how does one spend life outside of work?

A topic that goes through my head frequently is how I spend my time outside of work. We are at work (in the office or in the field) a significant period of time: 8-5 Monday through Friday, 8-1 Saturdays, and sometimes Saturday afternoons as well. But that still leaves a lot of time outside of work to recharge, relax, have fun, explore, process, read, and write. Sunday is the big day for all those activities.

When I first got here I think I felt a pressure to get out and explore the city, and not just stay in our comfortable cable/internet outfitted apartment. I have done some exploring, but I admit it's hard to do alone in a big city. One Sunday I went to the Lima art museum, walked around a park, ate at a cafe, all by myself. When my coworkers asked me the next day what I had done the day before, I proudly said, "I went to the art museum!" Everyone was shocked to hear I went alone and encouraged me to next time go with another volunteer. But how can I always just do what I can get someone else excited about doing too? It felt kind of liberating to go to the museum and not worry about who to invite, who I should spend time with, who I should call. I have very few social obligations in my life in Lima, which is sometimes isolating, but also liberating. And while I do love my fellow volunteers (some of whom are reading this,) I also need a break from them from time to time. We work together, eat lunch together, and live together. Fortunately they're buena gente.

Anyway, after a while of resisting the limitless amount of HBO programming and DVDs we can cheaply buy here, I feel like I have folded and have watched more HBO on DVDs than I thought possible. You know, they're great shows, "Six Feet Under," "The Wire," "Arrested Development," and "Entourage." But in moderation I could enjoy them more. I would also probably feel better about my life here if it didn't revolve around work and watching HBO. Anyway, I try to make an effort to do a variety of activities outside of work in order to not fall into an unstimulating routine. For example, going to spinning or pilates classes with Holly (fellow volunteer.) Or going to the movie theatre with César (non-work Peruvian friend of a friend.) Not having lots of other non-work Peruvian friends makes it challenging sometimes. Poco a poco I'm getting there though. Slowly, but surely, I am getting to know this city of 10 million people (more than the entire population of Bolivia.)

Yesterday Holly, Collin and I headed to a town on the southside of the city and came across a rocky beach that didn't smell so good, but offered a great escape from the city. We enjoyed a lunch of ceviche and pisco sours (they served us even though it was election day and alcohol is prohibited the weekend of elections) at a restaurant playing hits from the 1950s in Spanish. The town felt like a town from a different era. Today a coworker told me it was a popular place to go in the 1950s. Here's some pictures including Holly and Collin in one of their many political debates, and a view of Lima from where we were: