Sorry…the doctor is sick

That’s what 18 patients scheduled for endoscopies were told this morning at Chiclayo’s hospital Naylamp. They hadn’t eaten for the required 24 hours previously and several of them had traveled overnight to Chiclayo from remote villages to be at the hospital at 6:30am. An older woman from Guadalupe tried to plead her case but was told along with everyone else to make another appointment for sometime after October 4th.

Even if the doctor was not sick this morning, those people who arrived at 6:30am stand a good chance of not being seen until late in the afternoon. I have not yet discovered what mystical process is used to determine whose turn is next, but it’s sure not scheduled appointment time. What happens is when a patient is seen leaving the consultation office everyone hurriedly stands and crowds toward the door, hoping whoever is in charge will point at them.

In other posts I think I commented that the lack of organization, systems and procedures is what many expatriates living in Peru complain about most loudly. The above is not an isolated incident - it is an example of the inefficiencies rampant in all processes. When I set out in the morning to pay a phone, water or electric bill, claim a package at the post office, pick up our laundry, check out a book at the library or transact any other business government or private I fully expect what Maribel and I have come to call the ‘whoops.’ The system will be down or will not accept the information; the forms or regulations have recently changed, a rubber stamp or stamp pad is lost, or it’s time to close business for the day no matter how many people have been admitted inside and are standing in line. If a transaction is successfully concluded in one stop and in less than 2 hours or so I actually feel a sense of victory, but only after I have safely exited the building.

Peruvians don’t like the lack of organization and occasionally show their frustration, but I don’t think they or the people in charge realize there are better ways. Or perhaps they do…maybe it’s just a lack of money that prevents better systems and procedures. Maribel has a tougher time putting up with the ‘whoops’ than I do. She knows there are better ways. Her two years in the States spoiled her.

Anyway…Maribel’s father is sitting at the kitchen table wolfing down a big breakfast as I type this. He was one of the 18 at the hospital. We’ll try again in October.

Tom

Houston…we have CHILI!!

One night last week I went to bed thinking about a big bowl of chili. I mean I wasn’t just thinking about it – I could almost taste and smell it! Over the last few days the thought of chili became an obsession. I like Peruvian food generally (except for ceviche) and appreciate Maribel’s cooking but there are times when I would like a change. I imagine myself perusing the menu at Texas Roadhouse or Red Lobster or Dave’s Famous Chili and nearly start salivating. Today was the day to do something about it.

Back in the States I used to make some damn fine chili if I say so myself, so decided to see how close I could come in Chiclayo. The only ingredient I couldn’t find was canned kidney beans. I thought maybe a can of pork n’ beans might work if I added them late in the cooking process so they wouldn’t get mushy. To compensate for the extra tomato paste I added one less can of pure paste than I normally would.

Now I suppose you want to know my recipe. It’s simple…cook all this stuff together in a pot. Well, ya gotta brown the meat first of course and don’t let it form chunks. I add the onions to the meat immediately and the mushrooms after a few minutes. Next comes the tomato paste and then the condiments. Look out for that Sazonador…the stuffs got a bite to it! Next time I’ll use one tablespoon instead of two. Besides the stuff shown I added ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Last I added the pork n’ beans and let the whole shebang simmer for about ten minutes. I like to add elbow macaroni to individual servings, which of course is cooked separately.

And here you are…a pot of chili that looks and tastes very close to what I had been salivating about. A couple of times while we were eating lunch I got a little giddy and was close to shouting ‘praise de Lord!’ but I think I can be excused for that. No more dreams or obsessing over chili…I can have it any time I want, including dinner tonight.

