Things I have learned:
1) In quechua, the word for baby is wawa. I think it's funny that that's what Stephanie used to call me when she was little and couldn't pronounce Laura.
2) I had seen a short news clip about a very impoverished neighborhood in Lima that had suffered under Fujimori's dictatorship (and that's what it was after he rigged the voting and tore apart the constitution and congress). I didn't really understand what had happened, so I asked yesterday during our political science class. Our professor is extremely opinionated when it comes to Fujimori. The name of the neighborhood is Barrios Altos, and during the time the terrorist group Shinging Path was causing trouble Peru's intelligence found a party in Barrios Altos where there were supposedly four known terrorists. So Fujimori sent in the military and the shot 70 people to death, including 5 children. That's what they mean by human rights violations.
3) Maria, my host mother, got married when she was 17 years old and still in high school. She has also always been a little bit afraid of the dark. :)
4) I still procrastinate assignments when I'm in Peru.
5) I met another Peruvian vegetarian last night at the intercambio who claims Peruvians speak normally and so do Colombians but no one else in the Spanish speaking world.
I've learned a lot of other things, but unfortunately they'll have to wait because I have a lot of reading and writing to do...
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Mi primer temblor y Fujimori
Hello all! It's been a few days since I've updated, so I know you're thrilled. Jesse came to visit this past week and it went by in such a blur. It was wonderful to have him here to see where I am living and just to be together for a little bit before he goes back to Atlanta and I don't see him for 2 months! He ended up being able to stay with my family which was certainly unexpected but not unwelcome! They have an extra room in the backyard (sort of) where he was able to stay which was certainly convenient. You'll have to ask him for his take on Cusco. Everyone he talked to asked if he was going to Machu Picchu and when he told them he wasn't they were shocked because it's a Maravilla del Mundo (a wonder of the world)! I think all the Peruvians in my life were nearly as sad to see him go as I was. Since he left a lot of them have commented and said they wish they'd had more time to get to know him! Hopefully as I type this Jesse is on his way to Atlanta and will arrive safely. I miss him already!
Yesterday I experienced both my first Peruvian barbeque and my first temblor. Edson has a friend, Christian, who is in town from Switzerland and he hosted a parrillada (a Peruvian cook out on a grill, essentially) so I went over to join them. I didn't eat any of the vaca (cow) they were serving up, but I did drink quite a bit of the Cusqueña Cerveza they kept offering me. Toward the end of the party, one of Chrisitans drunken uncles came and introduced himself. He held onto my hand and looked into my eyes for an uncomfortable length of time while he recited his full name and explained every facet of his lineage... During this time, we had retreated inside away from the evening cold (it gets dark and cold at around 6) and the adults that had attended were in a back room enjoying ABBA in Spanish and I suppose reminiscing. Not so different from an American cookout, except that part of me was expecting to participate in some sort of sporting event or to hunker down on a couch and watch American football...
After trying to use Skype to talk to Jesse and failing pretty miserably (I also have Windows Live Messenger ID if anyone is interested: lcseit@gmail.com), I returned home and Maria and I watched a movie (actually, she always falls asleep, so it was really only me watching). After the movie, she switched the channel to hear about Fujimori who has been extradited from Chile and returned to Peru to face JUSTICE. It has been interesting learning about Alberto Fujimori having known almost nothing about him before. He is being accused of a great deal of corruption and has a really interesting history. As things were starting to come out about bribes he gave out and the possibility of his involvement with a number of disappeared students (similar to those in Argentina), he went to Japan for a conference and didn't come back. Then he faxed his resignation back to Peru. That didn't fly with congress, so they voted him out to publicly denounce his actions. If you want to read more about what's going on with him, here's a good BBC article that covers it pretty briefly: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7008302.stm
No matter what ends up happening to him, his influence has already created a political party of supporters (fujimoristas) and there is talk that his daughter will follow in his footsteps in the next election. Maria was talking about how saddening and embarassing it must be for his daughter to have to continue to support such a corrupt man. She is apparently married to a gringo and she's pregnant right now. Fun, fun. Latin American politics are crazy, but never dull!
As we were watching the local news coverage, there was a brief moment where everything moved from side to side. The floor, the couch, the entire world around me. It was barely anything, but it was my first experience with seismic activity. I'm not sure if it was connected to a terremoto (earthquake) or only some slight movement of the plates. Nothing close to what Jessica experienced in Mexico, but it's worth noting!
This past weekend we started our primary service project for our time here. It's located in a place called Conchacalla which is about an hour kombi ride from the ProPeru office. It's a community of about 40 families nestled high in the beautiful Andes (I've got to get pictures up soon, I know!). We worked right near the school there. There are two classrooms but we are working on building two much needed bathrooms (all the have is a whole in the ground surrounded by a small adobe buliding. The bathrooms we're constructing are also built using adobe bricks and mud. ProPeru conducts development projects in a specific manner: they hire maestros to help direct the clueless volunteers, but the community itself is also expected to participate in the project since it is being done to benefit them or their children. This concept of community building is actually borrowed from the Incas. Their community as a whole would help newlyweds construct their dwelling and in turn those newlyweds would help the next couple who got married. In this way communities helped eachother help themselves. So far at our projects there have been few community representatives. In Picol there was some kind of rumor spread that volunteers were getting paid while community members were not, so community support was lost there. In Conchacalla, the father of one student was around to help out and several mothers and a teacher from the school helped to prepare our meals.
The work was definitely hard, especially when each of us would have to cart 30 lb. adobe bricks from up the mountain down to the work site. We also worked mixing the mud to coat the adobes and we would hand everything to the maestros as we were constructing the walls. We slept on the floor of one of the classrooms, so we were all achy and grumpy the next morning while we continued to work. After the work we hiked back down the mountain to take a kombi back into town. I was pretty beat at this point, but it was wonderful to walk in the countryside and see so much livestock and campesinos. I feel really lucky to have chosen the service aspect of the program, because it really gives me the chance to interact with rural communities. The children who attend the school were around all the time and we got the opportunity to enjoy a bonfire and marshmallows with them on Friday night. One little girl in particular, Rocio, took to me and pulled me into a game with the other little kids. It was something about being in the forest and we were all holding hands and running in circles. And then one of the kids would say something and everyone would run! I didn't really know what was going on, but maybe I'll figure it out next time. The poverty and malnutrition of these kids was pretty apparent, it didn't appear that they bathe much or eat properly. One of the smallest boys has the pooched belly of a parasite and all of them had the driest skin I've ever seen. Spending time with them was extremely rewarding and I hope we will really be able to make an impact with our work there. We are also going to complete an adobe kitchen so the students can be served lunch while they are studying.
Unfortunately, school work is picking up quite a bit now that I have 3 other classes. I actually have to go to the library! And I thought everything would be papaya... ;)
Yesterday I experienced both my first Peruvian barbeque and my first temblor. Edson has a friend, Christian, who is in town from Switzerland and he hosted a parrillada (a Peruvian cook out on a grill, essentially) so I went over to join them. I didn't eat any of the vaca (cow) they were serving up, but I did drink quite a bit of the Cusqueña Cerveza they kept offering me. Toward the end of the party, one of Chrisitans drunken uncles came and introduced himself. He held onto my hand and looked into my eyes for an uncomfortable length of time while he recited his full name and explained every facet of his lineage... During this time, we had retreated inside away from the evening cold (it gets dark and cold at around 6) and the adults that had attended were in a back room enjoying ABBA in Spanish and I suppose reminiscing. Not so different from an American cookout, except that part of me was expecting to participate in some sort of sporting event or to hunker down on a couch and watch American football...
After trying to use Skype to talk to Jesse and failing pretty miserably (I also have Windows Live Messenger ID if anyone is interested: lcseit@gmail.com), I returned home and Maria and I watched a movie (actually, she always falls asleep, so it was really only me watching). After the movie, she switched the channel to hear about Fujimori who has been extradited from Chile and returned to Peru to face JUSTICE. It has been interesting learning about Alberto Fujimori having known almost nothing about him before. He is being accused of a great deal of corruption and has a really interesting history. As things were starting to come out about bribes he gave out and the possibility of his involvement with a number of disappeared students (similar to those in Argentina), he went to Japan for a conference and didn't come back. Then he faxed his resignation back to Peru. That didn't fly with congress, so they voted him out to publicly denounce his actions. If you want to read more about what's going on with him, here's a good BBC article that covers it pretty briefly: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7008302.stm
No matter what ends up happening to him, his influence has already created a political party of supporters (fujimoristas) and there is talk that his daughter will follow in his footsteps in the next election. Maria was talking about how saddening and embarassing it must be for his daughter to have to continue to support such a corrupt man. She is apparently married to a gringo and she's pregnant right now. Fun, fun. Latin American politics are crazy, but never dull!
As we were watching the local news coverage, there was a brief moment where everything moved from side to side. The floor, the couch, the entire world around me. It was barely anything, but it was my first experience with seismic activity. I'm not sure if it was connected to a terremoto (earthquake) or only some slight movement of the plates. Nothing close to what Jessica experienced in Mexico, but it's worth noting!
