Como se dice...?

Como se dice...? The question I find myself asking the most. That and "perdon?" or "que significa?" It has been nearly 3 weeks since I've been in Lima and things are going well. The language barrier is still present, but that's okay.

The strangest thing since arriving in Lima is that I haven't really experienced any adjustment time. Since landing here, life has gone by pretty easily and I haven't really experienced shock at anything. Of course it's exciting being here and seeing this new city in this new country that I have never been to prior, but I do look forward to traveling to the more exotic and unique regions of South America, like Machu Picchu (even though it's a major tourist destination, I still think it will be amazing), Lake Titicaca, the jungle, etc.

For example, I went to Pueblo Azules today in La Victoria. The only way I can describe it is like a run down mall with a lot of different vendors in tiny little stores and they sell everything, and I mean everything. To many people, it would probably be a really different experience as there are so many people, the stores are so close to each other and there is a lot of commotion as people call at you to shop at their establishments. To me it's very similar to Asia, though apparently the prices are a little more expensive here...or I just really suck at bartering. Hahaha...it's probably the latter but oh well.

Last weekend I went to Miraflores and Barranco with Kokoro, a Japanese tenant who lives in the same house as me. Things were good...I really love the atmosphere of Barranco. It's just so...relaxed and I love being able to see the sea from the many cafes. The thing I really like about Lima is that it's coast is so far down below from the rest of the city. The usual planning that occurs within waterfront cities is that huge array of skyscrapers that obscures the view of the waterfront from the rest of the city. In Lima, it's not like that. Instead, there are so many parks and different areas where you can just sit and enjoy watching the ocean. The actual beaches itself in the city however I am not a huge fan of. The area of sand that is available to lounge on is a little deplorable, and a lot of the beaches have large rocks instead. And there are SO many people!!

But luckily I've gotten the chance to go to the beaches south of the city twice since being here. Last weekend I went with Monica, my employer and just yesterday with the boys of Casa Los Delfines for their soccer competition there. It was fun times being in the ocean yesterday, despite the fact that I can't swim and being tossed around in the ocean ended up with me having sand in places where I would rather not have sand. On the plus side, the sand that made its way into my bikini top made me look like I had larger breasts, albeit misshapen ones. On the down side, the sand that made its way into my bikini bottom made me look like I pooed myself. And somehow, the sand in bottoms got wedged into the lining so I couldn't even try to get it out by pulling down on my bottoms a little bit and letting the waves wash them out. Instead, I had to walk to the bathroom, barefoot over hot sand, acutely aware that it looked like I pooed myself. I got burned last Saturday when I went with Monica and her family, and now my back looks like a peeling mess. It's quite disgusting actually...and the worst part is that I can't even do a good job of moisturizing my back because my arms just don't bend that way!

This weekend I will be doing a bike tour of Miraflores and Barranco. I think it would have been more enjoyable in Lima Centro, but I know how people drive in Lima Centro and I'd rather walk on the sidewalk and enjoy the sites than bike on the road and keep looking behind me to make sure a car isn't gaining on me!

There are some interesting things I have noticed about Lima (from a planning perspective mostly). The city is rife with one way streets...almost every street is a one way street, and those that aren't are wide boulevards influenced by the City Beautiful style with large and vegetated medians in the centre. The post-colonial architecture is a mix of modern and postmodern...and you'd be hard pressed to find a building with a peaked roof...it seems that the block is the prevailing style of architecture here. I am not sure how I feel about it...walking through my neighbourhood of San Isidro is nice, but I could see that some people might find it impersonal. Though the setbacks are nonexistent where the home is pushed right up to the sidewalk, it's the garage right next to the sidewalk and a lot of the houses have fences that you walk next to. Not exactly the most inviting, but that's not all of the houses.

The traffic here is still crazy. Though I am a fan of the buses here, even though they are confusing. They're more personal it seems, it's not likely that you'll board a bus that hasn't been personalized by the driver and the cobrador. I often see little stuffed animals hanging from the windows, or decorative tinsel (I think it's called tinsel?) and once, a rather large and framed photo of Jesus. The funniest thing I find is the honking here. A lot of the cars have this funny like and almost comedic honk...I just can't take it seriously when they're honking at somebody. It sounds like something that would come out of a clown car. Hahaha.

As for work, things are going really well. I can tell that some of the boys are getting a little frustrated with the language barrier, but others are being so patient and helpful so it balances it. The boys have been going to a dance class twice a week and it is the funniest thing ever watching adolescent Peruvian boys dance. One of the boys ran away this week, which makes me really sad. Steffen, the other volunteer tells me that he was living on the streets for many years and was addicted to drugs. He is such a sweet and good natured boy, and was so enthusiastic about learning. I worry about him because I know that he will probably start using drugs again and most likely does not have a place to stay. But the house is open and boys can stay and leave as they please...I am not sure how I feel about that. I mean, I know that you cannot force the boys to stay at the house but it just seems like it's a better option for many of them and I wonder if they are able to survive on their own at such a young age.

I guess this is the first of one of the incidents that will probably come in the near future. Anyway...I continued this post after doing laundry and taking a shower and have since then lost my train of thought. Until later my readers!


Saludos,
Renee