No lo entiendo

This means ¨I don´t understand¨. This phrase has been said by either Beau or I about every 10 seconds since we arrived. Needless to say we are struggling with the language a bit. However, being immersed in the language and culture is already having a positive effect. We arrived yesterday at the house we will be staying in with the other volunteers. There is a couple here from New York as well as a young woman from Portland. They are expecting more volunteers to arrive this week. It is a 5 minute drive or so to the clinic. We actually asked if we could walk there and we were told that it was ¨too sunny.¨ Definitely something you would never hear in Oregon. At 9,000 ft elevation with sun 364 days a year, exposure is definitely a factor. We spent some time in the clinic both today and yesterday. We have mostly been shadowing other professionals to get ourselves oriented to the language, clinic, and culture. The people here are very friendly. It is customary to shake hands and kiss eachother on the cheek as a greeting. Children are highly valued in this culture. Beau and I have both been asked if we have children. When we reply no, they either ask us how old we are or how long we have been married. The ¨response to these questions is always ¨So, why don´t you have children yet?¨ Last night we took a trip in to the central part of Arequipa. It is a thriving and quite cosmopolitan place. Lots of shops, churches, restaurants, etc. We hope to spend some more time in this part of the city in the upcoming weeks. They are celebrating their national festival over the next month, so there will be muchas fiestas. Things are going really well so far. More to come...Lots of love, Deedra and Beau.