Day One

I slept soundly and woke to the noise of the little travel alarm that Gelly has lent me. I listened carefully but heard no noises outside my room. I decided to get up anyways, and if I had extra time, I could see how much Spanish I could fit in my head before work. I had a quick shower and put my computer and things in my bag for work. I ventured out of my room just after seven o’clock, and met Doris. She showed me the kitchen and told me to help myself while she got ready for work. I grabbed a banana and some pineapple and went to stare out the window. It is a gorgeous view. The living room is all glass facing the ocean. You can see far down the beach on both sides and way out into the ocean. Across the huge bay, I could see the cross that had been brightly lit the night before, up on a hill. I watched people run and walk by, and a police helicopter on the beach. About 15 minutes later, the driver arrived, and we went downstairs. On the way to the office, she told me about the project, the office, and the other employees in the office.

We arrived at the office around 8am. Again – a small elevator. I wonder why the elevators here are so much smaller. The office is small, but very nice. There are about 35 desks/offices, and a few more people than that. The project manager ‘presented’ me around the office and introduced me to everyone. I spent most of the morning reading specifications and looking at drawings and trying to get a feel for what the project encompasses.

The office manager (Doris) took me for lunch around 1pm. My first meal in Lima, and guess what we had? Japanese! I had a delightful Tempura Don (tempura lunch box meal). After lunch, we went straight back to the office. Tomorrow I will try to get invited or invite myself to go out with some of the other people in the office. After lunch, the day went surprisingly fast. Everyone seems to work a little bit longer hours, here. Doris works much longer hours. I waited until 8pm, then asked if Cordero, her driver, could take me back to the house. He did, and here I am. I was going to go for a walk, but I realized it’s almost 9pm here, and I need to catch up on my sleep - I'm exhausted.

Having been there and done it once before, I know that moving to a new country (especially where you don’t speak the language) is difficult, so I sort of knew what to expect. But all the feelings and thoughts are still the same, and you still feel and think them. A couple times today I thought – ‘What am I doing? I don’t know enough to help in this office, I certainly don’t know Spanish to communicate well with them, and I miss my home and Gelly and the familiarity of my office and Vancouver.’ I counter these thoughts with more thoughts: about how it’s the first day and I didn’t sleep enough last night, or eat enough this morning, so I’m bound to be tired and a bit out of sorts. Soon I will get to know people in the office, I will catch up on my sleep, I will have people to talk to and do things with, and I will feel more comfortable and excited about this opportunity I have. I know it’s an excellent opportunity – not just to help another office, or just to see another country and learn another language, but to challenge myself personally and professionally, to network, and to grow my skills and abilities. I am an excitable and enthusiastic person, and I know I am excited and enthusiastic to be here, even if I don’t feel it every minute of the day. Overall, while there have been one or two moments that I wanted to jump in a taxi back to the airport and jump on a plane to Canada, I am happy to be here and ready to learn and experience new things.