South American Salsa: Satin Reflections

Sky satin whirls through air, frolicking with bright reed flute notes, deep drum beats, teasing smiles. Stomping feet and brisk yips echo in the festive atmosphere executed by polite waiters, complementary Pisco sours, and juicy tequeños dipped in avocado. I savor the salty, crispy, cheesy, way-too-greasy bite and then refocus my attention on the dancers. Weaving gaily, twirling, with their professional smiles firmly in place, they show off traditional dances from Piura, Arequipa, la selva and other regions of Peru. The array of styles, steps, and music hint at the diversity of Peruvian culture. I bob my head to the rhythm, enjoying the show and thinking that it’s a good way to spend a last weekend in Lima.

What? Wait . . . It really is that. Once we begin our post-semester traveling on Friday, I will only spend two more nights in Lima. The next week will go so fast- a little homework, one in-class final, packing, a funeral mass, a good-bye lunch and any other lasts I should squeeze in. Puno and Lake Titicaca on the weekend, and then Iquitos and the Amazon the next week. Back in Lima for 36 hours to do final packing and goodbyes, and then boarding a Miami-bound plane on April 29^th. And then Kansas and Kearney and friends and reverse culture-shock.

The last few months have flown by in a whirl of combies, classrooms, challenges, outings, and laughter. I will miss the heat of the sun on my back as I test out icy ocean water. And the spicy flavor of anticuchos or ají de gallina or papa a la huancaína. My red and white apartment building with yellow flowers spilling over the wrought-iron fence. The energy and convenience of a big city. Moving to salsa music, classes in Spanish, maybe even the occasional, “Please, sir, you know that’s a lot. Give me the taxi ride for 7 soles or I’ll ask Juanito over here instead.” But I think I’ll miss the people in my program the most. Bonfires on the beach, Bembos ice cream dates, funny stories about messing up Spanish or falling out of combies, random conversations on the steps inside the entrance to UPC.

I won’t miss the constant “Hey, baby, nice body” comments or whistles from strangers, the every-Peruvian-for- himself driving chaos, or the being cheated because I’m a foreigner parts of Lima. The constant feeling that everyone is staring at you, the pretending to look mean as I navigate streets on my way home.  

I have learned a lot here. About subjunctive tenses, the usage of por vs. para, the meaning of “phrasal verbs”or how word order affects meaning. About the diversity and complexity of the Peruvian culture. About social problems facing Peru past, present, and future. About humans’ rights and indigenous politics in Peru and Latin America in general. As I reflected in a final essay earlier this week:

“That’s the thing that leaves me thoughtful. Perhaps because I grew up in a family that had to stretch paychecks to have food on the table, or because I have spent years praying for, studying, and working with marginalized groups, I have always felt a connection with indigenous groups and poverty-stricken families. The past few months spent living with the other side of society—shopping all the time, spending Fridays at the beach, or staying in resorts- have made me realize how easy it is to get caught up the materialism rampant in upper classes and wealthier countries. While having a maid serve my meals and do my laundry really bothered me in the beginning, I can feel it slowly becoming normal.

“I have had amazing experiences during my time here, but I do not feel the same connection to Peru as I have to other cultures that I have spent time in. The old saying goes, “you get out what you put in.” My life here has revolved around me—my studies, my friends, my classes, my fun. And that scares me. I have at least two more years of studies in a place generally isolated from extreme poverty. My life will easily fill with activities, classes, friends, and fun . . . I realize that staying aware of the hardship faced by so many people every day will take a conscious effort on my part. I hope that I choose to stay connected with the people who have lived a much harder life than I. If I forget, I become part of the problem.”

Ready to watch some dancing!

The after-the-dances dance party on the stage. Limeans love to dance!

A few corrections. . .

Huayco is actually spelled huaico.
And it was over 600 families that were left homeless by the landslides. One woman was left dead and 21 peopl injured. According to the newspaper "Nuevo Ojo," these are some of the worst landslides in recent years. At this point, help has been promised by officials, but until yesterday afternoon, there had not been any organized aid in motion.

South American Salsa: Huayco!

