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:: It's
01:18 p.m. why isn't Steph asleep yet!? :: backlogged ::
ugh.... x_x
Kristina don't worry about the copies ^^ I'll be away for a while and then some. I came back from Peru with a slight head cold. x_x Hopefully it will clear up before I go on my trip.
Emi has created fooom blog at niko-niko.net/blog/ it was our idea from the beginning to pretty much blog as much as we could our experience in Japan and make it as interactive as possible. ^^ check in from time to time to see how crazy we are and what we have been doing.
I should have a new (empty) blog layout done by tomorrow. I want to since the sheepy are getting tired. ^_~
I have about two weeks of backlogged email/mail sitting on my desk and its overwhelming.
Bed: come sleeeeep. Sleeeep gooooooooood.
Steph: no must pack x_x must not sleep
Needless to say I don't think I'll get much rest between now and Sunday when I fly and who gets a good relaxing sleep on a plane trip?
Peru was a lot of fun and at the same time a bit depressing. The situation hasn't gotten any better since I was 9 and it seems more real and gritty. When you're 9 everything is at your eye sight and everything is pretty much cotton padded. What hasn't changed is the food. XD
Peru is pretty much divided into groups of people ranging from the haves to the have nots. People who aren't affected by the poor economic state of Peru live in nice homes and drive nice cars and have a handful of house keepers. People who's income are like my aunt's family) are affected by the economy, but have some sort of stable income. Then there are people who work day to day who are not sure if they can last at their job because the economy has affected their employer etc. And then people who do not have that option at all and are selling things on the street or asking for money.
I'd like to note that housekeepers and taxi drivers don't make much money. Taxi drivers on average rent a taxi for 12 hours for 36 soles (a little over 10 dollars). Average taxi fare is 5 soles (about $1.50, given an exchange rate of 3.50 soles to $1). Factor in gas (1 liter of gas is about $2.30) and taxi drivers barely make the cost of renting the taxi.
But no where is it more obvious how Americanization and Capitalism has taken over 3rd world countries than in Lima. There is a place called Larco Mar which looks like a typical tourist attraction place and there are large department stores called Ripley and Saga Fallabella which sell clothes at US prices. The average monthly income of a person in Peru is $400. Not much by US standards but the cost of living in Peru isn't as high as the US but the prices are getting high. Credit Cards make it too easy for people to get into debt and there's this clash of "department stores and modernity" vs "small corner stores and respect." People are adapting to Supermarkets and Department stores but they still can't grasp the concept of buying food for a week, they prefer to go to the neighborhood corner store to buy the days food. ^^;;
On less depressing notes: Machu Pichu is spectacular! Its so beautiful and the mountains are so green and so breath taking that I want to go back again and this time try some backpacking. I also want to see the lines of Nazca. You have to fly to Machu Pichu (or drive up long winding roads up mountains @_@). Machu Pichu is 2,300 meters above sea level which translates into absolute nausea. I got a bit of alititude nausea but I recovered in time to clime up and down Machu Pichu. My advice: day before- drink soup and bread, nothing heavy, day of- drink lots of tea and soup. One day I will bring some friends along and do the whole Peru trip over again.
Even if Peru is not improving, its still a rewarding experience to see a different life style. Sometimes its reality shaking and its good because we need that sometimes. We get used to the idea that the government will take care of us (Social Security, MediCare, care for the blind etc...) we get used to people obeying the laws. We freak out at 6% unemployment in the US when its 40% in Lima alone. Its nearly black and white. ^^;; I'm glad I went back to Peru.
Listening to: Joga - Bjork
Summoned::
Wednesday, August 1, 2001 ::
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:: It's
12:55 a.m. why isn't Steph asleep yet!? :: Laundry List: ::
This is Steph's to do list please ignore. ^^;;
To do:
1) SFSU to pay library fine
2) Exchange shoes at JCrew
3) Exchange jeans at A&F
4) Get waterfilter
5) Get plane tickets
6) Get new travel journal (small)
7) Get more clothes
8) Refill conditioner bottle
9) Get loofah
10) Pick up mail
Should do:
+ Finish August Layout
+ Blog layout?
