When I was a
little kid, I remember celebrating the famous “Carnavales” tradition in
February. This celebration is celebrated very differently in different regions
of Peru, so I´m going to describe how it was celebrated in Lima, my city. There
was always a huge celebration in my neighborhood because we all knew each other
and played all day. In fact, we usually used to play with whole families as
teams. It was a “family war!” We used the big houses we lived in as “bunkers”
for our battles, and the “weapons” we used were classic water
balloons, water guns and buckets and handles. We would try to get the other
families wet while avoiding getting wet, ourselves.
The Carnavales
celebrations had the objective of getting people wet with water and paint, even
if we didn’t know them! So it was a water war, everyone versus everyone else.
However,
because people got carried away, Carnavales sometimes created some problems and
generated petty crime. Criminals from the lower-income suburbs around Lima
loved Carnavales, also, because they could bother people and take the
opportunity to rob them. Likewise, people on the streets also bothered
passengers on the buses and sometimes caused some accidents like breaking the bus
windows.
When I was
small, this type of “Carnavales” was a common celebration in Lima, but a few
years ago, the City Government created a law against it, so I will not be able
to watch my own future children take part in this custom.
In recent times, Peru has been facing an alarming
Venezuelan immigration situation. As we know well, Venezuela is going through a
hard political situation right now because of the dictatorship with which it is
being governed and the consequences of the bad decisions of its president
himself. So many Venezuelans have been forced to immigrate to other countries
to fight the shortages with which the country currently lives with in terms of
food, medicine, security, jobs, etc. Peru is one of the countries that has
received the most Venezuelans since 2016, going from 6615 to 864,214
Venezuelans in that same year; however, every day the figures of Venezuelans
coming into the country increases. For Peru, this is the biggest wave of
immigration that has crossed into our borders in the 21st century. Likewise,
Peru is the country with the second largest number of Venezuelan immigrants.
The place where most immigrants have come and become
strongest is mainly the capital of Peru, Metropolitan Lima, where 84% of
Venezuelan immigrants are concentrated. They are also located in the main
provinces of the 3 regions of Peru. On the coast, they are in cities such as
Trujillo, Piura, Chiclayo and Chimbote; in the Amazon region, they are in
places such as Puerto Maldonado, Moyobamba and Iquitos and in the Andes Mountains,
they have settled in places like Huancayo, Huánuco and Arequipa. Currently,
until mid-July of this year, more than 850,000 Venezuelan immigrants have been
recorded as settling in Peru on a permanent basis.
As I mentioned earlier, it is considered an alarming
immigration, since from the beginning there were no precautions for the entry
of so many Venezuelans to Peru, and, since there was not a correct entry
process, many Venezuelans, even with criminal records back in Venezuela, have
entered, and that has also increased the crime rate in the Peru. In turn, many Venezuelan
immigrants have not found stable jobs, so they offer their labor at a price
well below normal, making many companies or employers prefer to pay a
Venezuelan less for the same job instead of paying a Peruvian the minimum wage
that by law corresponds to him. Many of the Venezuelans finding no job
opportunities have found themselves in need of illegal work on the streets
offering commercial products or food products from their country. In a survey
of residents in Lima this year, 67% disapprove of the immigration of Venezuelan
citizens to Peru, and only 23% consider this immigration positive. The first
percentage is because Venezuelan immigration has increased crime and criminal
activities, as well as because there are more and more people willing to work
at a lower price, which affects the jobs of Peruvians. This percentage is not
only a simple perception, but according to the Minister of Labor and Employment
Promotion in Peru, Sylvia Cáceres, the presence of Venezuelans in Peru does
affect the Peruvian labor market.
Turning now to personal experiences or perspectives,
it has not particularly affected me directly. I do not consider myself
xenophobic, and I am very aware that when we Peruvians go through difficult
political and financial situations, we also migrate to other countries, so that
is not the problem, really. Also, of the few personal experiences that I have
had in which I have met Venezuelans, it has been for some service that they
offer, such as delivery or food sales, and the majority of these experiences
have been positive. I think that they are integrating into Peruvian society
better all the time and that we are one their side. I am surprised by the good
spirit and attitude of many. Of course it is not the same for everyone, but in
general, I personally have no problem with them. I think what is being formed
today in Peru is like an interculturality between Venezuela and Peru.
