Awkward Americans. Actually, just awkward Lori.

I wrote this last night, but evidently fell asleep (or passed out) while doing it...

Today was fantastic. Again. No surprise there. After reading over my last post, the only thing I described in detail was each meal – typical fatty. I’ll try to steer clear of that subject this time.

Two years ago, I was the awkward foreign kid. And let me tell you, it’s not fun. At UPV in Spain, I never knew where I was going, what I was doing, I didn’t dare talk in class – I was basically clueless. I swore that I would never again be that kid. Sadly, I revisited that role today. For lunch at PUCP, we went to lunch “early” at the cafeteria in order to avoid crowds. Apparently, our “early” wasn’t early enough and there wasn’t an open table in the entire cafeteria, much less a table that would fit all 17 of us. We wandered around inside and outside carrying full trays of food with nowhere to sit. We finally set our trays on benches outside and sat on the ground to eat. I’m hoping they mistook us for Japanese students rather than American students. You think that’s embarrassing? It’s about to get a lot worse.

Dr. Kenney told us that there they the service staff was supposed pick up our trays, but we had to go inside to set them on a table. Kathryn, Revae and I walked in after everyone else and saw the other 14 of us had set stacked their trays/dishes/trash on the only empty table in the cafeteria. As we’re setting our stuff down, Kathryn notes, “Is that a backpack on the chair?” As soon as she utters those words, a guy and girl walk up ready to sit at the table that they had claimed – the very same table that we had stacked with 17 people’s nasty left overs from lunch. I froze. I was mortified. This is a tiny table – there is not one inch of free space left on the table. I couldn’t bring myself to speak to them, hell, I couldn’t even look at them. When I snuck a glance, their return stare spoke volumes. Basically it said, “What the hell are doing putting your crap on our table?” So no, I didn’t apologize, or even smile sheepishly, but just continued putting our stuff on their table. And then what? You better believe I ran like hell.

Tonight after dinner, we all went to a casino. I considered myself very much a high roller after getting free drinks for putting $1 in a slot machine (I couldn’t find Lucky Lemmings, but opted for Fairy’s Fortune instead – a definite upgrade in my opinion). A group of us were standing next to the slot machines when I had my second most embarrassing moment of the day. A woman strikes up a conversation with us that goes like this:

Woman: Are you all American?

Lori: Yes!

Woman: Where are you from?

Lori: United States

You don’t say.

And we visited the ruins of Pachacamac today, which was really neat. It was on the coast. We climbed up to the Temple of the Sun and naturally I was struggling. As Kathryn and I were complaining about having to actually exert ourselves, Dr. Kenney chimes in, “Just wait, this is nothing. Get ready to climb Huayna Picchu when we go to Machu Picchu.” Lovely.

I’m way excited for tomorrow! Why? Because we’re going to visit the Peruvian Congress? Perhaps, but mostly because since we came in late tonight so our house mom gave me a spare key. I set it on the kitchen table so she could find it the morning. Tomorrow at breakfast I’m going to say, “Me puse la llave en la mesa anoche.” Yep, that’s right -- puse. Can’t wait. Ramon would be so proud.