My friend ´Brendie´ and Huancayo

Time passes too fast and I’ve been too busy with everything for the past weeks, travelling, work and socialising. I wrote most of this post ages ago, but never got around to publish it, so good time to share it and also I've been missing Brendie lately, I wish you were here, this is for you.

Thougtful Brendan in Ayacucho

My good friend Brendan, who was my colleague at La Casa de Panchita returned to USA in December. He was living here a quite a while, almost a year working hard to make life better for the children in Jugando Aprendo. (Changing the lives of the child domestic workers in Peru)

He’s a bit “crazy” person, like me, so we came along very well from the beginning. Especially I miss and envy his incredible dance moves!!!

Brendan (tall one) dancing at the LCP birthday party

In the evenings I often heard outside my window “SARI, SARI, SARI” and there he was passing by my house and of course hoping I may have cooked something or I will cook something when he comes, as I often did, because the ones who know me well, know that I’m the happy person when I make food for other people. Also Brendan didn’t use his phone, so he couldn’t ever call me and I kind of liked when he was shouting outside. We had our talks about work, life, development and a lot more, we complained about the crazy things we had to deal with in Lima. After we have complained to each other all the bad things we went through that day (like annoying bus ride) we felt better, because we understood each other’s (most of the time). Sometimes we had arguments, because our views differed or simply because we both enjoy having good debates once in a while. Also we shared all the good moments we had at work and in life what made us want to stay in Lima, despite of the negative aspects. Always we ended the evening with something positive. 

We also did two trips together, one to Ayacucho with Adele and other to Huancayo to escape the hectines of Lima. Since my camera was stolen I could not share Ayacucho with you, but I got the photos later from Adele.

Crazy company of two girls, in the bus with VIP seats

My "western" bestie in here Adele & Brendan in Ayacucho

Last night out with Brendan

Huancayo

Before Brendan left Peru we decided to do one more trip together and espace the hectic Lima. Ended up going to Huancayo. We decided to stay in place called Peru Andino, because Lonely Planet recommended it as a quiet place run by an old couple, very friendly and sweet. Naturally we had not informed them beforehand that we’re coming, because we decided that we’re going there just 5 min before we took a taxi. They had just woken up, because it was fairly early in the morning, I think past 7am or something, and they told us that this is a low season so they don’t have much activity going on, so better to call first, they only had one room they could offer to us. We’re pleased, because house was beautiful and the couple was very sweet and we would be the only people in the house. How great is that! After a long night in bus we decided to rest for a while, well only 8 hours with VIP seats means you can more or less sleep, not like in a bed, because seats don’t go all the way down but enough to be able to be comfortable and sleep at least few hours. Still we're tired. 

When we woke up we headed to the village nearby to eat and see trout fishery. Brendan loves fishing and we both we’re graving to eat some good fish.  We had to take and minibus, combi they called it here. Brendan was not so happy about it at first, because his back was hurting and he, as well as me, was sick of the combis in Lima. But in Huancayo combis were great (Brendan would say they’re never great) so much newer than in Lima, they don’t drive as crazy as in Lima, they don’t try to cheat you with the money and they care for their passengers. Although our bus did have some kind of race with the other bus and the mirror of the other bus got broken in one of the crossroads, because they both tried to go at the same time…not a happy ending. When we arrived to a small village we’re starving because we only had a little breakfast at the bus station in the morning, so first things we did was to find a place to eat and there were many restaurants. Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures of our trip because Brendan had not charged the battery. After the meal we headed up to the fishery, pretty amazing and so much fish. Being there reminded of my Uncle Jyrki, who sometimes took me and my sister with him to fisheries when I was little. But this fishery was totally different what I had seen before. I wish I could have taken some photos to show to my uncle, but no battery. After the fishery we returned to the city with another combi and walked around the city for a while. I was being little bit grumpy because I was tired and had headache, not being able to sleep more in the morning, but refused to admit I was dehydrated, as Brendan was suggesting, drank the water though, as he suggested. Also the altitude affected me a little as well, because Huancayo is about 3250 meters above the sea-level. It was a Friday peak hour and the steers were full of people, kind of annoying to walk and I was graving for coffee, but there was nothing so in the end we headed to the shopping mall and founded Starbucks. Good coffee (compared what Peruvians make, it’s like water with color of coffee) and a chocolate muffin. After coffee I was starting to feel better, but we’re both exhausted so we headed home with some light snacks to eat for dinner.

