Hello! After a nearly four month hiatus I am happy and excited to be writing again. Though I’m a bit sad I haven’t kept up with my blog, I must say I have been enjoying and learning from my time in Puno. The fact that it is now winter in Puno might have something to do with me being indoors and willing to write from my warm, cozy bed.
A few important things have happened since I last blogged. Among them are these favorites: I traveled to Arequipa in April and saw pretty cool volcanoes, I moved to a new apartment that has hot water every day, visited Lima for an enrichment seminar and met other Fulbright ETAs from Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panama, I turned 23, finally started working on permanent teaching projects at work, and I started dating Gerald, a sweet, literature loving nerd who studies law. Sorry for the super long sentence, but I wanted to give you a quick recap.
Though there are many things to tackle in my first entry since March, I have decided to only focus on a few things and write about the other topics in the future. Over the last week or so, the streets of Puno have constantly reminded me of my mom’s native pueblo Zoochila in Oaxaca, Mexico. The observation that has touched me the most is seeing elderly people go about their business, they are one active bunch here in Puno! One of my favorite views has been seeing the women in their traditional attire, which have lots of beautiful and bright colors. Though the women tend to have a serious face, I can tell they have tons of energy to live their life to the fullest. Today I saw three women chatting in the middle of the tiny streets and owning the space their full skirts (which they call polleras) take up. They were giggling and speaking in their native language (not sure if it was Quechua or Aymara). At this moment, the face of my grandma came to mind. Though I can’t say I have spent a lot of time with her or know her very well, I do know that I love her. The mystery I see in elderly people catches my attention every time I see them on the streets or when I think about my grandma. All I can think of is “What has their life been like?” Maybe one of these days I will get the courage to ask someone. Ever since I moved to Puno, I have been more aware of the elderly community and how they live their lives in such a unique city. This experience has helped me develop and appreciate a full spectrum of the life cycle. I’m not saying that I was completely naive to this before, but seeing a large portion of the Puno population be the elderly who are active gives me something new to look forward in the coming decades.
On another note, an unexpected event happened tonight. I went out with Gerald for a quick bite earlier this evening and on our way back we found a little toddler walking the street on his own. An instinct that I had never felt before kicked in, something inside of me told me the baby was lost. I bet the baby boy was a year old, he was walking but had a cute side step funk to his walk that usually is apparent when babies are learning to walk (this is what my experience with nine nieces and nephews tells me). I immediately told Gerald that the baby was lost and he went back to the busy intersection we came from to ask if anyone was looking for a baby while I ran to the little tot. I spoke to the baby in Spanish but the baby kept running. I was able to softly put my hand on his chest so he can stop his momentum, I was hesitant to carry him because I was scared he would start crying. I finally decided to carry him back to the intersection, but right before I moved to lift him I saw a man running towards us. I asked him if the baby was his and he simply nodded, the man was panting and had a face full of anxiety. The man lifted the baby and right behind him was a woman running towards them. She (I’m assuming she was the mom) also had a face full of angst that turned into relief when she saw the baby boy. I was so relieved and happy when they were all reunited. I expected the parents to ask me questions about the baby’s whereabouts but they simply walked away without saying a word. Gerald came back and said he had found the parents and told them where their baby was. That was it. I think the whole event happened in less than a minute, so it took me awhile to register all of my emotions and questions. I was a bit confused as to the parents’ lack of questions, but I was relieved to know they had found their little one.
Well there you have it folks, my life has had a few eventful moments (some more than others) since my last post. I’m loving the new experiences because now I am able to digest them in the perspectives of three different cultures. Get ready for some interesting stories! I promise to be back on a more regular basis, stay tuned!
Breathing New Air 