Today marked the first day of a long over due vacation (granted it's unpaid), with plans of nothing more to do than lying around the house watching movies and hanging out with my family.  In theory it seemed like a fail proof plan with little that could possibly get in the way, but boy was I wrong.  Yesterday, after having finished my last class for the week I headed off home as quickly as possible to meet up with the wife and child who had been eagerly awaiting my arrival.  Wednesday afternoon and evening were amazingly relaxing and it was nice to spend some much needed time with Rosemary, who seemed more than content with being carried around while she gazed up at here obscure yet vivid surroundings.


Night came and Zdenka and I (like a couple of medical residents) working in shifts took one our new routine of caring for Rosemary's needs.  A process that was not willfully excepted at first by my part and which had to endure the harsh assimilation of my duties.  Though a short time has passed since Rosemary has entered this world the night shift still remains difficult for those who covet sleep and like any other night we spent it waking up at odd yet synchronized hours to change diapers and feed the baby.  Everything up until 0400 hours was going well right to the moment where Rosemary out of nowhere let out a large shriek which quickly evolved into a loud (ear-piercing) and sharp cry, one which seemed to be unstoppable.  Now I'm new to this baby/fathering stuff so my experience at this point in handling such situations is as limited as a security guards during a bank robbery.  I look over at Zdenka who lies lifeless next to me, her attempts to play dead throughout the night has been interpreted as code for "your turn".  Realizing I am on my own I quickly pick up Rosemary who is flailing her little body like crazy, I employ my method of swaddling while walking around which seems to work at first until I make the premature move of placing her back in the crib before she is fully asleep, she cries again.

For the next five hours this would be the scene, where baby would cry, one of the parents would get up in their ogrish and drowsy state to pick up the baby, a comforting method would be executed, the baby would suspend crying (an enticing trap for the parents), parent would foolishly place the baby back in bed, said parent would quietly tip toe back in to bed where they would flop down lifelessly onto it, baby would resume crying shortly after, and rinse and repeat.  A stressful and daunting situation for the noob parents as tensions run high and the will of an adult is crushed leaving them crying pitifully in the corner while the rock themselves for comfort.  By the time the sun had risen both of us were exhausted and defeated as the baby who apparently could not be consoled continued her rain of terror.  Another hour went by and suddenly there was silence in the house, an almost eery silence that left us unsure what to do, terrified to trust our instinct and take advantage of the situation.  There she lied in her mothers arms, resting peacefully, like an angel she smiles and the tension is cut, Rosemary is gently placed in her crib and with no words exchanged both of us veered off into separate rooms to enjoy the comfort of a bed all to ourselves.

Not being able to sleep I managed to take a few photos with my camera and grabbed a quick peek of Zdenka curled in a ball under the covers of the bed in the next room, not even an earthquake could have pulled that woman out sleep.  After that rest became the decree of the day as everyone took to sleep in their own respected beds, so as not to disturb each other.  Hours went by and soon a refreshed family emerged with an insatiable hunger which was dealt with by visiting a local cevicheria just a few blocks down the street.

Being the holy week and all, fish was the preferred item for a late lunch and was well received.  The place we ate (of which I can't remember the name) had a wonderful open environment and great service but what really made it a winner was the high quality of the food.  We ordered two popular favorites one being Tiradito tres tiempos (a dish of thinly fileted fish cooked ceviche style and served under a blanket of three popular pepper sauces), and the other fried calamari.


The rest of the day has been rather relaxing and I am confident that last nights experience has definitely put some hair on both our chests in regards to child rearing.

Well things have been a little slow around here mostly due to the holidays but to keep you entertained until I finish some the projects I have been working on please enjoy this hilarious song.

As most of you know the "political correctness" movement has really progressed over the last 10 years or so and while understandable in some respects it has also managed to get a little carried away.  Luckily here in Peru, political correctness hasn't quite taken off yet which isn't all that bad, although things like this tend to be commonly excepted.

So enjoy this favorite Christmas country song by Brad Paisley (yes I LIKE COUNTRY, big deal).