This past weekend we started our primary service project for our time here. It's located in a place called Conchacalla which is about an hour kombi ride from the ProPeru office. It's a community of about 40 families nestled high in the beautiful Andes (I've got to get pictures up soon, I know!). We worked right near the school there. There are two classrooms but we are working on building two much needed bathrooms (all the have is a whole in the ground surrounded by a small adobe buliding. The bathrooms we're constructing are also built using adobe bricks and mud. ProPeru conducts development projects in a specific manner: they hire maestros to help direct the clueless volunteers, but the community itself is also expected to participate in the project since it is being done to benefit them or their children. This concept of community building is actually borrowed from the Incas. Their community as a whole would help newlyweds construct their dwelling and in turn those newlyweds would help the next couple who got married. In this way communities helped eachother help themselves. So far at our projects there have been few community representatives. In Picol there was some kind of rumor spread that volunteers were getting paid while community members were not, so community support was lost there. In Conchacalla, the father of one student was around to help out and several mothers and a teacher from the school helped to prepare our meals.
The work was definitely hard, especially when each of us would have to cart 30 lb. adobe bricks from up the mountain down to the work site. We also worked mixing the mud to coat the adobes and we would hand everything to the maestros as we were constructing the walls. We slept on the floor of one of the classrooms, so we were all achy and grumpy the next morning while we continued to work. After the work we hiked back down the mountain to take a kombi back into town. I was pretty beat at this point, but it was wonderful to walk in the countryside and see so much livestock and campesinos. I feel really lucky to have chosen the service aspect of the program, because it really gives me the chance to interact with rural communities. The children who attend the school were around all the time and we got the opportunity to enjoy a bonfire and marshmallows with them on Friday night. One little girl in particular, Rocio, took to me and pulled me into a game with the other little kids. It was something about being in the forest and we were all holding hands and running in circles. And then one of the kids would say something and everyone would run! I didn't really know what was going on, but maybe I'll figure it out next time. The poverty and malnutrition of these kids was pretty apparent, it didn't appear that they bathe much or eat properly. One of the smallest boys has the pooched belly of a parasite and all of them had the driest skin I've ever seen. Spending time with them was extremely rewarding and I hope we will really be able to make an impact with our work there. We are also going to complete an adobe kitchen so the students can be served lunch while they are studying.
Unfortunately, school work is picking up quite a bit now that I have 3 other classes. I actually have to go to the library! And I thought everything would be papaya... ;)
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Whatever, man
Hello! You won´t believe the awesome computer screen I´m using... it´s huge AND it has firefox. A rare treat in the land of the Andes. If you´re wondering, I have yet to come across any Andes mints, but I´m keeping my eyes peeled.
The last few days have been terribly full. Sorry I lied before about the pictures. I have a bunch I want to post, but who has the time? I´ll work on that. On Friday, I sent my first letters and postcards (which costs an armload, but my loved ones are worth it!) and I attended my first show by Peru´s best showman Carlos Galdos. Essentially, he is a comedian/ DJ who is pretty popular here. His show was called "Papá... yo?" and the experience was a riot. When we were standing in line to get in (I went with Edson and Evelyn), this guy with a camera came up and shoved a microphone in my face. In rapid-fire Spanish, he asked me a question. I had to stand there with a dumb look on my face and say "no entiendo" until Evelyn and Edson told the guy "más despacio, por favor" (my parents should write that one down for future reference) and he asked me, more slowly, what my expectations were for the show. I said that I was from the U.S. so it was a new experience for me. Then he asked what ONE WORD I wanted to say to Carlos Galdos... Luckily Edson stepped in at that point and delivered, "Whatever, man," a phrase I have recently taught him. Phew. My fifteen minutes of fame in Peru!
The show was pretty funny when I actually understood what the guy was saying. He made a lot of sexual jokes and talked about finding out his wife was pregnant, etc. At the end he started singing all these songs and doing impressions of people which sort of went over my head. At that point, I was already exhausted anyway from trying to process everything. Edson had given me a short slang lesson beforehand which ended up helping a little bit! Before Galdos made his appearance, they played a number of Fleetwood Mac songs which was what I understood most clearly the entire night! The even was held in some kind of sports arena which seems to hold events geared toward youth. There was a guy wandering around handing out controceptives. But not condoms, something you insert vaginally. The flyer that came with it advertised that it is strong during love and strong during battle... Haha. There were also all the usual venders walking around saying "Gaseosas. Gaseosas. Gaseosas." We sat back in the cheaper section, but I knew a few people in the VIP section (no, not V.I.P., they pronounce it as one word).
All in all it was an enlightening experience. I now know more about the world of Peruvian entertainment. Unfortunately, I missed my first skype call so I still don´t know if that is going to work here... I missed it because in a stereotypically Peruvian fashion, everything started really late (an hour and a half late!).
Yesterday I got up early to head out to our second project site in a place called Picol. It´s basically up a mountain from Cusco, but close enough to take a kombi and walk the rest of the way. There, we sanded and painted a schoolroom that was built by other ProPeru volunteers. I got unbelievably dirty in the process but I really enjoyed the work and felt like we were really accomplishing something when it was completed. We painted the whole room eggnog yellow, and the teacher at the school was there to see it. When we were finished, Sandra put up a plaque that said ProPeru had helped build the room, and Mike smashed a champagne bottle that was hung over the door with a hammer. Then the president of the area (the head honcho lady) went around and sprinkled confetti on our heads for buena suerte (good luck). Some of the other volunteers joked that she liked me best because she put a ton of the stuff in my hair!
I returned home to Maria looking like a swamp thing who had just attended a celebration! I took a quick shower and we headed back up to Picol to my Peruvian brother Willbur´s house. It was Eduardo´s birthday party! He turned four the other day, so they had all of his little friends over to dance to silly songs in Spanish. There was also a clown and a TON of sweets and junk food. It was pretty hard to resist, so I dove in and ate the things that were handed to me (over and over and over), but I put my foot down when they tried to give me an hombre de araña slice of cake. It wasn´t chocolate, and Peruvians just don´t do cake the way we do. On top of that I was absolutely sugared out.
It reminded me of Corey because Eduardo is obsessed with Hombre de araña (SPIDER MAN) and there were a lot of spiderman themed items. I ate some kind of weird mousse that came in a little plastic tub with a spiderman spoon. For the girls they had Barbie stuff and lipstick. Valeria, Eduardo´s older sister (age 6), is a little prima donna. She put on the lipstick and she already has some killer hip dance moves (Peruvians are just born with it). She´s pretty funny. She´s started to warm up to me, so we have fun together. I met little Estrellita for the first time last night. She´s their little sister, and I think she´s almost 2. She was adorable. She refused to play the games and much preferred to sit in Maria´s lap with candy in her mouth and a pout on her face. The whole time, Edson and Evelyn were walking around handing out food and taking pictures. I have some good pictures of the craziness that I´ll have to post at some point. They played one game where you walk in a circle and sing a song about getting married to a señorita and when the song ends you have to hug someone and "marry" them. Whoever doesn´t get married has to leave the game! What kind of message are we sending here?
It looked like Eduardo was already a mujeriego based on the number of little girls he enjoyed hugging and following around. He´s four years old! They don´t waste anytime indicating gender roles here. Haha. All around it was a very enjoyable time just watching the little kids and the amount of candy being passed around and eaten. It was sort of a sad night as well, because it was Willbur´s last night in Cusco for 3 months. He left early this morning to go to Andalucia, Spain to study Economics. I was sad to see him go after getting to know him a little bit, and I´m sure it was hard on him to leave his wife and three beautiful children behind! It made me think about leaving my family so I tried to give him a lighthearted goodbye. Cuidate Willbur!
We all left the party in the VW bug that I have now discovered Julio owns... This family is really the Peruvian version of the Connecticutt McVeys. I had my doubts before, but now I´m convinced. There are five kids (granted, there is different ratio of brothers to sisters), one of whom the parents live with (not exactly the same situation, I realize) AND they have a VW bug. A red one. Lucky me to find the McVeys in Peru! Haha.
Today I tried out the awesome spider man plastic kite I got. Edson used his Transformers kite. There wasn´t much wind, but we made it work. Now I´m going with Edson to his friend´s house for lunch! Ciao, amigos!
The last few days have been terribly full. Sorry I lied before about the pictures. I have a bunch I want to post, but who has the time? I´ll work on that. On Friday, I sent my first letters and postcards (which costs an armload, but my loved ones are worth it!) and I attended my first show by Peru´s best showman Carlos Galdos. Essentially, he is a comedian/ DJ who is pretty popular here. His show was called "Papá... yo?" and the experience was a riot. When we were standing in line to get in (I went with Edson and Evelyn), this guy with a camera came up and shoved a microphone in my face. In rapid-fire Spanish, he asked me a question. I had to stand there with a dumb look on my face and say "no entiendo" until Evelyn and Edson told the guy "más despacio, por favor" (my parents should write that one down for future reference) and he asked me, more slowly, what my expectations were for the show. I said that I was from the U.S. so it was a new experience for me. Then he asked what ONE WORD I wanted to say to Carlos Galdos... Luckily Edson stepped in at that point and delivered, "Whatever, man," a phrase I have recently taught him. Phew. My fifteen minutes of fame in Peru!