However, I believe that I cannot ignore the current
situation, either, because I know people who are very close, such as family
members or friends, who have been directly affected by this immigration either
at work or in their daily lives through a criminal act in which one or more of
the criminals were Venezuelans. A few days ago, my aunt was removed from a job
where she had been working for 4 years in a row. The reason she was told that
she was fired is that they found a replacement who would be paid a lower
salary, so the company preferred that other person. This is not the only case:
this happens every day. On the other hand, recently, a classmate from my
university was robbed of his cell phone by two Venezuelan citizens when he was
on his way to the university. He was also beaten, and cases like these can be
heard every day. However, we cannot generalize, and many Venezuelans are very
friendly, respectful and eager to work and get ahead, and of course the
situation they are going through as a country makes the situation for them more
and more complicated. In the same way, I am not against immigration to my
country, but I think that the government should take greater care and regulate
the permits that are being granted for the entry of Venezuelan citizens,
because it is not bad to help people from other countries, above all in times
of crisis, but it is not good that finally others are affected by simply not
having the proper care and security in the regularization of income to Peru.
There
are a lot of aspects in our daily lives that are important due to our style of
life, the culture of our society or simply just a repetitive action with
friends that has become important. Everything we do builds up what we could
call “traditions.”
Taking
this into consideration, one important aspect in my life is the day I spend
with my family every week. Every week on Sunday, I go out with family for the
entire full day. We visit some interesting places, buy groceries at the
supermarket and—the most joyful activity for me—eat delicious food. We usually
tend to try a new restaurant with interesting flavors, such as a restaurant serving
Chinese food, Japanese food, Thai food, or seafood. After eating, we make comments
to one another about how the food was, if it was served well, tasted good and
had a good price. According to these
three factors, we make a list of the top ten restaurants we should go again.
There
is another important event in Peru, but it´s not my family’s custom. It is an
important event in my friends’ lives. Every member of their family believes in
the Lord of Miracles, so every year on the 28th or 29th
day of October, they go to the parade where they follow the Lord of Miracles
through many streets until they reach the end point.
Like
the activities previously mentioned, there a lot more in many other families,
which, in the end, form our culture as a society.
“These photos were taken at
Sara Sara’s Restaurant on August 23th by the waitress and my sister,
respectively. In the first photo, my family and I were eating seafood. I am the
girl in glasses on the left. The second photo shows a plate of rice with
seafood like seashells, shrimp and octopus, a typical Peru dish.”
By Alina Bastian (Technische Universität Dresden), ESAN University
The Bundesliga, the professional football league of
Germany, is loved in Germany, enjoying incomparable national importance in the
sporting area. It has been around since the 1963/64 season. Every weekend, its 18 football teams compete
against each other twice, making for 34 matches altogether.
What is special about it, however, is the enthusiasm
going into it. Not only does Germany have an immense number of fan clubs, public
viewing events and sports bars, etc., soccer is an common interest for most
people. This means that football, and especially the Bundesliga, is appreciated
by the general public rather than just by football or sports enthusiasts. If
you do not like football, for instance, and do not take any interest in it at
all, people would be surprised by this response, as it is perceived as rather
unusual.
Consequently, a very common ritual among Germans in
general and families in particular is to have Saturday dinner in front of the
TV while watching the “Sportschau”, a review of all the Bundesliga matches of
the weekend up to that point.
In my memory, this ritual was a special event for my
brother and me, and we looked forward to it even though it took place every
week. Many German children are already quite into football, playing video games
such as FIFA and collecting and trading stickers and cards showing the current
players of each team in the Bundesliga. Boys and girls are often almost equally
participative in these activities. The merchandise revolving around the Bundesliga
is also extensive. I do not think I know anyone from Germany who did not own at
least one piece of football-related merchandise as a child.
Football is also a very popular topic to talk about.
While small talk is not very common in Germany (there is actually not even a
German word for it), talking about football could certainly serve a similar
purpose. Insofar, football is not just a national sport: it is much more than
that. And even if you do not care about it substantially, you would probably
still have gone to at least one Bundesliga match in your lifetime if you are Germany.
By Fiorella Alexandra Palomino Gutierrez, ESAN University
A Peruvian college student’s final semesters are full of pre-professional internships that are required by the University for graduation. So you must deal with both exams and your internship, and it is very stressful. Each week an intern work 30 hours and also goes to classes. So one of our main customs as Peruvian university students is to spend the weekends in a pleasant way: eating out, going out to have fun with friends or spending time with your family.
