Elections in Peru

Yesterday were the elections here in Peru. Although I was asked on two separate occasions if I was voting (ummm…como se dice duh), I was a mere observer. To start with, they have many many candidates, and each party has a symbol. At first, I wondered why sometimes on the advertisements the symbol was x-ed out. But, in conversations I learned that they use the symbols because not everyone can read, and there are a lot of Quechua speakers, who don’t know Spanish. This still didn’t answer my question as to why the symbols were x-ed out, but with further exploration, those billboards said marc asi(mark like this). Ahh, the x’s are good, that’s how they want you to mark your ballots.

A couple of weeks back, I saw a group of people in ASHRIEL handing out goods. They had bags of stuff marked for family with kids, family with young adults, exc. I was intrigued and wondering who they were, I watched to figure out more about this aid group. After they had handed out most of their bags I saw that they had t-shirts with one of the candidate’s picture, symbol and slogan to give out. I didn’t want to be cynical, but wow. Yes, I agree with the aid, but how easy is it to manipulate these people? If elected, would he continue with the aid? But, then I also asked myself, how many of these people actually vote?

At dinner one day, Jackie mentioned a voting fine. This puzzled me, so I asked a bunch of questions and posed a few hypotheticals to understand. Everyone in Peru votes. If not, they have to pay a fine. From age 18-70, if you do not vote the next time you try to use the bank, or go to a doctor, or do anything of an official capacity they charge you 120 soles. So figuring this out, brings me cynically back to the people I saw in ASHRIEL.

Saturday, I got to watch THE game. I was so pumped! This was going to be my first Buckeye game of this fabulous season. Generally I am supposed to work with the church on Saturdays and haven’t been able to figure out where/how to watch. This Saturday, however I was working at a Christmas Bizarre selling our Bridge of Hope products. It was a huge fair organized by the US Embassy. We did really well and sold about 5500 soles worth of our artisans’ items (3 times what they did last year). I left at 2:30 to make it down to a gringo-ish bar in Miraflores that shows American football. I walked in and saw OSU gear. I was happy. There weren’t any empty tables downstairs. So, I walked up to a table with some Buckeye fans and asked if I could sit with them until my friend arrived. I had my national championship hoodie tied around my waist, and showed them, see I’m a fan. It wasn’t cold enough to be wearing a hoodie, but this is the only gear I have here(and some boxers, but I didn’t think I could get away with those, so I wore them under my shorts). I ordered a water because they were drinking cokes at the table. When Jason arrived he asked you’re drinking water? I told him I was waiting on him to get a beer. Friends that he had made last time he was there were sitting upstairs. I was a little hesitant to leave the atmosphere, but people were cheering for OSU upstairs as well. So I said ok, thinking it would be a good idea to make some friends who were living here, rather than vacationing(like the table I was sitting with). Upstairs I picked up the drink menu, so ready for a cold beer, but the group at the table all told me no, its dry today. My response was – you’re kidding, right? - But no, Peru was dry for the whole election weekend. Apparently, you can’t sell alcohol because they don’t want their citizens to be drunk and voting! I did get some yummy, yummy onion rings though. I wish I could have talked to my sister(I had told her on Friday that she didn't need to drink a beer for me this time, because I was going to be able to). It was nice to meet and talk to these people, but they were watching the game a little half-assed. So, towards the middle of the game I was missing my table with the fan, fans. But, I chose the attempt of friends over dedicated fans. And, this was the risk I took when I went upstairs, but by then it was too late to renig. All in all, I was thoroughly happy. And yes, I did sing Carmen Ohio at the finish.

Yesterday, I made lunch for the host family. I chose grilled cheese and tomato soup as a traditional American meal. It was a success!

I realized last week that I put the wrong links up to my picture albums. You should be able to view these:
http://owu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2008228&l=152b4&id=24100417

http://owu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2006974&l=4978d&id=24100417

Estoy una Piña

Is it better to talk and talk and spout ideas and never act or to start something, but never finish? Fidel asked me one evening walking back from ASHRIEL, the Shipibo community. After I finally understood what he was asking me (he talks with a lot of jergas – slang), I was still puzzled. I didn’t know which scenario was better, I don’t like either. I answered him with the second, because maybe if you start something and don’t finish someone else may pick up where you left off. I don't know though, maybe its better to talk and not act, because a job left unfinished isn't that great either. As Luz y Vida attempts to build a Club de Niños and an youth/young adult group with ASHRIEL, I think about this a lot. We may talk about or plan something the night before, and in the morning when we arrive, plans have changed, or the person you were supposed to meet is occupied, or you have to remind them of what you are suppose to be doing. We inevitability have to hunt down someone with keys to the Director’s Office where the chairs are stored.

