pizza, it's my favorite actually, but I don't know what gave Peruvians the impression that ham pizza is America's pizza.  If anything I would say pepperoni, rather than ham, but it's okay by me. :)

Finally, my address here is:

Las Dalias 205 Dpto 601
Miraflores
Lima 18, Peru

They say not to send any packages because they are expensive and there is a huge chance that they won't make it through customs.  If you want to spend money and risk it, that's alright by me, but just be aware if you send me a package and I don't receive it, that's why.