Ring in the New Year with some...Yellow Underwear

Peruvian tradition is to wear something yellow for New Years. This explains why I was seeing so many different styles of yellow underwear for sale in the stores. I really was confused for some time. They also make dolls life sized for each person in the house. The dolls wear old clothes from that person, and at midnight they burn the dolls. Sounded a little like voodoo to me, but it´s symbolic of burning al the bad things from the previous year (like yourself...hm...) and getting ready for the new one. Then, you´re supposed to each 12 grapes, one for each month, and run around the house with a backpack on which is symbolic of lots of travel in the new year. Out of all this, I wore the yellow underwear.

New Things for 2010:

1. I have adopted two puppies! Well, kind of. They are staying at EMAPICA (Potable Water Office), but I am helping to raise them and take care of them. I named Liberty and Sam (the Statue of Liberty and Uncle Sam). They´re my refuge when I feel I need a little bit of US lovin´, and my method for teaching the Peruvians a little bit about America - one dog at a time.

2. I also have come down with a cold that I caught from sharing a drink with Kate. Peruvians would say I caught the gripe because I sleep with my fan on, or because I like to walk around without my shoes on, but I am pretty 100% sure it´s from the transfer of geeeerms.

3. I got my sleeping bag and sleeping pad stolen. boooooo. On the good old Soyuz bus, and put those things in the compartment above my head. Should have known not to, but guess that happens. Maybe that just means I won´t get anything else stolen during my time here!?

4. Teig´s, Kate and I are going to do a detox this week consisting of red pepers, sugar, lime, mixed in water, along with green tea. It´s supposed to last a week...we´ll see who flakes out first, or how amazing we feel at the end! (It´s the detox I tried last time and did´t last much more than 2 days...but this time I can literally rest for a week if I need to.)

So, my head is throbbing now. I think it´s from the heat and the Gripe I got. Time to go rest it off...

Happy New Years to all!!!