The first day of school and El Museo de Ricardo Palma

5/16/16

Today was our first day in classes at El Sol Escuela de Español. They specializes in teaching Spanish to travelers and those maintaining temporary residency in Lima. I started the day dodging cars on a bike I rented making my way to school down one of the busier main streets here Avenida Benavides. In truth it is not too much more difficult than in Boston but there is the added risk of distraction from the few of beautiful parks that I have to pass along the way. School started at nine o'clock with a grammar section for two hours, followed by a hour of conversation practice and topped off by an hour of cultural education on the history of Peru. I'm so excited to be taking classes here because it is the style of teaching I respond to most. There were about four students total in my class and our professoras for both classes were very patient and helpful in making sure we were all able to follow along and be part of the class. I can not wait to see how well my Spanish will improve in the incoming weeks.

First Day of Class!

In the afternoon we spent a good portion of the day touring El Museo de Ricardo Palma (The Museum of Ricard Palma). The museum was created out of his last residence after his death in Miraflores and showed a large collection of his works and the style of housing in the early 19th century. The house was a structure of multiple rooms all around a central patio where a single tree grew straight up to the roof. We started by watching a twenty minute video summarizing his life in the context of a fledgling nation trying to stabilize its government. We learned that many of Palma's works reflected the times in Peru and Lima and were a kind of social commentary on the state of life here. The house contained all the essential parts of living quarters including a bathroom, a bedroom, a kitchen, a study, and a grand dinning room. While Palma is best known for his books I think my favorite thing in the museum was his death mask which was on display in the center of one of the rooms. The mask was surrounded by a collection of drawings depicting the dark times of Lima's inquisition and was bellow to a clock that supposedly stopped at the time of Palma's death. I can say with certainty that collection of macabre objects in that room definitely perked my interest.

Ricard Palmas Desk

The magic tree

A bouquet made of Shells

It has been quite the interesting if not tiring day overall but it is far from over. As I'm writing this my host mother, Nora, is cooking another one of the best meals I have had while I am here. I will have to eat quick too because right after I will be meeting the rest of our group for a night tour of Miraflores.