Thoughts...

It has been a interesting couple of days - nothing huge, just some random things to tell you about. I am currently on a mini-vacation, which is very nice. We have Monday and Tuesday off from school - Monday is Battle of Angamos Day, a national holiday in Peru. I don't think most people, even Peruvians, actually know what the holiday is for, but according to what I have read, the Battle of Angamos was when a Peruvian ship was surrounded and captured by the Chilean navy. The Peruvian navy was unable to protect the shores and Peru and Bolivia were open to attack by Chile. This all happened during the War of the Pacific in the late 1800s. Isn't it amazing how little we all know about South American history? I'm trying to learn more and more, but it is incredible to me how we learn about European and North American history, but nothing about anyplace in the southern hemisphere. Anyway, I'll take the holiday, whatever it is for. A lot of people are traveling this weekend, but I decided to stay in Lima and get some grad school work done. My current class finishes up in 2 weeks and I have a 20 page paper to write on "Jewish contributions to American popular music" between now and then. I'm hoping to get a lot of research done this weekend and maybe even start writing. I'm also enjoying catching up on some much needed sleep.
I went to a fun event on Friday night - a new bakery tasting. The parent of one of my students is friends with this man who is opening a new bakery and they invited me to come to the opening. It was held in the ballroom of a casino nearby and it was fun to get dressed up and wander around tasting yummy pastries. The owner is Taiwanese and the food is an interesting mix of Asian and Peruvian traditions. It was a fun, random night out.
I just received an email from a friend of mine here at school and she and her husband (both teachers at FDR) are leaving Tuesday to pick up their new adopted Peruvian children! Yes, after a year of paperwork and Peruvian red tape, they are finally going to get their daughters. They decided a while ago to adopt and then, much to their surprise, found out that Angie is pregnant. So, as of February, they will have 3 daughters - a newborn, a 6 year old Peruvian girl, and her 15 year old sister. Can you imagine??? Instant huge family!! I'm really impressed with them that they are committed to adopting these girls. They said all along that they wanted older children and it is nice that the girls are actually biological sisters. The girls are currently in an orphanage in the highlands and my friends will be bringing them back to Lima next weekend. The girls don't speak any English yet, but my friends speak decent Spanish, so I'm sure they will figure out how to communicate. Crazy, huh?
That's all for now. The sun is shining, a little, and I think it is time to get out and enjoy it.