Traderer

I did the unthinkable yesterday. Something I have been avoiding for oh so long and I am embarrassed to admit I have committed such an act. Get ready. Ok. Here it goes; I went to Starbucks. Oy vey I am so ashamed. Okay, let me explain myself. South America is known for it's coffee beans. I live in Peru. Ergo, I expected to be surrounded by bundles of deliciously roasted coffee beans brought to me from the rainforest. Contrarily, I have been disappointed by the lack of dark roasted coffee delights. A coffee shop in the district of Barranco (where I currently reside) recently opened called Bisetti which I have frequented lately and enjoyed perfectly concocted cappuccinos decorated with a white heart shaped from the foam resting perfectly atop my white coffee cup of wonderfulness. Last night when Rob and I walked to our favorite coffee shop, we ran into Cynthia and James, the Peruvian and Kiwi (respectively) couple sipping warm beverages doused with caffeine with Cynthia's Peruvian cousins (one of whom is married to an Israeli so of course I listed the 18 words in Hebrew that I know!). Rob and I sat to chat, (well I sat to chat while Rob went to the counter to order our 2 cappuccinos. My biggest mistake was letting Rob order because, well, Rob doesn't really know Spanish other than his small vocabulary he has learned in order to hit on chicks. After 25 minutes and coffee-less, I asked a barista for our drinks and found out that they had closed at 9pm and that we were SOL. Rob then realized what the woman behind the coffee counter had told him that they were closed. Woops! Then, I did the unthinkable, I suggested that we walk 3 doors down to the Starbucks that opened last week. Don't get me wrong, back home I enjoy the occasional way too strong coffee or a chai tea frappucino but because I am residing in South America, a continent well known for its coffee beans, I had decided that I would avoid major chains like KFC, McDonalds, Burger King, TGI FRidays, Chilis, and Starbucks, all of which can be found throughout the capital of Peru; Lima. I happened to be in desperate need of a coffee in order to make it through my work shift, Bisetti was closed, my second choice for a coffee, La Talcochita was closed, and my last choice was Starbucks. I caved. Rob got a cappuccino and I ordered a Toffee Nut Latte. Grande. Oh thank Heaven! My beverage was so delicious. I am so embarrassed to admit that I gave into this American chain. I will do everything I can in my future in South America to use Starbucks as a very last resort in having the necessity for a caffeinated  beverage. Whew! What a relief to get that off my chest.

This one's for you, Mom!

My birthday celebrations continued Thursday when I was invited to Tamir's apartment for the lighting of the Menorah for the 3rd night of Channukah. I didn't want to show up empty handed (something I learned from my parents) so I offered to bring latkes! I don't think Tamir believed me when I told him I could whip up a batch of 'just like mom's' latkes because when i showed up with a foil-covered plate, Tamir was nothing short of ecstatic. I was told that Tamir would be picking me up at the hostel at 6pm but I forgot to keep in mind that he is Jewish AND lives in Peru which means I should have planned for an hour (minimum) late pick up. At 7:30 Tamir called reception to tell me that he was sending his 2 friends to get me. I hate waiting. The small Channukah get-together consisted of Tamir, 2 of his Peruvian male friends one of whom is a Jew, Tamir's BFF Shalom and his wife, and another couple. We lit the menorah, explained the miracle of lights to the non-Jews and ate my potato latkes which were a huge hit! I received several nods of approval that 'this is a girl I could take home to mom!' Munching on latkes was followed by dinner of pollo a la brasa with all the fixins; salad, french fries, 2 kinds of rice, 2 kinds of potato salad (Peruvians LOVE their starches!)and about 8 different kinds of salsas/creams depending on one's mood and their tolerance for spice. After our Channukah fiesta Tamir drove me back to The Point for my birthday party with all of my friends. I arrived to a group of people welcoming me with birthday shots and hugs. After a few minutes, the music was turned down in the bar and one of the receptionists who happens to be from Germany walked in with a home-made german cake in the shape of a heart with candles. I was so stuffed from dinner that I didn't have any room for cake but made sure to have a taste today. After much partying and more birthday shots we headed to my favorite disco, Help so I could dance the night away. I left the disco around 3:30am as I was exhausted and wanted to get back to fit in some games of pool with Rob and Lewis from England. I made it to bed by 7am and slept ALL afternoon today. I woke up and immediately began preparing for my evening of Jewishness. Last week at Help I met a nice Jewish Peruvian man named Dov who invited me to beit chabad for kabalat shabbat and dinner. I accepted his invitation as he is handsome and taller than me! Dov picked me up at 6:30pm (Peruvian time because he told me to be ready at 6!) and we headed to San Isidro to his synagogue which has a Macheetzah (sp?) and an altar in the middle of the sanctuary which I thought signified a Sephardic synagogue but it turns out that's not the case. Right off the bat I was introduced to Dov's mother and her friend so I could sit with them while Dov davened down below with the men. While the sermon was in Spanish, I understood about 70% but what i found most fascinating was that no matter where we are in the world, Jews are Jews and we follow the same prayer book, prayers, and methods to our madness! I'm not sure if this was a date or just Dov being a friendly Jew to an outsider because I didn't expect to meet his parents right away! Dov's mother, Rachel seemed thrilled that I was a nice Jewish girl who Dov brought into the Jewish community and I was happy that she was happy. Dov invited me back to his home for shabbas dinner with his mother and father and I felt welcomed into his home with open arms. I think they were impressed with the amount of knowledge I had regarding prayers, when to stand/sit and that I need to wait until I take a bite of challah after the washing of the hands. Dov sent me home in a taxi which was only about a 20 minute ride because I had to get to work in the bar. The rest of the night was tranquil and I couldn't wait to close so i could come relax in my room. It's officially Christmas Eve but it feels like just another day in the life. I'll probably go to the beach tomorrow! Life is just grand =)

