Feliz Ano Nuevo

Yellow is the color of good luck and prosperity

The whole house around one table

Sparklers

Happy New Year! Wow, what an evening! They have some fun traditions here. Yellow is the color of good luck. Every where you go, they are selling yellow items for New Years. Yellow 2008 glasses with the "00" for eye holes, yellow flowers, yellow hats, and even yellow underwear and bras. Of course, fireworks, even more than on Christmas Eve. Many people make dolls or munecos out of old clothes and other items. Then, at midnight they burn the dolls. There were bonfires all up and down our street.

We started our evening with a lovely dinner that rivaled the feast on Christmas. After dinner, it was up to the roof for all which was an excellent place to watch all of the fireworks. By midnight, the fireworks were so intense that I thought I might need to take cover. After a bit, we went out into the street and did sparklers.

I need to get to sleep. We have an early morning tomorrow. We leave for the airport at 7 am to catch our flight to Cusco. Tomorrow will be spent touring the city of Cusco. Wednesday will be a whirlwind tour of the sacred valley, and Thursday will be Matchu Picchu. Heather and I head back to Lima on Friday, and Blanca will stay in Cusco a bit longer to get some important paperwork sorted out in her home town which is in the same area. I will post pictures when we get back!

I hope you are all having a wonderful New Year!

Miraflores

A quiet street corner in Miraflores

Marcela and Nicole outside a park in Miraflores

I spent the day with Marcela and Nicole yesterday. Marcela is undergoing dialysis. On Friday, she made it to the door of Pat's Place and passed out in Ana's arms. I offered to accompany her to her next appointment to insure that she made it home safely.

We took a two hour bus ride from San Juan de Lurigancho to Miraflores which is an upscale district of Lima. It reminds me of Cherry Creek with it's sidewalk cafes and boutiques. There were also lots of green areas and parks. A whole world apart from San Juan de Lurigancho. Marcela and Nicole lived in Miraflores prior to the decline in Marcela's health. I cannot imagine how difficult the change in circumstances must be for them.

After lunch with Marcela's sister, we went to the dialysis center. The doctor there would not allow me to accompany Marcela back for dialysis, so Nicole and I sat in the waiting room for three hours until the treatment was completed. We then took a bus back to Pat's Place. The ride was two and a half hours. Marcela works in Lima central all week with dialysis appointments on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. She spends four to five hours commuting. I was exhausted when we got home and I am not on dialysis!

El Mar

Ceviche

El Mar

Peruvian beach

Yesterday we spent the day with Heather’s friend Fanny. Fanny lives in another district of Lima which is near the airport and more than an hour’s drive from Pat’s Place. Fanny is the friend who gave Heather George. Fanny’s father invited us over for ceviche. It was delicious. Ceviche is considered an appetizer here, and is only served at lunch. I suspect that tradition arose out of the concern for the freshness of the preparation, since it is raw fish. Since it is only an appetizer, Fanny’s father served duck with rice and beans in addition. It was way too much food! The food here is served on your plate, so you do not have the option of taking what you would like. I have found that the servings are larger then I would like. Here at Pat’s Place, I have asked for less food, and now that they know me, the generally follow my request!

After lunch, we drove to an area known as La Punta (the point) and went to the beach. There was no sand, only rocks! The locals don’t seem to mind, they just spread their beach towels on the rocks the same way I would on the sand. The water was muy frio (very cold)! I have heard that there are better beaches for swimming, but it is not likely I will make it to one on this trip. Maybe another time…

Ana & Nico, Marcela & Nicole, & Yurayda & Kids

Ana and Nicolas (aka Nico) came to Pat’s Place from the home of Ana’s Aunt. Ana had been in an unstable home and left to stay with her Aunt. The situation there was not so good either, so she was referred to Pat’s Place. She has not had good role models for parenting, so one of her greatest needs is skills for raising Nico well. Nico is and active 18 month old with a ready smile and a keen sense of rhythm.

