Can I take a picture with you please?

This past weekend I traveled to Chancay, Perú, a coastal city about 2 hours north of Lima, with my host sisters for a church convention. So far in my time here, this experience definitely ranks as the most striking chance that I've had to really take a look into a distict slice of Peruvian culture. The convention consisted of three days of worship and activities, and around 100 to 150 youth and young adults attended. This event was not only much smaller than the large Mennonite conventions I attended growing up, but the traditions were also much different, as this church is rooted in Evangelical tradition, much different than my Mennonite background. I could easily write at length about the religious aspects of the weekend, and my thoughts on the experience from that perspective. However, I came away from the weekend thinking a lot more about one question that I heard many times throughout the weekend, "Can I take a picture with you?"

As I start my fourth week here in Perú, I've become increasingly aware of the obvious fact that I am a white American living in this diverse Latin country. And, after this past weekend, I've been thinking more and more about what exactly that means. At the church convention, I found people from various church groups asking to take a picture with me, or with the two other white American males from my SST group who were also there. Yet, we had not actually met these people who asked for pictures, or talked much with them, if at all; they just wanted to take a picture with the Americans. At first it was a little funny, but after about a dozen times, it began to feel a very awkward. Why should they be wanting a picture with me simply because of the color of my skin and where I come from? I'm not famous, what makes me that special? And, what kind of responsibility does that kind of attention put on me?

I thought about this more on Sunday, the last day of our trip to Chancay. After the church event, I visited the Castle of Chancay, with my host sisters and their youth group. While there, myself and a fellow SSTer, Phil, were asked, by a completely random stranger, if we would pose for a picture with her daughter. We obliged, though the interesting fact was that the daughter didn't particularly seem to want to. In fact, she was pretty shy and turned away as she approached us, it was her mother her pushed her into position for the picture. I can't explain how I felt about that experience. It was a little bit awkwardness, a little bit confusion about my role in this culture, and a little bit frustration that Americans are looked up to in this way.

After our visit to the castle, I talked with one of my sisters, Consuelo, a little bit about the meaning of the word gringo, or white person in Spanish. She asked me what my interpretation of that word was, and I explained that for me, it kind of felt like an insult. Growing up in Goshen, some fellow Hispanic students used to call white classmates gringos, and the term usually didn't carry with it a positive connotation. Consuelo explained that some of the SST students she had met in the past expressed the same feeling about the term. However, for her, and other Peruvians, gringo is not necessarily an insult. In fact, it is a compliment, as a gringo is someone to look up to, someone successful from America.

I really don't know what to think about this looking up to Americans in Perú. But having people ask to take a picture with me has shown me first hand that America really is a powerful cultural influence here in Perú, as in many other countries across the world. What does that mean for me? Well I've definitely had to remind myself on this trip that, as an American, I might represent much of a person's view about what Americans are like. So, I've been trying to act responsibly, treat people with respect, and keep an open mind. And as for pictures, I have to remember that I can do more than just pose and smile. I can shake that other person's hand, introduce myself in Spanish, and hopefully show them that I appreciate their way of life as much as they look up to American culture.

An evening out, and a quick look at the informal economy of Lima

The pictures here at the beginning of this post are from a park in Lima. As I'm told, the park, called Parque de la Reserva, is actually quite old. However, within the past year, the government gave the park quite a facelift, by adding some incredible art in the form of water fountains. In fact these incredible fountains, named the Circuito Mágico del Agua, now hold a place in the Guiness Book of World Records.

I had the privilege of visiting this park this past Sunday with my host family, pictured below. Sunday evening we went out the park then came back to Callao for dinner at a common Limeño restaurant called Norky's, where you can get pollo a la brasa (which was surprisingly similar to port-a-pit chicken for all you Goshenites out there). Anyway, it was a great evening and I really felt like I connected with my family in a positive way. It was really the first time we had gone out like that as a family.

