SheQuester

Don't Cry for Me Argentina!!

pattyrae — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 22:00:00 GMT

Dan and I completed our stay in Cuenca on a very relaxing note. Cuenca is so beautiful with the three rivers running through the city, all of the old colonial buildings and the charming people. It rained quite a bit while we were there, so it was very green and lush. We spent most of our time relaxing. I was able to reconnect with a friend, Laurie, that I met in Lima, Peru, at the language school. We spent an afternoon at a hot springs spa and had dinner together a couple of nights while we were there.

On March twelfth in the morning, Dan and I flew from Cuenca to Quito to Guayaquil (all in Ecuador) and then to Santiago, Chile, arriving at 0330 on Sunday morning. Wow! I did not pay much attention to those flights when I booked them. I have never traveled so much through the middle of the night as I have here in South America. Recovery time from those overnight flights takes a little longer as we get older!! I flew on to Mendoza and Dan flew back to Colorado (which took him until Monday night due to connections).

If you aren't familiar with the history behind this song, I encourage you to look it up and take the time to read it. It is a huge part of Argentina's history in the 20th century.

Mendoza, Argentina has been my home for a week now. I am renting a room in a home about four block from the Ecela school. One would think that Spanish in South America would be mostly the same throughout the country. People from Peru speak fairly clearly and moderately fast. In Chile, they speak the language very rapidly. Arriving in Argentina, I thought that the language would be easier to understand. For the first three days I kept hearing something that sounded like the way we pronounce “Asia.” It took me a few days to finally realize they were saying “ella” or “she” in English. The double “L” here is pronounced with a “jah” sound. In Buenos Aires, they start many of their words with a “sha” sound. I’ve determined I am thankful I chose Mendoza due to the language difference in Buenos Aires.

Mendoza is a beautiful city. It reminds me somewhat of Montrose. It is surrounded by desert; the climate is dry; they get little rainfall; in the summer it is 80’s-90’s during the day and then cools off somewhat at night, etc. It is quite a bit larger than Montrose though. The people here drive very fast and if you are walking across the street on a green light, STOP, and wait for cars that are turning or they will run you over. There is so much history in this area. Tuesday I visited a beautiful place in the Andes where they bottle natural spring water. I took a beautiful picture in the capilla (chapel) of the Last Supper. The fascinating thing about this photo is that Christ is illuminated in the photo.

One day after class, I stopped to get a sandwich at one of the restaurants near where I live. I had the opportunity to visit with my waiter for a bit as the lunch rush was over. He is a young man from Venezuela who is studying at the university here to be a physical therapist. I asked him how things were in his country. He responded that the conditions there are horrible. People have money to buy food, but there is no food in the markets. He said it is not unusual for people to stand in lines that are one to two miles long and wait up to eight hours to try to buy food. Clothes are very expensive and may take a couple weeks worth of wages to buy jeans or “Nikes.” He shared how blessed he is to live in Argentina as there is plenty of anything to buy one could want. Perspective…. Hmmm….. Am I always thankful for what I have? I take for granted the simple task of running to the store and getting whatever I want. Have I really ever experienced hardship? While talking to him, I saw a young man in his early twenties that was so grateful for the opportunity he has to go to university, have a good job, and hopefully make a good career for himself.

Tango is big here (obviously)!! My hostess, Beatriz, asked me to join her last Sunday night (the day I arrived) to go tango dancing. She was going at 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. No, that is not over her lunch hour. That is definitely after my bedtime! I kindly declined as I didn’t plan to be even upright at that hour, let alone upright and moving!! The culture here is that most of the people start their work day around 9-10 am, most small businesses are closed for 3-4 hours in the afternoon for their siestas and then open up early evening, and most people stay up until after midnight. I haven’t quite adjusted to this culture yet. I am in bed way before then, hoping to sleep, but have had to pull out the earplugs as it is very loud at night here. Karen, my friend, you will never know how thankful I am for those earplugs!!

Wednesday evening Beatriz invited me to attend a jazz/blues concert on the rooftop of the city hall. The view of the city was absolutely magnificent. The music was very relaxing (and in English). They have a concert there every week during the summer.

Yesterday, I went with Beatriz and two of her friends to hear a quartet sing classical music in a vineyard (bodega) about 100 km from here. The concert was in a concert hall with great acoustics. It was beautiful and the views of the Andes were stunning. Hopefully, I can get pictures to upload eventually. We left right after the concert and ate empanadas at a little corner place on our way home. I learned a lot about Argentinian driving. It is okay to pass on double yellow lines. It is also okay if you are at a stoplight, the light turns green and you want to get ahead of the car in front of you. All you do is go into the oncoming traffic lane and pass them. It is also okay to pass on the shoulder of highways if the other two lanes are going too slow! I had my foot to the floorboard and hand on the dash more than one time! Needless to say, I am not only learning the language, but also much about the culture.

We only have three days of school this week as Thursday and Friday are holidays because of Pascua or Easter. I’m hoping to explore a little of Argentina for a few of those days. I’m also meeting with an English school tomorrow evening to perhaps do some volunteer teaching while I am here.