“Disculpe, Señor,” my host mom leans her head out into the drizzle and motions the man over to the car. “¿Hay paso enfrente?”

No, not for hours.  They are just letting a few people through at a time. I peer through the droplet-laden darkness at the tightly packed car lights blinking in front of us. The line is kilometers long. Retreating from my frustration into a little Rascall Flatts and Carry Underwood, I try to find a position that will make my back ache less. With four girls, several grocery bags, a laptop, and a DVD player packed in the back seat, wiggle room is counted in millimeters.

The rain started about half an hour before we arrived at the country club. My host family had rented a bungalow up in the mountains about an hour outside of Lima, wanting to spend Easter weekend relaxing together. Just as I was coming back to the car to carry the last of multiple grocery bags, suitcases, and pots across the club grounds, I spotted my host mom waving frantically at me from across the gravel parking lot. As I reached her, she excitedly told me that there was a “huayco” and to come see. I had no idea what a huayco was, but it seemed to be important. We joined scores of other vacationers at the entrance to the club just as traffic on the nearby highway came to a halt.

Within seconds, an inch or two deep flood of water raced down the highway. Behind me, the gravel driveway filled with water 3 or 4 inches deep and proceeded to flood the soccer field. While my host mom quickly removed her shoes and ran to move the car to higher ground, I watched people tear down tents with impressive speed and race to their cars, bags in hand. Huayco! Huayco!

Rosy, another girl who lives with my host family, recorded footage as we discussed whether or not to leave. They had cut the power to the whole club, and as we later discovered, the whole town because of the large amounts of water. Without electricity, there would be no cooking, spoiled meat, and a host of other complications. My host dad’s mother called to tell us there had been huaycos in the closest town. We reloaded everything as quickly as possible and left for Lima.

That was two hours ago. Rock and mud blocking the road has backed up frenzied traffic , not only here in Chosica but also in nearby Chaclacayo. We are all tired, tense, bored, and squished. My host mom turns up Barbara Streisand on the radio, illiciting complaints as the Katy Perry music video on the laptop in the backseat is drowned out. No longer able to handle three different styles of music and honking horns, I grit my teeth and pull out my headphones. This is going to be a long night.

We inch forward. Streams of people sheltered by trash bags rush past us the opposite direction, looking for high ground. Rain dances in the headlights.  

Suddenly, traffic jolts forward, opening up a space to take a different road. After half a second of thought, my host mom follows 2 other vehicles up the mountain. A native of Chosica, she thinks that there may be a way to get around the landslide on this parallel local road used by the mototaxis. After several off-roading maneuvers that should really only be attempted with a 4-wheel drive (not this little city car), rocks scraping the underbelly of the car and all passengers out, we finally get to the main road on the other side of the landslide. The highway that had been so clean a few hours ago was now covered with inches of mud. After driving past 3 or 4 kilometers of 3 lanes of paralyzed traffic heading up the mountain, we headed down to Lima. I flopped into bed at 1:30 a.m. after a midnight meal of anticuchos and potatoes.

This morning, the T.V. informed us that there had been 8 landslides in the Chosica/Chaclacayo area, leaving 300 families without electricity and water, and drowning one woman in her home. Many homes have been damaged or destroyed. Road crews will be working for days to clear the highways.

My back is still sore as I write this, and I’m admittedly locked in my room getting a little personal space back. I’m just now realizing how lucky we were to get down. I’m also realizing what these families will be dealing with in the next few months as they try to put life back together. Please pray for them, if you get a second.

Water fills the soccer field and runs off into a
very full drainage ditch- this is maybe half an hour
after the first water crossed the parking lot of the club.

Torrential rain in the mountains created the landslides in Chosica

Rosy, Ariana, and Marisol packed in the back seat with me.
Scared faces, everyone!

Some roads were completely filled, stacked feet higher than
this road, with rock from the mountain

Mud and rock covers the road

City of Chosica, where the most huaycos hit

Traffic backs up for miles. . . 3 lanes going
one way in parts!

