Showing posts with label peru. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peru. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
When I was very little my world were my grand-parents, my hard-working mother and my toys.
We lived very modestly but I had tons of love and I never felt like I missed out.
My mother spoiled me, she bought me everything I wanted most of the time and she even dressed me until I was 10 or 11. Yes, I was that kind of spoiled kid.
Don't judge me, this is not even the point of this post.
The point is, my world was very small, but it was mine.
When I was nine and I came to the US for the first time I learned that there was more to the world than Peru.
I mean obviously, I knew there were other countries out there and oceans and mountains and tons of things, but since I never visited, my world remained small.
As I got older I yearned to go back to Peru to see my family. The older I got, the more I missed it. I would cry at night when nobody could listen to me and pour out my soul with those tears until I became exhausted. My heart ached for my country, my food and my family.
When summer came around each year it was a celebration, I got to go back and enjoy a couple of months with my family.
As far as I knew, Peru was happiness for me.
When it was time to go back to the US, I would cry some more. My grand-mother and I would come up with plans for me to run away or hide for a couple of days so I could miss my flight back and the mysteriously resurface afterwards making it impossible to return.
It sounded good in theory but it was just wishful thinking.
It wasn't until my grand-mother passed away that I understood where my obsession for my country came from.
It was her, it was my grand-mother and everything she meant to me that pulled me towards Peru.
After she died, the idea of Peru wasn't as enticing. Yes, I love visiting, but in the recent years when I have visited, I haven't been jumping for joy yearning for the date to travel. When I am in Peru I go through a mini depression period where all I want to do is sleep and go back home. After a week or so I'm all better and I can enjoy my vacation but the difference is obvious.
I loved going to Peru as a child because I knew my grand-mother would wait for me with tears of happiness in her eyes and all of the wet kisses a little girl could tolerate. She would always ask me what I wanted to be my first meal when I arrived and she would cook it, just for me.
She took me out to do errands, or just ask me to sit with her on the front step of our door to look out at the neighbors. That was true happiness for me. I could sit there for hours with her and not get bored. God I miss that so much, it brings me to tears just thinking about it.
Now when I go to Peru, I sometimes dread going by the house. My mother lives in another house now is more tolerable to be there. But going to my grand-mother's house is like receiving a stab at the heart. I don't talk about this in front of my family often because they won't get it. Yes, I know they miss her too, but the connection I had with her, nobody had and that's one thing I am proud to have had. We were a team, a secret society that functioned underground. Nobody knew what we were up to, just us and it suited us just fine.
So Dear Peru, forgive me if I don't appreciate you enough lately. It's not that I'm not proud of being a Peruvian, but you see, my grand-mother was my Peru. Now that she's gone, I have no real reason to be there. My mother and my sisters can travel to see me if they feel like it, so it's not like I'm never going to see them again if I don't go back. But my grand-mother is gone, so what's left for me over there?
Nothing really, and it's sad.
We lived very modestly but I had tons of love and I never felt like I missed out.
My mother spoiled me, she bought me everything I wanted most of the time and she even dressed me until I was 10 or 11. Yes, I was that kind of spoiled kid.
Don't judge me, this is not even the point of this post.
The point is, my world was very small, but it was mine.
When I was nine and I came to the US for the first time I learned that there was more to the world than Peru.
I mean obviously, I knew there were other countries out there and oceans and mountains and tons of things, but since I never visited, my world remained small.
As I got older I yearned to go back to Peru to see my family. The older I got, the more I missed it. I would cry at night when nobody could listen to me and pour out my soul with those tears until I became exhausted. My heart ached for my country, my food and my family.
When summer came around each year it was a celebration, I got to go back and enjoy a couple of months with my family.
As far as I knew, Peru was happiness for me.
When it was time to go back to the US, I would cry some more. My grand-mother and I would come up with plans for me to run away or hide for a couple of days so I could miss my flight back and the mysteriously resurface afterwards making it impossible to return.
It sounded good in theory but it was just wishful thinking.
It wasn't until my grand-mother passed away that I understood where my obsession for my country came from.
It was her, it was my grand-mother and everything she meant to me that pulled me towards Peru.
