Harrisburg

   10 Days my familial trip lasted. It was also the checkpoint of where I would move to a different work environment. But we'll talk about that later. We have to, because this entry is titled Harrisburg.

hang on this Gatorade is warm.

----

24 hours later:  I fell asleep yesterday. Whoops!

My father's 60th birthday was being celebrated on July 28th. He looks nothing at all like 60! It's a little difficult for me to accept that my parents are aging, because they've always been the ones I looked up to, and have always been there supporting me with whatever I decided throughout my life. I'm extremely glad that he doesn't look 60, because I would cry if he did. It softens the blow considerately, for me at least.



One of the things I most looked forward to being back home was my mama's delicious cooking. As most of my dear readers know I am Peruvian. Not first generation or whatever, nope. I was came to this country with my parents very young. Though I was raised here, I was also around a lot of influence from my country, and there are a lot of things that to this very day I still don't understand or know of too well that many Americans know like the back of their hand.

Things that I never grew accustomed to:

• Steak... names. Or how they're cooked? No clue. I didn't eat a slab of steak with sides growing up. So those terms always confuse me.
• Same with eggs. All I know is that the one that leaks still is over easy. I know what scrambled eggs are, and sunny side up, but anything more than that I'm not familiar with. 
• Sandwiches for lunch? Na-uh. gtfo.
• Dinner at 5? What?
• Sides as a main course with? LOL?!?!
• WHERE THE RICE AT

Weird huh?

Anywho, my mama would make a a different entree every day, enough for both lunch and dinner. I could never replicate the flavors she created, but I try every now and again. Rot and Josh get excited when I do. It makes me happy. She was thrilled to cook for me again, and I totally get it now why she would be. I LOVE her cooking!!

For my dad's birthday she made a fucking buffet of different entrees. My mama is not only the strongest woman I know in my life, the most amazing multitasker, my greatest friend, and the hardest worker I've ever known. She is incredible. She never ceases to surprise me, and never disappoints. She goes over and beyond, and even though it annoys me personally sometimes, because I can be so meh about a lot of things, she's just.. increíble.

Mama, quiero que sepas que tu eres la mujer mas fuerte en mi vida, que nunca me has dado menos do lo que tu sabias que podrias dar, y que sin tu amor tan fuerte que me has dado creciendo, no tendria la fuerza que tengo hoy, para soportar estos tarados de mierda que viven aqui en Hollywood. pucha oye, que joden la paciencia. Pero gracias a todo el trabajo que tu y mi Papi an hecho para mi, voy a seguir adelante, y los voy hacer orgullosos de mi. Los quiero muchisimo, con todo mi alma. 

Google translate did okay, but not really. I lol'd. Try it.

 This one is called Seco. She taught me to make it. 

Rotny and Josh love it.

 This is Papa Rellena. 

I attempted it. Tasted good but I still fucked it up.

She showed me how not to suck as much at it.

The purple drink is called chicha morada. 

It's a sweet drink made from maize. 

Maize is super popular in Peru. It takes the place of grape flavored everything.

Maize candy, puddings, drinks, gum, you name it.

It's fucking delicious.

This is Carapulcra, or Papa Seca.

The dessert next to it is Crema Volteada. It's kind of like a Peruvian version of flan.

It's so much better than flan, omg. And now I know how to make it! ;)

These 3 are my favorite dishes! Yum yum yum!

She also made Arroz con Pollo. Literally translates to Rice with Chicken, but... with a Peruvian spin. 

The yellow stuff is Papa a la Huancaina.

I suggested that once my dad retires and they sell the house, to open her own Peruvian restaurant.
She loves cooking! And it's all delicious. She'd be an instant success, especially since, at least where they live now, Peruvian restaurants just don't exist.

BIRTHDAY DAY:  

 She made alllllllll of that.

She's amazing. I love her so much.

 They have a huge house. With a big open driveway. So we went a little nuts with decorations.

She wanted it to be special. 

It was ^_^

 She also makes these alcoholic creamy drinks. They're almost like smoothies, but not totally. 

One was strawberry, the other was... something. I dunno, but they were awesome.

My nieces. Alisha is the younger one. Ingrid the older.

I absolutely love them.

I love them because not only are they my blood, but they're attractive.

They're attractive, and my blood. 

And Ingrid likes comic books, and reading.

