just-in-time enjoying versus just-in-case hording

Sitting in the store of Tia Maribel/Aunt Maribel, I watched as a young woman purchased one pencil from the box of about 10. I thought how interesting that in the US I do not know if you can even buy a single pencil. I think you just buy a whole box of 10. Then I remembered a couple years ago watching Xavier buy just a single razor at a corner store and thinking how different it is than the US. Recently I read an article about, what the author was calling, just-in-time enjoying versus just-in-case hording. The point was that some cultures and people are preoccupied with accruing, saving, thinking about the future, worrying about scarcity, and believing more is better while others are much more concerned about the present moment, acquiring what is needed now, not worrying so much about unknown futures, and appreciating the abundance. The article really touched me because I DO horde, especially food. I buy lots at a time (I love bulk items like rice and nuts) and am afraid to use anything up without buying another first. I have a fear of being without in case I need it...whatever it may be...mustard, ginger, almonds, rice. And some, such as my sister, call me a pack rat. :-)

As a watched the woman buy her one pencil, I remembered how when I first arrived here I tried to adapt to the daily run to the market to buy food for just today's lunch. Yet I am so accustomed to a weekly shopping run and stocking up. (Of course in the US your market is not usually a block away either.) And while so many of us are filled with thoughts of scarcity, I wonder how many really have appreciation for the abundance that we are blessed with. I know I often forget and need reminding.

So for at least today, let's try to focus on the many abundances and enjoy this moment rather than worrying so much about the future and what scarcities may lie ahead.

Love and Blessings

sign petitions to stop the destruction of lands, homes, and lives

This is happening very close to where I live. Because of this a friend of mine had to cancel her visit to come for Xavier's and my fiesta, another friend had to rearrange her visit with me, in my own city there are vigils and praying and today everything is closed down, and they have forbidden all gatherings for the next 60 days....will we even be able to have our fiesta now? anyway, this is just the tiny personal touchings. nothing compared to the dozens killed. the official report is 30 - 40 indigenous but the police have been killing, bagging, and tossing bodies into the river. there are over 150 indigenous missing. Please sign this petition. at least it's something. this is all happening because of the free trade deal made last year btween Peru and the US. ah yes...once again the US....

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=rT3Mp%2BjwWJC9oD9awMj6vZZKlKHU3Lxs

http://www.avaaz.org/en/peru_stop_violence/?cl=250248084&v=3461

results of the US-Peru free trade agreement

I just wanted you to know about what is going on near where I live in Peru. Indigenous people, infuriated by the taking and destroying of their Amazon land due to the free trade agreement made with the US, have been trying to make their voices heard to the Peruvian government. It really came to a head this past week, when a friend of mine, Dana, came for a visit and we had planned a trip right through the area involved. Unfortunately, many indigenous and police have been killed in the conflict. Dana and I changed plans, staying here in my town for her whole visit. While we were still able to have a splendid time, the indigenous have been fighting for their lives. We went hiking to a mountaintop, visited ancient cave/wall paintings, lunched with family, picked and ate caña/sugar cane and coffee beans, tromped through Xavier's dad’s farm, collected a variety of fruits, chopped down a banana tree, bought our food at the busy Sunday market, learned to play the cajón, and drank wine. I wish the indigenous could be in a better situation as well.

Peruvian Police Accused of Massacring Indigenous Protesters in Amazon Jungle

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/6/8/peruvian_police_accused_of_massacring_indigenous

someone asked about food...

A friend from work asked me what I was eating while here. She said

"(You always had pretty fascinating things on your plate here!)"