After she died, the idea of Peru wasn't as enticing. Yes, I love visiting, but in the recent years when I have visited, I haven't been jumping for joy yearning for the date to travel. When I am in Peru I go through a mini depression period where all I want to do is sleep and go back home. After a week or so I'm all better and I can enjoy my vacation but the difference is obvious.
I loved going to Peru as a child because I knew my grand-mother would wait for me with tears of happiness in her eyes and all of the wet kisses a little girl could tolerate. She would always ask me what I wanted to be my first meal when I arrived and she would cook it, just for me.
She took me out to do errands, or just ask me to sit with her on the front step of our door to look out at the neighbors. That was true happiness for me. I could sit there for hours with her and not get bored. God I miss that so much, it brings me to tears just thinking about it.
Now when I go to Peru, I sometimes dread going by the house. My mother lives in another house now is more tolerable to be there. But going to my grand-mother's house is like receiving a stab at the heart. I don't talk about this in front of my family often because they won't get it. Yes, I know they miss her too, but the connection I had with her, nobody had and that's one thing I am proud to have had. We were a team, a secret society that functioned underground. Nobody knew what we were up to, just us and it suited us just fine.
So Dear Peru, forgive me if I don't appreciate you enough lately. It's not that I'm not proud of being a Peruvian, but you see, my grand-mother was my Peru. Now that she's gone, I have no real reason to be there. My mother and my sisters can travel to see me if they feel like it, so it's not like I'm never going to see them again if I don't go back. But my grand-mother is gone, so what's left for me over there?
Nothing really, and it's sad.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
I've been neglecting this blog I hate it. I had a goal to post as often as I could on my journey through motherhood and my life. Sadly, lately, it's been a struggle. Not because I didn't have time, or because I didn't have the motivation. It was because I just didn't have anything to say. Many tings have happened since I last posted. For one, I went to Peru again this year with my son, my little brother in law and his best friend. It was very hard for me at first, I got home-sick almost immediately. I dreaded being away from home, from my husband, and my high-speed internet. The days went by and all I did was sleep, eat, sleep some more, and go shopping for some necessities. I was sinking into a depressive state and I wasn't liking it. Something happened though around the second week, I got up from the bed one day and looked at my mother, I really looked at her and it hit me. This person gave me life, this person missed out on so much of my life, and here I was, for just a few weeks spending my time sleeping instead of giving her a little of that time. As much as it pained me, I decided to bring some of my walls down and let her in again. I started to bond with her. I knew it would bite me in the ass afterwards, because I had to leave her in a few weeks, and it would be heart-break all over again. But how could I deny her my love and attention? I couldn't. So we bonded, and we bonded some more. This trip, unlike the others before, was about finding myself within my family. I felt so out of touch with them that I made it a point to not care about it. I would endure seeing them for a few weeks every few years and then come back to my normal life. This time I changed things up, and it gave me great joy. It help me understand more things about myself and why I am the way I am. Saying goodbye was painful though. I broke down in the airport, broke down like only a little girl could when saying goodbye to her mother. I was nine years old all over again trying to understand why I needed to be apart from my mother. It was horrible! Alas, I left her, with tears in my eyes, but with a new feeling inside. I no longer just appreciated my mother, I felt the fire of love once again burning nice and strong. Fast forward a few weeks to today and I find myself back in school. I finally did it, I decided to go back to college. It was a long time coming and I'm glad I did. I have to tell you though, I was struggling. Getting back to after so many years of absence is hardcore. Top that with the fact that I got so sick I was hospitalized, didn't help. I got so behind on my homework (still am). But I'm not giving up, I am finishing this bitch and getting a degree when I'm done. So the point of this post is I guess, I'm finding myself again. Being close to family, doing things for myself instead of doing it for others, is helping me find Jeannette the individual. It's still a work in progress, I'm not me completely yet, but I'm getting there. It's scary though, I've been Luka's mom for so long, it's a like a security blanket. As long as I'm Luka's mom, I don't have to do anything for me, I'm always busy being a mom. But now that I'm doing things that are just for me, it's like getting back on the saddle after a nasty fall. What if I fall again? Well, I'm just gonna have to try again right?
