My Beautiful Life

My day started off as any other day during the week, except that instead of being another day older I was another year older.   I didn't really have much planned except for a BBQ on our roof the next day and then drinks at one of the discos. Plus the week before Will - the bar manager at Wild Rover (the hostel) - threw me a pre-birthday party which was a blast! 

It was kind of weird not really having any friends or family around.  Not that I was really celebrating but even in Cali, Australia and France I was with friends I had met traveling that I was close with...this year I just woke up and went to work.

My morning went as it usually did, my first class from 7-9 and then my second class (which is my favourite) from 9-11. Other than the birthday wishes I had already gotten on my FaceBook wall they were the first people to wish me Happy Birthday.  As soon as they came into class they walked up to me gave me hugs and kisses and said "Happy Birthday Mees."  They completely made my morning with these sweet wishes.  However on their break just as I was getting ready to grab a tea one of my students opens the cupboard at the back of the class, I was just about to ask her what she was doing when she said "Mees, it's your birthday!" She pulls out this massive Birthday Cake.  They came prepared with plates, spoons, cake cutter, cups for the orange Fanta they brought as well as chocolate cookies and then sang happy birthday in English and Spanish.  Yup you guessed it...I cried.  My eyes welled up. 

I have only been a teacher three weeks and my students are already buying me a birthday cake? I must be doing something right.  This was seriously the highlight of my whole birthday.  As a teacher I'm supposed to be a leader, someone my students can look up to and trust.  I'm supposed to be able to make an impression.  I guess I'm doing my job.  They made me feel so loved and appreciated...happy me.

My birthday wasn't really a huge deal. I mean yes I wanted people to come out but Birthdays now are not what they used to be when I was in my twenties.  And to be honest, this year I was not celebrating turning 25 (for the 100th time)...I mean big deal right another year older woohoo <--- sarcasm. No, this year I decided to celebrate my life and not how old I was.  So much has happened in my life in the past 9 months.  Dan and I seperated which was harder then I aloud anyone to know.  It was heartbreaking and confusing and hard to wrap my brain around at times. I traveled across my beautiful country, met an amazing guy, spent five incredible months on the west snowboarding and spending time with my family that I hadn't seen in years.  I went to Italy with my parents.  I took the TEFL course which was a huge challenge and I almost dropped out thinking I was way in over my head.  Graduating was a huge achievement for me, I really didn't realize how much it had meant to me until I was taking the course.  I backpacked Europe and had one of the best times of my life. I skipped my flight and didn't budget, I drank what I wanted, ate what I wanted and went where I wanted.  For te first time I wasn't "mother budget hen," and it felt great.  I decided that I was going to be selfish and whatever I did and decision I made was going to be about me and no one else. It was the first time in three years I didn't have a special someone in my life that I always had to consider, it is just me, myself and I.  I took a teaching job in Peru and now here I am. Happy as a clam, doing what I love and worked my but off to become.  

In the past 9 months I have had heartache, love, amazing friendships, life challenges, achievements, amazing experiences and opportunities I never could've dreamed of.  In the midst of all this I fell in love.  No...not again...dont freak out.  I fell in love with life...with my life.  Even with everything that happened I managed to find everything beautiful in my life and everything else it has to offer. I'm greatful for everything in my life, even the bad because it is my story and it's a beautiful story.  Everything in life happens for a reason.  I regret nothing, not even getting married because it's part of the the building blocks of who I am, the puzzle pieces of my journey.  It's part of what I have become and what I have achieved to be where I am.  If I regret marriage and separation then I regret where I am...and I definitely do not. How can I ?

I am so greatful and so very lucky to have seen what I have seen, to experience what I have experienced, to have loved and have been loved, for the beautiful people in my life...my students who have shown me so much love in such a short time, my friends that are spread out over every continent of the world, the birthday messages on my Facebook from people who I thought I would never hear from again, to a friend telling me she looks up to me more than I would ever know which means more to me then she will ever know (I look up to you as well), to having the parents that I have and the wonderful opportunities I have had throughout my life and to explore and get to know the people of this beautiful planet...I am thankful.

There is so much to celebrate this year...and it's not my age. It's you and everything you and this world have given me.

                      - My Beautiful Life -

Miss (Mees) Teacher

It's hard to believe I only graduated two months ago today!  So much has happened in that time that I feel like it was a lifetime ago. From backpacking Europe, moving to Peru and bumming around for two weeks, to teaching for the past few weeks.  It's just crazy how the time as flown; and to be honest, I still don't think me being a teacher has fully hit me yet.

