Our final weekend in Peru was both relaxing and educational. On Saturday, we were completely free to tour the city and its outskirts as we pleased. Some of us went hiking outside the city, including to Incan sites that we had not toured. Others went around the city to local sites; I was one of the latter. I began my tour of the city in the morning after breakfast; I waled through the nearby San Pedro market, partly to find a souvenir, partly to scout out places for lunch. Although I did not find the former, I was able to find the latter, a small stall selling ceviche dishes. It was delicious, and dirt cheap - the entire plate of fish, rice, and onions only cost me the equivalent of about $2.00. Next, I prepared for our departure tomorrow by packing my things and making sure I finished up the homework at the time.
For our final night, we had dinner at the Hotel Monasterio; as the name implies, the hotel was once a Catholic monastery. Like many other Catholic Church buildings in the country, it was built on top of an ancient Incan temple, the remains of which could be viewed on the lower floor. The two courtyards were both of Moorish design and lavishly decorated with plants; the front courtyard even boasted a tree that was 330 years old, making it older than Peru's current sovereign state. Our dinner itself was delicious; it had an appetizer (mine was asparagus and mushrooms), a main course (mine was a shrimp and fish chowder), and a desert. All the while, the hotel had local singers and performers playing classical music in the background. It was a lovely night.
The next two days were far more exhausting, but ultimately just as memorable. On Sunday we began heading to Lima's airport; some of us left in the morning, and some of us left in the afternoon. I was in the latter group, and used the extra time in Cusco to have my final lunch at my favorite local place; it was a pepper-alpaca-steak dish with rice and fries. Next, I watched a parade celebrating the winter solstice in La Plaza de Armas, with elaborately dressed Cuscoans performing Incan dances that no number of priests and conquistadors could snuff out. At 4:30, my group flew to Lima, where we picked up our bags we left behind; after some hours of waiting, our flight left at 1:35am for Atlanta. After some sleep, I arrived there, and then took our flight to Boston.
Today, I am at home writing my final post. As I look back on this trip, I feel overwhelmingly that I came out better for it. By learning Spanish and accommodating to the norms and rules of an entirely different culture, I learned entirely new ways of thinking. Peruvian culture is more intimate and personal than much of American culture, for better and worse; sometimes it feels welcoming, other times overbearing. The history and current events of Peru have proven educational about the course of development for states after colonialism, and how they can solve their problems. Peru's use of trade to increase prosperity after its long bouts of isolation demonstrate the opportunistic nature of Peru's people and the hard work they put into improving their lives. Finally, the length of time away from my home in such a different location made me reexamine my life. On the one hand, it showed me just how much I should treasure everything from warm showers to air conditioning. On the other hand, it reveals how much more complicated my life here can be. I am sure I will soon wish that I could disconnect from the rest of the world the way you can in a cell-service free Incan ruin, or along a wide green river-valley, or in a nearly roadless stretch of desert.
martes, 23 de junio de 2015
domingo, 21 de junio de 2015
Walking Distance from a Cloud - Our Visit to Mach Picchu
On Friday the 19th, we visited what the best known archaeological site in Peru, and arguably South America - the remains of the Machu Picchu temple. Built during the early and mid 15th century by the Incans, it was originally meant to be a temple for monitoring astronomical events such as solstices and the movement of stars. The temple was meant to be very specialized for this purpose - there are no remains of farming equipment or manufacturing areas that accompany the sites of Incan settlements, and would have had to collect food and other supplies from the surrounding area. Its remote location made it much harder to grow food; the complex sits thousands of feet above sea level, and is surrounded by dense jungle. It was ultimately abandoned before completion during the 1450s, and was not known to the outside world until 1911.
We left for the site at 5:30AM, and arrived at 11:30AM; as with our other sites, we started with a personal tour. The guide started by explaining the site's purpose, and showing various stone statues that looked innocuous, but were used as sundials and reference points for the position of the sun in the sky. He also explained how the Incans brought water to the temple through gravity powered aqueducts; the Incans opened up springs in the mountainside and used sloped channels to make it flow throughout the complex. He also spoke of the artifacts found at the site, and how they revealed its religious purpose; many religious implements, ceramics, and even the mummified bodies of humans and llamas were found by the initial archaeological teams.
At 1:00, we finished our tour, and were free to walk about the site until 4pm or go back into town. I opted to stay at the site; I walked with Eliza to help her with her broken toe, and to have some company. We revisited points from the tour since there were fewer people, and went up to the Incan bridge, a site currently under restoration. At four, we headed to town, and our group split to different restaurants for dinner; Sara, Harrison, Shelly, and I were able to split a pizza four ways. Our train ride back was delightful; the attendants treated us to an alpaca clothing fashion show led along by a man dressed in an Andean festival costume.
We left for the site at 5:30AM, and arrived at 11:30AM; as with our other sites, we started with a personal tour. The guide started by explaining the site's purpose, and showing various stone statues that looked innocuous, but were used as sundials and reference points for the position of the sun in the sky. He also explained how the Incans brought water to the temple through gravity powered aqueducts; the Incans opened up springs in the mountainside and used sloped channels to make it flow throughout the complex. He also spoke of the artifacts found at the site, and how they revealed its religious purpose; many religious implements, ceramics, and even the mummified bodies of humans and llamas were found by the initial archaeological teams.
At 1:00, we finished our tour, and were free to walk about the site until 4pm or go back into town. I opted to stay at the site; I walked with Eliza to help her with her broken toe, and to have some company. We revisited points from the tour since there were fewer people, and went up to the Incan bridge, a site currently under restoration. At four, we headed to town, and our group split to different restaurants for dinner; Sara, Harrison, Shelly, and I were able to split a pizza four ways. Our train ride back was delightful; the attendants treated us to an alpaca clothing fashion show led along by a man dressed in an Andean festival costume.
jueves, 18 de junio de 2015
Evaluating My First Two Days
My first week in Peru, from the 18th to the , in retrospect, offered several valuable learning experiences. After a weekend of adjusting to my new environment, I came to school; however, I became very sick and was unable to complete the rest of the day's activities. Tuesday was much better, however; after school, our group toured Peru's National Museum of History, which ranged in scope from the Ice Age to the present. It was located in Simon Bolivar's former home in Peru during the war of independence, making it all the more important symbolically. We also toured central Lima's famous magic water fountains, which are famous for their elaborate displays shows.
On Wednesday, we toured the Inquisition Museum; like Spain, Peru's Catholic authorities initiated a wide ranging crackdown on dissent from the 1600s until the Inquisition's end in 1812. Although it was smaller in scale than Spain's Inquisition and killed far fewer people, it remains a dark period in the country's history. Next, we toured Peru's national Congress; it was established after independence, although for much of its history it was unwilling or unable to competently govern, and was frequently overthrown by the military. Today's Congress is much more stable since the establishment of a new constitution in 1994. Finally, we toured Peru's Gastronomical Museum, which detailed the development of food in Peru from the domestication of quinua and the potato to modern cooking and agriculture techniques.
During these days, I learned several useful things; first, have backups for problems you will encounter. I had packed some medicines for common illnesses from the US, but these were ineffective for the first day of my sickness. I quickly found that electrolyte solutions were much better for me, as my roommate advised, and only wish I had resorted to them sooner. Second, I learned more about how to effectively work despite adversity. Despite being ill, I was able to carry out many group activities and go to class by better observing my own needs. Finally, I learned the importance of good communication when you need help; since I had a hard time explaining my symptoms to my host family, I utilized my Spanish speaking roommate Amelio as a translator. After this, I accomplished much more than when I was trying to solve all of my problems on my own.
On Wednesday, we toured the Inquisition Museum; like Spain, Peru's Catholic authorities initiated a wide ranging crackdown on dissent from the 1600s until the Inquisition's end in 1812. Although it was smaller in scale than Spain's Inquisition and killed far fewer people, it remains a dark period in the country's history. Next, we toured Peru's national Congress; it was established after independence, although for much of its history it was unwilling or unable to competently govern, and was frequently overthrown by the military. Today's Congress is much more stable since the establishment of a new constitution in 1994. Finally, we toured Peru's Gastronomical Museum, which detailed the development of food in Peru from the domestication of quinua and the potato to modern cooking and agriculture techniques.
During these days, I learned several useful things; first, have backups for problems you will encounter. I had packed some medicines for common illnesses from the US, but these were ineffective for the first day of my sickness. I quickly found that electrolyte solutions were much better for me, as my roommate advised, and only wish I had resorted to them sooner. Second, I learned more about how to effectively work despite adversity. Despite being ill, I was able to carry out many group activities and go to class by better observing my own needs. Finally, I learned the importance of good communication when you need help; since I had a hard time explaining my symptoms to my host family, I utilized my Spanish speaking roommate Amelio as a translator. After this, I accomplished much more than when I was trying to solve all of my problems on my own.