The show was pretty funny when I actually understood what the guy was saying. He made a lot of sexual jokes and talked about finding out his wife was pregnant, etc. At the end he started singing all these songs and doing impressions of people which sort of went over my head. At that point, I was already exhausted anyway from trying to process everything. Edson had given me a short slang lesson beforehand which ended up helping a little bit! Before Galdos made his appearance, they played a number of Fleetwood Mac songs which was what I understood most clearly the entire night! The even was held in some kind of sports arena which seems to hold events geared toward youth. There was a guy wandering around handing out controceptives. But not condoms, something you insert vaginally. The flyer that came with it advertised that it is strong during love and strong during battle... Haha. There were also all the usual venders walking around saying "Gaseosas. Gaseosas. Gaseosas." We sat back in the cheaper section, but I knew a few people in the VIP section (no, not V.I.P., they pronounce it as one word).
All in all it was an enlightening experience. I now know more about the world of Peruvian entertainment. Unfortunately, I missed my first skype call so I still don´t know if that is going to work here... I missed it because in a stereotypically Peruvian fashion, everything started really late (an hour and a half late!).
Yesterday I got up early to head out to our second project site in a place called Picol. It´s basically up a mountain from Cusco, but close enough to take a kombi and walk the rest of the way. There, we sanded and painted a schoolroom that was built by other ProPeru volunteers. I got unbelievably dirty in the process but I really enjoyed the work and felt like we were really accomplishing something when it was completed. We painted the whole room eggnog yellow, and the teacher at the school was there to see it. When we were finished, Sandra put up a plaque that said ProPeru had helped build the room, and Mike smashed a champagne bottle that was hung over the door with a hammer. Then the president of the area (the head honcho lady) went around and sprinkled confetti on our heads for buena suerte (good luck). Some of the other volunteers joked that she liked me best because she put a ton of the stuff in my hair!
I returned home to Maria looking like a swamp thing who had just attended a celebration! I took a quick shower and we headed back up to Picol to my Peruvian brother Willbur´s house. It was Eduardo´s birthday party! He turned four the other day, so they had all of his little friends over to dance to silly songs in Spanish. There was also a clown and a TON of sweets and junk food. It was pretty hard to resist, so I dove in and ate the things that were handed to me (over and over and over), but I put my foot down when they tried to give me an hombre de araña slice of cake. It wasn´t chocolate, and Peruvians just don´t do cake the way we do. On top of that I was absolutely sugared out.
It reminded me of Corey because Eduardo is obsessed with Hombre de araña (SPIDER MAN) and there were a lot of spiderman themed items. I ate some kind of weird mousse that came in a little plastic tub with a spiderman spoon. For the girls they had Barbie stuff and lipstick. Valeria, Eduardo´s older sister (age 6), is a little prima donna. She put on the lipstick and she already has some killer hip dance moves (Peruvians are just born with it). She´s pretty funny. She´s started to warm up to me, so we have fun together. I met little Estrellita for the first time last night. She´s their little sister, and I think she´s almost 2. She was adorable. She refused to play the games and much preferred to sit in Maria´s lap with candy in her mouth and a pout on her face. The whole time, Edson and Evelyn were walking around handing out food and taking pictures. I have some good pictures of the craziness that I´ll have to post at some point. They played one game where you walk in a circle and sing a song about getting married to a señorita and when the song ends you have to hug someone and "marry" them. Whoever doesn´t get married has to leave the game! What kind of message are we sending here?
It looked like Eduardo was already a mujeriego based on the number of little girls he enjoyed hugging and following around. He´s four years old! They don´t waste anytime indicating gender roles here. Haha. All around it was a very enjoyable time just watching the little kids and the amount of candy being passed around and eaten. It was sort of a sad night as well, because it was Willbur´s last night in Cusco for 3 months. He left early this morning to go to Andalucia, Spain to study Economics. I was sad to see him go after getting to know him a little bit, and I´m sure it was hard on him to leave his wife and three beautiful children behind! It made me think about leaving my family so I tried to give him a lighthearted goodbye. Cuidate Willbur!
We all left the party in the VW bug that I have now discovered Julio owns... This family is really the Peruvian version of the Connecticutt McVeys. I had my doubts before, but now I´m convinced. There are five kids (granted, there is different ratio of brothers to sisters), one of whom the parents live with (not exactly the same situation, I realize) AND they have a VW bug. A red one. Lucky me to find the McVeys in Peru! Haha.
Today I tried out the awesome spider man plastic kite I got. Edson used his Transformers kite. There wasn´t much wind, but we made it work. Now I´m going with Edson to his friend´s house for lunch! Ciao, amigos!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Soy un amante, no soy un peleador
Alright, alright. I´m going to do the best I can to give you the update I know you´re craving, but it´s going to be difficult. A few moments ago I was sitting here in an empty internet cafe across from La Canasta (grocery store) minding my own business, tapping my foot to P.I.M.P. and enjoying checking my email and facebook. De repente, out of NOWHERE, a gaggle of little boys in school uniforms comes rushing in, talking at 1000 words per minute, ready to play some kind of roleplaying game while making as much noise as possible. Never a dull moment here, folks. Haha.
Looks like a pretty intense game. Sameera, I hope it´s not like this during our Skype date.
Let´s get back to life in Cusco. Things are going really well right now. I think I finally got over the transition hump in which I was struggling to deal with new foods (you don´t want to know what I mean), fighting a killer cold, and generally feeling like I have no idea what I´m doing half the time.
Yesterday I enjoyed my awesome morning jugo de piña and quinua con chocolate (a rare treat), met my Peruvian cousin Esmaralda, and generally enjoyed a relaxing morning. I hopped on Servicio Rapido around 2:30 to head to school, enjoyed the Daddy Yankee on the radio, and actually correctly deciphered the slurred speech of the guy running the door of the kombi. I made it to Spanish class, where I managed to beat my lone classmate Grant in "Simond says" (that´s not a typo, that´s how my teacher says it!) in Spanish. I returned home in a taxi with Carly and Grant (who told the cab driver for the trillionth time to take us to La Canasta even though there are probably at least 10 different La Canastas in Cusco). Maria made me a small dinner with fried gluten (she´s been experimenting) and Esmaralda showed me her textbook for learning English. One of the pages had little speech bubbles that they were supposed to fill out where she had written: ¨Goodbye Fred, enjoy your evening!" and "Oh, thasnsk you, Lucy. See you tomorrow."
I became one of Edson´s official English teachers last night. His new favorite phrase is "Whatever, man." I made a pretty hilarious video of him saying, "Moooom, I´m hungry." I love the Peruvian accented English. Muy lindo!
The other night we had an intercambio with some Peruvians who are trying to learn English. We played some silly games and then we went out to a place called Norton´s (none of the Peruvians came there except Sandra who is one of the ProPeru staff because it is a gringo bar like no other). We played darts and I managed to hit the middle during a game where the objective is to hit a certain number... Then we went to Galabatos, which is finally the kind of discoteca I wanted! They had a live band and everyone was dancing salsa (which I will learn before I leave, but for now it´s fun to watch). They played a whole medley of Grease songs later as well as everyone´s favorite ABBA hits. They had little tables with alpaca-fur covered benches. It was a Peruvian discoteca for sure! Much more enjoyable than my last night out.
I drank lots of Cusqueña beer (well, actually only 2...) which I really love for some reason. I finally like a beer, Mariela!
Before I escape this day care, I think I´ll put up a few pictures for your enjoyment!
Looks like a pretty intense game. Sameera, I hope it´s not like this during our Skype date.
Let´s get back to life in Cusco. Things are going really well right now. I think I finally got over the transition hump in which I was struggling to deal with new foods (you don´t want to know what I mean), fighting a killer cold, and generally feeling like I have no idea what I´m doing half the time.
Yesterday I enjoyed my awesome morning jugo de piña and quinua con chocolate (a rare treat), met my Peruvian cousin Esmaralda, and generally enjoyed a relaxing morning. I hopped on Servicio Rapido around 2:30 to head to school, enjoyed the Daddy Yankee on the radio, and actually correctly deciphered the slurred speech of the guy running the door of the kombi. I made it to Spanish class, where I managed to beat my lone classmate Grant in "Simond says" (that´s not a typo, that´s how my teacher says it!) in Spanish. I returned home in a taxi with Carly and Grant (who told the cab driver for the trillionth time to take us to La Canasta even though there are probably at least 10 different La Canastas in Cusco). Maria made me a small dinner with fried gluten (she´s been experimenting) and Esmaralda showed me her textbook for learning English. One of the pages had little speech bubbles that they were supposed to fill out where she had written: ¨Goodbye Fred, enjoy your evening!" and "Oh, thasnsk you, Lucy. See you tomorrow."
