You Know You Have Lived in Peru too long when you.....

[american_in_lima]

I figured I would start a new topic pointing out of the ever so joys of living in Peru that goes like:

I know I have lived in Peru too long when I.....

I will start:

I know I have lived in Peru too long when I cross the street and really believe that the car has the right of way!


Ok.. It is your turn!

[tupacperu]

When I get used to rice being part of a every meal (like bread and butter in the USA)

[sonia]

To add to what Tupacperu wrote,

when, if there's no rice on your plate, the meal doesn't seem complete!

And also,

when somebody mentions dessert, the first ones that come to mind are: arroz con leche, suspiro a la limeña, mazamorra morada, and crema volteada!

And now that New Year's Eve is almost here,

any expat that is planning on wearing yellow underwear to greet the new year, has definitely been in Peru too long !

[Kelly]

...when you show up for any event 2 hours later than requested on the invitation.


Although I have to say - I could never live in Peru too long. I love it here too much.

[tupacperu]

LMAO, true , never thought that RICE as a Dessert!

Yes, yellow underwear, I am not a fan of yellow underwear, anything urine colored, I try to avoid (Inka Cola included)

To add to what Tupacperu wrote,

when, if there's no rice on your plate, the meal doesn't seem complete!

And also,

when somebody mentions dessert, the first ones that come to mind are: arroz con leche, suspiro a la limeña, mazamorra morada, and crema volteada!

And now that New Year's Eve is almost here,

any expat that is planning on wearing yellow underwear to greet the new year, has definitely been in Peru too long !

[american_in_lima]

I know I have lived too long in Peru when.....I go back to visit my family in the US and a sandwich at a deli seems ridiculously expensive! S/. 25 for a sandwich? Are they crazy?

I know I have lived too long in Peru when.....I need to put aji on everything I eat.


I know I have lived too long in Peru when.....I examine subconsciously every 10,20, 50 or 100 sol bill that I touch to make sure that it is not counterfeit.

[Ron]

.....when Pardos Chicken is a night out at a fancy restaurant!!!

.....when you goto McDonalds and are confussed when you don't see the Ahi dispenser!!!

[budleyperu]

when you automatically know that every time estimate is BS and triple it

when you actually understand the meaning of "mas alla" or "a la vuelta" as specific directions.....and find the place!

when you no longer think twice about sharing a beer glass with 6 total strangers after a pick up game of folbito

if you ever catch yourself watching "al fondo hay sitio" for any reason

if you plan to stick an ice pick in your ear the next time you hear Grupo 5

[Kelly]

if you plan to stick an ice pick in your ear the next time you hear Grupo 5

hahahahahahaha!

[i love shoes]

the grupo 5 is really good!!!!!!

[mtwilson]

It's not that you have been here too long, but rather you have adjusted to life here.

You know you have adjusted to life in Peru when...

It is completely normal for you to eat rice and potatoes (together)
a second on aji at every meal.
you think in terms of soles and don't convert them to dollars in your head anymore.
You use combis more often than taxis to get around.
you know what chela, chomba, cholo and al toque mean.
You teach or have taught English or worked in a call center to supplement your income.
you rarely shop in supermercados and actually prefer local mercados.
you have a favorite vendidor for emiolente.

thats a good start

cheers,

[tupacperu]

It is completely normal for you to eat rice and potatoes (together)

hahaha, I forgot that one. Forget the low carb diet

[inscop]

"any expat that is planning on wearing yellow underwear to greet the new year, has definitely been in Peru too long !"

I asked my Peruvian wife last night if she knew what color underwear you have to wear in Peru to ring in the new year. She immediately and without hesitation said, "Yellow. It brings good luck." It surprised me that she knew since she has lived in the states since she was eight years old. She thinks it might be a Chinese thing.

[Alpineprince]

When everybody's body but yours (and the crazy guy three tables away) is "rockin" in unison!

[Kelly]

"any expat that is planning on wearing yellow underwear to greet the new year, has definitely been in Peru too long !"

I asked my Peruvian wife last night if she knew what color underwear you have to wear in Peru to ring in the new year. She immediately and without hesitation said, "Yellow. It brings good luck." It surprised me that she knew since she has lived in the states since she was eight years old. She thinks it might be a Chinese thing.

We were talking about that tonight - wondering if maybe it's because yellow is the color of gold? Like in the Southern US, having black eye peas and greens at new year signifies coins and money, so you'll have riches in the coming year.

[craig]

Like in the Southern US, having black eye peas and greens at new year signifies coins and money, so you'll have riches in the coming year.

Thats a new one on me!

