It's the beginning of March and summer is nearly over in Lima. The uniform stores have been busy, and most kids are back in school. But there's probably a few more weeks of hot weather and as long as it's hot, people will flock to the beach on the weekends. Limeños really do live for "la playa". Because Lima's sky is grey for pretty much nine months of the year, people take advantage of the summer by spending as much time as they can at the beach.
Many Limeños compete with the surfers by going to the local beaches that border the districts of Miraflores, Barranco, and Chorrillos. These beaches sit below the cliffs of the Costa Verde, with the coast highway separating the beach from the hillside. There are about 15 different beaches divided by jetties, with many of them covered in large, round stones but the surfers don't care what's on the shore. Peru is known for its awesome surfing up and down the country's coast, and as proof many of the beaches have Hawaiian names like Waikiki and Makaha. A few of the Costa Verde beaches are more people-friendly, and if people don't want to travel very far, these are the beaches for them. There's also the beach where the fishing boats come in to bring their catches, and the "restaurants" that make and sell those fresh catches.
Then there are the beaches south of Lima. Every weekend there's a mass exodus to these southern beaches, whether it's just for the day or for the weekend. On Friday afternoons you'll see maids loading up the cars of the weekend beachgoers, everyone wanting to beat the traffic out of town.
Kiko and I like to go to a public beach called Punta Rocas. It's at the end of a stretch of sand lined with different outdoor restaurants. Each restaurant is basically a wooden shell that only opens during the summer. When you sit on the beach in front of a restaurant, you get an umbrella and two chairs (maybe even lounge chairs with cushions). Each restaurant even has a good sized swimming pool set up on the sand to attract families with kids. While you lounge, you can order food and drinks from a menu and it will be delivered to you on a small plastic table. We recently enjoyed some fresh mixed seafood ceviche and bottles of ice cold Cusqueña beer, a great experience to have on the beach! No more packing up coolers, beach bags, chairs and umbrellas! We just grab our towels, sunscreen, and books, and if we forget our books, we can buy them from vendors who constantly walk by with their endless supply of jewelry, pareos, cotton dresses, DVDs, plastic sand toys, and of course ice cream!
There are numerous Limeños who either own beach houses, have friends or family with beach houses, or rent beach houses, either in a small, older beach town like Punta Hermosa, or in a newer area known as "Asia". Asia is a series of private beach neighborhoods along the coast where people spend their summer weekends, or maybe spend an entire month. Each "neighborhood" has its own amenities, like a clubhouse, pool, and restaurant. Whether families go to their beach houses for the weekend or a longer period of time, they often bring their maids and nannies with them. This way they can enjoy their trip without having to worry about cooking, housekeeping or taking care of the kids.
There is a commercial shopping and entertainment district in Asia called El Boulevard de Asia. It's a little like Vegas, rising up in the middle of the desert (because even thought it's the beach, the coast of Peru is still the desert). The Boulevard is a large, outdoor mall that includes high-end stores, cafes and restaurants, bars and clubs, and a grocery store. The entire mall is only open for the summer, a period from about New Year's Day until Easter - all of the mechandise is stocked at the beginning of the season and whatever isn't sold is trucked back to Lima when summer is over. If you get a bit antsy at your beach house, you can drive down the highway to the Boulevard, and have some dinner, a coffee or ice cream, or a few drinks while most likely running into people that you know from Lima who are there for the same reason that you are. As the hour pushes midnight, you'll begin to see the parade of clubgoers, mostly young people from about 16 to 30, walking back and forth along the uneven sidewalk. The younger girls totter in their high heels, and are constantly pulling down their tight, black miniskirts, apparently their standard clubbing uniform! The younger guys don't dress up at all, opting for jeans and a t-shirt, often looking like they grabbed the shirt from the floor where it landed the night before.
When we were there in January, we did what many others do on a typical night. We had coffee with Kiko's sis and brother-in-law, then went into a clothing store that had a DJ playing and were offered free bottles of Peroni beer ("what? a free beer for coming into your store? uh, sure, thanks!") We walked around until our family left, then found a bar where we sat under the stars and enjoyed some delicious, fruity pisco drinks while listening to a Pink Floyd tribute band. We people-watched, and we both saw several people we knew - I saw a friend I had met in Spanish class in '09, and Kiko saw a guy from work and a friend from grade school, who ended up staying to have a drink with us. This friend told us he had a contact at a club called Nikita, so after the band finished playing around 2am, we headed over to the club, even though we weren't dressed for clubbing. Cover charges at these clubs are expensive, and the friend got me in free, saving us 100 soles (about $37, which we would never spend at home for a few hours of dancing, even if there WAS a place to go dancing). This club is where the "older crowd" goes (haha), and it's actually outside amidst pretty, lighted trees. There was a white tarp shading the dance floor, and the DJ played a mix of salsa and American dance music. After dancing pretty much nonstop for almost three hours, we left the club (which was still packed at 5am!) and chose Peruvian-style stuffed baked potatoes as our after-clubbing snack! After a full night acting younger than we are, we ended up back at my sister-in-law's beach house and in bed by 6am. Not something I would do very often, but it really was fun to experience this aspect of beach life!
We got back to the house earlier than most of the people who party at the Boulevard. These folks sleep until the afternoon, then get up and spend the rest of the day on the beach. If you don't want to make the long walk to the sand, you can go upstairs to the roof of your beach house, where there is usually a terrace with some kind of tarp or cover for shade, tables, chairs and lounge chairs, and a small built-in swimming pool. You can build on your roof in Peru because houses are made from concrete, and roofs are flat. It's so different from the beach houses in Newport and Balboa.
It's kind of lonely being in the city on a summer weekend. There are 12 apartments in this building, and we're the only people in it...everyone else is at the beach!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
This Provincial Life
"That pier has big gaps in it," Kiko said when I asked him if he's ever walked on the pier here in Pacasmayo. "I KNOW," I told him.
We flew to Chiclayo last night, which is about 500 miles or so from Lima, a little more than an hour flight, where we stayed at an upscale hotel chain and I ate a memorable risotto with river shrimp. After dinner we walked down the street until we reached the Plaza de Armas, the public square in the center of town anchored by a large Roman Catholic church on one side. The Santa Claus in his sleigh about eight feet off the ground was a nice touch! On the way back to our hotel, a young woman with a tiny toddler approached us, selling lemon candies from a bag. People are so enterprising in Peru, you really have to admire them for coming up with some kind of way to make money. While she was completing the business transaction with Kiko (10 candies for 1 sol), the little girl started to wander away from her mother, so I grabbed her small hands and made her stay still, which she didn't want to do, until her mother could follow her down the street. The baby had the biggest smile on her cute, little dirty face, and I wondered how long they would be out on the street since it was already 11:30.
