Reverse Culture Shock Practice

Who knew Lima, Peru was so HUGE?! So big and progressive in fact, that they have all these strange rules prohibiting smoking inside buildings, requiring seat belts while riding in vehicles, and calling for owners to pick up after their pets in public places. Bizarre!

As you've probably seen from recent Facebook statuses or remember from last week's post about the urgency of retrieving my passport before leaving the country, I just went on a four day trip to a veterinary conference in Peru with two co-workers and four vet students. It was a week of firsts for many of them, and long-losts for me.

Three of our girls had never flown before, left Bolivia, nor seen the ocean, let alone been to a city with more people than their entire country. So, needless to say, there was a lot of adrenaline flowing while playing in the surf, learning how to use escalators, and watching the earth shrink beneath them as the plane took off. However, no experience brought on more squealing or bouncing than someone's first glimpse of Kentucky Fried Chicken! (I'll let you guess who that someone might have been)

I'm not exactly sure why I felt it necessary to include a picture of KFC, as if you didn't know what it looked like, or wouldn't believe me if I didn't show you. Really it was more to share my enthusiasm, just seeing the Colonel and the word Kentucky was like a little taste of home, and the excitement barely dwindled as we passed two or three more franchises around town. McDonald's fries and sundae have never tasted nearly so good, and Papa John himself must have flown down to personally prepare my little pizza in the airport, because it was the best pizza in the history of the world. Basically, what I'm trying to say is; I had no idea I was missing such foods so much, and I have no idea how I'll react in December while in the US for the first time after nearly a year and a half. But if this trip was any indicator -- Look Out! Or at least don't get between me and the Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen!!!

Check out more pictures on Facebook, and watch for ministry/veterinary details about the trip in my next two prayer letters...