If the idea is that green is the color of money then that tradition can't be too old. The greenback, the first US paper money with green ink, was introduced by the Union in 1862.

Craig

[Kelly]

You've never heard of hoppin' john???

[craig]

You've never heard of hoppin' john???

Who is hoppin' john? Am I culturally deprived?

Craig

[Alpineprince]

You've never heard of hoppin' john???

Who is hoppin' john? Am I culturally deprived?

Craig

It is a "bluegrass band" based in Brooklyn, NY that some Southerners have named a "dish" after. So as not to get the Carribean natives upset by stealing their recipe "beans & rice" they decided to name it after the band!
You can see them perform here:
http://www.myspace.com/hoppinjohnstringband

[tupacperu]

hehehe. Memories.... My family is from Georgia (now in philly) and Black eye pea with greens and HOG-MAWS (piece of pork) were the news years menu when I was a kid.
I remember those days.

Like in the Southern US, having black eye peas and greens at new year signifies coins and money, so you'll have riches in the coming year.

Thats a new one on me!

If the idea is that green is the color of money then that tradition can't be too old. The greenback, the first US paper money with green ink, was introduced by the Union in 1862.

Craig

[calygirl]

How bout....you start putting mayonaise on your french fries instead of ketchup.

[Kelly]

From Wiki -

Hoppin' John is the Southern United States' version of the rice and beans dish traditional throughout the Caribbean. It consists of black-eyed peas (or field peas) and rice, with chopped onion and sliced bacon, seasoned with a bit of salt.

Throughout the coastal South, eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a prosperous year filled with luck. The peas are symbolic of pennies or coins, and a coin is sometimes added to the pot or left under the dinner bowls. Collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, chard, kale etc. along with this dish are supposed to also add to the wealth since they are the color of money. On the day after New Year's Day, leftover "Hoppin' John" is called "Skippin' Jenny," and further demonstrates one's frugality, bringing a hope for a even better chance of prosperity in the New Year. During the late middle ages, there was a tradition of eating beans on New Year's Day for good luck in parts of France and Spain. The European tradition mixed with an African food item to become a New World tradition.

anyway, I thought that the 'yellow' for luck thing here in Peru might be similar to the green for luck (in the form of wealth) there. (And as a born and bread coastal southerner, I'd never heard of 'skippin' jenny - that sounds like some Yankee invention )

[tupacperu]

How bout....you start putting mayonaise on your french fries instead of ketchup.

Yeah, what about the Mayo. Took my family to live in the USA, and my kid was freaked out when Fast food joints did not have mayo. He quickly became familar with Catsup and now he eats both on his fries

[tupacperu]

Bacon?? more like FAT-BACK (southerns call it). A thick piece of bacon (or Salt Pork)

Yellow to a true southern=coward.

Just saying that cultural meanings are a trip.

From Wiki -

Hoppin' John is the Southern United States' version of the rice and beans dish traditional throughout the Caribbean. It consists of black-eyed peas (or field peas) and rice, with chopped onion and sliced bacon, seasoned with a bit of salt.

Throughout the coastal South, eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a prosperous year filled with luck. The peas are symbolic of pennies or coins, and a coin is sometimes added to the pot or left under the dinner bowls. Collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, chard, kale etc. along with this dish are supposed to also add to the wealth since they are the color of money. On the day after New Year's Day, leftover "Hoppin' John" is called "Skippin' Jenny," and further demonstrates one's frugality, bringing a hope for a even better chance of prosperity in the New Year. During the late middle ages, there was a tradition of eating beans on New Year's Day for good luck in parts of France and Spain. The European tradition mixed with an African food item to become a New World tradition.

anyway, I thought that the 'yellow' for luck thing here in Peru might be similar to the green for luck (in the form of wealth) there. (And as a born and bread coastal southerner, I'd never heard of 'skippin' jenny - that sounds like some Yankee invention )

[DC_20833]

LMAO, true , never thought that RICE as a Dessert!

Yes, yellow underwear, I am not a fan of yellow underwear, anything urine colored, I try to avoid (Inka Cola included)

When you love Inka Cola

[Kelly]

Or when you can admit that you prefer Viva Bacchus to Inka Cola!

[tupacperu]

When you are in the USA and Public Transportation cost more than a TAXI in Peru.

What!! bus fare $2.00?

I can get a taxi to my front door in Lima for that price, and half that in Chcilayo!

[american_in_lima]

When...

You know who Magaly is and that Toledo likes Blue Label.

The ride from the airport doesn't look that bad anymore.

You are more cautious about getting robbed in July and December.

You don't trust policemen in Lima.