Feliz Cumpleaños

Welp today is my 25th birthday and I feel on top of the world. For the first time in my quarter of a century existence, I am celebrating my day of birth outside of the United States AND without my biological family. Luckily, I have established a Peruvian family in my temporary home and couldn't be happier to celebrate this joyous occasion with people who care about me. My  celebrations began last night during my night shift in the bar with my customers buying me birthday shots. After a group of 4 Irish and 2 Scottish sang happy birthday to their friend whose birthday was yesterday, they reused their #2 candle (they lost the #1 which would have made 21 for their friend) on a muffin and sang to me in the bar at midnight! I didn't feel up for going to the disco as I knew i'd be going out tonight and tomorrow so I stayed behind in the bar with David from England, Sean from Australia and his girlfriend Joss, also from England and played pool. My official birthday party is tomorrow with all of my friends because on Thursdays we go to my favorite disco. My day began when I woke up at 11am slightly hungover from the birthday shots and immediately began rehydrating so as to not spend my special day with a headache. Today is the Summer solstice down here in the southern hemisphere and I have been looking forward to having a warm birthday since the day I bought my place ticket! I grabbed a cup of coffee from the kitchen, sat in the sun to paint my toenails hot pink, and attempted a Skype chat with the woman who gave me life. Unfortunately my internet connection wasn't very consistent and we weren't able to have a successful and smooth chat. After I gave myself a pedicure I went to lay down for a quick power nap before my special lunch! Tamir, the owner of The Point Hostels planned to take me, Rob (my bar manager) and David, our Director of Marketing out to lunch to celebrate several occasions; the success of our Halloween party, the success of our VIP party (both of which brought in a lot of business courtesy of the bar tenders), my birthday, Channukah (Tamir is an MOT), and David's departure from the company. The boys let me choose since it was my birthday so I picked sushi! Lunch was amazingly delicious and I made sure to repeatedly thank Tamir for his generosity. We got back to the hostel at 4pm; just in time for Rob to open the bar and for me to take another nap! I caught some shut eye for nearly 2.5 hours which i desperately needed after getting very inconsistent sleep the last 3 nights, especially with the landscaping going on outside of my window at 7am this morning (I went to bed at 3:30am..). I'll be celebrating in the bar tonight followed by an official party in my honor tomorrow. I am so fortunate to be with such wonderful people who care about me. I couldn't ask for a nicer group of people to work with and with whom I can surround myself. Thanks everyone =)

