Otra Cosa

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Today officially marks my second week here in Peru, my first week here in the "little fisherman's town" known as Huanchaco. I wish I could fully portray how simultaneously grounding and surreal this experience has been thus far.

I've been stripped. It began on the plane and has steadily continued to stream off of me like dirt and oil washes off in a warm, soapy bath.
It's the responsibility, the stress, the expectations. It's judgement, superiority and inferiority. It's the conversations about haves and have nots, career moves..."what are you going to do with the rest of your life?" It's the rules, the restrictions, and the precautionary guidelines.
It's everything that creates the illusion of comfort and safety.
It's everything that makes me feel like a foreigner in a my own land when I don't stay within the lines.

I have taken a lot of photos since I've been here...some are good, some are bad, none can capture the essence of what is. Like anything, to be fully part of the experience one can not be behind the lens of a camera. Unfortunately, this means I will never record catching my first wave in Chicama or dancing with a family I just met during a little girl's sixth birthday party. You will never see a picture of me singing with Alex and Stephanie in the kitchen of Otra Cosa or me learning how to salsa in one of the hottest clubs in Trujillo.

They say Peru is "other things", hence Otra Cosa. It is a different way of being, living, eating, and conversing. Here, they call it the Hora of Peruana. They believe that life happens. They have complete faith, and no matter how unorganized, scary, late, or difficult something or someone may be, they don't worry. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

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What is my life like now?
Work:
I work at Otra Cosa on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 3-9:30 pm. The restaurant is the only one in Huanchaco serving strictly vegetarian and organic foods. I work as a chef's assistant washing dishes, preparing entrees and juices, and practicing spanish. There are three different chefs that I work with, two of which are in their 20's, none of them speaking more than a few words of english; it makes for very interesting time.

Home:
I live with a host family. Both Nello and Rosa work at Otra Cosa with me. Nello, the 18 year old son, is a camarero y Rosa, the mother, is a chef. Elaina, the daughter, and her son, Gabby stay at home the majority of the day, everyday. I stay in the only finished bedroom in the house. There are two other bedrooms, one of which is filled with all of their belongings. The other bedroom has one bed and three or four other mattresses piled around the room. If Nello is staying out late at night, Elaina and her son will sleep in the bedroom with all of the mattresses and Nello will stay in the living room. Roza has only been at the house once or twice since I've arrived. I am unsure of where she stays when she is here.

Friends:
I have managed to meet a wide variety of interesting characters since being here. There is Roohous from Switzerland who has been traveling a year around South America. There's Mike from Seattle who owns his own dog business and is just in Peru for 2 months. There's Urinna from Holland who has been in SA for 3 months now. Yuko is from Japan...I'm not sure about the rest of her story. Emma is part Aussie part Thai and resides in London. She's been teaching English in Chile for the past 9 months and is spending the rest of her time traveling and volunteering. Nik is Scottish and has just dropped into Huanchaco for a few days before he heads off into the Andes. Andy is from Atlanta and has been all around the world. Marie Lou in French Canadian, a former Otra Cosa volunteer, and is now living here full-time with her local boyfriend Joel (but she might come to Ecuador with me because she has been looking for something to do). Pauel and John are locals who pride themselves on being Bricheros. Lastly, Giancarlos, is our glue. He's a 20 year old surfer who places top in Peru and has just moved back to his hometown of Huanchaco after living in Germany for two years. He and his brother own Indigo Surfing School and it's where we usually all meet up.

Daily Life:
I take cold showers. I eat the most amazing foods. I wash all of my clothes by hand and hang them to dry. I start my night at 11 pm and end it during the wee hours of the morning. I write in my journal, read, take pictures and attempt to communicate in spanish.

Highlights:
This past Sunday 13 of us piled into a rented van and drove 1.5 away to the town of Chicama. Chicama is famous for having the longest left-handed break in the world. I took my first surfing lesson with Giancarlos and was able to catch and ride-in 7 waves!!!! Mid-day we took a break and the local hostel put out a delicious meal of fried fish and rice. The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging and more surfing. On the ride home we were pulled over three times by police to have our "papers" checked. The night ended with a giant pot-luck dinner out in the middle of a camping field. I spent hours listening to everyone speak in French, German, Spanish and English (most of the people here know at least 2 or 3 languages). It was complete bliss and one of my favorite days.

I hope all is well over in the states. I have put my photos on snapfish, I just have to add captions. Here is the link: http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=243955585/a=143005195_143005195/t_=143005195

much love,
me

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Comments

[rainee]

So Proud :)
Trish, you amaze me. I am so proud of you for living a dream. I miss you terribly and wish i could come see you. I know it'll be no time before you are back and full of stories. i love you dearly. Love, Renee

[siobhan]

so i got this from care, and i wish nothing more then to be with you right now! when you get back we ahve to go surfing i got ok this summer here in maine! you sound so wonderful and most of all strong, keep speaking spainish it will come to you and the locals appreciate your efforts and have a blast i love you tons