aerosmith

I love these girls. Last week we practiced Aerosmith songs to prepare for the Aerosmith concert on Saturday night in Lima. Some of my students from different classes traveled to Lima to see them. So we practiced lots of especially "don't wanna miss a thing" which by the way Aerosmith, NOT COOL that you DIDN'T play it. NOT COOL. When you go to a foreign country to sing your music, artists should send a playlist ahead of them so that ESL students can practice the appropriate songs. 


Also not cool that you weren't very polite to my friends that traveled all the way to Lima to see you, along with all the other people in the crowd. I think the newspaper must have been misguided or told to praise you for your performance, but I heard what really went down. That for your encore you only played one song and then you didn't even say goodbye. Or if you said good bye it was short and not sweet and not heard. That no one knew you were actually finished until the lights came on and the speakers were being taken down. Again, not cool. Or polite. And it's been said that Bon Jovi was nicer. And Metallica cooler. I wasn't there but I'm just sayin'. 




*I don't usually get like that on here but... I was really excited for my students that worked so hard to go to the concert and sing the songs they worked on and loved! And disappointed that they came back home disappointed. 

fresas and avocados

Today the clinic where Julton works took the day to travel off on an adventure to spend time together. I'm not sure how it went because Julton isn't home yet to tell me about it. I had been planning to go with them but as I told a friend last night... then we prayed that I would get more work.... then I did. So, I was a working lady today while Julton was off on his adventure. And tonight I have kept myself company while he is on his way back by reading too many food blogs, listening to A LOT of Maria Taylor and making a delicious smoothie. And now I will share it with you while I am inspired by all the food blogs I've spent my time tonight watching.

1. A little Milk

2. A handful of Strawberries

3. One frozen Banana

4. A teeeeny bit of Sugar

5. 1/4 of an Avocado

But seriously, an avocado.

I've heard about adding avocado to smoothies before... but could never get myself to commit. I jumped at throwing spinach in my smoothie... but for some reason stayed clear of the avocado version. I think it's partly because I was afraid of it and mostly because I like avocados too much, and could simply eat the 1/4 chunk of avocado whole instead of risking spoiling it.

But today I took the risk. And I recommend that you do too! It makes the smoothie super creamy. Delicious. 

And like I mentioned before I'm spending the night listening to Maria Taylor. LOVE her. I don't listen to her much when Julton is home (like most of my music) because he finds her tunes a little depressing. We'll have to wait until she makes a salsa or jungle folklore record for him to listen with me. hmm. I can't find a link so that you can listen to my new favorite song of hers, off her new album that was recently released... but there is a link where you can download her song, for free! So just go ahead and download it. Thank you Saddle Creek Records.

You can find a Paste article and also the link to download here: Maria Taylor: Bad Idea?

She's touring right now! You have to go if you live in a city that she is coming to. Gillian Baikie, I am talking to you!!!!   October 28 – Denver, Colo. @ Hi Dive Please go and tell her that she has a fan living in Peru that can't wait to come see her play live again!

Note: I don't always agree with the direction of her lyrics. But I still love her, and her music.

By the way Julton just arrived... explaining that he milked a cow today!!!

Juice

We have a favorite cafe. And they don't sell coffee. Juices. Every kind of juice possible, and its beautiful. And quite tasty. And only 2 blocks from our front door. Perfect.

We used to sit in this place all the time drinking juices and eating sandwiches with friends... then we realized almost every one of those friends have moved to Lima or the US. And also that it had been A YEAR since we had possibly stepped foot inside the door. Pathetic. 

So we started that tradition back up again. Even though we still miss our friends. You know how there are some ( a lot) of things that you can make at home that taste just as good as, if not better than you buy in the restaurant ? This is not the case. I don't think it would matter if the barrista came to our home and threw the fruits in the blender in our kitchen, it would still taste better there. They've recently expanded and redecorated their menu with lots of fun nutritional facts about fruits. And they've got a TV where we can watch Al Fondo Hay Sitio. A Peruvian television show,er, soap opera. That nearly everyone in Peru watches. 

El Guapo

Source: etsy.com via Julie on Pinterest

Something about this plate makes something inside me childishly giggle. I would like to be it's owner one day. And after reading the description from the etsy page...

El Guapo, the handsome one, is one fine form. He swears the one hour styling his hair before each plate smashing tournament is time well spent. He remains undefeated!

Yep, still childishly giggling. 

Some sugar for a honeybee

Supermarkets.
Open air Markets.
Bodegas
Mini Markets
Street side stands.
Carts being pushed through the neighborhood.
Wheel boroughs being pushed through the neighborhood.