Tom

Sometimes fate steps in

I truly believe that sometimes fate decides to play a hand when it feels the inclination. Take today for instance in the town of Morrope. We where there because I wanted to learn about the local plaster industry and perhaps get photos and information for a blog entry. We were having a hard time getting directions on where to go and how to get there. Even the officers at the police station couldn’t provide information. We had about decided to give it up and return to Chiclayo when, as we were leaving the police station a man approached Maribel and asked if he could talk to her about a project he was working on. We both immediately thought ‘scam’, but it turns out that Martin Rolando Angeles is the director of the school in Monte Hermoso…a dirt poor little village some thirty minutes from Morrope and that the Morrope municipal officials had just turned down a school project he wanted to implement, not because they didn’t like it, but because they don’t have the money. He was discouraged, tired of knocking on doors, and mistaking the emblems on our travel vests as an indication that we represented some agency, unapologetically began to pitch his project to Maribel right there on the street.

Within minutes the two of them said almost simultaneously…, “Did you study at Karl Weiss?” It turns out they were classmates and graduated in 1980 (see the previous post entry). After a minute of chit-chat Martin returned to his project. His presentation was thorough and included facts, figures and photos for support. The bottom line is that he needs 1250 soles ($450) for hand tools and several other items to be used by the kids to make artifacts for sale. I like his project and respect his tenacity. We’ve been looking for a place to help out and if our visit to his school next week goes well we told him we’ll consider helping him.

We were about to say goodbye when he asked why we were in Morrope – a town no tourists ever visit. Informed about our plan to learn about plaster, he said he knew an owner of a manufacturing site and offered to take us there. We went – were welcomed and got all the information and photos I need for the next blog entry.

Nobody’s going to tell me that fate wasn’t hanging around in Morrope today, and having nothing better to do at that moment decided to put a win-win situation together.

By the way, today marks the first anniversary of ‘My Slice of Peru’. Here we are one year and 84 posts later. That sure went fast!

Tom & Maribel

Happy Anniversary Karl Weiss!

Karl Weiss is a national primary and secondary school in Chiclayo. It is a tradition of the school to celebrate each annual anniversary with a week of activities. This year marks the 49th year of existence, and is also the 30th anniversary of Maribel’s 1980 graduating class.

There was an open house Saturday for alumni and any other interested visitors. The schedule of events indicated teachers would be on site at 9:00am to conduct mock classes with former students. We arrived at 9:30 to find freshly painted buildings but nobody there except a very angry school director who was fuming to no one in particular about the lack of organization. A student who happened to walk past at that moment was collared by the director and made to clean a restroom. Life is not always fair.

Maribel had no problem locating her former classroom and remembered exactly where she sat. Eventually one of her classmates showed up, but when we left two hours later there was no indication that anything was going to take place on this day, though it was still enjoyable to watch Maribel revisiting fond memories.

The parade on Sunday was a completely different story. It is a huge event. A ten square block area in the heart of downtown was closed off to accommodate all of the parade participants, which included at least 20 other schools who were invited to take part. Most parades involve military-style marching. There is competition involved, with prizes awarded for the best groups.

In the reviewing stand is Mayor Roberto ‘Beto’ Torres, the school director and teachers. The three young ladies hold the titles of Miss Karl Weiss, Miss Sports, and Miss Sympathy. The military officers seated below the stand are serving as judges for the marching competition. These kids work hard on their routines. The ‘goose step’ is the basic chorography.

Chiclayo’s mayor is a Weiss graduate. Mayoral elections are held next month, and participation allowed him to show his school spirit and do a lot of hand shaking. I think he’s a shoo-in but what do I know? After I took this photo a voice was heard asking.., “Who is the gringo taking photos?” Another voice responded with – “I think he’s the German Consulate.”

The proudly marching members of the class of 1980. I was impressed with the deep feelings the alumni showed for each other and for their school. At the close of the parade all of the classes got together for photos, shouted school cheers and exchanged phone numbers. The streets and adjoining restaurants were packed with exuberant revelers long after the parade had ended.

Not surprisingly the class of 1980 had lost track of each other, even though half of them still live in Chiclayo. They took the opportunity to catch up and talk about old times over ceviche and beer at a popular restaurant nearby. They are an interesting group of people and we’re looking forward to seeing them again for lunch tomorrow, which marks the end of this year’s celebration.