Give Me That Old Time (Incan) Religion
Today we visited numerous ruins of the Incas, with a special emphasis on ones with a religious purpose. Our first major stop was at the archaeological site of Ollantaytambo. Its primary function was as an observation post for the Incas of the position of the sun. Important This is far more modern than many people would believe. Without access to weather satellites and other modern technologies, the height of the sun in the sky is key in predicting upcoming weather, marking the beginning and ending of seasons, and determining the best time for harvests. The position of the sun was charted alongside mountains next to the temple; since their position and size did not change radically over the generations, mountains made an excellent reference point for the astronomers and priests of the temple. The temples also catered to pilgrims and worshippers from throughout the empire; for example, small holes in the wall were prayed into, and amplified the voice of the worshippers in a dramatic fashion.
After lunch, we headed to the Church of Chinchero, one of the oldest Catholic churches in Peru. Founded During the 1650s, it was used by the Spanish to the Incas convert to Christianity and to spread the notion of European dominance across the land. However, They failed to accomplish Both of These tasks in several ways. For one thing, Incan religious beliefs made their way into the church - the building itself is on top of an ancient Incan temple, while the art of the building Incorporates symbols of the Inca with symbols of Christianity. Additionally, several Important figures from the New Testament (including Jesus, Mary, and Joseph) are Portrayed With Indian physical traits and carrying out Andean traditions.
The functionality of the old Incan temples highlights why the Incan empire spread as far as it did. Its institutions in government and society provided an amazing array of services for the empire's subjects, and allowed the Incas to maximize their economic productivity and prosperity. Chinchero's church highlighted the attempts of the Spanish to impose their culture on Peru, and the ways that the Peruvians resisted. However, the rebellions of the Indians simultaneously preserved Incan traditions and made the church more attractive to the Indians due to its familiarity. I suspect that tomorrow's tour in Machu Pichu will reflect more themes of the former rather than the latter, since it was never occupied by the Spanish. However, I suspect that some Catholic themes have made their way to the site given how thoroughly connected it is with Peru currently.
After lunch, we headed to the Church of Chinchero, one of the oldest Catholic churches in Peru. Founded During the 1650s, it was used by the Spanish to the Incas convert to Christianity and to spread the notion of European dominance across the land. However, They failed to accomplish Both of These tasks in several ways. For one thing, Incan religious beliefs made their way into the church - the building itself is on top of an ancient Incan temple, while the art of the building Incorporates symbols of the Inca with symbols of Christianity. Additionally, several Important figures from the New Testament (including Jesus, Mary, and Joseph) are Portrayed With Indian physical traits and carrying out Andean traditions.
The functionality of the old Incan temples highlights why the Incan empire spread as far as it did. Its institutions in government and society provided an amazing array of services for the empire's subjects, and allowed the Incas to maximize their economic productivity and prosperity. Chinchero's church highlighted the attempts of the Spanish to impose their culture on Peru, and the ways that the Peruvians resisted. However, the rebellions of the Indians simultaneously preserved Incan traditions and made the church more attractive to the Indians due to its familiarity. I suspect that tomorrow's tour in Machu Pichu will reflect more themes of the former rather than the latter, since it was never occupied by the Spanish. However, I suspect that some Catholic themes have made their way to the site given how thoroughly connected it is with Peru currently.
miércoles, 17 de junio de 2015
Incan Laboratories and Salt Pans
Today was truly incredible because of the variety of sites visited by our groups, and the diversity of their purposes. Our first stop was at a shop of artisanal wool weavers. The weavers showed us how they created colors for Alpaca and Llama wool from different herbs and minerals. Afterwards, they showed us how the wool is shaped into cloth, and the variety of patterns that can be made from them. It was interesting to see how the people of the Peruvian Andes are keeping their traditions alive by turning them into a business.
Next, we visited Las Salineras de Maras, Peru's highest rated salt pans. They were first developed by Pre-Incan Indians, and were then used by the Incans to supply Cuzco with salt. Afterwards, the Spanish increased the scale of the pans to trade the salt throughout Peru. The pans drain a spring of salt water from the surrounding hills into terraces via gravity; then the pans are sealed off from the drain and allowed to dry. Rather than being managed by one large business, several families from the local manage it, with each family owning and harvesting from about five pans. The top layer of salt is used for cooking, the second for medicine purposes due to its mixture with clay, and the third for livestock salt licks due to its lower quality. I sampled a few flakes of the salt from the top of a nearly finished pan; despite the small portions I had, they were so pure that left a warmth in my stomach, and later on I was unusually thirsty.
Next, we toured the Annillos Agrícolas de Moray, an ancient Incan site dedicated solely to experimental breeding of crops. In order to improve their agricultural outputs, the Inca developed scientific selection of their crops much as modern selective breeding does However, exact comparisons are hard to make since the knowledge the Incan scientists has since been lost. The sites were open pits, the sides of which were terraced in layers approximately one meter deep. There were more than a dozen levels each in the two larger pits, and about four or five in the smaller one. Each layer had a microclimate that was slightly colder than the one above it, creating a wide range of temperatures so that different plants from throughout the Incan Empire could be grown in it for the experiments.
Next, we visited Las Salineras de Maras, Peru's highest rated salt pans. They were first developed by Pre-Incan Indians, and were then used by the Incans to supply Cuzco with salt. Afterwards, the Spanish increased the scale of the pans to trade the salt throughout Peru. The pans drain a spring of salt water from the surrounding hills into terraces via gravity; then the pans are sealed off from the drain and allowed to dry. Rather than being managed by one large business, several families from the local manage it, with each family owning and harvesting from about five pans. The top layer of salt is used for cooking, the second for medicine purposes due to its mixture with clay, and the third for livestock salt licks due to its lower quality. I sampled a few flakes of the salt from the top of a nearly finished pan; despite the small portions I had, they were so pure that left a warmth in my stomach, and later on I was unusually thirsty.
Next, we toured the Annillos Agrícolas de Moray, an ancient Incan site dedicated solely to experimental breeding of crops. In order to improve their agricultural outputs, the Inca developed scientific selection of their crops much as modern selective breeding does However, exact comparisons are hard to make since the knowledge the Incan scientists has since been lost. The sites were open pits, the sides of which were terraced in layers approximately one meter deep. There were more than a dozen levels each in the two larger pits, and about four or five in the smaller one. Each layer had a microclimate that was slightly colder than the one above it, creating a wide range of temperatures so that different plants from throughout the Incan Empire could be grown in it for the experiments.
martes, 16 de junio de 2015
Our First Two Days in Cuzco
Yesterday and today, we had our first few days in Cuzco. Our stay began on Monday; we departed early in the morning to avoid traffic, and arrived in Cuzco at 3pm Local time. Our first day was important for acclimatizing to the higher elevation of the city and its thinner atmosphere. We had to relax and eat little, lest we overstrain our body; we used the time to contact home, and finish up our homework. The local Coca tea is delicious, and was important to keeping up our energy.
Today, we began our tour of Cuzco and its landmarks. We started at the the San Ignacio Cathedral. Built on top of Cuzco's main Incan temple, it was one of the main centers for converting Incans to Catholicism during the colonial era. Although the church was heavily influenced by Spanish styles, it still had some Incan buildings left, which withstood earthquakes better than the (comparatively) younger colonial buildings. Next, we went to the remains of an old Incan temple. It was used as a ceremonial space for the city's religious festivals, and continues to be used to celebrate important holidays even today. It also has a commanding view of the city, making it an ideal place for its defense.
Next, we visited an ancient aquifer built by the Incas for both infrastructure and religious reasons. The spring supplied the city with drinking water, allowing it to be more secure. At the same time, it was believed that the water from it flowed directly from their Earth goddess, making it a sacred place that could only be visited by religious and political elites. Finally, we toured the Cathedral of Cuzco; like San Ignacio, it was built on top of a premier Incan temple in order to attract more local worship. In addition, many symbols of the old Incan religion such as colors, shrines, and emphasis of natural elements, are incorporated into its designs.
After our tour, we parted ways and had lunch. I went to a small restaurant with a focus on Andean cuisine, and had my first Alpaca steak; it was rich, tender, and delicious. Tonight, we will be concluding the day with our final presentations on our textbook in the hotel lobby. I imagine that they will be among the best yet given the time we all had to prepare.
Today, we began our tour of Cuzco and its landmarks. We started at the the San Ignacio Cathedral. Built on top of Cuzco's main Incan temple, it was one of the main centers for converting Incans to Catholicism during the colonial era. Although the church was heavily influenced by Spanish styles, it still had some Incan buildings left, which withstood earthquakes better than the (comparatively) younger colonial buildings. Next, we went to the remains of an old Incan temple. It was used as a ceremonial space for the city's religious festivals, and continues to be used to celebrate important holidays even today. It also has a commanding view of the city, making it an ideal place for its defense.
Next, we visited an ancient aquifer built by the Incas for both infrastructure and religious reasons. The spring supplied the city with drinking water, allowing it to be more secure. At the same time, it was believed that the water from it flowed directly from their Earth goddess, making it a sacred place that could only be visited by religious and political elites. Finally, we toured the Cathedral of Cuzco; like San Ignacio, it was built on top of a premier Incan temple in order to attract more local worship. In addition, many symbols of the old Incan religion such as colors, shrines, and emphasis of natural elements, are incorporated into its designs.
After our tour, we parted ways and had lunch. I went to a small restaurant with a focus on Andean cuisine, and had my first Alpaca steak; it was rich, tender, and delicious. Tonight, we will be concluding the day with our final presentations on our textbook in the hotel lobby. I imagine that they will be among the best yet given the time we all had to prepare.