I was on Chase Jarvis's awesome blog today and I saw a video posted where famous actor Kevin Spacey explains to what seem to be students about what it takes to achieve our goals in life.  Very motivational words!

The video is short but well worth a watch.  I highly recommend it!

Last weekend Zdenka and I went to a well known clinic in Jesus Maria called "INPPARES", which is an acronym for Instituto Peruano de Paternidad Responsable or Peruvian Institute of Responsible Paternity.  The clinic is popular in Lima mostly for testing pregnancy and paternity, aside from other things however, we were there to get a 3D/4D Ultrasound of our six month baby Rosemary. 

In the US a 4D Ultrasound can range in price from as low as $50 to $200 depending on which private clinic you attend.  Here in Peru the cost situation is about the same, depending on where you go you will pay anywhere from S./150 to S./200 (remember that the Peruvian Sol is 2.78 to 1 US Dollar).  For us the 4D cost S./190 and that included gender determination, a DVD copy of the session (which I have included below), a 3D photo in a nice glass picture frame, a full diagnostic of the babies health, and the babies heart rate.  Now a 4D is not necessary and serves more of a novel function for the couple but I have been told does have some benefits.

The session was 10 minutes long and the video footage was displayed on a large flat-screen LCD.  Below is the video from that session. 

As I write this email I am still taken back by the powerful words in travel photographer David duChemin's recent post about the reality of human existence.  "Life is too short", the title of one of his latest posts on his popular photography blog sends a strong and awakening message of the uncertainty of life and man's fallacy to truly appreciate his short time on this planet.

We have all heard this kind of inspirational prose before and while it might seem redundant to highlight one of the most commonly known and feared truths, the message still seems to resonate within us as our minds urge our bodies to take action, to make something worthwhile happen.

I personally never seem to tire from reading and hearing this message as it serves as a reminder to take advantage of what has been given to me.  Below is but just a paragraph or two of duChemin's post but I highly recommend going to his site and reading the rest.

"I had breakfast with a close friend of mine yesterday and it’s that meeting that is making me write this, because I can’t keep it in this morning. His wife, one of my favourite people on the planet, is fighting for her life against inoperable brain cancer. She’s fighting, but she’s not well, and the doctors are talking in terms of quality of life, not healing, not remission. My heart is breaking for her. My heart is breaking for him. A young couple that, like all of us, thinks they have forever together, have all the time in the world to chase their dreams. But we don’t. None of us do. It’s an illusion.

Life is short. We seem to think that we’ll live forever. We spend time and money as though we’ll always be here. We buy shiny things as though they matter and are worth the debt and stress of attachment. We put off the so-called “trip of a lifetime” for another year, because we all assume we have another year. We don’t tell the ones we love how much we love them often enough because we assume there’s always tomorrow. And we fear. Oh, do we fear. We stick it out in miserable jobs and situations because we’re afraid of the risk of stepping out. We don’t reach high enough or far enough because we’re worried we’ll fail, forgetting – or never realizing – that it’s better to fail spectacularly while reaching for the stars than it is to succeed at something we never really wanted in the first place."

This beautiful photo above was taken in Toledo, Spain by La Asociación Fotográfica de Toledo or the Photographic Association of Toledo.  What makes the photo even more amazing is that it's not the work of a sole skilled photographer but 50 skilled photographers from Toledo!

The association's website has also included an article that details in both Spanish and English how this amazing feat was accomplished.  Well worth a read!  Read More >>

I found this rather cool promotional video put together by the Spanish bank BBVA, who is owner and operator of the Peruvian bank Banco Continental.  The video is about an educational program that was created a few years ago by BBVA to help promote reading in Peru, which would help to increase the literacy rate in Peru.

The artist in the video has some amazing drawing skills and it's fairly entertaining just to watch it, even if some of you don't speak Spanish.  Check it out!

