Experimentation

Wow, what a long week it has been! I feel like I'm starting to develop a bit of a routine, but in many ways, each day is completely different. Living with a family provides the most consistency: I wake up in the morning around 7:30am for breakfast and conversations with my host mom. Then I get ready for school and walk the four sunny blocks to the university. After school, I get dropped off by a driver, search for my host mom, and we have the following conversation:
Mom: Oh, Phoebe, how was your day?
Phoebe: good, I'm tired
Mom: Yeah, what did you do today?
Phoebe: details, usually something along the lines of "Class was good (but too long) then I had lunch, and we went to El Agustino for volunteerism"
Mom: What did you eat for lunch?
Phoebe: "Rice, potatoes, {enter peruvian carne dish here}, and a weird dessert I don't know the name of (but explain vaguely)"
Mom: oh good (she tries to figure it out), then asks: Are you ready for dinner?

It is the rest of the day that provides the most spontaneity. When I first get to school, I find our classroom (where all three of our classes are held). It's obvious that as Carleton students, we are more time conscious than the rest of the university, because class rarely starts on time, and we all notice. We have three classes, but have yet to begin the third class (the professor is traveling).

Our professor for Peruvian Modern Culture is a professor here in Peru. If you imagine the comic book store owner from The Simpsons, you're not too far off from what Alex looks like: curly hair put in a ponytail, sneakers, khakis, a button up shirt that sometimes shows his belly, glasses, you get the idea....Don't be fooled though, his lectures are really entertaining. We've talked about a lot of really interesting ideas and he's shared a lot of information with us already, the two times we've met so far. He has really elaborate whiteboard drawings.

Our second class is with our Carleton professor, José. His philosophy for this study abroad program, he told us, consists in large part on Experimentation, and Improvisation. And that's exactly what he does. I think this is a good test for each of us in the program; we are all very accustomed to being told "Go here now, do this now, here's your schedule for the next 10 weeks, follow it!" We received a schedule like this, but every day ends up being a little different than suggested in the calendar. To summarize, we have all learned a few things:
1) always carry your cellphone with you, in case the bus is running late and you aren't yet on it.
2) Check your email in the morning, directions change (when class starts, whether or not its a good day to wear shorts)
3) I should have packed more than one pair of jeans
4) Look at the schedule from our program, add two hours to the time it says we get home, and you still might be a little late (because of traffic, etc)
5) During traffic grid-lock, have a few songs prepared to sing as a group, it helps pass time

Its difficult to design a new study abroad program for 22 students that involves classes in a university, volunteering in a neighborhood on the other side of town, and getting everyone home safely. I think we're all beginning to breath a little better as we get used to spontaneous changes in the program, and are learning to "go with the flow". I think it will become more stable after a few more days of working out kinks. At least until we begin our travels to Trujillo and Cuzco.

I will write again with more exciting details of what the last week entailed. but now, I'm going to the beach! Happy Holy Week (no classes!)