In my last entry I mentioned a possible trip to Ica, which did indeed end up happening, and which was fantastic.  In probably the best single day since I´ve come to study in Peru, we went to a wildlife reserve, a secluded beach, and a desert oasis.  I started the day at 3am, rolling out of bed and out the door to catch a 4:00am bus, which dropped us off in Paracas about 3 hours later.  We boarded a small motor boat and sped out to the Islas Ballestas, rocky islands that are home to tons of birds and thousands of sea lions.  We tooled around the islands for an hour, getting amazingly close to the big cuddly-looking lobos del mar (sea lions) and uncomfortably close to the guano-covered rocks.  Guano was once an incredible important export for Peru, and I´m pretty sure there was a war over it once.  What is it?  Well…it´s bird poop.  It´s good for fertilizer, apparently, and they scrape it off the cliffs of the Islas Ballestas every few years or so.  Despite the smell, we had a lot of fun watching the sea lions fighting and playing and sunning themselves, and covering our heads every time a bird swooped overhead.  (See the gallery for pictures of sea lions, peguins and other birds, a mysterious symbol carved into the reserve by an ancient civilization, and some dophins we saw following a fishing boat on our way back from the islands)

We returned to land, and a friendly taxi driver/guide took us through part of the nature reserve and to a beautiful deserted beach.  We swam around in the freezing cold Pacific and sunbathed on the beach.  Some of us now have peeling burns to prove it (not me…I managed to survive the beach with no problem, only to burn the next day while napping on the lawn at the university.  Well done, self.)  After the beach our guide drove us to a beach front restaurant, one of the only ones not totally detroyed by a tsunami caused by the big earthquake in August 2007.  The sea food there apparently was delicious.  My chicken was, well, chicken.

We parted ways with the friendly taxi guide after he drove us to the Panamerican highway and helped us flag down a giant bus to Ica.  In Ica we rushed off to Huacachina, the only oasis in the Americas.  There some of the group relaxed in hammocks and three of us were strapped into a dilapidated dune buggy and set off to do some sandboarding.  Sandboarding is apparently like snow boarding, if you have the skills to do it like that.  We didn´t have time to learn how to stand up on our boards, so what we did was more like sandsledding.  Although it sounds tame, heading face first down a giant sand dune is pretty exciting!

After a terrifying ride back to the oasis, all of us headed to the bus station and then back to study spanish in Lima; exhausted, sandy, and excited about our fun, touristy day.

It is about time, now that I’m 5 weeks into the IFSA Butler study abroad England program, but I think I’m finally settling in and figuring out how to get work done and learn here in Oxford.

Last weekend there was a fireworks presentation in South Parks to celebrate Guy Fox Day. The funny thing about Guy Fox Day is that he is something of an anti-hero, and its not really clear why the Brits celebrate him. Guy Fox apparently tried to blow up Parliament sometime around the reformation or the British civil war. However his plot was uncovered and parliament was preserved (only to be destroyed within a few years and replaced with Big Ben and the Westminster Abbey that are now so iconic). Anyway, it is hard to tell whether the Brits are celebrating that he got caught or the spirit of his plot. And apparently, this doesn’t matter too much. The more important thing is that there are lots of fireworks and a huge bonfire. This huge bonfire is really what separates it from other national holidays that include fireworks, and it is pretty cool. The fire at last weekend’s celebration was created by stacking shipping pallets about 30 feet into the air in a giant horseshoe around a huge wooden Roman soldier, which was lit first with blow torches on the end of 8-foot poles. I could feel the heat of the flames from more than 150 feet away. The weather was a little crummy and the ground exceptionally muddy. I realized when I got back to my room that I could have watched the whole thing for free from the comfort of my apartment. Oh yea. It cost 6 pounds too. Its good to get out for a bit though.

