An update in categories

Food
I promised myself I would blog everything I ate in Peru, so here is the first day.
It was a slow one, since I hadn't slept yet. After my three hour nap I ate a bit of trail mix, went on a walk to the market, and then came back and ate a cliff bar. We went to the Universidad, which is BEAUTIFUL but deserves its own category, and went on a walk with our host/advisor, Cristian. He bought us an empanada, which was fucking fantastic and I can't wait to get another one. So basically, like a pasty, though the empanada had a much sweeter seasoning to its meat. Then we came back to La Casa de Don Ignancio and while I was skyping my parents in the room, everyone came back with ingredients for tacos, which included: ground beef with chile and garlic, some sort of thin white cheese, avocado, lettuce, and salsa (which wasn't REALLY spicy, but the spiciness it did have lasts forever on your tongue). Then we made bananas foster, which was fun, and actually worked out really well, it was delicious. We used a grainier brown sugar that was hard to melt, but it clung to the bananas much better than a thinner caramel sauce would have. We made it the classic way, so it was flaming in the pan towards the end, it was pretty great. We had it over ice cream, which had an INTENSE vanilla flavor. I mean, it was very, very vanilla, but it had no vanilla bean in it, so it was probably just a lot of extra delicious extract. We also added cinnamon to the bananas by letting a cinnamon stick sit in the melted butter, and also by hand grinding the cinnamon and adding it towards the end.

UCIL
I got a really excellent jacket yesterday, which I am very thankful for because my luggage is still missing, though I know it will arrive today. I know I'm really going to love both of my professors, they seem so knowledgeable and approachable, and all that jazz. I am really excited to start classes, even though I know that means less free time, I can't wait to get out and see the amazing art and discuss its socioeconomic and cultural significance. I think I want to move here. I am also excited to start Spanish, because god knows I need it. THEY HAVE A CULINARY SCHOOL and I almost want to drop everything and come here instead for that.

Housing
My apartment is so awesome! I have a room with double beds but no roommate, so I have my own bathroom and two beds (aka two pillows). Katie shares my apartment with me, and I know that's going to be excellent. Our place is kind of the party apartment, because it is the biggest and we have the biggest kitchen, so that's fun. We have a tv, which I didn't think I'd be using, but it's funny because they have a lot of american channels with spanish subtitles, which honestly helps me with my spanish a lot. I have yet to eat breakfast today, so I'll let you know how that goes. We're in a great neighborhood. This street is nicknamed "Hero Avenue" or something similar, because a lot of police and military men have houses here. Plus the houses are huge and gorgeous. I bet at one time this entire hostel was someone's house.

General
I am starving right now, I need to eat breakfast. I also have a bit of a headache, but I know that will go away, it's only been around for 1/2 an hour, probably from being on the computer. I haven't had a problem with the altitude, but if you're staying in the airport like I did in Lima, I recommend actually trying to sleep as much as possible, it was really awful to get here and be so tired when all I wanted to do was go out and about. We had a tour last night with Cristian, and Gonzolo was right, he really does know everything about everything! I am so glad I came with CIS, this is going to be so fantastic. Everyone here is so friendly and nice! Political elections are happening while I am here, I am so excited! I really want to do whatever is the equivelent of watching the results come in on the TV with a bunch of people at home. Apparently it's a decision between two cancers, so I hope whoever is the lesser cancer pulls through for everyone here. There are lots of dogs here who will follow you if you make eye contact with them. They are all really friendly. But the one who seems to always be outside my window, in front of the elementary school, seems to bark a lot at night, but I don't mind it. I named him Cheif, and he probably most closely resembles a yellow lab. It's been partly cloudy every day, but it's supposed to be sunny every day starting Sunday.

Spiders
One was found (and squashed) in Ty's bathroom. So they exist, but they're squashable, and Katie said she'll squash them for me. I'd rather have a giant black bear in my bathroom than a spider. But I'm going to try and conquer my fears if I see one and squish it myself.

Today I want to look around at some of the shops, and go dancing tonight if I'm feeling up to it. We have a tour with USIL of the city today, and dinner with Cristian tonight too.