Final Month Reflections Part 1: Peru

Peru- Lo buen, lo mal, y lo feo.
 (The good, the bad, and the ugly. And yes, I probably translated that wrong)


With one month remaining in Peru, I'm going to share a few of the things in Peru worth actively missing and also the things worth escaping. I'll start off my little diatribe with a list of things I very much like about Peru.

1. The food: Pretty much any dish here has a long history, from fusion to import to adaptation. The cocineros have a few staple ingredients they know how to use and use well, as well as some interesting ones. Among the, how to put it, "unique" things I have tasted here- cuy (more commonly known as guinea pig), cow heart, pig stomach, and lucuma (a delicious fruit only found in Peru during the summer). Chela, my host mother, told me she once ate cat. Mmmm.
2. The lack of heating/air conditioning: While I realize that the temperature extremes here are, well, not extreme at all, I have to admire the complete negligence of these systems. One Peruvian attitude we can all learn from would be translated like this: "Buck up. Wear a sweatshirt."
3. The variety: Peru has just about every type of geography possible and seemingly limitless locations to explore. I could explore the many fascinating landscapes of Peru for months on end.
4. The history: If there is one place that celebrates who it is and where it came from that place is Peru.
5. Academically, the focus on development seems very realistic and productive. They invest in research for how to bring themselves out of poverty, raise the standard of living, and generally improve the country. What's more is that they are training the next generation to do the same.

Now for the mildly annoying attributes...

1. Why are there 10 ophthalmology stores in a row on a single street? Or an avenue full of mattresses? Does this business strategy really make sense to anyone?
2. Also, how many key replication shops does one neighborhood need?
3. Kissing traffic jams. This one extends to every culture that uses the cheek kiss as a greeting and decides to say goodbye in the very center of a crowded sidewalk between a group of 10 or so. Flash forward15 minutes and foot traffic finally stands a chance.

Finally, the hate list. It had to come, but I hope you will see my negativity as charming sarcasm or some other bull crap (hey, there's always the chance, right?)

1. Lines: They don't have them here...
2. because people think they need to be extraordinarily rude to service workers in order to actually get what they want/need.
3. Machismo and catcalls: Wanna hear my BIG-cat call? GRRRR. Now get the hell away from me.
4. The celebration of diversity when there is actually huge singling out of minorities, a highly racially divided society, and rampant stereotyping.
5. Teachers not showing up for classes. At the danger of sounding like a petulant teenager: WTF? Who does this? Its your job for which MY tuition is paying. You need to be there.
6. On the same note, teachers rescheduling classes they miss and then taking attendance. No no. Not happening.

 Anyway, this is part one of my "final month" special. As this one focused on things I will miss/not miss about Peru, the following will do the same about the US.