Last weekend I also got a huge head start on my reading for this week. I read 3 Harold Pinter plays and watched Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet, which is quickly becoming my favorite movie. This week I realized again that I really am enjoying my decision to study in England, and that it really is amazing. I discovered “The Arden Shakespeare CD-ROM,” which allows you to examine the full text of all of Shakespeare’s plays while simultaneously looking at the commentary and editorial variations as well as facsimiles of all of the oldest copies that we have of the Shakespeare texts. It is also portable, unlike most Shakespeare resources. Please forgive my nerdiness here, but being able to look at Shakespeare like this basically allows me to appreciate what Shakespeare not only meant for people in his own time, but what has meant for the last 400 years, and subsequently what he means today, which is the most persistent question in my tutorials.

Wednesdays are quickly becoming my favorite days. They generally mean a lot of work through the morning finishing my essay, but then there is this incredible endorphin rush after I turn the essay in at three pm. And then in the evenings, I treat myself to Teddy Hall’s formal hall, which means getting dressed up with my academic gown and heading over to hall for a four course meal that includes a little wine. This week’s formal included salmon, and that made it extra special for me, because I love salmon so much.

This weekend will be filled to the brim with preparing for next week, another even week. There is also a college talent show called Teddy Hall’s Got Talent, that I am trying to go to (if I can get my work done). It should be amazing. I believe my secondary tutor, Alastair, is going to be doing a poetry reading. That’s the rumor anyway. We’ll find out tomorrow. Thanks for reading.

Chinese buffets in Mexico: Mexican Chinese food has potatoes. And comes with arroz con leche?

The almuerzo/siesta combo: On days when I get out of school early, I come home to a lunch that is too delicious not to enjoy to the point where all I can do afterward is sleep. Viva Mexico.

Cafes that aren’t Starbucks: Nobody is in a hurry here. Ever. My favorite example of this fact in action is when I order a Nutella Frapachino at the mall coffee stand. I’m used to ordering coffee from an American Starbucks, which has an assembly line/ military system of delivering my drink in less than 3.45 seconds. According to the Starbucks’ online calorie counter, my skim sugar-free vanilla latte typically contains about 130 calories.

Here, my server lovingly scoops an entire cup and a half of Nutella into iced whole milk. Excitement builds as I watch her add…Real whip cream via pastry bag! Artistically placed sprinkles! Cinnamon! A cookie! And, after a last critical look-over, possibly a few more sprinkles.

There is no online calorie counter.

Bus shrines: Any bus driver that’s worth his little paper tickets has taken the time to pimp out his bus with the latest in religious trinket fashion. My favorite is definitely the portrait of our lady the Virgin Mary closely bordered by two giant playboy bunny stickers. Our virgin in flashing colored lights makes a close second.

Chiapas hot chocolate (and the rest of Chiapas, too): I’ve already gushed enough about dessert beverages, but the hot chocolate in Chiapas is on par with the Nutella Frapachino. It doesn’t taste like hot chocolate, it tastes like heaven. Not to mention you drink it in San Cristobal, a tiny colonial city nestled into a mountain forest. We drove 14 hours to get there and didn’t bring enough warm clothes for the weather change, but the trip, one of the excursion choices for the program, couldn’t have been sweeter had I drank more than the 12 cups of hot chocolate that I did.

Beautiful ocean beaches:

“What do you want to this weekend?”

“ Well, I guess we could go to Tulum again…if I don’t have too much homework.”

The salsa ladies: I’ve come a long way in my salsa classes since I’ve come to study abroad in Mexico , but my agility still hasn’t reached even a comparable level to that of my classmates—most of whom have literally been dancing about three times as long as I have lived. Sometimes the teacher halts the basic salsa step and encourages everyone to shake “sexy, sexy.” I am humbled every time by the grey-haired, big-hipped (and know how to use’m), spandex-wearing divas.

Mexican time: Once again, nobody is in a hurry. 8:25 is the new 8:00. Sleeping in is a valid excuse to be late to class.

I have survived another even week and found myself halfway through one of the most challenging 8 weeks of my life.