The Free Weekend
This weekend was great for making my own schedule. On Saturday, I started the day by admiring the Pacific from Lima one last time. Lima's normal fog was rolling in, blurring the boundary between the sea and sky into one grey mass; it was unforgettable. I went to many different restaurants while I was still had the opportunity, and explored central Lima with an UNIFE student named Romina. She and I went to Barrio de China, and tried Salon de Capon for a late lunch. Afterwards, we went down to Miraflores and explored some of the local bars.
On Sunday, I had my final lunch with my host family. They prepared a delicious plate of chicken, chive-pastry, and potatoes. Next, my group went for our final dinner in Lima at the Rosa Nautica restaurant. We were treated to a four course meal of a pisco sour, appetizers, a main dish, and desert. We also dropped off most of our clothes things for storage during our interlude in Cuzco. We will see them again in a few days when we leave for home.
On Sunday, I had my final lunch with my host family. They prepared a delicious plate of chicken, chive-pastry, and potatoes. Next, my group went for our final dinner in Lima at the Rosa Nautica restaurant. We were treated to a four course meal of a pisco sour, appetizers, a main dish, and desert. We also dropped off most of our clothes things for storage during our interlude in Cuzco. We will see them again in a few days when we leave for home.
viernes, 12 de junio de 2015
Our Final Day at UNIFE
Today was our final day at UNIFE, and it concluded with fitting pomp and ceremony. After lunch, we had a very educational presentation about the influence of Greek in the Spanish language. I knew that many words in English were under Greek influence, but I did not realize that Spanish was similarly altered by it. It was interesting to see how Greek permeated Latin, which then branched off into the Romance languages, and made its way into English indirectly.
Then, after our culture class, we went to a celebration of the anniversary of UNIFE's founding. It involved several presentations about UNIFE's coordination with foreign governments and groups for the betterment of women worldwide. Then, we were treated to Peruvian music and dancing, and a raffle for prizes ranging from $150 to hairdryers.
Finally, we concluded with our last book presentations. Before we began though, the Northeastern students sang "Say Something" while one of the UNIFE students performed an interpretative dance. Then, we showed the Peruvians a staple song of American parties - Cotton Eyed Joe. Our book presentations focused on Peruvian music, then post-1960s politics, and finally religious movements among Lima's Andean migrant population.
It will be great to have the weekend off. It will give us time to explore the city on our own, and to prepare for our upcoming trip to Cuzco.
Then, after our culture class, we went to a celebration of the anniversary of UNIFE's founding. It involved several presentations about UNIFE's coordination with foreign governments and groups for the betterment of women worldwide. Then, we were treated to Peruvian music and dancing, and a raffle for prizes ranging from $150 to hairdryers.
Finally, we concluded with our last book presentations. Before we began though, the Northeastern students sang "Say Something" while one of the UNIFE students performed an interpretative dance. Then, we showed the Peruvians a staple song of American parties - Cotton Eyed Joe. Our book presentations focused on Peruvian music, then post-1960s politics, and finally religious movements among Lima's Andean migrant population.
It will be great to have the weekend off. It will give us time to explore the city on our own, and to prepare for our upcoming trip to Cuzco.
jueves, 11 de junio de 2015
Respite and Preparation
Today we had a break from our activities at UNIFE; after our language classes at El Sol, we had the day off to ourselves. It was a welcome break - I worked on my essay, and then tried new restaurants during my spare time. For lunch, I tried Don Jabadon, a sandwich place not far from the house I have been staying at. Then, for dinner, I tried El Parquetico, which offered a delightful mix of Peruvian and Chifa cuisine.
I had a challenge earlier today though. During the afternoon, I tried to withdraw money from an ATM at a local bank; the machine did not permit transactions with my card though, and promptly ate it. My host mother Diana and I were able to arrange an appointment with the bank to retrieve the card from the ATM; Diana agreed to translate. As we went there, Diana thought it would be good to walk one of the family's dogs. However, the bank did not allow the dog in, and Diana had to stay outside with him. Despite this setback, I was successfully able to explain my problem to the desk worker in Spanish, and she retrieved the card. Later, I went to another ATM, and was able to withdraw the money I needed.
I felt like this incident was an important reminder for a number of important rules during travel. First, have back up options to get money; I was able to contact my parents after the card got stuck, and they agreed to wire me money through Western Union if I could not retrieve it. Second, use your money well; I was nearly out of money when I was trying to withdraw cash. If I had not been able to retrieve my card and I had no other sources of cash, I would have had a problem. Finally, stay levelheaded during an emergency; if I had panicked or gotten angry about my situation, I might not have figured out how to retrieve the card, and could have made the problem even worse.
I had a challenge earlier today though. During the afternoon, I tried to withdraw money from an ATM at a local bank; the machine did not permit transactions with my card though, and promptly ate it. My host mother Diana and I were able to arrange an appointment with the bank to retrieve the card from the ATM; Diana agreed to translate. As we went there, Diana thought it would be good to walk one of the family's dogs. However, the bank did not allow the dog in, and Diana had to stay outside with him. Despite this setback, I was successfully able to explain my problem to the desk worker in Spanish, and she retrieved the card. Later, I went to another ATM, and was able to withdraw the money I needed.
I felt like this incident was an important reminder for a number of important rules during travel. First, have back up options to get money; I was able to contact my parents after the card got stuck, and they agreed to wire me money through Western Union if I could not retrieve it. Second, use your money well; I was nearly out of money when I was trying to withdraw cash. If I had not been able to retrieve my card and I had no other sources of cash, I would have had a problem. Finally, stay levelheaded during an emergency; if I had panicked or gotten angry about my situation, I might not have figured out how to retrieve the card, and could have made the problem even worse.
miércoles, 10 de junio de 2015
Architecture and Society
Our day at UNIFE began with our usual lunch with the translation school students, and then moved on to our history classes. The focus of the latter was primarily on the war of independence; Peru was the last place in South America to declare its independence since it was the main seat of Spanish authority on the continent. José San Martin, Argentina's much beloved liberator, came to the country and freed it with some help from Simon Bolivar in 1821. The two disagreed about what government to place there - Bolivar wanted a republic, while Martin was a monarchist. Peru ultimately became a republic, and the forces of the liberating armies left shortly afterwards.
Afterwards, we had a socialization session with the UNIFE students. We began in Spanish, answering some surprisingly somber questions. For example, the first question asked was, "If your home was on fire and you could save only one possession from it, what would it be?" The American students were more materialistic - iPhones, wallets, and computers usually ranked first place. The Peruvians, however, were more concerned with family photos, pets, and more personal items.
Next, we had a lecture on the architectural traditions of Peru. It turns out that much of Peru's colonial and neocolonial architecture was indirectly influenced by Islamic art. The Spanish copied many different Muslim motifs and patterns in their buildings after the Reconquista of the Iberian peninsula from the Moorish. Before, their buildings were simple, square things with little ornamentation. After the Reconquista, however, they adopted many colorful, abstract designs for their artwork and domes for their buildings from the Moors. They then brought these designs with them to their colonies in the New World, where they were copied by colonists, Indians, and their Creole descendants.
Finally, we had our presentations on our textbook. The focus was mainly on Peruvian politics, with an emphasis on its development in the 20th century. The most prominent subject was the Cold War, particularly the competition between the social political party ARPA and Peru's more right wing government. Ultimately, the military took power and implemented many of ARPA's policies, decreasing its power. Later on, the Peruvian government took a decidedly liberal turn by privatizing many industries and brining more investment. Other presentations focused on Peruvian art, Criolla music, and more.
I anticipate that tomorrow will be a useful time of rest. Our activities at UNIFE have been cancelled, giving more time for us to prepare school work. In addition, it will be a great opportunity for us to explore the city on our own and make plans for our final weekend in Lima before our trip to Cuzco.
Afterwards, we had a socialization session with the UNIFE students. We began in Spanish, answering some surprisingly somber questions. For example, the first question asked was, "If your home was on fire and you could save only one possession from it, what would it be?" The American students were more materialistic - iPhones, wallets, and computers usually ranked first place. The Peruvians, however, were more concerned with family photos, pets, and more personal items.
Next, we had a lecture on the architectural traditions of Peru. It turns out that much of Peru's colonial and neocolonial architecture was indirectly influenced by Islamic art. The Spanish copied many different Muslim motifs and patterns in their buildings after the Reconquista of the Iberian peninsula from the Moorish. Before, their buildings were simple, square things with little ornamentation. After the Reconquista, however, they adopted many colorful, abstract designs for their artwork and domes for their buildings from the Moors. They then brought these designs with them to their colonies in the New World, where they were copied by colonists, Indians, and their Creole descendants.
Finally, we had our presentations on our textbook. The focus was mainly on Peruvian politics, with an emphasis on its development in the 20th century. The most prominent subject was the Cold War, particularly the competition between the social political party ARPA and Peru's more right wing government. Ultimately, the military took power and implemented many of ARPA's policies, decreasing its power. Later on, the Peruvian government took a decidedly liberal turn by privatizing many industries and brining more investment. Other presentations focused on Peruvian art, Criolla music, and more.