And Alisha takes absolutely no shit from anyone.

So, they're attractive, my blood, and smart.

And Ingrid took up the violin.

I went a little nuts with taking their pictures.

GOD I'm SO happy I don't have ugly nieces. 

Does that make me a horrible person? Perhaps.

Do I give a shit? No, not really. Because my nieces are fucking CUTE.

So.

Pamela... if you're reading this... SELECTIVE BREEDING PLEASE.

THAAANKS.

I also made them watch Madoka Magica. But that's another story.

 Birthday boy!! 

WRINKLES? WHAT ARE THOSE?

AMIRITE!?

My dad looks fucking amazing. Dem genetics yo.

 They bicker like an old married couple. 

They deal with each others shit every single day.

But... they've had each other for a lifetime. It's a lot more than many of us can say.

And the fact that that rhymed was stupid and unintended.

 My cute little Mama and my Papa

 He too is a lover of hyperbole.

 boobs.

 yummmmmmms!

That other portion is ............. fuck I forgot.

But it's made with a meat that my mom has to have a friend from Jersey get every time she visits.

It's another favorite. She prepared it special for this occasion. :)

And of course, carapulcra!

 Our family

 Haha... they're dancing.

There's this Peruvian dance called Festejo. 

Literal translation; Festival.

It's danced mostly to a song called El Alcatraz, where some of the lyrics say "burn burn burn"

The female dancers have a strip of cloth, or paper, hanging from their skirts, and dance ahead of the males, that carry lit torches, going after them in dance, all attempting to light the cloth on fire. Once they achieve this, she puts it out. With dance.

They were doing it mockingly, but ... it's a thing. And it's cute to watch.

It's of Afro Peruvian origin, but no one gives a shit about race in Peru. It's all celebrated just the same. So everyone knows it and dances to it.

Ain't that funny?

Feminists, get over yourselves. :)

It was a really fun day. 

I gave my nieces their gifts, and we all also got to set up the Poppin' Cookin' candy kits I brought them!

They loved it! 

I was so glad. 

I'm also going to be sending Ingrid the Madoka manga volumes. 

She really enjoyed it. I had 8 episodes on my netbook that we all watched together, and they learned all their names and understood it so much quicker than I did! I had to re-watch a few episodes to get it. Ingrid loves Kyubey. Alisha likes Sayaka. I'm so glad they liked it! 

My cousin Pamela and I also did the cinnamon challenge. 

Yes. that stupid thing where you try to swallow a spoonful of cinnamon.

I regret to inform you all that... you'll be disappointed.

1. because the clip that was recorded is bad. and only 30 seconds.

2. Those 30 seconds were very anti-climactic because we didn't cringe, or spit it out, or go PLEUGH and massive cinnamon clouds erupted from our faces, no. 

It just wasn't that big of a deal. We both got it down. It was unpleasant, and it does absorb all the moisture in your mouth, but... it can be done, easily. And when I see people on youtube doing the PLEUGH thing, it's probably just to get a reaction out of people who are watching them. It was a disappointing experience. We didn't even really react much. Just looked at each other distastefully and then down at the ground as we downed it. 

Yeah. =\

Sorry. Ruined it for me, too.

Maybe if you make a drunk person do it, it might be more entertaining? I don't know. 

Our Rottweiler, Baby! She's a sweetieface. The police have propositioned my mama in the past to buy her from them. XD No way! She's da Baby ^_^

Random. 

In Harrisburg, there are bagging stations at the grocery stores. 

I don't know who that man is.

But... yeah. You bag your own damn groceries and gtfo the store. tyvm.

I miss that.

My favorite burrito place in the world! So yummy! 

It's very similar to Chipotle, but with more choices. They have different tortillas, different rices, different meats, and different 'pastes'.... like guacamole? but they also have this jalapeno feta thing that's fucking AWESOME. And spanish rice. with buffalo meat. and they steam the cheese, and then grill it. So much better than Chipotle omg. mmfp. 

They were also the owners of the piercing shop I worked at before I moved to LA, but sadly they closed in 2012. I'm glad that Neato is expanding though. I hope to see them in CA one day!