South American Salsa: Precious Moments

Sand spits in my face as we race up the dune, and I press my lips together to avoid an open mouthed laugh. We crest the dune and the wheels spin over thin air for a moment before diving down the vertical slope. My stomach drops delightfully as we hit the end of the slope and take sharp right, tires throwing clouds of moist sand. A few minutes later, we come to a stop at the top of dune and our driver does a quick photo shoot before untying the sand boards from the frame of the buggy. Steph, Chelsie and I each take a turn whizzing down the dune.

And that was just the first afternoon at Las Dunas Resort in Ica, a 4 hour bus ride south of Lima. Over our two and a half days there, we managed to fit in pool time, horseback riding through the dunes, a visit to the unique Islas Ballestas (home of sea lions, pelicans, seagulls and penguins), a 2 hour soccer game (my bruises are still healing), and a karaoke night. The weekend was a part of our package price for the semester, and it was a blast!

Since we returned from Ica a couple weeks ago, life has been filled with class, homework, friends, and Spanish tutoring. A while back, I felt challenged to put more effort into my language study. My Spanish tutor, Zule, has been very good at working with me to get a deeper study on areas that I have problems in. This week, one assignment was to write an article in Spanish on a city I’ve lived in or visited. After I correct it, I’m hoping it will become my first Spanish blog post! I have also gone to a couple of our “conversation tables”—basically, people from my group get together with other UPC students and talk about life. Two days a week we talk in Spanish and the other two in English. Although I haven’t been a regular, I have enjoyed the hours spent there in the last couple weeks.

I’ve also had the chance to meet some new friends. Last Saturday, I was invited to a private beach by the daughter of one of my host mom’s friends. It was a nice chance to speak Spanish for an extended period of time and relax away from crowded Lima. I had the opportunity to get to know my new friends Karla, Andre, and Renzo. We strolled through a well-known, upper-end shopping center called Asia on the way back to Lima- I even got serenaded by Mariachi band from Mexico!

Today, I was invited to visit the mother and godfather of my Peruvian friend, Alicia, who I met 6 or 7 years ago working at Bethany Home. I randomly ran into Alicia in Walmart a couple weeks before I came to Peru and talking with her relieved some stress about coming to a new country. Today I was able to deliver some vitamins to her mother, share a delicious lunch, and chat with Alicia and husband over Skype. It was fun to be with her family and talking to her, even though we are thousands of miles apart. Through listening and participating in their conversation, I learned another perspective on some of the politics and recent history of Peru that was a little different than what I have heard in several of my classes, which has left me with some things to process.

With just five and half weeks left in Peru, I’m feeling both excited to return to the States and surprised at how fast these last few months have flown by. With my remaining time here quickly filling with work and fun, I am grateful for the opportunities, lessons, and friends that I’ve made and am expecting many more precious moments in Peru J.

Pool area at Las Dunas Resort- so very refreshing after
a hot day in the desert!

Hanging with the dune buggy :)

We survived!!!

Speeding over the dunes! Look out below!!!

Las Islas Ballestas- home to all sorts
of intersting sea creatures!

Penguins on las Islas Ballestas! No icebergs here!

Horseback riding in the dunes! It's been
awhile, but I loved it!



Dr. Aviles' birthday dinner back in Lima. We went to this
yummy Thai place with a really cool atmosphere. MMM!!!

Relaxing at the beach south of Asia with my new friends!

Draping tree flowers at the resort

More pretty tree flowers- God takes my breath away sometimes :)

South American Salsa: Single Scream

The other night, I had a hard time falling asleep. It was the scream that kept me awake. I couldn’t drown it out, no matter how high I turned up my Ipod. Just thinking about it gives me shivers. Imaginary, but powerful, it echoed in my inner being. The single scream of thousands women and girl subjected to rape and sexual abuse as a result of political violence in Latin America. Deep, gut-wrenching, raw, alone- that is how it sounds.