I anticipate that tomorrow will be a useful time of rest. Our activities at UNIFE have been cancelled, giving more time for us to prepare school work. In addition, it will be a great opportunity for us to explore the city on our own and make plans for our final weekend in Lima before our trip to Cuzco.
martes, 9 de junio de 2015
Presentations on Food and History
Today was a productive day at UNIFE; after our morning classes, we headed to the university. There, we had lunch and had our daily speaking activities with the students there. We spoke about a variety of subjects ranging from food to travel to life in our respective countries. Afterwards, we went out on the grass outside, and made a variety of plans for our final weekend in Lima before we go to Cuzco.
Next, we went to a presentation about Peruvian cuisine, and received a brief lecture about its history and sub-varieties. The diversity of influences, from PreHispanic Indians to Africans to the Spanish and Chinese, is what strikes me most about Peruvian food. Its food a true cauldron of different recipes, ingredients, and techniques. Next, we sampled some of the food that we saw in the power point, including a beef dish, quinoa pudding, and more.
Finally, we had our next round of book presentations. Our focus today was on Peruvian literature, particularly Ricardo Palma and other post-independence authors. Next, we had presentations about Peruvian art and the presence of Chinese immigrants in Peru. The Spanish of all of the presenters was excellent, and all the presentation points were well researched.
I can not wait for tomorrow, since we will be able to practice our Spanish even more through group activities with the UNIFE students. Additionally, we will have more time for the presentations than we did today, which will hopefully boost their quality.
Next, we went to a presentation about Peruvian cuisine, and received a brief lecture about its history and sub-varieties. The diversity of influences, from PreHispanic Indians to Africans to the Spanish and Chinese, is what strikes me most about Peruvian food. Its food a true cauldron of different recipes, ingredients, and techniques. Next, we sampled some of the food that we saw in the power point, including a beef dish, quinoa pudding, and more.
Finally, we had our next round of book presentations. Our focus today was on Peruvian literature, particularly Ricardo Palma and other post-independence authors. Next, we had presentations about Peruvian art and the presence of Chinese immigrants in Peru. The Spanish of all of the presenters was excellent, and all the presentation points were well researched.
I can not wait for tomorrow, since we will be able to practice our Spanish even more through group activities with the UNIFE students. Additionally, we will have more time for the presentations than we did today, which will hopefully boost their quality.
lunes, 8 de junio de 2015
UNIFE Presentations
Today we started our presentations on our class textbook, Lima: A Cultural History. Different groups presented on different sections of the book, which corresponded to different aspects of Lima's history. We gave our presentations in Spanish, while a panel of UNIFE students translated us in English, allowing everyone to practice a second language. We were tasked with interacting with the presenters, by asking questions of them and answering questions from them.
Despite some technological issues, I was the first person to present among the Northeastern students. I presented on the book's introduction, which focused mainly on a general history of Lima and its place in Peru. I was aided by my previous work in that I had made this the subject of my first essay in the study abroad program. Although I was nervous and watched myself for grammatical errors and anachronisms, the crowd was very welcoming and the translators were fair in their quality.
Tomorrow, we will continue our presentations, with focuses on later portions of the book. The presentations will no doubt be of higher quality, since the subjects will be more specific and we will have a better idea of what to expect during the presentations. In addition, the different teams will have more days to prepare and practice, and will have a better idea of the schedule for the presentations.
Despite some technological issues, I was the first person to present among the Northeastern students. I presented on the book's introduction, which focused mainly on a general history of Lima and its place in Peru. I was aided by my previous work in that I had made this the subject of my first essay in the study abroad program. Although I was nervous and watched myself for grammatical errors and anachronisms, the crowd was very welcoming and the translators were fair in their quality.
Tomorrow, we will continue our presentations, with focuses on later portions of the book. The presentations will no doubt be of higher quality, since the subjects will be more specific and we will have a better idea of what to expect during the presentations. In addition, the different teams will have more days to prepare and practice, and will have a better idea of the schedule for the presentations.
A Day in Lunahuaná
On Sunday we went to Lunahuaná, a small desert town lying on the Río Cañete. Like other desert towns in Peru's river valleys, it is a place of jarring changes in topography, weather, and population density. The Río Cañete is a vein of green vegetation and pristine mineral water surrounded by stoney, wind worn cliffs and hills. In it, we had the pleasure of white water rafting and driving ATVs across the landscape, followed by a delicious lunch at a local rest stop, a local honey tasting, Pisco sampling, and a tour of the town's main church.
The first part of the tour began with ATVing across the town's drier edge. After being quickly instructed on how to operate our ATVs, we toured around the edge of town. The vehicles were stripped of nearly all unnecessary parts, making driving them an exhilarating open air ride in the desert. Afterwards, we went rafting down the river; on our ride up, the river seemed thin as we passed the agricultural areas. However, when we reached the town it was much faster and heavier, creating an all natural roller coaster that passed countless desert scenes.
After a lunch of fried trout, we made our way to a local beehive. The bees were everywhere, but no person was stung; they had become used to humans after careful rearing. They flitted about as we tried their different varieties of honey from local plants. Next, we sample different wines and piscos at a local winery; they ranged from a tangy sweetness in the weaker wines to the fiery smoothness of their pisco liquors. Finally, we toured the local church, the main center of worship for the town's overwhelmingly Catholic population. Like many other Peruvian Catholic churches, had been established during the 1700s on top of an Incan temple, making it more appealing to the local Indians.
The first part of the tour began with ATVing across the town's drier edge. After being quickly instructed on how to operate our ATVs, we toured around the edge of town. The vehicles were stripped of nearly all unnecessary parts, making driving them an exhilarating open air ride in the desert. Afterwards, we went rafting down the river; on our ride up, the river seemed thin as we passed the agricultural areas. However, when we reached the town it was much faster and heavier, creating an all natural roller coaster that passed countless desert scenes.
After a lunch of fried trout, we made our way to a local beehive. The bees were everywhere, but no person was stung; they had become used to humans after careful rearing. They flitted about as we tried their different varieties of honey from local plants. Next, we sample different wines and piscos at a local winery; they ranged from a tangy sweetness in the weaker wines to the fiery smoothness of their pisco liquors. Finally, we toured the local church, the main center of worship for the town's overwhelmingly Catholic population. Like many other Peruvian Catholic churches, had been established during the 1700s on top of an Incan temple, making it more appealing to the local Indians.
sábado, 6 de junio de 2015
Historical Lima
We went today a tour of the old city of Lima. After our departure, we left for the center of the city; the concentration of the historical buildings in the area is truly astonishing. Lima's cathedral, the Presidential Palace, and the Church of San Francisco are all within walking distance of each other for the well guided visitor. This combination of sites allowed us to have a truly unique tour today that illuminated much of Peru's post-conquest culture.
The tour Began With Peru's Presidential Palace. Although it is the workplace of President Ollanta Humala rather than his residence (as the American White House is), it is still a sight to behold. Completed in 1938 to replace the previous palace (which had been devastated by fire and earthquakes), it clearly reflects the Peruvian cultural leanings of the time. It's architect purposefully built it in the Spanish colonial style with certain modern twists and changes, including several beautiful art deco statues and busts of Peruvian historical figures. The tour showed the different areas of the Presidential palace, such as the main meeting room, the press conference room, and several of its displays of art.
Next, we visited Lima's Cathedral, the heart of the Catholic Church in Peru. Built over the site of a demolished Incan temple, it has been the ceremonial and administrative center of Catholicism in Peru since Pizarro founded Lima. In fact, his remains and the remains of several saints and religious figures are interred in the Cathedral, and are arguably the its most important historical artifacts. In addition, the Cathedral serves as the administrative center of the Catholic Church in Peru, and no longer conducts weddings and other common ceremonies to devote more time to its leadership. The Cathedral has been rebuilt and modified several times over to recover from Lima's notorious earthquakes and to accommodate the infrastructure upgrades of the 1940s and 1950s. Afterwards, we witnessed a changing of the guard at the presidential palace. It was a true spectacle of military ceremony, with the guards and exchanging salutes and choreographed marches for 20 minutes. It was interesting to note the calm, cool disposition of the better armed police outside the gates amidst the small parade.
Finally, after lunch, we headed for the Church of San Francisco, home of Peru's notorious catacombs. We began with a tour of the Church's surface, which is home to its main library and several galleries of Spanish colonial art. The library is amazing; it holds 20,000 volumes of historical books, the oldest of which was written in 1576, on subjects from theology to botany. Its painting collection is focused heavily on realist portraits of events from the New Testament and from the Spanish conquest of Peru by Italian and Spanish artists of the colonial era. Finally, we toured the Catacombs, an elaborate network of tunnels beneath the church that were used during colonial times as graces. Only the femurs and skulls of the dead had endured the centuries due to the calcium density naturally in them. The caretakers had simply sorted them into piles of skulls and leg bones with little regard for keeping the parts of their owners together. This gave the whole floor of the Church an admittedly disturbing sort of order.
Seeing so much of Lima's and Peru's background at once was an astonishing experience on multiple levels. Although it is a relatively young country, Peru has a rich history that has been woven for centuries from countless different cultures. However, as the construction of the Cathedral on top of the old Incan temple demonstrates, these influences have been adopted to Peru, and woven into its distinct identity. Thus, Peru persists without stagnating, and evolves without being absorbed into a larger power.
