Well as most of you can see my site has a new coat of paint, for months I have wanted to change the look and feel of my blog and with the help of a fellow colleague and friend(thanks Carlos) I have been able to breathe new life into my once outdated blog(you may even notice my secondary title that reads "A Traveling American Photographer Living Abroad").
Now please take into consideration that this blog is still undergoing changes and anything that doesn't seem to work will in time be fixed. Living in Peru has been hectic what with work and other obligations so I am trying to finish the sites development as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience and please leave a comment/feedback.
Thank you,
Marco
You may be thinking what is Tocosh? Up until recently I had not heard of Tocosh (Tocush, or however it is pronounced), I was told it was a potato that had a horrible smell associated with it but was supposedly really delicious. My curiosity having already been peaked I decided to follow through by researching a little further.
After a few minutes of searching on Google, I was surprised to discover that there wasn’t much information (at least on the English version of Google) about Tocosh, hell it’s not even on Wikipedia! I decided to switch gears and use Google.pe which is the Peruvian/Spanish equivalent of English Google. There I found a more information on Tocosh, some of which I found rather interesting.
It turns out that Tocosh isn’t a type of potato if not an end-result product of an ancient fermentation - putrification process developed by the Incas many years ago. Back in those days the Incans considered Tocosh as the preserver of the human body. The Incans would prepare Tocosh by digging a small hole along the side of a river bank. In the hole they would fill it with regionally picked potatoes and then placed rocks over the potatoes to flatten them. There they would leave the potatoes while the water from the river slowly worked its way into the hole for a period of 6 – 12 months. The water that ran through those holes was what eventually would transform the potatoes to the point that it produced a powerful and natural antibiotic. After an almost year long fermentation process the Incans would take the potato remains out of the holes and leave them to dry under the suns powerful rays. Once dry the Tocosh in its final form would be used in stews and dishes of the Incans, as well as medication.
In today’s modern world Tocosh continues to be used more commonly in rural towns and cities of the Andes by their population. Tocosh can even be purchased in a powdered state and in capsule form for certain medicinal uses. Tocosh is said to be effective (and has been confirmed in medical investigations) in dealing with postpartum (whatever that is?), pneumonia, common cold, curing wounds through direct application, hemorrhoids, and gastric ulcers, altitude sickness (Soroche), and gastrointestinal infections. It has even been used as an antibacterial agent due largely to its high Penicillin content. It is said that the people of the departments of Ancash and Huanuco (in to the North of Peru) have had fewer cases of gastric infections due to Tocosh being widely consumed in those regions. It is speculated that the strong and unflattering smell of Tocosh is what keeps it from being consumed in larger cities like Lima.
Having conducted an initial investigation through limited resources I would like to actually try the intriguing fermented potato and see if I can handle its strong and overpowering smell. I will definitely write a follow up once I have made physical contact.
For those of you interested here is the link to a site that sells Tocosh in capsule form, LINK.
Last week my father was in the hospital recovering from a surgery and as a result of the massive blood loss was in need of a blood transfusion. I had gone to visit my father on Friday when I heard the news and suggested donating blood, something I had heard alot about in previous years but had never experienced. After returning from a rather decent lunch at a local chinese restaurant in San Borja I was instructed by my Aunt to head with her to the first floor where the Hematology labs were located.
While I filled out the required paperwork I felt a little nervous, having never donated blood before but managed to put my concerns aside to help my father. Apparently in order for a patient to recieve blood (or in my father's case, 1 unit of blood = 1 liter of blood) friends or family must donate an equal amount of blood to replenish the blood used. On top of that the patient is charged the cost of the blood which at the Clinic in San Borja came out to be S/. 770.00, which isn't inexpensive! When I was finally called in to the back of the lab I was taken into a room with two patient benches and a weight balance. The nurse orded me to stand on the balance which I found odd for a blood donation, nevertheless I did as I was told. I almost laughed when the nurse asked me "if I had lost weight recently or if I had always been that skinny?" I had no clue what so ever that a persons weight was important for blood donation, in fact I was almost denied the opportuntity to donate blood because of my weight. The nurse decided to take a few blood samples to test my hemoglobin levels in order to determine whether or not I would be able to donate blood, in the mean time I sent back to the waiting room to wait until further notice.
20 minutes of watching reggaeton music videos and I was finally called back to the room where I was guided on to the bench. The nurse first took my blood pressure (for what reason I am not sure), then she prepared the blood recipient bag and followed up by soaking a piece of cotton in alcohol (which smelled strong of Vodka) which she then passed over my arm, marking the spot where she would eventually make the insertion. Finally the moment of truth came as the nurse pulled out what was a huge needle and stuck straight into my arm with a rather painful piercing feeling (Damn, cartoon blood drop LIED TO ME!). I laid there for what was 10 minutes making open and closed motions with my hand to help pump the blood from my veins. It wasn't towards the end that I started to feel light-headed and sweaty, followed by an increasing sense of nausea. I mentioned my symptoms to the nurse and she quickly grabbed a chair and placed it under my feet elevating above my head.For my donation I was given a rather tasty juice box and a rather nasty packet of cheese crackers, all followed by a dissertation on: THE EFFECTS OF BLOOD DONATION ON PATIENTS by the head doctor of Hematology. :(
Donating blood turned out to be an interesting experience in itself and one I will never forget. I am proud that I could help my father and I am proud that I attempted something I onced feared. Would I do it again? If the situation required it, DEFINATELY! Otherwise, it may be awhile before I voluntarily donate again.
