Oyon
Dear Stephen:
How are you? I am fine, now is 11:00 pm here in Peru, it is a hot day, the afternoon was 25 degrees and I was wearing suit with a tie, I was very uncomfortable. Tomorrow I am going to go to Oyon and as I said, it is a little town in the Central Andean. The journey is quickly, maybe three or four hours. As soon as I will arrive, I am going to go to Yzcaycruz,native word which mean two crossings, a Zinc-Lead mine, I probably stay two or three days, depending on how much work I find.
Here in Peru, there are not many plays, and when there are a good one, it is quite expensive, but I always try to save money to go. The last play I have seen was Fausto by Goethe, and it was set in contemporary Peru. It was quite strange but very interesting.
Of course I know how it is a mini minor, here in Peru, there are someof them, but all are old fashioned. I can imagine you, driving your fast car with the top down and listeninig to music loud. Here in Peru most cars are Japanese, there are many BMW,Mercedes and Volvo too but are expensive cars and there are a lot of " TICOS" which are a very small cars and they are used like Taxies ( cubs?) I dont have car yet, but I am saving money because I want to buy one, but I think in Peru would be more useful 4x4 cars, because the roads are very extremly, there are many superb beaches so far from cities so you only can go to with 4x4 ( do you get the picture?).
I would ask for GK Chesterton which is one of my favourite writers, I found it when I was reading Borges, a famous Argentinian writer. Chesterton had been one of his favourite writer so I tried to find more about him ( Chesterton). I bought three books, two about stories with Mr Pond and one about Father Brown. Since there I started to read Police stories. is Chesterton well know in England? But my favourite book is Don Quixote, I have read four times, and always I found it very different, when I read for first time, I was 14 and it made me laugh a lot, and when I read the last time, I didn´t find funny, it become in a very interesiting book with many philosophicall content. My father gave me special edition of Qixote when I was 12, and it is my treasure now, but of course, I have bought others editions, it is a vice for me. Now I have five Qixote´s books. How pathetic is that?.
Talking about Christmas food, here in Peru, there are a kind of pie or bread, I can´t define it well, called "Paneton" wich is very popular in these days, it is a kind of sweet bread with dried grapes and drieds fruits, it is abiut 30 centimeters in height and 20 centimeters in diameter and it only produce in Christmas, and you can eat it with a big cup of hot chocolate, it is very tasty. I bought 12 for December. I think I have exaggerated but I really love it.
Many people is buying his turk for Christmas evening, on 24th December, my mother told me which he bought an alive turk three months ago, and they had feeded to eated at Christmas night. I have a big house in Talavera so I can have animals there. I would like be there to eat that delicious turk, but it will impossible.
When you said people value foreing things more than we value our traditions you are right, and I think it is for the television, Peru is a "sub-developed" country ( I put " because it is only in the economic way) and many people think which they watch about "developed Countries" is better than his own culture and they try to imited foreing customs and they are forgetting their own. I don´t want to say which others customs are bad, but I think we have to know ourself first to learn to value others cultures. And what we can do? I think we have to turn off TV and start to read, go to theatres, go to watch films ( not Hollywood films), learn more about our own culture, because most of Peruvian people don´t read hardly any, the average is 1.5 books per year, you can imagine how blind people is . I don´t know, it is the reality.
Stephen I don´t want to contagious you my bad vibrates. But almost always I have present that. sorry about that, you can think I am pessimistic, but when you think which your country have beautiful things and his own people don´t value that. It almost impossible be possitive.
Well thank you for hold my complaints. I promise which tomorrow I talk about more of Christmas traditions and our delicious food.
Best wishes.
Federico.
Comments
Hi, Federico! I found your today´s text very interesting because here in Brazil we experience exactly the same: people aren´t interested in knowing brazilian culture and traditions. I share your disappointment, but I think we have to be optimistic and do something about it. I also want to say that I´m enjoying reading your blog and Stephen's too - he is very nice isn't he? - I´m addicted to it! Best wishes and Happy Christmas!
Hi, I liked your message and I thinked that I could talk about Recife here in Brasil. I´m from SP but I and my family we´re living in Recife. All places are wonderful here.
Hi, Fed. I'm just wondering if the road system in Peru right-handed or left-handed? And happy trip to Oyon!
Hi Federico, it´s my first time when I write to somewhere in English. I have to agree with your opinion about keeping national traditions. It´s very difficult in these days when transnational monopoly cmpanies are anywhere around us.For they it´s profitable when people all around the world are uniform,because their products are better saleable. Thank you for your intersting opinions abou literature,theatre and others things.
Hello Federico, I was fascinated to hear that paneton is a popular Christmas cake/bread in Peru. It sounds very similar to an Italian thing called 'panettone' that we also have here in London, but is originally from Italy. Like you, I love them and I make sure I have one (or two or three) in the house at Christmas time. I felt very privileged when i went to the market on Saturday and the Italian man I regularly by my olive oil from gave me a beautiful panettone in a pretty box to thank me for being a faithful customer. I am so lucky! Many thanks for your fantastically interesting blogs.