I can’t believe I only have three weeks left on this journey. I have enjoyed my time here so much, but I am also anxious to get back to Colorado and see my family and friends. I received a cute text from my granddaughter today, saying, “Grammy, I want you to come back now! And, I love you.” That warmed my heart. Being away for so long by myself, now more than ever before, I know how important these relationships are. God has blessed me with too many blessings to name. As I prepare to go back, I know that this has been one of those times in my life that I will reflect on for quite some time. Bucket list items are important to check off. I pray that I come away from the experience a little different person than when I started.

“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” Unknown Author

Chow!

Goodbye Chile! Hello Ecuador!

pattyrae — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 15:00:00 GMT

First of all, I am having trouble with the website. I have not been able to download any photos for over two weeks. I have contacted the website, so hopefully I will have some resolution soon.

The last week in Chile flew by. Dan flew into Santiago on Saturday, February 27th. It was great to see him and we are enjoying spending a few weeks together. We both attended Spanish classes last week. Dan had that “deer-in-the-headlights” look more than once. I can relate!! I’ve had that same look too many times to count!

During our week together in Chile, we toured the graffiti in Valparaiso. Valparaiso is right next to Viña and is quite a unique city. Dogs lying on the sidewalks not paying much attention as people walk by and legal and illegal graffiti on buildings. Our guide, Manuel, knew the graffiti artists for most of the paintings. One of the most moving paintings was of a homeless man and his son sleeping on the street. There were numerous others we also saw. Graffiti is an art if it is done with thought and a message. Most of the paintings had no words, but the pictures spoke a thousand words.

The night before we left Viña, we had an “asada” (BBQ) at the guesthouse where I stayed. We had such a wonderful time. Dan grilled and we all sat around and visited until almost midnight.

Goodbyes are never easy. Even though I was in Viña del Mar for only four weeks, I met so many wonderful people from different parts of the world. Francisca, my hostess at the guesthouse, and I were visiting the night before we left Viña, we both agreed that people come from different cultures, languages, beliefs, but at the core many of us share many similarities. During my conversations on this journey, I’ve had the opportunity to listen to people’s perspective of their country and how they view other countries. The strengths and the areas of concern. It’s been refreshing hearing from “the people” and not the media. Many expressed concern for their countries.

On to Ecuador!! Dan and I flew out of Santiago, Chile on March 4th. After three connections, long layovers, and a four and a half our bus trip from Cuenca, we finally arrived at Loja, for the first part of our stay in Ecuador. We were traveling for almost 24 hours. The bed, as hard as a rock, was welcomed by us both that night!!

Monday morning we rode a bus to a resort called Madre Tierra, which is about 45 minutes south of Loja, near Vilcabamba. We both had a massage and then sat and talked to the owners for quite a long time. They are actually from Spokane, Washington. Not only was the visit nice, but the scenery was absolutely spectacular. Hopefully I can get some of the photos to upload.

We took a van back to Cuenca on Tuesday and we will be here until Saturday morning. I have to say that the Andes mountains are absolutely breathtaking! They are so green and they never end. We are staying in a beautiful, inexpensive condo. The owners are from Colorado and they live right above us. We had a great visit with them today after we arrived. I visited Cuenca two year ago. Many of you may be familiar with it. It is a beautiful colonial city in the southern highlands of Ecuador. I am having plenty of opportunities to use my Spanish. It is much easier to communicate in Ecuador than it was in Chile as the people don’t speak as fast.

Hasta Luego!!

To Dream Again!

pattyrae — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 07:00:00 GMT

Time is flying! I am over halfway through my journey. Unbelievable!!

Spanish classes are moving along nicely. I did not realize, or probably a better word is “remember” from my grammar days all of the different tenses for verbs. I am finding it easier to carry on a conversation (most of the time). At times, when I am not expecting a Chilean to speak to me and they start a conversation, I have that deer-in-the-headlight moment. Chileans speak VERY, VERY rapidly and then tend to run words together. I find it hard to hear in English when there is a lot of background noise. Funny thing!! I kept asking people to speak “mas despacio,” (more slowly) which is what I always said in other Spanish speaking countries. Well… here when you say, “Mas despacio, por favor,” you are asking them to speak more softly! Hmmm! I wondered why people gave me a funny look and seemed to speak more quietly when I said this. I now say, “Mas lento, por favor,” and most continue to speak just as rapidly as they did the first time. It is very difficult for them to speak slowly. Sometimes it takes a couple of times to get people to slow down, but rarely is it impossible to communicate.

My friend, Jackie, was here for three days the week after I arrived. We ate some great seafood and did a wonderful job at getting lost by taking a bus much further than we wanted to. I realized that we were getting into a neighborhood that didn’t look right. I asked someone on the bus and we were indeed headed somewhere, but not to where we had hoped. Our bus stop was probably two miles back. We immediately got off of the bus and started walking towards the beach. One can’t go wrong walking towards the water as one of the main streets follows the beach. We walked quite a distance until we arrived at a hotel and called a taxi!!

I am finding it very easy and inexpensive (less than sixty cents) to get around on the “micro” or local bus system. There is no schedule or route map and the drivers drive VERY fast as they are all trying to beat each other to the next stop to pick up passengers. The more passengers they get, the more money they make. It is a little unnerving at times, but one does get used to it.

