I think I can...speak a little bit of Spanish.

Today was a good day.  My Spanish teacher already said that I am improving and during lunch I was actually able to have a conversation with my host parents!  I definitely did not understand all of it, but I was able to get the general idea and even respond!  After Mariska, the other volunteer staying in the house with me, and I refused seconds our host mother told us about one volunteer she had that always ate seconds and thirds and gained a lot of weight.  She said that this volunteer ended up splitting her pants during her placement working with children.  So, she told us it is good we only eat firsts (it is super filling –  I would not be able to eat seconds!).  We also talked about how previous volunteers have complained that they kept hearing a strange sound and it ended up being their dog snoring.  I told them that I also heard the dog and we all laughed.  I was also able to successfully tell them that my family is coming to visit and I was able to give them their gifts from Chicago with a good Spanish introduction.  The Spanish is still not easy, but I am very happy with the couple of things I have accomplished.

                I also was able to ask someone for directions today and I thought I understood the answer, but either he gave me the wrong directions or I completely misunderstood.  Either way, because of these directions, I took a great walk around the market and up above the market, where I was able to look out over Pisac and see the mountains surrounding on all sides.  It was beautiful.  Although I never found the Pisac Inn where I was hoping to exchange money, I did FINALLY find an ATM that worked for me!  I can now actually buy things!

                During the afternoon I sat in the sun and wrote in my journal and knitted.  It was nice to be warm!  It is so cold indoors and at night, so I often feel colder than I would like.  My host family was very impressed with my knitting and my host mother showed me that she crochets, so that is next on my list of things to learn.

                The biggest news today was that I ate chicken…I am no longer a vegetarian, I guess.  My host mother was really upset that I did not eat meat, so I said I would eat some chicken and fish.  My vegetarianism probably would have been broken eventually – meat is such a big part of the Peruvian diet.

                Going back to yesterday, the barbeque for the Projects Abroad volunteers was really nice.  There were thirteen of us, two from Philadelphia and people from Denmark, Holland, England, Norway, Australia, and New Zealand. We had a good time discussing stereotypes from different cultures and language influences.

                I cannot believe that this is only my third day in Peru!  It feels like I have been here forever – in a good way of course.  Goodbye for now!  ¡Adios!