One of your favorite foods has chicken, rice, potatoes or aji as the main ingredients.

Friends stop by to say hello without calling (not a bad a thing at all)

You prefer to shop at the market or bodega over a supermarket.

You would rather buy 3 videos for S/. 10 then go to the movies.

"Cold" means that it's 50-60 Farenheit

Anyway that a potato is served, sounds good to you.

You know the difference in meat quality at either Metro, Plaza Vea or Vivanda.

Tipping 20 percent after every meal seems like overkill (Americans).

You know the lyrics to the song, "Y tu te vas".

When after a long night for drinks with friends, you end up craving Caldo de Gallina at 4 am in the morning.

[Kelly]

One of your favorite foods has chicken, rice, potatoes or aji as the main ingredients.

Is there any dish that doesn't have at least one of those as a main ingredient?

[meggyrosey]

when it's completely normal to "drink" yogurt...

[captsirl]

1

[adrian Thorne]

When you get up in the morning, have a cup of tea and tell your wife you will see her manana then go back to bed.

Enjoy a breakfast of Lomo Saltada con arroz

Take your car to down town Lima and park in the street

Invite friends to dinner at 8.00pm and have it ready at 11.00pm for their arrival

[anuta]

-When instead of putting your money into the wallet and the wallet into your purse, you take the purse and put the money in your pockets (or the bra, or shoes ), so that if your purse get snatched, you at least don't lose the money.

-When you have two sets of clothing: one cheap for going to poor areas and not attract attention and one for going to Miraflores/San Isidro.

-When you know that gold jewelry is not for wearing on the street.

-When you feel that you always need to lock the car door when you're inside.

[Rusty]

When I get used to rice being part of a every meal (like bread and butter in the USA)

Please do not forget the potatoes too!!!

Hard to keep weight down when most meals have both large servings of rice and potatoes.

[whitellama]

You know you have lived in Perú too long, when...


- You no longer miss Haagen Das ice-cream

- You have learned to ´negociar´so well, you never pay full price on anything - especially taxi´s

- You know the combi rates from point-to-point and make sure you are not ovecharged !

- You have mastered the local lingo and are understood - and respected, despite your ´dejo´

- You actually start to like the clothing at Ripley and Saga-type stores, and their prices don´t seem to bother you - despite the junk they sell. But, you still end up shopping at La Quinta or Gamarra.

- You know the difference between corn from Cuzco, Arequipa and Lima

- You believe that chocolate from La Iberica is the world´s best - ok, that one is a no-brainer !

- You start to believe that it´s better to take Taxi´s than Tiko´s - because they can explode

- You can diferentiate the s/2. soles and s/5. soles coins without looking at them - especially at night

- You start to make spelling mistakes in English - when you were once an excellent speller

- You make sure to get your ´puntos bonus´ wherever you shop, supermarket, fast food places, movie
theaters...and you ´canjiarlo´.

- You go to the movies on Tuesdays because it´s cheaper - as little as s/4.50 soles (about $1.50 dollars)
rather than pay full price, s/8. soles (about $2.50 dollars). Even though you paid $12. dollars in the states
without batting an eyelash.

I have been living in Perú too long...but I wouldn´t want to live anywhere else.

[american_in_lima]

when the guy who paints your house is also your electrician and mechanic.

when markets appear completely clean to you...If not, you haven't gotten sick yet, so who cares anyway.

When you crave certain types of ajis and cremas for every meal you eat.

When you consider "lonche", dinner.

when you know what a "llamada misia" is.

When you know the exact price per kilo of the following items: chicken, eggs, rice, potatoes and onions.

When you have a friend that "has a cousin" that can help you out.

When you have no idea what "blue ray" is on a laptop.

When you know what "Hi5" is.

Lastly, you know you have been in Peru too long when.....when given the choice to go back to your motherland, you would rather stay here.

[Tito]

You realize the exchange rate is not as great as initially!

[sanbartoloian]

When I tell my friends in KY that I am going home to Peru.

When I don't have to feel guilty about love Toros.

When I say on the plane I can not wait to drive again in Lima and the people on the plane begin looking for an air marshal as they are sure I must be crazy.

When I 1st open my door and look at the ocean and know.

When my dog finally stops looking at me as if he is asking where the hell are we!

When I am comfortable knowing that now matter I'll never have a whole meal of my own. It's amazing seeing more forks flying to my plate than a Kung Foo movie.

[CLM]

1) When chicken soup doesn't taste right without lemon and aji.
2) When you subconsciously avoid anything cold when you're sick... no more popsicles to sooth that sore throat for me!