I was nervous my first day. I had to prepare for 3 two hour lessons and 1 hour and a half private.  I had been really overwhelmed from my training and wasn't overly confident about teaching that many classes, especially ones that were two hours as I had been trained in 45 minute lessons.

I was up at the crack of dawn - as my schedule begins at the beautiful hour of 7am - got ready and arrived early to get set up for class.

When I was training I was so nervous every class that I would shake. My trainers would always tell me to take a breath and relax.  The last thing I wanted on my first day was the nervous shakes,I didn't want to seem "fresh" to my students, I wanted them to feel confident in me as a teacher.

Well confidence I got...confidence in myself.  It felt so natural, like I had been at the front of a classroom my whole life! I wasn't nervous at all, I flowed naturally and never felt uncomfortable! It was like I was made for it!!! It was so strange how natural it felt.

There are really tough days where it's like pulling teeth to he anything out of my students.  Sometimes they just sit and stare like I have leprosy or something. It is so frustrating that I feel like throwing myself out the window (even though I'm on the ground floor), but just like in teaching practice I am determined to push and get what I can.  I sometimes wonder why I don't go home and drink a bottle of wine to myself lol I don't even drink now unless it's Saturday...I know right, but with early mornings an the altitude drinking is only possible when I don't have to be up in the morning.

Not all my classes are frustrating...most times I have a lot of fun.  Some of my students make me laugh all the time. I have one student that is really cheeky.  See I have a rule in my class...absolutely no Spanish!  But in one of my classes I have two Michelle's so I have named them Michelle Uno and Michelle Dos (1 and two). Erik (my cheeky student) says "mees" (thats how they say miss, though others just say teacher) "mees. No Spanish mees. Only English." Or "mees can we hand in the assignment tomorrow" "sin manyana, oí!" (Not tomorrow today). " mees! You speaka Spanish?!?" Lol they think I lie about being able to speak Spanish. I don't at all but I have picked up a few things in my last month here. It's funny when they are like "mees how do you say..." And they give me a Spanish word.  I just look at them and then they smack themselves in the head and they are like "oh ya." My kids class they always look at me and speak Spanish and I always have to so "no hablo e Spaniol" it can get very tiresome at times especially with the students who barely speak English.  

My other two rules are no cellphones and be on time as here they have no concept on time, being a half hour late is completely normal and acceptable.  Even with the rules in red market on the board don't help.  "Is that Spanish I hear? What are the rules on the board." "No cellphones mees" "I mean the other one" "be on time mees." " I'm serious guys." " no English mees" "that's right no English. No I mean no Spanish." "It's not Spanish mees it's Portuguese." "I may not understand it but I know it's Spanish guys now behave." "Mees?" "Si" "ahh mees, no Spanish English only." Cheeky buggers." How can that make me not smile.  

I give them a quiz for every unit. In one of my classes they had a question asking for three sentences in the past simple tense. My one 14 year old male student writes - about his friend in class - Alexandro was caught watching adult sites on the internet.  Lmfao. It was the right tense I couldn't mark it wrong.  In my other class I was talking about my nut allergy. When my one student finally understood the translation she said "penis?!? Your allergic to penis?!?" I didn't know what to say...I just stares at her and the other students were like peanuts not penus." I had to explain there was an N in the word so she could understand the difference. "Well," he replied "Now you have learned two new words.  Lol I never know what to expect in my classes.

They teach me so much. They are always telling me about customs and dishes and celebrations and yet they are always asking me about me and my life and what Canada is like. Sometimes they want to spend the whole class just asking me questions and I have to stop them.  My Saturday kids class was something else on my first day. One of the girls walked right up to me said hi and just stood there staring at me, but she was standing pretty much agains me (personal space doesnt exist here. The sidewalks are so narrow two people can't walk side by side. They might be short here but that shouldn't affect the width of the sidewalks).  Anyways back my kids.  She was standing so close I stepped back, pointed to a chair and was like "you can sit there." Then in class her and her friend were staring At me.  "I love tour hair" she pretty much whispered. "My hair?" "It's so pretty." Then her friend "your eyes are so pretty." Being blonde haired and green eyed here I kind of stick out like a sore thumb.  It can be annoying at times but cabs always stop for me and ars stop when I want to cross the street so it does work to my advantage.

One of my students in my intermediate classes (I believe has a crush on me). "If you miss one more class I have to sen you to tutoring." "With you mees?" " no I don't tutor." "Then I don't want to go." "Then don't miss anymore classes." "Mees where we go on The weekend for your birthday." We are not going anywhere but I'm going out for dinner with friends." "Ok mees I follow you." "Jimmy you can't follow me." "I follow you mees."  It can definitely be an ego booster at times. But other times is so frustrating and mentally exhausting but it really is worth it.