While at the park, though, I observed some very interesting activities just outside of the entrance. As you walked along the exterior perimeter, and especially at the entrance, you couldn't help but meet up with a street vendor, as is the case much of the time on Lima's sidewalks. Here, as you got ready to pass through the gates, were offerings of popcorn, candy, soda, and other snacks that you could enjoy while inside the park. Or, maybe you need a pick-me-up when after you exit. I couldn't help but think that this just wouldn't happen in the states (in fact, in the US, the government who developed the park would probably have their own snack vendors within the gates to create more revenue). But, then again, I am in Perú, and the economy is much much different than in the states, particularly in the informal sector.

During my first two weeks here, the informal economy of Lima has been very striking. And rightfully so, as there are more people involved in Lima's informal economy than the formal economy. Let me describe some of the informal economy I have seen in my first two weeks.

First, I have to tell you about the vendors which regularly appear on or near the kombis that I recently described in previous post. Every so often as you are riding public transportation, someone will jump on board the bus to quickly tout a product and hopefully make a couple of soles. More often than not, it seems, these salesmen are children, usually selling candy of some kind. But there are also many adult salespeople, walking in between traffic, selling items to passengers through windows. They may be selling anything from ice cream sandwiches to newspapers, or pirated DVDs to sodas. Nonetheless, they are selling something very simple, trying to get the quickest buck they can. But I think I saw the most interesting vendor I saw was on board a bus today when a man wearing a professional-looking suit got on board. He began to rattle off his well-memorized sales pitch and reached inside his briefcase for a sample...of those paperclips with the black V-shaped base and two chrome metal hinged pieces on each side. He was on the bus telling us all how we could use these great items and what a great price we could get them for. It was the ultimate when it comes to the informal market in Lima.

Another common sight within the informal Limeño economy is the small, storefront vendors, selling all kinds of goods. Again they might be selling food, such as produce, beverages, a menú for lunch, or some other product such as children's toys, household necessities, or, again, pirated DVDs. Many times a collection of these types of vendors will be formed in a mercado that offers even more selection, such as clothing and shoes. As I see these small vendors I feel compelled to buy from them, as I can see who is controlling the operation, and who will get the profits from the purchase I make.

On the flip-side is PlazaVea, or the Limeño equivalent of Wal-Mart. I visited PlazaVea a couple of times this weekend, almost more for the novelty of visiting a new Peruvian store. But as I was inside it really did feel like being in a large American store, where you can buy basically whatever you want. And, much different from the vendors in the mercado, I didn't know who my money was going to. After having a discussion with my host sister today, I realized that these concerns were somewhat valid. PlazaVea, it turns out, is a Chilean owned company. Much like Wal-Mart in America, PlazaVea and other large corporately-owned companies do not always treat their workers fairly when it comes to hours and wages.

Lima has an extremely interesting economic system, which I have just begun to see in-depth. But one thing to be sure, the informal economy of Lima is much more expanisive than anything in the States. In my mind, that is a good thing, as it gives more people to creatively find a way to make some money for themselve. The economy is something I'll keep looking at and thinking about as I continue with my studies here in Lima.

This has only been 10 days?

Well, my last post was a little bit specific...well, really specific I guess. I'm guessing that many of you who are reading this blog would like to know a little bit more about the specifics of what I'm up to here in Perú other than just how I get around on public transportation. So, now that we've finished the first week of classes, this is probably a good time to share a little bit about my daily routine.

So, as I said in an earlier post, I live in the port district of Lima named Callao. I live in the same building as another student, Phil, or Felipe here in Perú, which has made travelling to and from home a little easier. Here in Lima we attend language schools at a local seminary and also do lots of group stuff as well. A typical day might be as follows:

- Wake up at about 6:45, get ready and have a quick bite to eat for break fast with my host dad, Segundo, and mom, Mervy. During breakfast we usually talk about plans for the day. What new busses I may or may not need to take that day. What I'm going to be doing at school. Basically things I'd talk about with my real mom and dad. Though, I've found that making plans and travels arrangements is one of the more difficult challenges when communicating in a foreign language.

- At 7:30 Felipe and I meet up and walk two blocks to the bus stop. From there we catch a colectivo that takes us to the seminary where classes begin at 8:30. Our commute is usually about 40 minutes or so, and during that time we face the inevitable fumes of automobiles and the bouncing around of the bus. Some days the pollution in Lima is worse than others, but it is definitely one aspect of life that I'm really getting used to.