I became one of Edson´s official English teachers last night. His new favorite phrase is "Whatever, man." I made a pretty hilarious video of him saying, "Moooom, I´m hungry." I love the Peruvian accented English. Muy lindo!
The other night we had an intercambio with some Peruvians who are trying to learn English. We played some silly games and then we went out to a place called Norton´s (none of the Peruvians came there except Sandra who is one of the ProPeru staff because it is a gringo bar like no other). We played darts and I managed to hit the middle during a game where the objective is to hit a certain number... Then we went to Galabatos, which is finally the kind of discoteca I wanted! They had a live band and everyone was dancing salsa (which I will learn before I leave, but for now it´s fun to watch). They played a whole medley of Grease songs later as well as everyone´s favorite ABBA hits. They had little tables with alpaca-fur covered benches. It was a Peruvian discoteca for sure! Much more enjoyable than my last night out.
I drank lots of Cusqueña beer (well, actually only 2...) which I really love for some reason. I finally like a beer, Mariela!
Before I escape this day care, I think I´ll put up a few pictures for your enjoyment!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Hey guys! I just wanted to let you know that anyone can comment now. For some reason I had it on registered users only... So comment away because it honestly makes my day.
Something I´m thinking about:
What is the deal with Japan and Peru? Last night we watched this special on Japanese culture. Three different Japanese-Peruvians were interviewed. I didn´t follow most of what was being said, but I need to investigate this more. I know there was President Fuji Mori, and from what they´ve said he was a real clown. Maybe I´ll find out more about this in my Political Science class.
I´m going to have to ask around and do some research. Does anyone have some amazing insight?
Something I´m thinking about:
What is the deal with Japan and Peru? Last night we watched this special on Japanese culture. Three different Japanese-Peruvians were interviewed. I didn´t follow most of what was being said, but I need to investigate this more. I know there was President Fuji Mori, and from what they´ve said he was a real clown. Maybe I´ll find out more about this in my Political Science class.
I´m going to have to ask around and do some research. Does anyone have some amazing insight?
Monday, September 10, 2007
Extras
Okay, first let me correct that last entry. Raquel is from Spain, but Sergio is from Peru. Details probably don´t matter to you, but I´ve been thinking about it.
I found out recently that in Spanish to give birth is "dar la luz" which means to give the light. Some of you Spanish freaks probably already knew that, but I think it´s very beautiful. :) My host mother´s mother´s name (so my host grandmother, I guess?) is Luz, so her mother gave the light to Light! Last night Maria was telling stories about the births of her children. Apparently her son Orlando was born at home because they couldn´t get to the hospital in time! And with Edson she had to have a c-section because he had his hand on his head. She was joking that when they opened her up Edson was waving at the doctors!
One other thing is that this entire time I thought Edson´s girlfriend´s name was Emily, but I dis covered after some careful listening that it´s actually Evelyn... Like Mamaw! I feel bad that I didn´t know here name, but she seemed to think it was pretty funny so I was off the hook. Last night I had a terrible coughing fit while we were hanging out at home, so I ran to the kitchen and when I came out everyone was gone! It turned out Evelyn and Edson had jumped up to go to the botica and buy me some cough medicine. It was really, really nice and made me feel so taken care of. I´m still dealing with this pesky illness, but all of the students in my program are going through it, so I hope I will pass! Meanwhile Maria will only let me drink warm liquids because she thinks cold liquid is bad for my throat. Does anyone know if this is true?
Gotta run! Spanish class!
I found out recently that in Spanish to give birth is "dar la luz" which means to give the light. Some of you Spanish freaks probably already knew that, but I think it´s very beautiful. :) My host mother´s mother´s name (so my host grandmother, I guess?) is Luz, so her mother gave the light to Light! Last night Maria was telling stories about the births of her children. Apparently her son Orlando was born at home because they couldn´t get to the hospital in time! And with Edson she had to have a c-section because he had his hand on his head. She was joking that when they opened her up Edson was waving at the doctors!
One other thing is that this entire time I thought Edson´s girlfriend´s name was Emily, but I dis covered after some careful listening that it´s actually Evelyn... Like Mamaw! I feel bad that I didn´t know here name, but she seemed to think it was pretty funny so I was off the hook. Last night I had a terrible coughing fit while we were hanging out at home, so I ran to the kitchen and when I came out everyone was gone! It turned out Evelyn and Edson had jumped up to go to the botica and buy me some cough medicine. It was really, really nice and made me feel so taken care of. I´m still dealing with this pesky illness, but all of the students in my program are going through it, so I hope I will pass! Meanwhile Maria will only let me drink warm liquids because she thinks cold liquid is bad for my throat. Does anyone know if this is true?
Gotta run! Spanish class!
Mantay y La Virgen de la Natividad
On Saturday we went to our first work project at a place called Mantay. Mantay is a home for young, single mothers on the outskirts of Cusco (when we got there if you looked up all you could see were mountains). The mothers are ages 12-18 (some very young) and they come to Mantay because their families have cast them out and they have no other option. Many times they have been raped and/or sexually abused. Sometimes by members of their own families. A couple from Spain runs the builiding. Their names are Sergio and Raquel. Raquel gave us a tour of the building and explained the situations these mothers are in when they arrive. She gave us the history of Peruvian laws governing rape. Until recently, rape of women over 14 was only considered "seduction". It was also easy for men to get out of serving their jail time if they paid the fine or if they agreed to marry the girl. It seems like things have improved in writing, but in enforcement there are still a lot of problems with violence against women and how it is approached. If they could not come to Mantay, these mothers would likely abandon their children, so it is a good way for them to learn to take care of themselves and their children. The home offers schooling for many of them who have not had the opportunity to be educated. There is also a full time therapist that works with the mothers and sometimes the mothers along with their children. They have a rotation in which they take turns washing the children´s laundry, watching the children, and working in the workshop as well as performing other chores.
Our job as the ProPeru group was to work on finishing up a new workshop and digging a trench for an electric line that would go out to the new building. Previous ProPeru groups constructed the workshop itself, so our job was to finish up the painting and work on the trench. It was tough work, and at times it felt like we weren´t contributing much. But Mike, Adam, and Sandra had already spoken to us about our sweat equity. While generally one volunteer without training can do very little in terms of manpower and hard work, the idea is more that we want to help and that we participate in a community effort. Digging the trench with pic axes was pretty strenuous work, and I found myself drifting to the painting crew where I felt like I could contribute more.
Around lunch time, I made a little friend named Maria. She is two years old and she lives at the home. She was immediately holding my hand and wanting me to play with her and I really enjoyed her company! She was pretty funny, she even wanted to help paint. When I get the chance I will put up some pictures of her so you can see.
After working at Mantay we were all exhausted, but it was a Saturday night and we wanted to go out. My host brother Edson took me over to a friend´s house where another of the volunteers named Dane lives. There they served us a lot of tequila so I didn´t buy drinks while we were out. I had fun dancing at the discotecas, but I missed my friends at home. I missed knowing people on the dance floor and hearing all of my favorite songs mixed by Sameera. But I had fun anyway, even though I was the first to go home and tumble, exhausted, into my bed.
The next day I got up to meet my friend Denis from the airport at a bus stop we both know. She took me shopping for Steph´s birthday present and showed me some parts of the city I wouldn´t see as a tourist. At one point we came to a market full of women selling all kinds of fruits and vegetables in huge baskets. It was amazing. I have never seen so much fruit in one place. We also went to a festival for the Virgin of the Nativity. About 90 percent of the population here is Catholic, so there are these kind of festivals for various Virgins all the time. They have Peruvians dressed in sparkling outfits doing traditional dances of all kinds and from different parts of the country. One was from the jungle, many were from Puno which is near Lake Titicaca, and others were from the Cusco regions. Denis was partial to the ones from Cusco because she thinks the Puno bands play the music too loud to the point that it is unrecognizable!
It was really great to talk to Denis and to have a friend from Cusco! We can really relate to eachother since she was recently in my situation when she was in Orlando working at Disney World. She told me she doesn´t want to stay around in Peru after she graduates. She has dreams of getting a scholarship to study in Russia or in Spain in the future. Now that she has left Peru, she has some serious wanderlust!
We were talking about how there is less personal space here and you hug and kiss people when you greet them. She said that at first in Orlando she was afraid to hug and kiss her friends because she thought they would be offended and wouldn´t understand. But then she realized that they thought it was nice! I really enjoyed my time with her and hope I will continue to get to know her while I´m here.
Our job as the ProPeru group was to work on finishing up a new workshop and digging a trench for an electric line that would go out to the new building. Previous ProPeru groups constructed the workshop itself, so our job was to finish up the painting and work on the trench. It was tough work, and at times it felt like we weren´t contributing much. But Mike, Adam, and Sandra had already spoken to us about our sweat equity. While generally one volunteer without training can do very little in terms of manpower and hard work, the idea is more that we want to help and that we participate in a community effort. Digging the trench with pic axes was pretty strenuous work, and I found myself drifting to the painting crew where I felt like I could contribute more.