Tom & Maribel

Visit to a Cemetery

Even as a kid cemeteries held an attraction for me. Sometimes when none of my buddies were around I’d get on my bike and spend an hour or so slowly riding through a nearby cemetery. The large expanses of manicured green grass, bouquets of multicolored flowers placed at grave markers, plus the trees and shrubs combined to create a place that was to me more beautiful than many parks. I never understood why people acted so solemn and reserved in cemeteries. Why not spread a blanket next to the graves of Uncle Tony and Aunt Martha and have a picnic? They liked picnics when they were living so why not include them now? Years later my fascination for cemeteries remained and was enhanced by an interest in genealogy. In searching for my ancestors I’d inevitably find myself in the older sections…the places where the ancient white stone markers are barely legible and in some cases have fallen over. Often I’d walk between the rows, stopping to look at a particular marker that for some reason caught my interest; wondering…”Who were you? What was your story? Did any of your dreams come true? Does anyone know you’re here, or that you even existed?” Decades later in a different country I’m still doing that same thing.

Some of the larger cities in Peru have newer cemeteries that are somewhat comparable to those described above with grass, trees and shrubs, but the vast majority of cemeteries in Peru are dramatically different. The city of Pimentel has a cemetery that is representative of those throughout the country. There are some that are better maintained while others - the vast majority, show little attempt at maintenance. Also common to many cemeteries are entrances that seem to offer something inside other then the surrounding desert, but they don't deliver on their promise.

Missing are the large expanses of green grass. In their place is the ubiquitous brown dirt and sand, except where here and there a wealthier family has placed a small patch of grass. The Pimentel cemetery has three distinct sections. This photo is of the ‘high end’ section immediately inside the entrance way. The fresh flowers indicate regular visitation and that the graves are probably relatively new.

This is one of the more grandiose monuments. There is room to accommodate twenty members of the Huhmanchumo Zuñe family, only one of whom has arrived thus far. Separate and to the right are newly constructed mausoleums built by the municipality.

The second section is more communal than the first. Instead of individual graves there are rows of older mausoleums. It appears that less than half of the vaults are being visited. I noticed that most of the death dates in this section were in the 1950s.

The third section is what I refer to as the ‘land of the forgotten.’ These were poor people. I suspect that even if their graves are being visited, there is no money for flowers or other remembrances. This is what the majority of cemeteries in smaller towns and villages look like.

As I wandered through the barren landscape in the poor area I stopped at this gravesite. I don’t know why this particular one; there were hundreds more like it. Still, I found myself wondering…“Who were you? What was your story? Did any of your dreams..."

Tom

Some unsolicited advice for men

This may seem like an unusual post…hell, it is an unusual post, but it’s something that’s been on my mind for awhile. Put it in the ‘for what it’s worth’ category.

During my time in Peru I’ve seen some human misery stories that could have and should have been avoided. In my opinion they were caused by immaturity, haste and illusory expectations.

I have been in Chiclayo for over two years and absolutely love it. For reasons that don’t need to be gone into now, the lifestyle that has evolved for me with my wife Maribel in Peru fits my temperament and personality like a glove. There are others who share a similar viewpoint. And then there are those who will tell you they can’t wait to leave this desolate, god-forsaken hell hole. Which is the real Peru? That answer depends on what you bring with you and what you expect. Peru is Peru with apologies to no one. We are all free to see it and make of it what we will, and then to praise or condemn it if we choose to. And we’re also free to use our heads to do a bit of thinking before packing our bags and buying a ticket to Lima.

Honestly, some of the characters who show up here are an embarrassment to me. One was recently banned from a coffee shop because of his annoying mannerisms. I don’t know if these guys were loose cannons back home, or if there’s something about Peru that causes them to act as they do, but I do know they act and look like fish out of water; completely unprepared for the realities of this part of the planet. If you’re a misfit and/or loser back home, chances are you’ll be a misfit and/or loser here too. Peru has no cure for you. Peru is not the wild, anything goes frontier outpost you may imagine it to be, though there is still enough of a taste of life in the raw to suit me. And it’s not fantasy land, where the natives strew flowers in your path and fall to their knees to pay homage to the gringo who has chosen to grace their shores. In fact, if you decide to come here without doing your homework first, you’re setting yourself up for failure, and Peru is likely to chew you up and spit you out before you know what happened.