It's a small world after all

Now that I am somewhat of an established resident of Barranco, Lima, I can actually recommend things to do, see and eat in this fine city of Peru. When newbies arrive in the bar, I love giving advice especially when it comes to things to eat because I am such a foodie and can appreciate fresh ingredients and the process of building flavors in Peruvian food. When 4 attractive strapping young men ask me where they should go to dinner and what time I get off/if i'd like to join them, I become giddy! I didn't hesitate to rsvp to this wonderful event! Yesterday I was supposed to work in the bar from 8:30pm-1am but Rob was too hungover to make it to his 4pm shift so I said I'd take over. Well the girl who Rob is training to be a bar manager at the hostel location in Mancora in northern Peru showed up in the bar at 6:30 deciding she wanted to work. So I was off the hook at 7! I took Jeff, Andrew, Jeremy and Bobby to Javiers, a delicious restaurant down by the Puente de Suspiros (bridge of sighs) where they trusted me to order dinner for them! This was an overwhelming task for me because there are so many delicious things to try in Peru so I finally narrowed everything down to 5 dishes we would share amongst the 5 of us; Mixto Especial (a variety of cow parts), Causa de Pollo (a delicious cold potato dish with chicken salad), Chicharron de Mariscos (a variety of fried seafood, kind of like tempura), Lomo Saltado (a hearty & carbalicious plate of beef cubes, onions, tomatoes and french fries sauteed and served with rice), and last but not least Cebiche de Pescado- probably Peru's most famous traditional dish of raw fish that has been slightly cured by the citrusy marinade of lime juice, cilantro and chilis served with sweet potatoes and canchitas which are like an inside-out popcorn! The boys got mojitos and pisco sours while I stuck to a frozen lemonade. I was so full from dinner that I didn't have room for picarones- a Peruvian dessert which is kind of like a beer battered onion ring without the onion/donut of dough that is dipped into honey. The boys appreciated my knowledge of Peruvian cuisine so much that they refused to let me contribute any money towards our meal of 215 Soles (about $80)! After dinner I walked the boys down to the beach to have (some of) their first look at the South Pacific ocean. Jeff walked right up to the waves, wobbled on a few rocks, and lost his left flip flop to the ocean! On the walk back up we heard a significant number of chuckles as people were watching Jeff and his incomplete set of shoes. Twas silly.

Later that night I met Anthony from Fairfax and we chatted about 495 and the Redskins! Anthony is 26 and owns a hostel in Cusco. He's been living in Peru for 2 years and flew home today to spend Christmas with his family. I love how small this world can be.

23 Days!

Today I went to lunch with Juan, a friend of my friend Astrid. I know Astrid from The States- we spent a week together when she was in Peru in October. Astrid has known Juan most of her life and has kept in touch with him as he lives here in Lima. I figure it's always a plus to have an extra connection when in a foreign city. Juan met me at 2:05 at the hostel which is impressive considering I thought he'd be running on Peruvian time which is (minimum) about 45 minutes late. We walked to our destination; Signoro Losorgno (sp?) for lunch in Barranco, only about a 6 min stroll. This was my third time at this restaurant which blows me away with deliciousness each time I go there to eat. My first experience at this restaurant was with my friend Ben which was funny because he had taken his girlfriend there for dinner and then had taken me, just as his friend, but we joked about the fact that the owner (who comes to the tables to say hello to all of his guests) probably thinks that Ben takes all of his ladies there on dates haha! The owner now knows me which is cool and he appreciates that I keep coming back. I told him that if he keeps making such delicious sangrias, he'll continue to see me in his establishment. I can't wait to take Jason there! By the way, only 23 days until jason arrives!! W00t! That one time with Ben, the owner's son played the guitar on stage and handed out free CDs of his music! It was lovely. So today in the restaurant, there was a table of about 25 men in business attire with about 20 bottles of various types of alcohol drinking, eating, laughing, and singing along with the piano man. When the owner came over to welcome us to his restaurant, he explained that in the second half of December, it is customary for people to have celebratory lunches in honor of the upcoming new year. In general, Peruvians take a ciesta every afternoon from about 12-3 to eat lunch, rest, then return to work for another 2 hours. It's a big deal here and can sometimes turn into a party depending on how much wine is consumed with lunch! Juan is taking English classes so he asked that I speak English with him because he doesn't have any native English speakers with whom he can practice. My Spanish is definitely better than his English and I could tell that he was uncomfortable in his head searching for his words. I think he really appreciated my willingness to work with him and be patient. I had frejol de seco for lunch which was deliciously stewed beef with coriander, carrots, and peas, served with rice, beans, and onion relish. Juan had some kind of fish cooked with tomatoes, onions, and rice. Lunch was delicious and Juan even paid for me which I didn't expect at all, but really appreciated.  We walked to the park across from the hostel so Juan could smoke a cigarette and then he was on his way. I thanked him for lunch and said I look forward to the next time we get together.

People often ask me what my plan is for when I get back to the states and I finally have an idea. I recently submitted a work and holiday visa for Australia! I fly back to the states May 4, 2012, we have a family cruise to Alaska in August and then I plan to go to Australia in October for about a year! I plan on working in hospitality over there because the wages are very high in that field. While Australians don't tip in bars and restaurants, minimum wage is $15 with those in higher-end bars making upwards of $23 per hour! Living expenses may be high but my wages will be high so I am not worried. I am told however that produce is very expensive; a kilo of bananas (2.2lbs) is $12! In Lima I buy 5 bananas for .37 from the local man with a fruit stand! I'm leaning towards living in Melbourne which is a much more low-key city and cultural city than high-end Sydney with snazzy bars and clubs. Melbourne also has a much bigger artsy scene with hippies which is right down my alley! Having worked in a hostel where many Aussies stay, I have met a lot of people who are willing to open their homes to me. I know I will make it work. I had even less of a plan when coming to Peru, not really speaking the language so Australia will be a piece of cake.

