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!

Painting in the SUN!

After spending the last weekend in bed because of being sick once again I was happy to enjoy this weekend and even have SUN!!!

Friday evening I went to movies to see a German movies this time at the European Cine festival, which is now here in Lima. I saw Road to the North by Mika Kaurinmäki the other weekend and it was a great Finnish movie, laughed and cried so much and so did other people (not sure about the crying though ;).

Saturday morning I went to Afro dance, which is more like rumba&salsa than Afro, but better than normal baile lesson, which I BTW hate in here. I have to say I am an Afro love and will stay one, salsa is not my thing, unfortunately!

After Afro I had promised to help to paint Biblioteca (place where I work two days a week in the afternoon) so I spend the rest of the day there. It was so relaxing, I love drawing and painting! First we had lunch together with the promotoras and then we worked. We even had the SUN, so in the end we all worked outside.

We stopped when it was getting cold. I spend an hour in the bus back to my home and went for grocery shopping, got home, cooked and was ready to go to bed at 10pm.

Just parasites!!!

For some reason I don't manage to finish any of my posts that I've started because they become endless...I have so much to say but too little time to write!!!

Another reason for my lack of writing has been my tiredness for a while already. For some reason I have forgotten the fact that I live in a country where you're most likely to have parasites etc.and it hit me only last week. In the hospital they have given me all the time the same antibiotics, doesn't matter what is wrong with me, it's the one that is supposed work for everything, (but not parasites or ameba) however I'm just not getting better after eating "kills all antibiotics". As I am a daughter of a nurse, I of course search sickness for my symptoms from internet and consult my mom, who consults the doctors she works with... and the end result is, I know (or I think I know) what is wrong with me and I get myself a right antibiotics from the pharmacy (here you just tell them what you want and they sell you anything)  instead waiting for results for the stool tests (that you need to take 3times).

OMG! some of you're thinking right now, how disgusting is that and how can she even talk about things like that in public, but the ones who travel or have travelled to a places (there are many in this world) where you can get a souvenir you wouldn't like to have, know that talking about shit and your health becomes a very important part of your life. Because especially when having problems with your stomach affects your life quite a lot!

As I've not been feeling well, my dear students at la Casa de Panchita on Sundays have given me many kind of advises. Best was yesterday when one of my student brought me an Aloe vera from her garden to clean my stomach with that, thank you Bertha! So last night I prepared it, used some for my skin and this morning had a smoothie with fresh Aloe vera mixed with fresh orange juice and banana. QUE RICO!

So I'm sure after having antibiotics and eating Aloe vera I'll be fine soon!

I will try to entertain you by adding more pictures and less talking. As a friend of mine (again) was so kind to lend me a camera, so that I can actually show you something, because I still haven't bought a new camera for myself.

My first earthquake!

Last night I experienced my first earthquake. There’s been a one before in Lima but I didn’t feel it at all and it was during the day. However this time I felt it. Last night woke up around 2.30 am or so because my bed was shaking. I as pretty confused that what the hell is going on until I realize it must be earthquake. I didn’t know what to do??? I was listening if my roommates were getting up, but no one moved so I thought ok, maybe this is not a serious one. Also, I was not sure if there was another one coming. It hit me for the first time that there might be disadvantages sleeping naked, because I would need some time to put on my clothes, so just in case another would come I at least put on a top and underwear. Noticed that my laptop had moved on my little table too so I put it on the floor and I guess I should put it on the floor every night. In the end I was very tired and fell asleep again pretty fast. 

In the morning I asked my Spanish classmates if they felt it and some had. In case there would be another one and for sure there will be, I asked my Spanish teacher what I should do and when do I know it is a serious one? Apparently when it’s serious one you can’t even walk because it’s shaking so much and while it’s shaking you should not move out of the house just find a safe place, only after it’s over you should run out on the streets before the next one comes. And you should get far from the windows. Ou how nice I have my bed next to a window!!!But houses here are built for earthquakes…right…doesn’t really convince that much. She told us that they’re expecting a big one coming soon, pretty much at any time. She said that she always has a suitcase ready for evacuation if needed. Wondering if I should have one too? Maybe I should have a little bag with clothes, so that I can dress up on the streets if I need to run out naked. 

Yet, I hope I don’t need to experience the big one while I’m here!

Back in Lima…

I look outside of my window, still grey, still no sun. I take a deep breath and tell myself its ok. I open the window to get some fresh air, but the noise of the morning traffic fills the room and I close the window. I eat banana for breakfast and hurry out of the apartment, because I’m late from my Spanish class as usual. I walk down the stairs and unlock the door to get out of the gate. Traffic, noise and bad air hits me really hard and I burst into tears. I turn on my mp3 and try to close myself into another world, but it doesn’t work this morning. The contrast after being out in the nature for a week and now in Lima is too much for me to handle. Even if I have chosen a way to my school where I can cross one little park, streets that are smaller and nicer, still the whole way to my school tears are running down my cheeks. I greet my favorite security guy on the way and his familiar smile makes me feel little bit better. The security guy at the entrance of my school, smiles at me too and I wipe the tears before I enter my class. Many familiar faces greet me and some new ones too. During the class I get a message from Eva that there are no collegios today and Tuesday is a national holiday, so I should go to the office instead. I’m little bit disappointed because I thought seeing the children would make me feel better, but at least there is a holiday tomorrow. After the class it’s time to greet my Korean friends. I hug Lan (my very good Korean friend), chat briefly with Moi (Spanish teacher) drank coffee and run into a minibus to go to the office.

 

I take a minibus which is not full and I can choose a seat for myself, seat where I can fit my legs in. I turn the music louder and try to find a way to sit on seat, so that the piece of metal on the back of the seat is not hurting me that much. Few stops later a man enters the bus and sits next to me, even if there other seats available. I ignore him and simply stair out of the window and listen my music. I almost miss my stop, baja baja paradero! I shout when I realize where I am. Bus drives crazily (as usual) and I try to hold on tight while walking towards the door. Bus breaks so fast and hard that I almost fall on the floor. Bus drives off and a next challenge is to cross the street to the other side. Luckily lights turn red in the previous intersection and I can safely cross. I turn around from the next corner and see my favorite building at the end, Centro Español del Perú (or something like that). I start smiling when I see the familiar paintings on the wall. It’s beautiful (I’ll take a picture next time). I cross another street and turn around and stair at the building for a while. I love it! It makes me so happy every time I see it! A piece of art in this depressing surrounding and I can even see it from the toilet of our office. 

I rang the doorbell of La casa de Panchita and a smiling face comes out to open a gate for me. I feel better. I work the whole day at the office, preparing materials for the collegios, mainly math exercises. Not so many people at the office, I think many have taken a day off. I get my lunch take away from the vegetarian place nearby. I don’t like to eat in a restaurant when I’m alone, I prefer to eat at the office. I miss my lunch breaks with Adele. On the way to the lunch place I get comments from men rubia, rubia, linda etc. (which I didn’t hear in Cusco or elsewhere) also now I had forgotten my mp3, because mostly I don’t hear them in here either because I always listen my music. Around 5.30pm I start my journey back home. It’s almost a peak hour and traffic is a lot worse. Busses are full and journey takes forever. I’m really tired and half asleep. I wanted to go to Pilates, but when I finally enter my house, it’s too late and I’m tired anyways. I crawl into my bed, take my laptop and watch some Finnish TV-series. Tomorrow is holiday and I’ll go to yoga in the morning, I decide. I’m so tired that I fall asleep without my earplugs despite of the noise outside. Because the next day is holiday people go out and party, even if it’s Monday. Another day in Lima is over and I survived.