Archives
It’s pretty bad. My attention span that is. I have noticed a big difference in my ability to stay focused since I became a volunteer. I think the change is easy for me to see because my lifestyle is so different than what it used to be. Going straight from being a graduate student in a Master’s program to a PC volunteer was not the easiest thing. As a student I was… Read More
Figuring out how to understand humor in Spanish took me a while. Understanding when to use it myself took even longer. Now I am able to joke amongst colleagues and friends like I would normally in English. I’ve got a better handle on what Peruvians think is funny and how/when to deliver jokes. I think it’s really hard to try and explain each individual good joke. There is so much that is… Read More
Holy smokes that took FOREVER. I really slowed down for the last book I read. And really delayed on getting this post written. After too many months I finally finished Jack Kerouac’s On The Road. Considering the fact that it’s not a very big book, the fact it took me so long says a little something about how I enjoyed the book. Or perhaps better said, how I lacked in enjoying the… Read More
In English we use a lot of different ways to describe money. Buck, stacks, benjamins, bill, wads, cash etc. In Peruvian culture there are also a couple slang terms to talk about money. You hear them getting used all the time so it’s important to know what they are and how to use them. Additionally, like other slang terms, they add authenticity to your Spanish and locals love it when you use… Read More
One of the more obvious changes I have noticed in myself is my ability to speak Spanish. It is by far one of my favorite skills. And one of my favorite parts about living in Peru and traveling to other Spanish-speaking countries. After living for almost 2 years in Peru, it makes sense that I would speak the language. I have become fluent. But it’s the little things within my new fluency… Read More
Teddy Dondanville 