Chapter 8: Daily Life - Part 1
AS TOLD BY GRO AGERSTEN
Language studies and funny misunderstandings
Back in Tarma after saying goodbye to the Lindgrens at the airport in Lima, we continued the work while we studied Spanish in all our free time. We now had to fend for ourselves with only the Spanish we knew. It was a challenge, but also actually helped in the acquisition and practice of the language. For a while, we had a teacher teaching us. But when we discovered that he did not correct any of our mistakes, we decided to teach ourselves. We had textbooks with us from Oslo, and also a grammar book and dictionaries, so little by little our vocabulary increased, and we used it boldly. That is to say, John did. I was a little too worried about saying anything wrong to be as bold as him, Still, we both made many mistakes along the way.
One particularly memorable story was when I sent John to the store to buy raisins. This was not a supermarket where one can find and pick items off the shelves. Some of the wares could be seen on shelves behind the counter, but much of it was inside the counter and they did not have a glass plate in front of it. Other wares were in sacks and boxes on the floor behind the counter. He came home and said he had asked the shopkeeper for raisins, but that she had told him that they didn’t have any in the store, but they would get some in later. A few days later as he walked past the store, the lady came out the door and shouted to him that she now had some in stock. When he went into the store, she proudly held out a box of Russian Caviar for him! So what in the world had caused this misunderstanding? Well, it turned out that John had forgotten the Spanish word for raisins on his way to the store, so he tried to explain that he wanted dried grapes because he thought he remembered the word for grapes (uvas). But the word he really used was “huevos” (eggs)! The “H” is silent in Spanish, so the two words are pretty similar! So what the lady in the shop heard was that he wanted small, dried eggs! Maybe it wasn’t so strange that she thought he must be talking about Russian caviar! So that’s what can happen while learning a language! It's part of the story that we did find raisins in the market hall not long after that.
When it came to preaching in Spanish, John had to jump in with both feet right away with short sermons at the church. He spent a lot of time preparing and memorizing much of what he was going to say. He probably made many mistakes with the language, but it seemed that the congregation understood what he wanted to say. They were positive and encouraging. Once, when we were in service with the missionary Per Anderås, John was supposed to speak and it went a little wrong. John wanted to say that God has many ways (medios) that He works. Instead, he said God has many stockings (medias). You could tell a few people were trying to hide their amusement, but most of them stayed serious. They were probably being polite or just not following what he was saying. I did not realize his mistake, but we heard about it afterward from Per. We would laugh a lot at these and many other language mix ups during this first time.
One particularly memorable story was when I sent John to the store to buy raisins. This was not a supermarket where one can find and pick items off the shelves. Some of the wares could be seen on shelves behind the counter, but much of it was inside the counter and they did not have a glass plate in front of it. Other wares were in sacks and boxes on the floor behind the counter. He came home and said he had asked the shopkeeper for raisins, but that she had told him that they didn’t have any in the store, but they would get some in later. A few days later as he walked past the store, the lady came out the door and shouted to him that she now had some in stock. When he went into the store, she proudly held out a box of Russian Caviar for him! So what in the world had caused this misunderstanding? Well, it turned out that John had forgotten the Spanish word for raisins on his way to the store, so he tried to explain that he wanted dried grapes because he thought he remembered the word for grapes (uvas). But the word he really used was “huevos” (eggs)! The “H” is silent in Spanish, so the two words are pretty similar! So what the lady in the shop heard was that he wanted small, dried eggs! Maybe it wasn’t so strange that she thought he must be talking about Russian caviar! So that’s what can happen while learning a language! It's part of the story that we did find raisins in the market hall not long after that.
When it came to preaching in Spanish, John had to jump in with both feet right away with short sermons at the church. He spent a lot of time preparing and memorizing much of what he was going to say. He probably made many mistakes with the language, but it seemed that the congregation understood what he wanted to say. They were positive and encouraging. Once, when we were in service with the missionary Per Anderås, John was supposed to speak and it went a little wrong. John wanted to say that God has many ways (medios) that He works. Instead, he said God has many stockings (medias). You could tell a few people were trying to hide their amusement, but most of them stayed serious. They were probably being polite or just not following what he was saying. I did not realize his mistake, but we heard about it afterward from Per. We would laugh a lot at these and many other language mix ups during this first time.
