Life in Huancayo

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Hello Lovelies,
I just wanted to give you a glimpse into my daily life, now that I am living in a home and things are a little more regular:

I live with a Dutch woman, Bregje, who runs an NGO, Muchas Manos. The NGO is focused on organizing and facilitating projects to help the lives of single mothers and old women in our neighborhood in Huancayo. The women are often supporting more than one child, and are all living with difficult financial circumstances.
The NGO focuses on building community for the women, visiting each person every week and bringing something small and helpful like rice or sugar. Also, the NGO helps the women start businesses and occassionally microfinances projects. More than this, it is a structure to connect women in the neighborhood. Not that I have to, but if I were to justify it, I would say that this project has to do with the ¨livelihood¨ part of my grant (you know, from ¨weaving and livelihood¨).

So, my role is mostly just helping Bregje and her delightful assistant Heidi, who is a 23 year old peruana and also a stuent of accounting in a local university. One project we are working on a calendar, with images of some of the women cooking Peruvian dishes, and the recipes translated into Dutch, as a gift for folks from Holland who support the NGO. So, as I am the only one with a camera I am our ´official photographer´. I get to take photos or the process AND eat really good food! Life is good. The only complaints I have are of my circumestances living with Bregje is the cigarette smoke (she smokes, I do not) and the residue of cat-pee smell in the house (she has two really cute cats who have a tendency to show up in my dreams).

One of the reasons I moved in with Bregje was for an opportunity to volunteer and actually be in a neighborhood rather than a hostal, but also because she is an English teacher for university students and therefore capable of hooking me up with a Spanish tutor. Tonight is my first night. This entails a nice teacher coming to our house for an hour in the evening, for about two weeks. I am happy that this is finally materializing, becuase there are some essentials haven´t learned yet, but I know my language skills are improving simply with practice (from taxi drivers to poeple in the market to friends, I am told I speak Spanish well, despite lacking several verb tenses).

I am glad to be in Huancayo, and settled in. I sometimes wonder what it would be like for my family or friends to just get dropped off in our part of Huancayo. Maybe the dusty, stoney roads would suprise folks used to paving; or the plethora of dogs (it´s a little scary at night, they get more courageous. However, the people are really nice and never scary); or maybe the slightly ramshackle houses made of brick, with flapping laundry atop every roof. These things are normalized for me now, but perhaps someone from my city would be struck by the chaotic or impovershed feeling of it. This difference is especially strange to think about, because we live in one of the safest and relatively well-off districts of Huancayo.

Another upside of having a room-mate is having a dancing partner. The first (so far only) times I explored Peruvian discotecas was with Bregje. This is great, because I tend to dance like a total freak by Peruvian standards (basically, not salsa or cumbia), and at least have a partner. She also knows the city well, and can choose a place with electronica I am not disgusted by, or the seediest 80s bar in town for a good time. A note: visitors to Peru must try both Pisco Sours (sort of the national cocktail of Peru, with pisco, anise syrup, lime, and eggwhite) as well as Calientito (A specialty of Huancayo, like herbal tea with liquor, I think it´s best with pisco). Always in moderation, ok?

So, I am having fun and being productive. I also am finding the best places to buy veggies and quinoa in Huancayo, or teaching curious people American slang. I am suprised I have been here for perhaps 2 weeks already, and that I find it charming. That being said, it is so good to be living in a nice place, to be building skills and community, and moving slow (not to mention living under budget!). And to think, school hasn´t even started yet!
Chau folks!

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Comments

[Kirk]

Odors seem a small price to pay
Sus, you seem to have discovered a place of relative tranquility, odors seem a small price to pay for hospitality and good vibes. The town atmosphere and appearance you describe evoke memories of Southern Mexico 35 years ago. Love you and your blog! Enjoy yourself!