Living with Pilar

So yesterday we flew to Lima, had lunch, then we anxiously awaited for our families to pick us up. We were so excited and all these ladies kept coming in, and all of them were so excited and happy. Pilar took a while to get there but Carlos had told us that she was 48, but turns out she is 62. She is divorced with 4 kids, which live in Italy, DC, and one in Lima I think, then one is mentally retarded and lives in a home somewhere. Pilar has been in the program for 10 years and also is a host mom in a program from Ohio. She had a girl living with her that left last week. So she is very experienced with students. There is a maid, Elizabeth, who we were told comes 2 days a week, Tuesday and Friday, but then she made us lunch today so I dont know, it confused. Pilar has cholestorol problems and also diabetes so she only eats certain things, but she says that she loves chocolate, which is a good thing because I brought her Koeze candy! Pilar knows a lot of english, she honeymooned in the US and has traveled a lot there, and has been to North Carolina. The apartment has a small kitchen, a living room, 2 bedrooms, and 2 baths. The rooms are fairly small, Kathryn and I share a room and a bathroom. It is like being in a museum because she has paintings and pottery everywhere, she is a painter. She took us and explained to us every picture she had hanging up. so it was like a museum tour. Our apartment is in a great location, near parks and near the ocean and near the main street of Miraflores, and near the church where we will be taking classes.

For dinner last night we had something like corn meal with spaghetti sauce on it, with some soup and an orange for dessert. Then breakfast was fresh bread that was delivered this morning, with marmelade. Then lunch we had something like a chicken fillet, with soup, and tomatoes and rice. It was really good. And an orange for dessert.

Pilar talks and talks and talks.. she doesnt stop. She is easy to understand so that is good, but I hope she gives us more of a chance to speak because we just listen to her talk. Haha. I do like her though, she is very nice. She forgot our names last night because one of her friends came over and was trying to introduce us. I dont think she cooks.. so I think Elizabeth will cook for us a lot, but I dont know becuase if she is only there for 2 days a week? we will see. She asked us all about what kinds of food we like and such.. so maybe she will cook for us.

The work load for classes is going to be hard because we have to cram in all the work into 16 days of class. I have class at 8am... which sucks! but then again I have been going to bed really early this whole trip.. I guess because of a lack of things to do. Lima is foggy every single day.. so its not very pretty. We are doing a tour of Lima on Wednesday with the group, so hopefully I will find some cool things to do.

Aimee good luck with chem.. how are you doing so far? I am proud of you for unplugging the internet. Thats the good thing about doing homework here.. we wont have any distractions like that! We only have 2 tests in one of my classes.. and I dont have the syllabus for the other but its prob the same.

Jimmy I knew you would be disappointed with no sweet and sour sauce.. and the meal was like 14 soles at Mcdonalds, so thats less than $5. funny story about the twins.

Yes John that was chico in the pic.. he is cute isnt he?