The lifestyle is much more relaxed here. Many still practice the tradition of siestas. Some of the smaller businesses are closed for two hours in the afternoon. Fresh produce is very inexpensive. All of the berries have been in season and have been superb!

I am finding if very difficult to find the words to give justice to my experience and time in South America. I have loved Latin American culture for a very long time. After spending time in Peru and Chile, I love it even more. I know I am truly blessed beyond words to be living out a dream I have had for a number of years.

As I reflect on the time leading up to my departure to South America, I remember that desire in my heart, the beckoning that could not be quenched. My desire to experience Latin America culture, really experience the culture. Not for just a few days or a week, but longer. The desire to learn the language. Feeling inadequate trying to communicate with Spanish speakers and ending with smiles because that is the only thing that could be communicated. I remember that feeling when I boarded the plane and headed off by myself. Thinking to myself, “What am I doing?” Knowing though, that there was no turning back. Praying for God’s favor and protection, opportunities to share His love with others. Not knowing exactly what I would experience or who I would meet.

It’s almost as if God had to blow off the dust so I could see clearly. So that I could dare to dream again. I love to read Ephesians 3:20. Without a doubt, I can say that He has done “exceedingly abundantly” above all that I ever thought or could have asked. In my last post I quoted Proverbs 16:9, “A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], But the Lord directs his steps and establishes them.” (Amp). Most of us make plans for our future. Mine will be penciled in for I know who directs it, if I’m willing to erase my plans for the best plans.

Chow!

Good-Byes to Hello

pattyrae — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 21:00:00 GMT

Greetings from Chile!

I have to say that my month in Peru was an experience I will never forget. It was filled with many, many wonderful memories, new friends, new language, new food, etc. After saying my good-byes to the school staff, friends from school and my Peruanas family, I flew from Lima to Santiago, Chile last Friday night. I arrived bright and early Saturday morning and then took a shuttle to the bus station. The bus station was not open yet, but fortunately the bus I needed was there and I could pay the driver directly. I took a bus from Santiago to Viña del Mar where my next school is located. Saturday was mainly a blur from being up most of the night!

I read somewhere that for every good-bye, God always provides a hello. But am I willing to totally put my arms around the next hello and make it all that God wants it to be - all that I hope it to be. As I say good-bye to Peru and everything/everyone I knew there, I say hello to Viña and everything/everyone I will come to know.

Sunday, I went with another guest from my house, Heikki, to Valparaiso. Valparaiso is an adjoining community to Viña del Mar or Viña, as the locals call it. It is a very artsy town and full of young people, graffiti, coffee shops, dogs and more dogs, and old, but beautiful architecture. Heikki’s wife died last summer and he wanted to take flowers to the cemetery and invited me to tag along. He also took me to the mercado where all of the fresh produce is available and showed me where the fresh fish market is located. It was a very good day and my travels also gave me a good grasp of the city! I posted some photos of Valparaiso.

It is absolutely beautiful here. Viña is located right on the Pacific Ocean. It has a population of around 300,000. I have found it very easy to get around on the micros, the city bus system. The temperature here is in the low 70’s with a nice sea breeze. If you want to see more about the city, I encourage you to google it.

I am well into my first week of school in Viña. I am finding that the language is finally starting to click. This week my ability to understand and to speak has been much better. Students from Germany make up almost half of the students here. One of my classmates from Germany is a teacher. She shared with me yesterday that she is on a one year paid sabbatical from her teaching position. She is traveling for quite some time in Chile alone and then her husband is joining her for some travel.

I had my first pilates session yesterday. Francesca, who owns the house where I am staying, also has a pilates studio in her home. She is meeting with me three times a week, using the pilates machines. I found it somewhat difficult to align myself correctly and begin to use muscles the way they are intended. It was very low impact, but it is going to take some practice to wake up those muscles I haven’t used for a bit. I’m looking forward to working with her over the next four weeks.

I experienced my first earthquake last night. I was in bed, reading, and all of a sudden my bed began to shake pretty good. It probably lasted 15-20 seconds - felt like much longer!! I got up and asked Heikki about it. He just shrugged and said it was no big deal if nothing fell off the walls or shelves. It was a 6.3 quake and the epicenter was about 350 km from here. They had five more tremors throughout the night. It is such a way of life here, no one gets too excited about it.

One of my favorite Scriptures is, “A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], But the Lord directs his steps and establishes them.” Proverbs 16:9 (Amp). The farther I am into this journey, the more I know that God has a very specific plan for me. I realize more and more how blessed I am to be able to travel and spend this much time in a culture I love so much. As I said in a previous blog, I want to really see what is around me, not missing things that I may think are insignificant, but important to God. I do not want this time to just be a time when I went to South America and learned a new language…to be able to dream and plan for what is next. I’m taking my time on this one. I’m in a period of waiting…waiting on God for the right next thing.

Sweet Good-Bye

pattyrae — Thu, 4 Feb 2016 17:00:00 GMT

Tomorrow is my last day in Lima. I can’t believe how quickly the time has passed. I have learned a tremendous amount in a very short time and I have met some of the most incredible and interesting people from all walks of life, ages and countries. By far, the one who has touched my heart the most is the first friend I met here, my friend, Ricardo.

