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.

If you have been checking this website since early last month (which you probably haven't) then you may have noticed a lack of articles being posted.  I would normally blame this sort of behavior on good ole procrastination but luckily I actually a good excuse this time!  As most of you don't know my wife Zdenka gave birth to our daughter Rosemary, on March 3rd at around 12:05pm.  She was born at about 8 months and weighed in at 2.6 kilos roughly.  A few colds and stuffy noses aside, her health is great and she has really grown in such a short period of time.  Since her arrival home there have definitely been many and I mean MANY sleepless nights which have rendered both Zdenka and I certifiably dead from exhaustion.  Sure she looks like an angel during the day while she sleeps with little difficulty but once the sun sets over those coastal hills she transforms into this tiny insomniac child who will stop at nothing to keep her parents from catching one single hour of uninterrupted sleep.  All in all it has been a real joy and learning experience to have this girl in our lives and I for one look forward to all future trials and tribulations that she will unwilling bring.

On another note, work has began to breathe new life as the classes start to roll in (just when I was getting accostomed to my prolonged vacation).  I also obtained a rather interesting and fun part time job working for Living in Peru.com, a very well known English website about all things Peru.  Aside from some rather menial computer work there is the more interesting aspect of the photography work I am paid to do.  This usually involves a few hours of my weekend but has been really fun.  My photos mostly comprise of popular events occuring in Lima.  As of so far I have had the opportunity to photograph (GAG!!!, sorry I'm sitting next to my aunt who reeks of a stripclub ashtray) crazy events like the 2nd annual pillow fight which sounded lame at first but was rather amazing to witness, or the nude bike march that happened not to long ago where many Limeñans bared all in a fleshy displayed protest against the horrible conditions of Lima's traffic and it's loose laws.  What makes the job so great is that it affords me the ability to gain more experience as well as build up my photographic resume for the future, which are both BIG pluses in my book.



Lets see, my college friend and Phi Delt brother from Portland, Oregon surprised me with a visit after his long stay in South Korea.  I have been showing him around Lima and corrupting his precious little mind with the day to day lifestyle that most citizens of Lima have to indure.  Just like me he also has a lust for sick perversion that is photography and has been snapping away photos and putting regular tourists to shame, and with roughly 3,700 photos already accumulated since he arrived March 15th you can bet his Facebook albums are going to be HUGE!  Interestingly enough since he first set feet in Lima his wishes were that he experience a slice of what it's like to be a Peruvian living in Lima and he sure has been fulfilling that wish with everthing from working in a plastics factory, to dropping of merchandise at local markets, to drunkenly arguing with taxi drivers at 2 am, to eating sketch and suspect street food.  The street food was a two for one deal since it left him immobilzed for a few days short of wearing Depends everywhere.






I know that I have neglected my readers by not providing you with the nurishing sustenance of my insightful and deep posts, but looking back I understand that my hands been tied tighter than a guy in a bondage dominatrix film (and that's without a safety word).  Granted things are expected to slow down here in the next few days as my friends heads home to the US before his return back to Korea (they apparently pay really well there...), but I do intend to keep feeding you with the same quality brand product you've come to love.  Rest assured my friends, rest assured...

When work is scarce for the average English teacher/father to be, there tends to be few options with which to occupy your vast free-time and when boredom verges on insanity thats when most men turn to baking....well probably not most men at least.  Ah yes baking the age-old male practice of merging wet and dry ingredients along with the aid of a hot oven in the hopes that the process will render an edible and delicious treat, yup nothing screams masculinity and testosterone better than baking.  An act that much the military´s position on gays in uniform, is don´t ask, don´t tell.  Now in the past I would have definitely shaken my head in disapproval at the sight of such a reality but as I have grown older I like to think that I have matured if not just a bit.  To be quite honest I was rather surprised that until recently with the aid of my lovely wife, I found the unorthodox male act of baking to be, well not that bad, really.

Well Zdenka spent the past week in the hospital all thanks to her wonderful screw-up of a gynecologist who through his several years of incompetence and blatant negligence spent the past few months of consults merely checking the babies heartbeat, measuring mommies stomach and taking her blood pressure, all while ignoring (not answering) Zdenka's questions and concerns and rushing her visit just like he did every other maternal patient during his shift (which unsurprisingly is the last of the day).  If this guys passion for medicine was a candle flame then it's safe to say that it burnt out probably somewhere around his over-the-hill party.  Now I'm guessing there definitely isn't anything medically exciting about the field of gynecology and after seeing your fair share of vaginas you've eventually seen them all so it's perhaps no surprise that this guy's sold his soul to his profession a long time ago.  Now if I sound a little forgiving trust me that's not where this rant is heading, I mean here is a man who pretty much is killing time at work like any other demoralized employee yet what makes it so bad is that he is in a profession that dangles with peoples health and the health of their soon to be born children.  Luckily we had the sense to change doctors though I wish we would have realized a bit sooner rather than two months before Zdenka's due date but hey, better now than never right?  ANYWAYS... the good news was that Zdenka's new gynecologist (which surprisingly was a woman, not to many of those oddly enough in the field) was a young gal with a good head on her shoulders who when was informed of the atrocities of said previous doctor decided that the only solution was a temporary stay at the hospital in order to perform several tests (you know the ones that are fundamental of every pregnant women who spends 9 months in consultation visits...minor details really).