I wrote a response and am posting it here:

“I am eating some pretty normal food. Rice and lentils or split peas or beans for lunch with veggies of course. Maybe squash (it has been in season but is just ending). Humitas – do you know them – which are corn mushed together with oil and cilantro and formed into the shape of a burrito and then wrapped in the corn skin. Fava beans. Fruits and more yummy fruits. I make some dishes with tamarind. Coconut, avocado. They have some great root veggies here like yucca and something called arracacha which is sort of like a potato but so much yummier. The girl that lives here too just came back from her farm and brought me a whole bunch of them! And the best fruit in the whole world, after dates of course (called khorma in Iran, where they originate), is called lucuma. It’s very dry and not that good to eat alone but put it with banana or milk or yogurt or water or ice cream or coconut…and it is a super delicious treat, with a flavor almost like caramel or … not sure how to describe it.”

The last time I went to the coast, I brought back a whole box of lucuma. They were selling it here in San Ignacio when I first arrived, but recently they stopped. It's season is ending. Not quite sure if I can survive here without it. it's what brings me happiness. :-) And other fruit has ended here too. But there is still some on the coast. I am heading there again to take care of some business so I am going to look for more pomegranates, persimmons, lucuma, and pineapple. Mangos just ended their season. :-( Oh how I love the fruit here. It's sort like iran with the persimmons (called khormaloo in Iran) and pomegranates (called anar). Yey for nature's goodness!

Cookout at Uncle Nasho’s

We grilled out one Sunday at Xavier’s uncle’s house (Nacho Bure). Here are some photos with Xavier, his father, sister, aunts and uncles.

We are in the front yard, under a banana tree (in the city).

of course there is cerveza

and dancing

to be continued into the evening at our house…

wonders of technology

you can now call me as though I’m still in DC.  don’t ask…just enjoy.

202 872 5337

i don’t know for how long this will work so let’s talk while it lasts!

Just a normal life with the market

So I mentioned to people before that I wouldn’t really have many stories to tell or photos to post because I’m not traveling or doing anything exciting…just living a regular life with work, food, sleep, and the occasional cerveza (beer).  So the more interesting parts of life now are learning to live with a partner (and his family) and the daily ups and downs of a relationship.  While one day I am irritated with how Xavier does something, the next day I am joyful with how thoughtful and caring he is when he does something else.  Oh yes….relationships.

So life is pretty uneventful…my highlights are going to the market on Sunday mornings when the people come from their farms bringing fresh, local, delicious, and cheap fruits, vegetables, and herbs.  Although this is not that different than me living in DC, when my highlight was Saturday mornings going to the farmer’s market in Mount Pleasant when the people come from their farms bringing fresh, local, delicious, but not so cheap, fruits, vegetables, and herbs.  As Xavier has noted to me, I am the most happy when I am buying food, preparing food, or eating food.  This was also noted by me last year (oh no…was it 2 years ago now????) with my dear friend Kendra, when we realized that our entire lives outside of work revolved around buying plants (we would hit up the food markets on Saturdays together), preparing plants (we would make raw meals together a lot), and eating plants (we would of course eat the food after preparing it and we both love eating delicious and nutritious food).

Ah yes…the good life…

 

Photos of the market on Sundays, when the people come down from their farms to sell their produce in the city market.  Much better than buying from the stores that buy from the coast.  Buy and eat local!!!  :-)

 

 

 

 

 

So I’m living in San Ignacio

I finally have some photos of the city.  (Thanks for waiting,)  We were able to borrow Xavier’s uncle’s motorcycle so we could ride around and leave the city/town/village and get to see it from above…and take some photos in route.  It’s interesting because inside the city is equipped with electricity, running water, street lights, etc.  But as you leave the city, you hit a point where it becomes the rustic countryside…

 

This is more towards the outskirts of the city, farther up.  On the left is a moto-taxi, the main mode of transportation.  It’s a motocycle/scooter with a carriage attached to the back.

 

In the city…

Plaza Integración (The city center park named after the peace achieved between Perú and Ecuador)

  

 

It’s cloudy a lot during the sunset hour.  But some days we get a beautiful sky.

 

The view from inside a moto-taxi…looking down my street.

Where am I exactly?

