an update

Let me predicate this post by saying I have had a great time in Lima so far and I am enjoying calling it my new home for the next five months. My family is amazing, there have been hella events going on this month for Mes de la Mujer, and getting the opportunity to practice my Spanish everyday is an opportunity that I couldn't be happier about.

All of that being said, this past week has been the week from hell. And when I say "hell" I mean hell as defined by my vantage point as a privileged American student studying abroad.

Myself and everyone in my abroad group found out last week that the matriculation process for foreign students at the university that we are attending, Pontifica Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), is as follows: our first week is a shopping period in which we can attend any class we wish; then, after the first week, we matriculate the following Monday in-person at the university. Sounds harmless in theory but in practice was one of the most stressful academic weeks of my life. Many classes are already full and, for those that aren't, you're competing with 200 other foreign students for a spot. This means that if you are like me, i.e. highly risk averse, you will attend 6 different three-hour long classes (each day requiring a 1-1.5 hour commute from your home to the university) so that you are able to have plan A, B, C and D in case you can't get into the classes you actually want to take. Choosing classes is further complicated by American universities that only give credit for foreign classes that are exact matches with classes existing at your university *cough* SMU *cough*. To add to the stress, the matriculation happens in person rather than online, which means that gringos start lining up outside of PUCP as early as 3am on Monday so as to get a better number and matriculate earlier. None of us know what homework to do because we don't know which classes we will be able to take. Academically, this week has constituted of me sitting and stewing in my own anxiety and exhaustion from trying to make it to so many different classes. 8am's take on a whole new dimension of hellish when they involve waking up in time to catch a 6:45am bus.

This week has also helped me begin to realize the vital role of WATER in daily life. I have always taken water for granted. During the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests in the U.S., I sympathized with and sided with the protesters. However, I cannot pretend that I empathized with or truly understood their position as I have never, not once, in my 20 years of life felt insecure about my water cleanliness or supply. This week Lima has seen massive flooding and mudslides that have left over 70 people dead and countless without homes or livelihoods. I am fortunate to be living in Miraflores far enough away from the rivers that I have not experienced any of this flooding. Everything is as usual in Miraflores - the only difference is the flooding has contaminated the Limeñian water supply and thus water coverage has been cut throughout the city.

To close out this post, I want to reiterate that my complaining comes from a place of immense privilege. While I mourn the lack of running water and my stress over not having matriculated, many Peruvians are having to deal with the loss of their homes and livelihoods at the hands of the rains and mudslides.