A week already

So it's been a week since I left Montreal - it definitely feels like more than that. So much has happened in the past few days, it's difficult to write it all down in an orderly way...but I will try.

Until yesterday, we had been staying in Miraflores, the most "modern" and rich area of Lima. In my opinion it really lacked in personality and authenticity, but there was plenty of stuff to do nevertheless: we biked along the coast, ate Churros, visited Museums, went out at night, and paid to watch this fountain water show (very popular with the locals...I thought it was a bit of a waste of time). 

Yesterday a tour was organised by the NGO (Alternativa) where we'll be working, in order to help us get to know Lima Norte. The guide said he was going to take us on a touristic tour in order to show us the cultural and economic highlights of the area..we ended up driving up and down these desert-like hills, where the slums were. The whole situation seemed surreal; one minute we were walking along the clean and organised Miraflores, and the next we are in the middle of an extremely poor area, with some of the most sketchy looking houses I have ever seen. 

After the tour was over, we drove back to Alternativa and waited for our families to come and pick us up. Mine is composed of C, a 31 year old who works at the NGO, her 25 year old brother J, her father..J again, and the mother M. Yet C came to pick me up with her best friend R, who is this sort of independent, beautiful "Femme Fatale"who owns a hairdressing salon and lives alone with her, quite large, 13 year old son. Her and her son really make me think of Gloria and Javier in Modern Family... when I first met her she came across as a little crazy. 

The first thing we did when we arrived at the casa was to sit on the sofas and play with the dog, Canela. It has to be one of the least attractive dogs I have ever seen: it's minuscule, they shaved the top of its head and it's got the biggest globulus eyes - kinda like a bug. We talked about the dog for about an hour (I must have only understood a quarter of what was being said), until I asked if I could see my bedroom.

So my headboard says "Yo <3 Jesus" and the drawing on my duvet is of a couple making out, written "Marry Me" on the bottom. I have to admit that I was more than confused about what was going on, and was honestly thinking "what the f am I doing here". 

I made it through the night nevertheless, and went to work this morning still quite confused. But as soon as I got to work and shared my experiences with the others I felt much better, especially since the dog in one of the girl's families is apparently even uglier than Canela (he has crooked teeth). We worked on a bunch of different projects, it looks like it's going to be really interesting, so I'm happy about that.

Before I go eat some Pollo con Arroz, I need to share with you my casual ride home from work. C decided it was time for me to take a "Combi" which is basically a Little Miss Sunshine Combi Van, except there aren't only 5 people and a dead body in it, but more like 50 people who look like they are about to die. They stuff as many people in it as possible, I was literally hugging this man's armpits, and every time the driver braked I thought we were all going to go flying through the windshield. I joke. It really can't be that dangerous if it is what 2.1 million people use to go to work everyday. 

This is the view from my house

 My bed...

 Who would have thought that a toilet could be cute?

First impressions...

Hola!!! I am writing this from a run-down youth hostel in Lima, called the Flying Dog Hostel. The name is misleading; the place is filled with cats. We arrived last night, after a very ordinary 8 hour flight, followed by an interesting taxi ride, with ABBA and George Harrison's version of "I've got my mind set on you" blasting on the radio, which made me feel quite at home. After a few attempts to chit-chat with the taxi driver -he was really not in the mood- we resolved ourselves to quietly observe the deadlike streets (it was 2AM after all).

At the hostel, while celebrating our arrival with a few beers in the garden, we were joined by two middle age frenchmen. One of them wouldn't stop bitching about the city yet he had just gotten here, and the other one was mumbling in the background about the fate of Greece and the Euro (we were then told he had had a little too much of Lima's cheap Cocaine). Probably not the best first conversation to have about the city that is to be our home for the next 2 months.

It took me awhile to figure out where I was when I woke up this morning, it had all felt like one of those absurd dreams that make sense but at the same time don't. At breakfast we got talking about the host families. From what I gathered from M, I'm going to be living in a family with 2 young adults, a dog named Cannelle, a "gym-weights machine" (a family of bodybuilders?) and "I love Jesus" is engraved on the headboard of my bed.

Lima seems like an ok city, I think it just needs getting use to. It's quite grim at this time of year, no wonder there seems to be practically no tourists around. The air is heavy and humid, and there's this constant fog around the city which confirmed my initial thoughts about not seeing the sun for the next ten weeks. The streets are full of cars and buses, its extremely noisy and you can smell the pollution, which isn't the best. We were also told at at meeting we had with Oxfam today that we had to be careful security wise - if someone decides to steal your bag you are supposed to just let him get on with his business... guess I have to save my Kung-Fu panda moves for another time.

I just re-read my post and it all sounds pretty negative - but I'm too lazy to erase it and start over again - so I'm just going to say that, regardless, I am very happy to be here; the Peruvians we've met so far were extremely nice, the youth hostel workers seem to love the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, there are these really friendly stray cats that live in the parks, and the food has been good. All is good in the hood!