T-city Top Ten #1: A Taste

The most appropriate to way to start this T-city Top 10 series is with a blurb about the Peruvian cuisine.  Every country I have been to, I have been asked... "Do you like the food?" Japan, China, Korea, Mexico, Costa Rica... etc.  My answer is always yes, because I don't consider myself a very picky eater.  However, the cuisine is the PRIDE of Peru, and well-deserved.  They do have some tasteful dishes.

One thing they are known for is Ceviche.  SOOOO good.  It's fish, but not fishy fish.  It's fish cooked in lime juice, served on a plate with onion.  I love lime juice, ají (Peruvian spice) and onion as well --- so the combination makes my mouth water just thinking about it!  It's usually served as a starter plate/appetizer while you're waiting for your main meal.

Above is a plate of ceviche with potato and yuca, and the cup (which I think I've blogged before) is a cup of ceviche, but this has a different juice that includes cilantro -- YUM!!!

The Peruvian pop (soda), Inca Kola, is now distributed by CocaCola... no surprise.  It's yellow pop with some say a flavor of bubble gum.  I don't taste it.  It has a good flavor, and on a warm day, a cold Inca really hits the spot :)

thankful.

This was my meal for thanksgiving last year... I remember I took a picture because I knew it wouldn't be the same this year! :)  We for some reason didn't have turkey, oh man, that was a delicious meal!!!

This year... I didn't even have supper!  I went home right after work to quick clean up my humble abode because I invited some chicas to come over to make some cookies!  Pumpkin cookies that is!  My sister sent me a gift bag full of pumpkin goodies which I have been savoring, one thing which was a pumpkin spice cookie mix.


In the morning, I had my last pumpkin spice latte by Starbucks VIA in the morning, soooo good! After I assembled some of the new furniture I was able to buy!!!  Then I had class where I gave exams, and then after class was our cookie time.

 Only two lovely ladies could make it, but that's okay.... more for us, right?!  We were going to make 2 types of cookies, do a craft, talk, laugh, give things... fun things like that (minus playing football outside, haha), but since only 2 ladies came, we spent the time talking and eating... typical I guess.

It was lovely to have them, and lovely to send them home with goodies too.
This Thanksgiving, among so many other things I'm thankful for, starting and ending my day with pumpkin-something sure was a blessing.

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;

I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.Psalm 9:1

T-City Top 10-coming soon & exciting news!

I decided in honor of my 10 months here, living in the Lord's grace day by day, I would do a T-City Top 10.  Not really sure what that means or what it will include.
Maybe in the 10, things I've learned, characteristics about T-city, and the like.
So that means 10 posts will be coming!!!  :) :)

Today is thanksgiving in my homeland, LOVE this day and this time there.
Wish I could be there with family and eating the delicious cuisine, but alas here I stay.  But I am content!!!

My thanksgiving post will be tomorrow so you can see how I celebrated.

The big news today is that my baby sister got engaged last night!!!

The mother-of-the-Bride, the BRIDE TO BE, and the Gramma-of-the-Bride!
(What Beauties!!!!!!)

Love her so much, and it aches me that I am so far when she will be planning, celebrating, etc.  And that I haven't even met the guy is hard, but I know he loves Jesus, treats my sister well and loves her & myli so much (and is patient, haha).  What more could one ask for in a future brother-in-law?!  For that I am super thankful, the Lord is so good.

Congrats Al, Love you so much!!!

disconnected.

oh wow..... it's really been 4 months since I've last blogged...

Well, it's official, I now have internet, so I now have no excuse not to:
A.) Blog
B.) Facebook
C.) Email
D.) Skype

But then again, I am working 40+ hours a week and helping in the church... so maybe I do have a little bit of an excuse still... :S

Although it's been hard sans internet, it's been a nice time away.
I don't feel as dependent on the internet, I forget I have it at times.
It's been good I think for the last 4 months, because it got me out of my house to explore my neighborhood.
My neighbors now know me, and I know them---maybe not their names... I just greet them by saying, "Vecino, Buenas Tardes!" (Neighbor, good afternoon!).  I love that here, you really don't have to remember many people's names.  In church, I just say "Hermano/Hermana" to the Brothers and Sisters in the faith that are older.  It's more respectable I think, and so much easier for me :)

I would like to do some good updates in the days to come... I'm in exam week right now at the school (every month it's the death of me!) and we're all getting ready for Christmas break!