People have wondered where I am exactly in Peru.  So here is a map of where Peru is first (for those that know it’s in South America but which side and how close to the equator is it?).  The second map has a little red marker with the letter “A” – this is the city of San Ignacio, where I live.  If you want to look for it. on for example Google Maps, you need to know it’s San Ignacio in the department of Cajamarca.  So type San Ignacio, Cajamarca, Peru.  It’s near the border of Ecuador, in the Andes mountains.  To the west you have the coast, which is more desert.  To the east you have the northern Peruvian portion of the Amazon rainforest.

My Contact Info

You have my email, but if you want to call me on Skype, look up shireensbya.  If you want to call on the phone, call 51 76 356387.  You probably have to dial 011 first if you are dialing from a US landline to make an international call.  Do not call directly from your cell phone.  I think it’s expensive….ridiculously so.

Skype is definitely the way to go though.  It’s free to talk through computers – you just need a microphone. 

Or email me your number.  I don’t have people’s numbers…didn’t have time to get them out of my cell before leaving.  It’s cheaper for me to call you than you to call me I think…

My Birthday – Mi Cumpleaños

I forgot I had my 30th birthday 2 weeks ago.  Oh jeez.  So we actually had a storm and the power was out the entire afternoon and night of my birthday.  Well, not my exact birth day (Feb 25) but the day before.  Here they celebrate the night before, called the quema (pronounced kayma) which means burn.  At the moment of 12:00 and upon entering the actual day of your birth, there is a birthday toast.  And then you continue celebrating past midnight of course.  So since there was no electricity, we couldn’t really party in the house with music and dancing, which is typical.  And most people could not maneuver in the dark streets to get here.  But the ones that live close stumbled over and, after starting by candlelight inside with a bottle of red wine (how romantic!), we ended up moving outside on the front stoop and sitting under the stars.  As we drank through our case(s?) of cerveza, we pulled up his dad’s car and played music through the car stereo.  The best part of the night - there was an incredible amount of stars out!  Because of being in the mountains and especially now because it is more of the rainy season, many nights are cloudy.  And they told me this was unusual to see so many stars.  I have definitely never seen this amount of stars before, even in the south-western deserts of the US.  It was quite amazing.  Especially after coming from DC where you can only see about 5 stars.

     

some of the family (and me standing)

Xavier’s grandma, Mami Nora

Xavier’s sister, Indira, and his uncle, Calin

 

sitting next to Xavier’s sister, Norma

(sorry no photos of Xavier…he had the camera)

(I was actually looking forward to my 30th birthday all year.  How wonderful to enter a new decade of womanhood.  I figured I’d spend some of it reflecting on my life, what I have experienced, what my hopes and dreams are to come.  But it came and went so fast…I hardly realized it was happening.  But sometimes the best way to travel the river of life is to just hop in your raft and go rather than looking at a map.)   :-)

Always doing something...and thinking even more

So this past week Xavier and I had to travel to Lima to take care of his immigration/visa. This involves a 12 hour bus ride, during the night, to the coast to the city Chiclayo. We stayed there at his cousin’s house during the day where I was able to enjoy the tastiest fruit in the world, lucuma. As a fruit alone, it is really dry and not pleasant to eat. But mixed with water and a bit of sugar for juice or even better, milk and then frozen, for ice cream, popsicles, or frozen slushy in a bag, it is absolutely delicious!!!!! I think I had 4 that day. Then that night another 12 hour bus ride to Lima. The week was spent at a hostel for backpackers that his friend owns. Xavier ran around the city doing paperwork while I tried to get some work done using their computers there. And then I finally found the frozen popsicles in a bag (marcianos) of lucuma…right outside the hostal. So I was able to enjoy another couple days of this heavenly treat. We spent only 3 nights there. The first we shared wine and beer with his friends and their friends that were staying at the hostel. The second night we went to bed (relatively) early to prepare for the following day at the embassy. The last night we celebrated together with cerveza (of course) and then went out dancing for a little bit with some of our new friends. But the discoteca was located in a part of Lima that is really expensive and the cerveza was ridiculously over-priced so Xavier and I left to look at the ocean, reminiscing of us standing there 2 1/2 years ago but in a completely different place personally and in our relationship (which had really just begun). Who would have thought…

The following day we made our way back to Chiclayo (after enjoying a few more marcianos de lucuma….my mouth is watering just thinking about it), but the bus broke down a few hours into our trip and we had to wait for another one to come so we could switch. In Chiclayo, in too much summer sun and heat, we headed to the market to buy my very own fruit of lucuma to carry back to San Ignacio (they do not grow it here nor bring it here to sell) so that I can make my OWN marcianos.

