Top of the class

Life doesn't get much better when you have students like I have. The group I've had since I arrived in Arequipa finally finished the English language program here with a class called Fluency. We celebrated their graduation of sorts, and our friendship, by going out to lunch for chicharon. They gave me a present, a wonderful keepsake, picked up the lunch tab and said their goodbyes. I admit to getting a little emotional. Every one of those students became a friend, and I'll miss the hell out of them. Another class, the TEFL group I teach on Saturdays, took me out to lunch for ceviche the week before. Yes, ceviche. It was awesome. We went to a place where I was the only gringo in sight. One of the students, Rossmery, aptly observed that all the locals were "looking at the gringo with the four goddesses." They also bought me a cheesecake and I ate the whole thing in three days. (It's a lighter cheese than the U.S. variety.) My night class, which I managed to hang onto for another month, is younger, livelier, and enjoyable as well. They love movies, they hate my dancing (which I use as punishment when a cell phone goes off), and they're all very bright. A fun bunch. These are friendships for a lifetime.
There's a new ASS. director here and two other new bosses, with some new rules and regulations. I wish them the best. I will remain focused on my teaching, which I love.
The other day I ended up on the hood of some douche bag's car. OK, I'll call him Mr. Douchebag out of respect. I was walking between two cars stuck in a massive traffic jam and Mr. Douchebag felt compelled to close the three-foot gap between his car and the car in front of him. I was the monkey in the middle and I had to leap on the hood of his car so my legs wouldn't get crushed. That really upset Mr. Douchebag, who started screaming and gesturing at me. I gave him the universal symbol of displeasure, and he kept screaming and pretending like he wanted to get out the car.  He never did. He was too fat. Didn't matter because I'm in too good of a mood these days.
One of things I really miss from the USA is hot showers. I've had one or two since I've been here. I'm used to cold showers in the morning, and boy do I hit the day running, but every once in a while a long soaker in hot, hot water would be really nice. Also miss milkshakes, but you can get smoothies pretty much anywhere in Arequipa.
One of downers here is the smell of piss on every wall.  Every wall is a urinal, including the one outside my apartment. That gets old. I come out of my apartment to go buy yogurt and some clown is peeing two feet from my door. The smell is everywhere some days, especially in the sketchier parts of town.
Last Thursday was a little rough. No family Thanksgiving dinner. Really missed everyone on my favorite holiday. First one I've missed in many, many, many years. I missed cooking, and I even missed cleaning up afterward. Next year that tradition will resume.
Got really cloudy and windy today, but the streak is intact. Still hasn't rained since I've been here. Got some nice shots from the International Club, which makes the best pisco sour in town, in my opinion. Sitting by the Rio Chili drinking piscos at a classy restaurant ... great students .... good food ... great weather. I can handle cold showers and piss odor.