Around lunch time, I made a little friend named Maria. She is two years old and she lives at the home. She was immediately holding my hand and wanting me to play with her and I really enjoyed her company! She was pretty funny, she even wanted to help paint. When I get the chance I will put up some pictures of her so you can see.
After working at Mantay we were all exhausted, but it was a Saturday night and we wanted to go out. My host brother Edson took me over to a friend´s house where another of the volunteers named Dane lives. There they served us a lot of tequila so I didn´t buy drinks while we were out. I had fun dancing at the discotecas, but I missed my friends at home. I missed knowing people on the dance floor and hearing all of my favorite songs mixed by Sameera. But I had fun anyway, even though I was the first to go home and tumble, exhausted, into my bed.
The next day I got up to meet my friend Denis from the airport at a bus stop we both know. She took me shopping for Steph´s birthday present and showed me some parts of the city I wouldn´t see as a tourist. At one point we came to a market full of women selling all kinds of fruits and vegetables in huge baskets. It was amazing. I have never seen so much fruit in one place. We also went to a festival for the Virgin of the Nativity. About 90 percent of the population here is Catholic, so there are these kind of festivals for various Virgins all the time. They have Peruvians dressed in sparkling outfits doing traditional dances of all kinds and from different parts of the country. One was from the jungle, many were from Puno which is near Lake Titicaca, and others were from the Cusco regions. Denis was partial to the ones from Cusco because she thinks the Puno bands play the music too loud to the point that it is unrecognizable!
It was really great to talk to Denis and to have a friend from Cusco! We can really relate to eachother since she was recently in my situation when she was in Orlando working at Disney World. She told me she doesn´t want to stay around in Peru after she graduates. She has dreams of getting a scholarship to study in Russia or in Spain in the future. Now that she has left Peru, she has some serious wanderlust!
We were talking about how there is less personal space here and you hug and kiss people when you greet them. She said that at first in Orlando she was afraid to hug and kiss her friends because she thought they would be offended and wouldn´t understand. But then she realized that they thought it was nice! I really enjoyed my time with her and hope I will continue to get to know her while I´m here.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Lapiceras, un circo de congreso, y me duele la garganta
Well, Tommy, they dont¨exactly use "pen" or "pin" here. I have no idea how to say pin in Spanish, but pen in Latin America is lapicera. Maybe we should just all use lapicera from now on to avoid confusion?
Last night I was watching the news with Maria, Edson, and Emily (Edsons girlfriend) and we started watching some kind of story about the Peruvian congress. It was pretty insane. Emily said it was a circus and I agreed it was a little like a soap opera/drama television show... Apparently people fall asleep during sessions all the time and they get it on tape. The periodistas (news casters) put the cameras VERY close to the faces of these members of congress as theyre talking. Last night they even captured a small spat between two congresistas. Somehow there doesnt seem to be much pride taken in the job... But sometimes I suppose you could call our congress a circus as well. It just looks a bit nicer on television.
One thing about Cusco is that the dry season is literally a dry season. The whole city wakes up every morning with a sore throat and dry lips. Today the combination of that dryness and my weakened immune system (it takes time to build up the right bacteria in a new place) has left me with a cough, a sneeze, and a terrible sore throat. Most of the group has either already gone through this or is starting to deal with it now, like me. I think Im going to go to the pharmacy (where you never need prescriptions) to get something for my throat and stock up on chapstick.
Last night I also found out more about Edsons work in the restoration of art. He showed us a series of pictures of art that was almost completely destroyed by water or not being taken care of. Then he showed us the process of restoring it using tiny points of paint to slowly, slowly fix it so it looks almost as good as new. It is incredible how much they are able to do. When I saw the before paintings I thought there was no hope! But Edson does really amazing work. It takes a lot of patience. I dont know if I could do it!
Note: Please excuse my lack of apostrophes in this entry... I couldnt figure out how to make an apostrophe (even a weird incorrect one) on this keyboard.
Last night I was watching the news with Maria, Edson, and Emily (Edsons girlfriend) and we started watching some kind of story about the Peruvian congress. It was pretty insane. Emily said it was a circus and I agreed it was a little like a soap opera/drama television show... Apparently people fall asleep during sessions all the time and they get it on tape. The periodistas (news casters) put the cameras VERY close to the faces of these members of congress as theyre talking. Last night they even captured a small spat between two congresistas. Somehow there doesnt seem to be much pride taken in the job... But sometimes I suppose you could call our congress a circus as well. It just looks a bit nicer on television.
One thing about Cusco is that the dry season is literally a dry season. The whole city wakes up every morning with a sore throat and dry lips. Today the combination of that dryness and my weakened immune system (it takes time to build up the right bacteria in a new place) has left me with a cough, a sneeze, and a terrible sore throat. Most of the group has either already gone through this or is starting to deal with it now, like me. I think Im going to go to the pharmacy (where you never need prescriptions) to get something for my throat and stock up on chapstick.
Last night I also found out more about Edsons work in the restoration of art. He showed us a series of pictures of art that was almost completely destroyed by water or not being taken care of. Then he showed us the process of restoring it using tiny points of paint to slowly, slowly fix it so it looks almost as good as new. It is incredible how much they are able to do. When I saw the before paintings I thought there was no hope! But Edson does really amazing work. It takes a lot of patience. I dont know if I could do it!
Note: Please excuse my lack of apostrophes in this entry... I couldnt figure out how to make an apostrophe (even a weird incorrect one) on this keyboard.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Fotos carnet y cultural differences
This font is called Fuente, for anyone that´s interested. Fountain, ¿no? I know I already have on entry today but I have some things to add. Today I went to get my picture taken for the student ID I have to have here. They´re like pictures the size of a passport photo. So I went to a little photo shop on Avenida del Sol (one of the main drags here), and I paid my 5 soles and got a typically terrible ID photo taken. What I didn´t expect was the giant copy of the photo with a border added... Anyone want that one in the mail? Well, you may never get it because I then proceeded to leave the photos in the librería down the street. I have to go back and see if I can find them. Or else I´ll get another go at a glamour shot for almost 2 dollars.
2 things you should know about the customs in Cusco:
1)They put papas fritas (french fries) in every food. Maria mixes them in with my vegetables and soya and also sprinkles them on top of my soup. Strange, eh? It´s not good for curbing my french fry addiction, so I guess I´ll have to ask her not to put them in.
2) When you enter a room, it is most polite to say hello to every single person individually. Here you give them one kiss on the cheek. Sometimes Maria hugs me also which is nice. You´re supposed to do the same thing when you leave the room. They also say that it´s best to start with the older people and move to the young. I actually really like this custom because in the process everyone gets acknowledged and feels loved and important! Try this at home!
2 things you should know about the customs in Cusco:
1)They put papas fritas (french fries) in every food. Maria mixes them in with my vegetables and soya and also sprinkles them on top of my soup. Strange, eh? It´s not good for curbing my french fry addiction, so I guess I´ll have to ask her not to put them in.
2) When you enter a room, it is most polite to say hello to every single person individually. Here you give them one kiss on the cheek. Sometimes Maria hugs me also which is nice. You´re supposed to do the same thing when you leave the room. They also say that it´s best to start with the older people and move to the young. I actually really like this custom because in the process everyone gets acknowledged and feels loved and important! Try this at home!
Kombis and La Huatia
My first kombi rides and all rides after have been insane. Those of you who have been to Mexico know what I´m talking about. You have to find the right kombi and know where the heck you are getting off. There is a guy who runs the door and the whole time he is barking out different stops and routes like an auctioneer, only in Spanish of course. My first ride Maria went with me and Cooper came too. It was comforting to have someone show me the ropes, but naturally 2 other people meant less space in the cramped vans that are kombis. I didn´t even know you could fit that many people or seats in a van, but they can be literally crammed. I climbed in and sat near this guy who was singing loudly about owning a cow and playing some kind of percussive wooden instrument with a stick. You know like the ones with ridges? Do they have a name Jesse? He was really pretty annoying, but when Maria paid she dropped the change into his little instrument. It´s important to note that my legs were crammed up against this guy since I was sitting across from him. There´s not enough leg room for two sets of legs across from one another. Fun fun! When we got to our stop near my school (which is called CBC and is fairly close to the Plaza de Armas downtown), we all squeezed our way out and greatfully breathed in the fresh air while avoiding a number of stray dogs at our feet. There are stray dogs EVERYWHERE here. If one comes at you, you´re supposed to pretend to pick up a rock to throw at it.
Have I mentioned there´s a really frightening dog that comes at you while barking that lives right down the street from me? I hate it. I´ve started going around the block to avoid it. Sometimes Julio, my host dad, will walk with me past the dog so I won´t be afraid.