The tour Began With Peru's Presidential Palace. Although it is the workplace of President Ollanta Humala rather than his residence (as the American White House is), it is still a sight to behold. Completed in 1938 to replace the previous palace (which had been devastated by fire and earthquakes), it clearly reflects the Peruvian cultural leanings of the time. It's architect purposefully built it in the Spanish colonial style with certain modern twists and changes, including several beautiful art deco statues and busts of Peruvian historical figures. The tour showed the different areas of the Presidential palace, such as the main meeting room, the press conference room, and several of its displays of art.
Next, we visited Lima's Cathedral, the heart of the Catholic Church in Peru. Built over the site of a demolished Incan temple, it has been the ceremonial and administrative center of Catholicism in Peru since Pizarro founded Lima. In fact, his remains and the remains of several saints and religious figures are interred in the Cathedral, and are arguably the its most important historical artifacts. In addition, the Cathedral serves as the administrative center of the Catholic Church in Peru, and no longer conducts weddings and other common ceremonies to devote more time to its leadership. The Cathedral has been rebuilt and modified several times over to recover from Lima's notorious earthquakes and to accommodate the infrastructure upgrades of the 1940s and 1950s. Afterwards, we witnessed a changing of the guard at the presidential palace. It was a true spectacle of military ceremony, with the guards and exchanging salutes and choreographed marches for 20 minutes. It was interesting to note the calm, cool disposition of the better armed police outside the gates amidst the small parade.
Finally, after lunch, we headed for the Church of San Francisco, home of Peru's notorious catacombs. We began with a tour of the Church's surface, which is home to its main library and several galleries of Spanish colonial art. The library is amazing; it holds 20,000 volumes of historical books, the oldest of which was written in 1576, on subjects from theology to botany. Its painting collection is focused heavily on realist portraits of events from the New Testament and from the Spanish conquest of Peru by Italian and Spanish artists of the colonial era. Finally, we toured the Catacombs, an elaborate network of tunnels beneath the church that were used during colonial times as graces. Only the femurs and skulls of the dead had endured the centuries due to the calcium density naturally in them. The caretakers had simply sorted them into piles of skulls and leg bones with little regard for keeping the parts of their owners together. This gave the whole floor of the Church an admittedly disturbing sort of order.
Seeing so much of Lima's and Peru's background at once was an astonishing experience on multiple levels. Although it is a relatively young country, Peru has a rich history that has been woven for centuries from countless different cultures. However, as the construction of the Cathedral on top of the old Incan temple demonstrates, these influences have been adopted to Peru, and woven into its distinct identity. Thus, Peru persists without stagnating, and evolves without being absorbed into a larger power.
viernes, 5 de junio de 2015
The Humboldt School
Today was our first day dedicated to visiting a school for young children. We went to Humboldt Elementary School; formally opened only three days ago, we had the honor of Being Among its first foreign guests. The school is situated in Ventanilla, Callao Province, and caters to children of humbler families in the shantytown along the coast. It faces the Pacific from a high, dusty hill covered in small homes with plain brick (or sometimes even plywood) walls and tin roofs. The school itself shows many signs of its recent construction - tools are everywhere, many rooms are not entirely finished, and there are few school supplies in the mix. Still, the excitement that the students and the town's people felt about this place was palpable.
We began the visit at approximately 1:00 pm with a brief parade around the block the school was situated in, allowing us to see where its students lived. Next, there were presentations on the cultures of each region of Peru from the students. Although they seemed nervous as they read their lines and spoke occasionally in English, we cheered them on and then a made our own speech. Three Northeastern students went up to greet everyone in the Spanish. Although we had to simplify the subject matter since we were speaking to 3-10 year olds, we conveyed our excitement to still be there.
Next, the parents of the kids showcased foods from different parts of Lima as a supplement to the presentations by their children. Foods from the coast, the sierra region, and the Andes were all lined up for everyone to sample. It seemed like everyone found a friend among the children. They were eager to tell us all about themselves, and wanted to learn more about us. They loved to dance with us, pose for photos, and show us the foods there parents were presenting. Although we had spent little time with the students, we both came away knowing our respective cultures a little better.
We began the visit at approximately 1:00 pm with a brief parade around the block the school was situated in, allowing us to see where its students lived. Next, there were presentations on the cultures of each region of Peru from the students. Although they seemed nervous as they read their lines and spoke occasionally in English, we cheered them on and then a made our own speech. Three Northeastern students went up to greet everyone in the Spanish. Although we had to simplify the subject matter since we were speaking to 3-10 year olds, we conveyed our excitement to still be there.
Next, the parents of the kids showcased foods from different parts of Lima as a supplement to the presentations by their children. Foods from the coast, the sierra region, and the Andes were all lined up for everyone to sample. It seemed like everyone found a friend among the children. They were eager to tell us all about themselves, and wanted to learn more about us. They loved to dance with us, pose for photos, and show us the foods there parents were presenting. Although we had spent little time with the students, we both came away knowing our respective cultures a little better.
UNIFE Day 4
The fourth day of classes at UNIFE concluded with special celebrations of our time there. After our classes at El Sol, we headed to UNIFE for our usual English lunch, which was followed by some time simply chatting and playing games out in the grass. Next, we had an intensive language activity where we had to speak Spanish for half an hour of conversation, and then in English for half an hour. Although we were given an outline of recommended subjects to talk about, the conversations often took an informal turn about all kinds of things. Overall, the English of the UNIFE students was better than our Spanish, a thing I can't help but find indicative of their drive to become better off.
Next, we went to our daily class on Peruvian history and culture. The focus was on the governance of Peru after the conquest, and how the Spanish imposed their culture on the natives. It turns out that the Spanish were forced to incorporate local Incan lords into their governance structure to have peace. Although the Spanish Viceroy and his underlings had the final say in most matters, the Spanish had to use the local noble families to implement the law and collect taxes. Victory and defeat in war are seldom as complete as we like to believe.
Finally, we concluded with Samba dancing after our classes. The instructors were both enthusiastic and well practiced, and quickly had us organized in lines following their moves. As the UNIFE students laughed uproariously and cheered us on, we gradually became more in sync with the dance teachers and each other. We concluded with a boys vs girls dance off, with the different instructors guiding us through comically sensual moves.
Today will be an interesting contrast from yesterday, since we will be going to an elementary school rather than a college. Humboldt elementary also caters to poorer students in Lima rather than to the often middle class ones at UNIFE.
miércoles, 3 de junio de 2015
UNIFE Day #3
Today was different from the usual session at UNIFE. We began normally, with a lunch that integrated both English and Spanish, and went to our university class. Today was focused primarily on history, with a deeper discussion of the Incan dynastic cycle than yesterday, followed by the internal struggles between the conquistadors after the Conquest. It was interesting to see how the Incan empire and the Spanish army were as divided as any other human society rather than monolithic units of people.
Next, we toured El Museo Oro de Peru; started initially as a private collection by a Peruvian businessman named Miguel Mujica Gallo. We toured two of its main sections - the Peruvian artifacts section, and the international weapons collection. The Peruvian artifacts section had a particular emphasis on PreColumbian artifacts, and featured everything from clothing to jewelry to mummies, divided primarily by culture of origin and historical period. It also had an excellent collection of post-Conquest antiques, the centerpiece of which were Catholic religious icons and jewelry.
The weapons of the world section was more disorganized, but was astonishing in its range of possessions. Weapons from nearly every aspect of ancient and modern warfare were represented, including armor, cavalry gear, guns, knives, swords, uniforms, and more. These included a sword of Francisco Pizarro, the personal pistols of Marquis de Lafayette, and other weapons owned by important figures in Peruvian and South American history. What struck me most was the pristine condition of of all the arms; each of them was well maintained, and looked very formidable.
Today's class and museum tour were excellent reminders of how much more complicated the history of a place tends to be then people realize. People seldom give the losing side of a war (e.g. the Incas and other PreColumbian Indians) full credit for their accomplishments, and do not give enough attention to the nuances of their histories. Worse, people remember even less that the victors of a war (e.g. the Spanish) were seldom as competent as we like to remember, and often had trouble guiding themselves after they had won. If we really want to understand history and current events, we need to have a more complete understanding of all the parties involved.
Next, we toured El Museo Oro de Peru; started initially as a private collection by a Peruvian businessman named Miguel Mujica Gallo. We toured two of its main sections - the Peruvian artifacts section, and the international weapons collection. The Peruvian artifacts section had a particular emphasis on PreColumbian artifacts, and featured everything from clothing to jewelry to mummies, divided primarily by culture of origin and historical period. It also had an excellent collection of post-Conquest antiques, the centerpiece of which were Catholic religious icons and jewelry.
The weapons of the world section was more disorganized, but was astonishing in its range of possessions. Weapons from nearly every aspect of ancient and modern warfare were represented, including armor, cavalry gear, guns, knives, swords, uniforms, and more. These included a sword of Francisco Pizarro, the personal pistols of Marquis de Lafayette, and other weapons owned by important figures in Peruvian and South American history. What struck me most was the pristine condition of of all the arms; each of them was well maintained, and looked very formidable.