We left Chiclayo at 6:45 this morning - Kiko's driver got us here in under an hour and a half. Pacasmayo is a little provincia on the northern coast of Peru, and many of the residents either work at the huge cement plant where Kiko is doing coaching sessions this week or they're fishermen. There's no movie theater or mall, but there is a cancha de fulbito (small soccer "field") where the soccer games can get pretty intense. Kiko checked us into the Pakatmanu Hotel, an old colonial-style building, and he and his assistant left for work, leaving me to my own devices for the day.
Obviously the first thing to do was to take an early morning stroll along the boardwalk. The beach itself is directly in front of the hotel on the other side of the boardwalk, but last year's 8.8 earthquake in Chile created a change in the ocean, shifting the composition of the beach from sand to stones. The waves crash onto the shore, leaving no room to walk, unless you walk in the water. I walked along the boardwalk toward the pier, and when I got there, I found a woman setting up her makeshift "restaurant" where she would soon be cooking the morning catch. I walked onto the pier, and seeing a sign saying "Visitantes 1 Sol", paid the fee and gingerly placed my feet on the railroad ties that made up the structure. I stopped to watch a lone fisherman out amidst the waves, retrieving his catch. He was floating in an innertube, pulling himself along his net and when he found a fish, he strung it on the line that he held between his teeth. If you don't have a boat, you make do with what you have!
The only other people on the pier were fishermen, and as I slowly made my way across the railroad ties I started putting it together that this was not a tourist Huntington Beach type pier, with a Ruby's diner at the end. I think I made it about half way down when I gave up and turned around. The railroad ties were spaced about two or three inches apart, except when they weren't. Sometimes there were gaps of three or four inches, or maybe eight, or there was an entire tie missing, or the tie I stepped on was loose, no nails holding it in place, or worm-eaten and termite-infested. Needless to say, it was not the relaxing walk on the pier that I had envisioned! Maybe the sol I paid will help with maintenance.
I'm sure I Iooked a little out of place with my purse, and TOMS, and white sweater as I stood with the fisherman gawking at a shark that one of them had caught. There were also some small rays, a few large, spotted fish with weird looking tails, and an assortment of smaller fish. Two cats, two dogs, fish guts strewn about and the woman cooking fresh fish completed the scene on the pier.
Kiko came back to the hotel for his lunch break, and we both had lomo saltado, one of my favorite Peruvian dishes, which consists of pieces of beef sauteed with onion, tomato and aji peppers, served with french fries and rice. When he went back to work, I went for a walk through town. It was a very quiet walk, because it was 3:00, and basically the place was closed. I saw several surf shops, because Pacasmayo is famous for its surfing, but they were closed, and I figured that maybe they don't open until the summer. But then every other shop was closed as well. I walked to one of the busiest intersections in town, with a traffic signal! There were only a few mototaxis with passengers at this time of day, and hardly any taxis. I walked to the other busy intersection, with the other traffic light in the province, and passed more closed shops but a few fruteros and their carts of fresh pepino melon and tuna roja.
I finally peered between the iron bars of one of the closed shops and asked the shopkeeper when she would be open. She told me not until 4pm. Apparently in provincia, people take three hour lunches. They go home, eat a large, hot meal, and take a long nap. So, it turns out that the town basically shuts down from 1 until 4 every day! I was able to find a fairly large store (by provincia standards anyway)that was actually open where I bought an ice cream and some Cusqueña beer, and enjoyed the ocean breeze on our terraza. There's a photo of our balcony on facebook.
Tonight, after a lovely nap, Kiko and I had dinner at a hotel down the boardwalk. My crema de zapallo (cream of squash soup) was quite good, and Kiko and I shared a mixto completo (a grilled ham and cheese with a fried egg). The best part of dinner was the impromptu music being played by two young men sitting on a bench in front of the hotel. These guys had incredible talent, jamming on their guitars just for the love of their music. Kiko gave them part of our sandwich and a big tip - they were surprised and happy, and we were, too. We walked back to our hotel while a beautiful crescent moon almost disappeared into the sea.
Kiko is already asleep, and I'm looking forward to falling asleep to the sound of the waves. I know I'm very, very blessed, and I'm grateful!
We flew to Chiclayo last night, which is about 500 miles or so from Lima, a little more than an hour flight, where we stayed at an upscale hotel chain and I ate a memorable risotto with river shrimp. After dinner we walked down the street until we reached the Plaza de Armas, the public square in the center of town anchored by a large Roman Catholic church on one side. The Santa Claus in his sleigh about eight feet off the ground was a nice touch! On the way back to our hotel, a young woman with a tiny toddler approached us, selling lemon candies from a bag. People are so enterprising in Peru, you really have to admire them for coming up with some kind of way to make money. While she was completing the business transaction with Kiko (10 candies for 1 sol), the little girl started to wander away from her mother, so I grabbed her small hands and made her stay still, which she didn't want to do, until her mother could follow her down the street. The baby had the biggest smile on her cute, little dirty face, and I wondered how long they would be out on the street since it was already 11:30.
We left Chiclayo at 6:45 this morning - Kiko's driver got us here in under an hour and a half. Pacasmayo is a little provincia on the northern coast of Peru, and many of the residents either work at the huge cement plant where Kiko is doing coaching sessions this week or they're fishermen. There's no movie theater or mall, but there is a cancha de fulbito (small soccer "field") where the soccer games can get pretty intense. Kiko checked us into the Pakatmanu Hotel, an old colonial-style building, and he and his assistant left for work, leaving me to my own devices for the day.
Obviously the first thing to do was to take an early morning stroll along the boardwalk. The beach itself is directly in front of the hotel on the other side of the boardwalk, but last year's 8.8 earthquake in Chile created a change in the ocean, shifting the composition of the beach from sand to stones. The waves crash onto the shore, leaving no room to walk, unless you walk in the water. I walked along the boardwalk toward the pier, and when I got there, I found a woman setting up her makeshift "restaurant" where she would soon be cooking the morning catch. I walked onto the pier, and seeing a sign saying "Visitantes 1 Sol", paid the fee and gingerly placed my feet on the railroad ties that made up the structure. I stopped to watch a lone fisherman out amidst the waves, retrieving his catch. He was floating in an innertube, pulling himself along his net and when he found a fish, he strung it on the line that he held between his teeth. If you don't have a boat, you make do with what you have!
The only other people on the pier were fishermen, and as I slowly made my way across the railroad ties I started putting it together that this was not a tourist Huntington Beach type pier, with a Ruby's diner at the end. I think I made it about half way down when I gave up and turned around. The railroad ties were spaced about two or three inches apart, except when they weren't. Sometimes there were gaps of three or four inches, or maybe eight, or there was an entire tie missing, or the tie I stepped on was loose, no nails holding it in place, or worm-eaten and termite-infested. Needless to say, it was not the relaxing walk on the pier that I had envisioned! Maybe the sol I paid will help with maintenance.