My homework last night given to me by Yessina (my teacher) was to ask my family about la huatia. So now I´m going to tell you what it is. La huatia is an Incan/Andean tradition. It´s a way of cooking potatoes in an oven made of earthen chunks. It looks sort of like an iglou, and the Cusqueñans put fire in it and then throw in some potatoes (or orcas, a type of potato). Then they cover all of that with even more earth until it gets really hot. Then they extract the potatoes and eat them. This method is used in the dryer times of the year (it is so dry here the air sucks all moisture from my skin) when there is no water. Cool, huh? I think Greenthumb should try this out sometime. Write that down, Britt. ;)
Ciao for now.
Have I mentioned there´s a really frightening dog that comes at you while barking that lives right down the street from me? I hate it. I´ve started going around the block to avoid it. Sometimes Julio, my host dad, will walk with me past the dog so I won´t be afraid.
My homework last night given to me by Yessina (my teacher) was to ask my family about la huatia. So now I´m going to tell you what it is. La huatia is an Incan/Andean tradition. It´s a way of cooking potatoes in an oven made of earthen chunks. It looks sort of like an iglou, and the Cusqueñans put fire in it and then throw in some potatoes (or orcas, a type of potato). Then they cover all of that with even more earth until it gets really hot. Then they extract the potatoes and eat them. This method is used in the dryer times of the year (it is so dry here the air sucks all moisture from my skin) when there is no water. Cool, huh? I think Greenthumb should try this out sometime. Write that down, Britt. ;)
Ciao for now.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Mi familia y más
Hola amigos! Thank you so much for all of your responses to my blog. It´s great to know that there are so many people thinking about me. I must admit it´s a bit of an emotional experience checking email and the rest these days, just because I know you are all so far away. But I guess the point of the internet is that we can communicate, and it´s reassuring to know I have so many people on my side!
Let me first clarify that my logic was a bit off in naming this blog. After further thought, I realized that I probably named it stranger from Cusco. I guess that is more accurately what I will be when I come home, right?
I know you are all on the edge of your seats wondering about my family. I love them already. They were the first ones here at the ProPeru office (I´m using the ProPeru internet and computer) since our house is only about 2 blocks away. That´s really convenient when I need to come here to meet with the group or I have questions for the ProPeru staff. My host mother´s name is Maria Isabel. Her husband is Julio and their son Edson is 28 and still lives at home. They are a big Catholic family, so there are 3 other sons and 1 daughter that have already moved out of the house. Willbur, one of her sons, has a daughter named Valeria who is 6 and a son named Eduardo who is 3 (almost 4). The two of them were there to greet me when I arrived at their house. Maria introduced me as tía Laura (aunt Laura), which I found pretty amusing, but it was nice to be a part of the family so soon!
Maria is really a motherly and caring woman. She is around 60 and she knows everything about the health properties of food since she has had some heart problems. She is always telling me that this or that food is good for cholestorol and it is wonderful. I was amazed at how easily I was able to communicate even during the first days. I know my grammar in Spanish probably leaves quite a bit to be desired, but I am able to understand what my family is asking me and for the most part I´m able to respond. Edson always has the Spanish-English dictionary on hand in case I don´t know a word.
The first night I was thrilled to find out that Maria is a vegetarian! In her case, that means she still eats fish, but for my first meal she served me soy meat with vegetables over rice. It was extremely tasty. I feel really lucky to have been placed with her because of her knowledge of food. No one need worry that I won´t be healthy with Maria in charge of my food!
Before dinner the first night, Edson took me to the opening of the brand new SUPERMERCADO around the corner. There was a live Peruvian band, lots of free food, and cerveza cusqueña (beer!). Earlier Maria had gotten out a big book of different Peruvian fruits and vegetables to ask me what I would eat and show me some of the different food they have here. I knew that there would be differences, but it is really incredible how many new vegetables and fruits I am discovering! Anyway, Edson took me to the fruit aisle in the supermarket (which was packed with people) and we went over the names of the different fruits. We declared it a bad supermarket because they didn´t have agueytambo (and that might not be the right spelling), which is a tiny fruit sort of like an orange.
I know Mom wanted to know about the food I am eating, so could someone please print this email out for her? I know she will feel out of the loop if she doesn´t get this! Every morning for breakfast Maria squeezes fresh orange juice (today she even added pineapple... mmm) and she serves me hot soymilk. Today I had quinua con chocolate. Quinua is a grain that is good for protein and one of the Peruvian specialties is sopa de quinua (Quinua soup). Maria served that for part of my lunch yesterday. As far as meat goes, there is a special sauce con aji (which are like spicy peppers from what I gather) that is served over chicken or beef with rice. It turns out Guinea pig is a Peruvian delicacy, so cuy al horno (guinea pig) is a really expensive dish you can order. There is a special tipe of Incan beer here called Chicha. Chicha can be either alcoholic or non-alcoholic. It´s made from corn, and my family has already served me chicha morada which is the non-alcoholic kind made from a purple corn. (You wouldn´t believe how many different varieties of corn and potatoes there are here. I guess if you remember the agricultural genius of the Incas, it´s not hard to believe. I think my dad would be in starch heaven!) They also serve alpaca meat but I think that is mostly for tourists. Not a day goes by that I don´t drink Mate de Coca. Mate de coca is a tea made from the coca leaf (yes, the same leaf used for cocaine, but in smaller doses it is not harmful. The coca farmers have a chant: "La hoja de coca no es una droga!" meaning that the coca leaf is not a drug. And it isn´t! I really wish I could bring some home, but it has to be decocainized before it can be legal. So you´ll all just have to visit Peru to try it. It´s an Andean remedy for altitude sickness, and it makes you alert and energized.
The first few days, I did have to adjust to the altitude a bit. I was tired all the time and I had some headaches, but really it wasn´t too severe. The thing I may never get used to is getting so tired just walking up a short flight of stairs! It´s so hard to catch your breath up here!
As for transportation, people here pretty much use taxis and kombis. A kombi is like a van/bus crammed with people that costs less than a taxi (a taxi is about 2 soles during the day and 3 soles after 10 p.m.). There are approximately 3 soles in a dollar if anyone is wondering. I´ll probably be taking the kombi to school since it is cheaper (about .60 centavos). I imagine it will be quite an experience, based on what I have seen so far and what I´ve read of Jessica´s blog from Mexico. It is also possible to walk some places, and I think it would be about a 30 minute walk to school if I wanted to do that. Cusco isn´t really all that big!
My life has been so eventful! Last night I met Willbur for the first time and he told me all about the Japanese president of Peru and how he claimed to be born here but was really born in Japan. Fun fun! Voting is also mandatory here, otherwise people have to pay a fine. It makes since to me, although Willbur said it is pretty manipulative. His sister Elizabeth who lives in Lima decides just to pay the fine instead of voting every time.
Yesterday we took our first excursions to ruins at Moray which were the Incan prototype for a greenhouse. I will try to get some pictures up soon, it is just difficult to get access to a computer sometimes! After that we went to Salineras, which are the salt mines and are really amazing. There are about 4,000 pools of water and salt all down an entire mountainside. There is a naturally salty stream that runs through all of it and provides the salt. Very cool. Both of these places were in the Urubamba valley, also known as the Sacred valley, which is just outside of Cusco. Our whole group got on a nice bus and the very large bus careened around cliffs on narrow, dirt roads! Cool, huh? Slightly terrifying, to say the least. But it was worth it to see the beautiful countryside and the majesty of the Alps!
Happy Labor day everyone! While you are lounging around, think of me since this is my first day of school! I have Spanish class starting at 3 p.m. and ending around 6:50. It´s going to be pretty intense, but I´m really excited about being able to speak in class and then apply what I learn when communicating with my family.
As for this motorcycle business, we´ll see if I can bend the rules and try it once. Edson does have 2 helmets, and I´m sure he would be very careful. Actually I´m still pretty terrified of traffic here in Cusco so I may not be up for it. We´ll see. Hopefully at least Jesse can go for a ride and maybe Steph when she comes?
Yesterday afternoon I went to a soccer game of Cusco against Bolivia. We won 1 to 0! Sorry Tiffany. Actually it wasn´t a very action-packed game, but I felt like I needed the experience. The Cusco team´s mascot is a scientist because they were apparently once a Science school. Go scientists! It really felt no different than a sporting event at home, except that there was no toilet paper in the bathroom (which is typical in Cusco, also you are not supposed to flush TP but put it in a little trash can next to the toilet).
How´s that for a lot of information? Keep the comments coming and if you have any questions feel free to ask!
Let me first clarify that my logic was a bit off in naming this blog. After further thought, I realized that I probably named it stranger from Cusco. I guess that is more accurately what I will be when I come home, right?