The food and environment in Tarma
In a letter home at the beginning of that first year, I wrote a little about the environment, shopping, and cooking in Tarma:
“It is very difficult to describe the environment here in Tarma. The cities of South America are so very different than we are used to, and Tarma is no exception. There are beautiful and well-kept areas, but up here in the mountains, many places are incredibly dirty, and the pests abound. In saying that, I am especially thinking about cockroaches and fleas. I’m sure there are lice as well, but fortunately, we have not become acquainted with them. We fight the cockroaches with a powder we sprinkle along the moldings at the back of the kitchen cabinets and down by the floor where they prefer to scurry. The fleas jump quickly from one place to another. We can’t avoid being regularly visited by the occasional solitary flea. But we have almost gotten used to looking for fleas in our clothes at bedtime and having some bites that itch. "
“It is very difficult to describe the environment here in Tarma. The cities of South America are so very different than we are used to, and Tarma is no exception. There are beautiful and well-kept areas, but up here in the mountains, many places are incredibly dirty, and the pests abound. In saying that, I am especially thinking about cockroaches and fleas. I’m sure there are lice as well, but fortunately, we have not become acquainted with them. We fight the cockroaches with a powder we sprinkle along the moldings at the back of the kitchen cabinets and down by the floor where they prefer to scurry. The fleas jump quickly from one place to another. We can’t avoid being regularly visited by the occasional solitary flea. But we have almost gotten used to looking for fleas in our clothes at bedtime and having some bites that itch. "
Further on in the letter I write:
«A large proportion of the women wear thick skirts, often several on top of each other to keep warm. Some have nice skirts, while others are dirty and ragged. They have blouses and woven shawls in colorful patterns. On cold days or in the evenings they like to have a wool blanket around their backs and shoulders. On their heads, they wear their traditional hats. Most women in this district have a whitewashed, rigid, wide-brimmed hat, and they have long braids. Men are dressed more like we are used to, but often wear a home-woven poncho. It is quite common to wear a type of hat that is similar to a man's hat at home, except that for the most part, they look very shabby and worn.
There is no big industry or business supporting the economy in the town. Some people probably work in the mines higher up in the mountains, but there are many who do a craft, like carpenters, shoemakers, leatherworkers, etc. The women are diligent and talented in spinning and knitting. The women who come in from the villages around Tarma, often spin or knit while they are walking. At home, many of them weave on simple looms.
«A large proportion of the women wear thick skirts, often several on top of each other to keep warm. Some have nice skirts, while others are dirty and ragged. They have blouses and woven shawls in colorful patterns. On cold days or in the evenings they like to have a wool blanket around their backs and shoulders. On their heads, they wear their traditional hats. Most women in this district have a whitewashed, rigid, wide-brimmed hat, and they have long braids. Men are dressed more like we are used to, but often wear a home-woven poncho. It is quite common to wear a type of hat that is similar to a man's hat at home, except that for the most part, they look very shabby and worn.
There is no big industry or business supporting the economy in the town. Some people probably work in the mines higher up in the mountains, but there are many who do a craft, like carpenters, shoemakers, leatherworkers, etc. The women are diligent and talented in spinning and knitting. The women who come in from the villages around Tarma, often spin or knit while they are walking. At home, many of them weave on simple looms.
Most do some agricultural work too, cultivating their plots of land with old-fashioned methods and raising sheep and llamas. Cultivating flowers that are exported to Lima is an important source of income for some of the farmers. On market days in Tarma and in the other towns around, the farmers bring their crops, mostly potatoes, corn, and many kinds of vegetables. Here in Tarma, there is a big market on Thursdays and Sundays, and then the city is very lively. The main street will be closed for driving because then the farmers will be there with their wares all over the street. Not only do they sell food, but also homemade furniture, tubs, plates, clothes, and shoes among other things.”
We often used to shop at the market on Thursdays. That was when we could buy the freshest vegetables. Farmers from the valley down towards the jungle also came to the market. From them, we bought cheap fruit of both familiar and unfamiliar varieties. Fish was sold in the market hall twice a week when trucks came up from the coast with fish from the Pacific Ocean. I did not enjoy shopping for meat. That was also sold in the market hall. What I liked least was the bad smell in there. We would just have to walk around trying to figure out who sold the best meat and then buy a piece. The pieces contained meat, fat, and bones together, and most of the meat was priced the same whether it was from cows, pigs, or sheep. I would usually grind a lot of the meat, although sometimes there were some good pieces that were good in soups or stews. The fresh food from the market was cheap, while canned food, cheeses, and cold cuts were very expensive. It was rare that we afforded such a luxury. I learned from Boyan how to make some things to put on bread myself, and besides, we used a lot of eggs cooked in different ways. The Lindgrens had a pressure cooker, and we quickly found out how helpful one was at this altitude. All food takes much longer to cook up here in the mountains; meat especially, so it did not take long before we also acquired a pressure cooker. We cooked all the meat in it, and it was fantastic for different kinds of stews.
