Everyone's guilty until proven otherwise

More than one month after...

I'm sorry for the delay, my computer hasn't been cooperating in the past weeks so I finally decided to stay at work a little bit longer and write something that has kept my mind busy in the past weeks. This has been a really interesting month and over, with ups and downs as usual. But, because I'm familiar with the city and the atmosphere from before, the every day life started quickly and I have been incapable of answering to the questions about my life and well being here. The "I'm OK, nothing special" -stage started immediately.

Two years ago I took a course at the University named "working in development countries" in the department of development studies. It was quite silly the course actually, but I remember the professor talking about her experiences in Africa and saying that "they have their own corrupted system, which works when you get used to it…" yep, in a country where over the half of the population is living in poverty and working in the informal sector, the corruption is also a big part of the reality. Corruption and informality are both things that seem absurd when living in Europe. At the same time it's reality for the majority of the world's population.

In Peru it's impossible to escape from the informality. Most of the public transport and taxis are unofficial as far as the little markets and street vendors. For an average citizen this doesn't make a big difference, on the contrary I enjoy being able to buy pens in a combi and ice cream on the street. But for the workers and for the society it makes a huge difference. Working in informal sector means working for long hours with a small salary, and without social security, continuity and pension. And of course the government gets less tax funds to develop the country…… It's a really complex thing, and the informal economy has been part of the society for so long that in some way the authorities have become ignorant for it.

One thing in common to the developing countries is the complex, costly and heavy bureaucracy. There are wheels within wheels in this society… and to start a small scale business one needs quite much capital and the process to get the licenses might take months and months. But when starting an informal business, one gets to know the corrupted side of the society. There is a reason why the authorities don't always seem that interested.

And well. On February I personally get through how this country works and I have now for the first time contributed money for the corrupted government. One dear friend of mine was celebrating the New Years Eve in a big party in Lima, when someone doped his drink with something. At the end of the night the place was robbed and my friend was found there unconscious. Because he was the only one found there, he has been in jail since then. He was forced to confess his guilty for the robbery, although the drugs in his blood proved his innocence. Because of the heavy bureaucracy the legal process of proving his innocence and the paper work would take at least 20 months (= that's the time one should spend in the jail innocent). BUT, money buys freedom. And with a little help of Benjamin Franklin the judge is willing to skip the paper work.

My friend's family is quite poor, so we were collecting money to get together enough for his bail. Thank you all so much who have been participating in our little project!!! Without you, he wouldn't have any hope to get out. Now he should be out really soon if the things work out as planned. I have spoken with him and I know he's all right (considering the circumstances).

All the injustice around us always hits harder when it's about someone close to you. I have pinched myself many times just to make sure this isn't just a nightmare. Sadly it's not. As one Peruvian friend explained to me: "In Peru everyone's guilty until proven otherwise. I guess it's the other way around in Finland…"

1 week later....

When I was younger we used to travel to southern Europe and Canary Islands with my family, the normal Finnish way to enjoy the winter holidays instead of skiing.. And the memories that have most been stuck to my brain from these holidays is the smell of the beach and warm sea wind on a dark night, with all the street restaurants filled with laugher and music.. It was so strange, enchanting and scary, all the cockroaches crawling out of their hiding places and grass hoppers playing in a chord. When in Finland the sun hardly goes down at any moment during the summer nights, it always feels a really exotic seeing the sunset after 6pm and to notice the city getting busier and noisier at the same time.. Lets say that´s one of myfavorite >>odd>> things in Lima.

I have to say that I had totally forgotten the sounds of this city crowded with almost 9 million inhabitants. The honk is probably the most used instrument of communication, and they have different honks for various situations. The one which enjoys the females favor is of course the one which makes the whistle voice.. I have to say I’m a lucky to be brunette. And I can´t help but wonder how many car thefts have the burglar alarms really been able to avoid. Bueno, these are all just a little details of the Lima I’m enjoying.

The summer is at its best right now and I feel a bit bad to be forced to spend the days inside the well air-conditioned office. In Lima the humidity is above 90 % round the year, which makes the +27 days quite sweaty. But at the same time the summer is the only period in Lima when it´s possible to enjoy the sunshine. Starting from April until November the city is surrounded by the garua fog which comes from the sea, which makes the feeling that one´s living in a bubble. And well.. I suppose the pollution isn´t exactly reducing this effect..