Woops!

Last night I went to a park with 3 Brasilians, a French, and a Portuguese (oh my!) to watch the ocean from the cliffs and drink a few beers. While we sat in the grass and shared travel stories in both English and Spanish, the French shared a project with us that he has been working on. The idea behind it was that he would video tape someone telling a story, completely made up on the spot, for as long as the sharer wants, leaving a transition for the next creative person to tack on something spectacular. Well the only issue was that each person had a different native language so we couldn't be 100% sure as to what the previous story teller was saying. I was second in line and was given a brief synopsis; 'It's World War II and all of the world's resources had been exhausted so the human race had to move to the moon. There was a conflict between the capitalists and anti-capitalists.' How the hell was I supposed to follow an opening like that!?! I was given permission (and encouragement) to be completely creative so I ran with it! The red light indicating that recording was taking place came on and my continuation of the story went something like this; 'One day on the moon, the capitalists and anti capitalists saw out of the corner of their eyes a spacecraft! As the object moved closer and closer to the moon, the inhabitants of the moon felt tremendous fear towards the unknown flying object. The spacecraft hovered over a small crater and began descending. Suddenly a blue light escaped from the craft shining it's light onto the moon's surface. A door opened and something began descending from the ship.' I'm pretty sure I took a very different spin on the story that was intended, but then again, I was told I could be completely creative! I felt that my transition was perfect because the next person in line could be creative and describe the aliens! I love setting people up for awesomeness.

On another note, Phil the new Australian bartender left us on Sunday morning. He bar tended with us for just over 1 week even though he told us he'd stay through New Years. He decided to leave and join up with his lady friend in Argentina to give himself the opportunity to travel with someone he really cares about and wants to spend a lot of time with. While he was really nice and lots of fun, he wasn't the best barman. He never washed a glass and would leave me a pile of about 27 dirty cocktail glasses for me to wash when I started my shift the next afternoon. While chatting with customers is lovely, he would continue to talk to a hot chick a ignore a guy trying to get a cold beer. He never restocked beers in the fridge, refilled the ice, wiped down the bar or made a drink with more than 3 ingredients. Phil abused the whole 'free drink' rule and would collect cash for a drink but never rang it through the computer so one night we had 50 Soles too much in the drawer so his accuracy with money sucked. Other than all of that, we loved Phil! So now Team Awesome is down to it's 2 senior members; Rob and me, bffs! The pool twosome can continue to reign on! 

I met the co-owner of The Point in Arequipa which was where I was supposed to take that managerial position except I didn't know at the time that he was the owner (woops!). We were talking about american sports followed by a discussion too inappropriate to discuss here, and I was cursing a lot. I even lost a bet and had to buy him a beer. About 2 hours later I found out he was the owner- slightly awkward for me but I confronted him about my non professionalism which he brushed off like it was no big deal! Marcus turned out to be a really cool guy, contrary to what I had heard about him. We even chatted last night as he was the only person in the bar on a quiet Sunday keeping me company. Marcus is from Florida, went to Florida state, has been married to a Peruvian woman for 5 years and is going to DC to visit his sister and new nephew on December 21! I told him about Las Canteras in Adams Morgan, a delicious Peruvian restaurant! I can't wait for his feedback.

I had the day off on Friday, the first weekend night shift I had had off since I started working at The Point! I decided to spend the evening with 2 of my friends; Eric and Henrik. Eric is American and teaches English. He's from Houston and Henrik is from Denmark but lives in Peru making a living as a (very successful) professional poker player. We had plans to get together around 2:30 after Eric's last class however Henrik's plan to meet up with Eric and me at the hostel was interrupted by a phone call from his father. A friend of Henrik's father was being held in Peruvian jail for attempting to smuggle drugs out of the country so Henrik had to ride to the Danish embassy to talk to his peeps. Eric and I decided to go along for the ride in hopes of seeing something really cool! However Henrik made us wait outside. Understandable but lame. Our taxi ride consisted of Henrik taking a nap in the front seat and Eric and I making Danish jokes mostly about pastries and eating snacks. We had a pleasant evening watching the sunset, walking around the beach and discussing the meaning of life, love and religion; basically an ideal evening with intelligent friends who challenge societal norms. Life is good.