It´s 6am in the morning as the sun slowly rises over the Pacific, meanwhile in the district of Chorrillos the first wave of people have crawled out of their dwellings in a zombie state, barely ready to take on the arduous work week.  The street lights have just turned off and the various street vendors have begun setting up shop on their designated street corner (serving all the breakfast essentials like hot emolientes with artisanal breads to fresh squeezed orange juices).  It´s a typical scene that is quite common all over the city but one that is not witnessed by everyone.  The buses at this hour are one time since there is hardly any traffic.....yet, and even better is the availability of a place to sit once onboard.  If your unlucky you might find yourself on a bus that has several missing windows or broken ones which means you get to ride air-conditioned whether you want to or not. 

In the early morning the bus is like a bed on wheels where it´s nap time onboard for most who haven´t slept off the 12 to 14 hour work from yesterday yet.  Everyone is dressed in a wide variety of outfits suited to meet the needs of their job and it´s clear where their destination is.  Silence dominates on the bus almost like a private meditation session perfect for getting prepared for the long day ahead, a practice which is often visible on the bus ride home at night.  The only sounds audible are the ones generated by the bus itself as in it´s old deteriorated age rattles while it drives through the streets at full speed.  The horn is not necessary at this hour and is uncommon which helps the passengers rest somewhat peacefully.  Read More >>

Came across this hilarious parody about English teachers in foreign countries.  What makes the film so funny is how well it parodies the stereotypical English teacher types that are likely found all around the world.  A great video in general and well worth a watch!


English Teachers - Episode 1 "First Days Suck" from Nameless Media and Productions on Vimeo.

While enjoying my nightly five hour sleep (might as well call it a siesta) I was rather rudely awaken by the moderate vibration of my room.  An earthquake had broken my sleep and before my body could register what had happened I had already leapt from my bed, quick as a jack rabbit. 

By the time I was on my feet the earthquake had stopped which I took the opportunity to go and see if my father had felt it or not (he was still snoring with the TV on).  My presence woke my father and we were talking about the earthquake when we felt another tremor,  this one though lasted much longer than the first (about 30 seconds or so).  The force of the tremor was definately stronger than the first, which was enough for us to both pause mid conversation as we stood in silence waiting for the tremor to pass. 

We spoke for a minute after the earthquake had ended and then I left my father and returned to my room where I was informed by my alarm clock that I had only an hour and a half of sleeping time left.  Naturally I wept and grunted my discontent for a few seconds before falling asleep to recover for lost time.  I should mention that the last hour and a half were awful since it only felt like 15 minutes of rest (DAMN EARTHQUAKE).  I don´t think I will ever get used to waking up at 5am in the darkness of the cold mornings. 

UPDATE:  According to local news source El Comercio the earthquake´s epicenter was located 39 km east of Tambo de Mora in the province of Chicha, about 3 hours south of Lima.  The earthquake weighed in at 5.7 grades on the Richter scale at a depth of 65 km.

About a month ago I was contacted via email by Kelly Cannon from The Expat Peru Network,  and it turns out that they wanted to jump start their new monthly blog spotlight with mine as the first.  Thanks for the recognition but more importantly thanks to my dedicated readers who keep me going.

Lately I have been thinking of ways in which I can offer my readers a more unique experience, well after a bit of brainstorming I came up with a very promising concept.  The plan which I have elaborated is not new in the realm of internet multimedia but it does add an extra dimension to my website.  What I would like to do is record not just conversations but all ones in the form of topic related discussions, reader questions relating to life in Peru and  Lima, and interviews from people living in Lima.

This new idea would require me to invest some money in purchasing a digital USB recorder but would make the new change possible, what I need is to know what YOU the reader think of the new idea.

What are YOUR thoughts?  Feel free to through suggestions my way as well.  I would really appreciate hearing what the Inti Aperture Community has to say.

The more responses I recieve the sooner I will be able to purchase the recorder (not to mention the more comfortable I will feel shelling out some cash).

Thank you!

I realize how random this post must seem since it has very little to do with Peru, but I was teaching one of my English classes today and I promised a student that I would post a video on how to make scrambled eggs.  We have all had scrambled eggs before and most of us know how to make them but few of us know how to make those really delicious and creamy eggs that we often find in restaurants or at buffets.