Today's class and museum tour were excellent reminders of how much more complicated the history of a place tends to be then people realize. People seldom give the losing side of a war (e.g. the Incas and other PreColumbian Indians) full credit for their accomplishments, and do not give enough attention to the nuances of their histories. Worse, people remember even less that the victors of a war (e.g. the Spanish) were seldom as competent as we like to remember, and often had trouble guiding themselves after they had won. If we really want to understand history and current events, we need to have a more complete understanding of all the parties involved.
martes, 2 de junio de 2015
UNIFE Day 2
Today was a busy day at UNIFE for our entire class. As with yesterday, we had lunch with some of the UNIFE students, and alternated between conversing in English and Spanish. After this, we had our first classes at the university; I was assigned to the Intermediate Spanish 1 group, which took classes in literature and in history. The literature portion was a fascinating timeline of Peru's writing history, starting with the Quechua epics of the Incan empire. After the conquest, Peruvian writing was quite deliberately remade in the Spanish language and its styles in an attempt to completely dismantle all traces of Incan culture. However, after independence, Peru began to diverge from Castilian Spanish and used many new styles from the outside world in addition to its own. Several writers were key to helping create a distinctly Peruvian literature, the first and foremost being Ricardo Palma; his melding of romantic and realist themes in his writing was key to setting Peru apart from its neighbors and from the world powers.
My second class was focused on the history of Peru, specifically the hundred year reign of the Incans and their conquering by the Spanish. The class studied the political dynamics of the Incan Empire's dynastic politics, administration, and its consolidation of different Andean cultures. Next, it overviewed the reasons why the Spanish were able to defeat the Incans despite being at an extraordinary numerical disadvantage against them. The truth is, the Spanish had most of their fighting done for them with smallpox, the flu, and other diseases they brought from Europe, which killed millions of Incans and other Indians throughout the Americas. Meanwhile, their possession of horses, firearms, and good ships allowed them to have greater destructive power and maneuverability than the Incans could ever hope to have.
Finally, we concluded with a panel by the Northeastern students about what life is like on campus and in Boston generally. We each had a student translator for us who would speak in Spanish after we spoke portions of our speeches in English. We talked about how Northeastern coordinates co-ops, how we go about studying, and how students live in dorms. I talked about the university is excellent at networking among its alumni and employers, and how it has an extremely wide base of connections amongst experts and professionals in all kinds of fields.
After that, we spoke in Spanish with groups of the students to get to know each other. Overall, today was an excellent start to our academic and personal exchanges amongst the UNIFE students. We each learned about our respective home countries, and how they handle many different parts of life socially and academically. It will be great to do more tomorrow, and then go to the Museo Oro.
My second class was focused on the history of Peru, specifically the hundred year reign of the Incans and their conquering by the Spanish. The class studied the political dynamics of the Incan Empire's dynastic politics, administration, and its consolidation of different Andean cultures. Next, it overviewed the reasons why the Spanish were able to defeat the Incans despite being at an extraordinary numerical disadvantage against them. The truth is, the Spanish had most of their fighting done for them with smallpox, the flu, and other diseases they brought from Europe, which killed millions of Incans and other Indians throughout the Americas. Meanwhile, their possession of horses, firearms, and good ships allowed them to have greater destructive power and maneuverability than the Incans could ever hope to have.
Finally, we concluded with a panel by the Northeastern students about what life is like on campus and in Boston generally. We each had a student translator for us who would speak in Spanish after we spoke portions of our speeches in English. We talked about how Northeastern coordinates co-ops, how we go about studying, and how students live in dorms. I talked about the university is excellent at networking among its alumni and employers, and how it has an extremely wide base of connections amongst experts and professionals in all kinds of fields.
After that, we spoke in Spanish with groups of the students to get to know each other. Overall, today was an excellent start to our academic and personal exchanges amongst the UNIFE students. We each learned about our respective home countries, and how they handle many different parts of life socially and academically. It will be great to do more tomorrow, and then go to the Museo Oro.
lunes, 1 de junio de 2015
Day One at UNIFE
Today, we had our first day at UNIFE, one of the most prestigious women's colleges in Lima and all of Peru. UNIFE was founded as an all women's college dedicated to helping them gain a foothold in the workforce with training in languages, sciences, business, law, and more. Today, we visited the school of translation, which trains students to speak English and French as they prepare for international work. We began with a lunch in the school cafeteria, where groups of us spoke in English with some of the students to help them practice. We spoke with Erica, a 25 year old student who studied at the school - her family is Andean Indian, and she speaks some French in addition to her impeccable English. We ate lunch, discussed the best places to visit in the US and Peru, cultural differences, and the best food of our respective countries.
After, we headed to a conference room to meet with the faculty and introduce ourselves to the school. The school's administrators outlined the courses we would take, what to expect, and other important parts of our week at the university. We will be reviewing everything from the arts to astronomy, and will practice English and Spanish in turns with the students. Next, I and Breanna gave a brief speech thanking UNIFE and its students for having us, and vowing to make the most of our experience as possible. After this, we were treated to shows of Peruvian dancing and fashion, concluding with groups of UNIFE and Northeastern students coming together to dance to the Pitbull song El Taxi.
domingo, 31 de mayo de 2015
Peru and the Sea
For a country of its geographic location and economic status, Peru's military history is surprising rich. From the days of the Spanish Armada to its current defense roles in South America and the Pacific, Peru has been key strategically in the region for centuries. Today, we had a chance to tour several displays of Peru's military history in Port Callao - the Abtao Submarine, the Naval Museum, and the Fort of Real Felipe.
The first stop was the Abtao Submarine, the first diesel submarine to be possessed by Peru's navy. It was sold to Peru in 1951 by the United States to upgrade its defenses, and was one of the most powerful weapons Peru possessed at the time. Today, it is parked by a small pier, and has been meticulously preserved for future generations, with everything from its crew quarters to its torpedoes on display. Next, we went to the Peru's national Naval Museum; it covers nearly every aspect of Peru's nautical development from the reed and wood rafts of the PreColumbian Indians to modern satellite communications used by its navy. The diversity of the ships and tactics used by Peru's navy (particularly during the 1879 Pacific War) was particularly surprising, since they became the first South American country to use submarines in war.
Finally, we visited the Fort of Real Felipe, a Spanish colonial fort during the 1600s. Fort Real Felipe was built to defend Callao and Peru in general from pirates that would maraud the coast. After independence was declared and the region more peaceful, however, the fort became less and less useful. Today, it is used as a museum of Peru's military history, and features PreColumbian artifacts, Spanish weapons, and guns and vehicles from Peru's wars in the 19th and 20th centuries. Finally, it also serves as an administrative seat for Callao's government, and continues to to serve its home city in new ways.
The first stop was the Abtao Submarine, the first diesel submarine to be possessed by Peru's navy. It was sold to Peru in 1951 by the United States to upgrade its defenses, and was one of the most powerful weapons Peru possessed at the time. Today, it is parked by a small pier, and has been meticulously preserved for future generations, with everything from its crew quarters to its torpedoes on display. Next, we went to the Peru's national Naval Museum; it covers nearly every aspect of Peru's nautical development from the reed and wood rafts of the PreColumbian Indians to modern satellite communications used by its navy. The diversity of the ships and tactics used by Peru's navy (particularly during the 1879 Pacific War) was particularly surprising, since they became the first South American country to use submarines in war.
Finally, we visited the Fort of Real Felipe, a Spanish colonial fort during the 1600s. Fort Real Felipe was built to defend Callao and Peru in general from pirates that would maraud the coast. After independence was declared and the region more peaceful, however, the fort became less and less useful. Today, it is used as a museum of Peru's military history, and features PreColumbian artifacts, Spanish weapons, and guns and vehicles from Peru's wars in the 19th and 20th centuries. Finally, it also serves as an administrative seat for Callao's government, and continues to to serve its home city in new ways.
Caral
On the 30th, we went to the ruins of a city of the Caral civilization, the first PreColumbian civilization in the Americas to use agriculture. The city was founded approximately 4,500 years ago, and is the second oldest site of an agricultural civilization known. Only the state of Mesopotamia was older, for it was founded approximately 5,000 years ago. What is even more amazing is that the Caral civilization only had llamas and some vegetables to feed themselves, while the Mesopotamians had wheat, cattle, horses, and many more crops and livestock. Furthermore, the Caral only had one narrowly confined river valley to farm in, while the Mesopotamians had the entire fertile crescent. It could definitely be argued that the Caral created more with less.
Like Pachacamac, the Caral ruins stood out of the modern settlement surrounding it. However, unlike Pachacamac, the ruins were surrounded by farms and greenery reminiscent of the conditions that must have drawn the city's founders. Amazingly, the Caral seem to have lived with minimal violence, since no tools or implements clearly meant to be weapons have been found in the ruins of their city yet. The ruins were organized, as our guide explained, in a circle to better observe the movements of the stars, moon, and sun. Most of the buildings were pyramid shaped stacks, some of them residential, others religious, and still others for governance.