Last weekend was the London weekend organized by IFSA-Butler, which didn’t help me study for my tutorials any. I hopped on a bus in Oxford on Friday afternoon, and 2 hours later found myself in London. Actually, It was closer to losing myself in London. The Oxford Tube was not stopping where Will and I had anticipated because of construction. Fortunately, we figured out that we had walked in the opposite direction before it was too late. We found our way to the Mexican restaurant on the north side of London where all of the other IFSA-Butler students were catching up on life and school in the United Kingdom. The Mexican food was some of the best that I’ve had on this side of the Atlantic, but I think they could still learn something from Chipotle.

IFSA-Butler helped out with travel expenses as well as a hotel for the weekend, and this made the trip quite affordable, which feels really good when the news can’t seem to stop talking about how the crashing markets.

Saturday we were free to do whatever we wanted. I spent the day looking around museums. I hit the South Bank and the Globe theater, the National Theater, and the Tate Modern. I am kind of a sucker for modern art, and getting to see some really outrageous and thought-provoking pieces like Thirty Pieces of Silver (Cornelia Parker)  and Lilith (Anselm Kiefer) was fantastic. These pieces force the observer to think about their content and the incongruity in what they are attempting to depict in their mixed mediums, and I love this about them. I also love that the Tate is free and open to the public. It makes the Art much more accessible, which is extremely important. After this, I headed back across the Millennium Bridge towards St. Paul’s Cathedral and grabbed bus towards Trafalgar Square because (surprise surprise) it was pouring down rain. There I went in the National Gallery and the Portrait Gallery. This was exciting primarily because of a fantastic image of Shakespeare. In it he appears slightly disheveled and unkempt, and almost irritated that he was taken away from his writing for an afternoon to have his portrait taken. He is alive and wild in the portrait just as he is in writing in the plays. I kind of wish I had a poster of the image because he looks so outrageous in it.

Saturday evening, I found that I could get tickets to a play by Harold Pinter, who I am coincidentally reading in my modern British drama tutorial, for 10 quid (pounds). I decided that it would be foolish to pass on this opportunity, and was quite glad I took advantage of the situation. The play was phenomenally performed by a cast that included two Harry Potter characters: Dumbledore (the newer one, MIchael Gambon) and Filch (David Bradley). I think you can summarize most of this  type of theater as people sitting in a room being witty. No Man’s Land is a very dark comedy that frequently seems to stray into satire. The play makes quite a few references to Oxford, and seems to center on the contrast between the two types of people who come out of the school: those who are successful and those who aren’t.

Also of interest this week was Election night, which was watched by a significant minority of the junior common room in Teddy Hall. Lots of Americans, but even more Brits, which was really surprising. It is amazing to see how much people from outside the states care about America, its politics, and how they are affected by who I vote for. This also served as a major distraction to getting my Shakespeare paper done, and I want to blame the election for the divisive and distracted nature of my essay this week. That said, I should return to preparing for next weeks essay on Hamlet. Thanks for reading.

Halloween was fun here.  There is not as much emphasis on celebration, but there are plenty of house parties to go to.

We are now in our first week of final exams.  The semester has gone so quickly, but there is still much to be done.  Because of the unpredictable nature of exam material here, we must be ready for anything and everything.  We have plenty of time to study now; most don’t use it.  But it is a much more relaxed approach to studying, and maybe more effective than what I am used to.  As I plan to go to New Zealand for Christmas and live as a normal Aussie would for the summer, things are on the rise, and its been fun planning what I will do.  For most students in the study abroad Australia program, this is a sad time: exams aren’t quite over, there is pressure to travel, tight budget, and thoughts of leaving new found friends linger.  The truth is it will have been a fairly short stay (July 10 to Nov 15) for the single semester study abroad students.   It was recommended to me to stay here for a year; I would also recommend this to anyone who truly wants to experience the fullness of their study abroad country.  So far, I have mostly experienced life as a student and as a tourist, and I can’t wait to enjoy the freedom of summer.  I feel like I have just gotten used to the Aussie ways of life (still learning new words all the time), and I’m glad I am staying.  However, I will being seeing my family for Christmas in NZ, so that makes things much easier for me.  All this to say – consider staying for more than a semester if you choose the Australia study abroad program.  So many unknowable opportunities arise when people find out your staying for a year.   I wanted to end my semester of blogging with some useful information.  What are the best and worst things about life at the University of Queensland Australia?!