Since I enjoy cooking I often read several blogs about food, this eventually led me to discover a YouTube video which features the famous British chef, Gordon Ramsey preparing a traditional scrambled eggs.  It´s very simple to prepare and I have done it several times since I have watched the video.  The only downside to preparing scrambled eggs this way is the cleanup afterwards.

Anyways, here is the video.

Time for some bad news and possible an obituary ad I suppose, as I have recently been informed to the tragic fate of my family's Nissan Pathefinder in Portland, Oregon.  It turns out that it was stolen a few days ago from right in front of our very own house!  Things seemed bleak for the fate of our family vehicle until Friday when my sister was informed by the Portland police that they had found our car on some street near SE 55th and that it was waiting for us in an impound lot.

While things may have seemed wonderful at first it wasn't until my mother and sister actually went to the impound and saw the car that they realized a more grim reality.  It turns out that while the car was recovered it had been stripped of several engine parts along with the outer shell of the front of the car.  What seemed odd was that the rest of the vehicle was intact and even the tires (which were brand new) were still on!

Unfortunately the damages caused from the theft would be to high to restore the vehicle back to its original condition so I think it's safe to say we arrived too late to save the Pathfinder.

I would like to take this moment to look back and remember all the wonder moments that I have experienced in and with that car.  It was like a member of the family and the thought of it's absence almost brings a tear to my eye.

Rest in Peace Pathfinder, your riding the highways of heaven now.

While currently researching a story about a murdered American journalist, Todd Smith who was killed while investigating the drug trade in 1989, I managed to uncover (new for me at least) a Google feature that I was unaware even existed.  The search option is a Newspaper Archive Search and it allows the user to type the name of the newspaper and then pick the specific publication based on year and exact date.  Once you select the newspaper you are able to view the ENTIRE paper!  For someone like me who is constantly searching for answers this is an amazing feature and yet I am surprised that I have never heard of it until now.

Here is the link for those interested in giving it a try: http://www.google.com/archivesearch

 

Well July has finally arrived and cold winter weather has set in as I must hold tight for the next 5 monthes until summer arrives (hopefully on-time).  Work has slowed a bit since some of classes have ended and I find myself with more free time than I would care to have, still it´s nice to have a day or to during the week to breathe. 

This month as well as last month I have been busy getting all my papers in order with the municipality of Breña for my upcoming wedding in August, thats right folks I´m getting married!  Even as I type this post from Zdenka´s home I am currently finishing up the last remaining tasks in order to get married here in Peru.  Let me just say that the while living in Peru may be great there are a few things that are quite tedious, like getting married for example.  So far Zdenka and I have had to fill out numerous declarations and documents of which are only the beginning of the civil marriage process, then we had to pay to publish an wedding announcement in a local newspaper (I believe it was called La Razón, which means The Truth or Reason).  Meanwhile I had to get my birth certificate certified by the Peruvian Consulate in San Francisco to verify that I was indeed born in the US, this process was not as stressful since I already had an extra copy from a year ago.  Today we took our medical exams which was an interesting ordeal, first off the State requires that all couples get medical blood-work done to test for any comunicable diseases or viruses, sounds simple enough yet strange for marriage.  Well when we went to have the test done we first paid the fee and then filled out a standard medical form (so far so good) but then when we handed in the document the nurse asked Zdenka what her blood type was to which she gave the answer and when it came time to ask me I was clueless so guess what I had to have my blood taken.  A quick prick from a surgical needle and my blood was donated, exam finished?  What left me was confused was that because Zdenka knew her bloodtype she did not have to give blood, hell she didn´t even recieve a medical exam for that matter.  I guess the honor system and prefabricated medical results are common practice by the municipality! 

Anyways, whats done is done (even though I paid for an medical exam which was practically never conducted) and all that is left is for me to take my certified birth certificate to the Ministry of Exterior Relations to have them verify that the Consulate in San Francisco verified my birth certificates validity, a process of course which will cost money and time.  It´s amazing how they make up ways to stretch out a legal process for the sake of making a few extra soles.  Regardless of how ridiculous the process might be the end result is all that really matters to me.