It has been quite easy to settle down here once again. When I last time was here from August to January, I now have the opportunity to make my year in Lima complete. And thanks to La Casa de Panchita I know Lima quite well, because I had the opportunity to participate in various projects that took place in the suburb schools. After that the jump to the Finnish embassy in San Isidro´s business quarter is quite big. And just to tell something about my new job; i´m still excited, but I´ll share you more about it when I´m settled down better :).

And briefly about my first week in Lima.. So, I’m now living here in Miraflores in my old apartment with two Finnish girls, I have spend most of my spare time meeting my old and younger Peruvian friends, had a little bit of a fiesta on the weekend, plus I achieved my goal and got some pisco and cheviche in an expensive restaurant. And on Sunday I went to La Casa de Panchita and realized after I while that it might be difficult not to go there on Sundays :). By the way, they were convinced that I
have been crowing taller during this year. jajajaa..


i haven't really taken any photos yet, so this one is only to proof that i'm really here ;) 2 * martin + saija

Everyone has been asking me if I have noticed any changes in here, but I guess I need a little bit more time to think about that.. but I have been informed of a quite big change in the Peruvian lifestyle: Cumbia is now a big thing!

Call me

Pues… here I am. In hot, sweaty, chaotic, noisy, sunny & lovely Lima.

…have I really been gone as long as one year? it doesn’t feel like it. More likely it felt like coming home :P Off course I ran immediately to buy some Inca kola and to have some pisco sour. And my only plan for the coming weekend so far is to get some delicious cheviche (which really is worth travelling for 22h anytime). And now I’m quite excited of my new job and meeting all the long missed friends.

More about that and other stuff later. But hey, I miss you beautifuls and I would love to continue being in contact as much as possible. (And more than last time…) So, here’s my contact info for the next 6 months:

+ 51-1-986 535 201

c/o H. A. Jáuregui Guzmán
General Borgoño 155 - "G"
Miraflores LIMA 18
PERU

And… just to avoid all the excuses: from Finland you can call me with only 16c/min using the code 99533.

To be continued. ASAP.

All roads lead to Lima

Oh my. It is now almost a year since my volunteering period in La Casa de Panchita ended and I flew back home to Finland. A lot has happened since then.. The move to Copenhagen came as a surprise for all of us and happened with a quite short notice. Until now I have always known my future max 3 months ahead. The latest big change did not even have those 3 months of warning time, when I in December found out that they accepted me to an internship in the Finnish embassy in Lima for 6 months. So..in just a few weeks I’m flying back to lovely Lima.

Although I have been waiting for this since I was staring at Lima’s distancing coastline from the airplane one year ago, I can’t help myself feeling a bit restless. It’s hard to be on the road all the time, PERO, of course I am extremely happy that I have another possibility to enjoy Lima and the company of all the Limeños I have been missing a lot.

But, before I continue with my Peru stories, here is something about Denmark, the happiest nation on earth. Although the difference between Finland and Denmark is not huge, some clear dissimilarities stand out. Unfotunately because of the lack of Danish skills I have not been able to get to really know this culture.. After a few months spent here enjoying our new television and the 41 channels in it I am finally able to watch the TV without constantly laughing at the language :). I promise you all that in August I’ll start studying Danish. If not for anything else, I would love to understand my new favorite TV comedy Klovn without subtitles. (It has been aired in Finland entitled “Kyllä nolottaa” and I can recommend it to all Seinfeld and Frasier fans). In general I have enjoyed myself a lot in this beautiful city, and I hope the city and me can move our relationship to the next level after this 6 months' break. For the ones who still have not had the change to visit us, here is something to get started with …

Danish language

What's the Matter With Denmark pt1

What's the Matter With Denmark pt2

and for now I hope that all my new cph friends won’t move away while I am in Peru, please!?.. And I promise to come to visit all my lovely friends and family in Finland as soon as I get back to Europe.

Here are some links some Peru related articles in Finnish:

Hesarin artikkeli Barrancon kaupunginosasta

Hesarin artikkeli Limasta

Hesarin vinkit Barrancoon

Nimeään fiksumpi Lima


¡Besos! <3