Thursday, July 28, 2011
This post is long overdue.
I'm not sure why I put it off for so long.
My baby has been two years old for a week now and I can't believe I didn't start writing this the minute that clock marked 12:19 am on July 21st.
I guess writing about it made it real.
Writing is my outlet, it's what separates reality from the dreams.
So yes, Luka is now two years old and my oh my, what wonderful years they have been.
I am immensely impressed by this small person everyday.
I know, I know, everyone says that about their children, but watching it happen before your eyes is just an amazing experience.
One day you have this little tiny baby who could barely open his eyes, and then all of a sudden he turns into this babbling, jumping, dancing, turning, throw-a-cup-in-the-garbage-because-you-no-longer-need-it toddler!
I mean, he's learned so much, and I know that that's natural human nature, but I can't help feel proud that I've contributed so much to his development.
I've put him on the right path to personal success; to be the best that he can be.
Two years have gone by quickly, just yesterday it seems that he was given to me all wrapped up in a blanket wearing one of those funny hospital caps to keep his head warm. He was so beautiful, I mean, he looked wrinkly and tired and to be honest he looked pissed, but to me he was perfect.
Now he has started to show his personality, his independence, his curiosity and his reasoning.
The other day on facebook I posted that my greatest achievement as a parent was to have a son who at this age would say please and thank you without being told and really mean it.
That means the world to me, because I know that as parents, Ronald and I have given him the best thing we could give him: values.
I know I must sound like I'm repeating myself, but what else can you do for a human being. In the end, when they are older and parents become uncool, they will not come to you when they need to make decisions, they will just make them, but what will help them choose between right and wrong is the foundation which we provide for them since they are infants.
Happy Bday bubba. I hope one day when your older you get to read this and understand how important you are in my life right now while reading this post as well as when I was writing it.
On another note, Peru was great, I mean it did not go too well for me but Luka had a blast. He met his grand-mother and they instantly feel in love. He also met his aunts and uncles and some other family members. There was loads of space for him to run around and many animals for him to play with.
The only sad part is that we had to leave and he is missing his grand-mother so much. It hurts me to hear him wake-up at night crying calling out for her. I know eventually he will forget a bit about her, and it's not that I want him to forget, but the sadness will wither away slowly until he can finally be with her again.
I miss writing about my life I should do it more often.
XOXO
Jeannette
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Today, Saturday July 16th 2011 sitting here typing at 2.23 am., sadness came to me.
It is almost the end of our Peru trip and although I've missed Ronald terribly, I am getting all worked up about leaving my family.
In three days time we will be returning to the states and God only knows when we will be able to come back to Lima and visit family.
I can't say I had the best time in my life here, I spent most of my days at home, the first of them I had no internet access and it was driving me insane!
We didn't really go out, spend our time with my mom and my sisters which is fine, it's what we came for.
I'm oddly satisfied but at the same time mortified, not knowing when I will see these people again is extremely sad.
Well that's about it, nothing more to add to that.
:(
It is almost the end of our Peru trip and although I've missed Ronald terribly, I am getting all worked up about leaving my family.
In three days time we will be returning to the states and God only knows when we will be able to come back to Lima and visit family.
I can't say I had the best time in my life here, I spent most of my days at home, the first of them I had no internet access and it was driving me insane!
We didn't really go out, spend our time with my mom and my sisters which is fine, it's what we came for.
I'm oddly satisfied but at the same time mortified, not knowing when I will see these people again is extremely sad.
Well that's about it, nothing more to add to that.
:(
Saturday, June 25, 2011
So I wrote this big ass long post about Peruvian food and somehow it did not save. I'll just present you with what little did save and some pictures. Please forgive me, it was long and I even considered not posting this at all.
That's about all that got saved from the nearly ten paragraph post I made. Thankfully, I have some pictures to fill out the lack of reading material, enjoy!
Sign announcing the event
Chicharron (deep fried pork) served with Peruvian pop corn (cancha), mote, and an onion mini salad.
Chiffles (deep fried potato chip style banana) in a spiral fashion.