Aside from the wedding arrangements there is also the independence week which is coming up and should be a lot of fun.  In Peru, the week of the 28th is a very special date since it marks the day the country declared it's independence from the Spanish Crown.  It's also important to know that this date was not the day Peru expelled and defeated the Spanish Army since this did not occur until December after the Liberation forces led by General Antonio Jose de Sucre claimed victory at the Battle of Ayacucho.

"... From this moment on, Peru is free and independent, by the general will of the people and the justice of its cause that God defends. Long live the homeland! Long live freedom! Long live our independence!".

Yesterday marks a sad day in the 2010 World Cup as the United States Soccer team fell short of a victory against their rival Ghana in the second round game.  The US fought hard to tie up the game after Ghana took the lead in the first half by scoring a goal within the first 5 minutes of the game.  Unfortunately as the two teams faced off in over time hours it was the Ghanan National team that came out victorious with another goal against the Americans.  The game was not without drama just like all the other games played by the underdog team. 

Granted the US played well however, faced against a better rival like Ghana, lost.  The US team has definitely come a long way but the question remains: "when will the US be a better team?"  A question which will only be answered with time.  Hopefully the lose towards Ghana will serve as a reference from which the US team can improve. 

I am however very proud of the US soccer teams efforts in the World Cup and their dedication, and I look forward to the future of US soccer.  Next World Cup will be better and I think we can expect to see great things from the US.

Until then I leave the US National Soccer team with this song by Hector Lavoe called "Todo Tiene Su Final"

Well I´m officially calling it, it´s winter in Lima!  As the days become shorter and the grey clouds begin to dominate the sky, the people of Lima begin to settle in for the harsh (by Limeñan standards) months to come.  With the change in climate I can finally put on my winter clothing I brought from Portland, which makes up about 70% of my wardrobe.  The early mornings are chilly with light winter winds that make every bone in your body tremble as you huddle in your bus seat desperately trying to stay warm all while trying to ignore that the only seat available to you was next to a window which is missing both panes of glass (god knows how they wound up broken!).  By mid day the suns warmth manages to permeate enough through the dense grey blanket of clouds so as to bring your body temperature back to a manageable level.  In terms of photography, the days cloud cover casts a blue tint over every conceivable color only to intensify the cold felt by everyone who wanders the streets.  The evenings come quick and it´s hard to fight the feeling of perpetual drowsiness one must battle with on a daily basis just to make it through the week. Yet in spite of all the winter weather the weekend nights are just as busy as ever, fulbito (mini soccer) matches continue to be played in every district, and the dedicated and hardcore surfing aficionados, dressed in their wetsuits ride the waves through the fog and light rain, all evidence of a city in pure defiance of the season.

Gone is any remote trace of summer, as people suit up in warm clothing and ditch the shorts and sandals.  Along the coast all the large commercial billboards have been removed and put away until next year when they will be put back up to greet the thousands of Peruvians and tourists who drive up and down the Panamericana Sur highway visiting the popular beaches like Asia, Puerto Viejo, Punta Hermosa, and Leon Dormido.  Gone are the street vending raspadilla (fruit flavored shaved ice cones) carts which seemed to innundate city with there delicious and refreshingly cool fruit flavors made from 100% all natural fruit pulp!  No more beach parties or wild summer nights of drunken debauchery and Pisco induced Plan B mistakes.  Probably the only thing I don´t miss about summer is the dread of having to ride in an old, rundown and dirty bus or micro, which turn passengers into living Limeños a la brasa (think Pollo a la Brasa)!  Try siting in a heat-stroke inducing sweat bath for more than an hour in rush hour traffic all while cramped up with 30 to 40 other complete strangers all generating an equally proportionate amount of body heat and sweat.  Add to this equation the collaborated body odor and the door man yelling at every one to move to the back when clearly there is no room as another wave of passengers attempt to break a Guiness World Record.

