i dont think you'd know me anymore!

First, I can't believe it's March and then some already! How fast that time went by!! Wow!
If you saw what I was eating you wouldn’t know me. You wouldn’t believe it. I eat so many weird random things.. every single day. From my not eating any of the main meals, rarely touch meat, and pick at everything at home, to just my salads and sweets at school and never the main dish, none of you would think I was the same person! Many times I have no idea, not a clue, what I’m eating. I don’t know if it’s a fruit, a vegetable, a meat. I just open my mouth, close my eyes, and hope that it’s not a hot dog and that I can swallow it. A lot of times it’s good lol. I mostly eat the meat I am presented with (I know rents – can you believe that!), or at least try it if I must. I will not try cuy tho (guinea pig!! ick! i wouldnt even eat that if you cooked it dad!!). But I did just agree to Pilar that I will try cow heart.. what!! Lol. Some of the stuff I eat looks so weird.. I had a salad for a while with bright pink and purple stuff on it, no idea what it was. The stuff I eat can be green, yellow, pink, purple, orange, any color, and any texture. I ate the other day like corn mush with spaghetti sauce on it, I actually loved it, but for the longest time had no idea what I was eating. And nothing has the nutrition facts on it – I know I’m a nutrition facts freak! But – ya just go with it here. And I can’t not try something that Elisabeth gives me, she’s so so so so sweet. And if I don’t like it, she just laughs. I try my best to cut it into tiny pieces and move it around, and hide it under rice, but Elisabeth always knows. Some other people’s maids will get mad if they don’t like something, so I am very lucky that I have Elisabeth. I also get a fresh salad every day before meals with palta (avocado) sooo yum! Which I’m very lucky too because some people don’t see vegetables at all or not-fried food, and I rarely have fried food (except for fried bananas that are pink with egg and rice, my host mom’s favorite meal – I know right?) I eat ice cream now too (everyone does every day.. it’s to die for! Sooo so so so good! And it’s so hot here too, it’s def necessary.) and I drink juice. The juice they have is amazing!! And Elisabeth will put it in a shake with sugar milk and sugar and it’s sooo yum. And they don’t drink milk here, so I don’t either – only the sweet leche in my coffee in the morning (I know ma – we are going to go through like a gallon a day when I get back!) So you wouldn’t think I was the same person if you saw my eating habits from now and before!
One thing that is just really different is how we are treated here. We talked about racism and discrimination here in Peru the other day in Ethics class and.. it’s kind of harder to tell and see, but the lighter skin you have the better you’re treated. Of course, that’s everywhere, but there are so so so so many different shades of skin here, and it’s not like.. obvious how people are treated? There are different class levels that everyone knows, that I can’t even see. We also have to interview people on the street for class (I hate doing that!! It’s so embarrassing!) and they said that it’s definitely evident, if you have too dark of skin you can’t get into certain places and clubs – I had no idea! The other night, in Barranco, we weren’t even on the list and we got in before the whole line did, I’m assuming just because we are white. It’s weird too, people just want to take pics with us sometimes. If we are at a club people will just be like, “Can I have a pic with you?” or they will be like, “Can you take a pic for me? Thanks, now you get in it too!” It’s like – what?? I don’t know you! One time in a taxi cab that we were sharing, a the taxi cab driver said, “Omg you are Americans! My wife loves Americans!” then he proceeded to call her and awkwardly handed the phone to us to talk to his wife who loved Americans, then after he got done telling his wife how he was driving Americans, he started to take a video of us with his phone! Completely harmless, but weird! There are so many instances where.. we get to go first or free or get free drinks. We are going to a dance club tonight where everyone in our group get in free (YES!) and the girls get to drink for free! How cool is that? We are taking private salsa lessons, had our first one last night, and it was awesome! Tonight we are going bowling (I don’t know why that’s considered a fun thing to do, I really don’t!) and then out to the dance club. Paige and Carly are coming next week and I’m excited! I live in a small apartment so we are basically going to be sleeping and breathing on top of each other for the week, but it will be fun! As for before then.. I have ‘un montón,’ as my host mom, Pilar, would say, of homework to do!!
Love and miss you all sooo soo much!
besos!!