Just to give you all a little more insight into my everyday life in Peru, here are a few realistic scenarios that I have faced at least once since my arrival. My decisions are posted at the bottom.
1.) It's March in Lunahuana which means it is uncomfortably hot. Between the hours of 11-4 it's typically a good idea to stay inside wearing shorts and a tank top with a substantial supply of ice cold water. Going outside not only means dealing with heat, but it also means putting on jeans and close-toed shoes. If you don't, your legs and feet will get eaten by mosquitoes and gnats (you've learned this the hard way in the past).
Today is Tuesday which means that you are teaching English up the mountain and do have to leave the house before the heat begins to subside for the afternoon. It also seems to be hotter than usual which is obvious by how quickly you went through your water supply this morning. "This is good, though," you think to yourself. "At least when I go up the mountain I don't have to walk as far to catch a moto taxi as when I go down the mountain." You also remember that there is a tall palm tree right outside your house that creates the perfect amount of shade for one person to stand in while waiting for transportation. "Ahhh. The palm tree." Your thoughts rest on that haven in the middle of the desert community that you live in. Knowing that you're only going to have to walk out the door and across the street to the shade, you quickly gather your things and climb the stairs to the road. A truck whizzes by and when your eyes fix themselves on the palm tree's shadow you can't believe you eyes.
There's a donkey standing in your shade. What do you do?
a.) Huffing and puffing you lug your teaching supplies across the street and stand in the intense sun. Where did this animal get the nerve to take over YOUR spot and can't it take a hint to move?!
b.) You may have to stand a little too close for comfort, but you decide to share the shade with the donkey. You realize that you're probably going to smell like a farm for the rest of the day, but some shade is better than no shade. You might even make a new friend.
c.) Saddle up donkey and forget the moto taxi! It might be slow, but you'll save some money!
2.) Your house in Lunahuana is located right off the main road and there is a grifo (gas station) across the street. It's a good location in many regards because there are stores nearby and it's usually pretty easy to catch transportation. Unfortunately this can also mean that there can be a lot of traffic and noise. Thankfully the mornings are usually pretty quiet which is when you typically do your English lesson planning, e-mails, blog posts, and other "office-type" work.
It's Tuesday morning and you've got lots of things to finish up for lessons the upcoming days and a newsletter to get done. It will keep you busy all morning before you leave to teach this afternoon. You've had a morning run, a shower, breakfast, and some devotional time. You're ready to get to work. You move your computer out into the living room, open the window for a fresh breeze, and sit down to start checking things off your agenda. But then it happens. A moto taxi pulls up to the grifo and you hear the driver speaking to the owner. "Please no, please no." You close your eyes and let the reality sink in that this is not going to be a peaceful, productive morning.
The moto taxi driver shuts off his motor, gets comfortably situated to stay for awhile, and cranks his reggaeton music. (For those of you who don't know what reggaeton music is, let's just describe it as a fusion of hip-hop, rap, raggae, latin pop, latin dance, and electric. It's a blend of everything you don't want to be listening to when you are trying to be focused and intently working on something.)
An hour later the music is still playing loudly. What do you do?
a.) Fuming inside at the oblivion of the moto taxi driver, you take all your things back into your bedroom and slam the door shut. Taking two pillows and a roll of tape, you create something that resembles earmuffs in order to drown out the noise outside.
b.) Refusing to confront the taxi driver face-to-face, you find some of your own music and crank your own stereo. That should give him the hint and then you can hopefully start your work.
c.) Accept that you probably will not be as productive as you had originally hoped and use this opportunity to learn some new Spanish slang from the music. He won't stay all morning (you hope) and you'll get a good amount of work done once he drives away.
3.) You've gone out to eat guinea pig with some friends a few annexes down the mountain from your home and from the main part of Lunahuana. By the time you finish dinner and chat for awhile, it's late and the chance of finding a moto taxi or a combi to make it back home is unlikely. It is way to far to walk and the guinea pig is making you sleepy. What do you do?
a.) Wait it out and hope that something passes by soon. There has to be some driver going up the mountain tonight.
b.) Luckily there is a Peace Corps worker from the USA who lives with the owners of the restaurant. Ask her if you can stay over and catch a car in the morning.
c.) Thankfully, some of the friends you are with are musicians. Maybe the other people who are eating in the restaurant (and who do have a car) will take you up the mountain if your friends play a few songs for them. It's worth asking, at least.
ANSWERS
1. B I didn't make a new friend, but at least I kept cool from the heat of the sun until a moto taxi came!
2. C The music did eventually stop once the driver pulled away and I learned some new songs!
3. A and C This has happened to me twice and both times I made it back home safe and sound. Though I did know a Peace Corps worker who lived there for my first few months in Lunahuana, I never had to ask her for a place to stay.
