the details

So the question is: what is going on?

As you all know I'm here as a volunteer, working specifically with kids from communities in Carabayllo, in the northern section of Lima, Peru.

I arrived on July 8th but refrained from posting about those early and unhappy days. Now I feel a short introduction is needed to fashion place and time.

Place:
I would prefer not to live in Lima. Like many of the residents here "me toca." The city in winter is not welcoming. Skyes are perpetually grey and the air is like cold mud, a mixture of humidity and terrible smog. Of course, I must confess that I have not had time to get to know Lima. I spend my mornings and evenings in commute, 60 minutes to and from the work site via highway. Once I reach my point of destination, be it the office where the magic happens or what I call presently home, I am exhausted and coughing, not interesting in learning my surroundings.

Carabayllo is where I work and deserves a more thorough write-up. That's next.

Time:
I live one hour ealier than those in New York. However, the time here is not so easily defined. For example, the community of San Gabriel exists partially in the past: there is no running water here, no plumbing, no roads. Among this backwardness we have the artifacts of the present: electricity, cell phones, television, and internet cafes.

That is all for now.