i don´t think like a Peruvian

Some simple observations of the differences between Peruvian and American thought. Actually, to be clear, I don´t pretend to understand either culture, but from my limited experience I proceed.

1. Buses here have a set route, but do not have set stops. Basically, anyone can get on and off the bus at whatever time they want. All you have to do is wave down the bus, and they will pick you up, and then say "baja" when you want to get off. Also, except for if you want to go to Centicos, every bus ride is 50 cents, no matter when you get on and when you get off. Very convenient, but not efficient.

2. When at a party, Peruvians do not go up to the food table and eat. Rather, they wait to be served. This really kind of confused me, because I thought they were being shy or just weren´t hungry or something. But I asked my host sister why that is, and she said it is more respectful and polite to wait to be served. If you go up and get the food yourself, the assumption is that you are stuffing your face. If you wait to be served, you are getting the portion offered to you.

3. Most construction projects I´ve seen are half finished, but many of them are purposefully so. I´ve heard different reasons for this. Sometimes people run out of resources. Sometimes, you leave your project so that if you want to expand later, it is easier to do so (for example, there are many one-story buildings that look like they were supposed to put on a second level, but just haven´t done so). I´ve also heard you get a tax break if your building is unfinished, so people leave it so.

4. This is a judgment, but Peruvians don´t know how to shop in a supermarket. There is one new supermercado in Tanca called Plaza Vea, the first ever here. It´s kind of trippy... reminds me both of Costco and Walmart, and a little bit of Hot Dog on a Stick, because the workers had crazy hats on. I guess the best way to describe the way the Peruvians shop is to compare it to their driving... Basically, almost everything goes . Whatever lane you can get, whoever you can pass up, cut off. Whatevs (actually, this is somewhat similar to how Peruvians go up for communion at mass, too). Also, the cashiers are super slow, haha.

5. The city is not really separated into different areas, like residential and commercial, for example. This is not completely true, because places like Habitat, where the JV´s live, are pretty darn residential, but still there is a huge mixture. In the center of Tacna, you will find someone´s house next to a nice clothing store next to the market next to the school next to a casino, and one of those will have a farm out back, in the middle of the city. Or sometimes, the first floor is the shop, and the second floor is that person´s house.

6. I can´t have a list of differences without mentioning la hora Peruana, or Peruvian time. I have no idea what the rules are for this one... I´ve only got two definite examples. First, you always go to mass on time. Mass starts at 7:30, so you get there on time. Second, if you are invited to a party that starts at 8pm, you don´t come until 10pm or so. Everyone shows up hours late. But, outside of mass and parties, I don´t know the rules of Peruvian time. For example, one time we had dance practice, and we started about 45 min late, even though we were preforming the next day. Another time, we were catching the bus to go to the beach with the famlies of Miguel Pro, a school here. All the Peruvians got mad at all the gringos for getting on the bus at 9am instead of 8:45am. What? As Mo said, they´ve made us wait for everything else anyways.

7. Not everyone goes up for communion during mass. Actually, not very many people go up at all. It depends on where you are, but I would guess that about half the people go up for communion. I´m not sure why that is, something I need to learn more about. It is very different than the American sense that you must "get something" out of going to mass.

8. You can definitely sit next to the taxi driver. Actually, you can sit up front with the bus driver too.

9. Peruvians begin counting on their fingers with their pinky, not their pointer. Pinky is one, pinky and ring finger is two, pinky ring and middle is three, you get the picture. 

10. Also, when beckoning someone to come towards you, Americans will typically put their hand palms up and wave their hand towards them. Peruvians do the same, but with their palms down. Kinda hard to describe, but easy to see.

11. When at the beach, you wear your bathing suit.... and a shirt and shorts over it too. Some people will actually swim in just a bathing suit, but many people, probably most, wear clothes on top too. 

12. You greet everyone at a party, even if there are 50 people there. Guys shake hands, girls get a kiss on the cheek. It is rude not to greet each person individually, and people do hold grudges.

13. Peruvians serve all alcohol in small glasses a little bigger than a shot. If you don´t want someone to serve you more alcohol, you just leave a little bit in your glass. If they see that you have not yet finished your cup, you are fine. Once you´ve finished, though, they will insist that you have more. Unless you want to get shwasted real fast, just don´t finish the cup. The same is true of food... if your plate is empty, they will put more on it. If you leave just a little bit there, they think you are still eating. Thing is, by the end you want your plate to be empty, because otherwise they will think you didn´t like the food. The only way to really express that you liked the food is to eat tons of it. So, eat slowly, and when you think its been long enough that they won´t offer you more, finish your plate. Or, just stuff your face. 

14. In general, Peruvians value extroverts. They like the loud, outgoing person who will talk a lot and jump up and dance too. Most Peruvians think I´m really serious at this point, because my spanish is not at the point yet where I can have a good conversation. Meh. It´s just that I can´t translate my jokes fast enough. =) Ha, plus a little culture shock going on, of course.

15. Also, in general, people here value you for who you are, not for what you do. My host family claims me as their own, not for anything I´ve done to help them at all. I can barely communicate with them, and they show me patience. I am having all these stomach problems, and they buy me special yogurts and flax seed, as well as take me to doctors. My host mom introduces me as her daughter, confusing many a Peruvian. I´ve done nothing but interrupt their lives with an extra mouth to feed, more laundry to do, and hospital visits. But they care for me just for being me.


I think we should learn from each other. No one place does everything correctly. But, if we learn from each other, maybe we can all do things a little better.


peace and prayers. happy birthday to Lindy from yesterday.