As I was walking back to my home stay today, Ricardo was sitting on the bench in the plaza where I always find him when I walk home. As usual, he greeted me and patted the seat beside him and asked me to sit down. I sat down beside him for one last chat before I leave tomorrow. I love to visit with him. He always asks me about school. We talk about our famiies and he always corrects my Spanish with a warm smile, but firm voice.

Today, Ricardo shared more about his childhood and where he grew up in Peru. As he was sharing, I saw a man that walked through time with a very strong faith, loved his wife and family, and lived out his passion to teach dance. But age holds no prejudice. As he spoke, I saw the deep creases in his brow and face marking the years gone by, the difficulties of life, the pain of losing his wife, etc. I saw the dark bruises all over his hands and legs. But I also saw a man with incredible joy as he shared his passion to teach tango, waltz, salsa, and other dances whose names I can’t remember.

There is a quote by an unknown author stating, “You can dance anywhere, even if only in your heart.” Ricardo may not be dancing with his feet anymore, but no doubt he is dancing. His smile is contagious and his laugh so genuine. I appreciated his ability to laugh at my Spanish in a way that I wasn’t afraid to speak it, even if incorrectly.

As we were talking one last time, various people walked by and he would greet them and then tell me a little about them. He, no doubt, spends hours sitting on this bench greeting people and thinking about things from years gone by. After he greeted one woman, his eyes stared into the distance as he shared that she was a friend of his wife who always came with her rosary to pray with his wife. He shared how much this woman meant to him during the period when his wife was ill and then passed. He didn’t have to share the depth of his love for his wife or the pain of losing her, as it was obvious left unsaid.

As I got ready to leave, Ricardo asked me if I would ever be coming back to Lima. I shared that I didn’t know, but that it is possible I may return next year for four more weeks of class. I told him that maybe we can sit on this bench together again and he can correct my Spanish! “Only God knows.” he responded. Yes, only God knows. As I left I prayed with him in Spanish that God would bless him. He stood up and gave me the traditional greeting or farewell peck on the cheek and I continued my walk home.

As I was walking, I reflected on what I would have missed if I wouldn’t have taken the time to sit on that bench with him the first day I arrived in Lima. If I hadn’t tried to carry on a conversation. I did my best with the tiny bit of Spanish I knew at that point. I knew this was one of those divine appointments in life that I would always remember. I walked away with tears in my eyes, but I was dancing in my heart.

The Experiment

pattyrae — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

I didn’t plan to write much more before I left for Chile, but I want to share this.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be in another country where you didn’t totally understand the language, but knew just enough to think, “What have I gotten myself into?” Well, imagine being in a chair getting your hair cut and you hear the word, “experiment” in Spanish and know you are at the center of the experiment.

Yesterday, Rosanna (one of the sisters at my homestay), said she was going to get her hair colored and cut the next day. Well it just so happened that Friday was the most hot and humid day since my arrival in Lima. For those of you who don’t know, my hair doubles in volume and becomes very frizzy in hot, humid weather. I looked like a Boeing 747 about ready for take off with the wings that I’d developed. So, Rosanna asked me if I would like to get my hair cut. I must have looked pretty scary, because I hadn’t said anything about a haircut. So, of course I responded with “sure.”

This morning we took a taxi to a little shop in an area of Lima I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to visit. There were three women working in the shop and about five of us waiting for our turn. They took everyone else in front of me, so I patiently waited and watched the process. One woman did all of the haircuts. If you wanted your hair colored, another woman did that and then the “one woman” cut your hair. While I was waiting, I also thought it would be a good idea for me to look up the Spanish words I needed in order to explain what I wanted.

As I sat there, I thought to myself that maybe this wasn’t a good idea. My hair didn’t look that bad. Well before I knew it,Rosanna and I were the only two left in the shop and it was my turn. I tried to explain to the woman what I wanted. She politely responded, “No entiendo,” which meant, “I don’t understand.” (So much for my dictionary.) So, thus began a game of charades with me trying to show with my hands what I wanted. The other two women in the shop didn’t have anything else to do, so they came close right behind me and were standing with the woman cutting my hair. The three of them were talking back and forth and then I heard the word, “experimento.” Right about then, my eyes doubled in size and I was trying to decide if I should sit quietly, as I’m rationalizing that everything will be okay and it will always grow back, or stop “the experiment.” I asked in a very polite, but quizzical voice, “Experimento?” to which they quickly replied no. So I settled in and let the experiment continue.

In the end, the “experiment” was really quite an adventure. The scissor were a little dull, but it only cost me $2.90 for a haircut!! The “experiment” was really an opportunity for me to experience more of Sudamerica culture. When the shop was full, all of the woman were visiting with each other. This is the biggest piece of Latin American culture that I love. Relationship is SO important here. It doesn’t matter if they know each other or not. They will sit and take the time to visit and get to know each other.

I believe this is part of the “paying attention” I referenced yesterday. To take the time to hear and see those around me. How many times have I seen someone that looked like they were hurting, but I didn’t know them and I was not bold enough to engage them in conversation? How many people have I not even noticed that may have been hurting because I was too preoccupied with me to “see?” I am not an uncaring person, but I believe I have missed many opportunities in this area.

Unwrapping the Gift!!

pattyrae — Sat, 30 Jan 2016 11:00:00 GMT

Buenos Dias!