Succulent plate of Ceviche (marinated fish in lime juice and other spices) served with onions, cancha, mote and sweet potato.
I nearly cried when I tasted this, you cannot get it to taste like this in NY.
Savoring the heavenly taste of my ceviche.
Nice lady soaking my Picarones (Peruvian style doughnut made out of pumpkin and squash) in the delicious syrup.
I also had some Chicha Morada (purple corn drink) but I didn't get a chance to take a picture.
The food was amazing and it brought out in me such a great feeling of homesickness. I just wish we could make food as amazing as they make here. Sure we try our best, but lack of ingredients and spices do not make the finished product justice.
I've been promised to be taken to more amazing places to eat some more delicious food.
My tummy can't wait!
One of the biggest reasons to visit Peru has to be the food.
There is so much diversity, so much to choose from and not enough time to savor it all. I particularly have yearned to eat an authentic plate of ceviche for the longest time ever. Yes I have had some in NY, but my taste buds cannot be fooled. The real taste of a local ceviche has a kick to it, something that makes your mouth dance.
Today, I got to experience the biggest orgasm in my mouth thanks to the 1st Annual Fair of Gastronomy of Lima North.
This fair, first of its kind in that area was like a congregation of different restaurants that offered so many types of foods. There was rice, meats of all kids, pachamanca, rotisserie chicken, all kinds of potatoes, some delicious desserts, and my absolute favorite; ceviche!!
That's about all that got saved from the nearly ten paragraph post I made. Thankfully, I have some pictures to fill out the lack of reading material, enjoy!
Sign announcing the event
Chicharron (deep fried pork) served with Peruvian pop corn (cancha), mote, and an onion mini salad.
Chiffles (deep fried potato chip style banana) in a spiral fashion.
Succulent plate of Ceviche (marinated fish in lime juice and other spices) served with onions, cancha, mote and sweet potato.
I nearly cried when I tasted this, you cannot get it to taste like this in NY.
Savoring the heavenly taste of my ceviche.
Nice lady soaking my Picarones (Peruvian style doughnut made out of pumpkin and squash) in the delicious syrup.
I also had some Chicha Morada (purple corn drink) but I didn't get a chance to take a picture.
The food was amazing and it brought out in me such a great feeling of homesickness. I just wish we could make food as amazing as they make here. Sure we try our best, but lack of ingredients and spices do not make the finished product justice.
I've been promised to be taken to more amazing places to eat some more delicious food.
My tummy can't wait!
Labels:
ceviche,
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Tuesday, June 21, 2011
My oh my, so much stuff has happened since I boarded the plane to Peru.
First of all, as soon as I sat down on the seat my left arm broke out in a nasty rash.
Who knows why, but it hasn´t gone away since Friday.
Then we were delayed for about an hour, no big deal for me, but the baby was getting a bit impatient.
Things got better though, the air hostesses found a seat for Luka so I wouldn´t have to carry him on my lap. That was very nice of them.
The flight was calm, a little turbulence happened but nothing major.
Eventually we got to Peru, everything seemed fine until after we collected our baggage. We had to pass through customs because it is customary I think. They opened each of my three pieces of luggage and then took my passport. They informed me that I needed to pay $70 as a fine for brining used clothing as gifts.
They ended up lowering it to $60 which I told them I wouldn´t pay. I really wanted to make a big deal about it and refuse to pay, but even though it is my country, I do not know the laws very well so it wouldn´t have been productive for me to do it.
I ended up telling them that I only had $40 to spare and they accepted.
Seems to me that Peruvian customs only wanted to get some money from me no matter how small. I feel infuriated by this but whatever, I will deal with this later.
Anyway, I was about the last person to finally get out of the area, and as soon as I saw my family they squealed. My mom came and swept Luka away. My sisters came towards me first. Then my brother-in-law and his friend greeted us. I was so frazzled by then, I just wanted to rest. We sat down and started to chat. Afterwards we agreed to come back to my house to sort out the luggage since they had mixed everything up and I didn´t have the energy to do it at the airport.
We got home, chatted some more, they took their luggage and I was finally alone with my mother.
