Whether you come from a culture that is monochronic or polychronic, individualist or collectivist, feminine or masculine, the one thing everyone can enjoy is the art of drinking. As an American, I would have to say that drinking is shared trait among our citizens. Come Friday, after a long week of work, a cocktail is all that lies ahead in our near future. On a warm sunny day nothing is more refreshing than an ice cold beer. And of course, you can't have a super bowl party without your 30 pack of beer. I used to think in Americans knew how to drink... until I came to Peru.
Los Peruanas know how to party! It seems like the two weeks that I have been here have been one everlasting party. Every morning I wake up to fireworks at 7am to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of Cuzco (why in the morning when you can't see them, I have no idea). On my home from school, there is usually a parade of people walking around carrying a cross, followed by a band. At night in the plaza, there are traditional dances with light shows to the drumming of the Indigenous people. One night my roommate and I were pulled into an ally where tons of local people were drinking and dancing to the music. It's crazy here and everyone is always so happy to celebrate something, anything! Within the two weeks that I have been here, we have already had three days off either due to a holiday or a festival. Friday was the Inti Raymi festival, which was awesome! It was somewhat like the Peru version of coachella but with a llama sacrifice as the main attraction, rather than music. There was thousands of people at this event and everyone was drinking cervezas having a grand old time. Like I said, Los Peruanas know how to party!
Needless to say, the times I have gone out with friends have been a blast. The clubs don't close at 2am like the amateur clubs in America do, and therefore it is extremely easy to dance the night away. I went salsa dancing for the first time and it was amazing! I love watching people salsa dance because it is so much more artistic than the bump and grind found in the states. While there maybe less grinding, there is much more sexual tension in salsa. The other night, as I was attempting to teach my two left feet to salsa dance, an old man grabbed me and twirled me across the dance floor. Luckily for me, I only had to follow his lead and pretend like I knew what I was doing. Those three minutes were the most fun I have had dancing in a long time, and now I am determined to learn how to salsa dance.
Of course, not all of the clubs in Peru are strictly for salsa dancing. Los Peruanas love American music and the other night there was a Pink Floyd cover band playing at one of the bars, who was surprisingly very good. Overall the night life has been fun, but I have some learning to do!
I’ve only been in Peru for a week, but it feels like months. I have accustomed to the culture and everyday life in Peru much faster than I anticipated, and with little culture shock. I think the biggest transformation I have undergone (and will continue to experience) has to do with my concept of time. I am so accustomed to the mono-chronic sense of time that majority, if not all Americans, share. In America, our time is precious and promptness is expected. We orient our day around how much time we have, giving ourselves small windows to complete each task at hand. Day in and day out it’s: wake up at 6, eat breakfast at 6:30, leave for class by 6:45, learn from 7-11, work from 12-5, eat dinner at 6, homework from 7-10, and finally, I squeeze in a two hour workout before the day is done. Because of my task orientated and time structured lifestyle, there is little time for enjoyment.
Our concept of time affects our relationships as well. If someone is an hour late to an event or changes plans last minute, we consider it an insult. We become frustrated and those precious thirty to six minutes that we were forced to wait quickly escalate into 120 minutes of fighting.
In Peru, as with most Latin American cultures, their concept of time is much different and certainly more tranquil. Los Peruanas prefer spending two hours for lunch with their family, rather than rapidly scarfing their food down while driving or working at their office. In fact, practically the whole town shuts down from 1-3, so they don’t even have the option to eat while at work. Their poly-chronic sense of time indicates that they can be easily distracted, without a schedule to follow. Plans are often made and changing right until the very moment. Los Peruanas are more concerned with finishing a task or engagement and completely disregard the time it takes. Dinner Monday night with my family is the perfect example. It was the birthday of mi madre peruana and we had family and friends over for dinner. Dinner lasted until 11 at night, and not once did the kids ask to be excused to finish their homework. Their time with the family was more important than finishing their homework, and if there wasn’t time to do there homework, they weren’t going to try to squeeze it in.
Although I see the benefits and downsides to both a mono-chronic and poly-chronic sense of time, I’ll have to admit the poly-chronic sense of time is much less stressful. And while I am enjoying this new sense of time, when I return to the States I’m certain I will continue with my mono-chronic sense of time because there is nothing more satisfying than crossing everything off on your to-do list; however, I will take back with me a better understanding for the concept of time. Hopefully, I will remember that it is not so important and to not stress out or become frustrated if someone does not return my call promptly.
Today we went to Pisac, and it was absolutely amazing! Unlike yesterday’s excursion, our trip to Pisac was much more adventurous and within my attention span. Pisac is an old Inca city built on the peak of a mountain. The work and dedication that went into building an entire city at 11,000 ft above sea level is incredible; never in my life have I seen or experienced something so grand. The views from the top of the city are breathtaking, but what I found most interesting about the old Inca city is their trail. The Inca trail spans across 400,000 kilometers and was taken on a regular basis to deliver messages and food. Fortunately enough for me, I was able to experience the Inca trail for three hours today, as we hiked to the city of Pisac.
