Una Mes

I can NOT believe it has been one month. As of yesterday, I have been in the beautiful land of Cusco Peru for 4 weeks. It seemes like it has gone by in a flash. But when I look at everything i have done and expierenced I can NOT believe it has ONLY been one month. I want to take this post and write something i had in my other journal, the one not online. Its the distinct differences between what I'm used to and Peru. It's not a comparison, just something i think everyone would find interesting.

1) The toilets here don't flush toilet paper. You have to throw the toilet paper into a garbage can.

2) Some showers here are electric. You flip the on switch, which makes the shower head heat up and pump out warm/hot water. I may or may not have accidentally touched the shower hear a couple times and gotten electrocuted.

3) Being white=you have a ton of money and want to spend it. Whenever I walk down the street, a dozen cab cars point at me, honk their horns, and flash their lights, expecting that i want to get a cab ride and don't want to walk. I am approached many times a day be vendadoros seeing if i want to buy something, from a cell phone to finger puppets. I am handed out pamphlets about massages and bars MANY times a day. Sometimes it can get a bit annoying.

4) STARCH! For EVERY meal i have rice (which isn't bad at all, cause my mom's rice is the best rice ever) However, often it is paired with potatoes, or bread, or cereal. It alot.

5)It's very normal for members of the family to go out till all hours of the night, or sometimes for a day, and not call. Cel phones are used here, but not the way we use them.

6)In my neighborhood, no water after 930 or 10 roughly. This is to save water. I think its a brilliant idea. And whats great is people here don't care.

7) Service in restaurants or anything=SLOW. So tips are not necessary.

8) No te perocupes, don't worry, is a VERY common phrase here. It pretty much sums up the life of a Peruvian.

9)The weather here changes on a dime. Literally. Sun and rain at the same time, followed by a downpour for 3 min, followed by a rainbow. Followed by hail.

10) You are expected to kiss everyone on the cheek when you say Hola como estás? and chao! Everytime.

11) Food portions here are HUGE. But this culture is not a snacking one at all. Three big meals a day, followed by té. Soon I'll post another entry all about food :-)

12) PDA very excepted. Couples sitting on eachothers laps, kissing, walking down the street with their arms around eachother don't know how they do that) is the norm.

13) The Incan culture is in everybody's life, esp. Pacha Mama.

To leave off this blog I want to tell the story of the first mean person Andy and I encountered here in Perú. We have been here for 4 weeks, and only encountered 1 mean man. He was an American.

I am doing a favor for my host sister that involves walking around the city and having people take a survey about coffee. She works for a bank that is giving a loan to a coffee company and they need a survey on what kind of coffee people like, and why they like certain places. Because I don't know how to explain that in Spanish very well, I have been telling people its a project for my business class. Most people have been very willing to do this survey and ask where we are from what we are doing here, and other questions. I approached a man who was speaking English with another man, and started my schpeel, this time in English
"Hi! My name is Libby and I am study here this semester and I-"
"Slow down ok?" he said
"Um, ok. I am in a business class and we are doing a project about a coffee shop. Is it possibility you could fill out this survey?"
"What we need are markets and money for the people here, not coffee," he said.
"Um, come again?" I asked
"What the people need here," he YELLED at me, "are business that will benefit them and make them money. They need a market, no a coffee survay. Ok?"
At this point, there were so many things running through my head. We had been talking about markets for the past week in desarrollo. We had been discussing Peru and her potential and what the people really need. AND this survey was for a Peruvian who was opening a coffee shop. And why was he yelling at me? I am helping my sister. And even if i was a business major and this really was for a project, how does he know its not for the people to make them a profit? This could eb a business class about non-profit organizations....
"Ok." I said. (ooooooh were there other things i wanted to, but i knew they wouldn't get through to him.
"Quiere chocolate?" he said with a very mean smile.
"No, gracias" and I walked away, and he and his friend laughed at me.

I hope that man learns someday what the people of Perú really do need. And its not him, for sure.