I know you are all on the edge of your seats wondering about my family. I love them already. They were the first ones here at the ProPeru office (I´m using the ProPeru internet and computer) since our house is only about 2 blocks away. That´s really convenient when I need to come here to meet with the group or I have questions for the ProPeru staff. My host mother´s name is Maria Isabel. Her husband is Julio and their son Edson is 28 and still lives at home. They are a big Catholic family, so there are 3 other sons and 1 daughter that have already moved out of the house. Willbur, one of her sons, has a daughter named Valeria who is 6 and a son named Eduardo who is 3 (almost 4). The two of them were there to greet me when I arrived at their house. Maria introduced me as tía Laura (aunt Laura), which I found pretty amusing, but it was nice to be a part of the family so soon!
Maria is really a motherly and caring woman. She is around 60 and she knows everything about the health properties of food since she has had some heart problems. She is always telling me that this or that food is good for cholestorol and it is wonderful. I was amazed at how easily I was able to communicate even during the first days. I know my grammar in Spanish probably leaves quite a bit to be desired, but I am able to understand what my family is asking me and for the most part I´m able to respond. Edson always has the Spanish-English dictionary on hand in case I don´t know a word.
The first night I was thrilled to find out that Maria is a vegetarian! In her case, that means she still eats fish, but for my first meal she served me soy meat with vegetables over rice. It was extremely tasty. I feel really lucky to have been placed with her because of her knowledge of food. No one need worry that I won´t be healthy with Maria in charge of my food!
Before dinner the first night, Edson took me to the opening of the brand new SUPERMERCADO around the corner. There was a live Peruvian band, lots of free food, and cerveza cusqueña (beer!). Earlier Maria had gotten out a big book of different Peruvian fruits and vegetables to ask me what I would eat and show me some of the different food they have here. I knew that there would be differences, but it is really incredible how many new vegetables and fruits I am discovering! Anyway, Edson took me to the fruit aisle in the supermarket (which was packed with people) and we went over the names of the different fruits. We declared it a bad supermarket because they didn´t have agueytambo (and that might not be the right spelling), which is a tiny fruit sort of like an orange.
I know Mom wanted to know about the food I am eating, so could someone please print this email out for her? I know she will feel out of the loop if she doesn´t get this! Every morning for breakfast Maria squeezes fresh orange juice (today she even added pineapple... mmm) and she serves me hot soymilk. Today I had quinua con chocolate. Quinua is a grain that is good for protein and one of the Peruvian specialties is sopa de quinua (Quinua soup). Maria served that for part of my lunch yesterday. As far as meat goes, there is a special sauce con aji (which are like spicy peppers from what I gather) that is served over chicken or beef with rice. It turns out Guinea pig is a Peruvian delicacy, so cuy al horno (guinea pig) is a really expensive dish you can order. There is a special tipe of Incan beer here called Chicha. Chicha can be either alcoholic or non-alcoholic. It´s made from corn, and my family has already served me chicha morada which is the non-alcoholic kind made from a purple corn. (You wouldn´t believe how many different varieties of corn and potatoes there are here. I guess if you remember the agricultural genius of the Incas, it´s not hard to believe. I think my dad would be in starch heaven!) They also serve alpaca meat but I think that is mostly for tourists. Not a day goes by that I don´t drink Mate de Coca. Mate de coca is a tea made from the coca leaf (yes, the same leaf used for cocaine, but in smaller doses it is not harmful. The coca farmers have a chant: "La hoja de coca no es una droga!" meaning that the coca leaf is not a drug. And it isn´t! I really wish I could bring some home, but it has to be decocainized before it can be legal. So you´ll all just have to visit Peru to try it. It´s an Andean remedy for altitude sickness, and it makes you alert and energized.
The first few days, I did have to adjust to the altitude a bit. I was tired all the time and I had some headaches, but really it wasn´t too severe. The thing I may never get used to is getting so tired just walking up a short flight of stairs! It´s so hard to catch your breath up here!
As for transportation, people here pretty much use taxis and kombis. A kombi is like a van/bus crammed with people that costs less than a taxi (a taxi is about 2 soles during the day and 3 soles after 10 p.m.). There are approximately 3 soles in a dollar if anyone is wondering. I´ll probably be taking the kombi to school since it is cheaper (about .60 centavos). I imagine it will be quite an experience, based on what I have seen so far and what I´ve read of Jessica´s blog from Mexico. It is also possible to walk some places, and I think it would be about a 30 minute walk to school if I wanted to do that. Cusco isn´t really all that big!
My life has been so eventful! Last night I met Willbur for the first time and he told me all about the Japanese president of Peru and how he claimed to be born here but was really born in Japan. Fun fun! Voting is also mandatory here, otherwise people have to pay a fine. It makes since to me, although Willbur said it is pretty manipulative. His sister Elizabeth who lives in Lima decides just to pay the fine instead of voting every time.
Yesterday we took our first excursions to ruins at Moray which were the Incan prototype for a greenhouse. I will try to get some pictures up soon, it is just difficult to get access to a computer sometimes! After that we went to Salineras, which are the salt mines and are really amazing. There are about 4,000 pools of water and salt all down an entire mountainside. There is a naturally salty stream that runs through all of it and provides the salt. Very cool. Both of these places were in the Urubamba valley, also known as the Sacred valley, which is just outside of Cusco. Our whole group got on a nice bus and the very large bus careened around cliffs on narrow, dirt roads! Cool, huh? Slightly terrifying, to say the least. But it was worth it to see the beautiful countryside and the majesty of the Alps!
Happy Labor day everyone! While you are lounging around, think of me since this is my first day of school! I have Spanish class starting at 3 p.m. and ending around 6:50. It´s going to be pretty intense, but I´m really excited about being able to speak in class and then apply what I learn when communicating with my family.
As for this motorcycle business, we´ll see if I can bend the rules and try it once. Edson does have 2 helmets, and I´m sure he would be very careful. Actually I´m still pretty terrified of traffic here in Cusco so I may not be up for it. We´ll see. Hopefully at least Jesse can go for a ride and maybe Steph when she comes?
Yesterday afternoon I went to a soccer game of Cusco against Bolivia. We won 1 to 0! Sorry Tiffany. Actually it wasn´t a very action-packed game, but I felt like I needed the experience. The Cusco team´s mascot is a scientist because they were apparently once a Science school. Go scientists! It really felt no different than a sporting event at home, except that there was no toilet paper in the bathroom (which is typical in Cusco, also you are not supposed to flush TP but put it in a little trash can next to the toilet).
How´s that for a lot of information? Keep the comments coming and if you have any questions feel free to ask!
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Estoy en Cusco
Hello everyone!
I finally decided to do a blog after all. For one thing, I am a bit too lazy at the moment to compile the email list I was hoping to use. Also, in this way you can decide how often you want to hear about my adventures without having them thrust upon you by way of your inbox. Hopefully the url won´t be too difficult for you to remember!
If you´re wondering, the title of the blog means stranger to Cusco. Well, cusqueña is used to refer to all things and people from Cusco, so the title is sort of contradictory. But the idea is that I will someday no longer be a stranger to Cusco! We´ll see about changing the blog title at that point! ;)
Things are going really well so far. I´ve been here for a few days already, so it´s hard to know where to start. I had a bit of trouble with my flights coming in, but in some ways that was a blessing because I made a new friend in the process! My flight from Atlanta to Lima on Tuesday ended up having to make an emergency landing in Orlando, FL because there was some problem with the navigational system. Lucky us, we got to sit on the runway for a few hours in Cusco and later sit in a "tranisient room" in the Orlando airport for about 5 hours before we were finally allowed to board our new plane and complete the flight to Lima. We arrived in Lima at 6 a.m., the precise time of my flight from there to Cusco! I was really nervous about dealing with the airport personnel and attempting to understand and be understood in Spanish. But somehow I was sent an airport angel and new friend named Denis. She had been interning at Disney world (so I naturally thought of Kacey!) for 6 months and was heading home to Cusco. She was on my flight and in the same situation!
Together, Denis and I spoke to the Peruvian airline and then a man who works for Delta. He spoke to me in English, which I´m sad to admit made things a little bit easier for me! He informed us that there was nothing Delta could do about rebooking our flight to Cusco since we hadn´t booked our flight through their company. Great. Thankfully, he did help us change our flight to another airline (our first flight was with TACA, and they apparently only have one flight to Cusco a day...) and we were finally able to leave around 1:15 p.m. Well, after we paid 55 dollars, that is.
Denis was so wonderful to have because her English was nearly flawless and she was able to tell me a little bit about Cusco before I even arrived! She was excited to greet her family after so long along with her dog, Canela (which means Cinnamon). It was really an odd feeling to watch her outside the airport in Cusco as she ran to her father and tears streamed down her face. It was interesting to witness her return home just a few hours after I had left my family and boyfriend at home as tears filled my eyes.
I was greeted at the airport by a woman named Emily holding a ProPeru sign and we hopped in a taxi to the hotel, Carlos Quinto. I was surprised to realize that there were already other members of the ProPeru group staying in the room with me when I arrived. They were nowhere to be found, so I collapsed and slept for 2 or 3 hours. I woke up hungry and decided to try my luck exploring the streets of Peru. I´m a bit ashamed to say I ended up eating at a pizza place just down the street (our hotel is quite close to the Plaza de Armas which is an especially touristy area of the city, but very beautiful!). I was able to communicate well with the owner of the restaurant, an older man with a wisened, laugh-lined face.
