27 July 2009
Wow - we’ve been here for about a week. There has been so much to do. We spent the first few days half at school and half getting settled in. The lobby of our building is being remodeled - new paint and a facelift for the elevator. This is a good thing as it has brightened things up, but means we’ve been taking the stairs a lot, and have had a week of paint smells and remodeling dust.
Turns out that the traffic is a bit noisier during rush hours than it was during our visit on that Saturday afternoon in June. Not surprised, but we figure we’ll be out by 7 most mornings and back at the tail end of rush hour most days. The apartment is great - and it has been fun getting all the things we’ll need to make it “home”. We discovered that a thick down comforter makes the nights cozier, so that was one of our first purchases. Bath mats, cutting boards, extra towels, baking dishes and fleece blankets for the TV room have all made it back home with us. Spencer picked up a “little” safe for our passports - it looks like a wine fridge to me!
When we arrived, the apartment was stocked with the basics, and is furnished, so we really had an easy first few days. We were given cell phones the first evening we arrived, which have been great in keeping the new group connected, as well as the HR department in contact with us. We’ve met some great people so far, and will meet the rest of the teachers this Thursday and Friday. Our home phone is set up, but no internet yet. Telefonica came to install it last week, but the previous tenant apparently packed up the power cord that goes to the modem, so a new one has to be ordered. Who knows when we’ll get our connection.
The good thing is that there are loads of coffee shops and restaurants in our neighborhood, several with wi-fi. We have spent hours and hours walking around San Isidro and Miraflores. Both neighborhoods are great, but San Isidro feels a little smaller although we have everything we need and then some. We have a Starbucks about a block away, and three restaurants between here and there! We spent yesterday afternoon exploring our neighborhood and discovered some fantastic-looking restaurants, a Japanese market around the corner, wine shops, specialty pasta shops, a mini-mart, Japanese, Peruvian, Italian, and Chinese restaurants. We definitely have to get into exercise!
Tomorrow is Independence Day, so we have a holiday break today thru Wednesday. Not bad! We’re back Thursday and Friday, then have another five day break, two more in-service days, and start school on Monday, August 10th. The days off will probably be spent in part at the school getting our classrooms set up.
Pictures to come!