Marcela and Nicole have been at Pat’s place for just over three weeks. At the time of my arrival, they were the newest residents here. Marcela is in kidney failure and undergoing dialysis three days per week. She was referred here by the social worker, Ketty, who also works at the dialysis center. Marcela’s case is a bit different than the others, as she was not in an abusive situation. Her biggest concern is what will happen with her 13 year old daughter when and if her health declines further. Marcela must work to keep her health insurance. Without health insurance, she will not be able to go to dialysis.

Yurayda and her three children moved in on Christmas Eve day. She was living with a man she did not love out of fear for her children. She was unable to provide for them, and the man she was living with held that over her head as a reason for her to stay. She has a two year old daughter, Angie, a four year old son, Piero, and a six year old son, Luis.

Nory, Lina, & Katty

Nory is a lovely 18 year old who came to Pat’s Place from Hope House. Hope House is a girls’ orphanage. Nory “graduated” from Hope House but had not finished school. By taking her into Pat’s Place, she will have the opportunity to finish the Peruvian equivalent of High School, and possibly continue on to University.

Lina was raped by a family member and became pregnant. She was so distressed by the situation that she tried to commit suicide. She came to Pat’s Place directly after being discharged from the hospital. She is a deeply compassionate young woman who cares deeply for the other residents. Her baby is due near the end of May. Maybe it will arrive on my birthday!

Katty and her mother Yolanda were the second family to move into Pat’s Place. Although Yolanda has since moved on, Katty remains at Pat’s Place so she will be able to continue her education. From a very young age, Katty had been left home alone to fend for herself while her mother was out trying to earn a living to support them. Now 12, Katty realizes that she does not have many opportunities without an education. She is quite bright, and along with Lina, one of my best Spanish teachers!

Moving Day

Old cage, new cage

George is up

What a nice house warming gift, uvas! (grapes)

Katty, Nory, and Lina checking out George's new casa

George closed on his house and moved in yesterday. He did not have much furniture so it was a relatively uncomplicated move. He climbed all over for a bit and then settled into his bedroom for a good night’s sleep. Moving day is always so stressful. The girls (Nory, Lina, and Katty) were very happy for him and enjoyed watching the process.

My other adventure yesterday was going to the dentist with Lina. The dentist’s office was at the government hospital here in San Juan de Lurigancho which is quite close to Pat’s Place. We were there at 2 and waited for over an hour for a “consultation”. Basically, Lina went into the office and the dentist wrote her a script for Novocain. Then we waited in a line at the pharmacy to get the Novocain, a needle, and a pair of rubber gloves. After we had those things, we went back to the dentist and waited another hour. He then filled her cavity without the Novocain. He did not actually use any of the supplies we got from the pharmacy! His office reminded me of the dentist I went to as a child, over 30 years ago. The whole visit took three hours, and about 20 minutes of that time was actually spent with the dentist.

Before I left the states I called my insurance to see if they cover me out of the country. They do, but only in an emergency. Based on what I have seen so far, it would truely have to be an emergency for me to seek medical care at a government hospital. I have not yet seen a private clinic, but I hear they are simular to what we are accustomed to in the US.

Christmas Day

George cuddles in Heather's hand

Ketty's husband and brother-in-law with Nico dancing

Balle gente, balle! (dance people, dance!)

We had a very merry Christmas. The monkey had a special treat as well. Blanca does not like him in the house, but he had been brought in on Christmas Eve due to the fireworks. So, while Blanca was upstairs, we closed all of the doors and let George out of his cage. He was reluctant to exit, but a few ubas (grapes) convinced him to come out. He then climbed up on top of the cage and stayed there until it was time for us to eat and he was coaxed back in with another grape. I keep hoping that the larger cage will be finished soon, but I am learning that time in Peru is similar to Hawaiian “island time” and Jamaican “soon come” which are both very loose interpretations of time and deadlines.

Christmas dinner was much the same as Christmas Eve dinner with chicken, applesauce, yellow potatoes, and a vegetable salad. There were 20 people here, including the residents of Pat’s place, the workers of Pat’s Place and their families, and me! For dessert, we had a special jello parfait and later, cookies with caramel in the middle which I saw at the market the day before Christmas and wanted to taste, so I bought two dozen to share.

