Estoy en Bolivia

I'M IN BOLIVIA

More on the unexpected boat ride, cranky island hostess, Korean documentary, and lonely hostal room when I have time. Until then: I'm safe!

Taxistas, Bolivia, Vida

¡Saludos a todos!

I know I've been a lame blog writer lately, but I promise I will make it up to you as soon as I have hours of internet time to write my usual novels. You're in luck! I think that time might be now... ;)

Yesterday I took a cab to class (I was late, as I nearly always am so I can never take a kombi... but luckily ProPeru gives us transportation money so I'm not hurting from the extra US cents) and it was probably the nicest cab driver I've had yet. He was extremely talkative. Mostly he was talking about the Peru and Chile soccer match. He predicted that we would all be crying because Chile would win. Then he dropped me off and commented that I didn't have an umbrella. Cabs who care. I know it's weird, but I always feel that much safer when I'm in a cab covered in Catholic virgin regalia. I feel like all the saints hanging out in the cab can probably help me out in the daily bumper car ride that is traffic in Cusco. A lot of times I'll get drivers who like to charge me an extra sol (alright, so it's definitely less than a dollar, but it seems like a rip off here) because I'm a blonde, blue-eyed gringa... or just because they know they can. You really never know what you're going to get in these cabs. Sometimes they have nice leopard print seats. One time I got in and the seat was all wet because the person before me had spilled coffee. I kind of wished I hadn't told the cab driver when he started reaching back with a wad of toilet paper to try to clean it up while driving with his other hand... This afternoon I had a guy that seemed to be about ready to retire. I was a little worried that we weren't going to make it to Tullumayu anytime this century. All the cabs are the same make and model here (and right now I can't seem to conjure it... sometimes I just don't speak English and I'm sticking to that excuse) except for the luxury cabs which are usually white and not so luxurious (just bigger and station wagon-esque).

In the end, Perú lost just like the cab driver said. Everyone was sad. Caroline had the nerve to send me an email this evening from Chile with the fact that we were defeated right there. Okay, who am I kidding? I didn't watch the game at all... Edson has confessed that he doesn't like fútbol (which is definitely a rare thing here) but he sometimes watches the games so he can make comments about it with his buddies at work (who are all fanatics like good Peruvians).

This coming week is our break, so I'm planning to go to Bolivia and visit my friend Tiffany who is there working for the Peace Corps. I'm pretty excited about seeing her and seeing Bolivia! Denis may or may not be accompanying me. I'm hoping she will. I'm also hoping that I won't end up as one of the bodies under blankets that I keep seeing when they show bus wrecks on the news (don't let my mom read that part). Maria has advised me that there are certain bus lines less likely to crash. And there is also an autopista (highway) at least all the way to Puno on Lake Titicaca.

What other fascinating details can I share? Today for lunch I had ceviche, which I love (for those of you who don't know, I've been eating fish while I've been here), but for some reason I couldn't eat it all today. I think it was because Maria brought out some very green seaweed that smelled like Maine. Yum, a big lunch of the smell of Maine. Bon apetit! Also, the white picket fence in front of our house is broken. Someone came to the door to inform us this afternoon.

I've been told to elaborate on my family's visit. My dad's Spanish was pretty hilarious, complete with "solos" rather than soles and "papa fritos" rather than papas fritas. But you've got to give him a hand for trying. When I was with them I remembered that I'm really not Cusqueñan. I'm really a freakishly pale young woman who doesn't know what's going on about half the time but whose Spanish is really improving! I must admit I was pretty annoyed when my dad started talking to one of the little boys claiming to be Pablo Picasso that was selling postcards in the plaza one afternoon and actually bought postcards from him. But for the most part I really enjoyed being able to see my family. I miss them more than I let on.

I was impressed with Stephanie's ability to pick up and use some Spanish even after only a few days in Cusco. She should have stayed longer! One night (the night before Steph and my parents were leaving for Machu Picchu at the crack of dawn), Edson, Evelyn, and I took Steph out to experience the night life in Cusco. I really enjoyed it this time, more than I've ever enjoyed going out with the group. It was just so much more relaxed and fun. I was a little irked that Edson insisted on paying for everything, but more and more I'm learning to ignore the machismo society and just try to take deep breaths. Haha. I found out recently that there is a new Gender and Women's Studies faculty who has done a lot of research on domestic violence in Perú, so I'm hoping to talk to her in order to spill all my issues with the roles of women in this country when I get home.

