See where I come from, you gotta be about... First Semester Reflexions

Lil Wayne once said:
"(Man they just) talkin bout it [x2].
And I'm on the streets with it [x2]
See where I come from, you gotta be about it.
And if you want it (want it) we come and see about it."

And this frustration, my friends, I, too, have felt so very often. Let me explain.

It's nearly the end of my first semester here (I have three days left of finals next week) and I feel like I can finally draw some conclusions about what I have experienced thus far.

1. A lot of times, so many times, people here just talk and talk and talk. They even have great ideas that, were they to be carried out, could be awesome realities. But what happens is that people talk about so much stuff, for so long, that a) things just never happen b) The idea does materialize but in a way that is half is cool as what it could have been or c) Things happen but hours, days or weeks later than planned.

I feel like in Wisconsin, we had ideas, we talked about them, we made an adecuate analysis of the effort and requirements needed to make them happen, and then we did what we said we were going to do, and we did it well. Not always, but a lot of the time

Which is why when Lil Wayne says, "They just talkin bout it (peruvians)... See where I come from (Madison) you gotta be about it (actually do something)," I can really, really identify.
But hey, I know there's a lot of talk up there too. It's just that there's more here it seems like.

2. Our education system is a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Some of you may happen to know that I have a love affair with my college education, and when I'm here, I realize it more and more.
When I went to La Catolica, I thought, "yeah, this is a nice campus. Standard. small libraries. Books. tiny computer labs. yeah. This should be fine." It's on par with your average university in the United States.
But, when I talk with the exchange students from Cusco who describe their university that doesn't have updated materials or adecuate classrooms, and the students lock the professor out of the room so he can't give the exam and their professors are on strike right now and they're more than a semester behind and they describe La Catolica as "a paradise." All I can do is sit there and think, I don't know what to think.

3. There sure is a lot of noise and pollution and humidity in this city

4. It really is normal to live with your family until your early thirties if you're still not married

5. You better watch out, you better not cry, you better think twice, I'm telling you why... Quieren (They want) aprovechar (take advantage of) y (and) enganar (deceive) you. So don't really, actually, for sure trust anyone until you really actually for sure think you know what type of person they are.
I mean. This is a good thing to do no matter where you are, obviously, but especially here.

6. After my class about kinship and social relations and being in Peru where family is so central to everything, I think I'm done trying to live such an independent, isolated, detached existance. In fact, I'm getting really excited to come back and try out my new frame of mind!

Alright, well, that's it, really. Once finals are over, I won't be so boring and I'll have more ridiculous things to tell you about when I go on more adventures.