After dinner, we sat around the room and sang songs and played games. Ketty, the social worker, brought her husband and brother-in-law to dinner. Both are accomplished musicians skilled in traditional Peruvian instruments. They played several instruments including panpipes, two different types of flute, guitar, and a ukulele like instrument with a gourd for the body. It was very nice. They also had us playing a few games which got the crowd mingling well.

Next were the gifts. We tried to do them utilizing our family tradition of opening in the order of age, with the youngest going first. The kids were pretty good about following directions, but the adults had theirs open well before it was their turn. All of the adults received candy bars, and many of them had eaten the candy prior to their turn! The kids were really cute about the whole thing, scolding the adults for not following the rules.

The rest of the evening was pretty laid back. Heather and I had a nice chat with the gang back home, including a video portion where all of the boys competed for attention and camera time. It was a strange feeling for me to be both totally happy where I was and a little bit homesick for where I was not.

Feliz Navidad

Debora, Yaky, Jullio, Mattias, Sandra, Jimmy, Blanca, and Heather

The feast!

Hot chocolate and paneton

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Merry Christmas!

Last night we celebrated Peruvian style, arriving at the home of Jimmy and Sandra at 11PM to eat and exchange gifts. The dinner consisted of roasted chicken with yellow potatoes and sweet potatoes, a salad of vegetables, apple sauce, and rice. After dinner and gifts, we had the traditional paneton with hot chocolate. Jimmy used a “secret” family recipe which calls for butter and anise liquor in addition to the chocolate and milk. Que ricco! (How delicious!)

Today we will celebrate a traditional American Christmas with all at Pat’s Place. When we got home at 2:30 this morning, we Heather, Blanca and I stuffed stockings and put the presents under the tree. The residents used actual socks, some cleaner than others…

To all of you, a very merry Christmas! I hope you are warm and safe with the ones you love.

Betzy

Yumi, Betzy, & Edgar

Got Chocolate?

Edgar carrying Betzy upstairs

In the appartment

A unicorn!

Last night we ate dinner with a family Heather knows from church. We visited with them a week ago and they very graciously invited us to dinner. This family is of meager means, living in a small, one room apartment with no running water in their room. The room contains a bed, a crib, a TV, a small table, and a small stove. They do not have a refrigerator. What they do have is a lot of love for each other and for their daughter.

Betzy, their seven year old daughter, has cerebral palsy. She is unable to control her movements well enough to walk, eat, or use her voice for speech. She does however speak volumes with her eyes and smile. When Heather first came to Peru on a short term mission trip, they brought a wheelchair for Betzy, but because the apartment is on the 4th floor, it is not easy to make use of the chair. To go out, her parents must carry her and the wheel chair down three flights of stairs. Her mother, Yumi, will still carry her on her back using a manta, the traditional cloth Peruvians have been using for centuries to carry things. Edgar, her father, just picks her up and carries her either cradled in his arms, or over his shoulder. The stairs are steep and narrow, making this maneuver difficult at best and potentially dangerous as Betzy does not have good muscle control and often has spasms causing her to flail her arms and legs.

Yumi takes Betzy to therapy three days a week. To get there, she must get Betzy and her chair down the stairs and onto an inaccessible bus. To understand fully the difficulty of this, you must first know a bit about how the buses operate. They are in a hurry! They stop only long enough for passengers to get up the stairs. There is not really a schedule; buses just get there as quick as they can, because the quicker they go, the more passengers they can carry in a day and the more money the driver will take in. So, if they see a passenger that will slow them down, they might not stop. Yumi talks of buses passing her by with regular frequency. She tries to blend in to a larger crowd so the driver will not see Betzy and her chair. She can take a taxi, but the cost is about three or four soles, vs. one sole for the bus.

Yumi dreams of seeing her daughter walk. I believe that with better medical care Betzy would be capable of walking. There are medications and treatment modalities available which could help with the involuntary muscle movements. She could be fitted for braces and potentially use a walker. Unfortunately, these things are just not available to Betzy, and likely never will be.

