Steroetypes are a problem everywhere. Even though we would all like to say that we do not categorize people by our expectations of them, I think it is also fair to say that we all do it at some point or another. In fact, I just stereotyped by saying that all people stereotype. This weekend, a man told the two girls I was with and me that he thought we were all from Germany because we were skinny, white girls, and people from America are fat. While it might be safer for us that most people assume we are European rather than American, his statement still seemed a little bold. Throughout the weekend, we continued to be mistaken for three German girls instead of the Americans that we truly are. I did not ask other people why they had assumed Germany was our country of origin, but then again, I did not really want to know what other stereotypes people have formed about Americans. I had a feeling that some of them could be a lot worse than one man’s opinion that Americans are all fat.
This last weekend was about more than stereotypes. Our Thursday outing for Anita’s class this week involved going to a shantytown to do a volunteer project. From the description in the email, I thought that we were going to be making a garden or helping take care of children from the community. Much to my surprise, and a little to my disappointment, there was no garden. A group of eager students from the group quickly took on the responsibility of taking care of the children, and the rest of us were put to work picking up trash, and moving land on a site that is designated to become a daycare center. We were in charge of cleaning up the site to prepare for the large trucks to come in and clear the debris away. It was hard, laborious work, but I also felt like I was really making a different for the people of this town. They were all incredibly appreciative of the hours we put in, and that was enough to make the work seem like less of a task.
While we were working, a couple of children from the shantytown began to work and play with us. A few little girls in particular stayed with us for most of the day because our belongings intrigued them. As soon as they realized that I had a purse, they flocked over to see what all I had brought with me. Regardless of the wallet and other bigger items in my bag, it was my Burt’s Bee’s lip balm that they liked best. I still wish that I had thought to bring more with me so I could give each of them a little “American souvenir”, but that thought did not even cross my mind before leaving for the shantytown in the morning. I did help buy ice cream for the children before we left the town, and I think that made them just as happy as some half- used lip balm would have.
On Friday, Mallory, Rachel, and I traveled to Lunahuana to meet our Facebook friend, Joseline. Joseline and I had been introduced to each other by another friend who had come to Perú with the UNK group a couple of years ago. Lunahuana is a city known for its tourism, and we soon learned just how well the small town stood up to its touristic name. Upon arriving in Lunahuana, we took our things to the hotel that we would be staying at for the weekend. Joseline’s grandfather owns a hotel, so his was the obvious choice. His hotel did not have wifi or free breakfast in the morning, neither of which quite amounting to the tragedy that they had initially seemed to be. We spent Friday at the beach, and white water rafted and horseback rode on Saturday. The weekend was incredible, and definitely a trip that I would take again before the end of the semester.
As shocked as I am that I am admitting this, I am very ready to be done traveling during my travels for a while. I have traveled every weekend during the month of February, and it has been exhausting! There have also been a lot of ups and downs when it comes to traveling outside of Lima for more than a day. For example, reliable Wi-Fi is scarcely found outside of the city limits, and I really struggle with homesickness when I am unable to talk to my family, friends, and boyfriend. However, each trip has also brought with it an adventure that I will not soon forget, and I am happy to know that in just my first two months of living in Perú, I have already seen so much of the country. I am excited for many more travels to come my way during this second half of the semester!
This last weekend was about more than stereotypes. Our Thursday outing for Anita’s class this week involved going to a shantytown to do a volunteer project. From the description in the email, I thought that we were going to be making a garden or helping take care of children from the community. Much to my surprise, and a little to my disappointment, there was no garden. A group of eager students from the group quickly took on the responsibility of taking care of the children, and the rest of us were put to work picking up trash, and moving land on a site that is designated to become a daycare center. We were in charge of cleaning up the site to prepare for the large trucks to come in and clear the debris away. It was hard, laborious work, but I also felt like I was really making a different for the people of this town. They were all incredibly appreciative of the hours we put in, and that was enough to make the work seem like less of a task.
While we were working, a couple of children from the shantytown began to work and play with us. A few little girls in particular stayed with us for most of the day because our belongings intrigued them. As soon as they realized that I had a purse, they flocked over to see what all I had brought with me. Regardless of the wallet and other bigger items in my bag, it was my Burt’s Bee’s lip balm that they liked best. I still wish that I had thought to bring more with me so I could give each of them a little “American souvenir”, but that thought did not even cross my mind before leaving for the shantytown in the morning. I did help buy ice cream for the children before we left the town, and I think that made them just as happy as some half- used lip balm would have.
On Friday, Mallory, Rachel, and I traveled to Lunahuana to meet our Facebook friend, Joseline. Joseline and I had been introduced to each other by another friend who had come to Perú with the UNK group a couple of years ago. Lunahuana is a city known for its tourism, and we soon learned just how well the small town stood up to its touristic name. Upon arriving in Lunahuana, we took our things to the hotel that we would be staying at for the weekend. Joseline’s grandfather owns a hotel, so his was the obvious choice. His hotel did not have wifi or free breakfast in the morning, neither of which quite amounting to the tragedy that they had initially seemed to be. We spent Friday at the beach, and white water rafted and horseback rode on Saturday. The weekend was incredible, and definitely a trip that I would take again before the end of the semester.
As shocked as I am that I am admitting this, I am very ready to be done traveling during my travels for a while. I have traveled every weekend during the month of February, and it has been exhausting! There have also been a lot of ups and downs when it comes to traveling outside of Lima for more than a day. For example, reliable Wi-Fi is scarcely found outside of the city limits, and I really struggle with homesickness when I am unable to talk to my family, friends, and boyfriend. However, each trip has also brought with it an adventure that I will not soon forget, and I am happy to know that in just my first two months of living in Perú, I have already seen so much of the country. I am excited for many more travels to come my way during this second half of the semester!