Saturday we got up earlier, had breakfast and btw their coffee was great, and it was local peruvian coffee, also because we’re able to add the water so we could make it as strong as we liked. It was raining so to we chill out for a while in the house and decided head to Chupaca, a little village nearby where there is always a fiesta on Saturdays and it was true. Once we got out of the bus we started walking towards the music and ended up to square next to church and there were people dancing and drinking. 

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First we thought it was a wedding but after two charming old ladies, who were part of the crowd, started talking to us and we find out it was a baptism party. There was an orchestra, beer and some local alcohol was passed around to all the people who were there, even to us. People were dancing chatting. We chatted with the two old ladies, who invited us to join them with the crew to have a lunch with them.

 We’re delighted and followed the crew who walked with the orchestra, who was playing all the way to the community hall (or something like that). People from the streets joined in and more people were coming in all the time.

In the hall there was a band. People sat and parents and grandparents of the children who were baptized had their own table. At the begining there some music and people were dancing for a little while. Then guests of honors talked and thank all the people for coming there and celepbrating with then this special occacion to take this children as a member of their community and then it was time to eat.

 More people were joining in the party all the time and there seemed to be a lot of food. We got our lunch too and I even ate the meat, because I wanted to be polite. After the quests of honors had eaten gifts were passed around, there were a lot of fruits and bigs…I guess a plenty of food to eat for them for a while!

  After the gifts it was time for us return to the city our friends told us, because later it would be difficult to get a bus. They were from Huancayo too, so four of us made our way to the bus, buying some stuff on the way. They bought for us a really yummy bread and some biscuits and I bought for myself a local hat, which later turn out to be a mistake because it was smelling so bad!

 

We returned to our guesthouse to wait for our night bus would leave. It was a perfect day and a perfect relaxed weekend despite of the fact that we spend two nights in the bus! Huancayo was a small city and there was nothing special too see in the city itself, but it has develop a lot and there are modern shopping malls and everything you need. However the small villages near by were worth to visit and there was more to see if we have had more time, you can do trekking near by and do a trip to a glacier or visit some lagoons. Next time!

Now it’s 1, 5 months since Brendan left. I still miss his company.  Hardest part of traveling is that you need to leave good people behind not knowing when you will see them next time. It’s easier to leave people in Finland because I know I will always go back there and see my friends, but the friends with friends who live outside Europe is little bit harder. Maybe we’ll meet in Mexico in May or who knows?
 P.s. Brendan asked me to write here that he is single, intelligent, very handsome and extremely nice person, so all the single ladies out there who are reading this, if you’re interested contact me and I can introduce you to him ;)

Feliz Navidad, Merry Christmas, Hyvää Joulua!

This is my 5^th Christmas away from Finland. 1^st was in Brussels with my sister (2002), 2^nd was in South India with my teammates (2002), 3^rd was in a small village in Ilembula Tanzania with my best friend Katja and punch of other Finnish people (2008), 4^th was in Australia with my dear friend Alice and her family (2010) and this year in Peru with my friends from La Casa De Panchita. I remember when I started traveling difficult it was for my family to understand that I was not coming home for Christmas. More than ten years later, this Christmas my father is in Thailand with his girlfriend, my mom and my brother are in Sydney with my sisters’ family, my youngest little brother is the only one in Finland and I am in Peru. This Christmas we’re in four different places around the world, Asia, Australia, Europe and South-America. Pretty well done, so proud of my family!!!