Best: Climate, Ocean, days at the Beach, Cleanliness, general appreciation for Nature, Friendly People, Relaxed and Calm Atmosphere, Numerous Activities and Entertainment, Personal Growth, Amazing Sites and ease in travel, Cool animals… everywhere, Fewer Restrictions (drinking age, swimming without a lifeguard, campus security is friendly), Public Transportation (River Boats, Buses, Trains), Great Location at UQ near Brisbane city, emphasis on fitness and health, Campus Life (each residential college is tight, almost like a fraternity, and has its own sports teams), Culture and Way of Life, Good Churches, UQ is the perfect place to study abroad!

Worst: $Prices (thankfully the exchange rate is great right now), being away from home-cooked meals and home life, difficulty in finding a decent job, lack of resources (most people bring more than two bags and a guitar when moving into college) –> dependency on money, style of teaching (homework and repetition is rare, exams are 40-60% of course grade, grading can be tough, learning a subject on your own isn’t as fun nor is it easy), some prejudice against Americans, being far from close friends or family (I will be missing my sisters graduation, Brothers birthday, trips and events with friends, etc.), American food (quality, variety, prices).

If your reading this blog because you are thinking or planning on coming to Australia in the near future and you have any specific questions, feel free to write me on the Butler site, find me on Facebook (David Counsell) or on AIM (WayneCounsell).  I will be in and around Brisbane until July ’09, so maybe I’ll even meet you!  Good luck to all and thanks for the read!

It has finally gotten cold in Oxford. It has also begun raining in the afternoons. But that is no reason to let spirits be dampened. In fact, I would say that I am starting to get into the swing of things. I am really enjoying being here.

Last weekend was the IFSA-Butler study abroad England home stay. I didn’t know what to expect out of this, but I think I actually quite enjoyed it. I stayed with a family in Worcestershire. It was neat to see a part of England that I have never seen before. In a lot of ways, Worcester reminded me of the mid-west, and it was nice to be in an environment like this again. Phil and Karen, a retired designer and school worker fed me and Duncan (another Teddy-Hall IFSA-Butler study in England student) and showed us some of the more interesting things around the city. We left Oxford right before dinner and didn’t arrive till about 9, so Phil was gracious enough to take Duncan and I to a fish and chips place. It was delicious and cheap: 4 pounds, 50 pence, for both of us. In Oxford, you can expect to pay this for an 8 inch baguette sandwich.

On saturday, Phil took us to Witley church, which was formerly part of the Witley estate. In its hay-day, the Witley estate would have been on a par with Versailles. Before the steal industry faded in England, the family that owned the estate had owned most of the steel industry north of Worcester. Prior to this the family owners had been involved with selling arms to both sides of the English civil war in the 17th century. These were very wealthy families. However, that wealth dried up around the beginning of the 20th century and the estate was purchased by a demolition group has sold the most valuable parts of the estate, leaving behind a hulking shell of a building. It is a bit strange to see it today. I will upload a photo. Anyway, part of the estate was a baroque church that has been preserved quite well. Apparently Handel used to play the organ there.

Saturday afternoon, we went on a walking tour of the city Worcester, which actually played a pivotal role in Oliver Cromwell’s overthrow of Charles I. We also saw the place where Edward Elgar, who composed pomp and circumstance and had an amazing mustache, kept shop for his piano tuning business. It has now been turned into an H & M. We also saw the cathedral were Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway went to get a marriage license (because she was underage).