I´m not sure what´s going on but apparently I cannot stay with here for now.
She left me at my grandmother´s house but still won´t tell me why. My sisters hinted that their dad doesn´t want me to stay over there. That´s fine by me, but I wish my mom had the balls to tell me this before I arrived so that I could make alternate arrangements.
Now we are both sleeping in the same room as my aunt. I mean I love my aunt, but I want privacy. I need my own space and most importantly, internet!!
There is no wireless internet connection at home and I am forced to come to a public internet cafe type of thing. I hate this, I don´t like people looking over my shoulder while I check facebook or while I am blogging. They look at me strange because I am typing in English. Anyway, I am trying to be calm for the sake of my mother and my sisters.
Thankfully Luka is having a great time. He has adjustes well and loves everyone. He spends most of his time with my mother and my youngest sister. I couldn´t be happier about that. The food is delicious too, things taste different.
Ok then, I think that´s about it for my Peru report. Hopefully I will have time to update you guys with more info and have pictures to upload.
I miss NY so much, but I am glad we made this trip. It was the best decision we made even though we hit a few snags.
First of all, as soon as I sat down on the seat my left arm broke out in a nasty rash.
Who knows why, but it hasn´t gone away since Friday.
Then we were delayed for about an hour, no big deal for me, but the baby was getting a bit impatient.
Things got better though, the air hostesses found a seat for Luka so I wouldn´t have to carry him on my lap. That was very nice of them.
The flight was calm, a little turbulence happened but nothing major.
Eventually we got to Peru, everything seemed fine until after we collected our baggage. We had to pass through customs because it is customary I think. They opened each of my three pieces of luggage and then took my passport. They informed me that I needed to pay $70 as a fine for brining used clothing as gifts.
They ended up lowering it to $60 which I told them I wouldn´t pay. I really wanted to make a big deal about it and refuse to pay, but even though it is my country, I do not know the laws very well so it wouldn´t have been productive for me to do it.
I ended up telling them that I only had $40 to spare and they accepted.
Seems to me that Peruvian customs only wanted to get some money from me no matter how small. I feel infuriated by this but whatever, I will deal with this later.
Anyway, I was about the last person to finally get out of the area, and as soon as I saw my family they squealed. My mom came and swept Luka away. My sisters came towards me first. Then my brother-in-law and his friend greeted us. I was so frazzled by then, I just wanted to rest. We sat down and started to chat. Afterwards we agreed to come back to my house to sort out the luggage since they had mixed everything up and I didn´t have the energy to do it at the airport.
We got home, chatted some more, they took their luggage and I was finally alone with my mother.
I´m not sure what´s going on but apparently I cannot stay with here for now.
She left me at my grandmother´s house but still won´t tell me why. My sisters hinted that their dad doesn´t want me to stay over there. That´s fine by me, but I wish my mom had the balls to tell me this before I arrived so that I could make alternate arrangements.
Now we are both sleeping in the same room as my aunt. I mean I love my aunt, but I want privacy. I need my own space and most importantly, internet!!
There is no wireless internet connection at home and I am forced to come to a public internet cafe type of thing. I hate this, I don´t like people looking over my shoulder while I check facebook or while I am blogging. They look at me strange because I am typing in English. Anyway, I am trying to be calm for the sake of my mother and my sisters.
Thankfully Luka is having a great time. He has adjustes well and loves everyone. He spends most of his time with my mother and my youngest sister. I couldn´t be happier about that. The food is delicious too, things taste different.
Ok then, I think that´s about it for my Peru report. Hopefully I will have time to update you guys with more info and have pictures to upload.
I miss NY so much, but I am glad we made this trip. It was the best decision we made even though we hit a few snags.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
In exactly two days I will be boarding a plane that will take me and Luka to Peru.
For him is going to be this great new adventure where he will have a chance to meet the other half of his family.
For me is this bitter-sweet journey where I will reunite with my loved ones after an almost five year absence but at the same time I will be away from my beloved "yellow prince."