So I have come across several cool sites on the internet one of them Channel Frederator which is a site and business dedicated to animation. I have always been a big fan of cartoons especially since I have always liked to draw them.
Today I announce to you my readers that starting today I will host Saturday Morning Cartoons where every Saturday I will post crazy and awesome cartoons from the internet, for your viewing enjoyment. If there are any particular types of cartoons you would like to see just leave me a comment and I will do my best to find them for you.
And with out further a due I present to you Saturday Morning Cartoons, Enjoy!
ANIMATING RALPH S. MOUSE from Joel Fletcher on Vimeo.
Harvey Krumpet
Man on the Moon
Superman
Stephen Colbert and Woody Harrelson Sing The US National Anthem
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
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I was watching the colbert report on my computer when Colbert and Woody ended the show by singing the Star Spangled Banner (US NATIONAL ANTHEM), while Stephen shaved Woody's head in a show of support for the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
GOOD MORNING AMERICA! (I hope I don't get in trouble for copyright infringement). GOD BLESS THE USA!
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Sign Off - Stephen Shaves Woody's Head | ||||
| ||||
I had spent the evening with Zdenka celebrating our sixth month dating when I showed her a youtube video of Portland. I am always talking about it and I wanted her to get a more visual image of the city I just can't seem to stop talking about (weird).
I never really imagined that I would miss Portland and yet I am always surprised when I do, but I guess there really isn't any better place than home. Here is the promotional video that we watched, which I thought was rather cool.
If there is one thing that differs culturally between Peru and the United States it's intimacy among lovers, couples, and spouses. First of all it's important to take into consideration that Americans generally enjoy independence to the extent that we all long for the day when we can move out of our basement bedroom at mom and dad's (well at least most of us). In fact, it is usually frowned upon in American society for an individual to live with his parents in his later years without a reasonable excuse (and even then it can still be very difficult to find a partner who is willing to accept the fact that Jim still lives with his mommy and daddy). Peruvian families however are much different in this aspect with most children living with their parents as well as grandparents, uncles, aunts, and other close relatives under one roof, most of their lives (if not all of their life). There does exist a collectivist mentality among Peruvians with a strong emphasis on family. Poverty may be a leading factor in why this collectivist culture still exists also (with a little more than half of the nations population living in poverty, that's roughly 54%. Don't quote me on that).With entire families living together, intimacy among couples can be difficult to achieve with everyone present. It's even considered disrespectful depending on where you fall in the family hierarchy. Thankfully in Peru there is a solution, HOTELS! In Lima there is an unbelievable amont of hotels, hostels, hospedajes, and even the occasional taxi cab (when you just can't hold the love in any longer), with prices at most of these establishments being fairly reasonable for the average Limeñan's or Chalaco's (the nickname for people from Callao) wages. Hotels being the most expensive option provide a couple with such wonderful commodities as: an actual bed mattress (one that's not stuffed with straw and hay), blankets (most hostels and hospedajes only offer a bed with a bed sheet on it), better privacy, a sense of security, and the occasional jacuzzi. Most hotels can range from S/. 35 to $200 or more depending on district and neighborhood. For the average unmarried couple, sex occurs more frequently throughout the week and therefore a hostel or hospedaje is much more economical. Hell the cheapest ones will only set you back a measly S/. 10, which buys you a small room with a bed and even a TV for the duration of a few hours (that's more than enough time to show that special someone in your life how much you love him/her). The one amenity that almost every establishment provides their patrons with is a complementary baby repellent (also known as a condom), however I would personally recommend that you stock up before your head out on your midnight adventure (HELL, a decent pack of condoms only costs S/. 7.00 and just like hotels, pharmacies are literally everywhere).
The practice of renting a room for the sole purpose of making love is actually accepted by Peruvians and is quite common and normal. I wouldn't be surprised if sex was what kept the hotel industry alive and thriving here in Peru. For Americans this concept maybe unusual to us considering the fact that most of us have our own place (apartment, home, car, etc.) where we can be intimate with our partner. For most Peruvians the luxury of having one's own place is difficult to come by for various cultural / societal reasons, therefore the best option for quality alone time with a loved one is at a hotel. For someone who is accustomed to renting a hotel room for travel purposes it may seem odd to rent one just to have sex. Though with time the feeling of awkwardness and embarrassment wears off once you realize that most establishments understand that the majority of their clientele use their rooms for more intimate purposes.