- We have class from 8:30 to 11:00. Though usually we don't start until 8:45 and have a half our break sometime during the class session, so all in all it's about an hour and 45 minutes or so of class time. Nonetheless, I've been learning a lot in class. Our group is split into two classes, the smaller of which I am in. There are just 8 students in our class, so I've really enjoyed the conversational style of our class. I always seem to learn a few new words or new grammatical rules that I can take back home for conversation with my family. I can't wait to see how conversational I am in 5 more weeks here in Lima.

- After class the days vary, but we usually do something as a group during the afternoon. For example this week on Monday we visited some ancient native ruins, Tuesday we went to the Peruvian Congress building, Thursday we had a guest lecturer, and yesterday we visited an archealogical museum. Every Wednesday we also go to Duane and Karen's house for Goshen Tambo, which is just an afternoon of relaxing and reflecting upon what we've been up to.

- The activities we do as a group are very fun, bust sometimes somewhat lengthy, so we're all usually ready to go home and relax. More and more this week I've found that I look forward to going "home," as it really is starting to feel like that for me. Often times when I get back I will chat for a while with my host sisters and maybe have them help me with my homework. Then later I might do some reading for class before getting some sleep. Our house is very relaxed, which I like a lot.

That's basically what a daily routine might be like for me during the week. It might seem a little general, and maybe boring, but after this weekend I will definitely have some more specific stories for you and some more pictures as well. As for now I better get going, as my time here at the internet café is going to expire pretty soon.

Getting around the biggest city I've ever lived in

At some point in during SST in Perú, and probably in most of countries that Goshen College has SST units, every group member will most likely write home about, get frustrated with, or not understand the transportation system. For me, it has been no different. At first glace, the bus system of Lima seems a little bit...how should I put this...ridículo. Before coming to Lima, I figured I’d be able to survive well living in a big city. I lived in Albuquerque for a year and had the bus system down pat; I traveled to Europe and could easily decipher the bus and subway maps.
However, here in Lima there’s just one problem – there are no transportation system maps! Basically it’s a bit of a free-for-all; the local government does not control the bus system as we would expect in an American city. Rather, private companies convert vans and buses of all sizes into working public transportation vehicles, locally called kombis. Because of the competing companies, and differing bus routes operated by each outfit, it would be impossible to produce a map of all the possible bus routes in Lima. Well, I guess you could, but it would just be a wild mess of multi-colored lines over the already chaotic roads that make up the various areas of the city.
So, how do you figure out what bus to take? Well, fortunately you can simply recognize specific buses by their appearance, in fact, by four aspects of their appearance – the color, the numbers, the letters, and the street names. Various buses have differing colors based on what company they are owned by, but the color will also sometimes represent what route the bus runs. I guess that’s not particularly specific, so let’s move on to the numbers.
The problem is that there will be more than one number. First is the route number – the one you want to look for. But watch out because each kombi will also have numbers that distinguish it from the rest of the fleet of that company, as well as registration numbers that are given by the state. So, you really have to look hard sometimes to find the route number that you are looking for.
In addition, you have to be aware of the third aspect of the appearance, the letters. Oftentimes routes will have variations, which will be represented by letters, A, B, C, etc. For example, I take the 45B bus to school in the morning, and I have to make sure I don’t grab the 45A, because I really have no idea where that would take me. One note though, sometimes the number and letter will be together in one place on the front of the bus, or the 45 might be one place, and the B will be in another corner of the windshield, so watch carefully!
Finally, the names of some of the major streets that a bus travels on will usually be written on the side of the bus. So, it’s often a good idea to check those out before you get on. The front of the bus will also have two names, usually of neighborhoods, written above the windshield, that represent where the bus goes to or from. I did mention that it’s easy to pick out a bus based on its appearance, right? One thing about the names written on a kombi – they’re not always necessarily correct. The vehicle might be old and be traveling a different route that what the outside specifies. So, it’s a good idea to ask as you get on the kombi if it will be going to the place where you want to go. And be specific! Ask for the intersection you want, or the block number of the street you want.
In the states you’d just assume ask the driver of the bus, right? Well, don’t even attempt that in Lima – the kombi drivers have some pretty insane traffic to deal with and have to keep their attention on the road. Instead there is a second guy on each kombi, the cobrador, who is like the doorman of the vehicle – he’s who you want to ask. The cobrador is probably my favorite part of the Peruvian transportation system. They usually sort of half hang out the bus and shout at people like an auctioneer selling a quilt at a Mennonite relief sale. “Toda la Marina! Toda la Marina!” they might shout as they point at various people on the sidewalk trying to get them to board the kombi. All the while they are responsible for walking around the kombi asking for pasajes, or fares.
And walking up and down the isle of a kombi is not an easy task, as they are usually packed to the brim with people. I haven’t decided what I like less, sitting in an isle seat with people standing in the isle crowded up next to me, or standing in the isle, crowding the poor guy in the seat beside me and hanging on tight as the kombi rapidly speeds up and slows down between stops.
Lima’s public transpo is obviously a bit confusing and exciting and I’m could easily keep writing about experiences on kombis. I know I don’t nearly have this system figured out yet, and no doubt there are mistakes in what I just wrote, so I’ll probably have to write another post on this same topic. For now I’ll just leave you with one final word of advice, make sure you shout out to the cobrador when you want to get off, because it’s a fast paced world on a kombi and it’s not going to slow down just for you.