I'm sure I Iooked a little out of place with my purse, and TOMS, and white sweater as I stood with the fisherman gawking at a shark that one of them had caught. There were also some small rays, a few large, spotted fish with weird looking tails, and an assortment of smaller fish. Two cats, two dogs, fish guts strewn about and the woman cooking fresh fish completed the scene on the pier.
Kiko came back to the hotel for his lunch break, and we both had lomo saltado, one of my favorite Peruvian dishes, which consists of pieces of beef sauteed with onion, tomato and aji peppers, served with french fries and rice. When he went back to work, I went for a walk through town. It was a very quiet walk, because it was 3:00, and basically the place was closed. I saw several surf shops, because Pacasmayo is famous for its surfing, but they were closed, and I figured that maybe they don't open until the summer. But then every other shop was closed as well. I walked to one of the busiest intersections in town, with a traffic signal! There were only a few mototaxis with passengers at this time of day, and hardly any taxis. I walked to the other busy intersection, with the other traffic light in the province, and passed more closed shops but a few fruteros and their carts of fresh pepino melon and tuna roja.
I finally peered between the iron bars of one of the closed shops and asked the shopkeeper when she would be open. She told me not until 4pm. Apparently in provincia, people take three hour lunches. They go home, eat a large, hot meal, and take a long nap. So, it turns out that the town basically shuts down from 1 until 4 every day! I was able to find a fairly large store (by provincia standards anyway)that was actually open where I bought an ice cream and some Cusqueña beer, and enjoyed the ocean breeze on our terraza. There's a photo of our balcony on facebook.
Tonight, after a lovely nap, Kiko and I had dinner at a hotel down the boardwalk. My crema de zapallo (cream of squash soup) was quite good, and Kiko and I shared a mixto completo (a grilled ham and cheese with a fried egg). The best part of dinner was the impromptu music being played by two young men sitting on a bench in front of the hotel. These guys had incredible talent, jamming on their guitars just for the love of their music. Kiko gave them part of our sandwich and a big tip - they were surprised and happy, and we were, too. We walked back to our hotel while a beautiful crescent moon almost disappeared into the sea.
Kiko is already asleep, and I'm looking forward to falling asleep to the sound of the waves. I know I'm very, very blessed, and I'm grateful!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Glad I Waited
This morning I finally did something that I've wanted to do since before I arrived in Peru. I started looking for volunteer opportunities while I was still in California, and had continued looking without success until now. You would think that in a developing country, you could walk down the street and volunteer somewhere but I found it much more difficult than I imagined.
There are many people, a lot of them college-age, who travel to Peru from all over the globe to participate in volunteer programs located in various parts of the country. You pay to participate in these types of programs, where you get to immerse yourself in the culture and take side trips for sightseeing . Cusco is certainly a very popular volunteer destination, but there are needs and opportunities throughout Peru. Before you are accepted as a volunteer, there are requirements that must be met, especially if you want to work with children. This is understandable, and is similar to the US where we now need to be fingerprinted and background checked. Since I live in Lima, I have to go about volunteering from a different angle.
When I first arrived here, I visited the largest orphanage in South America, which houses over 500 kids. I also went to the children's hospital near downtown Lima with a friend who had previously volunteered there. In order to volunteer in a public institution, the process for volunteering is complicated - you need to complete lengthy applications, provide health certificates, pass psychiatric exams, and attend hours of training. The interesting thing is that institutions don't appear very interested in your interest. At the children's hospital, we inquired about how to help and were told to send a letter. We asked if we could talk to someone since we were already there? No, the procedure is to send a letter. Well, could we email it? No, it has to be a real letter, not an email. My friend wrote the letter on the spot and handed it in, and to date we have heard nothing from the hospital.
Site location and transportation to a volunteer site is an issue. There are so many shantytowns on the outskirts of Lima, places that are incredibly poor, and programs operated by churches and NGOs who are happy for volunteers. I attended a discussion at the South American Explorers Club where three program directors described their programs in the shantytowns and said they'd welcome volunteers immediately. However, these areas are far from where we live, it would be too expensive to take a taxi, and I wouldn't feel comfortable (ie. safe) traveling alone through certain parts of town by bus.
I'd really like to work with street kids. You see them out at night, some have parents who neglect or abuse them, and can't afford to feed them, and others who are orphans. Kiko had a great project for a class of his; he and his classmates raised money to help a group home for street kids. I got to spend an afternoon with the directors and some of the boys in the program, sadly hearing tragic stories of before they arrived at the home (for example, one boy's mom tried to drown him in a bucket of water, most of the young boys were drug users) and happily seeing boys with the promise of a future. I would love to work with this program, but it's just too far away.
Guess what? Timing is everything. I was more than frustrated that I've been here all these months and still no volunteering. One day, after spending all the previous day searching for volunteer opportunities online, I was having coffee with mi amiga Peruana, Maritere, and mentioned my desire to volunteer. She offered to introduce me to a friend of hers, who just happens to be the director of a program I saw online. Coincidently (?) while on their website a few weeks previously, I had expressed interest in volunteering and requested more information but hadn't heard from them yet. Of course I jumped at the opportunity, so my friend took me right over to meet the director. Carla gave me her card, and told me to email her and she'd help me to get involved. After a few emails back and forth, she put me in touch with the site coordinator, we scheduled an interview, and TODAY was my first day of voluntariado.
I am volunteering at a public hospital for cancer patients (Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas, or INEN), with a program called Aprendo Contigo (meaning "learning with you", Information and photos of Aprendo Contigo in English). Since we moved to the new apartment, I can walk to the hospital in a leisurely 15 minutes for my 8:30am - 12:30pm weekly shift (I would have had to walk 10 minutes and then take the bus from our old apartment). The program's goal is to make sure that children with cancer have things to do to keep cancer from being the center of their lives. The kids who are patients in the hospital have lessons every day so they don't fall behind in school, and the kids who are there for chemo or doctor appointments are kept busy with activities.
