The Third World

Today, I want to reflect on some of the differences I've seen between the "First World" country I was raised in, and the brief time I've spent in a "Third World" country.

First, let's define what we're talking about.

The Third World Definition:

"The underdevelopment of the third world is marked by a number of common traits; distorted and highly dependent economies devoted to producing primary products for the developed world and to provide markets for their finished goods; traditional, rural social structures; high population growth; and widespread poverty. Nevertheless, the third world is sharply differentiated, for it includes countries on various levels of economic development. And despite the poverty of the countryside and the urban shantytowns, the ruling elites of most third world countries are wealthy.

Because the economies of underdeveloped countries have been geared to the needs of industrialized countries, they often comprise only a few modern economic activities, such as mining or the cultivation of plantation crops. Control over these activities has often remained in the hands of large foreign firms. The prices of third world products are usually determined by large buyers in the economically dominant countries of the West, and trade with the West provides almost all the third world's income. "

(http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/General/ThirdWorld_def.html)

If you've been following my blog, you've seen some of the pictures from the shanty towns, and maybe that's your view of a "third world" country. While it is true that these countries have huge populations in poverty (I'm talking real poverty, not like we see in the US). There's a lot more to the equation. I could easily make this a boring economic lesson, but I'll instead comment about my interactions with people, the surprising knowledge they have and don't have, the peace that comes with a certain amount of nievity, but also the limits.

Surprising Knowlege, Jobs, and Such:
People living in the "third world" know how to actually create tangible things. Maybe this isn't a surprise to some of you, but it was to me!

• Handiness. If you own a car, you know how it fix it, because it's going to break and you don't have the money to fix it. Handiness is non-sexist too, so that includes females (can you imagine some Scottsdale girl fixing a car on the side of the road?!?).
• Languages. They know many and I know one. Gosh, I feel dumb (and they can read my blog, I feel double dumb!)!
• Pop Culture, celebrities, songs, bad bands, and movies. They haven't always had TV or Cable, but they know who's famous and they have a strong opinion about them! If I was on an American Pop Culture Game Show against my co-workers, they would dominate me!
• Creative Jobs. Unemployment is high and many workers are "unskilled", but certainly not "un-creative." If there's a way to create value and earn a few "lucas" (bucks) they'll do it. Lima's a big city with a tone of population density, which means traffic congestion, so parking is difficult to find. When you do find it, it's even more difficult to back out. Don't worry, there's a guy who will stop traffic and back you up, but don't forget to roll down your window and tip him. Cartwheels in the street will also get you paid, or run over, depending on the taxicab.

There are clearly many other surprising things that I haven't listed, but these are a few of the heavy hitters, if you will.

Now here are some things I've struggled with in the "third world":

• Pollution. Part of this is a geographic thing. Lima is in a valley, which much like LA or Phoenix, tends to collect the "brown cloud". Not surprising, however, is the fact that they don't have an EPA or emissions testing. So, your car could be producing a little brown cloud behind you, and as long as it's still running, you don't worry about it. Being an asthmatic, I thought I was going to die the first few days I was here! Seriously, I woke up that first night coughing because a truck dumped a brown cloud in my room!
• Lack of Individualism: Maybe "indiviudalism" isn't the right word, but certainly a lack of private space and quiet. Lima, by far, is the busiest, loudest city I've ever been in. They talk about Vegas as the city that never sleeps, that may be true, but Lima is the city that never shuts up. Loud cars are always rumbling through, beeping their horns at intersections and causing a havoc. I've been to New York, I've lived in DC, this place is truly noisy and truly big! My biggest pet peeve in this area are taxi's. You cannot walk for more than 2 minutes without a cab beeping at you! They always want to take you somewhere. I'm thinking about making a shirt that says, "Beep you, I'm walking!" I wonder if that would sell here?
• American Influence: I'm not talking about our official foreign policy, in fact, I think the US-Peru trade agreement is really going to benefit Peru and workers rights here, I'm talking about our biggest export (no not debt), culture. Peruvians have such a rich, diverse culture here and it's sad to see a Starbucks being held in such esteem, especially when Peruvian coffee is much better. I also struggle with the poor "American Values" we've exported, "Grand Theft Auto", the "sexual revolution", and our questionable "family values." You may say it's just a movie, and that may be true to us (probably because we've destroyed our conscience), but Hollywood definitely is shaping beliefs about Americans, about what "success" is, about how to be "happy."

Again, I struggle with other little things, but generally speaking, these are the biggest irritants.

I've also realized important things about how life works here:

• Specialization isn't always better. The US is the biggest economy in the world for a lot of very complex reasons, but one thing we do better than most is that we specialize in something and become really, really good at it. It's basic Econ 101: if you can produce something really well and efficient, focus on it, and trade with somebody that specializes in something else. Trading, you produce more than if you learned both jobs. Yet, after living here, I've learned there's a point of diminishing returns, not just economically, but psychologically. As humans, I think we need to feel dignity and worth from what we produce, if we can't connect it to the larger picture, we get depressed (even if we make a lot of money). I think it's because we don't feel connected, because we don't see how our tiny work actually makes a difference in the world. Really good bosses can connect any job, but there aren't a lot of really good bosses. Anyway...Peruvians don't specialize as much, but are more well rounded, and thus, I think, more connected with their "neighbor." Which means that they can work on random things together, they have more in common, and tend to share better (they probably played better on the playground too!)
• It's all about your instincts. Everything from driving, to crossing the street, buying fruit, to picking a story, to fundraising, to business planning, to lunch/dinner choices, to weekend planning. I've never met more people that spontaneously "plan" something and it actually works out well. Maybe it's their trust in God? It kind of drives me crazy sometimes not having a calander, but at the same time very liberating. No longer do I need to tell people to send me a Lotus Note invite, or put a date and time in my phone, it just happens!
• What cell phone manners? It's like 1990 here when it comes to cell phone manners. People have these cell phones, but I don't think they really know when it's appropriate to use them or how to silence them. Alejandro told me last week that they actually had to run a public service campaign to try to instill cell phone manners...Speaking of cell phones, It's liberating only having 6 numbers in my phone. No texting or phone calls really to answer.
• Banks rule! My roommate affectionately calls his bank "my bastard bank," but he claims it's the best in Peru. What's the issue? Fees. It doesn't seem like there's much competition in the Peruvian Financial Sector. People don't really save for retirement, most don't know what a stock is, and don't know how to financially plan for the future (is this really any different than Americans?!?) It's just sad to see 1) a lack of options for people to put their money to work and 2) no knowledge/education on finance. It's no wonder "first world" countries have been blamed for taking advantage of "third world" nations. These people can learn these simple rules, but nobody's taught them.

Those are my reflections for the day. Maybe part 2 tomorrow...