Andean Region, Here I Come

When I declared myself as a Latin American Studies major, I knew fully well that to graduate, I had to go on an internship or study abroad somewhere, preferably in Latin America.

This year, with graduation looming on the horizon, I knew something had to be done. That's when I got an e-mail from my school informing me about internships through the International Study Programs (ISP) office on campus. I saw that they were offering internship opportunities next Spring/Summer in the Andean Region of South America, and decided it wouldn't hurt to apply.

On November 25 (the deadline), I turned in my essay, my letters of recommendation, a locket of hair, and my zodiac sign to the office. The next week (after Thanksgiving) I had an interview with the program's advisers, and the day after that I was officially accepted to the program. At that point, I knew for sure I'd be spending four months next year somewhere in the Andean Region.





It turns out, the Andean Region is huge. I won't know which part I'll be calling home 'til next semester when the office officially places me. So for now, all I know is that in less than five months, I'll be hanging out (interning) somewhere between Antarctica and Panama. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Peru, but we'll see.

Despite my lack of specific knowledge about where and with what organization I'll be interning, my advisers at ISP have encouraged me to start preparing now for my international experience by studying up on the region, the people, and the politics. Since I'm counting on Peru, my focus will be on that part of the region until further notice.

Now, my first step in the preparation process is to watch The Emperor's New Groove on a weekly basis.





I haven't quite figured out my second step yet.

As far as what I'm looking forward to, there is a lot I need to see/experience.

First, Machu Picchu.





I'll definitely squeeze in a visit to Shakira on Lake Titicaca.





And I'm planning on endless encounters with Llamas.





And wearing nothing but sweaters woven by natives from Alpaca wool.





I can hardly wait.

Chrismukkah?

If you needed help getting into the Chrismukkah spirit, here it is.





Real post coming soon...

Hungry?

While looking through what seemed to be a less-than-promising album on Facebook, I stumbled across this gem.

Good Things Happen

I love these things. I did this one a while back, and feel that it is time to post another. I could do these every day and be perfectly content. I got this one from my friend Dede. For the sake of not boring you through all the "not cool" ones, I'm only gonna post a few.

These are the guidelines:

1. Put your iTunes on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

And now the highlights from my shuffle...

What is your motto?
"We Put the Spring in Sprinfield" – The Simpsons (Go Simpsonic with the Simpsons)
- I like to put the spring in the Springfield of life.

What is your life story?
"Limon y Sal" – Julieta Venegas (Limon y Sal)
- It means "Lemon and Salt," and the chorus goes: "I love you with lemon and salt, I love just exactly how you are," (but in Spanish, so it rhymes).

What do you think when you see the person you like?
Everyone Loves Ned Flanders – The Simpsons (Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons)
- Again, couldn't go wrong with The Simpson. I'm glad I finally imported that one to my iTunes.

The one thing you regret?
Cell Block Tango – Deidre Goodwin, Susan Misner, Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago)
- If I did what these girls did, I would probably regret it.

What scares you the most?
Plow King – The Simpsons (Go Simpsonic with the Simpsons)
- Yes, Barney Gumble as The Plow King scares me the most.





What will you post this as?
Good Things Happen – Dierks Bentley (Modern Day Drifter)
- Not that cool, but now you know why I titled this post thusly.

What do you do on your lunch break?

What do you do on your lunch break?

These guys play Magic: The Gathering.





They left their lairs today and convened at Jason's Deli for a quick gaming break. Their table was covered with about 17 dice, a few large packs of cards, and, of course, lunch.

On their own, they were all average looking people, but get them together, and you can tell that in elementary school, they rocked the pogs, in middle school, they couldn't be separated from their SEGA Dreamcasts, and in high school, their Friday nights were spent in basements with lots of pizza and a Dungeon Master's Guide. And through it all, they've always carried around at least four dice, to aid with all their decision making and gaming needs.

Imagine what life would be like without these guys.

There would be no Dwight Schrute.





No Comic Book Guy.





And most importantly, no Seth Cohen.





So let the gaming continue!

What gets you through the day?

What get's you through the day?





For this guy in my philosophy class, it's raw spaghetti noodles. And this isn't a singular occurrence, but every time I see him. He just sits there and munches away.

I think the best part is that he keeps a stash of them in his pocket. It's like in Napoleon Dynamite, where Napoleon puts his leftover "tots" into his cargo pocket.





Next time the noodles make an appearance, I think I'll take Napoleon's classmate Randy's approach and smash them. Or maybe I'll ask him to share.

It's Voting Day

Here's a quote from my last post that I think we should all take into account as we cast our ballots today:



One company I really like is Seventh Generation. As a guiding rule, they think of the effect their products will have not only on the next generation, but up to seven generations and beyond. As we vote in this election, no matter what state we’re in, let us vote thinking of more than just the immediate effect our yes or no will have.


On that note, get out to the polls and have a happy voting day!