Wow! I can’t believe how quickly the time is going for me! I just finished my third week of classes at Ecela. My week was filled with school in the morning and then to the library to study for 2-4 hours each day. There are so many different verb conjugations. My mind was swimming most of the week, trying to remember how to say it correctly in present, past tense imperfect or indefinite. Do I use “pos” or “para,” etc. I know it shouldn’t be that difficult, but with so many words floating around in my brain I spoke v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y!!

A few days ago, I read a blog entry from a woman who lost a child over a year ago and is still in the process of walking through her grief. As you know, writing is not one of my strong points. I have difficulty relaying what it is I am trying to say or I find myself writing about things on the surface. She wrote a quote by Kate DiCamillo, which states, “Writing is seeing. It is paying attention.” I found myself really pondering this for quite sometime. Not as much about the writing part, but about the “paying attention” part. She also wrote about the fog she was in. That really struck a chord with me! For years I worked in a very demanding field and now I am trying to pull things out of the “fog” to learn a new language.

After I read this, I began to ask God to help me to see through the fog. To see clearly. To pay attention to the things that really matter. To PAY ATTENTION! I began to put my experience here into perspective. One of my purposes here is to learn the language. But, the picture is much bigger than to only learn Spanish. I want each day to make a difference for Him.

If we could only realize that each day we have is a gift given to us. (When I say “us,” I’m really saying “me.”) I began to pray that I would unwrap each moment and discover what He has for me. Let me look and really see. Let me listen and really hear. Give me His eyes to see. I want to see through the fog. Clearly. Distinctly.

When any of us makes a monumental change in our lives, there is a sense of excitement, anticipation, and many other thoughts and feelings. When I left a career that I had worked in for almost forty years, I felt free. Free to explore what is next in my life, and also for Dan and me to explore what the next chapter holds for us. I don’t know what is next for me or us, but I am figuring out that what is most important is to know where I am right now. To live in that moment and to keep seeking Him.

This is sometimes a challenge. Are we carefully unwrapping the gift of today or are we rushing through today by thinking about tomorrow and what it may or may not bring? Or are we focusing on "me" and a situation rather than on Him? I know that for me, I’m striving to really pay attention to the small things. The things that I tend to overlook because my mind is somewhere or I am rushing on to the next thing. I am seeking the Father.

I leave Lima next Friday for Chile. Chow for now. Pat

p.s. The photo is lunch with some of the students from the school. The two men on either side of me are Catholic missionaries that will be working in Peru for the next year. This restaurant is off of one of the main streets and we eat lunch there for under $3.00. Lunch consists of juice, rice, beans, meat and soup or salad. Quite a bargain!!

Birthdays Peruano Style

pattyrae — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 20:00:00 GMT

Saludos!

Yesterday, I had the privilege to be a part of the birthday celebration for the matriarch of the family whom I live with. Grandma Olinda turned a young eighty-six years old yesterday. I say “young” because she can outdo any of us. She has a lot of stamina and spunk at her age!!

The birthday celebration began on Saturday. The home was filled with 10-12 of Señora Olinda’s close female friends and family. This was the “girls day” party. They visited for hours, ate lunch, sang to her and truly seemed to enjoy each other’s company. There were two cakes to celebrate the occasion. The cakes or “tortas,” as they are called here, are not very sweet and usually involve some type of cream filling or jello.

Yesterday, after a lite breakfast, I went to church with Rosanna, one of the two sisters in the home. We left around 9:45 a.m. and family was already arriving for the birthday celebration. When we arrived home after church the home was filled with family. They were eating appetizers of cheese, sausages and olives.

Right after we arrived, dinner was served. I was asked to join Señora Olinda and some of the family at the table and many others were seated in chairs in the front room. Señora Olinda prayed and her daughter and granddaughter began serving. First, they served a cold square of chopped chicken and vegetables layered between pureed potatoes. It was very tasty! Then up came the plates and out came a slightly sweet baked dish with eggs, ground beef, and vegetables with a distinct taste of anise. With each bite I took, I discovered a different flavor. Both of these dishes have a Peruano name and they filled a dessert plate. They were by no means small. By this time, I’m actually past full and I’m starting to become a little uncomfortable, as I am already past full. I was thinking the torta would be served next. Lo and behold, a plate is served with a small salad and piece of beef steak! I succumbed to my common sense and stopped eating, knowing there would still be cake at some point. AND here comes the cake. But wait, there’s two cakes!! Everyone sang happy birthday in Spanish and then I listened as they sang other songs to her. I tried to upload a video with the singing, but the program wouldn't allow it. The picture wasn’t very good because it was a little dark, but you could hear the love in all of their hearts for this beautiful woman.

At this point, I felt like I wanted to roll into bed for a siesta. I visited for a bit and then went upstairs to my room. I am discovering that it is very tiring to constantly have to process words in Spanish and then attempt to answer in a way that makes sense. Combine this with too much to eat and my speech became even slower than usual. I can tell my vocabulary and grammar are improving, but I’m also finding it difficult to remember words in English, let alone in Spanish.