Peru is known worldwide as the
country of gastronomy because our dishes are spectacular, the best known being
ceviche and causa rellena, seen in the picture. On
weekends we can spend time going to eat at different restaurants or
traveling across the city to try different dishes offered in different parts of
Lima. There are certain districts of the capital where you can find the best
desserts and the best drinks. There are also places where you can enjoy a
spectacular ceviche, which is a dish of raw fish marinated in lime juice with
onions and hot peppers. There is nothing better to accompany your ceviche than
a sea view. One of the districts of Lima is Callao, where you can enjoy this
delicious, healthy dish with a spectacular view of the sea.
“Causa rellena covered in ceviche.” Photo credit: https://images.app.goo.gl/S4KESMmkjTjJ4knGA
Second, many of us go out and enjoy a Saturday
night with friends. We sometimes go to a bar or a nightclub to discuss the
various things that occurred during the week as we eat various snacks or a
traditional “Pisco sour,” our national cocktail, or other drinks made from
different fruits like passionfruit or strawberry. Also, if you want a party
atmosphere, you can opt for a club. Many are located in the districts of
Miraflores and Barranco, which have spacious room to enjoy contemporary music
and fashion.
“A typical nightclub in Peru.” Photo credit: https://images.app.goo.gl/cJL49uW4MxQ2ZkTq8
Finally, many weekends the family “escapes” or
plans a short family trip outside of Lima. In many cases, Peruvians consider
ourselves very homey, and we expect that we will spend the weekends with our
families. We might watch movies or go to the theater. There are always suitable
movies and plays to see with our families as we eat our popcorn and soda combos.
Also, because some families have a family vehicle, they decide to leave Lima
for a day or a half-day so they can enjoy the different landscapes that are
around the capital to breathe fresh air and enjoy a bit of nature.
“A boat trip to the Ballestas Islands south of Lima. The Ballestas Islands are home to many wild animals, including penguins and sea lions.” Photo credit: https://images.app.goo.gl/pGut2ozgSzaeEyjg6
A specific custom my friends and
I have is to have a monthly get-together. The first thing we do is that we each
put a certain amount of money into a common pot. Each month, a different friend
gets to keep all of that money. Each friend has his month to keep the money. We
have done this for the past two years. Every year we increase the amount of
money we put in.
Apart from this,
we also watch movies, go out to eat, cook meat on a grill, buy some drinks,
etc. We do all we can so that on a holiday, we can, in the end, get together.
These types of situations unite us more as friends who now feel more like
brothers. Whenever one needs help, there is always another one to support him.
For example, lately one of us moved out of his house, and we all went to help
move his things and then went out to eat (which is something we always do when
we get together). Well, that is a little bit of what we do in my closest group
of friends.
“This is our last picture on the Green Coast in Miraflores, a district of Lima. I am the person on the far left.” Photo credit: My friend Antony Estrella Baldeon.
I was born in Huancayo,
which is a city in the Peruvian Andes located in Junin within the Mantaro
Valley.
One of the things I like
most about being from Huancayo, Peru is that our food is one of the most
interesting pleasures there is. I grew up in a family where food was the most
important thing. Now, in my adulthood, I’ve made it just as important. When Peruvians
invites people into their homes to share food, it is from the heart, so that
the pleasure of eating it is more enjoyable.
A few weeks ago, some
relatives came to my home for my sister’s birthday celebration. The main event
was the meal, which was prepared that day to enjoy all together. We served
large portions, and many of us had seconds. I have been able to observe throughout
all these years that the dish that is most commonly prepared for important
celebrations is carapulcra, which is a stew made from freeze-dried potato and
pork. If the pork is roasted, the flavor obtained is more than delicious.
I think somehow enjoying food at home is the most
important thing, because that’s where parents and children ask one another how
their day was, and family connections are strengthened with a rich plate of
food that gives strength and love. There’s a saying I’ve always heard from my
mom and grandmother: “Where five people can eat, six or seven can eat.” That’s
why I think it’s important to interact at lunch and at all kinds of meals.
“My sister’s birthday celebration, which included
family and close friends. My cousin, Leslie Malpica Chavez,
took the picture.”
“The dish prepared was carapulcra, and I
took this photo.”
One thing about Peru is its gastronomy. Peru might be
known by almost everyone for Machu Picchu, one of the 7 Modern Wonders of the World;
however, the food in Peru is also considered to be one of the best. My comment
may be probably biased, but I have love for 2 countries, having dual
nationality (Guatemala and Peru), so I can truly say that Peruvian food is out
of this world.
For starters, the
variety of food is great. There is fish, meat, chicken—anything for everyone.
