More Adventures and Strage Things

After work today, I attended Mass. At the church nearby they have 4 daily Masses and I would say about 300-400 people attend each one, a very large crowd no doubt.

Sitting next to me today was this older woman who thought it was so hot in there (maybe 75 degrees), that she thought she would turn on her little portable fan. I don't know where she bought this thing, but it sounded like it had a diesel engine! Not only do I have a hard enough time trying to understand what the priest is saying, but I also have a pickup truck in my ear!

After Mass, I walked down the beach aways and say one of the most beautiful sunsets! It was too bad that I wasn't carrying my camera with me, but I'll remember it next time.

As I was walking, I decided I needed to explore more of the city. I turned left and headed down a street that looked pretty busy. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but I figured I'd know it when I saw it. Up and down the street I went, passed shops and stores, passed cafes and restaurants, passed hotels and casinos, up and down the streets I went. Until I found it. The market (grocery store).

I went inside, grabbed a basket and wandered around like a lost gringo. Some of the things I saw were new, like cow eyes. Other things were not so new, but in different form (like sugar you scoop yourself).

I decided I would buy some food to prepare dinner for the next few days. As I was filling up my basket, checking prices, and evaluating products, I realized I only had $/50 ($17). So, not remembering if tax was included in the price of food, I played it conservative. Sales tax here is about 20%, which can add a lot on to a bill, but I was reminded later that it's the law that tax must be included in the price of everything!

Near the checkout line I saw some very large Black women that turned out to be Americans from Detroit. They certainly resembled the stereotypical Americans I've been teased about since coming here. Not only were they overweight, but they were buying very unhealthy, fattening food and...diet cokes!

They were pretty funny in line too. They didn't make any attempt to speak Spanish and when they weren't understood, they just raised their voice louder (as if it were a volume issue, hello, you're in Peru!).

After walking home, I started to prepare my dinner. Hamburgers and chicken fried rice. Interesting mix, I know. So as I'm preparing my meal, I realize my roommate doesn't cook, so there aren't any condiments. There has to be something around here. I started combing through the kitchen and found 1 ketchup packet. It will have to do.

When my hamburger was cooked, I squeezed the ketchup out, and what came out looked to me like BBQ sauce rather than ketchup. I had no idea how long that packet had been in there, so off went the ketchup.

Which brings me to my next topic: Strange observations about Peru.

1. Women don't drive here. I think maybe 5-10% of the drivers are women. Weird.
2. Expensive restaurants offer you ketchup packets. Cheap restaurants offer you ketchup bottles. Apparently, it's more refined to fight through those little packets to get at your ketchup.
3. Expensive restaurants charge you for refilling your coke glass. Cheap restaurants offer free refills. Again, what the heck?
4. A generous tip is 10%, but you tip the guy standing near your car that helps you back-up.
5. Many, many, many more people attend Mass here, but only about half of them receive Communion. It seems to be the opposite in the US. I think it's because Americans maybe aren't aware that they're in mortal sin, or maybe they believe that they're entitled to it. Probably a little bit of both.