What can be done is to make life a little easier for this family. Heather’s mission group intends to do a home makeover Peruvian style for the family. They are trying to purchase a house close to Pat’s Place since that is also close enough to Betzy’s therapy that Yumi would not have to take a bus or cab to get there, she could just walk. They would then remodel the house to make it accessable for Betzy’s wheelchair.

You had to know there might be a plea attached here somewhere. If any of you reading this feel moved to help, you could contact my sister at heatherga@juno.com and she can direct you to the right place to offer help, whether it be a donation of funds, supplies, or your time.

Oh, you might be wondering what we ate. It was one of the best meals I had had here in Peru. We had fish, rice, carrots, and broccoli. Yum!

Shama & Lima Central

At Shama Boys' Home

Guinea pigs (dinner, not pets...)


Girls vs. Boys in a soccer game

The main plaza in Lima Central with Christmas decorations

Nativity in front of presidential palace

Nativity at park

Another day, another adventure. Yesterday we went to a boys’ home where they care for “piranhas”, or boys who live on the streets and survive by whatever means necessary. They have about 30 boys living there at this time. If you imagine my brother’s house (with 4 boys) multiplied a few times, you might get an idea of the chaos found at Shama House. The boys were very interested in the visitors, asking if we brought presents. Once I brought out my camera, I had a group of boys who wanted me to take their pictures. They were funny. Just like my nephews, they wanted to see the picture and then take more. I finally had to put the camera away! At Shama, they raise guinea pigs for food and profit. They also have a large garden which raises food for the guinea pigs. Before we left, there was a football (soccer) game between the girls of Pat’s Place, and the Shama boys. I am happy to report, the girls won, 10-6.

After visiting the boys’ home, we met Jimmy (Blanca’s son) and his family in Lima Central. This was my third visit to the downtown area. It is very crowded there. According to Heather, it is always crowded, but it is even more so due to Christmas. We met Jimmy and crew on the steps of a large Catholic church in the main government square. We then went to a riverfront shopping area which was actually not too crowded, especially when compared to other shopping areas. We had bread with caramel sauce and rice pudding for a snack while we were walking around. Then we went to another park which was built around ruins. After walking around a bit more, we took a taxi back to Pat’s Place (7 passengers…).

In the central plaza, there was a nativity display in front of the president’s palace. There were guards prohibiting you from getting close to the fence to have a good look or take pictures. The presence of heavily armed (by my standards) guards and tanks of the corners surrounding the palace made me uneasy. I guess I have not been to Washington DC since well before 2001, so it might be similar. In my world, policemen carry nightsticks, and a small revolver, not machine guns.

One other funny thing: there are Christmas lights all around in Lima Central. The funny part is that each light set has a tinny, computerized Christmas carol going, and not at the same time as the strings of lights next to it so that the end result is like when you go into a toy store and start all of the music boxes one after another, playing different tunes out of synchronization. Chistoso (funny)!

Peruvian Hospital

Aldo & Rebeca under sign for the pediatric pavillon

Blood donor poster (my blood for my country, donate blood, donate life) Notice that the words at the top says one donation saves three lives...

Adult general medical ward

Pediatric ICU

Aldo under sign for pediatric emergency room

Rolling cotton balls

Where to start! Yesterday was amazing. I spent the day with Heather’s friend, Rebeca, who is a doctor here in Peru. As best as I can understand, the process for becoming a doctor here is similar to the process at home. Rebeca attended medical school immediately after high school. Her program was seven years long. Unlike America, she did not have general studies, but instead focused only on medicine. All graduates are required by the government to serve for a year in a government clinic of hospital. This year may or may not be a paid service. There is a lottery to pick who of the 800 students will get one of the 400 paid situations. The 400 who do not get a paid position must do their service at their own expense. Rebeca was not lucky enough to have one of the paid positions. She served in a hospital for police for her required year. She seemed understandably frustrated that the paid positions are chosen only by lottery with no attention given to merit.