But, the work is good, is needed. I am with the 10-13 year olds and of the four that came the first week, two cannot read. I had made word searches for them, and at first I thought maybe they haven’t done these before. But, two of the boys were right on it, hunting down the words and circling them. When I was explaining to the others, look for this letter first, and then this letter next to it, and then pointing out the whole words, they still had trouble circling the words. I hope that this boy and girl didn’t get too frustrated and never come back.
I hope our group builds. As a result of the terrorism the Peruvians suffered in the 80s and 90s, people tend to be very distrusting of outsiders. Two of the three Saturday evenings that I’ve come for the youth and young adult group, no Shipibo youth or young adults came! The one Saturday that I missed, we had ten people come. Fidel joked that I was piña(pineapple), a jerga for bad luck. Pray that with presence and time this community will begin to accept us, and participate in the clubs. Coming from Westminster, I was blessed with a large youth group, and never realized the difficulties in the formulation of a new group.

I want to clear up somethings about the purple Catholics, as Kelly called them. Although I spent much of October avoiding the processionals, I did on the last weekend of October become one of the traffic blocking spectators with Maribel, a coworker, and her family. Señor de los Milagres (Lord of Miracles) celebrates when, during an earthquake, everything was flattened but a painting of Jesus on the cross. This painting was the only thing left standing in a fairly large circumference. Every year in October they celebrate with carrying a shrine from church to church in Lima. Catholic women wear simple purple dresses tied with a white rope as a belt, and the men purple ties. A dessert made especially in Octobers for this is Turrones, a shortbread type cake creation, with a lot of caramel and candy type things in between the layers, quite delicious. During the month of October earthquakes are frequent. We had one big one, and several small ones this year! The Lima-ites joke that this is in remembrance of the miracle. As we approached the massive amounts of people surrounding the procession, I recognized the hallelujah chorus that the choir was singing. Now, it didn’t sound as spectacular as it does on Easter mornings at Westminster, but it was so beautiful to hear, here in Lima.

Thank you for all of your comments and support.

MUWAH!

I just got shushed at lunch today! There were six of us and we all were laughing, but you know me. I'm just guessing, but I think my laugh may have been a big contributor to the shush. We were having a borderline inappropriate conversation- no, not borderline, it was inappropriate, but I don’t care. We were having a hilarious time, and I was understanding it, as they were explaining to me as we went along. I was able to laugh at something other than myself. And this is good, to enjoy the humor of others. To you that may sound odd, but for the past 2 months, I haven’t really gotten the jokes. Everybody will giggle at something, and then someone will try to explain what they are talking about, and I give a courtesy laugh, even if its not funny to me. But today we all laughed. So, whatever old lady at El Delfin, I laugh loudly!

Right now, I believe I’m in the thick of cultural shock. It seems like my days are extreme opposites. I’ll have a great day, then wake up in the morning, and have an invisible day. You know what I mean, a day when nobody seems to get you, or understand you, or even see you. Hence invisible. That is I’m invisible to everyone but the cat-callers. And on these days every cat call, every hello, every lindo, every preciouso, every I love you just makes me burn. The worst is the kissing noise, the smacking of lips together in a smooch sound. I have come to almost expect this. When I pass a group of boys or men, I brace myself for it. Jason, another YAV here in Lima, doesn’t hear it. We can be walking down the street and I’ll hear the noise and say there it is. And he’s like what, no I didn’t hear anything. Its subtle, but so annoying!

I’m placing my communication abilities hand in hand with my ability to get over this whole culture shock thing. I am trusting that the more and more I understand and am able to say, the less and less confusion I will have. Also the more I fill up my down time, the better. Yesterday for my second guitar lesson Jamie, fellow YAV who is teaching me to play, asked me do you really have nothing better to do than sit around and practice the guitar? My response was well yeah, sort of.

Once I arrive home, if nothing is planed to do with the church, I generally do not leave again in the evenings. For two reasons, my neighborhood isn’t the safest to return to after 10ish and my family doesn’t really leave for any reason after dark. They are a little lets say on the conservative side, and don’t participate in things like going out for a drink, or teaching me to dance salsa. This has been a bit disappointing for me to deal with, however I believe I can learn different skills from my family. Like how to start random conversations to break the silence, and kids, little ones, how to coexist with them. Fiorella, the one year old, is adorable and runs around the house saying korikorikori. But, Andrea, is more of a challenge. She is four, and well she is four.

I just changed my settings on my blog from Spanish into English, and realized that I can change my comments section. Now anyone can post comments, without having an account here. So, as I am getting over this whole culture shock-two month hump-depression-thing, it would be great to hear from you! Just send me a quick message, its nice to know who is reading this. Thanks:)