A safe arrival in Lima

Well, it´s been just two full days, I guess, that I´ve been in Lima now, but it sure does feel like more. I´m glad to be able to write this first post and let you know all how I am doing. We got in to Lima late Wednesday evening (after a very full day of travelling), and have had a whirlwind of activities since then.
On Thursday we spent the majority of the day at Duane and Karen´s apartment (our leaders), in a very pretty area of the city called Miraflores. During our day together we discussed various important topics about life in Lima, and had a preview of what we will be doing together for the next 6 weeks here in the city. Thursday lunch also marked the first meal that I experienced in Perú, at a small restaurant. We ate a typical two course lunch, called a menú, which consisted of a soup or salad, and entree and a drink, for around 6 soles, or about 2 dollars US. Not only was the price good, it tasted great...and I think i´m really going to like the cuisine that Perú has to offer.
Thursday evening also had a very interesting experience in store for us - meeting our families. This was something I was a little bit nervous about, but looking forward to very much. My host dad, Segundo, met me in Miraflores, and I travelled back to my new temporary home with Phil, a fellow SSTer, and his host dad. His dad and my dad are brothers and live in the same building, so it is nice to travel together. We live in a section of the metro Lima area called Callao, which is somewhat removed from the central area of Lima.
My first evening with my host family went very well. We were able to communicate a lot and discussed life in Goshen, Lima, and a lot of other topics in between. I have three host sisters, ages 15, 18, and 24, and they are very easy to communicate with. My host mother is also very kind, and as I´m discovering, a very good cook.
Today was also packed with activities. We traveled by bus this morning to the seminary where we will be attending spanish (or castellano here in Lima) classes. The transit system right now seems somewhat complex, but will be a lot of fun to figure out over the next couple of weeks. I´m sure I´ll have a post simply about riding los colectivos. After meeting our language teachers, our group took a very extensive tour of Lima and got a chance to see many of the important places in Lima. Right now I am at home, with the chance to write this post, and will probably be relaxing this evening after our very full day. And I´m sure I´ll need rest for a busy weekend.

Less than a week!

Well, here I am in Newton, Kansas, getting ready to travel back to Goshen this evening. As I'm packing, though, it kind of feels like I'm going to be leaving for Perú, instead of Goshen. I'm busily packing what I will need for SST. I've got to make sure that I have enough clothes, have host family gifts, have all the books I needs...and keep my checked back under 50 lbs. But so far packing is proving to be pretty easy.

As I'm getting ready to leave, I have a little bit of nervousness, but in a good way. I simply don't know what to expect - which is a little bit scary, but pretty exciting at the same time. I'm definitely preparing myself for SST by trying to not have any expectations. I'm sure that whatever I experience will be interesting and meaningful. I really don't have much else to say at this point, and I should probably get back to packing and spending some time with my family. So next time I post I'll probably be writing from Lima!