Thoughts

Being in Peru always seems to put me in a thoughtful mood, but I feel like I struggle to capture those thoughts on paper (on computer as it may be).  Sometimes when I'm riding the bus I wish I could just whip out my laptop and start writing.  Or today I was thinking how useful it would be to just extract my thoughts and stick them in a bowl of pensieve like in Harry Potter.  This blog my not have much of an organization pattern to it as I attempt to share some thought - we'll see.

Let's start with something that's been on my mind for a week plus:  I forgot how slippery the sidewalks are here.  That's a pretty silly thing for me to forget considering the whole ordeal where I slipped and hit my elbow really hard on the bird-poop-covered curb my second semester here.  You would think the sidewalks and I were well-enough acquainted that I would remember this detail about them.  And really I can't help but wonder why anyone would make their sidewalks so slippery?  Honestly I have taken to walking on them as though I were ice skating (only sometimes).  It feels much safer.

Another thing that I often find myself thinking about is why I like Lima.  Peruvians always ask me if I like Lima and I always say yes.  And it's not a lie.  I do like it, although not necessarily everything about it.  Lima and I tend to have a love-hate relationship.  Perhaps nothing less could be expected of a city whose own characteristics are so contradictory.  I suppose all cities are generally pretty diverse because when you have a large number of people you're bound to find a little bit of everything.  But having grown up in a Chicago suburb which is comparatively lacking in diversity, Lima seems a city of polar opposites.  Pretty and ugly.  Poor and rich.  Modern and traditional.  Progressive and chaotic.  Technological and simple.  Lima is not the kind of city that you fall in love with right away.  It's not beautiful and historic like the cities of Europe (not that I've ever been to Europe, but people generally seem to favor European cities).  It's not a city that people are dying to vacation to.  It's dirty, chaotic, loud, crowded, ugly - at least at first glance.  But when you get to know Lima, you see more than that.  And that's what's cool about it - living in Lima is a challenge.  Every day.  You have to explore and work hard to find the beautiful spots, the history.  And like human relationships, are the ones that you have to work at more worthwhile?  Because you learn and grow more.
Here are some of the great things I've come to know about Lima:
1) Lima has amazing cuisine.  I'm pretty sure 99% of Americans don't have the slightest idea what Peruvian is like (indeed I'm not sure people know where Peru is, since I've been asked before if they speak Spanish there).  The variety is immense from comida criolla (not even sure how to translate, but most the food I eat in my house is considered criolla) to marinera (fish/seafood) to comida de la selva (food from the Amazon) to cuy (guinea pig) to chifa (Chinese) to Italian to Belgian (see my last blog post).  Peruvians are very proud of their food.  And they should be.  It is delicious and diverse.

2) The people are generous - at least in my experience.  There have been many times where I have found myself highly impressed by Peruvian generosity.  Starting with my host family - I've often heard stories of students studying abroad and living with host families who only take in students for a little extra income.  My host family has been willing to drive to the airport at 4am, host my mom for a week, throw me a birthday party, and let me stay with them for two weeks even now that I'm not paying them through my program.  Just the other day my host mom was telling me that I always have a place to stay here, and not just for me but for anyone from my family who wants to come.  And when I have kids I have to bring them with me as well.  I think I've mentioned some other examples before from when I was studying here - my friend Abby's host family; her host mom Ruth taught me to make hot chocolate and arroz con leche and even gave me a little present before I left Peru.  Kika and Alejo, my friend Amelia's host parents, who always welcomed us to their house with a smile and gave us food and let us bake in their kitchen and repeatedly assured us their house was our house.  This week I was impressed by my friend Nadia, who was willing to ride the bus for more than an hour to meet me by my house and then take me back to her house right away - another hour plus ride.  And she paid for my busfare.  Her mom served an amazing lunch.  Actually, I can't tell you how many times in this two-week span I have consumed food or drink that I didn't pay for.  Seriously, Peruvians are generous.

3) The culture is rich and diverse.  It's sort of strange in a modern city to see people dressed in traditional garb - brightly colored shawls and skirts, hair done in braids, etc. etc.  They look out of place.  But it's also really cool.  In the U.S., most of the native peoples were killed or removed from the dominant sphere, so there is virtually no cultural influence from them in today's society.  In Peru, however, many people still follow the customs of their ancestors.  Many pieces of indigenous culture have become infused in the dominant culture.  That being said - being indigenous is still looked down upon by "modern, civilized society" but it still has a strong presence.  There is such a variety of music and dance and art.  And all of it can be found in this one city because people have migrated from all the different regions of the country and brought with them their culture.

There are probably a lot more things I can say about Lima, but once again I have run out of steam and if I write much more, no one will want to read it :-)  More thoughts to come.