For the most part, I think that traveling with large groups is a burden, but I made sure that was not the case today. I scurried to the front of the group to insure that I would not be stuck behind the tortoise. As I hiked through the ruins, climbing and descending time after time, I couldn’t help but give into my legs. They flung out in front of me with little control, guiding me from rock to rock. I couldn’t help myself but to run and leap. After yesterday’s excursion, I was dying to explore and I wasn’t about to waste any time.
Finally after a wonderful and exciting three hours (although I have to admit, I paused my adventure to act like a tourist and take way too many pictures), we finally reached the city of Pisac. There we had lunch and browsed the open air market. I practiced my spanish and bargaining skills, and as proof to my success, I bought a turquoise ring for 18 soles (about $6).
After a superb day experiencing the wonders of Peru, I returned home to a relaxing and enjoyable night with my family Peruana. I helped Claudia with her math homework and then introduced her to Chromeo. Later, my family and I walked to the supermarcado, drank tea, and watched The Pursuit of Happiness dubbed in Spanish.
There is something calming to the life of Peru. When I think of my life back in the United States, I need a cup of coffee. School. Work. Gym. Homework. All I can think about is when I will find the time to fit all of this in one day, every day. Here in Peru, time is not so relevant, and no one is in a rush. You would never expect the person behind you in line at the grocery store to sigh or grumble if you have too many groceries or you choose to write a check. Family is important and every meal is shared. People walk everywhere and anywhere, sometimes walking just to walk and talk. I like it here, its peaceful. It’s simple. It’s how life should be.
Today we had a field trip to Sacsayhuman, or as Dr. Knight's son called it, "an old time playground." Sacsayhuman is what is left of an old Inca temple. It rests on a hill that overlooks the entire city of Cuzco and is built out of enormous stones that have been pieced together like a puzzle. Some of the rocks form natural slides and seats, a few caves as well, which makes it sort of like "an old time playground."
Sacsayhuman is no Macchu Picchu, but nevertheless, it turned out to be more exciting than I anticipated. When we first arrived to Sacsayhuman, I became somewhat agitated after learning we weren't going to be exploring the ruins by ourselves, but rather we would be lead by a tour guide. There is nothing I despise more than a drawn out guided tour, the ones that constantly are stopping along the way for questions-- that honestly, I have very little interest in. I wish I was one of those people who loved history and could appreciate Sacsayhuman for its background--but I'm not. I don't think its necessarily a bad trait, I just appreciate the beauty of the surrounding nature and the architecture rather than the story that lies behind it. When I go to a new place, I want to explore! I like seeing the views, exploring the caves, hiking up to the top, and climbing on rocks. I would rather experience a place for what it is, than be told about it.
Fortunately enough, my dream came true when our tour guide gave us an hour of free time; it wasn't until then that I could actually appreciate Sacsayhuman. I was free to scale rocks, walk through dark caves, and even take pictures with a donkey and a llama (all of which I did). I loved every minute I had to explore, but interestingly enough, the my favorite part of my trip to this "old time playground" had little to do with exploring.
As I hiked up to the top of a hill, where the view of Cuzco was clear and the city was protected by a large statue of Jesus, I met an old Quechuan man. (Quechua is the original language of the Inca's). I have never seen someone who loved life, their heritage, and their city more than this old Quechuan man. He sat at the top of the hill with nothing but a smile and his guitar. After talking with the man for a while and telling him I was for the United States, he sang a song for me: la bonita mujer de los estados unidos de californie. This jolly old man was awesome in so many ways, but what I loved most about him was that he expected nothing in return. In Peru, craftsman constantly bombard you with solicitation. There are even women walking around the streets with llamas offering pictures with them for un sol (the currency of Peru); however this was not the case for the old Quechan man. This old man was offering a service, but expected nothing in return. He sang solely because he loved to sing and wanted the tourists to enjoy their visit.
This old Quechan man embodied the spirit of life and represented the idea I have always had about foreign culture. The idea that there is little to worry about so long as you are happy and making other people happy in doing something that you love.
June 15, 2011
Until now, my trip to Peru seemed like a fragmented dream; the kind where you wake up and remember the main episodes, but cannot remember any details no matter how hard you challenge your memory. It seemed like a dream partly because my trip would not become reality until I crossed the security lines at the airport, and also because I left for Peru with little expectations or knowledge of the country. For as long as I can remember, I have been infatuated with what seems to be every culture except American. To me, every culture embodies the happiness of life. Every other culture is so colored with art, music, and great food. When I think of going to Peru, or any other country for that matter, all I can think of is this sense of love and beauty. I think of a life that so vividly shines throughout the clothes the people wear; however, I cannot imagine the little details or what to expect. Like a dream, I cannot quite put my finger on what kind of food Peruvians eat, or what the city of Cuzco will be like, or how the people I meet will act.
It’s been a long day of traveling, almost a full 24 hours, and while I am exhausted from not sleeping on the plane, all I want to do is explore. I finally got a taste of the culture and the life that I had always dreamed of but never knew, and all I want is more. I want to study it, learn it, embody it.
In a way, I am slightly pleased with my ignorance because I cannot be disappointed. Even so, I don’t think I could have dreamed up anything as spectacular as what I am about to experience.