+ Make lists of things people want
+ Make lists of stuff I have and what I want
+ Find bunny
I'll blog about Peru later. ^^
Summoned::
Wednesday, August 1, 2001 ::
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:: It's
11:53 a.m. why isn't Steph asleep yet!? :: Here in Peru let the eatting begin ::
Thursday 19th: Flight to Peru was long and painful, yelling kids in the seat behind me. I should have taken the complimentary wine. x_x
Friday 20th: Today we ate a lot of stuff XD and I still have 9 days left. My memories of Peru are all food based. ^^; then again I was 9 the last time I came here. Anyways some of the things eatten, tamales, fresh papaya juice (papayas are the size of watermelons!) fried calamari and rotiserrie chicken, Polla ala Brasa (which there is no comparison to in the US I think its the chickens here in Peru that give it a certain flavor).
Peru is an interesting place, my aunt has two house keepers. They clean house and pretty much help with the store. Its kinda weird to not have to wash dishes, I could get used to this. o.o
However this sort of speaks about the current economic makeup of Peru, yesterday I went to place called La Arco Mar (the Arced Sea rough translation) which was pretty (and it had 4 DDR 2nd,3rd,&4th mix machines and 1 pump-it up machine o_O). It had a lot of things that to me could be found any tourist mall (Hard Rock cafe, Senor Frogs, Tony Romas o_O). But at the same time there were street vendors its kinda trippy and kinda like a reality check. ooops gotta go.
Summoned::
Saturday, July 21, 2001 ::
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:: It's
01:21 p.m. why isn't Steph asleep yet!? :: Whoa o.o ::
First things first, Emi I found the rail pass, there is no need to ask for a new one. Gomen ^^ *steph grovels*
this keyboard is weird, some cool things about this keyboard is:
Ť,– keys already preset XD
okay gotta go ^^ baibai
Summoned::
Friday, July 20, 2001 ::
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:: It's
03:11 a.m. why isn't Steph asleep yet!? :: Usyagi-chan attacks! ::
Since I have time... I wrote the first chapter (very rough) of a fic that I wish I could title "Wait" ^^;; but since that is taken I will title it something while I write it on the plane.
Basically its Shaoran's (and a bit of Sakura) story about those missing 2-3 years when he was in Hong Kong and how he got back to Sakura.
Emi is going to work on fooom.pitas.com XD
Listening to: something
Summoned::
Thursday, July 19, 2001 ::
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:: It's
11:59 p.m. why isn't Steph asleep yet!? :: Why I love manga and the Remembrall ::
While walking around Borders to find something to keep me occupied on 18 hrs of flights and another 10 hrs of train/bus/flying to Cusco I found the Harry Potter Remembrall which was basically a planner. I thought it was cute but I think a Palm V would be a better Remembrall. ^_~ So I picked up:
+ Brightly Burning - which I will read in between...
+ Mists of Avalon - This book is big! And thus I am a product of effective media advertising
+ The Hobbit - Which I read when I was in Jr. High but never remembered any of it
+ Asuka 8 - Which I have not seriously looked at yet
+ Official Playstation Magazine 8 - because it has cool Final Fantasy stuff in it (I sorta read this one already ^^;;)
+ Lonely Planet: Kyoto - which I will read and plan for the trip following.
I have also decided to drag along (space permitting) Pretear 1-3 to summarize on the plane. Aside from no needless filler eps, manga is very portable and entertaining. This is why I love manga. =D
I decided to archive the past 2-3 weeks of random blogging and leave you with just this blog. ^^;;
I'm not going to talk about X fandom. No I'm not, because I already did. But there is a comment that I read in Val's blog (which I visit occasionally when my connection does not decide to freak out at the massive image download -_-). But in a way its pretty much not her comment but the fact that it follows a trend I noticed about how X (despite its 14 page installment and its bad plot execution) is the popular series that pretty much is the reason that Asuka is bought. Ugh better yet just go read the rant I did about it a month ago.
Pretear manga will probably be only 4 volumes long. Release date for Pretear volume 4 will be July 21st. Hayate is on the cover of vol 4! *sparkle* Might I add that there is a 5th volume that has nothing to to do with the manga series but has something to do with the knights themselves. I have no idea what it is but I will find out in 3 weeks.
People who happen to be following Shape of the Heart, chapter 9 is up on fanfic.net. ^^ but then again you can always visit the beta page. And yes I am bringing an updated print version of the fic to work on the plane. ^^;
Listening to: Jšga - Bjork
Summoned::
Wednesday, July 18, 2001 ::
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