I found myself in the middle of a “power nap” when I hear “Feliz Cumpleanos” being sung again (Rosanna told me they would sing it again later). I jumped out of bed and ran downstairs where they were all standing in a circle around Señora Olinda, in the dark, singing and holding another torta with a lit candle. They had also served small sandwiches with ham or chicken salad. Throughout the day they also served sodas and Inca Cola, which is the soda from Peru. Inca Cola looks like Mountain Dew and tastes a little like Mountain Dew with vanilla flavoring.

It sounds like this day was just about food. There was a lot of food served, but it was much more than that. It was a day filled with the outpouring of love and admiration from everyone towards Señora Olinda. There is such a strong family bond here and the outward demonstration of affection for family is very touching and authentic. Señora Olinda’s son is a pastor and right after he walked into the home, he stopped and held his mother’s head closely with both hands and sweetly prayed a blessing over her. Fabiola, one of the sisters who lives in the house, shared with me that birthday celebrations used to last five days! Wow! Wanna move to Peru?!?

I went to my room after 10:00 p.m. feeling very blessed to be invited to share in this beautiful day! There was so much genuine love and respect demonstrated throughout the day. I know that this much love and affection isn't shared in every family here, but wouldn't it be wonderful if this was the norm across the world?

Rosanna shared with me this morning that the last family left at midnight. Señora Olinda stayed up until the very end with more energy than you can imagine. She was beautiful and radiant throughout the day. She certainly outlasted me!

Chow!
Pat

(I posted a few pictures from the party in the photo gallery)

What we read isn't always what we think it is!!

pattyrae — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 23:00:00 GMT

Saludos!

I can't believe I am well into the second week here. The time is quickly passing!

I went on some tours this week-end to learn a little bit more about the country of Peru. On Saturday, I went with three other women to Centro Lima where our first stop was the Museo Rafael Larco Herrera. It was fascinating! The museum was filled with over 42,000 artifacts from Peru. I posted some photos in the photo gallery (for some reason some of them rotate and I am unable to rotate them correctly). The outside grounds were absolutely beautiful and there was so much history that we were able to take in. There was one part of the museum with a couple of rooms of glass cabinets from floor to ceiling that were filled with artifacts they didn't have out for display in the museum. We also visited many of the cathedrals. Peru is 97% Catholic, so there are many beautiful old Catholic cathedrals. There were three we visited on Saturday and all three had weddings in process. Catholic weddings here last a long time. One was still in process 90 minutes later as we walked by.

Sunday, I went with two fellow students on an excursion the school had posted. One of the students is leaving this Friday and she asked me if I wanted to join her. Also, one of the young men from school who is from Switzerland joined us. We were all supposed to meet at a certain spot in Lima at 5:45 a.m. for a 6:00 a.m. departure. My hostess from my homestay arranged to have a taxi pick me up at 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning, I wake up and it's light outside. NOT a good sign. I look at my clock and it is 5:44 a.m. I jump out of bed, throw on some clothes and grab my bag as my hostess is very sweetly and quietly calling up the stairs, "Patty! Patty!" I run down the stairs and out the door and she is standing right outside her bedroom as I run past her apologizing in Spanish for the driver waking her up. Got in the cab, we took off and got there to find one of the streets closed. So, after taking many side streets I made it to a full bus that was about ready to take off. And then...the fun begins.

We rode the bus for four hours to Paracas, which is south of Lima. From there we get on a boat to visit las Islas Ballestas where sea lions, birds and penguins live. It was absolutely beautfiul! The penguins were adorable to watch and the sound of all the sea lions echoing in the rocks was fascinating. One of the photos I posted is labeled, "Face of Christ." The Peruanos named it as it looks like the face of Chist looking down. As you look in the center of the photo, there is a dark, almost black, silhouette of a face.

We ate lunch and then headed by bus to Laguna Huacachina. When I read the brochure, it sounded like we were going to a lake where people could swim and in my dictionary one of the words translated as "spa." One part of the brochure referred to "adrenalina," which I knew was adrenaline and that whatever that activity was I wouldn't be doing. As I read a little bit more, I translated that it involved tubing and sandboarding. I knew I didn't want to do either of those. WELL, we arrive and lo and behold we are all going to take a ride in a dune buggy (translated tubulares)! So, off we go! I have never been on anything more terrifying in my life! We head up to the first crest and as we get to the top, all one can see is sky and nothing underneath us on the other side as the driver heads down going every which way. Mind you the driver is not creeping along. Every time we started up another high hill, I kept thinking about what was on the other side (i.e.what goes up must come down). There was a man sitting next to us that leaned into his wife, covering his head with his arm and eyes closed tightly for almost the entire ride. People are screaming! I am so terrified that nothing comes out of mine. I almost had to peel my hand off of the bar I was holding onto when we stopped. I prayed a lot on this journey, asking God to get us safely back to where we started; praying the driver didn't take a wrong turn, etc. (How does one know where ones's going? There aren't any markers in sand that has nothing growing in it.) You can see by the photos, I was happy to be back and standing on the ground! Praise the Lord! When we landed safely back to where we started, the woman I went with stated, "That was awesome! I love roller coasters!" It's all about perception I guess! The next morning one of the sisters at the homestay told me that when she and her husband did this, he actually starting crying he was so scared! Hmmm...I have a ways to go in my Spanish translations!

