Semester Abroad (Lima, Peru)

Another temporary goodbye tonight to my two friends Mike and Alicia.  I will hopefully see them in less than two weeks when I finally leave Lima and go to Cusco. I have had the pleasure of spending close to two weeks with them here in Lima, shooting the shit, exploring the city, playing drinking games, partying and going out to the clubs. 

They're here (including Prachi as well who's staying for 4 more days) as students from various universities from the United States. Each of them are involved in various projects involving social issues within Peru. Mike is a sociology undergrad major, studying the gay community here in Peru, trying to analyze issues they have around equal rights and social stratification. We have had a lot of great conversations around this topic and I have been able to connect him to a couple local guys that I have met who have a lot of things to say about this topic. I feel like I am back home in my job making connections in the field. Alicia is studying nurses that act as counsellors in prisons. And Prachi is studying issues within the mines of Peru.

Ahhh... to be a student again would be amazing. I love sitting around with them as they talk about their issues, their research, their professors, their ideas and thoughts about certain topics, and their fun student lifestyle.  At the same time, it is nice to bounce around my own ideas and my own experiences of what I know as a social worker.  I've said it before, but hanging out with people of different ages, different experiences and backgrounds is always so interesting.  I'm glad to have met them. 

I wish I had this awesome opportunity when I was their age (Mike just celebrated his 21st birthday last weekend here in Lima!). To have your mind opened to a different culture and country. They tell me about all these interviews they are performing with all these various people, some VIPs, some just your regular ol' person, and I am in awe of how well they go about it with such confidence. 

I guess I am not that far removed from what they are doing, I am just doing it in a different context. I love my life at times.

My Music, My Harmony (Lima, Peru)

I'm still in Lima. I would like to say that I am not bored here anymore and not feeling in limbo. Thanks for those of you that have approached me with ideas and slaps in my face to try and wake me up. I think I've gotten over the hump and am adjusting to "life" here, however short of a time that may be. I love having friends that live here and hanging out with them at various times of the week. Even my daytime hours are filling up. Sometimes I wonder what I do all day... haha... a bit of this and that, but with good company.

I think Lima will be the last place I'll settle into for a while, after this I will start to 'backpack' again, get back on the path of the gringos, but not for another two weeks. Leticia is trying to find a short volunteer gig here in Lima, and also has a doctor's appointment on May 10th, so I will stay in Lima with her. The other day we went into a busy/popular hostel (a Lonely Planet pick, no doubt) and it was crawling with backpackers. I had to get out of there as soon as possible, I just don't see myself in them right now.

As with everything I always try to put myself in the shoes of the refugees and immigrants that I serve in Canada and the theory that I preach in my cultural diversity workshops. There are people that try to cope with their resettlement and integration process by sticking with people of their own kind, their own language... but it often takes them a little longer to integrate. Then there are those that reject their background, their customs, their own kind or the people from their homeland. I guess I am more on the latter end of the spectrum these days, but not too far stretched. I'm glad I didn't leave Lima earlier, although I was definitley considering it. As we often tell immigrants, get over the hump and you'll find your groove, your harmony.

Anyway... I write this post because I just updated my Iphone on Itunes to the latest version. But since I am on my new netbook, I don't have all my music and photo files that were on my iphone... so now my iphone has bascially been wiped clean! Boo!! My first thought was that I have lost a little part of myself. I am sure many of us can relate to this. I've written of this before. Luckily, but somewhat of a hassle, I have an old itouch with me, that I brought with me just for this purpose. At least my iphone hasn't been stolen and I still have a backup. But now I have to carry around two ipods around with me. And I suppose with my new laptop I can download some NEW music! Wow, what a concept. I can listen to new stuff other than what I hear in the clubs here.

Bed Time (Lima, Peru)

I have been so anti social that there's a guy in my dorm room that has been sharing the same room for like two weeks. His bed is less than 3 meters away from mine, and never once have we introduced ourselves! Haha. We do say "Hola" every now and again. I wonder if he thinks I don't speak any Spanish or if he thinks I'm just a hermit. I do know his name, only because I've heard it said it before. And my spunky friend Jair and now former employee here told me he's a sports journalist from Argentina. Cool. Too bad I don't have any interest in sports whatsoever, unless it's a tv or movie drama! Like Friday Night Lights!! Love it!!

Jair also told me I'm like a hermit in the hostel and asked me why and I tried to explain my sentiments in Spanish (see last blog). Well, I guess people have noticed, I thought I would just go under the radar. Perhaps not.

Anyway, there's a new guest in our room, they both have the same accent so I'm guessing the new guy is also from Argentina. Anyway, it's 2:11am and they're chatting away with the light on, while they sit up in bed. I'm sitting here on my iPod, earplugs in, pretending not to be bothered by anything. But now I want to sleep...

Holy shit! They must've read my mind. Lights off!! Good night y'all.

Limbo in Lima (Lima, Peru)

Well, here I go again, in this phase of limbo that I dislike. Once again I feel like I should be doing something else, like I should be settling down.  While backpacking, many people have a constant friend to go around with, or if not, they have a constant agenda to follow. They have purpose in other words. 