In my Indigenous Politics class, we have been studying a period of political violence in Guatemala that lasted from the sixties into the mid-nineties. Basic summary: several guerrilla groups with socialist leanings rise up against a dynasty of military dictators. Indigenous groups, which make up a signifigant proportion of Guatemalan population and have been historically marginalized and deeply impoverished, tend to side with the guerrillas, whose communal ownership doctrine closely parallels deeply-rooted traditional beliefs. The Guatemalan government begins a scorched-earth campaign in the late ‘70s and into the early ‘90s, attacking not only guerrillas, but anyone suspected of aiding them. In their practice, that meant just about anyone who lived in the mountains and had Mayan features. Torture, massacres, forced disappearances and forced relocation were among a few of their favorite tactics for destroying the enemy and protecting themselves. The extent of the violence spurred the Truth Clarification Commission (CEH), published 3 years after the official end of the war in 1996, classified incidents as genocide. In recent years, members of the military involved in the scorched-earth campaign are beginning to be held accountable by the justice system for their war crimes.

Enter women. I’ve just scraped the tip of the iceberg in reading about rape in war-- specifically, a few articles about rape in recent conflicts in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Guatemala, and Peru, and a couple books that included victims’ testimonies of rape as a part of war strategy in Darfur conflict and other civil wars in East Africa.  Based on common themes in my reading, this is a summary of what I understand: The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH), the Red Cross and the U.N. recognize rape in war as a form of torture and classify it as a crime against humanity (Violacion, 263). In many ethnically based conflicts, women are seen as dangerous because of their reproductive capacity (Franco, 29). Thus, being the bearers of the enemy, ethnic cleansing practices often include the rape, torture, and execution of pregnant women, forced abortion and forced impregnation, not to mention gang rape and a host of other atrocities.

All of these tactics were systematically employed by the Guatemalan military and paramilitary groups, who were responsible for 93% of the humans’ rights abuses during the conflict (Bird, 27). The Peruvian military also used many forms of rape as torture in Peru’s conflict with the Sendero Luminoso in the 1980s. For example, many women, some suspected to be associated with the Sendero Luminoso and others who were in the wrong place at the wrong time, were gang raped by the military according to rank and then shot (Franco, 28). The eye-witness accounts and victim’s testimonies that I’ve read are gruesome, and as I’d like to keep this PG-13, I won’t go into detail. It is also worth mentioning that rape is just one form of torture employed by these militaries. Evidence found by truth commissions in both countries indicated massive humans’ right abuses in several different categories.

As I read, the obvious question is: How did we get to this? How can one human being do this to another?

I have several beginning thoughts on this, the first of which is that “ideas have consequences.” I’m borrowing this principle from “Discipling Nations,” a book on holistic, sustainable community development by Darrow Miller. Basically the theory goes like this: Our ideas or worldview leads to our beliefs. Our beliefs lead to actions. Our actions have consequences, good or bad. So our ideas matter. In fact, they are vitally important.  

When I was a kid, there was a popular saying that went: “Believe in something or you will fall for anything.” However well-intentioned, this statement is destructively misleading. What you believe produces consequences in your life and in others’ lives. Unfortunately, at both a personal and international level, we often look no deeper than the consequences or the actions because the closer to the root we get, the stickier and more uncomfortable the issue becomes. That, however, is a whole soap box in itself, so let’s get back to the point.

What collective ideas could have caused practices like those in Guatemala and Peru? The idea that another race is subhuman, for one. This idea has some responsibility for several major consequences in Latin America and other parts of the world, like ethnically based social and political inequality, genocide during the Guatemalan civil war, etc.

 How about this one: “look out for number one.” At a personal level, this idea is responsible for destroyed relationships, lack of integrity, greed, and compromise. At a national level, it takes on names like corruption, ethnocentrism, and genocide. In Guatemala , it looked like a “scorched-earth” policy that protected only the military and left tens of thousands of innocents dead.

My second thought is that cruelty doesn’t develop overnight. I’ve never heard a kid say, “I want to be a torturer and rapist when I grow up.” But given a certain environment, a few too many compromises, some wrong ideas, and a sense of impunity, perhaps undergoing abuse themselves, a process of desensitization can occur, leaving disastrous results in its wake. Those who participated in ethnic cleansing and torture through rape in Peru and Guatemala made a series of choices and compromises, granted sometimes out of fear for their own lives and those of their families, which built the character and capacity for cruelty.