In other words, the Caral were not so different from modern humans. They needed food, they needed shelter, they needed cultural institutions, and they needed good leadership. Despite the seemingly foreign and alien environment the Caral civilization started in, it awed me that they had many of the same institutions as modern societies.
viernes, 29 de mayo de 2015
Final Good Byes
Today was both cathartic and sad. It was our final day volunteering at the Quinones Air Force school, and both its students and ours showed how much the past week has been treasured. After our El Sol classes, we went to Quinones, and were instructed on the finer points of drumming and dancing in the traditional Lima fashion - with little else then some wood boxes, horse jaws, and our own two hands. As we grew more coordinated, we came to produce better and better music as the session went on.
Next, we headed to the auditorium, where we received a demonstration of colonial dancing techniques from two female students who had previously shown them at Lima's art museum. Next, we received our honorary diplomas from the school, and danced with our guides to "Taxi" and at least a dozen other Peruvian pop songs. Finally, we concluded with games of basketball before we left on our bus.
Today left me feeling genuinely happy, and eager to learn more about American culture. In return, I felt like I had gained some insight into how Peru works by observing its newest generation in action. Hopefully, more dialogues like this will occur later on between our countries.
Next, we headed to the auditorium, where we received a demonstration of colonial dancing techniques from two female students who had previously shown them at Lima's art museum. Next, we received our honorary diplomas from the school, and danced with our guides to "Taxi" and at least a dozen other Peruvian pop songs. Finally, we concluded with games of basketball before we left on our bus.
Today left me feeling genuinely happy, and eager to learn more about American culture. In return, I felt like I had gained some insight into how Peru works by observing its newest generation in action. Hopefully, more dialogues like this will occur later on between our countries.
jueves, 28 de mayo de 2015
The Great Game
Today was one of the funnest days of the volunteering sessions. After our morning classes, our day began with a round of dancing with the students of our class. After a presentation about the culture of the Peruvian Amazon region, we were instructed by two of the students. Then they brought several of their classmates up to join us (predictably, the boys were more reluctant to join). It was very humanizing to see that even though the movements and clothes the Peruvians used were different in their dances, they had the same objective as dancing in the US - to attract and bond with others, to show skill, and to lose oneself to music.
After this, we had a presentation about the state of the Peruvian economy. It was fascinating to see how the economy of Peru is impacted by its geographic location, demographics, and resources. Its main problem is a lack of access to capital, which it is seeking by increasing trade with the USA. It is also trying to boost industry (particularly manufacturing) to increase employment.
Finally, the day ended with rousing games of soccer and volleyball. The teams were a mix of Northeastern students and Peruvians, rather than pitting one against the other. The students were great at both sports, and their players contributed many of the points on both teams. The informality and ease with which the teams were able to organize together despite different languages and tactics is probably what struck me most. When people have a common goal, they can do a lot together.
After this, we had a presentation about the state of the Peruvian economy. It was fascinating to see how the economy of Peru is impacted by its geographic location, demographics, and resources. Its main problem is a lack of access to capital, which it is seeking by increasing trade with the USA. It is also trying to boost industry (particularly manufacturing) to increase employment.
Finally, the day ended with rousing games of soccer and volleyball. The teams were a mix of Northeastern students and Peruvians, rather than pitting one against the other. The students were great at both sports, and their players contributed many of the points on both teams. The informality and ease with which the teams were able to organize together despite different languages and tactics is probably what struck me most. When people have a common goal, they can do a lot together.
miércoles, 27 de mayo de 2015
New Dialogues
Today's conversations with our students took on several interesting subjects. Although the primary topic was culture (such as festivities and food), we quickly went on to talk about larger aspects of American and Peruvian culture. Afterwards, the NEU students went to the library and spoke in Spanish with some of the students. My group's guide was Juan, who had lived for a time in Maryland with his father as part of Peru's diplomatic mission in the US. Together, we participated in a group activity over the history of Lima and practiced our Spanish.
Several things stood out to me in the English practice session: First, the students had traveled more than I thought; several had been to the USA, and one had been to all of the countries in South America. Second, they had many of the same concerns as we Americans did right before graduating high school. Many of them were studying for college entrance exams and preparing for life after school. Third, they helped us understand how they perceived English as a language; they found it to be difficult as we did Spanish, and commented on our pronunciation of different Spanish words.
After our group session, we moved to the library and practiced Spanish with the students as part of an activity in which we retraced the routes of Simon Bolivar across South America. Later, we had an impromptu dance, and walked about by the soccer field. There, we alternated between English and Spanish as we waited for the bus. It was interesting to hear how Juan perceived American culture, and differences in the regions within the US (e.g. New England, the West Coast, the South).
Today's class reminded me of the importance of having a nuanced picture of a country. Peru is no more a uniform place than the US, for it has several regions and peoples in its borders. It also helped me understand how people build their perceptions of the US, and how it impacts their adoption or rejection of our culture.
Today's class reminded me of the importance of having a nuanced picture of a country. Peru is no more a uniform place than the US, for it has several regions and peoples in its borders. It also helped me understand how people build their perceptions of the US, and how it impacts their adoption or rejection of our culture.
martes, 26 de mayo de 2015
Parties and Guinea Pigs
Today was my first day speaking almost entirely in English with the students at Quinones. The students in my group were each 14 and 15 years old, and possessed intermediate English skills. Overall, their English was better than my Spanish; however, they still appreciated the English to Spanish dictionary I had in my backpack, and it facilitated our conversations immensely over the course of the class. The key to the success of the class was that both of us actively wanted to learn about each other and our respective cultures.
The primary topic for my group was festivities and food. The students talked about popular holidays in Peru, particularly All Saints Day, and food, such as cuy, ceviche, and Chifa, the Peruvian variation of Chinese food. After they finished, I talked about food my family makes; I talked particularly about food from my mother's side of the family, which is Cuban and has many similarities to Peruvian food. I also talked about how Americans like to socialize, ranging from music concerts to small apartment parties between friends. The students were surprised to hear that not all American parties had dancing and music, while I was surprised that they had adopted several American slang terms (particularly "bae" and "diva") before my visit.
I cannot wait to continue my work tomorrow, expand on it to include more meaningful subjects, and befriend the young people I am working with.
The primary topic for my group was festivities and food. The students talked about popular holidays in Peru, particularly All Saints Day, and food, such as cuy, ceviche, and Chifa, the Peruvian variation of Chinese food. After they finished, I talked about food my family makes; I talked particularly about food from my mother's side of the family, which is Cuban and has many similarities to Peruvian food. I also talked about how Americans like to socialize, ranging from music concerts to small apartment parties between friends. The students were surprised to hear that not all American parties had dancing and music, while I was surprised that they had adopted several American slang terms (particularly "bae" and "diva") before my visit.
I cannot wait to continue my work tomorrow, expand on it to include more meaningful subjects, and befriend the young people I am working with.
lunes, 25 de mayo de 2015
New Friends, New Slang
Today, we began the next phase of our stay in Peru - volunteering at the Peruvian Airforce's Quiñones School. It serves children aged five to seventeen, giving it a far greater number and range of students than at many American schools. Our tasks will alternate day by day and group by group, but for today we spoke with the students and got to know them better. Some of us spoke in English to with them to help them practice, while my group practiced our Spanish with them. We Began with a whole tour of the school, and Introduced ourselves to some of Their classes. We had little time for each class and the students we spoke With Were aged six to eleven, so we kept our introductions and conversations fairly basic. This was for the better, since my Spanish is more intermediate, and They Would not Understand everything we did in college and the US.
Later, we spoke with older students in their teens and who spoke some English, allowing us to have more in depth conversations. Our group spoke (mostly) in Spanish with two fourteen year old girls named Olenna and Valeria. Valeria had relatives in New York and spoke some English, while Olenna explained many different cultural features of Peru, particularly food. They were ecstatic that we were going to Lima, and recommended eating cuy (guinea pigs). They were eager to learn more about the West Coast and Denver since they had not been there yet, and talked a lot about their favorite music from the US (specifically Justin Bieber) and Peru.
Tomorrow, I will begin helping students practice their English. I feel like I am well prepared for this for a few reasons: First, the students have surprisingly good English, and will almost certainly speak it better than I speak Spanish. Second, I have a large English-Spanish dictionary split in half for both languages; I am sure several words in the Spanish half will be very handy at one point or another. Finally, both the students and I have a strong desire to learn from each other and to teach each other.
Later, we spoke with older students in their teens and who spoke some English, allowing us to have more in depth conversations. Our group spoke (mostly) in Spanish with two fourteen year old girls named Olenna and Valeria. Valeria had relatives in New York and spoke some English, while Olenna explained many different cultural features of Peru, particularly food. They were ecstatic that we were going to Lima, and recommended eating cuy (guinea pigs). They were eager to learn more about the West Coast and Denver since they had not been there yet, and talked a lot about their favorite music from the US (specifically Justin Bieber) and Peru.
