Getting back to work

Okay, I know, it's been a REALLY long time since I've posted something on this page. I wish to extend my sincerest apologizes to those who have continuously read my blog. You are probably wondering what happened to me since the last post MONTHS ago...let me just help you catch up:

-June and July were INSANE! Talk about your high tourism season! The restaurant was PACKED day and night! We were short one cook, so Qiqe was busy in the kitchen and I was upstairs trying to manage the overflow of customers. 13-14 hour days did not make it easy to sit in front of a computer to blog!

-The last time I posted on my blog I was extremely excited to be a legal resident. Sad to say, I was a bit premature in my celebration. Coming back to Puno from Bolivia, I still had quite a bit of bureaucratic....I'll try to keep this p.c. for the kids....hoopla to go through. Not fun. After more trips to the bank in Puno, getting my dental record checked with tools that I am pretty sure were never sanitized between patiences, more pictures, more waiting in line I was FINALLY given the okay to go to Lima to pick up my foreigner ID.

So, in Lima it only took another 2 weeks (after an amazing trip home with Qiqe to see my family) to get the okay first from INTERPOL...and the US FBI, and migrations. I will spare you all those details....because seriously, I could write a book on this whole experience. I would probably title it "Go Illegal or Go Get Married: saving time, money, and sanity...cuz legalization in Peru just ain't worth it".

Now that I am back in Puno, things are quite different. Qiqe is in Lima starting his first semester in Cordon Bleu. I can't wait to see him and have him cook for me! He loves it but has an incredibly busy workload.

Ursula, his sister, has taken over the administration of the restaurant, which has allowed me to focus more time and energy on the quinoa project and other social endeavours in the city. I invite you all to keep up with my work on my new sister blog www.samka-puno.blogspot.com where I am managing information for the project. Until we get funding to design a website, this blog will serve to provide information on our project.

This blog will be a bit more informal....a bit more check-out-this-crazy-experience to keep you all entertained on the ridiculousness of my life here among the Aymaras.

:) I will do my best to get back on track with my story-telling!