Miss Panda: 

Aside from the Birthday thing, I didn't really do much else besides sitting in my room and watching Netflix. My sleep schedule was all kinds of whack because east coast is 3 hours ahead of us here, so .... aaaaaaaaggghhh. 

but I DID get to see some old friends from High School. Amanda, who I have always called Miss Panda, was the first I got to see out of everyone. She's always been the most mature out of our group, I always thought. And was always very ... motherly. Even when she wasn't a momma :P

The evening there was really nice. I EVEN GOT TO PLAY WITH GIANNA'S LITTLEST PET SHOP TOYS OMG.

 

They're so cute :(

I want all of them.

STFU.

She whipped up a nice BBQ dinner for us all! 

Shannon also came by to visit with her lady. 

Shannon was my best friend in High School. We spent many hours at her house, indulging on butterfly shrimp and doing stupid shit. 

I still have the CD she made me. It was the first time I heard "Never let me down again", but the Smashing Pumpkins cover. Every time I hear that song, I think of Shannon.

Shannon always did this face to make me laugh. It still works. 

I think I was the only one in our group of friends in HS that didn't date a chick.

I was the minority, twice over.

The hetero hispanic.

In a circle of lesbos. 

Way to be, Cynthia. Way to be. sigh.

Shannon asked us later if we wanted to go to a bon fire at Tim's house. Tim also was a student at our high school. He was a senior when we were freshmen I think. He also has a brother that at the time was very, very fond of me. My father didn't like it, and it landed him a nasty fine. All is forgiven. My friends tell me he somehow has one of my yearbooks? I'll never know how he achieved that. If you're reading this.... that's impressive. If it's true, I don't want to know how you got it, and I hope you enjoyed it?

It was a fun night.

Miss Pandaaaaaa 

 Shannon got plastered.

She likes to wrastle.

 So weird seeing people from high school all.... grown up. 

Ugh, Phil. Phil.

Oh, Phil... 

SO. TIM HAD THIS SKINK FERMENTING IN BEER FOR 4 WEEKS.

AND WE DISSECTED IT.

 Don't worry. He said it was dead when he found it. Most of its tail was gone when he found it.

We gave Billy a proper send off, and thanked him for his contribution to scientific research.

I learned that... skinks either have a huge black heart, or one lung, and no heart?

Or ... their heart is in their throat? 

And... their brains are... not there?

And they have tiny, black, bladders?

Also for the record, I didn't just stab it and tear it open. I was carefully trying to make a cut down the center to view all the organs in their natural places. And removed them one by one.

So.

yeah.

We also tried to replicate a photo from  years ago at Shannon's house around Christmas time. 

god I look like a toolbag.

How people managed to think I was a slut is almost flattering. ugh. Rocked the platform boots though. And no eyebrows.

BUT YEAH.

There were tons more on my phone, but all terribad. This was the only one that turned out okay, and I still managed to look like a wet rat.

It's all good. 

Hard to believe it's been about 12 years. WTF

Was nice though :)

YEAH, IT WASN'T A PHASE FOR ME. AIGHT? 

That was the last night I was in Harrisburg. The send off was silly, and I'll remember it forever.

It was like... the ending in Grease as they drove off with everyone running behind them, waving goodbye as the car impossibly reared up into flight.

All before Tim lept out in front of the car, followed by Phil, and the rest of them on at the side waving.

It was really nice. I'll remember it.

Oh, but Amanda's car can't fly. Just... fyi.

The next morning I got to spend a couple hours with Sean, also an old friend.

I met him through EB Games, back before Gamestop Hitler'd all over every game store ever.

My ex and I would go in often, and eventually Sean and I were tight bros. I also worked there for a while. Good times.

He's good people. Has a heart of gold. I'm glad he's doing well. 

We smashed his ex-wife's porcelain Galinda doll in a parking lot and took pictures of it.

Final Fantasy XI was serious business...

He also brought me these two cute little magnets his girlfriend makes! It was so thoughtful! I wish I had brought some charms with me, but didn't even think twice about it. It's a little Harley Quinn and the Ocarina of Time from LOZ. :)

That morning Sean accompanied us to the airport. My mama came in with me to say one more goodbye. After 5 hugs I went up the stairs to head to the security check point, and was already missing her. She looked so sad as I left. 

I LOVE YOU MAMA.

TE QUIERO, PAPA. 

It was a nice trip, and a nice little vacation from work, and LA in general. I'll probably be back in January, for the renewing of my parents' vows. Wouldn't miss that for anything. 

Now I want a burrito.