You are standing in the Cordillera of the Andes. Southern Perú. It's hard to breathe this high up. The sky is a clear, fresh, intense blue, stretching upwards into the deep realms of the heavens. You see rocky slopes sprawling before you, and some grassy fields splayed about. A river splices the horizon in two, snaking its way between the peaks. You note a small village beside a road. The inhabitants of the village have a skin tone unchanged from that of their ancestors: the mighty Inkas. They have a dark, awful secret, however. They speak the Inkan language, Quechua.
So? What's so bad about that? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. But the Quechuas feel that it is an awful thing to speak their native language. A Cuzcan tour guide named Ernesto once told me, "These people don't like to speak their native language [around others]. They have vergüenza - shame - to speak it. They feel it is a lower, dirtier language compared to Spanish." How can this be? Well, through centuries of cultural, legal and economic oppresion by the Spanish conquistadores, the Quechuas have been made to be ashamed of their culture, society, heritage and their language. Through this process, the ability to read quipus - the Inka way of writing by making knots - has been lost (although we have determined some numerical properities through analysis). Also, a third of all the words in Quechua have been lost. Most, if not all, speak Spanish, the official language of Peru. Any who hope to move to a big city and work, moving up the social ladder, must know how to speak this key language.
This is not a peculiarity limited to Quechua. The same has occurred with Aymara, another native language, along with many others throughout the world. I experienced this myself countless hundreds of times. People who communicate better in Quechua or Aymara, in front of other people, will speak only in Spanish. Even in the vast mazes in Peruvian markets, buried beneath tarps in dark alleyways, the Quechua or Aymara will, amongst themselves, oft not speak their most natural tongue, one they can both understand.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Friday, August 3, 2012
Este Nuevo Mundo Antiguo, Canadá
I recently read a blog post about embracing reverse culture shock, and I decided that was a good idea - use this time to highlight the differences between Canada and Peru.
Aire Rico
When I first walked out the door in Canada, I noticed just how fresh the air smelt in comparison to Tacna and Lima. It was humid, and with grass and trees even several metres from the airport, I was very impressed with the cleanliness and even delicious smell of Canadian air. My family told me Ottawa had been going through a bit of a drought, but the air was just so much more humid than Tacna's I didn't care.
Pasto tras pasto, árbol tras árbol
Since I lived in a desert for a year, there is basically no grass nor trees (except artificially planted and regularly watered ones). Grass is expensive, not just because it's really scarce and you have to buy it there, but you have to water it, since it only rains about 6-8 times a year (and even them it's only a very fine, light mist). Lush grass. And trees! And flowers!
La cortesía canadiense
I had heard, living in Canada, of how polite the people here were. I was just blown away when I returned and a day after arriving, went to a government building to get a document renewed. A cheerful grin, thank you's and please's were springing forth from not just the government employees but also the people they were helping. Then hours later I spoke with a bus company route-finder. He was very polite even though I had him on the phone talking for 20 minutes! Thank God.
Sí, riqueza material habita por acá
The people here are wealthy, rich, and affluent. The airport, the massive cars everywhere, the public transportation provided by the government, drying machines (in southern Peru we just leave them to dry hanging up on the roofs), massive TVs, the houses, washing machines, extra clothes, storage rooms to store more things, traffic lights everywhere, well paved roads, free public playing field after free public playing field... just nuts!
Tráfico Sano
The traffic here is not insane. People stop at stop signs, cars in traffic circles are given the right of way (in Arequipa cars inside these circles often have to stop completely to let another car in because they're so jammed pack), cars don't hover between lanes, right on the line...
Aire Rico
When I first walked out the door in Canada, I noticed just how fresh the air smelt in comparison to Tacna and Lima. It was humid, and with grass and trees even several metres from the airport, I was very impressed with the cleanliness and even delicious smell of Canadian air. My family told me Ottawa had been going through a bit of a drought, but the air was just so much more humid than Tacna's I didn't care.
Pasto tras pasto, árbol tras árbol
Since I lived in a desert for a year, there is basically no grass nor trees (except artificially planted and regularly watered ones). Grass is expensive, not just because it's really scarce and you have to buy it there, but you have to water it, since it only rains about 6-8 times a year (and even them it's only a very fine, light mist). Lush grass. And trees! And flowers!
La cortesía canadiense
I had heard, living in Canada, of how polite the people here were. I was just blown away when I returned and a day after arriving, went to a government building to get a document renewed. A cheerful grin, thank you's and please's were springing forth from not just the government employees but also the people they were helping. Then hours later I spoke with a bus company route-finder. He was very polite even though I had him on the phone talking for 20 minutes! Thank God.