This morning I was one of 12 women who tried to get some cute kids' minds off their cancer for a little while. I worked in the chemo room, with the youngest being one year old to a teenage boy texting on his cell phone. Our job was to make sure the kids had something to do. We gave them toys, dolls, games, puzzles (rompe cabezas, literally translated as head breaking?!), word searches, cartoon pages and ceramic ornaments to color, and comic books. I learned that Danna is 13, and hasn't seen her mom in two years because she's working in Los Angeles. Edwin's hair is growing back, I think one of his legs was amputated, and he kept me busy providing the right colors for his artwork. A darling 18 month old cried for awhile when the enfermera tried many times to find a vein in her little hand. A few parents smiled in understanding when I explained that I'm from the U.S. and were very patient with my Spanish. Besides working with the kids, we talk to the parents, who are often from the provinces and not only overwhelmed with their child's illness but also with the huge city, tall buildings, and traffic, as well as learning how to deal with an institution like a large hospital. We're actually on the floor from 9 until 12, with the first half hour as prep time and the last half hour for putting things away and a wrap up meeting to discuss the kids' progress and any issues.
All the women are very nice and helpful, and a few speak English, but they all know I want to improve my Spanish and can understand a lot if they speak slowly. The program seems well-organized, which is really exciting (for Peru, that's a novelty!) I am already included in the Secret Santas, and will be going to the "reveal" luncheon with everyone in December. To top it off, one of my fellow volunteers, Ada, lives down the street from me, and I had a very enjoyable walk home with her; she pointed out various flowers and birds, telling me their names in Spanish and correcting my incorrect grammar.
I'm so glad to be working with kids again. I've missed them since I lost my long-term sub job. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about being around these very sick children since I've been more emotional lately. But I had no problem because these very sick, brave, smiling kids were a joy to be with! My friend Debra reminded me of this today via her Facebook status, "In all things, God is never too late or too early but His timing is always perfect. It is up to us to trust, wait and obey." I think that while we're waiting, often impatiently, we really can't imagine what that thing we're waiting for will look like. I'm so blessed that what I waited for looks like Aprendo Contigo.
There are many people, a lot of them college-age, who travel to Peru from all over the globe to participate in volunteer programs located in various parts of the country. You pay to participate in these types of programs, where you get to immerse yourself in the culture and take side trips for sightseeing . Cusco is certainly a very popular volunteer destination, but there are needs and opportunities throughout Peru. Before you are accepted as a volunteer, there are requirements that must be met, especially if you want to work with children. This is understandable, and is similar to the US where we now need to be fingerprinted and background checked. Since I live in Lima, I have to go about volunteering from a different angle.
When I first arrived here, I visited the largest orphanage in South America, which houses over 500 kids. I also went to the children's hospital near downtown Lima with a friend who had previously volunteered there. In order to volunteer in a public institution, the process for volunteering is complicated - you need to complete lengthy applications, provide health certificates, pass psychiatric exams, and attend hours of training. The interesting thing is that institutions don't appear very interested in your interest. At the children's hospital, we inquired about how to help and were told to send a letter. We asked if we could talk to someone since we were already there? No, the procedure is to send a letter. Well, could we email it? No, it has to be a real letter, not an email. My friend wrote the letter on the spot and handed it in, and to date we have heard nothing from the hospital.
Site location and transportation to a volunteer site is an issue. There are so many shantytowns on the outskirts of Lima, places that are incredibly poor, and programs operated by churches and NGOs who are happy for volunteers. I attended a discussion at the South American Explorers Club where three program directors described their programs in the shantytowns and said they'd welcome volunteers immediately. However, these areas are far from where we live, it would be too expensive to take a taxi, and I wouldn't feel comfortable (ie. safe) traveling alone through certain parts of town by bus.
I'd really like to work with street kids. You see them out at night, some have parents who neglect or abuse them, and can't afford to feed them, and others who are orphans. Kiko had a great project for a class of his; he and his classmates raised money to help a group home for street kids. I got to spend an afternoon with the directors and some of the boys in the program, sadly hearing tragic stories of before they arrived at the home (for example, one boy's mom tried to drown him in a bucket of water, most of the young boys were drug users) and happily seeing boys with the promise of a future. I would love to work with this program, but it's just too far away.
Guess what? Timing is everything. I was more than frustrated that I've been here all these months and still no volunteering. One day, after spending all the previous day searching for volunteer opportunities online, I was having coffee with mi amiga Peruana, Maritere, and mentioned my desire to volunteer. She offered to introduce me to a friend of hers, who just happens to be the director of a program I saw online. Coincidently (?) while on their website a few weeks previously, I had expressed interest in volunteering and requested more information but hadn't heard from them yet. Of course I jumped at the opportunity, so my friend took me right over to meet the director. Carla gave me her card, and told me to email her and she'd help me to get involved. After a few emails back and forth, she put me in touch with the site coordinator, we scheduled an interview, and TODAY was my first day of voluntariado.
I am volunteering at a public hospital for cancer patients (Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas, or INEN), with a program called Aprendo Contigo (meaning "learning with you", Information and photos of Aprendo Contigo in English). Since we moved to the new apartment, I can walk to the hospital in a leisurely 15 minutes for my 8:30am - 12:30pm weekly shift (I would have had to walk 10 minutes and then take the bus from our old apartment). The program's goal is to make sure that children with cancer have things to do to keep cancer from being the center of their lives. The kids who are patients in the hospital have lessons every day so they don't fall behind in school, and the kids who are there for chemo or doctor appointments are kept busy with activities.
This morning I was one of 12 women who tried to get some cute kids' minds off their cancer for a little while. I worked in the chemo room, with the youngest being one year old to a teenage boy texting on his cell phone. Our job was to make sure the kids had something to do. We gave them toys, dolls, games, puzzles (rompe cabezas, literally translated as head breaking?!), word searches, cartoon pages and ceramic ornaments to color, and comic books. I learned that Danna is 13, and hasn't seen her mom in two years because she's working in Los Angeles. Edwin's hair is growing back, I think one of his legs was amputated, and he kept me busy providing the right colors for his artwork. A darling 18 month old cried for awhile when the enfermera tried many times to find a vein in her little hand. A few parents smiled in understanding when I explained that I'm from the U.S. and were very patient with my Spanish. Besides working with the kids, we talk to the parents, who are often from the provinces and not only overwhelmed with their child's illness but also with the huge city, tall buildings, and traffic, as well as learning how to deal with an institution like a large hospital. We're actually on the floor from 9 until 12, with the first half hour as prep time and the last half hour for putting things away and a wrap up meeting to discuss the kids' progress and any issues.
All the women are very nice and helpful, and a few speak English, but they all know I want to improve my Spanish and can understand a lot if they speak slowly. The program seems well-organized, which is really exciting (for Peru, that's a novelty!) I am already included in the Secret Santas, and will be going to the "reveal" luncheon with everyone in December. To top it off, one of my fellow volunteers, Ada, lives down the street from me, and I had a very enjoyable walk home with her; she pointed out various flowers and birds, telling me their names in Spanish and correcting my incorrect grammar.