Myself? I am kind of just drifting along, wondering what I will do next, who I will hang out with next, who I will actually take the time to get to know. As I said the other day, I have made some local friends that live here in Lima, and as well I have some friends here that I know from traveling. My friend Steph and I hung out last night, it was great to see her again. The problem is, she is staying at a different hostel than myself, but we will hang again tonight and then she is off to her next destination in a couple of days.  And for my local peeps, they all have their lives here... jobs, school, friends, family, etc.  For them, to hang out with little old me once or twice a week is normal. For me, I am such a right here, right now, live in the moment kind of intense guy, so I am always ready to go, ready for some action, some adventure, or even just ready to go for a simple coffee and shoot the shit. 

So, where does this leave me? Take some classes in Lima, nope. Tried that, it failed and the others are way over my budget. Move on? Perhaps, but I am expected to meet up with Leticia in 10 days here.  I could leave and come back, but go where? Some other tourist town and look at some churches and take pictures of colonial buildings? No thanks.  Go home to Canada? Nope, my friends from Canada are meeting up with me in Colombia in July. (Which I am very excited about by the way!!)  Find some volunteer work? Perhaps, but... but what? 

It is interesting because I want to find something stable, but I dont really want to lose my free time either, but its the extended periods of free time that haunts me! I often say don´t get stuck in the waiting place, how do I know when I am stuck in it?

Word of the Day (Lima, Perú)

I love learning new words in Spanish. I often remember the ones that were taught me in daily life, incidentally. Back in Mancora, for example, there's a lighthouse that someone had pointed out to me while speaking spanish and I was like "huh?". Faro... faro, he said. Well since then I've heard the word faro (lighthouse) like at least 8 more times! It's not a common word I'd use in Canada but then again I don't live on the coast. So today... In the capital city, I'm meeting up with someone by the... (what's the word of the day?)... faro on the "malecon".

Malecon... That'll be tomorrow's word of the day... Which sounds very similar to "maricon"... Haha funny story!

Lima Life (Lima, Peru)

It has been a week now since I arrived the gigantic capital city of Peru. I´m staying in the ritzy area of Miraflores, reminiscent of a modern North American city such as San Francisco. Or, as I´d like to compare it to, for those that know the Philippines, it´s like the Makati area of Manila.  The first few days here were spent with Leticia and Julia, hanging out at posh cafes and drinking frappuccinos and lattes while people watching and catching up on all of our gossip since we last saw each other 10-12 days prior. It is always such a treat to come to place and have friends waiting for you. You sleep on a bus in one city and wake up in another, but yet you don´t feel like a complete stranger because there´s a familiar face there to greet you.

So since then, Leticia and Julia have gone their seperate ways, but I will most likely be traveling with Leticia, yet once again, in a couple of weeks. Leticia and I just can`t let go I suppose, which is fine by me. She is currently travelling around with her boyfriend that came to visit her, it was great to meet him and also a little nerve racking for me! It was kind of a Will & Grace moment.  Before she left, Leticia and I bonded by doing something... something I am not ready to reveal yet. Um... it´s not what you`re thinking, if that´s what you`re thinking. Haha.

I have decided to hang out in Lima for a few weeks and get to know the place and hopefully find some spanish tutoring to keep me busy. I just had a first lesson today, but the man reminded me too much of my father and I don´t think he was a professional teacher, in face he tried to entice me into a business negotiation between Peru and Calgary. Um, no thanks.

As with all places, lately, I have been trying to connect with some local folks. I`ve had the pleasure of meeting up with some friends that I had made back in Mancora, that actually reside here in Lima.  So they have taken me out a few times, for lunch, for city tours, to the discotechs, etc.  Its always so nice to get the insider`s point of view. I sometimes feel like a snob though at my hostel because I don`t socialize with anyone. There`s one guy that has been sleeping in the bed next to me for like 5 days and all we have said to each other is Hola a few times. Oh well.  We all have our own lives.

Last night, my new buddy that works at the hostel, Jair, took me to his own personal barber in his neighborhood. Prior to that he took me to his humble home while he spent an hour with his math tutor. I had the pleasure of chatting it up with his grandmother. She asked me a tonne of questions about my travels and my life, we shared a few jokes, and she told me about her life. I didn´t understand everything one hundred percent, but I caught the gist of it all. She has even invited me back one day for lunch or coffee. Ahhh... Peruvian hospitality.  So afterwards, at 10pm, Jair and I went down the street and knocked on Cesar´s door who then opened the door to his barber shop right beside his house. I got my own personal hair cut at 10pm, too bad Cesar had just woken up from his dazed state and rushed through the process. Nonetheless, my hair looks how it normally does!

So now... I am back on the hunt for a different spanish tutor, back on the hunt to live a somewhat normal life here in Lima.  I can only surf the net, hang out with folks, and drink frappuccinos so much until I get bored...

Al Fin (Trujillo, Perú)

After spending a few days in the beach town of Huanchaco, I am now back in Trujillo and will be taking a night bus to Lima at 10pm.

In the end, I had a great time here in Huanchaco and Trujillo. The city is small enough to allow me to get to know it well. I've met some local friends and had some cool times, chilling at the bars by the beach with live music, sitting in my friend's Eduardo's and Katty's apartment shooting the shit and playing cards, and last night I ended up going to two house parties and a discoteca! I never would've thought that being in a place for ten days would've given me so many local peeps to hang out with! I love it when I've got multiple plans, being pulled in different directions. Well, that's kinda like my old life in Calgary... so I guess to a certain extent I love it!

Now... Reluctantly I head off to Lima to meet up with Leticia for our very final last days together. Although we've said this before. I've also discovered our gal Julia is arriving from Mancora tomorrow as well! It'll be a Loki reunion!!