day 117: a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down... so what's a ladle of it do?

I have started running every morning. Now, this sounds like it would be something that's good for me except my runs are more like walks, as I have convinced my host sister to go on these mornings with me. She's a 15 year old who hasn't exercised much in her life time and more than half of my mornings is convincing her that she can push herself a few more yards! It's actually kind of fun, although I'm not the most motivational speaker, and she's a good sport about it- even trying a few star jumps and lunges and such, before she gets girly and embarrassed about it.

Still, I'm running every morning now, partially because I like mornings and it's a good excuse for me to go out and enjoy the tranquility, and partially because my dinners are now composed of lunche, which is different from cena because it's lighter- a cup of tea, maybe some soda crackers and cheese or something. Basically, it's like my breakfast. Why is this bad? It's not. In fact, I prefer it as this is how I liked to eat back in the states. I would rather have an egg or avocado, I suppose, but galletas with some queso isn't bad. What's bad is the tea. It's not tea. Tea is hot water and leaves. I get this interesting concoction of hot water, some sort of thickening agent (I think it's gelatin), sugar, apples or pineapples, sugar, and sugar... all of this at around 9pm.

There's so much sugar, my teeth hurt. I have no idea how to say no to this, since the entire family gets together to eat and my host mom is rather pushy when it comes to food. I'll say "no thank you" which seems to indicate "just a little bit" which is, here in my lovely home, kind of a lot. I told my host mother that I had to eat less because I was getting fat. Honestly, I have to eat less because I just can't eat the mountain of food I am given, and I hate wasting food. When my host mom makes me this drink thing, she tells me it doesn't make me fat, as she uses a ladle to add the sugar in. A LADLE.

Still, I guess I won't complain. If I get diabetes during my time in Perú, the Peace Corps will help pay for some of my medical bills (I think... Maybe not. I should re-read my rules book). And I'm getting a plate of vegetables every day for lunch after I asked if I could please have no rice (which I still get, just about half the amount I used to, which I can deal with). I'm fed and I'm happy, I just feel like how meat cows might feel- eating corn instead of grass, and growing fat but not really healthy.

Speaking of food, I've checked off one thing on my list on how to become a true San Pedronian- I have eaten a tamale from one of the street vendors! And my god, it was delicious. 

Tamale con ají and red onions 

Fanny bought me my first tamale! She's the sweetest person ever and I hope we become friends : D

All that's left to eat now, are the lizards. I'm told I should wait for summer, since that's when they come out to eat from the algarrobina trees. It's spring here, so I'll let you know as soon as those lizards are out and about!

That's about it for now. I just got my surveys for youth back from my second school and I'll be teaching english twice a week, starting tomorrow. Next monday, I'm going to be helping a teacher with his tutoría class on sex ed and getting my surveys done for the parents of the students in the second school. I'm in the process of talking with a guy about the world map, so hopefully that gets going this month, and I have my next meeting with the committee I'm somehow in (I still am not sure what it is that we do...) coming up, but it might conflict with the regional meeting... we'll see. This Saturday is Britt's birthday. She lives over in Ascope, so Slack (who lives in Guadalupe, close to me) and I are going to try and figure out how to get there and back, since I have my youth group on Saturday. I'm FINALLY going to meet up with my other youth group this Friday (at least, fingers crossed). Lastly, I'm in the process of trying to find a space for English teachers to get together once a week or so to practice. 

There's also a world championship kite surfing competition happening in the end of October in Pacasmayo!! I'm super excited and totally going to check it out! 

Well, that's about it for now. I still haven't worked myself up to going to the third school that I know of in my site, because I really don't feel like writing up a solicitúd to go say hi... Still battling with that part of my brain that doesn't feel like working with someone who doesn't explicitly want me. Stupid pride needs to go away already. 

Anyway, chau amigos.

Amor y Paz <3