I'm so glad to be working with kids again. I've missed them since I lost my long-term sub job. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about being around these very sick children since I've been more emotional lately. But I had no problem because these very sick, brave, smiling kids were a joy to be with! My friend Debra reminded me of this today via her Facebook status, "In all things, God is never too late or too early but His timing is always perfect. It is up to us to trust, wait and obey." I think that while we're waiting, often impatiently, we really can't imagine what that thing we're waiting for will look like. I'm so blessed that what I waited for looks like Aprendo Contigo.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Those Crazy Nights in Lima!
I haven't had this much of a nightlife since college! No matter how old you are in Peru, you are expected to hold your own at a party that goes well into the middle of the night. And then you are supposed to remain awake so that your face does not fall into your food when you go out to eat afterward at three in the morning. We didn't have this "problem" back home in Corona, where most restaurants close by 9 or 10pm. And I think the only people I knew who stayed out late were 23 years old (Allie and her friends!)
Kiko and I have been out late for the past six weekends! Way back in mid September, I went to a Meetup Spanish Conversation get-together, where we practiced our Spanish by playing a variation of the game "Taboo". Afterward, we went to the Fiesta casino, where a few of us ate free sandwiches and drank free drinks while playing the slot machines. I don't like to gamble, and really never do, but I had fun at this place, playing with 10 soles (or about $3.75) for nearly four hours! I even came away with 18 soles! Kiko met me in the casino, where he played a bit but didn't win as much as I did (too bad!), and then we joined the rest of the Meetup group in the casino bar to listen to the live band. Home around 2am. The following weekend was the Meetup Mexican dinner, at a restaurant where we ate decent Mexican food, played "Spoons" and Jenga, and then we all piled into two taxis and went to a club near Parque Kennedy where we danced in our own private room ("El cuarto de la abuela" meaning "grandma's room" was painted on the wall - so random) until 3am. Kiko and I had to make a stop at Bembos, the Peruvian fast food burger place, for a snack before going home, which made bedtime about 4am.
The first weekend in October we used our (free, and you know there's nothing like free!) VIP tickets to attend the Expo Vino on two consectutive evenings. The first time we enjoyed the perks of being VIPs - we received two nice wine glasses and hung out in the VIP room, eating piqueos and tasting wine they were only pouring there. Then we tasted a few more wines, ran into a few people we knew, and ended up at Pits, a famous 24 hour restaurant where I had an awesome hamburger that was brought out on a tray to our car. We also bought flowers from a guy who gave us a deal because he wanted to get rid of them before morning! Home around 4am. The second night we went with Kiko's primos. We did some wine tasting and then had dinner at Granja Azul. There were several popular restaurants which had been set up just for the four days of the Vino Expo, and we enjoyed pollo a la brasa, salad & french fries. After that, we joined a group of friends at Cohiba, a Cuban dance club with a small dance floor and a live band that is really loud. There are fans blowing on the dance floor, which is a big plus when you're dancing in a crowded space. Home early, around 2am.
The second weekend we were up late three nights in a row. On Thursday we went to a get-together at Kiko's childhood friend's house. It was a casual reunion of friends from the neighborhood where he lived when he was 13 to 17 years old. They told hilarious stories and laughed at the things they used to do - it was so cool that they could be together after all these years. Friday night we had a soccer-watching party two hours after moving into my sister-in-law's place! Just a small group of 11 to cheer on Peru as "we" beat Paraguay in the first World Cup qualifying game. Saturday night we went out with our Meetup group, with Peruvians who have lived in the states and returned to Peru (like Kiko) and others who are new (like me, and our new friend from Macedonia). We went to this restaurant called Scena, where we had a delicious gourmet meal and saw two performers a la Cirque du Soleil, one who hovered almost directly above us on a highwire! It was a very unique experience! Afterward we walked to Starbucks for coffee, then Kiko & I said goodbye to the young people who were going dancing while we went home "early".
The next weekend we went to the Peruvian version of Oktoberfest. Our Meetup group tried to reserve a table, but the rules of reserving kept changing (this is Peru after all), so we ended up just grabbing a table when we got there. The night started off great when my friend spun the prize wheel and won a t-shirt, and I spun the wheel for a free beer! We quickly learned the German beer drinking song (Ein prosit, ein prosit!!), listened to the oompah band and watched the strength contests on the stage. After the German band left, the DJ spun a few classics, and we all sang "YMCA". But I was the only one in our group to dance on the table singing "I Will Survive". This being Peru, eventually the music changed to salsa, and we danced, and talked, and enjoyed the party. And of course, we went out to eat afterward, to a cafe attached to a store that's open 24 hours, Pharmax, where you can buy snack food, copy paper, cigars, cosmetics, expensive silver jewelry, household decor, Guess purses, Cross pens, and medicine (among other things you might need in the middle of the night). Home at 4am.
Last weekend we went back to Kiko's neighborhood friend's house for her birthday party. This was a larger affair where drinks and piqueos were served to us, after which we ate dinner and cake, then sang and danced to a variety of 70's music (to which the group kept saying, "oh, remember this?"). At some point I was starting to drag, and probably could have fallen asleep were it not for Kiko's friends who made me get up and dance again! More friends from the past, and more crazy stories. I think we left around 3am.
There is always so much going on at night in Lima, and no matter how late it is, there are tons of people walking down the street, taxis waiting outside of the bars and clubs, music blaring out of second floor windows, people eating at all hours. Now that spring is here and summer is coming, I expect things to get worse! I'd better go take a nap, because I don't know how much longer I can keep up this pace!
Kiko and I have been out late for the past six weekends! Way back in mid September, I went to a Meetup Spanish Conversation get-together, where we practiced our Spanish by playing a variation of the game "Taboo". Afterward, we went to the Fiesta casino, where a few of us ate free sandwiches and drank free drinks while playing the slot machines. I don't like to gamble, and really never do, but I had fun at this place, playing with 10 soles (or about $3.75) for nearly four hours! I even came away with 18 soles! Kiko met me in the casino, where he played a bit but didn't win as much as I did (too bad!), and then we joined the rest of the Meetup group in the casino bar to listen to the live band. Home around 2am. The following weekend was the Meetup Mexican dinner, at a restaurant where we ate decent Mexican food, played "Spoons" and Jenga, and then we all piled into two taxis and went to a club near Parque Kennedy where we danced in our own private room ("El cuarto de la abuela" meaning "grandma's room" was painted on the wall - so random) until 3am. Kiko and I had to make a stop at Bembos, the Peruvian fast food burger place, for a snack before going home, which made bedtime about 4am.
