Hmmm, not quite. I'm talking about the bus system.
When I first arrived in Lima, the bus system seemed like the most chaotic "system" of transportation I had ever seen. I didn't start taking the bus on my own until we moved out and I was forced to take the bus.
The way the bus system works is that the bus rattles and zips and clangs and speeds on by and there is someone hanging out the door who is yelling destinations. If the bus gets flagged down, then it pulls over, the person hops in and as soon as the passenger's foot if off the ground the bus takes off at high speed. The busses will zip into and out of traffic like no tomorrow to get one car length ahead of the other bus and then cut that same bus off to pick up a passenger. I used to think the buses went only in straight trajectories, I know know that I am mistaken, however on the road past my house about 20 different busses will take me the same location. Lucky me. It also appeared to me that the buses have absolutely no schedule, this is also false. Well not entirely. They seem to come at whole times. Like 10:10 or 3:30. However, they all happen to come at the same time, which makes everything even more confusing-but the point is, they have a routine.
I have figured out that to get from my house to either of my jobs, I can take one bus. I could also take 2 buses, but why take two (and pay double) when you can take one and pay once? This bus passed my first day job and then it continues and turns right where I need it to turn and drops me off right in front of my night job. AWESOME! It comes every 10 minutes more or less, on intervals of 5..so like 5:05, 5:15 etc. On a no traffic day, it takes about 20-30 min to get to my teaching job. I'm very glad I have found the bus that takes me where I need to go. Now the only problem that a co-worker pointed out is that since my bus is one of the big ones, more people get on and that means more stops are made. Like on every corner.
This is the chaotic part again. You can get on an off ANYWHERE. You can get off on the corner of your office even if the bus stopped at the stop that was a few meters ago. Its a bus mentality that makes things great for the person getting on and off and really bad for people who want to get to their location on time. I am still working on figuring out the entire system, but I like that I am able to figure out the organization in the chaos, even if its just a little bit.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Peruvian smokers
Recently, I made some new friends, a new one and her friends. I went to a language exchange, that was confused between a language exchange and a couch surfers meet up?? Any, thats a different story. But I met a friend and I have been trying to get to know her more. This past weekend she had a housewarming party, and Carlos and I both went. (Í feel like meeting some new friends is like going on first dates...kinda awkward on both parts while you get to know eachother).
I had NO idea that my new friend smoked. And not just like one or two here and there, but a lot. Being in her apartment for part of the night reminded me of Spain, but in a bad way. Lots of people smoked, but Peruvians I have decided are not considerate smokers. They really don´t try to keep the smoke away from non smokers. In Spain, at least people put the cigarette away from you and blow the smoke around you if they are talking to you or wave it out of the way. No such luck with Peruvians. They don´t blow directly into your face, but they sure don´t try keep it away either. Good thing I don't know that many smokers. GROSS.
I had NO idea that my new friend smoked. And not just like one or two here and there, but a lot. Being in her apartment for part of the night reminded me of Spain, but in a bad way. Lots of people smoked, but Peruvians I have decided are not considerate smokers. They really don´t try to keep the smoke away from non smokers. In Spain, at least people put the cigarette away from you and blow the smoke around you if they are talking to you or wave it out of the way. No such luck with Peruvians. They don´t blow directly into your face, but they sure don´t try keep it away either. Good thing I don't know that many smokers. GROSS.
Monday, September 19, 2011
The Peruvian whistle.
I have discovered that Peruvians like to whistle. Not whistle tunes or anything, but more like using whistling as a signal. Many of the street vendors have their own specific whistle. The Peruvian that hears them will know exactly what service the whistle is peddling. There are three main ones:
-The ice cream whistle. Most often heard during the summer, it sounds kinda like a defective bike horn, crossed with a kazoo. Its made with a horn to the mouth. Ice cream! I hear it a little more airy, but....whatevs
-The bike bread cart who peddles bread goods around the nieghborhood. Its made with a hand held bike horn. CARBS!
-The knife sharpeners horn which is more like a panpipe...ok it IS a panpipe, but also sounds kinda sinister...Sharp edges!
There is also the general watchman whistle which is the normal one made with the mouth or a PE whistle. Whistles are also used to call people's attention. For example, in a crowded room, if Carlos is separated from his mom, his mom with whistle to call his attention. (She also does it in the grocery store....the supermarket...on the street and I personally don't see how it could be effective). Carlos says this is because a whistle cuts across the noise a crowd makes a lot better than yelling or or noises. To me...it sounds like you are calling a pet.
I have yet to be able to always distinguish between the different whistles, and they always call my attention, whereas with Carlos, he can hear them and they just form part of the general noise or non noise going on. I tend to sort the sounds by time of day. The bread man passes in the early morning and later afternoon. The ice cream bike passes during mid day to early evening and the sharpeners mid morning.
Maybe I am getting more accustomed to living here after all...
-The ice cream whistle. Most often heard during the summer, it sounds kinda like a defective bike horn, crossed with a kazoo. Its made with a horn to the mouth. Ice cream! I hear it a little more airy, but....whatevs
-The bike bread cart who peddles bread goods around the nieghborhood. Its made with a hand held bike horn. CARBS!
-The knife sharpeners horn which is more like a panpipe...ok it IS a panpipe, but also sounds kinda sinister...Sharp edges!
There is also the general watchman whistle which is the normal one made with the mouth or a PE whistle. Whistles are also used to call people's attention. For example, in a crowded room, if Carlos is separated from his mom, his mom with whistle to call his attention. (She also does it in the grocery store....the supermarket...on the street and I personally don't see how it could be effective). Carlos says this is because a whistle cuts across the noise a crowd makes a lot better than yelling or or noises. To me...it sounds like you are calling a pet.