Among tourists traveling abroad to Peru there seems to be this misconception about Lima as a city similar to Los Angeles, a city that experiences a perpetual summer.  Many are quite surprised when they travel to Lima only to discover the winter season that dominates close to half of the year, not something one would expect from a South American coastal city.  Luckily for many travelers the winter is still rather tolerable thanks in part to the lack of rainfall (the worst one will experience is a light drizzle from time to time) Lima receives each year.  In general, I would describe Lima's climate as being rather mild, despite being a city located in a coastal desert.  Lima's winter usually sees average temperatures ranging from 12 °C (54 °F) to 20 °C (68 °F), which is rather manageable, especially if you come from the Pacific Northwest or any other region up north.  July through September are by far the coldest and wettest months during the winter season.  

I don't often post articles about photography but I figured I would share this amazing website I came across today by photographer Trey Ratcliff.  Now those of you who are big on photography may know who this guy is while I imagine that the rest of you probably have a blank expression on your face.  He is one of a handful of talented photographers who has truly mastered the controversial topic of HDR photography, HDR meaning High Dynamic Range imaging.  I won't get into the technical stuff too much but all you should really know is that it is a current method where the artist/photographer takes several photographs of a scene at various exposures, both light and dark and then uploads these photos into a photo editing software program where they are then merged and post-processed to create the final image.  The idea behind the technique/method is to have a final image that captures all of the ranges of lights, darks, and greys to make a very appealing photograph.


Japan - Heartbeats of Time from Trey Ratcliff on Vimeo.


Anyways, back to Ratcliff, this guy has his very own blog/website where he posts many of his photos as well as videos which are all simply amazing!  Now I am not a hardcore fan of HDR photography but when it is done right and not overdone like many examples floating around on the internet, it is a truly beautiful thing.  What makes Ratcliff's website even better is that he offers his readers FREE inside knowledge as to how he created his artwork.  We're talking FREE HDR photography tutorials from a talented photographer, something which is very hard to come by these days with having to pay for it!  I have yet to try my hand at HDR photography but his tutorials are very interesting to watch and I might just have to give it a try sometime.

If you are a big time fan of photography or a fellow artist then I highly encourage you to check out his Free HDR photography tutorials as they are simply gold!

Here is Trey Ratcliff talking at Google.com about HDR photography, a must watch!

Well as you have noticed I haven't posted anything on here since almost a week ago and that has mostly been due to internet connection issues that I have been having lately with my router system.  Granted I have internet access at work but to be honest the computers are these awful ancient relics that should be retired, not to mention the connection there is glacial slow and I have to share it with many of my fellow co-workers. 

So far life in Peru has been great, there have been a few hardships and difficulties but I try not to place blame on the city in which I life and instead recognize it as just another one of life's obstacles.  I never really thought that living in abroad in Peru would be so difficult and even figured that my English and degree in Psychology would be more than enough to land me a job on easy street, now I just look back and laugh at myself for having conjured such beliefs.  I this new year of 2010 I am very thankful to have found a job that is somewhat reliable and pays well enough for me not to want to hang myself or turn to a life of prostitution like those guys you see in Parque Kennedy in Miraflores.  I look forward to what the future holds for me and I have embraced the lifestyle here in Lima even if it frequently pisses me off (which is probably how Che felt when he met the Bolivians). 

I have made many friends while living in Peru and it helps that the people here can be rather friendly though often times they will do a complete 180 on you.  The customs of the Limeños and those who have migrated from smaller towns are to a point now (especially after the last 20 years) where they are almost indistinguishable.  Many reading this while probably disagree (mostly those who claim to be true Limeños) but the truth is that since Lima has grown so have the customs and cultures changed with said growth, some for better while others for the worse.  Those living in Lima find many ways to cope with the cities inhabitants customs, some choose to ignore it while others frustrated from there exhaustive efforts to try and understand them have surrended into a state of assimilation.  More on this topic in another post.

Last but not least I am grateful to have Zdenka my wonderful fiancee at my side.  Life seems so much more enjoyable and uplifting with her at my side.  She helps me to get through all my tough times and allows me to be a stronger individual. 

I have some really great photos that I want to post in the next few days so check back soon.