I am exhausted.  My days are long and I am up so early; plus, I have gained two private students outside of school one has already started and the other (one of the local guys who works at the hostel) is starting at the whining of July). It's great but it just adds more time to my already long day.  I can't complain though.  I work from 7-11 every morning and then I am off till 5.  I have so much time in between (when not teaching my privates) that I can get so much done. I can go grocery shopping, go for lunch to my favourite menu - Emily and I (another teacher) go to this vegeterian menu for lunch. Three courses plus a fresh juice for 7 soles which is equivalent to $2.80 Canadian. Then a healthy quinoa cookie for 1 sole...so amazingly yummy.  Everything is naturally flavored there and so filling. Other days I go up to the roof, put on some music and bask in the hot sun and relax and do lesson plans - my bedroom has a walk out to the roof which is amazing.  I have a view of all three volcanos.  

So... Life is pretty great.  I can not complain about anything.  I am so truly happy.  I have no regrets or second thoughts about making the move out here, and becoming a TEFL teacher was such a great life and career choice.  I can't believe how much has happened since graduation.  To think I was the student who thought she wasn't going to pass the course and now here I am teaching in Peru.  I remember when I called home an told my parents I was applying for a teaching position out here...it seemed unreachable, like an empty dream...and now look at me, happier than a pig in shit!!! I smile while I'm teaching. I think "look at me, how is this possible? I am an English teacher in another country and it feels great." My mum thinks I found my calling.  Maybe she is right.  It only took 33 years...well actually 34, my birthday is in 2.5 hours

:) happy birthday to me.

I was so meant for this!

                             -My Beautiful Life-

A Misti Attempt

Two days of food, 15 litres of water, two tents, three sleeping bags and matresses, 3 coats, 3 pair of sunglasses, 3 walking sticks, 3 pairs of gloves and three of us.  We were doing a two day hike up Misti - one of the three volcanos in Arequipa and the only active one.

We were up and out of the hostel by 7 am, picked up our equipment and were on our way.

We were doing the hike the cheap way.  We rented the equipment for about $40 each, no guide - but Ceyhan is an avid trekker, and did not hire a ride out there.  We were taking a combie - the local transportation; which is an oversized van that they pile in people until it's too full for anyone to stand or sit down.  Someone hangs out of the door and yells at people on the street, when they put their hand up or call out the guy hanging out of the door calls to the driver to stop and the people get on. It's crazy and cramped but the whole experience just put a smile on my face; its these things that make me travel.  It was so packe on the combie that at one point there was no room for me to stand up anymore as there was no floor space.  I had given my seat up for an older woman so I was leaning against our backpacks that were on the floor infront of Ceyhan.  Every time someone got on they were brining I more bags eventually making the floor of the combie non existent.  I had to sit on Ceyhans lap and even then there still wasn't much room for me.

We rode the combie for a little over an hour.  We drove out of the city and into the slums.  It was dusty and dry and little houses had been built all over the sandy landscape of the hills, it was so different from where we were staying.  We drove through slums in a flat area where the houses - if you could even call them that - were made out of makeshift poles and tarps held together by rope and other materials.  I could tell who the people were on the bus that were from the slums; not by their clothing but there hands were withered and there faces were aged.  They were beautiful.

We got dropped off in a square of a little town, three  hours from the actual entrance to Misti and then from there it would be another 4-6 hour trek to basecamp.

 

It was 9am in the morning and it was already super hot, I could tell this was going to be a challenge.
  

We had to follow a path - where we walked with farmers and their pooping cows - that was going to take us to the entrance to Misti; we were on a time constraint as we had to make it to base camp before it got dark which is 6pm.  Nine hours; seems like enough time right? I thought so too but te sligh incline of the path was making it hard for me to breath.  I was walking at a slow pace hoping it would help with my breathing and energy level.  The guys were way ahead if me, they kept looking back and I told them to keep going.  

9:45 - we stopped for a break.  Water.  It made me feel better.  

Off again.  

I really wanted to do this hike.  I wanted to make it to the summit.  I have done hikes before and struggled but always finished.  I was determined, but my breathing was getting worse.  My throat and lungs felt like they were closing up and made me feel like I was going to vomit - I am not exaggerating for writing purposes - I had to keep stopping as I was almost gasping for breathe.  I began getting light headed and then I got a headache.  

10:15 we had to stop again.  This time water and an apple.  I felt heaps better and was ready to push on.

