welcome to peru

First I would like to say congratulations again to a very close friend on her happy news! Even though I’m all the way down here, I’m still sharing in your joy and excitement! It makes me so happy to think of you so happy.

On the other hand, I seem to be on a “less healthy” streak. It’s nothing serious, but I’ve had quite a few migraines since I’ve been here and I currently have a head-cold of sorts. Either it’s a bad cold or my allergy medicine just decided to stop working. The headaches are probably stress related because it seems that I am stressed out no matter my circumstances. Here’s a lovely little example: Friday afternoon I was finishing making my tests (that I needed about 2 hours later to give to my classes) and I simply could not get the new Microsoft Word 2007 to stop making these random lines in the middle of the page. The back button wouldn’t undo anything and I couldn’t for the life of my get rid of the stupid lines across my test for quite a while. After a while I stood up and walked away from the computer and I was really losing it. I sat down again because we were about to start a meeting, and tried a few more times and then there I am, crying at my computer because I couldn’t erase the lines across my test. Poor Matt sitting next to me. He was really nice about it, of course, but I just get so worked up over nothing. It really is a problem, and more likely a symptom of a deeper problem. In any event, I would really appreciate prayer for my health and that I wouldn’t be so stressed out all the time.

WARNING: only continue reading if you are bored, and care to understand the culture and inefficiency here in Peru.

Saturday Becca and I walked all around Trujillo. I had hoped our two errands would take about 4 hours (making allowances for the terrible inefficiency down here) but it actually took us from 12:30 to 7:30 to accomplish our small tasks. First we looked for fabric to bring to the tailor to have pants made. That was quite a fiasco. We didn’t find what we wanted in the town center so we went out to one of the 3 major (underground economy) malls to see what they had. Becca found some really nice alpaca wool for khakis. By this time, it’s already about 2:30ish. I found some really nice navy wool for a blazer, but I want to make sure I know a good tailor before I invest in that because it’ll be pricey. Our next task was to find some tea light candles for the coffee house on Thursday night since Becca and I are in charge of decorations. How hard can it be to find candles in a city of about 1 million people? I had asked a Peruvian friend earlier in the week where candles could be found and she told me in Zona Franca so to Zona Franca we went. She had told me the second floor of the mall so we started there. We looked around, and not finding any, asked someone who worked there where candles are sold. He told us the 3rd floor. On the third floor we didn’t find any either so we asked again. She told us on the 4th floor. So we went to the 4th floor, and another lady told us we could find them on the second floor. In truth, no one had any idea where there were candles, and just keep naming random floors! Finally one lady suggested El Virey, another shopping mall across the street. We went there and finally found candles in a window display! But alas, what a cruel joke- the store was closed. We thought that perhaps it had closed for siesta and decided to come back at 4. By this time it was already 3:30 so we thought it was worth waiting. As we wondered around the third floor of the mall, we saw a place to get manicures and decided we’d go back there and get manicures (for only 5 soles) while we waited as soon as we checked for other candle stores. We poked in a few other stores. I bought a really cute cream skirt with blue flowers on it that I am currently wearing as I write this. But when we wanted to go back to get manicures and candles, we couldn’t find the store! This may seem hard to believe, because we ourselves were bewildered, but we walked around the third floor of El Virey for at least 30 minutes. All the shop owners laughed at us as we walked by them for the 5th or 6th time. The way these malls are laid out is so confusing- none of the stores have signs and they’re so small. Finally we gave up and bought expensive tea light candles from the Indian store. We were both exhausted.

We took a cab to one of our favorite cafes and had a late lunch/early dinner. On the TV in the café they were announcing the Seven New Wonders of the World. Everyone was watching to see if Machu Picchu would win. When they announced it (in English) Becca yelled out “Machu Picchu” and everyone cheered! It’s funny how when you’re in public when events happen, you feel a sudden camaraderie with complete strangers around you. It was exciting to be with a bunch of Peruvians when the announcement was made. I will say though, that if you watched the ceremony, you’d think Peruvians don’t know how to wear suits. All the other countries had their representatives wear suits (the Indian representative did wear more traditional clothing but they actually still wear those) but the Peruvian guy looked like he stepped right out of The Emperor’s New Groove. Please don’t think Peruvians don’t know how to wear suits- they may not be very nice suits, but plenty of people are wearing them.

We stopped in one more fabric store and after a bit of difficulty, I bought some grey fabric. Then, with Sara, we went to the tailor on the other side of town. It took at least an hour and a half to tell the tailor about the 4 pairs of pants that we wanted between the three of us and get our measurements taken. By the time we got back to SALI, I was ready to crash. Thus it was another relaxing Saturday here in Peru.

Sunday night I went to Teresa's house for tea. The tea was tasty but not very hot, and we ate saltines with a little jelly on them (which is actually quite good). It amazes me how different the 'middle class' of Peru is from the middle class in America. I think Teresa would be considered middle class. She is one of 7 siblings and lives in a decent neighborhood. The lighting inside the main room consists of a few exposed light bulbs. The floor is cement (compared to the "poor" people's dirt floors). There are a few chairs arranged for chatting, a big table with more chairs, and a nice cabinet with tea cups inside. That was it though. The walls are bare white cement. There are no interior doors that I could see, only openings. I've been in other houses that do have wooden doors though, or curtains. What amazes me is that having known Teresa for a while now, and she always looks so cute with her straight leg jeans and tacos (high heels), I was somehow unprepared to believe that she lives with so little. Compared to plenty of people she isn't poor, but if she lived in that sort of house in America, everyone would consider her impoverished. She's the first generation in her family to go to university. Teresa and I walk around Wichanzao (the poorest part of Trujillo) every Thursday to visit the women in the microfinance program. Last Thursday we visited Bertha, who makes cakes out of her home. She watches her grandson while her daughter works two jobs and goes to school every day from about 5 am until late at night. They had a packed down dirt floor and probably half of their belongings around the room we sat in. Once you get past the material differences though, everyone here in Peru has the same basic human needs as we do in the US. However, when you are hungry and tired from working all day, everyday, your mind probably dwells more on immediate problems than the more abstract.

We are so blessed in America. I love America for its efficiency, but am frustrated by its selfish luxury. The southerners down here keep reminding me that Connecticut is both the richest state, and the one that gives the least to charity.