Many Differences

There are many things that are gained when moving to a new culture. And there are many things that are given up. We now have access to items that were not available to us in the States, while many of the conveniences that we took for granted before, we are no longer able to obtain. Physical objects have not been the only changes to our context. We are also learning to adjust to different perspectives, ideas, and ways of doing things.

As I was thinking about what is different about Peru, I could not stop adding to the list. Below are a few pictures that illustrate, if only in part, the differences that confront us on a daily basis. These pictures cannot communicate all that we hear, smell, and feel that is foreign to our senses - like the constant noise produced from 9 million people sharing this city, the exhaust from the crowded streets, the smell of fish in the markets, and the lack of sun for 8 months out of the year. Nor can the photos fully convey all the benefits that our new environment affords us - like the smell of fresh bread while walking down the street, the beautiful summers here with lots of sun and not a day of rain, the convenience of corner stores, and, most of all, living out God's call for our lives.

Every bathroom here has a little trashcan next to the toilet for throwing used paper into. I guess the sewer system cannot handle paper. The trash picks up everyday here, so it goes out often.

My dryer (which is not a normal amenity here) and my stove are fueled by these gas tanks like the ones used for grills in the states. When they empty, I call the local gas guys and they deliver a full one to my house and take the empty one out. I do this about once a month or so. Sometimes I run out in the middle of cooking a meal...a minor inconvenience.

Every dust pan has a long handle so you don't have to bend over to sweep up. I think this is a great idea, and I guess it is because it is necessary to sweep here multiple times a day (due to all the soot in the air that is constantly settling on everything). This handle is saving our backs.

This is an electric switch on our bathroom wall where we turn on our water heater. We have one small water heater that services our bathrooms (all but one) and no hot water in the kitchen. We usually turn it on in the morning when we wake up and then turn it off after Geoff and I have showered. Then, we turn it on again in the evening if we are going bathe our kids, and then off again before we go to bed. This is a great energy saver. As Mr. Miyagi said in the Karate Kid (2010), "Flip a switch, save the world."

Here is just a few of the foods that are packaged differently here. From the left, parmesan cheese, drinkable yogurt, mayonnaise in a soft package (ketchup and mustard also come like this), milk in a box sold warm on the shelf, and brown eggs in a bag sold warm.

Lastly, Peru has AMAZING fresh fruit. This is only one example. You break it open and eat the insides (which resembles snot with crunchy seeds). It actually tastes good if you can get over the texture.