Christmas feeling that I’m used to is not the same for me without cold and snow, special people or at least the certain preparations that we Finns do, like baking gingerbread cookies and etc. Some places I’ve been able to do it and it felt bit more like Christmas. Here very little for many reasons and biggest not to bake anything is my crappy oven.  Last Saturday I was out dancing with my friends, to whom I teach English, textiles or yoga on Sundays at La Casa de Panchita and learned that all of them were alone for Christmas because their families don’t live in Lima and they had to work even on 24^th. Many of them don’t live in a place where they can invite people to spend Christmas with. I was still not sure what I would do either, so I invited them all in to my little apartment to spend Christmas with me. If all the lonely ones are together, so then we wouldn’t be alone! 

So in the end I got excited and during the day on 24^th I spoke on skype with my family in Finland. We went to the market with Bin, my Korean housemate and bought some food and things to create a little bit of Christmas feeling. 24^th here is like a normal day, everything is open the whole day and people are shopping the gifts until the last minute. The girls came in the evening. Here they celebrate Christmas in the evening and eat dinner very late and open the gifts at midnight. We had all prepared some food. I made Glögi, our Christmas drink and strawberry cheesecake for dessert, and bought stuff for the salad. Finally, we’re ready with everything, 7 girls in total in my house, five Peruvians, my Korean housemate and me of course. So all we needed to do was to heat the food. 

I was lighting the oven, it works with the gas here, and big BOOM! Our oven has not been working well; landlord was aware of it and promised to change it already few weeks ago, because there is often a smell of gas in the house while cooking. After we changed the gas bottle last week, it’s been a little bit better and I did not think there is a problem with the oven. But there was. So I, who lighted the oven, burned my hand, lost my LONG eyelashes, partly my eyebrows and little bit of my hair in the front. Luckily, I had just come out of the shower and my hair was wet, otherwise it could have been worst! So the rest of the evening I spend having my hand in a bowl of water. Luckily Bertha had brought me some fresh aloe Vera last weekend and it was a great help. So after a little bit of chaos, complaining to my landlord and heating the rest of the food in her oven we finally sat down to eat our delicious meal.

At midnight in the Christmas eve there are always fireworks, so we went on the roof to watch them. 

 Later my friend, another lonely one, joined us and we eat dessert and drank a little bit more red wine. Finally, moved the chairs and tables and started dancing until the two of the guests had fallen asleep, as it was past 3 am it was time to end the evening.  

Teaching salsa to Bin

Cooling down my arm.

These amazing, friendly, caring women made my Christmas very special, despite of my little accident. Thank you Bertha, Neri, Elva, Jacquiline, Bin, Rosemary and our only male participant Josue.

MERRY CRISTMAS AND LOTS OF LOVE FROM LIMA TO EVERYONE WHO IS READING THIS! 

I hope you had a good one! 

My favorite cartoon on Christmas: THE SNOWMAN

SUN IS SHINING!

What a feeling to wake up in the morning to a sunrise. I've been waiting for this now almost five months. This is my second time. I got so excited, however it was bit too early to wake up because I went to bed rather late thanks to the party next door. So despite of my anxiety of sun I was able to fall a sleep simply because I was so tired.

Sun means so much to me, I think partly because living in Finland I've always been waiting for the Spring and the longer days after dark and long winter. So after having a long, dark and cloudy winter in Finland and just getting used to the light I came to Lima. I never imagined it would be so GREY all the time, ALL THE TIME. For me it's been equal to darkness in Finland that I always want to run away. So actually this year I've had more lack of Sun than for many years. Most of the people told me that it's not like this normally in Lima. Since I got here people told me next month Spring will start and we'll have more sunny days, I've been waiting for this 4,5 months!

So I'm extremely happy this morning and I hope rest of my time in Lima will be more like this!

I know it's so unfair to talk about it now when it's getting darker all the time in Finland, but I deserve this. You had great summer there and I didn't.

I want to be fair and I will send SUN to you all!!! Have amazing day!

Sun is shining

 View from my window this morning!

My fruits from the market (mas o menos 10e)

My amazing breakfast, mango smoothie with fresh ALOEVERA!

Sending Positive Energy!