The week went by and while the experience for me was less than uncomfortable, Zdenka unfortunately had to deal with nurses, doctors, and the dreaded medical interns whose noob status in the medical realm makes their hands very shaky when it comes time to draw blood from the patient in the room next door.  A true battle of wits in a place where the medical staff are desensitized to the point that they see patients as impatient whinny moochers rather than people who have paid for their health care and are less than satisfied with their medical experience.  I am still rather green to the whole public health care system, a concept all to foreign to me and yet as I spend more time within the walls of the EsSalud hospitals I begin to realize just how unpleasant the reality of a well intentioned system can be (I begin to wonder if perhaps this is what the reality of such a system would be if it existed in the US).  Friday came and thankfully Zdenka was released giving her the satisfaction of freedom from medical beds and clockwork patient checkups every hour, though happy and ecstatic to be out we both knew that it would only be a matter of time before we would have to return, and like many others excepted our reluctant dependency to the health care system. 

It's experiences like this that makes me ask the question: "what is the lesser of two evils?"  A country with private hospitals and insurance companies where people without insurance can't even afford to pay for a simple consultation let alone the medical bills for a blood test or a country with a public health care system where the health care staff are underpaid and demoralized, the facilities and hospitals are in shit conditions, and the people are unhappy.  I shutter to imagine what the future holds for man in his ever continuous quest to solve the age-old puzzle that is health care.

Today was a very full day with the trip to the Peruvian immigration office in Breña (conveniently located a block from Zdenka's parents house) to pick up our new Peruvian passports, followed by a trip to downtown Lima to pick up our OFFICIALLY translated marriage certificate (so much paperwork for a K3 visa!).  Our last stopped was not a mandatory one but one of personal interest, as we both decided to head over to the Policlinica Chincha so Zdenka could get another ultrasound.

The Clinic is one of many satellite hospitals run by EsSalud and is considered one of the more popular ones to visit.  Unfortunately due to its small size and the large number of patients that attend there the wait can be dreadful, luckily Zdenka had befriended the ultrasound technician during our first visit and so we were attended rather quickly (just another example that "who you know" matters in Peru).

The ultrasound office was a small one which consisted of a wooden desk, the huge ultrasound machine, the patient bed, and several windows draped with blue curtains.  The room was dark with the lights off so as to help the technician (a very pleasant middle aged woman) view the ultrasound machine.  Zdenka lied on the table and exposed her fairly small belly which was quickly greased up with some clear petroleum based gel.  Unlike other visits it did not take long for the technician to locate Rosemary resting in an upward position with her feet pointing towards the cervix opening.  We were informed that if the baby did not move from her current position before the birthing that a Cesarean would have to be performed.  The whole visit only last about 15 minutes but it was wonderful to see my baby again.  Definitely looking forward to the day when I can hold her in my arms!



My little baby!

I'm back from my extensive holiday vacation and while I blame some of my disregard for this blog on the gorgeous summer weather, I know that my massive procrastination is also at fault.  Let me just start by saying how much I am looking forward to my baby Rosemary being born.  Zdenka and I are practically counting the days now as we expect her arrival sometime in February.  Amazingly the pregnancy has gone well for the Mrs. with the exception of the dreaded hospital consults.  EsSalud (state run public health care) is a mad house run by a bunch of underpaid state employees whose diminished morale have converted them into soulless ogres (don't even get me started on the nurses who never take responsibility for anything), with the exception Dr. Valdivia. 

On a lighter note, I have been frequenting the beaches of Chorrillos at least once a week since the summer began in late December.  Zdenka is crazy about the beach (me not so much) so we've spent quite a lot of time sunbathing and relaxing to the sounds of the Southern Pacific coast.  Resting in a hammock style chair under the shade of an umbrella with a cold beer in one hand and a chicken sandwich or fresh ceviche in the other  (beach ain't half bad), and what makes it even better is the fact that it's only a 10 minute car ride from home.


Work is SLOWLY starting to pick up but somehow hasn't kept students from haphazardly canceling classes at the last minute on the basis of a whim.  I laugh when I look back and remember how I used to be a lazy ass (not 100% reformed yet) who would beg and plead with the gods for a sick day or snow day to skip out on work, ah memories. 

Today was Lima's anniversary as the city celebrated it's 476th birthday and to mark this important date the new mayor of Lima, Susana Villaran announced today that only new vehicles would be allowed into the public transportation system.  This decision was made to help combat the cities growing problems with pollution and old and unsafe transport vehicles which flood the streets.  This could be a good step for Lima but one which will definitely cause tensions in the public transit sector.  It should be interesting to see how exactly the mayor intends on putting her plan into action.  The general response of the public seems to be in favor of the mayor's proposal and many have addressed concerns as to what will be done to deal with the already massive number of combi's that circulate through Lima.  This should be an interesting year!

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.

So I have noticed that there is a serious shortage of comments on this blog. Seriously whats up with that? Granted I write most of these articles for my own personal satisfaction as well as for my friends and family in the States but a few comments/feedback once in a while would make this blog feel a little less empty.

Don't worry folks I don't bite nor will I send you tons of hate mail if you leave nasty remarks.

Ok, I am coming down from my soapbox now. Good night everyone!