Today in Political Science class we had a guest speaker who was talking about the process of decentralization that they are trying to go through (quite slowly) in Perú. If you didn't know, Perú has no stable form of regional govenment (I guess the best comparison is to state governments), so the major political power, economy, and population center of the country is in Lima. In the other regions of the country, lack of development reigns. They do have local governments in the provinces and districts, but for the most part Lima is able to control things from a different and move happily forward with 9 million residents while the rest of the country suffers. It sort of baffles me that Perú doesn't have an infrastructure similar to our states, but due to the tumultuos history of governments and corruption, it shouldn't be all that surprising. For over 50 years, Perú has been in a process of attempting decentralization. Unfortunately, the regional governments are always weak and have little respect. There is an elected president of the region who then selects 13 of his friends (no matter their qualifications) to be the "consejos" and wine and dine on the money allotted to the regions. Also, the various presidents that come in and out and change constitutions as they please (Fujimori again... he must have become a target of mine) can also choose to wipe out these regional governments. So the sierra and the selva remain underdeveloped. This, my friends, is part of why Rocío doesn't bathe and one of the little boys at Conchacalla clearly has a parasite. Development is a powerful thing in terms of education and health. Too bad Alan Garcia doesn't have a vision to really help these kids.

If you're wondering about my personal well being, my morale remains relatively high when I'm not frustrated about homework or missing my boyfriend or my family or all of my friends. Haha. There have been some rocky days, but I think my host family has made all the difference. Also, I believe I'm learning a lot. They say my Spanish is improving! And I'm definitely getting a whole new perspective on my home country. I have to say, seeing on BBC World that George Bush mentioned World War III does not help matters. But that is precisely why they tell you to study abroad right, to expand your horizons and develop a broader world view! So that's what I'm doing. I'll let you know what else I learn.

Mucho tiempo sin hablar

Hello again! It's been awhile since I've written, mostly because internet opportunities have been a lot shorter and I haven't felt I've had time to write an entry.

There are about a trillion things that have happened, as you can imagine. My parents and Steph were able to come for a visit which I really enjoyed. I think they had a great time too, and it seemed like my host family here was overjoyed to be able to meet them and spend time with them. The language barrier didn't end up being nearly as big as a problem as I had worried, especially when Evelyn was around to help me translate. Denis, as usual, was a godsend who took them around on a day when she didn't have class until late afternoon. I'm not quite sure what I would do without her!

We have been back to Conchacalla twice since I last wrote, the first time we carried giant Eucalyptus logs from down the mountain to the top to use to build the techo (roof) of the bathrooms. We ended up riding in the back of a giant pickup truck along with all of the logs (which was terrifying, but an experience I probably won't have anywhere else) and then carrying them after the truck could go no further. I still really enjoy going there, as concerned as I am about these little kids running around with torn clothing, damaged teeth, and dry, cracked, dirty skin. They really do make the whole process more enjoyable. This past week Rocío (who has become the favorite of the entire group quite quickly) giggled for a very, very long time as she was playing with us and her older sister, Jobana (that's my guess at the spelling). She was hilarious... she has the most wonderful laugh and smile, it's impossible not to love her.

Last night I decided to go out again with the group, which I must confess is something I never particularly enjoy. A lot of the other girls seem to be looking to make out with a Peruvian boy they've never met and running around to all sorts of different bars, and that doesn't appeal to me much. I miss being able to be on Grosvenor with my friends in a more relaxed and safer environment. Although we have found an excellent place to get really good late night falafel (and falafel is certainly not plentiful in Cusco) from a little stand and a guy named Victor. That is what I look forward to when we go out, and Garabatos if we ever get around to going there (it's the best place out there but people are starting to explain it's too expensive... by Peruvian standards, yes, but certainly not by ours...). I'm looking forward to the party we'll probably have at John and Gina's on my birthday to celebrate Halloween and my birthday and Dane's. I'm hoping I will enjoy that more!