This week was interesting personally for two reasons. One was the idea of an international relationship and the difference between the (typical and exciting) initial meeting and traveling together as a pair and the (not always occurring and less exciting) living a regular life together as a couple. We met the brother of his friend (who owns the hostel) who is dating a girl from the US and a girl in Germany, both of whom had come to Peru, met him here, traveled together, and have since returned to their respective countries. So we talked with him about what it is like to maintain a relationship across continents with occasional visits, how exciting it is to travel across one’s country together with a foreigner and what memories that makes and how it brings you together, and most reflective for me, how different your relationship becomes if you do in fact stay together and end up living a regular life as a couple. Xavier started this theme by pointing out the difference between our friend’s stories of how glorious and thrilling it was to be with *name omitted to protect privacy* and the moments they shared versus how Xavier’s and my lives are now, where many conversations are about what do you want to eat for dinner, who’s going to wash the dishes, how much money do we have, etc. It’s a completely different world. And while I of course realized that our relationship has completely changed from visiting new cities, experiencing new cultures, and him sharing stories about his country, it was interesting to really have it expressed. And it just sort of happens…

The second was Xavier mentioning how I am completely obsessed with food, always talk about food, and do in fact dream about food, and me wondering….since food IS so important to me (and really to all of us…it’s what keeps us alive) if Xavier did not enjoy the same foods as I do, could we even be together? At the hostel at night, we ate really simply (as you have to when you’re traveling and do not want to eat a restaurant for every meal) – bread with avocado and vegetables, and sometimes cheese. Some of his friends made comments about or questioned his eating vegetarian and that he liked it. It’s really not typical for a Peruano to eat the way I do (with vegetables!!!). :-) But Xavier actually likes vegetables. and actually likes the food I like… The other part of our diet that brings us closer is that he loves sweets too…perhaps as much as I do! So while I headed to the dessert shop three times one day for the marcianos of lucuma, Xavier was right there with me, just as excited to eat his third one of the day as I was. And other times he is the instigator to go out of our way in search of that special sweet treat . Ah yes…love…

And I sure do love that lucuma! stayed tuned for how my very own marcianos of lucuma turn out…

us sharing lunch with Xavier’s friends of the hostel and our new friends from France

Always something to drink cervezas to

Here are a couple photos from the wedding of Xavier's sister. There were 200 people at the wedding reception and almost all of them were family. And the whole family did not even come! There are so many more relatives across the country that I have never met.

Xavier and his sister the bride, Indira

Paltas en la huerta

So I have been in San Ignacio, Peru for about a week and a half. The first week was intense in many ways. It was wonderful to be with Xavier again, and I enjoyed being a mushy, "cho cho" couple. However, I was plagued with the dilemma that my internet connection did not work as well as planned. While the (only) internet service provider in San Ignacio sold us a package for high speeds, I was not getting this when I tried to do my work. So there was stress and worry and frustration. But we made it through (relatively calmly for typical me I have to say...), and I have adapted my work programs to function better here. (Many thanks to Hans and Mo for their (continued) help!)

And then Xavier's sister, Indira, is getting married tomorrow. Last weekend was her bachelorette party (despedida de soltera). Xavier is the oldest of three, with two younger sisters (like me). And Wednesday the groom celebrated his despedida de soltero, although it was less planned and more informal than for the bride. And we did not really stick to only the one gender in either party. Xavier and his uncle crashed the bachelorette party, and I joined his grandma and the bride at the bachelor party. And last night was his aunt's birthday. And as I said before, last week was Xavier's birthday. So there has been a lot going on and lots of celebrating with family (which means cervezas and delicious (and strong!) liquor from grapes).