Tomorrow, I will begin helping students practice their English. I feel like I am well prepared for this for a few reasons: First, the students have surprisingly good English, and will almost certainly speak it better than I speak Spanish. Second, I have a large English-Spanish dictionary split in half for both languages; I am sure several words in the Spanish half will be very handy at one point or another. Finally, both the students and I have a strong desire to learn from each other and to teach each other.
domingo, 24 de mayo de 2015
Guano and Dancing
My day was, to say the least, eventful. It began with a bus ride to Paracas National Park and sailing around its rocky islands. They first entered the spotlight during the 1870s; at the time, bird guano was the best known agricultural fertilizer, and countries and corporations were scrambling to get it. Peru had the world's richest deposits of guano, particularly in the Paracas area, briefly making it an important global power. However, guano's value plummeted as better fertilizers became available, putting mines of it out of business. Later on, the islands were declared national parks, and are now home to thousands of birds.
Our visit of the islands started with a sight of one of the Nazca Lines, better known as the Palabra. It is one of the more abstract lines in design - rather than representing an animal or person, it shows an abstract glyph that somewhat resembles a candlestick, giving the line its name. Next, we arrived at the islands themselves - the first thing that struck me was the clear lines on each of the stones. The boundaries between areas hit by high tide versus those that were consistently dry, and the difference between areas inhabited regularly by birds versus those that were not could have been drawn by pen. The variety of birds struck me as well - terns, boobies, pelicans, and more all crowded for space and competed for fish as we photographed them.
After a brief interlude, we went to San Clemente to see traditional dances of Peru's African community. As with other countries in the Americas, they came as slaves to Peru with the Spanish, but have since developed a distinct, vibrant culture. They showed us how they played their music with basic instruments including drums, a violin, and even a horse jaw, while their dancers instructed us on their techniques; they seemed to alternate between tap dancing and zumba, and was accentuated with colorful clothing.
Afterwards, we went back to Lima after a rewarding weekend. I truly hope that the rest of the trip is as fulfilling and educational.
Our visit of the islands started with a sight of one of the Nazca Lines, better known as the Palabra. It is one of the more abstract lines in design - rather than representing an animal or person, it shows an abstract glyph that somewhat resembles a candlestick, giving the line its name. Next, we arrived at the islands themselves - the first thing that struck me was the clear lines on each of the stones. The boundaries between areas hit by high tide versus those that were consistently dry, and the difference between areas inhabited regularly by birds versus those that were not could have been drawn by pen. The variety of birds struck me as well - terns, boobies, pelicans, and more all crowded for space and competed for fish as we photographed them.
After a brief interlude, we went to San Clemente to see traditional dances of Peru's African community. As with other countries in the Americas, they came as slaves to Peru with the Spanish, but have since developed a distinct, vibrant culture. They showed us how they played their music with basic instruments including drums, a violin, and even a horse jaw, while their dancers instructed us on their techniques; they seemed to alternate between tap dancing and zumba, and was accentuated with colorful clothing.
Afterwards, we went back to Lima after a rewarding weekend. I truly hope that the rest of the trip is as fulfilling and educational.
The Nazca Lines
It never ceases to amaze me how a civilization can be so advanced in some areas of culture, technology, and art, and be behind in others. One of the best examples of this can be seen in the remains of the Nazca culture, which lasted from 200 BCE - 950 CE. On the one hand, they were isolated from much of the world, and had not developed much of an agricultural base since their home lacked calorie rich crops like wheat and was fairly arid. On the other hand, they were able to create thousands of monumental pieces of art to pay tribute to their gods with little more than basic surveying - the Nazca Lines.
The Nazca Lines are representations laid out as representations of various things the Nazca culture held valuable, such as their gods, glyphs representing important ideas, and in one case even a priest wide eyed from a hallucinogenic drug. They also represented animals the Nazca dealt with everyday or had heard about from other parts of Peru, such as monkeys and hummingbirds. How they were created is still a mystery, since many of the 3,000 lines can only be viewed fully from an airplane. It implies that the Nazca possessed powers of surveying the topography of the local area that few other people at the time could even dream of. They created and knew the layout of enormous patterns in the hills and plains of the desert without ever having gazed directly at them.
Looking on the lines, I felt in awe of the work ethic and motivation their workers must have had. I often feel the need for tangible rewards when I start a project, but the Nazca made all of their lines strictly for the viewing of their gods, not themselves.
The Nazca Lines are representations laid out as representations of various things the Nazca culture held valuable, such as their gods, glyphs representing important ideas, and in one case even a priest wide eyed from a hallucinogenic drug. They also represented animals the Nazca dealt with everyday or had heard about from other parts of Peru, such as monkeys and hummingbirds. How they were created is still a mystery, since many of the 3,000 lines can only be viewed fully from an airplane. It implies that the Nazca possessed powers of surveying the topography of the local area that few other people at the time could even dream of. They created and knew the layout of enormous patterns in the hills and plains of the desert without ever having gazed directly at them.
Looking on the lines, I felt in awe of the work ethic and motivation their workers must have had. I often feel the need for tangible rewards when I start a project, but the Nazca made all of their lines strictly for the viewing of their gods, not themselves.
viernes, 22 de mayo de 2015
Sand Surfing on Another Planet
Normally, one assumes the topography of a country is fairly uniform. For example, that Brazil is all jungle (much of it is actually grassland), or that Australia is all desert (actually it has rain forests to the east and some snowy mountains in the south). I made the same mistake in Peru - after seeing Lima, I imagined Peru would not possess many surprises in weather except perhaps changes between fog and sunny weather.
I first began to realize the variations yesterday after seeing the ruins at Pachacamac (see my previous post), but this was driven home during my drive to the town of Ica today. As we drove down the road and left Lima, the landscape transformed from city to desert in the blink of an eye. Mountains loomed in the distance, while enormous sand dunes surrounded us on either side. I thought they were hills at first, until the road cut through them to reveal that they really were enormous summits of sand and stray stone. The landscape looked as if someone had taken a piece of Mars and transplanted it onto Earth.
After our drive, we arrived at our destination - Ica. After a tour of the town and its fine pisco winery, we went back out into the desert to do the most logical thing possible on a sea of sand - surf. We rode at a break-neck pace across the dunes, and then proceeded to slide down them on waxed snowboards. The sliding reminded me more of a roller-coaster ride than anything else, except I also had to dodge my fellow surfers as well.
After a great day, we arrived back at our hotel for dinner. Tonight, we eat relax for our real adventures tomorrow at the Nazca lines.
I first began to realize the variations yesterday after seeing the ruins at Pachacamac (see my previous post), but this was driven home during my drive to the town of Ica today. As we drove down the road and left Lima, the landscape transformed from city to desert in the blink of an eye. Mountains loomed in the distance, while enormous sand dunes surrounded us on either side. I thought they were hills at first, until the road cut through them to reveal that they really were enormous summits of sand and stray stone. The landscape looked as if someone had taken a piece of Mars and transplanted it onto Earth.
After our drive, we arrived at our destination - Ica. After a tour of the town and its fine pisco winery, we went back out into the desert to do the most logical thing possible on a sea of sand - surf. We rode at a break-neck pace across the dunes, and then proceeded to slide down them on waxed snowboards. The sliding reminded me more of a roller-coaster ride than anything else, except I also had to dodge my fellow surfers as well.
After a great day, we arrived back at our hotel for dinner. Tonight, we eat relax for our real adventures tomorrow at the Nazca lines.
jueves, 21 de mayo de 2015
Pachacamac - A Place of Contrasts
Today had a lot of contrasts for me. It started regularly enough for me - I had breakfast with my host family, my morning commute, and then classes. I thought my trip to Pachacamac would be a regular trip as well. It would be a stop on the road with plenty of tourists and trinket sellers, with precious little historical value left to show. Thankfully, I was wrong.
The middle of my day was a stark contrast to its start - we left Miraflores and departed from Lima's outskirt to its coastal core. After a good drive on our bus, we arrived at Pachacamac. The line between it and the the rest of the city was both clear and stark. The site was hundreds of acres of sand and rock topped with brooding temples and paths which towered over the much smaller buildings and greenery around it. There were almost no other tourists besides my group, and precious few people at all apart from a few guards and our two tour guides. Despite being in the middle of one of the world's largest cities, I felt a profound sense of isolation; it was as if we had simply driven to another planet.
The contrasts did not stop there. Despite the apparent aridity of the ruins and the silence of the stones, one could smell water wafting in from the Pacific fog, and the smell of cars and smoke from the still very much living city around it. Our knowledgeable and well spoken guide Danielle revealed even greater contrasts with every step we took. The Pachacamac site had been used as a place of worship and governance for almost 5000 years, and had been occupied by dozens of civilizations and societies, while the city surrounding it is not even 500 years old at the time of this writing. It was very much an island of antiquity surrounded by a young, modern city.
The contrasts did not stop there. Despite the apparent aridity of the ruins and the silence of the stones, one could smell water wafting in from the Pacific fog, and the smell of cars and smoke from the still very much living city around it. Our knowledgeable and well spoken guide Danielle revealed even greater contrasts with every step we took. The Pachacamac site had been used as a place of worship and governance for almost 5000 years, and had been occupied by dozens of civilizations and societies, while the city surrounding it is not even 500 years old at the time of this writing. It was very much an island of antiquity surrounded by a young, modern city.
By the end of the tour, I had a newfound appreciation for Lima. Despite its relatively recent founding, its culture is not monolithic by any stretch of the imagination. It had absorbed all kinds of legacies from its native people, the Spanish, and others into a mix that seems contradictory at first glance, but is awe inspiring once you really get to know it.
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