We often used to shop at the market on Thursdays. That was when we could buy the freshest vegetables. Farmers from the valley down towards the jungle also came to the market. From them, we bought cheap fruit of both familiar and unfamiliar varieties. Fish was sold in the market hall twice a week when trucks came up from the coast with fish from the Pacific Ocean. I did not enjoy shopping for meat. That was also sold in the market hall. What I liked least was the bad smell in there. We would just have to walk around trying to figure out who sold the best meat and then buy a piece. The pieces contained meat, fat, and bones together, and most of the meat was priced the same whether it was from cows, pigs, or sheep. I would usually grind a lot of the meat, although sometimes there were some good pieces that were good in soups or stews. The fresh food from the market was cheap, while canned food, cheeses, and cold cuts were very expensive. It was rare that we afforded such a luxury. I learned from Boyan how to make some things to put on bread myself, and besides, we used a lot of eggs cooked in different ways. The Lindgrens had a pressure cooker, and we quickly found out how helpful one was at this altitude. All food takes much longer to cook up here in the mountains; meat especially, so it did not take long before we also acquired a pressure cooker. We cooked all the meat in it, and it was fantastic for different kinds of stews.
In a letter in the autumn of the same year, I wrote home:
‘Well, now I ‘m so blessed that I have a maid! I did not consider having one even though they don’t charge a lot and there are many girls who would like to have the work. But when an 18-year-old girl in the congregation asked if she could come to work for us and live with us, I answered yes. Dora lives some distance outside Tarma with her poor parents and many siblings. They are faithful in the congregation. Now she has started an evening course to complete the five-year elementary school. Previously she has only completed 1st and 2nd grade. They can not afford the small price of the school books besides the bus back and forth. With us, she will live in one of the rooms on the roof where there is also a small toilet. We pay her so she has enough for school and for anything else she needs. Also, it is a short way to school from here. Although she's only working a few hours in the mornings, she’s a great help for me. The cooking is cumbersome here since everything has to be done from scratch. Also, I have various duties in the church that take up some time. "
In the photo, you see a girl who reminds me of Dora. If you look closely, you will see a baby's head peeking over one of her shoulders. This is how babies are carried up here in the Andes. There is probably paraffin for lamps and cooking in the can she carries.
‘Well, now I ‘m so blessed that I have a maid! I did not consider having one even though they don’t charge a lot and there are many girls who would like to have the work. But when an 18-year-old girl in the congregation asked if she could come to work for us and live with us, I answered yes. Dora lives some distance outside Tarma with her poor parents and many siblings. They are faithful in the congregation. Now she has started an evening course to complete the five-year elementary school. Previously she has only completed 1st and 2nd grade. They can not afford the small price of the school books besides the bus back and forth. With us, she will live in one of the rooms on the roof where there is also a small toilet. We pay her so she has enough for school and for anything else she needs. Also, it is a short way to school from here. Although she's only working a few hours in the mornings, she’s a great help for me. The cooking is cumbersome here since everything has to be done from scratch. Also, I have various duties in the church that take up some time. "
In the photo, you see a girl who reminds me of Dora. If you look closely, you will see a baby's head peeking over one of her shoulders. This is how babies are carried up here in the Andes. There is probably paraffin for lamps and cooking in the can she carries.
I can not end this particular section without adding two things. Boyan and Lennart had shown us some berries that grow wild on large trees further down the valley. The berries remind us of black currants both in taste, color, and size. They ripened in February. They are sour to eat directly from the tree but can be turned into delicious juices and jams. There are not many people around here who use these berries. Because of the cold climate and good canning, the juice and jam lasted all year until we used them up just before next season. We also made jam from oranges, apricots, and pineapples.
The second thing I want to add is that the towns and the market halls of most cities in Peru have changed a lot since we came in the sixties. It was already nicer and cleaner a couple of decades afterward, and now many of them are very nice while in other places there is still much that can be improved, particularly in the mountain towns. Many other things, like the traditional costumes in the Andes, have also changed a lot, especially in the cities.
The second thing I want to add is that the towns and the market halls of most cities in Peru have changed a lot since we came in the sixties. It was already nicer and cleaner a couple of decades afterward, and now many of them are very nice while in other places there is still much that can be improved, particularly in the mountain towns. Many other things, like the traditional costumes in the Andes, have also changed a lot, especially in the cities.