“A traditional seafood dish, ceviche.” Photo credit: Andrea Bravo“A traditional seafood dish, jalea mixta.” Photo credit: Andrea Bravo
I took these pictures while traveling to the north of Peru, where the beaches are incredible. These pictures are food based on fish. The first one is very popular in Peru, called Ceviche. Basically, it is raw fish cured with lime juice and spiced with ají hot pepper. The second one is also based on fish but with a different variety of fish. Normally I tend to eat these kinds of dishes with my family during Saturdays or while at the beach.
However, my friends and I love discovering new small
places to go and eat. Last year, for example, we were in search of the best
burger in Lima, capital of Peru, and we are still searching for it. Eating with
your friends is something I enjoy doing, and I like cooking, as well. My
friends and I like to try new recipes of all kinds of food, and on summer
vacations, we try to make Peruvian dishes. We try, but it definitely isn’t as
good as our moms’ or grandmothers’ cooking!
By Justine LACROIX, ESAN University (NEOMA Business School in France)
In France “crêpes” are a typical dish which take the form of a very thin layer of dough
made of
flour, eggs and milk. It
is generally shaped round.
This dish is born in the
18th century in Brittany when French people
brought buckwheat back from Asia. In Brittany, savory pancakes are still made of buckwheat flour. The typical savory pancake is called “La galette complète” and it is filled with a mix of ham, cheese and eggs. Naturally, if we want to
be a little more original, we can fill the pancake with salmon and cream cheese,
mushroom and cream or grilled vegetables such
as tomatoes, zucchini and peppers. For the purists, a pancake made with
buckwheat flour is called a “galette” and not a “crêpe.”
Of course, we also eat
sweet pancakes, but they are made with
wheat flour instead of
buckwheat flour. Concerning the topping of
sweet pancakes, it goes from the
simplest with sugar,
marmalade
or spread to the most gourmand with bananas, melted chocolate and whipped cream or cooked apples, salted butter caramel
and
vanilla ice cream
(which is my favorite!).
“crêpe
pommes et caramel au beurre salé” Photo
credit: Marie Claire Cuisine
In France on every February 2nd we have the
tradition to eat pancakes and this
celebration is
called “La chandeleur.” Originally it was a religious celebration to remember that exactly 40 days after Christmas Mary presented Jesus at
the temple for
the first time. To commemorate this
day,
candles were blessed and used in churches to replace torches. The round shape and the golden color of the pancake represented the solar disk and the come back to light. Indeed, at the beginning of February the sun is starting
to set a later and later day after days.
Nowadays this tradition perpetuates, so on February 2nd it is very common to make pancakes
and
invite your family or friends to have a
diner entirely composed
of
savory and sweet pancakes. There is one tradition that goes along with
this celebration: you have to hold a coin in your writing hand and a pancake pan in the other hand and then flip the pancake into the air. If you
manage to catch the pancake in your pan it is
said that your family will be prosperous for the rest of the year.
Obviously, the 2nd of February set aside, French people eat pancakes randomly for diner or as a snack the afternoon.
If you want to eat pancakes in France, you can either make
your own pancakes
at home, go to a specialized restaurant or a Breton restaurant or find a pancake stand
at a fairground.
I would
like to talk about one of our national festivities. It is on July 28, and we
call it “Fiestas Patrias,” and it is a festive day where we celebrate one more
year of our independence from the Spanish conquerors.
For Fiestas
Patrias, the national army prepares a show that is watched by thousands of
guests that meet just for the purpose of supporting the effort and to celebrate
this festivity. What I like most about this festivity is that everybody feels
like family at least those days, because we’re all proud of being Peruvian. The
air force sends some planes to do some maneuvers in the air, the cavalry also
prepares a show, and basically everybody celebrates in their own way.
People use red
and white t-shirts with the Peruvian flag printed on them, so it makes
everybody feel in harmony. In lower-income areas, people drink some beers with
their friends, they go out to some clubs and party, and some others just travel
to the Andes Mountains or the Amazon Rainforest, two of the important regions
of our country, to spend time with family.
At school,
kids prepare many shows from kindergarden to high school, and in history class,
kids research and recreate some important historical events as theatrical
skits. The President of Peru also gives a presidential address about the
national situation, and everybody is aware of it. When a president finishes his
term and gives transfers his power to another president, this event also
happens just on that day, on July 28. Many Peruvian artists make presentations
honoring Peru, too, and people go to watch these events.
