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.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
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.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Toromatch
This past weekend kicked off the start of this very interesting activity called "ToroMatch", which is held annually at the Fundo Mamacona, which is like a huge hacienda that is still privately owned. Its to the south of Lima around 2o min on the way to Pachamac,the pre-incan ruins, and place to get good food. Mamacona has stables where they keep Paso Fino horses and grounds that they rent out for events. Its really pretty with older arquitecture and lots of green. In the middle of the desert of Pachacamac, it´s a little oasis of green.
The actual event of Toromatch is to bull fighting what intertube waterpolo is to waterpolo. Something done for fun with a slight lack of seriousness and is similiar in only a few key aspects of the game. In toromatch there are teams and a smaller bull. Do not get fooled into thinking the bull is a baby, as I was. This bull has horns, they call it a cow, and it´s head probably is around waist high. But, all things considered, it is not a full grown bull fighting animal. The teams are given different thing to do with the bull. Its kinda like the bull olympics and the spectators sit in the bull ring bleachers and gasp and laugh at what is going on in the ring.
Toromatch at Mamacona isn´t all bull goading games. Its an all afternoon event that has different activities like mini paint ball games, a hot air balloon, a place to shoot bows and arrows, jumpy castles and slides for kids, a dog show (or other event depending on the day) and food and drink for sale. All of these events cost extra money except the dog show that we saw. The bull games and the following cockfight and party happen after 4pm. We found the activity with the most bang for you buck-shooting bows and arrows! It was the first time either of us had done it and we were pleasently surprised with how much fun it was. Maybe it will convert itself into a new weekend hobby...
Anway, after we played our games and ate lucnh we settled downt to watch the games. One of the games is called Torogol (Bull Goals) and the point is the get the bull to chase you through two goal posts and score a goal (gol). This is achieved by basically making the bull mad enough to run after you. In the game we saw they bull seems trained to stop at the goal box. It would chase the person the entire way only to stop/or skid to a halt at the goal box. The winning team in this game scored just one goal.
Other games/challenges/tests of *ahem* courage, included having to pass the bull through the bullfighter´s cape, twice. Once with a friend and then once by yourself.
With friends.
In another challenge you had to try and get the little colorful sticks to stick to the bull. In a real bullfight, the colorful sticks have hooks in them that are used to debilitate the bull. The sticks in toromatch are supposed to have tape on them, so if you push hard enough, you should be able to get them to stick to the bull´s back. The same theory of getting the sticks to stick applies in both cases, however. You have to look the bull straight on while it charges you and reach over its head and place the sticks on the shoulder blade area. This is what happens to most of the participants-
Very few participants who had to place the sticks actually kept their form...
The last test we saw was one that didn´t seem to have a lot of sense except to subject the participants to being battere by a small sized bull. There is a circle of chalk on the ground and the team stands in a huddle inside and the bull rams them and they have to stay inside of the circle of chalk until the whistle blows...clearly this sport was thought up by men with beers...
Between the commentary of the MC and the antics of the teams and the bulls, the audience is kept laughing and gasping and groaning at the misfortune of the teams in the ring. I found it thoroughly enjoyable, even if I wouldn´t consider it the one of the more classy/tasteful events I have been to.
But speaking of class, they did do a folkloric show at the beginning to kick off the season. They had dancers do a traditional Marinera Dance-the poor girls danced with no shoes in the bull ring.
We then saw some Peruvian Paso Fino horses do their thing. They are very interesting..the way they look it looks like they are a little duck footed and their legs kick out at the botton. It makes the look like they are always dancing. In fact, they do dance the Marinera and we got to see how it is done.
So I guess it wasn´t so uncultured...
It was nice to get out of Lima for a few hours and see some blue sky, coastline and green spaces. Hopefully with the slow arrival of Lima´s Spring and summer seasons, there will be more outings like this.
The actual event of Toromatch is to bull fighting what intertube waterpolo is to waterpolo. Something done for fun with a slight lack of seriousness and is similiar in only a few key aspects of the game. In toromatch there are teams and a smaller bull. Do not get fooled into thinking the bull is a baby, as I was. This bull has horns, they call it a cow, and it´s head probably is around waist high. But, all things considered, it is not a full grown bull fighting animal. The teams are given different thing to do with the bull. Its kinda like the bull olympics and the spectators sit in the bull ring bleachers and gasp and laugh at what is going on in the ring.
Toromatch at Mamacona isn´t all bull goading games. Its an all afternoon event that has different activities like mini paint ball games, a hot air balloon, a place to shoot bows and arrows, jumpy castles and slides for kids, a dog show (or other event depending on the day) and food and drink for sale. All of these events cost extra money except the dog show that we saw. The bull games and the following cockfight and party happen after 4pm. We found the activity with the most bang for you buck-shooting bows and arrows! It was the first time either of us had done it and we were pleasently surprised with how much fun it was. Maybe it will convert itself into a new weekend hobby...
Anway, after we played our games and ate lucnh we settled downt to watch the games. One of the games is called Torogol (Bull Goals) and the point is the get the bull to chase you through two goal posts and score a goal (gol). This is achieved by basically making the bull mad enough to run after you. In the game we saw they bull seems trained to stop at the goal box. It would chase the person the entire way only to stop/or skid to a halt at the goal box. The winning team in this game scored just one goal.
 |
| From Toromatch |
Other games/challenges/tests of *ahem* courage, included having to pass the bull through the bullfighter´s cape, twice. Once with a friend and then once by yourself.
 |
| From Toromatch |
In another challenge you had to try and get the little colorful sticks to stick to the bull. In a real bullfight, the colorful sticks have hooks in them that are used to debilitate the bull. The sticks in toromatch are supposed to have tape on them, so if you push hard enough, you should be able to get them to stick to the bull´s back. The same theory of getting the sticks to stick applies in both cases, however. You have to look the bull straight on while it charges you and reach over its head and place the sticks on the shoulder blade area. This is what happens to most of the participants-
 |
| From Toromatch |
Very few participants who had to place the sticks actually kept their form...
 |
| From Toromatch |
The last test we saw was one that didn´t seem to have a lot of sense except to subject the participants to being battere by a small sized bull. There is a circle of chalk on the ground and the team stands in a huddle inside and the bull rams them and they have to stay inside of the circle of chalk until the whistle blows...clearly this sport was thought up by men with beers...
 |
| From Toromatch |
Between the commentary of the MC and the antics of the teams and the bulls, the audience is kept laughing and gasping and groaning at the misfortune of the teams in the ring. I found it thoroughly enjoyable, even if I wouldn´t consider it the one of the more classy/tasteful events I have been to.
But speaking of class, they did do a folkloric show at the beginning to kick off the season. They had dancers do a traditional Marinera Dance-the poor girls danced with no shoes in the bull ring.
We then saw some Peruvian Paso Fino horses do their thing. They are very interesting..the way they look it looks like they are a little duck footed and their legs kick out at the botton. It makes the look like they are always dancing. In fact, they do dance the Marinera and we got to see how it is done.
 |
| From Toromatch |
 |
| From Toromatch |
It was nice to get out of Lima for a few hours and see some blue sky, coastline and green spaces. Hopefully with the slow arrival of Lima´s Spring and summer seasons, there will be more outings like this.
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