That evening we watched some television. There was a show on the BBC called Little Britain USA. I think this was the first time I watched T.V. in over a month. It felt a little weird. The show was full of sharp, humorous, British spins on American culture. While highly satirical, it was also extremely insightful. I learned a lot about how America is perceived by the nation that claims the lion’s share of responsibility for colonizing it.

On Sunday we went to Malvern Hills which form something of a border between Worcestershire to the east and Herefordshire to the west. The views were incredible in spite of the cold, damp, English wind. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many border collies in my entire life. Seeing all of these dogs reminded me of my border collie at home and made me a little homesick.

This weekend IFSA-Butler has arranged some activities in London, and so I will be spending friday night and saturday there. Hopefully I will get to see another show and experience a few more of the seemingly endless museums. And hopefully not spend too much money.

A couple weeks ago a lot of us in the study abroad in Peru program individually and simultaneously had the revelation that we don´t have a lot of time left in Peru.  We sat and counted weekends and days off and listed the things we wanted to do, and found out we could maybe squeeze them all in if we traveled almost every weekend and basically didn´t ever sleep.

I like sleep.  So I´m not going to be able to do all the things I want to do, but I´ve started make some progress on the list.  I finally managed to go paragliding a couple weeks ago, which was amazing.  We just ran off a cliff and the wind lifted us up and up and up!  (I say us because I went with a professional who was in charge of all the maneuvering and keeping us up there.  I just sat and enjoyed the view.)  It was incredibly peaceful and way less scary than I thought it would be.  Also I could see my neighborhood and a lot of the rest of Lima from the air, which was fun.

Last weekend I went with the program to Canta, which is about 4 hours outside Lima.  We went on a walk through a pretty farming area, ate lunch outside, and then went on a zip line they have set up there.  Also, I got to ride on a horse for the first time since age 3, which was actually the most exciting part for me!

Other than those adventures, and a possible trip to Ica tomorrow, I´ve been exploring Lima itself a little bit more.  First of all, it´s huge.  I think there´s something like 9 million people that live here, and it´s not like they live in high rise apartment buildings: the city has a giant area.  Even without traffic, I bet it would take 2 hours to cross, and the very idea of there not being traffic is ridiculous.  So, clearly, I can´t get to know all of it, or even most of it.  It has fairly well-defined districts, and I spend most of my time in about 3 of them: the one I live in, Miraflores; the one with the best nightspots and cafes, Barranco; and the one the university is in, San Miguel.  Through working with an NGO for one of my classes, I´ve also gotten to know the less well-off districts of San Juan de Miraflores and Centro de Lima (the center of the city, where the government buildings and the main plaza are located).

I went to the Museo de la Nación last weekend also.  It was partially closed, so they had one big room open that contained pottery and paintings and other exhibits from throughout Peru´s history (and of course, a whole little alcove dedicated to the potato, of which there are about 50 varieties.  Peru is the home of the potato.  Don´t even try to say it´s not.).  That part was educational, but not mind-blowing.  The only other part of the museum that we could go to was an exhibit of photos, videos, and information about the internal armed conflict with the terrorist groups Sendero Luminoso and MRTA during the 80´s and 90´s.  It was a really powerful exhibit, and made me understand a little bit better the way Perú lived in fear for over 10 years.  I´d learned about the conflict in class and seen photos and videos of the truth comission proceedings, but the exhibit put everything together in a really powerful way.  It was difficult to read about all the atrocities and see some of the horrible pictures, but I´m very glad I went.

In other news, while I´m trying to take full advantage of everything here and really enjoy my last month and a half of the study in Peru program to the fullest, I also have to figure out what in the world I´m going to do with myself when it´s time to leave.  As soon as I´m done with school here I´m done with college for good….real world, here I come!  I had hoped being here might help me get a clearer idea of my future plans, but as of right now I´m still pretty clueless.  I guess there´s still time for an epiphany!