Well, I'm off for now. But I have more to say!

Fotos por fin

For any of you who don't have facebook, I have finally gotten my act together and posted some photos! I hope this link works and that you enjoy them. The captions will have to come later.

http://utk.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2160628&l=54987&id=12900100

Espera

I forgot to mention in that last entry that my camera lense refuses to close. I was telling John and Gina about it the other night(John and Gina are friends of Edson and Evelyn who are also the host family of Dane, another volunteer in the group), and Gina just looked at me and said, "Espera". Apparently the same thing happened with their Sony camera, and after a week it started working again. I'm hoping for the best here.

That same night I got the pleasure of listening to two solid hours of Peruvian karaoke and songs that I'd never heard. It was quite an experience, but I especially enjoyed one of the songs that was some kind of patriotic anthem. According to the song, here is what PERU stands for:

P de patria
E del ejemplo
R de rifle
U de union

So now you know, in case you are wondering.

In terms of Fujimori (I must be giving you his biography), I learned today in political science that under his government there were forced sterilizations done of women in the campo. After these women had the operations performed on them, they had to give the doctors gifts in exchange for the service. All of this was done in order to follow the rules of the United Nation in terms of slowing the growth of Latin America (which was growing quite rapidly). Depressing, eh?

The worst part is this is supposedly continued today...

¡Conozco a una fujimorista!

You're probably not going to believe this, but I met someone who actually remains casi pro-Fujimori. For real! Maria's cuñada (sister-in-law) Lydia came over last night and was talking to me about Fujimori. She was saying her kids made fun of her because when Fujimori was extradited and she saw it on the news she cried! She had a slightly different perspective than anyone else I've spoken to about him thus far. She told me she could remember a time during Alan Garcia's first term (he is also the current president) in the 80s when she had to stand in line for a can of condensed milk for her 1 year old child. She talked about the terrible inflation and the lack of jobs. The terrorists were going strong and it wasn't safe to be out in the streets. During Fujimori's first term, all of that changed. There weren't any lines and under his government some semblance of economic stability returned. The rapid inflation slowed down and the nueva sol (their unit of money) gained value. He also created a lot of jobs and made a commitment to stop the terrorists. In Lydia's eyes, he was the best president Peru has had.

She did admit that after his first term things got corrupt, but she made the point that there is corruption in every government (and we all know ours is no exception). "El chino", as Fujimori is lovingly called, did a lot of good and a lot of bad. But for Lydia, the difference he made in the lives of Peruvians is not something she can easily forget. She was once a social worker who worked with the campesinos (farmers) to try to motivate them to work and help themselves. So she witnessed firsthand what changed when Fujimori became president.

I asked a lot of questions when I was talking with her and Maria over mate de coca. I asked why the people chose to re-elect Alan Garcia. Lydia says he was the lesser of two evils since the other candidate was a military man and he would become a dictator for sure. Maria said she never voted for Garcia (if you don't remember, voting here is mandatory). Latin America was run by military men for a number of years, but that's another screwed up subject for another entry. It's amazing what these people have been through, and what "democracy" means to a Peruvian. I still have a lot to learn about the history of the government and development of this place, but I love learning more and asking questions.

In other news, I discovered today that Lima beans really are named after Lima, Peru.
Today I also took my first trip to Molino, which is a centro comercial (mall) where they sell all kinds of contraband items including movies, CDs, cameras, cell phones, etc., as well as a lot of brand name clothing. Very interesting.

On Saturday, my parents and Steph are arriving for their visit! This should be exciting and difficult since not one of them is particularly knowledgeable about Spanish (I've got my fingers crossed for you all).
On Monday, we have no classes because it is a holiday. Here is what I was told in an email by Mike, one of our ProPeru directors:
You have Monday off, as it is Combate de Angamos. This is a national holiday commemorating a battle in the 1800´s when Peru lost and a Peruvian Navy hero killed himself and sank his ship before the Chileans could get to them and kill everyone.

What bravery! ¡Hasta luego!