I thought college was bad and I was so ready for a break... but after working 7 days a week for the last 10 months with very few days without some sort of class/work... I'm SOOOO ready.
Bring on the holiday season!
Paneton and Chocolate .... More on that later :)

But, if you've been wondering if I've been lonely, I'd have to say for the most part no.
I now have a roommate, Brella.
I might've had unexpected visitors in my first few months, so she was a necessary addition.
She's growing fast, I got her at 6 weeks.  She is super playful.
I think she thinks that EVERYTHING I own is a toy for HER.  Wrong.
(Please note my annoyed tone in that last sentence)

No, I am not a cat person, and I really don't like her that much.  She has her her bad times more often than good times, but we make things work.
I give her food, and play with her sometimes, and she scares away any unwanted visitors.

(Just now I kicked her out of the office for doing her nail thing on my great-grandmother's quilt... sorry Brella, not going to have it!)

apartment living :)

The Lord blessed me with a space of my own, but really it is going to be a space for many others!

This apartment is a work in progress, but I can't wait to make it more "home-y"... with time, and as the Lord provides.

First on the list to buy: a stove/oven, fridge and washer.
Next: furniture, plates, shelves, paint the floor..... and the list goes on there!

Here's a sneak peak at a look of my apartment:
(the dog is the owner's - who lives on the 1st floor.  The dogs have not visited since... which is okay with me)

Front door and the two bedrooms on the left - Look at that big window!

From the front door lookin' in (cue country song!)

Kitchen sans appliances

back patio/bathroom

Lessly helped me clean that night, and we had a little snack at my new table when we finished!

I've been in my apartment for a week now, it's so nice to live so close to the church!
I'm hardly home actually!
But I will continually add more pictures as I am able to buy some new furniture and appliances.

Home sweet home :)

la laguna.

i had 3 days off in between the May and June cycle, so Lessly took Catrina and me to 

a lagoon 30 min from T-city!

It was SO relaxing...

we were the ONLY ones there!

we walked around and had a picnic in front of the water.

beautiful afternoon, with beautiful friends, enjoying God's beautiful creation!Feeling...Refreshed!!!!

an S.O.(s.)

one medicine that is good for the soul is a good 'ol fashion Sleep Over :)

Ingrid, me, Less, la Gata

love these girl friends :: a night in with the gals is just what I needed at this time ~ 

we danced, we sang, we laughed, we talked, we snapped pics... and we slept (a little).

Praising God for great girl friends!

warmed water.

Warm water doesn't stream from the tap in these parts.  Normally not a big deal when washing your hands or dishes... you get used to it.

One can also get used to cold (more cool) water in the shower too!

It really wasn't that bad during the summer... being as I would break a sweat in our cracker box oven of an apartment (ha!), it was nice and refreshing. And also because the ground was warm, the water was usually not super cool/cold.

That being said, I still did have to get used to the water with every shower; 

the toe touch, and then slowly I was putting my head under the water.  

Since winter is upon us here (nothing like a MN winter, but it does get chilly...) 

the water has been exceptionally cooler... making showers more of a chore.

I have a "widow maker" in the bathroom/shower that I use {pic below}, but upon my arrival it hasn't worked.  I did ask about it, but didn't want to complain or be a bother asking about it, so I let it go.

Apparently I didn't ask the right person in the house, because the mother-in-law that has been staying in our house for these last 2 weeks placed her complaints about the shower as we are sharing a bathroom, and voila!  Hell-O WARMed water shower!!! 

Steps: turn on the water, flip the switch, wait for the "widow-maker" to warm the water (not long), enjoy a warmed water shower, turn off switch, turn off water.

the magic switch!

Even this little blessing made my hear so happy, and called my heart to worship!  Praise the Lord!!

SOOOOO grateful!