After school and the year of service, she is qualified to be a general physician (GP). A GP receives an average pay of 1500 soles (or $500 American) per month. To work in a hospital, a GP must take an exam and be placed in a residency program for two years. After this time, the GP becomes a specialist and may work in a hospital. Rebeca is studying for her exam and hopes to become an internist. The average pay for a specialist is 3000 soles ($1000 American) per month. The other difference between a GP and a specialist is that a GP usually works 10 hours per day for 5-6 days a week. A specialist only works 4-6 hours a day for 3-4 days per week.

The hospital we visited is akin to University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (UCHSC). The hospital consists of 10 pavilions or wards. The wards are separated by sex and medical vs. surgical. There is a small pediatric pavilion, a maternity pavilion, as well as an oncology pavilion. The hospital is a government hospital, but is not a charity hospital. The patients must have insurance, the Peruvian equivalent of Medicaid/ Medicare, or be able to pay for services rendered. The hospital campus is large with many buildings. Each ward is housed in a separate structure. Additionally, there is a medical school for the training of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. Rebeca said that the hospital we visited is the largest and most respected in all of Peru.

The pediatric emergency room is just that, a room. Ok, technically two rooms, one for registration, triage and recitation and another for nursing procedures. The main room (for nursing procedures) had 6 beds. The nurse I spoke with was lovely and very accommodating. She was pleased to show me their crash cart with all of its contents. It would be easier to check than ours at Children’s since there were only about half as many supplies. It is set up like ours, with meds in the top drawer, respiratory supplies in the second, and various other supplies and kits in the third (and last). They see about 40 cases a day with only 2 nurses.

Some of the things that struck me were the assistive personnel making cotton balls from large sheets of cotton batting, and on another ward, they were making packets of gauze pads beginning with a large sheet of gauze which had to be cut into strips and folded, then about 10 pads were placed in brown paper which was folded into a packet and taped shut. This was in the surgical ward, and I presume (hope?) that the next step involved sterilization. Another interesting thing was the pediatric ICU which had about four beds and two nurses, but I did not notice any “fancy” machines, including IV pumps. The doctor who showed us around was named Aldo. He is a friend of Rebeca. All in all, it was a very interesting experience and I am glad to have had the opportunity.

Un Otro Fiesta

The beautifully set tables

A new friend, Laura

Heather needs redirecting

Last night I attended my first Christmas party in Peru. The residents of Pat’s Place went by private bus to the girl’s orphanage which is also run by New Covenant Creations Ministries, the “organization” my sister is with. I use the term organization loosely since this group has not done a great job of organizing thus far in regards to taking care of my sister, but I don’t think I really want to go there right now… The bus was driven by Edgar. He and his family will likely be featured in a future blog. The bus was full of people and gifts.

At the orphanage, we were treated to a lovely meal of roasted chicken and french fries. There was also a lettuce salad which seems to be uncommon in Peru, and no rice! For desert, there was a parfait of mint jello, a half a peach and peach yogurt with whipped cream and a cherry on top! The tables were arranged like a fine dining restraunt, with a candle and centerpiece. There was even a bottle of wine on each table. Que lindo! (How nice!)

There was a piñata after dinner. It was Papa Noel's head. All of the children took turns swinging. When it was still intact after all of the children had their turn, there were requests for some of the adults to take a swing. The picture posted is Heather having her turn. First she had to be redirected, as she was swinging for the people at the back of the stage rather than the piñata, but she did connect with all of her swings. The last person to have a try was Bridgett, the “manager” of the orphanage. It took three swings, but she did manage to break the piñata (finally!).

No party is complete without gifts. All of the residents of the orphanage and Pat’s Place received two pairs of shoes. The staff received watches. And then there was cake. I was too full to eat any more, but I did have a small taste of the frosting which is similar to the “fake whipped cream” frosting in the states, but much richer. It is called Chantilly.

The next installment in the monkey saga: The carpenter who was finishing the roof is building a larger home for the monkey. It will be about 7 feet tall and about 5’ x 3’. Much nicer. I cannot wait until he gets to move in. Today, I gave him some of the sweet potato from my breakfast, and he really liked it. We also put a baby toy with a mirror next to his cage. He likes looking at his new “friend” and seems much happier today. Anybody who would like to help pay his mortgage is welcome to chip in…

Notice: For anyone who happens to be following this blog close enough to notice and or be concerned, I will not likely be able to post tomorrow. I will be spending the entire day with a friend of my sister who is a doctor. We will be at a government hospital. I am very excited to have the chance to see what healthcare entails here.

