Little Things: Unexpected Differences in Lima Life, Part 3

More observations on how life in Lima is just a little bit different than anywhere else.  Catch up on Part 1 and Part 2.

Weather Forecasts. Weather doesn’t happen in Lima, so the weatherman job doesn’t exist. I’m not sure about other parts of the country. Seriously, there’s a gradual daytime change of about fifteen degrees over the course of the year, temps shift between ten degrees from night to day, and it never, ever rains.  No weather.

Drought. Water management is a serious issue in Lima.  It has a population of nearly 10 million people — approximately 20% do not have access to municipal water (or, I’m guessing, electricity.)  Only 77% are hooked up to municipal waste and of that, only 17% of waste water is treated.  Water is sourced from the Rimac River and underground aquifers (which are being depleted), and the area is hit periodically by El Niño conditions.  So what does this mean? The water gets turned off during severe droughts — homes without a cistern or water tank go without, price gouging happens, and the poor are forced to move. 

Community Pools. In poorer parts of Lima, backyard-sized pools are set up in the streets for kids to use during the summer. Yes, they’re a traffic hazard but so what? The kids stay cool.

Michelle Obama. Guess who I see on the cover of every magazine and filling the windows of every bookstore? Michelle Obama. Guess who I don’t see a single mention of? The current first lady or her husband.  

Redheads. I’m the only one in Peru, so I notice the extra attention. I get double and even triple-takes from men, sometimes women. Little kids will stare and point at my head as their embarrassed parents try to stop them.  I did spot one brunette who’d over-dyed her hair with red, but it was pretty obvious that she wasn’t of Irish decent.  I don’t think I am either, but that is really beside the point.

Spanish. Neither Jan nor I speak Spanish. I understand some and have a basic vocabulary, but stringing together sentences isn’t something I’m very good at.  You know what happens when I try to speak Spanish in Peru? People try to speak English back to me, strangers around my conversation will step in and interpret for me, folks wait while I try to translate with an app, or people give up.  You know what doesn’t happen? People don’t yell at me in Spanish to go back to my country.  What I’m trying to say here is that Americans are assholes and we don’t deserve the kindness the rest of the world shows us.

Use of Police Force. The police in Peru are not allowed to use their guns unless they have been fired upon first. It’s an incredibly different definition of “deadly force” than is used in the United States. But you know what you don’t see? Mentions of police brutality.  Local contacts agree with that statement.

80’s Rock. My high school playlists are alive, well, and broadcasting in every cab in Lima. I’m not sure how I managed such a deed, but there ya go. It’s the reign of Purple Rain!