And one more thought for now- personal is so deeply connected to collective. There has to be me before there is we. Societies, families, nations are made up of individuals- individual ideas, individual compromises, a combination of individual actions. As much as it would be nice to think that what I do (which is a consequence of my ideas) only affects me, that is not reality. When combined, what I think and what you think can break, create, destroy or build people, relationships, cultures, and nations.

So, to sum up:
-I’ve never been a fan of Machiavelli, and what reading I have done has convinced me that the end does not justify the means. Torture should never be used as a widespread, systematic form of punishment or information gathering, even in times of war. 
-Ideas have consequences, so what I (and we) believe matters.
-Twisted character is a process, not an event.
-Individual action (or lack of action) creates a ripple effect that has a way bigger impact than imagined at the beginning.

Now, as the scream of victims fades a bit, a different tune echoes in my heart, sending chills down my back:

“Oh, be careful, little mind, what you think.”



Sources:

Bird, Annie."Genocidal General Wins Presidential Elections in Guatemala." Upside Down World. 7 Nov. 2011.

Franco, Jean. "Rape: A Weapon of War." Social Text, Vol. 25, No. 2, Summer 2007. Duke University Press.

Miller, Darrow L. and Stan Guthrie. Discipling Nations: The Power of Truth to Transform Cultures. YWAM Publishing: 2001.

"Violación Sexual Contra la Mujer." The Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Lima, Peru. 19 Mar 2002.

Sanctuary in the Clouds

     The train sways back the other direction as I crane my neck to see the first glimpse of the snow-capped Andes. Ragged violet peaks poke out from behind green mountains and rushing foliage, glimmering a little in the early morning light. Leaning apologetically around the Asian guy next to me, I wait for the one second gap in the trees and snap a photo (or 20 :).

     We've been following the Urubamba river for the last hour, the landscape gradually changing from valley farmland into steep, towering mountains. Now I'm noticing jungle plants and moss laden trees hanging over the angry toffee river to my left. On my right, mountain and jungle wild flowers rush past in a blur of pink, yellow, and purple, clinging stubbornly to the wall of earth three feet from my window. I think the French couple across the table from me find my enthusiasm mildly entertaining.
   
     Two hours later, I vaguely listen to the tour guide's explanation of Incan mythology as I touch the stone wall in Machu Picchu. Seven hundred years ago, an Incan stone mason had hewn an exact angle, specially designed to resist the strong earthquakes that plague the area. Smooth. So tightly fitted that shoving a nail file in between the stones would have been impossible. Incredible craftsmanship blending natural rock with quaried stone, buildings carefully constructed on a mountain ridge. What was the stone mason's story?

   The afternoon sun sets the ancient city in sharp relief, dwarfed by the hulking moutains that pierce the blue sky. I look down the mountain at the narrow, ancient path that hugs the cliff and connects Machu Picchu with this high eroding stone checkpoint where my friends and I have settled. Conciously preventing my jaw from hanging open, I try to absorb  the landscape in all its detail. Sharp green cones rise suddenly from the floor of the ground. What mysteries lie hidden, protected in the great folds of the mountains? The thread of the Urubamba squeezes between their planted feet and Aguas Calientes seems like a tiny, insignifigant leggo amongst overstuffed living room furniture. The smell of wet leaves and earth freshens the thin air. At any moment, I expect Tarzan to come swinging through the trees. I can't believe this is my life. Do I really get to be here, to see this? The blessing swells in my chest, quickening my heartbeat and stealing my ability to speak. To see this place is to glimpse how grand and majestic and protective and vulnerable is the heart of its Creator. A thought to be analyzed later. For now, my soul drinks in the wild, hidden beauty of this sanctuary in the clouds.

P.S. My blog and my computer cannot seem to communicate well. Check out Facebook for pictures!

South American Salsa: Real Peru

It doesn’t matter than it’s after midnight. It would appear that the entire community of Cerro Azul enjoys a good party. Oh, good defined as salsa blasting from loud speakers, vendors selling homemade hemp bracelets and party whistles, and all lights on in the town square, complete with its stage, church, central gazebo, and park. People laugh and call out to friends, wander through the booths holding hands, or gather by the live band.

