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Life in Lima
Hola from Lima, Thanks for checking out our latest news from South America, and to those who have left messages or comments. Especially those who've found the last entry's use of ¨dessert¨ instead of desert irresistibly hilarious! Since last time, los Robbos have been settling in a little more to this strange climate, culture and culinary cuisine.
We are learning many lessons in Lima:
- toilet paper only goes in the bin, not down the loo
- combis (VW vans that transport people) have the right to drive wherever they want
- clothes do not dry in the damp air, and when they do, they stink
- car alarms and horns are industries in themselves - there are many sounds, tunes, volumes and lengths
- there are many stray cats and dogs
- people from all sectors of society work very hard, long hours - people can be very creative entrepreneurs when livelihoods are at stake (the benefit culture of the UK is a far cry from the hardworking industrious culture of Peru
- 'childhood' is not a concept many children know
- bus strikes are common
- Peru has its own problems between its people groups - the contrasts between the quechua/mestizos and spanish are very clear
- Lima = city of contrasts - rich/poor, european/indigenous, shantytowns/tourist districts & gated communities, male/female gender roles, Catholic/Pentecostal, stray dogs/pampered pooches
- there are currently many links between Arabs & Latinos
- cream CAN be whisked with a fork (just takes 45mins)
- mars bar krispie buns are possible - with american milky ways and cornflakes
- earthquake tremors feel like turbulence in a plane
- many people use their phones like walkie-talkies, speaking with their phones facing them
- men often pee in the street
- strong sense of community
- not a strong sense of politeness (as we understand it)
- coffee never comes with milk
- mothers are queens, sons are spoilt rotten and wives do everything
- small bar of Dairymilk (from Argentina) = over 2 pounds
bus to other end of city = 40p
Americano in a cafe = 80p
2 course lunch known as a 'menu' = 2.50
cereal = 4-5 pounds
- red traffic lights and traffic lanes mean nothing!
- you are no-one until your street has its own GUACHEMAN (pronounced watchy-man), a guard who watches your street, all day and night
These are but some of the cultural lessons on offer here!
Meanwhile, Karen is now into Week 4 of mastering the Spanish language and all its intricate inconsistencies. It's intense but she is still enjoying the challenge! Her daily classes from 9am - 1pm are long and tough, lightened only by the fact she'll see her caring husband afterwards...! Mark's discipleship course is going quite well. The 5-6 guys in his class at the shanty-town church are very patient with his stuttering Spanish. They nod their heads in fervent agreement, even when he's talking nonsense! We now meet on Mondays and Wednesdays on the outskirts of the capital. We both now visit Lurin on Thursdays with Margaret Saunderson, a long-termer here in Lima. Karen joins in the women's group, getting to sing her favourite Spanish songs she learned in Mexico. Mark has started another discipleship course with a 24 year old guy there, the first of which took place under a tent at the roadside! Life is not easy for many of these people. Our list of contacts and friends is growing here: our landlady is a very kind, Karen's school tutors are supportive and Latin Link's long-term team have been really helpful! All in all, we are more settled than our last blog entry and are realising how important a time of preparation this is for us in Lima, before we leave for Huaraz, a provincial town a world apart from the capital city. Thanks to all who have kept in touch!
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