Just as my cousin Henry was leaving his visit in the canyon I began to shift my attention to anther visiting friend. Paul is a caballero I met on vacation in Northern Peru, that set out on a mission to share the lifestyle of the people of colca canyon with the Limeñan population. After discussing this article idea with the director of a popular Peruvian magazine and receiving his blessing, Paul headed down to the canyon to see and feel with his own eyes and camera lens.
As this extremely educated and modern individual shuffled through conversations with the extremely traditional families here in the Canyon it was easy to see his eyes and heart fall into a love and respect. Something happened that even creamed his voice into a more smooth affectionate tone with everyone he interacted with.
In my experience in Peru, I have come to see that in developing countries one needs to be firm and do everything in their power to get what oneself and/or family needs because there are few to no programs or government to protect you. This leads to interactions with strangers being harsh and defensive. It was apparent to me that this wealthy gentleman accustomed to maids and hired cars saw something new here. A couple days ago Paul sat next to his driver on a tree stump used for a chair in our kitchen. They both munched on the meatiest bits of guinea pig provided by my family. As I served a lettuce and tomato salad with American Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, these colcañans and single limeñan asked questions of each other’s lives and made fun of me together. The intimacy and familiarity in the hut is not something I can elucidate through text. The rapidity with which Paul came to love the locals’ open arms seemed to be as foreign to him as was the culture of his fellow Peruvian.
Paul took part in everything from the anniversary celebration at the high school, to tending to the cows, to cooking on our tiny stove, to eating lunch with my clique of local teachers even when I had to run to Arequipa city for a day for work. He is such a beautiful, open individual that he took every experience with grace and the potential to learn.
Paul will walk away from the canyon having appropriated much to bring back to share with his friends and family. But, what surprised us both, is that through his observations, Paul helped me calm my frustrations and find my humility at the perfect moment. Through his eyes and experience he was able to reinvigorate me in my work here even when it was already going strong.
Thank you for that, Paul. Safe travels, and I hope to see you again someday soon.
Paul, I invite you to share you experience in the comment box below if you so desire.
My Dearest Lu:
ReplyDeleteIt is truly humbling to see how much one can learn from people, whom for no fault of their own, did not have the chance at the education I had the privilege to receive. The most important lesson I take from this colorful sojourn is that “culture,” across disparate social strata, is directly influenced by need. People who are preoccupied with the most basic wants, like food, shelter or safety, do not have the time to concern themselves with a sense of belonging, self-esteem or achieving their individual potential. However, I also learned that there is something intrinsically linked to human nature that bouts to dismantle the scheme I just described. Sometimes those who have little or nothing are more willing to give than those who have it all.
My physical appearance may not help buttress my ethnicity, but I am 100% Peruvian. As a Latino, who spent the last twenty years of his life living in the United States, I have never felt as marginalized as I did in Arequipa these last few days. Since I look like a foreigner to most in this beautiful land, it was strange and interesting to be treated as an outsider by my own fellow countrymen. One sunny and cold morning in Chivay, after intently looking for strawberries in the local market for an hour and finding none, you explained to me that it was my appearance that handicapped my quest, and that strawberries lay dormant under the polleras (colorful long Andean skirts) of the same vendors who grudgingly denied them to me solely because I look askew to them. Only locals can aspire to acquire them. Not even my flawless Spanish could save me from this fate.
It was also evident to me that this apparent “rudeness” seemed to dissipate as I traveled away from the mildly urban to the purely rural areas of Arequipa. Chivay is only 3 hours away from el from El Madrigal, yet I was never treated rancorously by any Madrigueleños, who always graciously attended to me when I wanted to purchase their dusty expired products. La “Trocha,” the unpaved dirt road that leads to these frugal communities, is an impediment that properly shields these communities from the malaise of urbanity. Quechua, a language whose syntax, grammar and tenor are so extraneous to me, blends in so harmoniously with the Andean landscape, I can only imagine the utter melancholy elders must feel as they see their oral history vanish into antiquity. Progress comes with a heavy price.
ReplyDeleteYour host family, Don Juan, Doña Juana and Roxanna were nothing but immensely kind and gracious to me during my stay. I had the privilege of helping Don Juan erect a much needed makeshift door for the family water closet. My initial reaction to his obviously flawed nailing and sawing techniques was to offensively grin in disdain. Your timely verbal nudge helped me ease from an attempt to teach a man how to do what he is convinced he does better than most others in his hamlet, into a role of respectful support. The door came out fine and I learned something about teamwork no Ivy League college professor could ever teach me. The Guinea Pig feast I was invited to participate in, from the butchering of the rodents to the licking of dirty fingers, was in earnest a solemn honor to me. This humble and gentle family generously shared with me one of their most precious sources of food. I am so thankful for that.
As for my unintended positive effect on your humility and your vigor, I can only say that I feel blessed to be able to contribute, if only on a minute scale, to the amazing labor of love you have so selflessly embarked upon in my homeland. Do not ever doubt your efforts, your kindness and intelligence will surely leave a heavy imprint in the foothills of these proud Andean communities.
I am so grateful to you and to your host family in El Madrigal for what has been one of the greatest learning experiences of my life. I only hope that what I have learned does not dissipate into the polluted urban air I am returning to breathe soon.
I leave your home in El Madrigal with a debt I am afraid I will never be able to repay,
I will be back,
Paul.