When I arrived back in the hotel lobby, I met some of the other members of the group. Now that all of us are here, there are 11 different people from all over. I had already met Cooper, who is the other guy from UK. He is a very nice, smiley boy who is only a Sophomore (like Steph!) but seems quite mature with a good head on his shoulders. I already get along quite well with him after meeting him in the airpor in Atlanta and being on the same crazy flight to Lima. There are 8 of us girls (4 vegetarians!) and 3 guys including Cooper. It seems like a pretty good group so far, although at first I was having some difficulty connecting with anyone in particular. Luckily, I have come across a few girls who I´m getting along well with and I don´t have any real problem interacting with the group.
But all that is kind of boring information, ¿no? Let me tell you about Cusco. It´s in a word... incredible. I love the city so far. It´s about the size of Lexington population-wise, full of orange-roofed buildings covering the dips and climbs of a giant valley nestled in the Andes. All you have to do is descend a short staircase up a hill and you can see the entire city, including Cusco´s own giant Jesus. The orange of the houses contrasts with the beautiful blue skies and balconies painted dark blue. It is really a beautiful place and I will try to get some pictures up soon but I doubt even pictures could really do Cusco justice.
As you walk through the streets (at least in this area), you are constantly bombarded by all kinds of vendors begging you to buy their paintings, let them give you a massage, or visit their booths in the markets. They all say "Adelante, señorita," and when you turn them down they say "maybe later" as if you are going to track them down for that special 1 sol deal for a watercolor of Macchu Picchu. Outside of the persistence of the vendors, the people here are genuinely friendly and I´m enjoying trying out my Spanish. Yesterday, Cooper and I were looking through a gigantic vat of finger puppets in a stop and the lady there was telling us what each of the little animals was in Spanish. My favorite was caracol, meaning snail.
Even in these first few days I have noticed small differences in the people. Yesterday I watched a pair of little girls help an elderly stranger cross the street by taking his arm and leading him away from the taxis (which are a bit crazy, but not nearly as terrifying as you might think- Jesse and Reed definitely have me beat with their Egypt experiences). Our group has already come across our favorite waitress in Cusco at a nearby restaurant called Viktor Viktoria. Her name is Patricia and she has already made a point to memorize all of our names. She is bouncy and full of energy in spunk. Really a wonderful find. If you ever come to Cusco you should look for her!
¿Dios mio! There is so much more to cover, but it will have to wait. I´m about to head back to the hotel for the rest of our orientation. Afterwards, we´re all going to be picked up by our host families! I´m excited, but also nervous. I have no idea to expect. You might be disappointed to learn that one of ProPeru´s rules is that we cannot ride motorcycles, so I can´t hop on the back of my host brothers´motorcycle first thing like I´d planned... I will tell you all about my family as soon as I get the chance.
I miss you all, and am thinking about you while trying to enjoy myself and absorb the culture and learn so much every day. I´ll try to be as attentive as I can to this blog so you can follow my entire journey!
Ciao amigos!
I finally decided to do a blog after all. For one thing, I am a bit too lazy at the moment to compile the email list I was hoping to use. Also, in this way you can decide how often you want to hear about my adventures without having them thrust upon you by way of your inbox. Hopefully the url won´t be too difficult for you to remember!
If you´re wondering, the title of the blog means stranger to Cusco. Well, cusqueña is used to refer to all things and people from Cusco, so the title is sort of contradictory. But the idea is that I will someday no longer be a stranger to Cusco! We´ll see about changing the blog title at that point! ;)
Things are going really well so far. I´ve been here for a few days already, so it´s hard to know where to start. I had a bit of trouble with my flights coming in, but in some ways that was a blessing because I made a new friend in the process! My flight from Atlanta to Lima on Tuesday ended up having to make an emergency landing in Orlando, FL because there was some problem with the navigational system. Lucky us, we got to sit on the runway for a few hours in Cusco and later sit in a "tranisient room" in the Orlando airport for about 5 hours before we were finally allowed to board our new plane and complete the flight to Lima. We arrived in Lima at 6 a.m., the precise time of my flight from there to Cusco! I was really nervous about dealing with the airport personnel and attempting to understand and be understood in Spanish. But somehow I was sent an airport angel and new friend named Denis. She had been interning at Disney world (so I naturally thought of Kacey!) for 6 months and was heading home to Cusco. She was on my flight and in the same situation!
Together, Denis and I spoke to the Peruvian airline and then a man who works for Delta. He spoke to me in English, which I´m sad to admit made things a little bit easier for me! He informed us that there was nothing Delta could do about rebooking our flight to Cusco since we hadn´t booked our flight through their company. Great. Thankfully, he did help us change our flight to another airline (our first flight was with TACA, and they apparently only have one flight to Cusco a day...) and we were finally able to leave around 1:15 p.m. Well, after we paid 55 dollars, that is.
Denis was so wonderful to have because her English was nearly flawless and she was able to tell me a little bit about Cusco before I even arrived! She was excited to greet her family after so long along with her dog, Canela (which means Cinnamon). It was really an odd feeling to watch her outside the airport in Cusco as she ran to her father and tears streamed down her face. It was interesting to witness her return home just a few hours after I had left my family and boyfriend at home as tears filled my eyes.
I was greeted at the airport by a woman named Emily holding a ProPeru sign and we hopped in a taxi to the hotel, Carlos Quinto. I was surprised to realize that there were already other members of the ProPeru group staying in the room with me when I arrived. They were nowhere to be found, so I collapsed and slept for 2 or 3 hours. I woke up hungry and decided to try my luck exploring the streets of Peru. I´m a bit ashamed to say I ended up eating at a pizza place just down the street (our hotel is quite close to the Plaza de Armas which is an especially touristy area of the city, but very beautiful!). I was able to communicate well with the owner of the restaurant, an older man with a wisened, laugh-lined face.
When I arrived back in the hotel lobby, I met some of the other members of the group. Now that all of us are here, there are 11 different people from all over. I had already met Cooper, who is the other guy from UK. He is a very nice, smiley boy who is only a Sophomore (like Steph!) but seems quite mature with a good head on his shoulders. I already get along quite well with him after meeting him in the airpor in Atlanta and being on the same crazy flight to Lima. There are 8 of us girls (4 vegetarians!) and 3 guys including Cooper. It seems like a pretty good group so far, although at first I was having some difficulty connecting with anyone in particular. Luckily, I have come across a few girls who I´m getting along well with and I don´t have any real problem interacting with the group.
But all that is kind of boring information, ¿no? Let me tell you about Cusco. It´s in a word... incredible. I love the city so far. It´s about the size of Lexington population-wise, full of orange-roofed buildings covering the dips and climbs of a giant valley nestled in the Andes. All you have to do is descend a short staircase up a hill and you can see the entire city, including Cusco´s own giant Jesus. The orange of the houses contrasts with the beautiful blue skies and balconies painted dark blue. It is really a beautiful place and I will try to get some pictures up soon but I doubt even pictures could really do Cusco justice.
As you walk through the streets (at least in this area), you are constantly bombarded by all kinds of vendors begging you to buy their paintings, let them give you a massage, or visit their booths in the markets. They all say "Adelante, señorita," and when you turn them down they say "maybe later" as if you are going to track them down for that special 1 sol deal for a watercolor of Macchu Picchu. Outside of the persistence of the vendors, the people here are genuinely friendly and I´m enjoying trying out my Spanish. Yesterday, Cooper and I were looking through a gigantic vat of finger puppets in a stop and the lady there was telling us what each of the little animals was in Spanish. My favorite was caracol, meaning snail.
Even in these first few days I have noticed small differences in the people. Yesterday I watched a pair of little girls help an elderly stranger cross the street by taking his arm and leading him away from the taxis (which are a bit crazy, but not nearly as terrifying as you might think- Jesse and Reed definitely have me beat with their Egypt experiences). Our group has already come across our favorite waitress in Cusco at a nearby restaurant called Viktor Viktoria. Her name is Patricia and she has already made a point to memorize all of our names. She is bouncy and full of energy in spunk. Really a wonderful find. If you ever come to Cusco you should look for her!
¿Dios mio! There is so much more to cover, but it will have to wait. I´m about to head back to the hotel for the rest of our orientation. Afterwards, we´re all going to be picked up by our host families! I´m excited, but also nervous. I have no idea to expect. You might be disappointed to learn that one of ProPeru´s rules is that we cannot ride motorcycles, so I can´t hop on the back of my host brothers´motorcycle first thing like I´d planned... I will tell you all about my family as soon as I get the chance.
I miss you all, and am thinking about you while trying to enjoy myself and absorb the culture and learn so much every day. I´ll try to be as attentive as I can to this blog so you can follow my entire journey!
Ciao amigos!
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