Within two minutes my lungs and throat started closing again and my backpack was not helping, it was between 12-15 kilos but it felt two times heavier.  My back was sweating an my legs didn't want to work the way I wanted them to.  Of course in a moment like this my famous question popped up in my head, say it with me now "wtf did I get myself into."  I looked over at Misti.  The excitement I felt looking at her first thing in the morning had disappeared and now I felt like she was looming over me and taunting me, and that after step I took she just got further and further away.  This was not gonna happen.

11:00 I felt really bad. John was gonna keep going bit Ceyhan didn't want to leave me to go back on my own so off John went on his own.   There was a town an hour away where he could spend the night and then head to Misti and base camp the next day.

Ceyhan and I walked up a little incline - which even bothered my breathing - with an incredible view of Misti and we were able to see the path John was taking.  We rolled out our mattress and plunked ourselves down.

We talked for hours in the hot sun eating our canned beens with crackers.  We saw a tiny John on the path heading towards the town and watched him disappear into the hills.  We said hola  to the local (mountain people) as they walked buy and listened to the mountain donkeys make that loud sound they make.  What's it called? We took a nap, which was amazing.  Nothing like sleeping out in nature like that.

 

Around two o'clock we woke up and saw a tiny figure walking back on the path.  "I think that is John. It looks like white on the bottom of his shorts like Johns have!"  I said.  "Stay here, I will be back in 45 mins" Ceyhan said.  I watched him make his way down the hill.  He was going to try and catch up with him and bring him to where we were.  If he could catch him we were going to camp for the night as we already had the equipment and the food.

I had fallen back asleep and woke up to Ceyhan just returning.  He wasn't able to catch up with John so we were going to head back, but only after we napped a bit more. Ahh nature...

4:00 - We packed up and started heading back,   it was going to take us an hour to get back to town and we wanted to be there before dark.  We looked at Misti, we took in her beauty and admire her from afar.  " We were this close" Ceyhan said.

 

It was way easier heading back as most of it was a decline, however I had angry feet.  My feet hate being covered, they are happiest in flip flops or with nothing on at all and hours in hiking boots - even tough I had taken them off during nap hours and feeding time - they weren't happy and were letting me know by yelling at me in blister form.  

Ceyhan said we should tell everyone back at the hostel that we hiked Misti in one day because we are that good lol.  It made me feel better as I was the reason we didn't make it.

We passed a local that Ceyhan spoke to - in Spanish of course - about John and she said she saw him pass hours ago. Too bad we missed him, camping would've been fun. 

We actually made it back in exactly an hour I was so happy to see the bus stop...with John sitting at it?!?  It had taken him a few hours to get back and had pretty much just gotten there a half hour before us.  He was up for camping but at this point I wanted a shower and a bed.  John told us that when he got to the town it was empty and wasn't able to camp there so he had to head back.  Turns out, even if I hadn't of stopped us and slowed us down we wouldn't have made it to base camp, we were two far and it was a three day hike from our starting point not a two day hike.  That made me feel better.

I was stoked when the bus (combie) came however they wouldn't let us on because it was completely full and our backpacks wouldn't fit.  They pretty much drive off with Ceyhan hanging in the door way.  Great now we had to wait another 45 minutes to an hour.  Not happy.

Ceyhan's Spanish comes in handy.  He walked up to some locals who just so happened to be going back to Arequipa and were willing to take us back in there pick up free of charge.  John hopped in the back seat and Ceyhan and I hopped in the back with all the equipment of the locals and our backpacks.

The drive was amazing! As the sun set Misti and Pichu Pichu (one of the other volcanoes) turned red. Then all the little village lights turned on at the base of the volcanoes sprinkling it with glittering lights.  The ski was clear and we could see the stars perfectly which seemed to move with us as we drove... We even saw a satellite.  

Even though Misti defeated me before I even got close enough to feel we under my feet, the day was pretty good. Sleeping in nature, hanging out, riding in the back of a locals pick up truck...that's what it is all about.

I foud out a few days later that it was the altitude that had affected me while we were hiking.  It has actually affected me a lot here as Arequipa is just over 7,000 feet above see level.  I get dizzy, my breathing is bad, drinking is impossible as 4 drinks and I'm on my ass drunk as a skunk and I'm always tired.  It will take some time too adjust.  Plus Peru belly has been a factor for me since I got here but I'm adjusting to the new feelings of my body and am getting used to the, they are almost normal now.

Misti may have defeated me but I am definitely not letting my students lol however, you will have to wait for my next blog for that. 

Hasta Luego 

    

                                                                                      - My Beautiful Life -