There comes a time in a person's life when the one you love becomes the one you cannot live without. You bond to such an extent that being apart for an X amount of times starts to physically hurt. Just the thought of being away from him for a month is causing me so much stress. I've been ignoring the feeling for a few weeks now but tonight I couldn't resist the need to cry and I started bawling my eyes out.
A feeling of desperation has filled me and I have serious doubts about going to Peru.
I know that this trip is good for both Luka and I. To some extent is also good for Ronald and I and our relationship. Taking time apart is actually really good. Still, I feel like half of me is being ripped apart, like if me going away symbolizes separation forever. I know this is not the case, but my heart doesn't understand that. All it understands is that I will not be with Ronald and that is enough to send it into panic mode.
Anyway, I needed to get this off my chest and try to calm down. Eventually I will cry some more, I'll probably do it on the airplane and the first week in Peru. As the days go by I'll feel better until I get to the point where I will be sad all over again but this time of leaving my mother and the rest of my family.
*sigh*
The heart wants what the heart wants, what can you do?
For him is going to be this great new adventure where he will have a chance to meet the other half of his family.
For me is this bitter-sweet journey where I will reunite with my loved ones after an almost five year absence but at the same time I will be away from my beloved "yellow prince."
There comes a time in a person's life when the one you love becomes the one you cannot live without. You bond to such an extent that being apart for an X amount of times starts to physically hurt. Just the thought of being away from him for a month is causing me so much stress. I've been ignoring the feeling for a few weeks now but tonight I couldn't resist the need to cry and I started bawling my eyes out.
A feeling of desperation has filled me and I have serious doubts about going to Peru.
I know that this trip is good for both Luka and I. To some extent is also good for Ronald and I and our relationship. Taking time apart is actually really good. Still, I feel like half of me is being ripped apart, like if me going away symbolizes separation forever. I know this is not the case, but my heart doesn't understand that. All it understands is that I will not be with Ronald and that is enough to send it into panic mode.
Anyway, I needed to get this off my chest and try to calm down. Eventually I will cry some more, I'll probably do it on the airplane and the first week in Peru. As the days go by I'll feel better until I get to the point where I will be sad all over again but this time of leaving my mother and the rest of my family.
*sigh*
The heart wants what the heart wants, what can you do?
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
No! No, no, no!
I am not giving up meat!
Then why am I doing this?
Well, many reasons, but it all comes down to this; I like to try new things.
Culturally speaking, vegetarians are an alien species who rarely make an appearance in society. We, or me I should say, have never met anyone who willingly gave up meat back in Peru.
It's just not something we do. If you can afford meat, you eat it!
No, I wasn't poor either, but my family did not have the "luxury" of choosing to be vegetarian. You ate what you could afford and that's that.
So I've never known anything outside of that world, we ate meat, that's normal right?
Well when I came to this country I learned so much, among some of the things I learned is that an individual has a right to make decisions whether others like it or not.
I still didn't understand why someone would not want to eat meat, but I respected it. To each their own.
Lately though, I started to feel intrigued by this lifestyle, could someone really give up meat and not miss it?
How would your soup taste without the flavorings of chicken, how would your stew taste if meat didn't simmer in it for oodles of time?
It just didn't make sense.
So I've embarked on a journey, a very short one I should add, but a very rewarding one I hope.
I've decided to give up all forms of meat for five days straight.
To you it may not seem much, but for me it's a huge deal. I eat meat every day, several times a day!
With the help of a very good friend, and a lot of motivation, I started my journey today Monday, May 30th 2011
Menu for the day:
Midnight snack - A full ripe Avocado and some bread
Breakfast - Scrambled eggs, some more bread, viajero cheese, and some orange juice
Lunch - White rice, beans, fried eggs, and iced tea
Snack - Chocolate cereal
Dinner - Boiled potato (oven broke), with butter, and water.
Wow, seems like so little.
May I add that my father in law made oven roasted chicken today? Dude! WTF!
You make my favorite kind of chicken the day I decide not to eat it?
Oh well, I'm glad it was yummy because my family gobbled it all up before I had a chance to steal some.
I should also add that I am a bit ashamed to be sharing this with my Peruvian friends and my family.
My boyfriend didn't take my decision so kindly. He made fun of me and told me that there was no point in it.
