Buenos Dias de Peru!

So this is my first post from Peru, which is pretty exciting (and that also means it will be a long one)! I'm sorry it has taken several days, for those of you who are loyal bloggers, but it took a few days for my internet to get set up and I've been writing lots of emails since. I definitely realized in those first few days just how dependent I am on the internet.. it's pretty pathetic actually! I never could have made it as a missionary 15 years ago...

Anyway, I've been here about 4 days now and I'm still alive and well! The first day was definitely a little overwhelming, but I'm actually starting to feel more comfortable here already, which is very encouraging. My experiences have been pretty good overall.. entertaining for sure, definitely humbling, but also exciting. I've been venturing out with my roommates to some local restaurants to try different Peruvian foods and I have LOVED everything I've tried so far. We found one place, San Antonios, which almost reminds me of Panera.. they have great sandwiches, salads, empanadas, breads, and pastries. I actually went there yesterday with my roommates for lunch and then again for breakfast this morning! And food is fairly cheap here.. less than $5 for a sandwich and drink. Here's me eating my first Peruvian dessert.. herraje de chantilly (or something like that!). It was fantastic, so now I know where to go when I'm having a rough day. For those of you who know my sweet tooth, you shouldn't be surprised that this is one of the first things I had to find.

This is what we have to do too all our fruits and veggies to wash them.. we have to soak them in this citric acid wash since they are basically grown in sewage water. Yes, this is my reminder that I live in a third world country.
My roommate Eden, and her sister Dale (who is visiting for this month), eating a new fruit.. I actually don't even remember the official name of this one because we've tried so many. So far my favorite is star fruit. 

I'm slowly becoming acclimated to the culture.. the bus system (which will take a LOT of practice to really feel confident because it's pretty chaotic here), buying groceries, finding my way to the local market, and learning where it is safe to go and at what time of the day. It's crazy though how the simplest things are so difficult and take so much time here. In fact, I'm still trying to figure out where to buy a hairdryer. This is when I just want a Target :( I'm working on my spanish, which is humbling, and still makes me nervous when I try to talk to someone, and especially when I answer the phone and can't understand a word! At least then they can't see the stupid look on my face. But I've learned a lot already in just a few days, so I feel pretty good about a lot of it. 

I'm staying in a house in a district of Lima called Magdalena del Mar, which is about a 20-25 minute bus ride from the school, which is in Miraflores. My house is on a side street off one of the busier streets, so it's close to catch a bus. Here are some pictures I took from a bridge that crosses over one of the main roads, Avenida Brasil, so you can get an idea of what the city looks like right where I am. Just living in a city, even in the States, would be an adjustment for me coming from little Doylestown, so this is definitely different! I'm also learning how to make it across the street alive here because pedestrians definitely do NOT have the right of way. 

And of course, I have to show you where I live because I LOVE my house. It has been such a blessing and it really makes me feel at home, which is wonderful. Here is my adorable room (yes mom, I already have dirty socks on the floor)

It's funny because I have SO much space in here, but I couldn't bring nearly enough stuff to fill it up! I also have a cute little balcony off of my room, so here's the view of the street from it.

AND, we have a roof, which is so Peruvian. Our "maid's quarters" are up there, with a room & bathroom, and washer & drier. This is where we will be banned to if we violate our house rules :) So this is the view from the roof..

I won't bore you with the pictures of every room in the house, but we have 3 bedrooms in the house, plus an office, and the room on the roof. So lastly, here is our living & dining room...

Well, this is an extremely long post, so I will save more for another day, but I will be sure to post all my cultural mistakes (mis errores culturales) of each week, so you can watch for those for a nice laugh. Thanks for all the prayers and encouragement so far. I am definitely feeling God's arms around me as I make so many adjustments here. It is a huge blessing!