The first weekend in October we used our (free, and you know there's nothing like free!) VIP tickets to attend the Expo Vino on two consectutive evenings. The first time we enjoyed the perks of being VIPs - we received two nice wine glasses and hung out in the VIP room, eating piqueos and tasting wine they were only pouring there. Then we tasted a few more wines, ran into a few people we knew, and ended up at Pits, a famous 24 hour restaurant where I had an awesome hamburger that was brought out on a tray to our car. We also bought flowers from a guy who gave us a deal because he wanted to get rid of them before morning! Home around 4am. The second night we went with Kiko's primos. We did some wine tasting and then had dinner at Granja Azul. There were several popular restaurants which had been set up just for the four days of the Vino Expo, and we enjoyed pollo a la brasa, salad & french fries. After that, we joined a group of friends at Cohiba, a Cuban dance club with a small dance floor and a live band that is really loud. There are fans blowing on the dance floor, which is a big plus when you're dancing in a crowded space. Home early, around 2am.
The second weekend we were up late three nights in a row. On Thursday we went to a get-together at Kiko's childhood friend's house. It was a casual reunion of friends from the neighborhood where he lived when he was 13 to 17 years old. They told hilarious stories and laughed at the things they used to do - it was so cool that they could be together after all these years. Friday night we had a soccer-watching party two hours after moving into my sister-in-law's place! Just a small group of 11 to cheer on Peru as "we" beat Paraguay in the first World Cup qualifying game. Saturday night we went out with our Meetup group, with Peruvians who have lived in the states and returned to Peru (like Kiko) and others who are new (like me, and our new friend from Macedonia). We went to this restaurant called Scena, where we had a delicious gourmet meal and saw two performers a la Cirque du Soleil, one who hovered almost directly above us on a highwire! It was a very unique experience! Afterward we walked to Starbucks for coffee, then Kiko & I said goodbye to the young people who were going dancing while we went home "early".
The next weekend we went to the Peruvian version of Oktoberfest. Our Meetup group tried to reserve a table, but the rules of reserving kept changing (this is Peru after all), so we ended up just grabbing a table when we got there. The night started off great when my friend spun the prize wheel and won a t-shirt, and I spun the wheel for a free beer! We quickly learned the German beer drinking song (Ein prosit, ein prosit!!), listened to the oompah band and watched the strength contests on the stage. After the German band left, the DJ spun a few classics, and we all sang "YMCA". But I was the only one in our group to dance on the table singing "I Will Survive". This being Peru, eventually the music changed to salsa, and we danced, and talked, and enjoyed the party. And of course, we went out to eat afterward, to a cafe attached to a store that's open 24 hours, Pharmax, where you can buy snack food, copy paper, cigars, cosmetics, expensive silver jewelry, household decor, Guess purses, Cross pens, and medicine (among other things you might need in the middle of the night). Home at 4am.
Last weekend we went back to Kiko's neighborhood friend's house for her birthday party. This was a larger affair where drinks and piqueos were served to us, after which we ate dinner and cake, then sang and danced to a variety of 70's music (to which the group kept saying, "oh, remember this?"). At some point I was starting to drag, and probably could have fallen asleep were it not for Kiko's friends who made me get up and dance again! More friends from the past, and more crazy stories. I think we left around 3am.
There is always so much going on at night in Lima, and no matter how late it is, there are tons of people walking down the street, taxis waiting outside of the bars and clubs, music blaring out of second floor windows, people eating at all hours. Now that spring is here and summer is coming, I expect things to get worse! I'd better go take a nap, because I don't know how much longer I can keep up this pace!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Our Homes Away from Home
My, how time flies. I've almost been in Peru seven months, and while some things are getting easier, I still shake my head at other things and think, "At home we would never do that." It's getting more confusing to say the word "home". My home is in California, with a house full of clothes, and furniture, and things I've collected through the years. For the past nearly seven months we've called the family-owned apartment in La Aurora, Miraflores "home", and now, as of this past weekend, we have a new place to call home.
We had been looking for an apartment to rent that, in a perfect world, would meet these qualifications: must allow two dogs; must be furnished (with furniture) and equipped (with appliances); not too far from La Aurora; within close walking distance to shopping and cafes; close to a park; affordable for our budget; peaceful and quiet (not on a main street or cut through, with no construction projects nearby). We looked in the paper, walked around neighborhoods, told family and friends, and had a real estate friend look for us, too. And...nothing. I don't know where all the schnauzers and beagles live because we couldn't find a place that allowed dogs. I guess it's hard to find a place near a park, and more expensive if it's furnished. We just weren't having any luck, and we were (ok, I was) getting discouraged.
And then came an offer we couldn't refuse! My sweet sister-in-law Marcela and her wonderful husband Alfredo offered to rent the second floor of their duplex to us and our dogs! We were so surprised that we packed up our things in grocery bags and moved in over the weekend before they could change their minds! The place has everything we could have asked for, and more! The duplex where they live is on the fourth floor of an apartment building in Surco, just a few miles away from the apartment in Miraflores. The kitchen, their master bedroom, Alfredo's office, the dining room and large living room are on that floor, and our "space" is upstairs on the top floor of the building. We have our bedroom, bathroom, family room with a flat screen and a fireplace, and a huge terrace that wraps around so you can see outside from two different sliding glass doors. There's nice patio furniture covered by an awning, and you can watch the Golden Retrievers in the park right across the quiet residential street (which is one of several parks in the area)! The apartment is beautifully furnished (my sister-in-law has good taste) and even has a clothes dryer so no more mildewy-smelling clothes!
I won't ever have another transportation excuse for not making it to my pilates class because it's now a short 10 minute walk away! The Plaza Vea grocery store is about an eight minute walk, and next to it is a large mall (four floors) with lots of small clothing boutiques, a myriad of shops, salons, cafes, bowling, movie theater, the list goes on! Our building has an elevator, and I wonder what the dogs think when they get into this tiny room and come out to a different place! We have a security guard inside the building, and he opens the door for us whenever we come and go. Marcela's maid, Eva, is terrific. She's works Monday through Friday, and cooks a delicious lunch, which is our big, hot meal of the day around 2 or 2:30. Marcela and Eva have kindly made space for our things in cupboards and closets. My sister-in-law overflows with hospitality, she's such a blessing in my life!
The dogs are doing a good job of adjusting. It's so great to see them outside on the terrace, enjoying the fresh air. We're training them to stay upstairs whenever we go down. Sometimes one or both will sneak down after us and then we just tell them to go back upstairs and they will. They're getting better every day. They also are getting used to the three other people living here, and actually had a lot of new people to deal with on Friday night (two hours after we arrived!) and Tuesday night. Kiko and I love to entertain, and we were finally able to do so. We had some of Kiko's cousins and friends over to watch soccer. South America just began its World Cup qualifying, so we were, of course, rooting for Peru. With snacks on the coffee table, the bar and pizza on a table outside, there was enjoyment either inside watching soccer or out on the terrace talking and laughing. It felt so good, and so comfortable. I feel really blessed with this new living situation, and hope the dogs don't get on our landlords' nerves!
