Update

Fun Fact No. 21: No motorcycle gangs here. It seems like it, though. We pull up to a bar (on Mario's motorcycle, of course) and there's like 30 motorcycles out front. In the US, no way in hell would I go into a place that looked like that. But here, it's the main form of transportation and it's just regular people driving the bikes.

Well, just a quick update with random facts and figures of my life as of late. Last week, on Halloween, I went to mass in a main square for Our Lord of Miracles. There were about 2000 people there, and it was pretty fun. Then they took the statue and paraded it down and around the city from about 9pm to about 3am. I wasn't in the mood to bebop behind a statue, so I went to see Roberto Blades, Peru's Prince of Salsa. I went with Monica and my friends Charitin and Raul. When we were there, we met a guy from Lima who exports Peruvian olive oil. At first we thought he was cool, but then it turns out that he's a big snob. Seriously. And when he took me home, he tried to kiss me and lemme tell you, he almost got a penis pancake. This white girl DOES NOT play around. It was kind of traumatizing, but I got over it the next day. Alas...

Speaking of the next day, it was our friend Ruth's birthday so she invited us over for "lunch." This meant drinking, dancing, and occasionally eating from about 1pm til 8pm. Overkill, but fun.

Thursday there was a rainstorm. OK, it rains almost every day here, but this was a KILLER storm. Because we live in an open house on stilts over a lake, if the wind comes in the wrong way there is NOTHING that is going to keep it out. Pretty much everything in the kitchen (including knives) went flying. It was like Poltergeist, but just a natural phenomenon. It was a crazy storm that shook the house. But it was kind of fun - we couldn't leave the house so it was almost like a snow day, except it was rain. I was supposed to go to the library, but everything was canceled.

Friday was a pretty productive day. I really busted out a good amount on the revisions that I got from Joshua, and Friday night I went out for a quiet, relaxing evening with Cesar, Monica, and Lilia. Later we met up with Mario Jr. and our friend Cindy and kept just shooting the bull.

Saturday I played in a wedding. I know, can you believe it? I got paid 30 soles, which is about $9. I didn't do it for the money, obviously, but it was nice to have a little extra cash. 30 soles goes a long way here. Anyway, now that I've solidly established my reputation in this city as a flautist, I have six more gigs in the next 2 months including another couple weddings, a city-wide concert, a gradeschool concert, and a first communion. Who knew? Now I'm actually practicing. Whoa.

After the wedding I went to my friend Charitin's for a parillada. A parillada usually happens during the day here, but sometimes at night and it's when you sell tickets (for about $2.50) to come to your house to eat some yummy grilled chicken, drink beer, and shoot the bull. Parilladas are super fun and very communal, and it almost feels like a botellon in Spain. I had a great time. Afterwards, we went dancing with some friends and then grabbed another beer. Basically, I was out until 4am and need I remind you that I am too old for this crap??

Today I did my first Skype talk with Michael. It was so cool to hear his voice and know that he's in Argentina and I'm here! And then Julia called and all three of us were talking! How rad is that? I felt like I should bow down to the gods of technology. I'm freakishly awed by these kinds of things. Anyway, both are doing well, thanks for asking. Julia is working on grant applications and withstanding the impending Madison winter, and Michael is going to the music school every day and is practicing bandaneon like a madman.

That's all for now!