Its getting to be that time in the semester when the honey moon is over. Real work has started to kick in (I have more to do in the next month than I have done in the past three) and the desire for familiar is no longer so easy to ignore. Solution: girls night in my casita complete with pizza, chocolate, popcorn, and chick flicks. Now, I have never been a huge Meg Ryan fan, but When Harry Met Sally may have converted me. And I will say that this classic is surprisingly substantive for a romantic comedy.
Harry: You realize of course that we could never be friends.
Sally: Why not?
Harry: What I'm saying is — and this is not a come-on in any way, shape or form — is that men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.
Recently I realized I should probably get my culture on. Two and a half months and Lima and I had yet to visit a museum. So last Saturday, I headed to el Museo de la Nación in San Borja with several friends; this brutalist concrete tower houses an impressive array of Wari, Nasca, and Mochica ceramics. The museum was a lot like the city of Lima: disorganized and inefficient, but super interesting for an audience with a little bit of know how. Other highlights included an exhibit on the Hermanos Vargas (sibling photographers from Arequipa http://vargashermanos.com/) and an entire floor devoted to the internal conflict of the 1980s. The exhibit Yuyanapaq, to remember in Quechua, comprises a collection of photos and documentaries compiled by the Comisión de la Verdad y Reconciliación from the period of political violence between 1980-2000: http://www.cverdad.org.pe/apublicas/p-fotografico/e_yuyanapacha.php.
Staring down some Arte Popular.
Yes...I've excavated before. Can you tell?
Random colorful wall...I'll take it.
Molly, Rosaliend, Estefanie, and I.
That night I ate hearts (a criollo delicacy known as anticucho) at a friend's birthday party. I surprised and delighted my Peruvian friends with a vat of guacamole, which despite the amazingly high quality avocados here, isn't really a thing. By the end of the night we were eating guacamole on everything-including chorizo and pancito sandwiches. Afterward we headed to a salsodromo, which would have been cool, but there was a bachelorette party in the house that night. A little bit classier than your average college party.
Heart on a stick-surpisingly delicious.
Unfortunately, I had to make a visit to la Clinica Javier Prado; my foot has been bothering me since the marathon, and I suspect that I might have a stress fracture. I had going to the doctor in the best of times, and this certainly wasn't the best of times. The salón de radiografía was like a meat market at the end of the world. You know those lead protective blankets that we are so fond of the States? Not a thing here-hello radiation poisoning. Nothing showed up on the xray so I get to go get my first MRI next week.
Today, I met up with some friends of Marissa's from San Fransisco at el Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología, e Historía del Perú in Pueblo Libre. Afterwards we ate amazing sushi at Edo Sushi Mar in Magdalena del Mar; en route I realized that I could navigate Lima, or certain parts, better than our cab driver. We had a little trouble finding the restaurant because in Lima the street names have an unfortunate tendency of changing midway through, but after a little creativity and several "vueltas" we arrived at our destination with very healthy appetites. It was great to meet some new people, and give some overwhelmed travelers a helping hand. On my way home I realized that Lima almost feels like home...not sure how or when that happened, but this chaotic, grungy city is really getting under my skin.
A sample of the sounds of this weekend...
Hilarious commercial for an online English course.
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