January 9,
2017
In
late-November, I graduated from my high school in Arequipa! I enjoyed my time
in that school, but I was happy to move on to a new experience: Peruvian
cooking classes!
The other
exchange students and I were enrolled in cooking classes in a Peruvian culinary
institute. Our Rotary clubs generously agreed to cover the cost of the classes,
and our host parents helped us to purchase the ingredients. If you didn’t
know, Peru is generally considered to have one of the most diverse and
interesting cuisines in the world. Part of this is due to the geography of
Peru. The three main geographic regions of Peru are La Sierra (desert), La
Costa (coast), and La Selva (rainforest). Each of these regions has their own
local ingredients and traditional dishes.
We each
received a schedule of the cooking classes, listing which dishes we would
prepare each day, and the ingredients that each person should bring. The first
class we learned to make “arroz con leche”, a Peruvian variant of rice pudding,
and “mazamorra morada", a pudding-like dessert made with purple corn and
various fruits. We were spilt into four groups and given the same ingredients
and instructions. Then, with the help of the chefs, each group attempted to
recreate the dish, and at the end we got to compare each other’s successes (or
failures). The next three weeks, we learned how to make a variety of
traditional Peruvian specialties. My favorites were “rocoto relleno”, a baked
hot-pepper stuffed with a filling of beef, onion, carrot, olive, egg, and
topped with cheese, “lomo saltado”, beef stir-fried with soy sauce, onion,
tomato, aji (a native peruvian spicy pepper), and served with a side of fresh
french fries and rice, and “chupe de camaron”, a seafood stew made with shrimp,
lima beans, rice, and a variety of potatoes. It was a very fun (and
delicious) experience that helped to bring the exchange students of Arequipa
closer together. I loved learning about the complexity and diversity of Peruvian
cuisine.
The cooking
classes ended about a week before Christmas. I spent the next week shopping for
presents for my host family, and trying to get into the Christmas spirit.
Christmas was different, but nice. There was no snow or cold weather. There
were no insane Christmas decorations. We spent the whole day with family: my
host parents, my two host sisters, their husbands, and their kids. We had a
great meal with turkey, pork, salad, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and a few
desserts. I prepared cranberry sauce and chocolate-chip pumpkin bread, and my
family loved both. As it got dark, we sat together, exchanged a few small
gifts, and talked around the television. As midnight approached, people began
to set off fireworks. The frequency and the volume of fireworks increased until
they reached a massive crescendo. At 12 o’clock, we ran out on to the roof and
watched as the whole city lit up. It was mesmerizing. Around 12:15, the
fireworks gradually began to stop. We went back inside, said goodnight, and
went to bed.
In the morning,
we went to church. After church, we went shopping for lunch: guinea pig (don’t
freak out, the guinea pigs were already dead). We bought 15 guinea pigs. My
host mom put them on a clothesline to dry. Then, she fried each guinea pig
until they were crispy, and served them alongside some potatoes and a homemade
sauce called “copa”. I’m not going to lie they were pretty delicious. This
might sound horrifying, but please try to understand that this is completely
normal for them. Nobody in Peru owns a pet guinea pig.
The next day,
December 26th, my sister, Holly, arrived in Arequipa! I was so thrilled to see
her after what felt like a lot more than 5 months without her. My host family
kindly invited her to stay in their home. We spent the next few days
socializing with my host family, and doing some sightseeing around Arequipa. On
the 30th, my host family took my sister and I to the beach. We spent
two nights at the beach. The second night we camped out and sat talking around
a fire. At midnight, we all hugged each other. There were more fireworks, and
then we slept.
The next
morning, I had to say goodbye to my host family. It was a sad experience, but
it made me happy to know I would get to see them again. My host sister’s
husband drove my sister and I back to Arequipa, where we took a flight to Lima.
The next few days were amazing. Each morning, my sister and I got up early, ate
breakfast in our hostel, and then walked 5 minutes to the beach where we surfed
for a couple of hours. We spent the rest of the days eating in nice restaurants
and exploring the nearby areas of Miraflores, Barranco, and San Isidro. We had
wonderful, sunny weather, and the whole time was very relaxing.
On the 6th, my
sister had to get up early to catch her flight to Colombia, where she would
spend the next week. I had to say another goodbye, one that was almost harder
than the first one. After my sister left, I took a taxi to house of my current
host family. Now I am living in the Villa Militar in Chorrillos, a nice
residential area located just 10 minutes walking-distance from the center of
Barranco, a district with a big art culture and a bustling nightlife. I love my
new host family. I have two host brothers, 18 and 20, and a very sweet host
mom. I look forward to spending these next two months with them.
That’s all for
now. Thank you to everyone who made this experience possible for me. Until next
time!
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