Welcome to our Batismal...

[caption id="attachment_605" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The Baptees"][/caption]

My church would not be so interesting if it were not so small.

Two Sundays ago, three friends of mine were all getting baptized.

Before baptizing everyone, the pastor pulled each baptee up to share their testimony and said a  flourishy statement to the crowd in a most Peruvian way.

His statement to the man on the right in the photo above was classic:

Pastor: Martin, come forward.
Martin: (comes forward)
Pastor: We are here to witness the baptism of Martin Mendoza Espinoza Mechinara Malpartido.
Crowd: (laughs)
Pastor: We can laugh at such a grand name, but the fact is that our brother now has adopted the most grand name of all: the name (dramatic pause) of Jesucristo.

El Pastor called up Pepito to be baptized first. Pepito's eyes got big when he got into the water. "Apparently, the water is frigid," we all thought innocently. Little did we know what Pepito would confess later: That he really had to pee and at that moment couldn't hold it in.

My freshly baptized friends' words upon hearing it: WHAT? I AM GOING TO KILL HIM!

[caption id="attachment_606" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The confessing culprit"][/caption]

She can make a cherry pie...

...quick as a cat can wink her eye.

If the cat is dead. It had been two years since I had tasted a cherry pie. I was thinking about it more and more. I even dreamed about pie.

Then it happened.
I was walking through the grocery store and I saw some canned cherries imported from Chile. It was beautiful.



[caption id="attachment_597" align="alignright" width="300" caption="I then took out the seeds from all 3 cans. "][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_599" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="And after a few more important steps, I had completed my first ever cherry pie."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_596" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Pink eye update (for Dale): Former crustiness is beginning to flow out of my eye in a smooth stream. A sign of healing I hope. This is all so exciting."][/caption]

Pink eye update (according to Joel)

Some inflammation of the eye has occurred with a slight tingling sensation on the lower half. Also upon waking up, I find a trail of dried blood proceeding from my tear duct. This really is fascinating. I'll keep you updated!

Wood Eye? Wood Eye?

Today I was introducing a new assignment to my highschoolers when one of them interrupted me:

Japanese male student: Miiiiissss!
Miss Page: Not now, let me finish.
Japanese male student: But Miss! Your eyeeeee!
Miss Page: Wait a minute, what?
Peruvian female student: MISS! You have PINK EYE!
Miss Page: Really?

I looked in the mirror and sure enough, half of my eye was pink.

Later, while talking to my Peruvian female student I noticed that she wouldn't even look at me when she was talking to me. When I asked her what was wrong she told me "I don't want you to infect me with pink eye."

"Vanessa!" I told her, "you can't catch pink eye just by looking at it!"
"But Miss, yes you can!"
I tried persuading her using logic and scientific fact, but she still would not believe me nor look at me for the rest of class.

Pink eye update: Subject is tearing up although no physical or emotional pain is present. Entire left eye of subject is now pink.

Spring Breaking it in Peru

Below is a totem pole of pictures of what I did for my Spring Break/Easter Vacation:

In case the pictures weren't sufficient for you, here is text of what I did:

Got a nice cheap Peruvian pedicure
Went to a bring-your-own meat barbecue
Hiked up a hill nearby
Looked out at a great view of Lima
Made Sushi
Went to the Gamarra district and bought a bridesmaid dress for Grace's wedding (for $7! woohoo)
Traveled with a Peruvian family to a beach town
Slept a lot and watched sunsets in the beach town
Got home in time for church, watched my friends get baptized, and ate a delicious easter lunch that my roommate cooked up for her boyfriend's family.

If you wish to lurk me further, you can look at more pictures and comments here.

Pirated II

Here is the cover of the awful terror movie "Martyrs."



Below are my good friends Cynthia and Nadia, who pull off the terror-movie-look quite well. Maybe they should star in Martyrs 2.