BAH? today was not a good day on many levels. So surprise, I am having myself a glass of wine. The day started well enough, I went to bed early with the intention of getting up early to try and beat the pedestrian traffic and high levels of smog so I could go running, but I just couldn't do it. I wish I had because I am convinced I have bugs in my bed, each morning I am covered with bites. I told my supervisor this and they bought my RAID which is to till cockroaches and ants, I refused to cover my bed in this, she said it would be fine and I reassured her that there was no way in hell that was going on my bed, then showed the pictures on the back of people handling the products with gloves, skull and crossbones, the whole 9 yards! She still said I should probably spray it on my bed and again I refused.Anyway, onto the details of my bad day? So since I woke up earlier than usual I figured I would eat some breakfast but I wanted some bread to have with my eggs, so I went to the closest panedaria. I was going to buy some bread for myself and pan dulces for my coworkers and Sr. Castillo. When I arrived there were two older women being helped, so I waited till they were done and then 2 more people entered the store, instead of helping me the women working went and helped the people who had just entered, this made me a little frustrated so I got closer to the display and still they ignored me, I said ¨Disculpame· which is ¨Forgive me¨or excuse me¨and they went on ignoring me. This is not the first time this has happened, it has happed at the store across the street, in grocery stores, etc. It actually makes me really mad, in order to get someone to help you here you have to be aggressive and demand service and that's not how I work, I don't know, as someone who did customer service for many years I just don't feel that is a good way to treat your customers, I know I won't be going to that panedaria again. As far as work is concerned it was a fine day, but everyone skipped lunch. Well I was starving so I went to buy something, I wasn't sure what I wanted to I just walked along Ave La Marina at many restaurants you can get a ton of food for s/. 5 we usually go for the menu which is usually soup, entrée and refresco which is lukewarm and highly sugared tea. So I walked and walked and to tell the truth I think I accepted some of the fears people have been trying to instill in me, I was scared and apprehensive to go into a restaurant, plus I didn't want to sit in a restaurant by myself and eat so I ended up copping out and getting a burger at a sandwich stand instead, fulfilling the American stereotype, burgers here are so good though! There are a few weird things though, like ketchup, it's sweet and they put PicNiks or Hickory sticks on top, sounds odd again, but it's really good, then I have mine smothered with aji. I had this with a glass bottled Sprite, I think PEI is on the right path, seriously it tastes better, and they are smaller and cheaper, I like an occasional Sprite or Ginger Ale and these little bottles are the perfect size! Something else I have noticed is people NEVER drink directly from a bottle of can, although I haven't seen any cans yet, they always drink from a cup or straw. I tried to talk to my boss to see if I could have my hours reduced, we submitted our first work reports and I was shocked and jealous to find that a coworker of mine only works from 9ish-3! I work 9ish to 7ish with an hour break! In a week I would work more then 15 hours more than I colleague, so I told my supervisor that I didn't think this was fair and that working 9-6 makes establishing a social life difficult if not impossible and since I don't have a social l8ife, I don't have a gym membership, the streets are riddled with potholes so I can't run, I live in my office, literally, I am getting depressed and finding being social very difficult. I haven't told them yet but I plan on moving out the first week of September, I don't feel as though I really have to tell them though because they won't be compensating my rent or bus fare. This is going to be a huge pain in the ass but I think it is for the best, the non'seperation of home and work is really hard on me in addition to the fact where I will be moving is more metropolitan and cosmopolitan so I will have a chance to meet more people who are learning their Spanish or at least people who are more used to non-native speakers and won't laugh and giggle when they hear my accent, which is not bad by the way, I would hope after 8ish years I would at LEAST have that! Which lead me to my next gripe, the girls at the supermarket, I have dealt with so much bulls*** from them, they have told me my money was counterfeit and refused to accept it, they have told me I was not allowed to buy beer at a certain register when the customer before me had just purchased beer, they refuse to convert s/. to $ when I use my credit card although every other store does it, they give my bills that have rips in them so other stores won't accept the money. This evening I had a big plan to be social and ended up backing out on it, as I am sure I have mentioned there is no real public transit system, just a bunch of vans-small busses that have routes and take the place of a municipal service, they are sketchy as all hell but are an easy way to get around, if you know the routes and city that is. Clearly I do not, I talked with my coworkers to find out how I could get to Starbucks, unfortunately for me most Peruvians do not do the whole coffee thing so I couldn't choose anywhere else, but I figured I would have a chance to chill out along, which is something that NEVER seems to happen here, study my Spanish, read my book, drink good coffee and maybe talk to some other English speakers and maybe make a friend or two. So, I went to wait for the kombi and of course I had forgotten my money, so I went back to the house and back to the kombi but get really scared. More than anything I was scared I would get lost. When I am by myself here the people yell as me, more like cat calls for the men, and the people are rude, but when I am accompanied by Maria or Sr. Castillo nothing happens. It's not that I don't enjoy their company, I do, they are both very nice people and fun to be around, but I need some room to breathe, and this is difficult where the smog is enough to suffocate a person. I couldn't believe myself, backing out of a situation where I would get to do something I really enjoy, but I was confused and a little scared. Things here are just so frustrating some times, for example the cell phone systems, because the 2 companies Claro and Telefonica Moviestar and competing they do not allow you to call someone who is not with the same company unless you have the most expensive plan, I have Claro but my coworkers all have Telefonica, so I cannot call them, I don't think I have the capabilities to call a land line either, or txt people who aren't with Claro, although I CAN receive txt messages internationally! Many people have 2 phones which I think is absurd, all professionals have 2 phones, one with Claro and one with Telefonica. There prepaid system is messed up too, I won't even start on that!Wow, after venting a bit I feel better, I have also been making a plan of action so things will get better instead of me just b****ing and b****ing but nothing happening. I have found a place to move to in October, I just need to go see it in person and that is done. I have told my boss that for the next month I need to be off by 4pm so I can get a social life up and running. I have also contacted a yoga place about taking classes. I have also made efforts to contact one of the local universities that has an anthropology departmentto see if I can audit a class. I have already requested time off in the beginning of November for a trip to Lake Titicaca and Bolivia, it will be a quick trip but it will renew my entrance to Peru so I won't need to pay for a visa, I will be booking my tickets by the second week of September. I have also started asking people in my work network about the Inca Trail and my trip to Manchu Picchu which will probably happen in the first couple weeks of October. I have been reading a newsletter for English speakers living in Peru but have yet to find any events that really interest me. I am also making it a goal to go to a discoteca by the end of the month. So yeah, not all is bad here, and like I have said I actually really DO like it there are just some changes that need to be made.Thanks for all of the wishes from people concerned about my safety and the overall well being of Peru. If you have a chance and the money donate some to a crisis relief center or do a food bank drop, although it wouldn't get to Peru these organizations do need your help. I am buying some nonperishable and donating them tomorrow.