Sí, riqueza material habita por acá
The people here are wealthy, rich, and affluent. The airport, the massive cars everywhere, the public transportation provided by the government, drying machines (in southern Peru we just leave them to dry hanging up on the roofs), massive TVs, the houses, washing machines, extra clothes, storage rooms to store more things, traffic lights everywhere, well paved roads, free public playing field after free public playing field... just nuts!
Tráfico Sano
The traffic here is not insane. People stop at stop signs, cars in traffic circles are given the right of way (in Arequipa cars inside these circles often have to stop completely to let another car in because they're so jammed pack), cars don't hover between lanes, right on the line...
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Los Informes: N° 10 - Junio
The same as when I last wrote this report. Gabriela is now on her cross-Canada trip and so my host family is a bit anxious because they haven't been able to contact her directly (only indirectly) because her phone is having some issues.
How's school?
Delicious.
I'll be going back to Humboldt in a week to collect the official "document" that records that I took about 3 months of Spanish classes allá, and I also plan on going out to collect my Portuguese class diploma from the UPT esta tarde. Also, my cooking class this module has had French class, donc j'ai pratique - quelque chose dont j'ai beaucoup de besoin.
Cooking class continues to excel :).
What's up with Rotary?
This month was both the departure of Gabriel, notre étudiant d'echange français, who left on the 12th, and then on the 17th we had a Father's day meeting - they gave the dads some nice flashlights with built in radio (which they'll probably end up using the next time there's an earthquake and power outage.
Problems?
Can't think of any except what I touched on last time. Time. It's almost gone. And it's sprinting. It seems like only a month ago I had already been in Peru for two months but that was really over 7 months or was it 8 months ago..... STOP THYSELF, O THOU CLOCK.
Praise God I'm making use of my time and living for eternity.
Anything else?
Yeah - I went and travelled to Puno and got to see lake Titicaca and Uros (and learn a few aymara words - like kamisaraki)
Los Informes: N° 9 - Mayo
How's your host family doing?
My host family continues to look forward to the return of Gabriela (their daughter) who shall be returning late July - along with her older sister, Denise. I'm looking forward to meeting Denise and saying hola again to Gabriela.
How is school?
School was good. I finished Portuguese on the 28th. I had been studying it at an anex of the UPT in the central plaza - basically a language institute, branching off of the main univesity. Se Joe estiver lendo isto, pode me dizer como vai o meu português? Espero que seja entendível. Além disso, I have also been continuing to study cooking at Esdit, although it is expensive. However it is very useful, and I look forward to using this God-given ability to serve my family when I return to Canada.
Any problems?
Yes, can you tell the clock to slow down? Man, the time goes by so fast. Se pasa volando.
What's up with the Rotary Club there?
Not much :)
Anything else?
Yeah; I went to Arequipa to say goodbye to the third exchange student to leave - Addey Meachum.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Los Informes: N° 8 - Abril
How is your daily life with your host family?
As it has progressed throughout the year. It's fine and there are no communication problems, thanks be to God. I love my host family. It's also clear at this point that there will be no change in host families (the Arequipa kids have changed around 3-4 times), while us Tacneños have yet to change even once. I'm quite fine with this; my host family is great, we live conveniently close to both my Cooking classes and Portuguese classes.
How is school?
My classes are going well; my cooking class is very helpful; I joke that when I leave Peru, I'll be bringing the best with me :) Also, my Portuguese classes are going well. I can communicate in it muito melhor do que French.
Problems?
At 5:00 AM this morning there was an earthquake of magnitude around 7. No one was killed and the damage was very, very minor (just some sections of wall in a few old houses), as well as some power problems and the like. 5 people in hospital). During the month of April itself I did come down with Gastroenteritis (the second time I've been sick) but that has been my only other malady I've had.
What's up with your Rotary Club?
It's fine. I went to the Rotary conference in April with the other exchangers in Arequipa. I've attached some photos of those events.
Other:
I will be departing Peru on August 1st, and arriving August 2nd.
Mmm, qué rico.
Ceviche de langostinas.
The conference.
As it has progressed throughout the year. It's fine and there are no communication problems, thanks be to God. I love my host family. It's also clear at this point that there will be no change in host families (the Arequipa kids have changed around 3-4 times), while us Tacneños have yet to change even once. I'm quite fine with this; my host family is great, we live conveniently close to both my Cooking classes and Portuguese classes.
How is school?
My classes are going well; my cooking class is very helpful; I joke that when I leave Peru, I'll be bringing the best with me :) Also, my Portuguese classes are going well. I can communicate in it muito melhor do que French.