I was quite saddened by some parts of Federico's letter. It is true what he says about people searching for foreing things and not valuing their own heritage. I live in a beatiful part of central Italy, not far from the sea and mountains at arm's reach. I sepnd hours walking the hights and people ask me why I do it. Do I need to explain? Its heavnly at 2.000 high! It beats watching TV, anytime! The "paneton" he is talking about sounds like the "panettone" that we have here sold only on Christmas time. Italian people are very fond of it, best with a glass of sherry. Marry Christmas to everyone. Susanna
Hi Federico, I want to say Hello to your sunny Peru hier from the land which is covered with Londoneese fog and mist without a ray of the sun 7 days already. I am grateful for that unpleasant weather because I needn´t to work hard with a showel to make free my small Micra from under the snow! Despite I was on my regular weekend´s walks through the wet country, amost alone. All others are hunting through the shopping centers. Nowadays the studying of language is so exciting. You and the teacher help us to continue and SLOWLY choosing lot of useful gramma notes. Is the oil to cars cheep in your country? By the way, my father,80 years now, was a mining ingineer and great lover of mountains. Despite my age I am reading Jacqueline Wilson and Georgia Byngs books for 11 years readers. Enjoy yourself!
Hi,Federico, That was a really good one to say and I couldn't agree more with you that you said to get rid of Silly boxes {I mean TV}and read more books,visiting musseums,theatre and watch good movies. Sometime I'm really fed up that the telly is donimated our lives too much and try to teach how to bring up our childen,or deal with teenagers problems,how to maintain merriges or get a divoce without hurting children's feeling which it's impossible. It also encourages people to go to court or clam a compencation if you have any problem with a company, neighbours and so on ,rather than talking through problims and seek solutions.One of my friend always says if I really want to improve my speaking in English I must watch TV a lot,but I'd rather listen to radio.By the way our family went to an auditorium and watched "PETER PAN" and my son loved it to bits.Many children go to a theater or an auditorium with their family and watch pantomimes in Britain around Christmas.i am NOT sure but it looks like one of britain's traditional. Do you like pantomimes?
Hello Federico! I can imagine how can you spend a Christmas Holiday in 25 degree. But in Poland, climate is warmer than in the past too. It have to be strange to sing a Christmas Carols and giving a presents each others, and aftewards relaxed, for example, on the beach. If we are talking about cars, I'd like to say, that TICO was produced in Poland for many years. Now it is exchanged this model for Matiz. Mayby in the near future you will see it. Best greetings for you.
Hi Federico! I would like to share with you our customs and traditions here in Slovakia during December. The first holiday is the eve of St. Nicholas on 5th December. Children clean their shoes and put them in the windows. The next morning the shoes are full off chocolate, fruit, nuts, sweets and so on. But bad children get a piece of coal and birch as well. These things are brought by Santa Claus or Father Christmas to the shoes. In spite of the fact that my children already know that I am the Santa Claus they always get their favourite box of chocolates. As Stephen said, Advent is the period of four weeks leading up to Christmas. Advent wreaths have four candles to correspond to the four Sundays of December leading up to Christmas. I always make an Advent wreath with 4 candles which we light each Sunday. Last Sunday we lit three candles and on 24th December we will light all 4 candles. On 13th December it is Lucia‘s day. This day, people start to do weather forecast for the next year. People write down that what the weather is like every day from13th to 24th December. These 12 days symbolize the 12 months of next year. For example, yesterday was a mild weather without rain here in Slovakia so in May we will expect similar weather. On Sunday we visited my mother-in-law who also writes notes about weather so it is still an alive custom. Bye for now.
Hi Federico. This is my firt time to read your blog. It seems very interesting to me and let me know what is happening around you, especially the food you mention. That would be great if I had a chance to go to your conutry and enjoy them. Of course, to know and keep your own culture is very important. That is why you are yourself. Keep doing it. You will have a bright future.
Hi, Federico, lots of interesting things in your posts. I feel between lines an impact of Borges’s and Cortazar’s spirit on the way you see things and I really love it. Well, I wouldn’t be so pessimistic about globalization, at least I try to. Yes, the world has been shrinking, the time and space barriers almost disappeared – we are so close to each other. In general we are more open to other cultures and an inevitable consequence is enormous confrontation. We make comparisons, make choices and some cultures might be endangered, but some might flourish as a result of multicultural inspirations, exchange of experiences etc. You are afraid that the world we live in soon become a monotonous one and actually we are all seem to be so similar. But even if we wear the same T-shirt, drink the same coffee it doesn’t mean that we think and feel in the same way. A lot of people all over the world listen to English carols at this time of year, but only their own, national carols can recall some special emotions and memories. Don’t forget also about the spirit of individualism which is quite strong in some cultures, not to mention national extermism. What is really depressing is that globalization deepens the gap between the poor and the rich, and between those who have access to education, to culture and those who don’t have. Globalization is a chance for those cultures which have their own development potential and can benefit from all that globalization has brought, and are able to win the battle with the commercialization. Culture needs to be constantly developed and cultivated, so if you really care you should stay active, I mean at least to do what you do, or, as Stephen mentioned, just sing in a choir or any other amateur band. It’s also important to support those who create new values, new trends in our own culture – they really need a faithful audience and financial stability. My post is terribly long – sorry about that. Best,
Hello!!! I am very happy for you that you are in the country, where is that warm at these day, cause we have rain, and temperature below 10 degrees... Bye bye :)
Hello!!! Not more than word to say, it is such a beautiful story ,because this is the first time for my writting task .I like to learn some experience through English language that make my world more open .I need to travel around,when you are telling about your country . I suggest you if you have an oppornuity to travel in Thailand, I able to guide you ,in my country have many beautiful place . Forinstance, Watprakaew in Bangkok, Doysutape in Changmai .So it time to say Goodbye . Best of luck......
Have a nice trip!
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