The aroma of meat sizzling mixes with the briny ocean breeze as the six of us weave between plastic tables and jolly townspeople. Settling in one of the squished open-air food areas, Ana Belen orders anticuchos (grilled cow heart on a kabob) and picarones (rings of deep fried dough dipped in syrup) for everyone. I try to keep up with the excited Spanish conversation bouncing around our table full of women, but it’s been more than 24 hours since I heard or spoke English. My limping brain catches only bits and pieces- enough to look like I understand and respond to direct questions. A bottle of bright yellow Inka Cola appears in the center of our table and the bubble-gum pop is quickly distributed in tiny disposable cups. The band begins its next song.

I momentarily stop trying to understand Spanish over hundreds of voices and thrumming rhythm and reflect on the last couple days. We left Lima yesterday (five hours later than originally planned), and drove to a beach house on Playa Los Lobos, named for the sea lions that used to live here before the people moved in. Tucked far away from developed hotels and malls, Los Lobos still feels relaxed and uncrowded. Maybe it was being away from the city, my computer, and busyness, or perhaps it was the spacious, window-filled, blue and white beach house with no hot water, but something inside feels deeply relaxed.
I always feel noticed, observed when I’m outside here. My light skin, hair, eyes, and height (yep, I’m tall here) make it difficult to blend in and practically scream, “Please take advantage of my ignorance.” I always feel on guard, alert. Earlier tonight, I went up to the second story balcony and finally felt anonymous in the darkness, free to listen to ebb and flow of the sea and watch the moon play across the clouds without anyone staring. Just me and God sharing a companionable silence.

My eyes meet a stranger’s observation, and I quickly tune back into our table as the anticuchos and picarones arrive. I’m a little scared of the anticuchos until the first mouth watering bite.

After wiping our fingers, we jabber our way through the booths and music. Ana Belen asks the guy at the drinks stand to mix me up some Pisco Sour, the national alcoholic beverage of Peru. It burns all the way down, leaving an aftertaste of lemon. I like it- the shot glass is enough for now, though.

After a walk on the malecon (beachside sidewalk), we crawl back in the car- two in front, four in back- and begin the 2 hour drive home.

This weekend, I connected in a way I haven’t yet. Museums and historical sites are important, but the real culture of a country is here- in the streets, eating the local food, speaking the language. Real isn’t always easy to deal with- it bugs me to get up at 8 a.m. and not leave until 1 p.m. and live in constant flex. Or to not know the polite way to say “I don’t like papaya juice- please don’t bless me with it every morning.” It’s in “real” that I learn, though. To laugh at myself. Remember that I can sleep in dirty sheets and take cold water showers and force down food I don’t like with a big, grateful smile. Learn to let not knowing or being in control be okay.

I got a taste of both sides of real Peruvian culture this weekend- the hard, learning part and the salsa dance, anticuchos, laughter part. I love it. I hate it. It’s good for me. This is why I am here. Beautiful.

P.S. On Sunday, we went a couple hours outside Lima to a party at Ana Belen’s friend’s house. Great food and a pretty agricultural valley. I even got told I dance like a latina!

Seagulls play in late afternoon sea

Ariana, me and Ana Belen (my host family) get out of Lima
for awhile. Ariana and Ana Belen love the sea!

Ariana and friend Marisol spent hours frolicking in the waves.
I spent hours lying on the beach with a book.

On Sunday, we headed north of Lima to the agricultural valley of
Huaral. It was nice to see green!

Ana Belen's friend raises guinea pigs or "cuy" for food. Yep,
they're not pets here! I hear their meat is highly nutritious
and low in fat content. We'll see if I get up the guts to try it.

Like most Latin American parties I've been to, dancing and salsa
music is a must. I love it! Go girls!

If I'm going to talk about real Peru, I can't leave out the reality
of Peruvians who aren't as fortunate as my host family. There are
no beach houses in their lives.

Had to add this one! Take a deep breath and listen
to the waves :)!

Oh, I don't think I mentioned the pet baby rabbit that runs
around the house making a mess all day. Nazca is so cute!
She's not allowed in my room however. . . except this once ;).