Fruit and Friends

Fruit

Mattias (the birthday boy from Saturday), Jimmy (Blanca's son), y Sandra

Rocky

Yesterday we went to the mercado again. Heather was in search of monkey supplies. The monkey saga continues. We have not solved the cage dilemma. The poor monkey is still stuck in a small cage with no hope of a larger abode any time soon. He did escape yesterday, which provided much amusement for all, including the monkey. Unfortunately for the monkey, he was recaptured and placed back into his cage, but not before some much needed exercise and consuming a few bugs. In the process, it was apparent the monkey is definitely a boy. His name? George, of course! I can’t think about him too much, because it makes me sad. I will do whatever I can to see that he gets better quarters soon.

I have tried two new fruits. The first is tuna, which is cactus. The vendor is holding the tuna in his left hand and Heather is holding a peeled version in the front. It is red. It actually tastes quite a bit like watermelon, complete with seeds. According to Blanca, the seeds are edible, so I ate them. This fruit is supposed to be good for your tummy. The other fruit is a pepino (in the vendor’s right hand) tastes like cantaloupe. It was okay, but since I am not a huge fan of cantaloupe, I can live without this fruit.

We had dinner with Blanca’s son’s family last night. Sandra cooked chifa, known in the US as fried rice. For some reason, Chinese food is big here. I will have to do some research as to why that might be. For desert, there was a dish that I can only describe as a custard. It was made with different fruits, and then thickened with sweet potato starch. It was delicious! Jimmy, Blanca’s son, had put together “goodie bags” with sweets from the birthday party for Heather and me. Yum! I have not tried any of it yet, but I am looking forward to tasting it. One of the most enjoyable experiences on this trip has been tasting new things.

Rocky. What a sweet pooch! Jimmy and Sandra had a break in a few days before I arrived in Peru. They lost nearly everything of any financial value. Because of this, they have been reluctant to leave home, preferring to stay and make sure they are not robbed again. According to Heather, Christmas is a time of increased robberies (which makes sense) and if you are robbed once, it is very likely that you will be robbed a second time (which does not make sense, after all, what do you have left that is worth taking the second time around?). Because of this, the family has acquired a dog. His name is Rocky (as in Balboa) and he is 3 ½ months old. I enjoyed many puppy kisses. This morning, Blanca asked who I liked more, her grandson Mattias, or Rocky? After thinking for a little bit, I acceded that Mattias was dearer, but only by a little!

Sola

Learning a new card game

Nory and Katty playing "volley" with Nico running interference

Nico meets the monkey

My Spanish must be improving. Yesterday, my sister was out running around with her boss all day and I was at the casa with Blanca and the other residents, none of whom speak English. It actually went fine. I would even go as far as to say it was fun! We sat around and talked, no, communicated. They seem to enjoy teaching me, and I definitely enjoy learning.

How do you know when you are truly acquiring language? How about when you can tell and American joke in Spanish, and get a laugh? How about when four very patient native Spanish speakers teach you not one, but two card games? True, I have not mastered the finer points of the second game, but I held my own pretty well. Although I missed my sister, I felt very at ease with the other occupants of the house.

The kids here know how to milk fun out of nearly any situation. There is no volley ball net, but they play “volley” at every opportunity. The monkey is a new source of entertainment. Nico is currently the youngest member of this house hold. The picture above is his first meeting with the monkey. He was fascinated.

Hopefully the monkey will be acquiring a new, larger home today. My research yesterday leads me to believe she (the monkey) is a squirrel monkey. She sure is cute, but I do feel sad for her. She needs more interaction. This is why a pet as a gift is not always a great idea. My sister did not have any of the needed supplies for a monkey. Hopefully we can get that under control today. I don’t think I will ever have a monkey. It is too sad to see the poor critter moping all day in a tiny cage. Heather intends to get it some tiny diapers and a leash so she can take it with her, but even still, a monkey belongs in the jungle…