Karma or Coincidence

Saturday, I lunched with a friend at a “restaurant” called Embarcadero 41. The atmosphere was similar to that of a mess hall, only the meal was serenaded by strident salsa music from overhead speakers. The plates had hardly been cleared at 3:00 when the entire room was converted into a dance party. Bottles of barena, a light Peruvian beer, flowed like water and tables were cleared to make room for the revelry. Remaining chairs served as pedestals for the female patrons (who outnumbered the males 3 to 1) and I found myself entrapped in a swarm of raucous peruanas. By 9:00, the party began to wane and we departed for la calle de las pizzas (or Pizza Street) in order to prolong the festivities. Our last stop was at Mama Batatas, a very Americanized bar in Larcomar where after one more drink, I decided to call it a night. Sunday was spent more tranquilly at a friend’s family barbeque.

On Monday morning, I was invited to accompany the sister of my host mother to volunteer with the Peruvian Red Cross. Our first stop was at a school for the mentally handicapped that hosts around thirty children, aged 5 to 15. The disabilities included autism and Downs Syndrome, although a few of the children were there because of severe physical disabilities. The capacities of the children were also wide ranging, from the students who were absolutely unable to communicate to those who introduced themselves with great charisma. After spending a couple hours with the students matching colored blocks and coloring pictures, we visited a house for cancer patients who come from poor provinces and have nowhere to stay. It was disheartening to see people who have very serious illness and so few resources and I look forward to working with both organizations next month.