Monday morning, we started learning past tense of all of the verbs and different uses for prepositions, etc... I was hoping to volunteer some while here, but I am finding my days full. I found a nice quiet library where I can study. I usually go there for 2-3 hours in the afternoons after lunch. I also have two one hour private lessons this week. I am finding myself in somewhat of a routine now. I will say that I will be happy to be in a smaller city in a few weeks. Lima has around 9 million people. Lots of noise and traffic.

Do you remember the older gentleman that I spoke of in one of my first entries? Well, the last two days he has been out on the plaza as I am walking home from the library. I usually stop to chat with him for a few minutes. He is a very sweet man and always asks how I am doing?

Well! More later as I am off to bed!

Chow,
Pat

Whew!

pattyrae — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 23:30:00 GMT

Saludos!

I can't believe week one is finished. My son, Justin, told me that I would be challenged by the total immersion experience. Those weren't exactly his words, but that was the gist of it. That is an understatement!! I feel like I'm drinking water from a fire hose!! Or like someone dropped me off and forgot to come back and pick me up!! A lot of it is soaking in, but there is also a lot I hear over and over again. I was laughing with one of the other students as I shared that the same word can be a new word every time I hear it!! It's like it is the first time and then it hits me! I heard the same word yesterday!! It's amazing to me how much capacity our minds have when we really dig in and determine that we are going to learn something!

Ecela Lima is a fairly small school with a very diverse population of students. There are students of all ages, ranging from 18 to mid 60's. It is also very multi-cultural with students from England, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Brazil, U.S., etc.

This week was full of very interesting and challenging conversations from South American history to food and some very interesting conversations on Christianity vs Catholicism and the Bible. I enjoyed these conversations immensely! I found it very challenging to try to come up with the words at times, but God is good and our conversations were very fulfilling for me and the instructor.

I had private lessons most of the week as the other student in my class spent most of the week at the U.S. embassy trying to get her stolen passport re-issued from the incident on Monday. She finally found out today that her passport will be here in three weeks. She was supposed to leave on the 20th, but will now be staying for three more weeks of classes!

Today after class a few of us decided to explore more of Lima. Lima is known for its ceviche, so we decided we needed to try it!! We ordered a sampler that had sea bass, calamari, octopus, shrimp and mussels in it. it was fabulous, but I've decided that octopus is a little too chewy for me. The rest of it was fantastic! We also tried the orzo with shrimp! I posted a photo of the lunch we shared.

Later on, three of us deciced to go to the Choco Museo where they make chocolate from cacao beans. We ran into Silvan, a young man from Switzerland from school, so he joined us also. It was supposed to be a two hour demonstration, but we ended up being there for four hours. It was very interesting to see the whole process of making chocolate. We actually heated the beans in a pan, used a mortar and pestle to make a cacao paste, and then made three drinks with it. One was a cacao tea that was made by soaking the shells in hot water and adding a small amount of sugar; one was mixing the cacao paste we made with water, a little chili pepper, honey and one other floral spice; the last one we mixed the cacao paste with hot milk, cinnamon sticks, cloves and sugar. They were all pretty tasty!! Then we each made chocolate candies from the finished creamy chocolate and added different flavors, i.e. ginger, coconut, hot pepper. You can see the bag of chocolates I made in the photos I posted!!

These outings we take aren't just about having fun, but continuing to be immersed in the language. They speak so rapidly in Spanish (just as we do in English). The more I am around it, the more my brain is becoming trained to pick out the words. We have a tour on Sunday that the school recommends. Another adventure!!

More to come...

Pat

Photos: South America Journey

pattyrae — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 20:30:00 GMT

Spanish Immersion

Not Your Typical Day i.e. "We're not in Kansas anymore Toto"

pattyrae — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 17:30:00 GMT

Day 1 Ecela Spanish!! (i.e. yesterday)

Well, this certainly turned out to be an interesting day!

We all arrived at the school around 8 am this morning. There was a placement test that was available online to check understanding of grammar. Some took it this morning, but I took mine about three months ago. I knew after taking the test that my understanding of Spanish grammar was "un poquito" or VERY LITTLE! It was extremely difficult! I had a conversational test this morning, which was a little easier. So the learning begins!!

I have one other woman in both my grammar and conversation classes. Nice! We spent the morning moving along quite rapidly. I kept asking my teacher "mas despacio por favor," to which she kindly slowed down for a phrase or two. Then, right back to the same pace!! Actually, the teaching style is fairly easy to grasp. I will have to say that I forgot the meaning of the same word more than once. That's okay though. I do that in English also!!

After class today they had a "Conversation Club" that anyone could sign up for. I thought it would be good for me to fill my already full brain with more conversation and also get to know some of the students in other classes. There are many class levels here. All seven of us hopped in taxis with a school staff member and went to a restaurant for coffee. Unfortunately, one of the women with us got her purse stolen within minutes of arrival. Two women were sitting behind her and she put her purse on the floor and before we realized it, they had walked off with her purse. From that point forward, our Spanish conversation turned into English as our Ecela staff went to the police station with our friend. Very tragic as she had all of her money, passport, copy of passport and the only credit card she brought to Peru in her purse. Case in Point: only take with you what you need and never set anything down.

Day 2!! (i.e.today)

Well! Well!! Oh my, what a lot of verbs and tenses in Spanish!