This morning I received news that made me extremely sad, a dear friend (young) back at home is seriuously ill, at first I couldn't believe it and then I burst into tears. So fucking unfair. It made me think once again how we should appreciate everyday life. AND that I should really get over "missing my friends sickness" and "being annoyed with Lima", because in reality everyday there are things that make my life valuable in here, even if I tend to complain. However, I should get over those negative feelings and focused on the positive ones. 

I promised to update my blog regularly for my friend and give him other stuff to think about. Also every day I will find time to send him some positive energy and in order to have effective positive energy I really have to focus even more on the positive things. The ones who are reading this please do the same, share some minutes of your time everyday to send positive energy to the people who really need it.

Soon after receiving the bad news a dear friend, who I have difficulties to reach sometimes, talked to me on Skype and those 15 min. together with the Sun, which appeared behind the fog brightened my day and made me even more focused on the positive aspects.

However, the traffic, waiting and being stuffed into a bus made me once again frustrated even if I had chosen the metro(bus) which is supposed to be faster. Yet, a good evaluation meeting at work, nice people and yummy vegetarian lunch and watermelon for dessert made me feel better once again. So everything really evens out.

In the evening I wanted to go and see a movie, but in the end I worked bit too late and left bit too late and there was too much traffic that I didn't make it on time. Anyways I needed to finish some stuff for tomorrow at home (...yes, I'm gonna continue right after this). As I was walking by the Chocolate factory/cafeteria, which I pass by almost everyday, but mostly so late that I don't have time get in because they're closing. This time a nice looking guy (who I've seen and noticed there before) was outside handing out flayers. He passed me one and asked if I know the place and I had to admit that not really. He asked me if I have a little bit of time and I thought, why not, a good excuse to go buy some chocolate and talk to a nice looking guy. I got some cacao tea, tasted some cacao beans, some chocolate and a tons of information. In the end I was impressed by what he taught me about making chocolate and everything. I bought some cacao tea (it is supposed to give me energy) and of course chocolate, organic & fair trade! 

This is for you my friend, I know you will win this battle! 

Strenght, love & huge hug for you!

Positive thinking ( Africa music)

Active Sunday!

I woke up at 6.15. I had a coffee and ate a little breakfast and at 7am headed my way to my friends place to go cycling with him. 

This was the view from my window before leaving. 

It is still grey in the morning. Luckily we’ve seen the SUN for few hours for the last three days!

Bicycle, what a luxury! My friend has two bikes and on Sundays here in Lima several streets are closed for some hours for people to enjoy the streets instead of the cars. I know, it may sound weird for many of you, but that is really the only way for many people to practice rollerblading or cycling safely in here, because paths for cyclist doesn’t really exists. Also it is good to give some space for people too, because here the CARS always come first.

 Signs of Spring on the way

For a person like me, who has used bicycle as a way of transport for my whole life, to be stuffed in the bus every day, is like a nightmare, I feel I have lost my freedom in here.

Cycling after such a long time was amazing for me, even if I had to do it early in the morning, because I work every Sunday. Meaning, to enjoy my freedom I needed to get up very early, but for sure it was worth it. We cycled the way that I would normally go by bus to my work (usually 30-45min.) and by bike it took me 15min. So you can just imagine the traffic in here! I was so happy that I decided I want to go cycling every Sunday morning and hope one morning we will even have a SUN with us!

At the moment my Sunday at La Casa de Panchita is very busy, I have “textile class” taller de costura from 10-13, where the women can learn to use sowing machine and make something with it, or learn knitting and crochet also. Then I have lunch and after that English from 2 to 4pm. 

At 4.15 I’ll teach yoga for an hour and now we can go to park because it’s warm enough (pictures next time) and then after the yoga, we’re practicing a performance for Christmas, we just need to see if we have enough Sundays to practice it! Even if it’s busy, I love Sundays and I love spending time with the women, who I’ve know now for several months now. Usually there are few people who regularly come to my classes. It’s not just about teaching or learning, it's about spending time together and sharing our lives with each other’s, while learning and relaxing. It is their day off!

After a long, but a great day at work I got home with my colleague Brendan and we had dinner together. Simple, but yummy and for dessert a fresh delicious MANGO!

What a perfect weekend!