On Monday morning we discovered the only thing that prevents our new place from being perfect. We awoke to the lovely sounds of hammering and sawing - they are constructing an apartment building next door, and are only working on the first floor! Oh well, nothing is perfect, right? The building will be finished eventually, and in the meantime we will gratefully get an early start to our day in our new home.
We had been looking for an apartment to rent that, in a perfect world, would meet these qualifications: must allow two dogs; must be furnished (with furniture) and equipped (with appliances); not too far from La Aurora; within close walking distance to shopping and cafes; close to a park; affordable for our budget; peaceful and quiet (not on a main street or cut through, with no construction projects nearby). We looked in the paper, walked around neighborhoods, told family and friends, and had a real estate friend look for us, too. And...nothing. I don't know where all the schnauzers and beagles live because we couldn't find a place that allowed dogs. I guess it's hard to find a place near a park, and more expensive if it's furnished. We just weren't having any luck, and we were (ok, I was) getting discouraged.
And then came an offer we couldn't refuse! My sweet sister-in-law Marcela and her wonderful husband Alfredo offered to rent the second floor of their duplex to us and our dogs! We were so surprised that we packed up our things in grocery bags and moved in over the weekend before they could change their minds! The place has everything we could have asked for, and more! The duplex where they live is on the fourth floor of an apartment building in Surco, just a few miles away from the apartment in Miraflores. The kitchen, their master bedroom, Alfredo's office, the dining room and large living room are on that floor, and our "space" is upstairs on the top floor of the building. We have our bedroom, bathroom, family room with a flat screen and a fireplace, and a huge terrace that wraps around so you can see outside from two different sliding glass doors. There's nice patio furniture covered by an awning, and you can watch the Golden Retrievers in the park right across the quiet residential street (which is one of several parks in the area)! The apartment is beautifully furnished (my sister-in-law has good taste) and even has a clothes dryer so no more mildewy-smelling clothes!
I won't ever have another transportation excuse for not making it to my pilates class because it's now a short 10 minute walk away! The Plaza Vea grocery store is about an eight minute walk, and next to it is a large mall (four floors) with lots of small clothing boutiques, a myriad of shops, salons, cafes, bowling, movie theater, the list goes on! Our building has an elevator, and I wonder what the dogs think when they get into this tiny room and come out to a different place! We have a security guard inside the building, and he opens the door for us whenever we come and go. Marcela's maid, Eva, is terrific. She's works Monday through Friday, and cooks a delicious lunch, which is our big, hot meal of the day around 2 or 2:30. Marcela and Eva have kindly made space for our things in cupboards and closets. My sister-in-law overflows with hospitality, she's such a blessing in my life!
The dogs are doing a good job of adjusting. It's so great to see them outside on the terrace, enjoying the fresh air. We're training them to stay upstairs whenever we go down. Sometimes one or both will sneak down after us and then we just tell them to go back upstairs and they will. They're getting better every day. They also are getting used to the three other people living here, and actually had a lot of new people to deal with on Friday night (two hours after we arrived!) and Tuesday night. Kiko and I love to entertain, and we were finally able to do so. We had some of Kiko's cousins and friends over to watch soccer. South America just began its World Cup qualifying, so we were, of course, rooting for Peru. With snacks on the coffee table, the bar and pizza on a table outside, there was enjoyment either inside watching soccer or out on the terrace talking and laughing. It felt so good, and so comfortable. I feel really blessed with this new living situation, and hope the dogs don't get on our landlords' nerves!
On Monday morning we discovered the only thing that prevents our new place from being perfect. We awoke to the lovely sounds of hammering and sawing - they are constructing an apartment building next door, and are only working on the first floor! Oh well, nothing is perfect, right? The building will be finished eventually, and in the meantime we will gratefully get an early start to our day in our new home.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Transportation Adventures
A few months ago I was sitting in my taxi and traffic was at a dead stop. It looked like I was going to be late for work. We were on the offramp to get to my job, and I could see my building directly across the freeway, mocking me. You know how when you're stuck in traffic you just want to get out of your car and walk because you know it'll be faster? Well, when you're riding in a taxi you can do that! I got out of my taxi, walked up the offramp, and over the freeway on the pedestrian overpass. Since that only took two minutes, I had time to stop at the grocery store for a drink!
I think taxi drivers compete to find the fastest routes. They love using side streets to miss traffic on main streets, and drive much too fast in residential areas. I was seriously worried for the old man walking slowly across the street, and the mother holding her child's hand had to pull him out of the way. If you are driving behind a taxi and it turns down a side street, you should probably follow it so you know the shortcut.
The residential street where I live is a shortcut. Three times a day we get rush hour traffic (lunchtime is not as bad as morning and evening). If you try to back out of your carport or garage during these times, vehicles don't stop to let you out, they just honk at you as they continue speeding by. It's helpful if you have a security guard handy - he doesn't actually stop traffic but he will stand on the other side of the street and tell you to hurry up.
The taxi drivers ask me about driving in the U.S. I tell them that it's different haha! Yes, there are laws, and drivers follow some of them more than others. As a driver or pedestrian here, that leaves you to guess which laws will be followed at any given time by the people around you. I think that the best offense is a good defense! You just have to accept that people will make their own lanes, that four of those lanes will merge into one, that cars on the far left of you will cross in front of you to turn right and vice versa, and taxis will pull in front of you and stop with no warning. The sooner you can accept these truths the less anxious you will be on the streets of Lima.
I've had a few close calls as a pedestrian, the two closest ones while I was in a crosswalk with a green pedestrian sign! I put one hand on the hood of the taxi that was turning into me and pointed to the green pedestrian sign with my other hand, all while looking the taxi driver in the eyes. He just yelled at me, because obviously I was wrong. I find it easier to walk like a Peruvian and just cross the street anywhere, in between the cars and buses.
I've also been in two accidents in two weeks! The first time I was in a combi, and this was truly a crazy combi! The driver was seriously swerving all over the road in an effort to avoid stopping at all costs, unless it was to stop for paying passengers, of course. There was an evangelist standing in the middle of the small bus, yelling something about the Bible and animals while everyone ignored him. Too bad we ignored him, because as soon as he got off the bus, we got into a crash! Another combi hit us from behind (we crossed in front of him and stopped without warning but oh well) and I saw our cobrador (the multi-talented guy who hangs out the door and bangs on the side of the bus to attract passengers, taking your money and telling the driver when to stop) take 30 soles from the other cobrador. Apparently $11. is not enough compensation when one combi hits another, because our driver made our cobrador give it back. I don't know what ended up happening, but we didn't see any police and we got back on the road pretty quickly, swerving as much as we did before the crash.