Problems?
At 5:00 AM this morning there was an earthquake of magnitude around 7. No one was killed and the damage was very, very minor (just some sections of wall in a few old houses), as well as some power problems and the like. 5 people in hospital). During the month of April itself I did come down with Gastroenteritis (the second time I've been sick) but that has been my only other malady I've had.
What's up with your Rotary Club?
It's fine. I went to the Rotary conference in April with the other exchangers in Arequipa. I've attached some photos of those events.
Other:
I will be departing Peru on August 1st, and arriving August 2nd.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Los Informes: N° 7 - Marzo
Daily life with host family?
Just an introductory note: In the above questionnaire "How are often are you in contact with your club counsellor?", the answer is technically "monthly," but is less than a minute of contact (normally).
Host family:
In terms of daily life with my host family, I have an update to note: "Norma," my host mother's neice who previously cleaned the house, is no longer working for my host mother. Thus, there are less people in the house. Otherwise, everything is normal.
Just an introductory note: In the above questionnaire "How are often are you in contact with your club counsellor?", the answer is technically "monthly," but is less than a minute of contact (normally).
Host family:
In terms of daily life with my host family, I have an update to note: "Norma," my host mother's neice who previously cleaned the house, is no longer working for my host mother. Thus, there are less people in the house. Otherwise, everything is normal.
How's school?
How is school?:
March was a normal month of school, except that I was in Cusco and Machu Picchu for two weeks so I missed two weeks of classes, which did not prove (thanks solely be to the grace of God) to be difficult at all to catch up.
I am learning how to cook a great deal!
Problems?
Hidden costs present on the Machu Picchu trip were not made known until we were there. We ended up having to buy some meals that we did not think we would have to buy, along with other things.
But no financial nor national emergency, no.
How's the Rotary Club?
Fine as usual, but I was travelling for a week and a bit with some Rotarians to Machu Picchu instead of going to a normal meeting. Otherwise, all is normal.
Los Informes: N° 6 - Febrero
How is host-family life?
Going strong as usual. Not much to say, seeing as how I've been here for over 6 months going on 7. This is probably going to be my shortest report to date because there is just very little to say.
How is school?
Good. Portuguese classes 'recomeçaram' on the 5th of March. I'm still attending Esdit, thus learning to cook. Honestly, not much to say here, but I guess I can outline my weekly class schedule in terms of Cooking and Portuguese.
DAY A (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
-----
8:30 - 12:30 Cooking in Esdit
1:00 - 2:30 Portuguese
DAY B (Tuesday, Thursday)
-----
1:00 - 2:30 Portuguese
Going strong as usual. Not much to say, seeing as how I've been here for over 6 months going on 7. This is probably going to be my shortest report to date because there is just very little to say.
How is school?
Good. Portuguese classes 'recomeçaram' on the 5th of March. I'm still attending Esdit, thus learning to cook. Honestly, not much to say here, but I guess I can outline my weekly class schedule in terms of Cooking and Portuguese.
DAY A (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
-----
8:30 - 12:30 Cooking in Esdit
1:00 - 2:30 Portuguese
DAY B (Tuesday, Thursday)
-----
1:00 - 2:30 Portuguese
Problems?
There are always problems :)
The pattern for attending school and post-secondary options seems to be that the exchange student arrives in July to August and attends 4th or 5th year (the equivalent of Gr. 11 or Gr. 12) in school until school ends (around Dec. 15). This is expected to be paid for by the host parents. For me, I arrived Aug 20th, but two of the other exchange students did not arrive until later; then together we entered school and, taking into consideration the trips taken with Rotary, we ended in early December with only about 2 months of Peruvian schooling under our belt.
Then, afterwards, it seems the norm is to enrol in language, art, cooking, instrument classes or something else along those lines (this is not to say that there is not the option to go back to the same school to repeat the same courses over again). These post-curricular courses are not expected to be paid for by the host parents, meaning the parents at home must pay if their child is to do anything. Rotary does not pay for the schooling. As previously discussed, an American did not elect to do any courses, and so her parents (seeing she was to do nothing else for several months) brought her back home.
So, in summary, the problem is that Rotary at this end is not fully communicating the true future financial situation and schooling situation to our end.
How is the Rotary Club there?
As it always has. My host councillor is supposed to bring me to Arica and back soon so I can renew my passport days, yet this has not come to pass.
Also:
- The biggest trip (to Machu Picchu) is currently being discussed. We should be leaving in a few weeks.
- My camera was either stolen or lost (more likely). I have resorted to using my camera phone, so I don't have many photos to show :(
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