"Why do it?" he said.
Well, it's just like trying sushi for the first time, I want to experience it, learn from it, and then form an opinion about it. I may not like it, I may love it, who knows. This is something I need to figure out on my own, and the only way to do it is by experiencing.
I do want to give Ronald some credit, as the day progressed, he was very kind about eating things with meat in it, he fed the baby his chicken so that I wouldn't be tempted to sneak pieces of it into my mouth. When I hit the 12hr mark he told me he was very proud of me.
It was a good day all in all, meat did limit my options though, I'm not used to eating something without it, and I had to resort to simple things.
We'll see how it goes tomorrow.
Edit: I didn't explain this well so here goes a bit more info.
What I meant about vegetarian being a luxury is that you eat what you can get. My family in Peru can afford to eat what they want most of the time, but in Peru, if you happen to get I don't know, a nice chunk of meat that day, then you eat it. Sometimes you don't have enough for vegetables. They don't have the luxury of choosing what to eat, they eat what they can afford and period. So if they can afford meat, they will choose this rather than going vegan/vegetarian.
I am not giving up meat!
Then why am I doing this?
Well, many reasons, but it all comes down to this; I like to try new things.
Culturally speaking, vegetarians are an alien species who rarely make an appearance in society. We, or me I should say, have never met anyone who willingly gave up meat back in Peru.
It's just not something we do. If you can afford meat, you eat it!
No, I wasn't poor either, but my family did not have the "luxury" of choosing to be vegetarian. You ate what you could afford and that's that.
So I've never known anything outside of that world, we ate meat, that's normal right?
Well when I came to this country I learned so much, among some of the things I learned is that an individual has a right to make decisions whether others like it or not.
I still didn't understand why someone would not want to eat meat, but I respected it. To each their own.
Lately though, I started to feel intrigued by this lifestyle, could someone really give up meat and not miss it?
How would your soup taste without the flavorings of chicken, how would your stew taste if meat didn't simmer in it for oodles of time?
It just didn't make sense.
So I've embarked on a journey, a very short one I should add, but a very rewarding one I hope.
I've decided to give up all forms of meat for five days straight.
To you it may not seem much, but for me it's a huge deal. I eat meat every day, several times a day!
With the help of a very good friend, and a lot of motivation, I started my journey today Monday, May 30th 2011
Menu for the day:
Midnight snack - A full ripe Avocado and some bread
Breakfast - Scrambled eggs, some more bread, viajero cheese, and some orange juice
Lunch - White rice, beans, fried eggs, and iced tea
Snack - Chocolate cereal
Dinner - Boiled potato (oven broke), with butter, and water.
Wow, seems like so little.
May I add that my father in law made oven roasted chicken today? Dude! WTF!
You make my favorite kind of chicken the day I decide not to eat it?
Oh well, I'm glad it was yummy because my family gobbled it all up before I had a chance to steal some.
I should also add that I am a bit ashamed to be sharing this with my Peruvian friends and my family.
My boyfriend didn't take my decision so kindly. He made fun of me and told me that there was no point in it.
"Why do it?" he said.
Well, it's just like trying sushi for the first time, I want to experience it, learn from it, and then form an opinion about it. I may not like it, I may love it, who knows. This is something I need to figure out on my own, and the only way to do it is by experiencing.
I do want to give Ronald some credit, as the day progressed, he was very kind about eating things with meat in it, he fed the baby his chicken so that I wouldn't be tempted to sneak pieces of it into my mouth. When I hit the 12hr mark he told me he was very proud of me.
It was a good day all in all, meat did limit my options though, I'm not used to eating something without it, and I had to resort to simple things.
We'll see how it goes tomorrow.
Edit: I didn't explain this well so here goes a bit more info.
What I meant about vegetarian being a luxury is that you eat what you can get. My family in Peru can afford to eat what they want most of the time, but in Peru, if you happen to get I don't know, a nice chunk of meat that day, then you eat it. Sometimes you don't have enough for vegetables. They don't have the luxury of choosing what to eat, they eat what they can afford and period. So if they can afford meat, they will choose this rather than going vegan/vegetarian.
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