In Peruvian culture when people have to introduce themselves to the someone is very normal that they kiss each other as an apreciative way, or kiss and hug when they are friends. This is very weird in American culture; the first time that I got here I felt very uncomfortable many times because I kissed people when someone introduced them to me, and some of them looked at me as if I was doing something inappropriate, it was very difficult for me to stop doing that because it was the way that I get used to greet. However, it took me some time to get used to some American costums. Now I already know that I just have to shake hands when I have to greet someone.

Shopping

I like to do many things in my leisure time but my favorite activity is shopping. I usually go shopping on weekends and also when I have free time during the week, I go with my boyfriend, some friends and sometimes just by myself; I could spend hours and hours in the mall looking around and shopping and never get tired. I have some reasons for shopping; first it's makes me feel renew when I get new things it's like a mixture of feelings of happiness, exciting and being full of energy. Second, it's relaxing because seeing other people and looking a lot of things makes me forget about any problem I could have. Finally, it's fun trying on clothes, jewelry and accesories like bags, which is what I like to buy the most, even when you're not gonna get it. For all those reasons I love shopping, eventhough I have to spend a lot of money when I do it, but it's worth it.

Last week I met a peruvian friend called Karla who I didn't see since school and that is because she moved here with her family when she was fourteen years old. We were very closed friends back there in our hometown, but since she got here in 1999 we lost contact. So, It's been almost nine years of not knowing anything about her. A month ago I send her an email telling her that I was coming here to study english for five months and that I couldn't wait to see her again. So last friday we had the chance to meet again after many years and it was very exciting!! We have catched up many things from all the time we haven't seen eachother. She is a little bit different now because we've grown up, but in general she is the same friend that I had when I was a little girl and I'm very glad for that. :)

Journal #15

I will definitely be practicing english during spring break because I'll be doing many activities which involve talking in english. Besides the usual things that I do like talking in english with my family who I live with and watching tv in my leisure time, when I go on a trip with my boyfriend's friends who don't speak spanish I'll have to talk to them in english, I also have to do a lot of homework during the week, all those things will certainly help me to not forget what I have learned so far in the program and even improve my english skills.

Spring Break

It's already Spring Break!!! I had some plans for this week with my boyfriend and his friends, however some of them had to work during the week so we've decided to go to Las Vegas on friday and spend all weekend hanging out, shopping, dancing, drinking and going to at least one of the many spectacular night shows that are presented in Vegas. Before that trip, I am going to Universal Studios and Disneyland with a couple of friends who are coming from Peru tomorrow. I think It's gonna be a great Spring Break !!

Journal #14

Well what I can say about my cultural identity is that peruvians love our country very much, we'got a lot cultural things that make us proud of being from Peru. I think cultural identity is different for every country.
As a peruvian I can say that we are very kind and friendly people, when the tourists go to Peru they love the way we treat them because we try them to feel like being at home and offer them the best of ours . Also we are creative people, that in some ways has lead us to do important and relevant things for ourselves and for our country. Something that idenfity us is that we are persevering people, we put effort in every single thing we do to make it right, we may not have much money like other countries in the world but we always try to do our best to achieve our goals.

Journal # 13

This time, I'm talking about last weekend that I spent with my boyfriend and his family in Big Bear. We decided to go there at last minute on saturday morning, so my boyfriend got ready and picked me up from my uncle's house and in less than two hours we were at his little house in Big Bear with his family.
That saturday we got early and bought some things to cook peruvian food. After we lunched we immediately went to rent some boards and boots so we could go up and snowboard, I had not done snowboard or any similar before, so it was the first time that I did this kind of sport and you can imagine how I finished. But it was very very fun!! ... I will definitely do it again!!! In the evening we went to dinner to an italian restaurant where everything was delicious. On sunday we got up early took breakfast, and spent the morning hanging around and shopping some souveniers in the village. It was a very fun weekend at Big Bear!!!