Although we do not forget the simple things. There is not much in the backyard (but I want to make a garden and plant some vegetables...I am going to miss my balcony in DC this growing season), but there is one avocado tree. Oh how I love avocado, palta, aguacate (depending on where you are from). Lucky for me, it was time to harvest so Xavier's dad climbed it the other day to collect them. Here is a picture of him in the tree and Xavier collecting them.


On another note, I am glad I have those photos I took in the last posting of the view from the rooftop, because that view no longer exists. There used to be open space next to the house which then connected to his grandparents' house, which then connected to aunt and uncle's house. (Half the city is his family...I don't think I'm even exaggerating.) But now someone is building a restaurant that comes right up to the house (literally) and ended passage between the houses and blocks the views of the city (you can see it in this picture). The houses here tend to have openings to the outside, and there used to be openings above the bathroom and shower so you had nice light and even a small view. But now it's brick...they built the restaurant right up to the house. I mean right up to it. And now from the rooftop your view is the roof of the restaurant. While there is lots of banging and pounding during construction, they also blast music all day long. :-)

Otherwise things are pretty normal and chill. I spend most of my time in front of the computer working. Otherwise it seems we are eating, cleaning up, or buying food at the market. The family (dad, sisters, Xavier, me, and sometimes Indira's soon-to-be-husband) eat lunch and dinner together. Then in the evenings, we hang out or have random things to tend to. There is not really much to do here; you could say it's boring. His sisters will be staying here until end of March. Then their classes start back up and they'll be heading back to the city Chiclayo, on the coast, 12 hours away. If anyone wants to visit, they have a beach and right now it's summer there. :-) (Mind you it is summer THERE. Here it has been raining every day for at least a bit. But the sun peeks out too. It's quite nice actually, 60s- 70s.) Here is a sunset from there, when I first arrived in Peru. We stayed there for a day before continuing on the long journey from Lima to San Ignacio. (Nice sunset but the city itself is nothing to write about.)

Arriving at my new home in Peru

After two planes and two nights sleeping in buses, I finally arrived at my new home in northern Peru yesterday morning at 5am. Just how I remembered. This is my fourth time in this smallish town of San Ignacio, located in the tropical (lower altitude) part of the Andes mountains. The first step, after sleeping for a bit in my new bed and waking to a beautifully sunny, lush view out my new window, was unloading my suitcases and getting my new room set up. followed by connecting my laptop and ensuring an online connection for my job. In the evening, we had to get a pillow and something to hang our new curtains at the whole two stores here that carry those things. It is Xavier's birthday today so last night we started the celebration the traditional way by enjoying a crate of cervezas (beer), music, and dancing with his family. Today my current view is cloudy and rainy, as it is the rainy season right now, but I have to head to the (currently muddy) market, an entire block away, to get food to prepare lunch. It's interesting because the town is small and nestled in the mountains. So you are surrounded by houses, gardens, dusty streets, and then further out, mountains. The town itself does not have much to offer except cerveza and café (coffee) - it is the main producer of café in Peru. Unfortunately I don't have batteries for my camera yet so I have not taken any photos. But I do have photos from the last time I was here.


Regional views - areas nearby San Ignacio.






























View of San Ignacio from Xavier's family "farm" - they do not live there, just have land, which they do not really tend to except for a few coffee (café ) trees.

As I look at this picture, it occurs to me that San Ignacio is not THAT small...but they just got their first bank a couple years ago (after I was here the first time) which is the local Peruvian bank and only services their own customers, i.e. my ATM card for my US bank does me no good here. Plus, at that time, they only had a couple bars and one main discoteca...now they have many more.


















Within the city...some parts have more gardens and trees than others. I am lucky to live in one of the most "green" (as in color for you GA folk) parts of the town.




















Street Xavier and family live on - my new home.