And then of course there is the subject of male seeking female.

If you’re one of those guys looking for a hot Latina chica trophy, my advice is to stay home and grow up. There are still some naive women here who believe that because a guy is a gringo he is automatically educated, intelligent, honest and has a sincere heart, but they wise up quickly when confronted with a phony. They’re not stupid. And if you’re expecting a sex toy servant, you are in for one grande surprise. Respect and kindness are high on their list of desirable qualities in a man, and if they’re not genuinely present, well…neither will you be for very long. Of the gringo/Peruvian relationships that I am personally familiar with in Peru, slightly over 50% have failed or are presently in trouble. If I’m not mistaken, that is about the same percentage existing in the States, which proves the following – men and women are the same the world over. Building and maintaining a good relationship requires compatibility, honesty, respect, compromise, constant communication and lots of hard work. It’s no different in Peru or with Peruvian women except it requires even more work because of the cultural differences.

Guys…if you’re considering a move to Peru or a possible relationship with a Peruvian, you’ve got to understand that Peru is not Shangri-La, nor are the women oversexed Inca princesses waiting to serve your every whim. Save yourself some money and misery…take a long, hard, critical look at Peru, the woman you may be interested in, and most importantly yourself before entering into a situation that may prove difficult to get out of.

This concludes our advice segment. We will now return you to your normal programming.

Tom

Preparing for an earthquake

For the first time in Peru’s history a national disaster earthquake drill was held today all across the country. And for good reason…Peru has a long history of destructive quakes. The last major quake – 8.0 on the moment magnitude scale occurred on August 15, 2007 south of Lima. So far this year through July Peru has averaged 13 detectable quakes per month, and August has already seen 11 tremors.

Minor quakes are taken in stride by Peruvians and anyone else who has been here for some time, but it was a new experience for me when I experienced my first one two nights ago, after having lived here over two years. I was seated at the computer when I felt the chair I was sitting in begin to shake. I thought Maribel had snuck up on me and was joking around until I noticed the glass of Coke on the desk was moving. About the same time I realized what was happening, it stopped. It was a minor quake, centered 150 miles north of us. My impression was that of sitting in a gently rocking boat rather than the violent shaking I’d expected. Maribel had once told me that dogs would bark shortly before and during a quake; something I dismissed as folklore. It turns out she knew what she was talking about! During that quake it sounded like every dog in the world was barking outside our apartment.

Chiclayanos took this disaster drill seriously. At 10:00am when sirens began sounding the entire commercial district came to a standstill. People left the buildings, commercial and private to gather in the center of the streets or other designated ‘safe areas.’ Traffic came to a halt…the cars simply stopping wherever they were when the sirens started.

The only people who maintained their posts were the police and private security personnel. I had expected to see an increase in security, especially at places like this bank but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Schools also participated in the drill. These students from Jorge Basadre assembled in the principal park along with many other people from adjacent businesses and government offices.

Injury and rescue simulations were part of the drill. Here a ‘victim’ has been treated and is being taken to a local hospital. At left a member of the police investigations unit can be seen filming the activity…perhaps for a later critique. As I took this photo the thought of CSI – Chiclayo crossed my mind.

When the ‘all clear’ sounded people returned to their normal activity. These Ripley employees actually participated in a roll call with the store’s security personnel before returning to the store, which makes me think they may have a very thorough disaster plan of their own.

Maribel, Brian and I have a plan for what we will do in the event of a major earthquake, which includes having all of our important documents and money in a small bag that any of us can quickly reach. We think we have a good plan…I just hope we never have to use it.

Tom