I have yet to be able to always distinguish between the different whistles, and they always call my attention, whereas with Carlos, he can hear them and they just form part of the general noise or non noise going on. I tend to sort the sounds by time of day. The bread man passes in the early morning and later afternoon. The ice cream bike passes during mid day to early evening and the sharpeners mid morning.
Maybe I am getting more accustomed to living here after all...
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Random Peru bits
I'm not sure if this will be a recurring thing but, random Peru bits!
1.)You can pay for plane tickets at the bank. You make your reservation online and then take your number to the bank and pay there. The same can be done for concert tickets and other things as well, but you pay at the supermarket. This falls into line with Peruvians innate wariness of not doing any online banking.
2.)People eat Halls like they are candy, which in fact they are here. You get cream/fruit flavored ones and chocolate ones. Its really odd.
3.)Private health insurance takes three months to kick in.
4.)Cars cost quadruple than what they do in the states. Carlos' BMW from 1986 cost $3700. From 1986...
5.)People on the bus will rob you by throwing things on you, like melted ice cream....or vomit or pull your hair or otherwise distract you while they are robbing you.
6.)Winter is all grey here. The sky is referred to as a Donkey's belly.
7.)College tuition varies depending on what high school you went to. More expensive high school, more expensive tuition.
8.)Tuition is usually paid by month. You go to the bank to pay...
9.)Lima is becoming more aware of the smog problem they have(or at least I hope they are) They block off several main areas every Sunday morning and only bikes and people on rollerblades and pedestrians can wander about.
10.) Lima-despite being a "coastal" city, is in fact a desert. And it has the dust to show for it.
1.)You can pay for plane tickets at the bank. You make your reservation online and then take your number to the bank and pay there. The same can be done for concert tickets and other things as well, but you pay at the supermarket. This falls into line with Peruvians innate wariness of not doing any online banking.
2.)People eat Halls like they are candy, which in fact they are here. You get cream/fruit flavored ones and chocolate ones. Its really odd.
3.)Private health insurance takes three months to kick in.
4.)Cars cost quadruple than what they do in the states. Carlos' BMW from 1986 cost $3700. From 1986...
5.)People on the bus will rob you by throwing things on you, like melted ice cream....or vomit or pull your hair or otherwise distract you while they are robbing you.
6.)Winter is all grey here. The sky is referred to as a Donkey's belly.
7.)College tuition varies depending on what high school you went to. More expensive high school, more expensive tuition.
8.)Tuition is usually paid by month. You go to the bank to pay...
9.)Lima is becoming more aware of the smog problem they have(or at least I hope they are) They block off several main areas every Sunday morning and only bikes and people on rollerblades and pedestrians can wander about.
10.) Lima-despite being a "coastal" city, is in fact a desert. And it has the dust to show for it.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Cost of living reflections
I have discovered that living here is not always a cheap as people think or say. A lot of expats say they come down here for the great cost of living and they have grand adventures and visit lots of places and eat out all the time. I don't really see what they are talking about.
Sure things are cheap if you come with a foreign paycheck, but otherwise, its not the economic paradise that many expats seems to make it out to be. I feel like the problem here is that things cost roughly the same, but the pay is a lot worse. Cars and gas for example, cost WAY more than the do in the states, yet there are a surprising amount of people who have cars. Animal protein is the same or more expensive and doesn't come in bulk-ie no Costco, or even frozen bag of chicken...parts. Eating out for two people for 2 of 3 days is the amount of money I spend on a week of groceries for one normal and one Carlos sized person (ok eating in is ALWAYs cheaper than eating out...but expats here seem to think one can eat out always and...save money??)
Sure things are cheap if you come with a foreign paycheck, but otherwise, its not the economic paradise that many expats seems to make it out to be. I feel like the problem here is that things cost roughly the same, but the pay is a lot worse. Cars and gas for example, cost WAY more than the do in the states, yet there are a surprising amount of people who have cars. Animal protein is the same or more expensive and doesn't come in bulk-ie no Costco, or even frozen bag of chicken...parts. Eating out for two people for 2 of 3 days is the amount of money I spend on a week of groceries for one normal and one Carlos sized person (ok eating in is ALWAYs cheaper than eating out...but expats here seem to think one can eat out always and...save money??)
Travel is extremely expense and, if it weren't for my parents visit, would probably never have had enough money to make it to Machu Picchu. It is less expensive if you take the bus, but then it takes forever and a day to make it anywhere. I don't have an extra 2.5 days to take a vacation, I'm too busy trying to make enough money. Some of the airlines have seemingly good deals until you click on the restrictions and it says for residents only. Damn being a tourist. It seems that here you are either cost effective or time effective and if you chose one, the other element gets blown out of proportion. Short travel time=crazy amount of money. Easy on the pocketbook means =you bottom will fall from sitting on a bus too long. On my budget its a no win situation. Gotta stick to moving around Lima and the immediate surrounding area I guess...
Maybe this is just life and I'm really reeling from the shock of living here versus in Spain where I made better money, and had more time to do things. If I had put in more time I would have made extra money where here all the time I put in means normal amount of money to live on. Travel in Europe is also so much cheaper that going for a day or two made sense. The price of food and other items was more proportionate to the amount of money I was making. Maybe I just had too much fun in Madrid. Maybe living in Lima is a lot harder that I thought it would be.
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