This morning my taxi was hit by a truck on my way to work. My driver was merging from three lanes to one on a side street, and had to stop because a truck was parked sticking half way out into the street, which is actually quite normal, and another truck rear-ended us. I heard the truck driver ask my driver why he stopped. Really? Why does any driver in Lima stop suddenly? Because he can! hahaha Again, no police were involved, and we were shortly back on our way. Because we were later than usual, we were stuck in traffic on the street across from my office building, so I got out of the cab and walked across the freeway.
I think taxi drivers compete to find the fastest routes. They love using side streets to miss traffic on main streets, and drive much too fast in residential areas. I was seriously worried for the old man walking slowly across the street, and the mother holding her child's hand had to pull him out of the way. If you are driving behind a taxi and it turns down a side street, you should probably follow it so you know the shortcut.
The residential street where I live is a shortcut. Three times a day we get rush hour traffic (lunchtime is not as bad as morning and evening). If you try to back out of your carport or garage during these times, vehicles don't stop to let you out, they just honk at you as they continue speeding by. It's helpful if you have a security guard handy - he doesn't actually stop traffic but he will stand on the other side of the street and tell you to hurry up.
The taxi drivers ask me about driving in the U.S. I tell them that it's different haha! Yes, there are laws, and drivers follow some of them more than others. As a driver or pedestrian here, that leaves you to guess which laws will be followed at any given time by the people around you. I think that the best offense is a good defense! You just have to accept that people will make their own lanes, that four of those lanes will merge into one, that cars on the far left of you will cross in front of you to turn right and vice versa, and taxis will pull in front of you and stop with no warning. The sooner you can accept these truths the less anxious you will be on the streets of Lima.
I've had a few close calls as a pedestrian, the two closest ones while I was in a crosswalk with a green pedestrian sign! I put one hand on the hood of the taxi that was turning into me and pointed to the green pedestrian sign with my other hand, all while looking the taxi driver in the eyes. He just yelled at me, because obviously I was wrong. I find it easier to walk like a Peruvian and just cross the street anywhere, in between the cars and buses.
I've also been in two accidents in two weeks! The first time I was in a combi, and this was truly a crazy combi! The driver was seriously swerving all over the road in an effort to avoid stopping at all costs, unless it was to stop for paying passengers, of course. There was an evangelist standing in the middle of the small bus, yelling something about the Bible and animals while everyone ignored him. Too bad we ignored him, because as soon as he got off the bus, we got into a crash! Another combi hit us from behind (we crossed in front of him and stopped without warning but oh well) and I saw our cobrador (the multi-talented guy who hangs out the door and bangs on the side of the bus to attract passengers, taking your money and telling the driver when to stop) take 30 soles from the other cobrador. Apparently $11. is not enough compensation when one combi hits another, because our driver made our cobrador give it back. I don't know what ended up happening, but we didn't see any police and we got back on the road pretty quickly, swerving as much as we did before the crash.
This morning my taxi was hit by a truck on my way to work. My driver was merging from three lanes to one on a side street, and had to stop because a truck was parked sticking half way out into the street, which is actually quite normal, and another truck rear-ended us. I heard the truck driver ask my driver why he stopped. Really? Why does any driver in Lima stop suddenly? Because he can! hahaha Again, no police were involved, and we were shortly back on our way. Because we were later than usual, we were stuck in traffic on the street across from my office building, so I got out of the cab and walked across the freeway.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Just a Wednesday
I am happy to say that things have been better since I stopped fighting Peru. That, and I finally feel better. I don't know what I had for several weeks, perhaps winter allergies, but the scratchy throat, congestion and fatigue got old. Peruvians say those symptoms are caused by the change of climate (not to be confused with the world's climate change), which would be the cold, humid, misty weather that signifies winter in Lima. It's also been gray here for months. A gray that lacks definition, and seems to permeate everything like steam from a hot shower in a small bathroom. I love rain clouds, the different colors of gray are the perfect backdrop for the different greens in the trees, intensifying all the colors. There's no differentiation in color or tone in a Lima gray, just one, boring shade. Everyone is tired of it and ready for spring. There's a name for this phenomenon, panza de burro, or "donkey's belly". That would be a gray donkey, not a brown one. Kiko says just think of it as living inside a cloud.
Today I got up with Kiko and made Peruvian coffee, Finca Mountain Villa Rica, which is grown in the rainforest. The website says it is a socially and ecologically responsible company, so I like it a lot. I automatically use the tap water that we keep boiled in the electric water boiler on the kitchen counter. If we're drinking the water on its own we'll use the bottled water. I love that our regular sugar is azucar rubia, which is like the expensive Sugar In The Raw that I used to get at Starbucks, and tastes different (better!) than white sugar. I toasted some cinnamon raisin bagels that I found and excitedly bought at a bakery restaurant last night. What a treat! Kiko went off to work and I walked the dogs, first in the park behind my apartment, then on through the back of my neighborhood, in Surquillo, dodging the smooshed dog poo on the sidewalk. There was so much going on already, moms walking their kids to school, men working on cars and construction projects, other people walking their dogs.
My lunch today is an ensalada rusa, a Peruvian mixed vegetable salad. You can buy packages of fresh vegetables, already cut up and ready to cook for soups and salads. They're about 8 soles (3 bucks) and some include the quinoa or barley. They're great. I could've had the Peruvian version of a Hotpocket; since frozen convenience foods don't really exist here, I bought some fresh empanadas and froze them for something quick and easy to eat. I'm getting a bit better with the electric stove, haven't burned anything in awhile but haven't been much more adventurous than eggs and soup either. Staples in a Peruvian household include pan france, sliced ham and sliced cheese. The deli section in the grocery store has a huge selection of ham that they slice for you and a variety of brands of the most popular cheese, edam and gouda. You often eat the ham and cheese with butter in the roll for a breakfast sandwich, or you can eat it with mayo in the roll for a lunch sandwich. And if you don't want to buy your rolls fresh every day, you keep them in the freezer, and thaw them in the toaster oven when you need them. I think people eat a lot of bread here because it's good, fresh, inexpensive and filling. I have to ration my bread servings so I don't get chubby.
Tonight I work from 7 until 9:30, teaching basic English to two hard-working supervisors at Nextel. Most people have Nextel here, no matter where you are you can always hear the beep of a phone before you see a person holding it in front of them, talking into it like a walkie talkie even though it's a phone. Last night one of my students was confused with the lesson on giving directions. How do you explain why we English speakers say "you go down the hallway and down the elevator"? I told him that sometimes you can't ask too many questions, you just have to accept things the way they are.
See, I'm learning.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)