There are lots of shopping options. I might even be forgetting a few. I think the weirdest seller I've seen around town is the couple that comes by about once a month. First you hear their megaphone sounding from the park, a block down the street. Then a few minutes later you hear the megaphone quite loud and clear right outside your window. Because they are right outside your window. On the street corner, with a huge pyramid of toilet paper packages. And no my first thought is not, wow that IS cheap! (that's the second thought) It is actually "hooowww did they move ALL of that toilet paper down the block so fast!" There's no cart around, just a man and a woman and a pyramid of 2 pack and 4 pack TP. And I find myself imagining some kind of line of people down the street tossing packs of toilet paper like it is some kind of party congo line but with TP, down the block to the next corner. 


No joke, I can't count how many times this has happen since we've lived on this block... on two hands anymore. And I still don't know how they do it. It's killing me.


What else is killing me is the fact that the honey I was so excited to buy (and at such a bargain price!), turns out to possibly be mixed with something else, too. Or the bees were fed sugar? Which is the theory my mother-in-law has. Or the honey was mixed with sugar water? Anyway something shady happen. Because the lovely honey I bought a week ago is now a solid mass and quite frankly not even that scrapeable. And no its not that cold. The ants that always seem to find their way back into our kitchen when the sun peaks through the clouds, don't even care for it. 


Boo.  The guy that sold it to me was so nice, too. But I guess they always are, aren't they?


Oh well, I'll just listen to one of my new favorite songs that cheers me up. Because what doesn't cheer a person up like someone singing over and over to you in a super cheery voice "Everything is going to be okay" A friend of mine here shared it with me when she knew I was stressed and anxious about an upcoming meeting. Result? I sat singing the song through the meeting :) She's a great friend.

some come. some go. some stay.

Some students come and go. 

Some students disappear and you never see again.

Some students you lose touch with and three years later happen to bump into them on a busy city center street. While there is a clown directing traffic and yelling at you for stopping in the middle of the road. Clowns just don't get the wonder of running into someone you were sure you would never again see in your life. **

Then there are also some students you could write an entire book about. 

I've been lucky enough to teach several of those. 

The kind that make it not so hard to wake up to teach an 8 am class, when you aren't a morning person.

These are the kinds of students that know your mother and grandmother on a first name basis, and call them on skype with you to sing happy birthday. 

And in return for teaching them the difference in "picky" and "detail oriented" and trying not to laugh too much when they call a native English speaking coworker that's visiting the country for the first time, picky... they teach you how to tell off your neighbor in coastal Peruvian slangs for keeping silent when you accidentally paid their electricity bill. Even if you're too shy so you only keep it to yourself. 

I think we are all starting to understand my love for these students. 

We drink coffee and make skype calls to practice our telephone skills.

And they come over to learn how to make bear shaped pancakes.

With Zanax.

** Really, a clown. More and more traffic lights are popping up around town, as well as the signals for pedestrians to cross the street. The problem... is that no one uses them. So the clown was teaching everyone how to properly cross the street. You would be surprised how many people still don't cross on the crosswalk or when the light is red, even if there is a big (scary) clown with a megaphone calling you out in front of at least 30 other people. (because they are ignoring the clown too). 

as of late

How does one jump back into blogging after it has been over two months since your last post?


I think I'll do it with a video. Or two.



I've been addicted to NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts. You can download the video as a podcast or just the audio, and for free! This is Julieta Venegas. Love her. She's from Mexico. I found out today that my mother in law shares the same love for her, but apparently no one else in the family does. Julton shows his distaste for her by telling me "you know, she doesn't really sing, it's her style..." my response? "really? that's your biggest diss?"





And of course, Iron & Wine. I love his music, when he plays solo preferably.


So there you have it. I've been consumed with music, and by the way paper work... Julton and I are close to submitting everything for his visa! I had a more heartfelt post written up previously, but... I decided to go with a lighthearted one. Sorry for the absence... I'm going to try to be around more often!


To tell you stories like this:


Last week I went with a few friends to Karaoke. And let me preface this by explaining that karaoke in Peru can be quite a serious endeavor. Was our group serious about karaoke? Singing heartfelt ballads? Sad lovesongs? Or just dancing and singing to salsa? Please. Bring on the spice girls. And Britney. But by the time our songs came out I had a feeling it wasn't a good idea that we sing... because the mood had already been set and everyone seemed pretty happy without the presence of Britney. So we probably shouldn't have been surprised when after we sang... no one clapped for us... and actually... a guy from the back corner yelled "pasala ya!!" (pass the mic already!)


That was embarrassing?