Quick updates

Yes, I am still here in Peru, with just about a month left of my fellowship! The past couple of months have been a whirlwind, with two college roommates and then my boyfriend coming to visit, and a week-long trip to Argentina during Semana Santa (Holy Week, a very popular time to travel for Latin Americans).

I have also started visiting at a new facility in Surco, a nearby district, making the very new electric train a part of my Peruvian experience (because I do have to walk a bit further to the station, I normally just use it during rush hour or if I want to stop at the big shopping mall before heading home). All of the residents at this new home are a part of Vida Digna, and they're almost all in decent health; just a couple need help walking.

And a few days ago, three girls from South Africa arrived to help out for a bit. They're missionaries and will be traveling around South America, with Peru as their first stop. Yesterday and today, they came along with me to the residential facilities, where the abuelitos have warmly welcomed them. Though I do need to serve as a translator for them (they only speak English), their presence has really added a lot to my visits, as the residents are excited to learn about these newcomers (and they're also pretty good artists!).

I promise to write more soon, with thoughts on nursing home staff members here and a recent neuroscience article on homelessness and traumatic brain injury!

The holidays, Limeno style

When I first found out that I would be spending my gap year in Peru, I was pretty excited to experience the holidays in another country, especially one south of the equator. Although I'm hearing a ton about the polar vortex in the States right now (and am saddened to hear about the resulting tragedies), I have to admit that it feels incredibly distant given that my outfits lately have consisted of short sleeves and dresses!

Unsurprisingly, given the predominance of Catholicism in Peru, Christmas felt like it was just about everywhere. One of the evenings, I went to a residential street famous for going all out with Christmas decorations, Monte Umbroso in Surco. Though I felt that the lights themselves weren't that much fancier than in my own neighborhood back home, the atmosphere was quite different, with families strolling along, snapping photos. The streets were packed too, with families driving through in their own cars or in taxis, pointing and taking in the sights.

Ferias also pop up during the holidays--these are cool flea market-type places that open in the couple of weeks before Christmas, and are great places to get good deals on unique gifts. I went with Linda, one of my host sisters, to one in Barranco, where they also had a band performing.

Here in Lima, Christmas is really celebrated on Christmas Eve. That night, I went with everyone to Janet's sister's apartment, where we exchanged gifts, played games, and enjoyed a yummy dinner. Besides the roasted turkey, it was quite different from Christmas dinner at home, with an amazing avocado salad, sweet potato puree, applesauce, and delicious arroz arabe (I'm getting hungry just thinking about it--might have to try making it myself!).

Unlike in the US, where kids need to get to bed early so Santa can deliver presents, everyone was up quite late. We counted down to midnight, when the sky exploded in fireworks...while it made for an exciting start, the next day, I read a news article about how the fireworks had pushed Lima's pollution levels well over the recommended limit :(

Christmas Day is a day for relaxing. For breakfast, we had lots of paneton, a lightly sweet bread with dried fruit and citrus flavoring, with hot chocolate. Everyone loves paneton here, but while I'm still not quite used to the citrus spice flavor and the brightly colored fruit chunks, which are usually fake, I think. In the afternoon, we headed to the beach--my first time going in December!

The beach in Villa, Surco

A week later, the streets were decked out in yellow, the color of good luck in Peru (and apparently in some other parts of Latin America as well). Vendors were hawking leis, flowers, and even underwear--they say that you should wear yellow for good luck, red for love, and green for money in the coming year!

After New Year's Eve dinner, I went with Amanda, who's also in Peru on a fellowship, to Barranco. Though we had a good time, it definitely wasn't the typical NYE night out that Peruvians have: the biggest parties are in the beach towns an hour or so south of Lima, and we left at 1:30--when the party really gets going!

Now, a week after the New Year, the last of the holiday decorations are coming down, and quite a few Limenos are taking vacations in the beach towns. I went to San Bartolo this past Sunday, and hope to take another quick trip down next week, before heading home. This leg of my fellowship has really flown by, and given how much more I've bonded with the residents, I think it's going to be even harder to say goodbye than last time.