Lima, Te Amo Past Review

By (PSYCHOLOGY., Western Washington University) for

ISA Study Abroad in Lima, Peru

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Studying abroad has opened my eyes to a whole new culture and way of life, it has made me alot more open minded and has sparked my interest in the Peace Corps and Teaching English as a Second Language. I improved my Spanish more abroad then i have in the 6 years of studying it. My life has been completely changed, and for the better.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

My expectations for this program were more than met. I loved it. The staff were always very accessible and easy to talk to and ask questions. They were always supportive and if they did not have an answer to a questions they knew someone who did and would find the answer for you. They all knew what felt like everything there was to know about Lima and Peru and had many resources for us to learn about the country as well. The program was a great size, approximately 15 people at my University but 40 overall in the Lima program. We all became really close and great friends. The ISA staff also became part of that friendship.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host family was AMAZING. We lived in a nice neighbor hood where there were watch posts where men sat and watched the neighborhood day and night, I felt very safe. My house was within walking distance to most of the nightlife activities that i went to and a max of a 5 minute bus or car ride away. As for class depending on traffic i lived a 20-45 minute bus ride away. As far as my House I was provided with my own room and bathroom. I did not have to buy anything for my bed or for the room in general. I did end up buying alot of my own food just because i liked to have food in my room to snack on during the day, but that was cheap so it was fine. My parents always cooked my meals. I interacted very well with my family and specifically with my host mom and my host brother who was 10 years old. I felt like i was truly a part of the family and felt very comfortable like it was my own home.

* Food:

I am a Vegetarian, and this created a few problems because in Peru they eat A LOT of meat. My host parents always made sure that I had something to eat without meat but meals got a little repetitive and I had to adjust to picking meat out of things and eating the meal after the meat was picked out which is something I do not do in the States. However, the food was always amazing, Peru is famous for its food. When in Lima check out La Maquina a little quite cafe in Miraflores. Also try some sushi in Peru its different and delicious.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We went on some amazing trips with this program including a trip to Machu Picchu as well as an extra paid trip to the Amazon Jungle which i HIGHLY recommend not missing out on. We also went up into the highlands and several other places, the trips were always full of things to do and provided educational experiences as well as things that were just plain fun. I could not have asked for anything better.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

In terms of Healthcare, the program makes it really easy and accessible if there is ever an incident the a program coordinator goes with you to the clinic and make sure everything gets taken care of. As Far as safety, we got alot of tips from the locals, you have to be especially careful at night and selecting the right Cabs and walking home. For Cabs, its a good idea to look for ones that have a cage around the driver because that most likely means that he wants to protect himself and therefore will not harm you. also look for cabs that have painted on numbers instead of stickers because anyone can just stick stickers on to their cars. Also look for a lighted up TAXI sign on the top of their car that normally means that they didnt just buy a little sign and stick it up there. The program recommends calling for a safe taxi which is also always an option and should be done if you feel uncomfortable. When walking home, its suggested that you have several Natives with you particularly Males, but in general its a better idea to take a cab or call a friend. In general however, I never felt really uncomfortable and safety was never a huge concern for me. you just have to be smart, use common sense and the buddy system .

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

My host family encouraged the use of spanish only in my house. I was also able to speak spanish with people that I met and in my Spanish class at school. I used Spanish everyday but when I was with other American students we almost always spoke in English which is something i regret. Almost every Peruvian that was my age 20ish spoke at least some English and most were actually fluent.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Go into this with an open mentality and realize that in Peru time and plans hardly ever work out the same way that they do in the US. Make sure that you can go with the flow and keep a positive attitude. The Peruvian people are full of love so be open to that.