My fellow classmate spent the morning at the American Embassy to get a passport. So, I had a morning of private lessons. It was great! Except...I figured out after about the first thirty minutes that it is sure a lot easier when there is another person that has to attempt to answer all of the questions and carry on a conversation in Spanish! Will my mind ever be the same again?!?

My days go somewhat like this. Breakfast with my host family at 8:30 a.m.; off to school, which is about a 10-12 minute walk in "Perth" mode (my family all knows what that is!); Grammar from 9:00 - 10:40 a.m.; Conversational Spanish from 11:00 to 12:40 p.m. Then after that I do about 2-3 hours of homework each day. Dinner at 7:00ish p.m., lights out about 10:00 p.m. and then lay there with my brain turning from all of the learning for another hour or two! I'm hoping the latter stops fairly quickly and my nights end at "lights out" before too long.

I attempted to attach a couple of photos. Not too exciting! Just showing you a little of my world! (I attempted to upload ones from the school, but for some reason they stayed in the gallery! You can find those there if you so desire. Again, nothing too exciting as I have pretty much been between the school and my host home!!) I don't know if you noticed or not, but most of the students do not have white hair! In fact, I would be it!! The majority of the students are 18 to late 20's. I've decided they have a lot more functioning brain cells or at least ones that are a little more active than mine!! I'm actually kidding!! I am having a lot of fun recalling Spanish I learned 40-45 years ago. It is also fun to mix with the younger adults! There are probably 4-5 different levels of classes going on simultaneously at the school.

Not sure why the photo loaded sideways. Instruction #1: Please turn your screen sideways as it is a lot easier for you to do that, than it is for me to figure out how to fix this!! This is the home I live in. My host family is delightful. I've fallen in love with them already! More about them later!

I hope all of you in Colorado are staying warm! It was actually very hot here today and HUMID!!

Blessings,
Pat

Miraflores District, Lima, Peru

pattyrae — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 10:57:00 GMT

Saludos!

Well this is day two in Lima. I arrived yeserday after a COLD flight from Denver. I thought it was cold in Colorado! Anyway no worse for the wear and I arrived to warm, sunny weather! Ahhh! My favorite! I don't even mind the humidity!

Yesterday as I was checking into my hotel, they told me that they had upgraded me to a suite! A very unexpected surprise, but beautiful. My room overlooked the city, which is one concrete building after another. But, the people more than make up for the crowdedness.

Yesterday afternoon after a wonderful Peruvian dinner, I took a walk on the plaza. As I was walking this elderly gentleman, probably 80ish, greeted me. I asked him if I could join him and before he could answer, I said, "Don't mind if I do," as I sat down beside him. To which he laughed and we struck up a conversation. He asked me if I knew how to tango. Odd question I thought. But then he went on to share a little about his life and explained that he and his wife taught dance for years. He actually spoke much better English than I spoke Spanish. He grew up right outside of Lima, but has lived in Lima for the past 40 years. As we talked, he shared that his wife "went to heaven" about nine months ago. He was still filled with sadness over his loss. We had a wonderful conversation about heaven and our faith. When I say wonderful, please remember my limited Spanish vocabulary! He thanked me for taking the time to sit down and visit with him and off I went.

Today I moved in with the family I am staying with. It is evening now and I can barely speak English, let alone Spanish. My brain is on total overload trying to understand and follow conversations in the home. Okay! What made me think at almost 60 this would come easy?!! No, I didn't actually think that. My brain is pretty tired, but I have to tell you that I am so excited for what's ahead of me! I know God has a specific plan for me and I plan to dive in and soak it all in.

I begin classes in the morning. My Peruvian family told me tonight that Ecela Spanish has a very good reputation. They house students consistently from all over the world, including military personnel that the U.S sends here for language. That is very encouraging!

Thanks so much for all of your very encouraging and uplifting comments. They warm my heart and make the distance seem much less. I hope to take some photos to share in the next couple of days. It will help of course, it I remember my phone so I can take them!!

Hasta Luego!

and... the journey begins!!

pattyrae — Sat, 9 Jan 2016 15:28:00 GMT

Wow! I can't believe the time is finally here and I am off. After sad good-byes, I'm sitting here in DIA, waiting for the "red-eye" flight to Panama City, Panama and then on to Lima, Peru.

You probably wonder why "SheQuester." I couldn't think of anything better when I looked up what it means, i.e. an adventurous expedition undertaken by a knight or knights to secure or achieve something (I'm not a knight, but I am a woman on an adventure to achieve something);a search or pursuit made in order to find or obtain something (I am in pursuit of the language, but more importantly, I am seeking what God has for this next chapter of my life).

If really is an open book. I have been in the healthcare field in different capacities for 40 years. I'm ready to close that chapter of my life in the way I knew it and seek what the next chapter holds. I am open to whatever opens up. I don't want to be my agenda, but His.

The first blessing was that Dan was able to fly to Denver with me, spend about an hour and a half and then fly back to Montrose! That was a very pleasant surprise for both of us.

I'm not much of a writer, but I will give it my best shot!! Please extend grace to me as I attempt to put into words what is happening!!

Thank you for all of your support and prayers. I couldn't have asked for a better send off!

Until Later!

Pat