Luckily, there is never a dull moment here in Arequipa. I bought some anticuchos on the bridge, and only had a 10-sol bill to pay with. I got 5 soles change, which was correct. However, the next day when I went to buy something at my corner store, the lady behind the counter looked at the coin and said "es falso." My anticuchos lady had given me a counterfeit S/.5 coin ... unknowingly, I'm sure. Of course, I was unable to make my purchase. I took the coin to the bank and showed it to the teller, who couldn't have been more dismissive when she told me "es bueno ... no es falso." That same teller refused to exchange the coin, and also refused to make change for that coin. I showed the coin to my students, who all said it was an obvious fake. So we played a competitive vocabulary game in class, and the winning team earned a 5-sol coin as a prize. By the way, the dollar ain't what it used to be here -- 5 soles is equivalent to $1.91. There's been a lot of counterfeiting here lately, I've been told, so I got training on how to check all the bills to make sure they're OK.
I've mentioned before how the women and girls dress conservatively here. No daisy dukes or short skirts. I should invest in blue jeans. That said, I found it interesting to see three gringas (white girls) sunbathing in short-shorts and skimpy tank tops alongside a very busy street and pedestrian walkway in a park across the street from my school. (I won't post that picture ...... 'cause I didn't take it). I don't know, but it just seemed kind of imperialistic to me. We're gonna do our skin cancer thing in front of God and everybody, even if it isn't part of the culture here. The taxi drivers approved, though, as did all the teenage boys walking by. It just seemed so out of place, kind of like wearing a speedo to church.
I was walking home from school the other night when an empty plastic coke container sailed past my head and hit the wall next to me. Much laughing and cackling came from a passing combi (little van that transports locals for cheap). I am a head taller than most of the folk here, so I'd be an easy target. And ... I'm a gringo. No harm no foul.
It's parade and firecracker season again. Isn't it always? Actually, Arequipa Day is this Wednesday -- the city is celebrating its 472nd anniversary. That's what the sign says. Time to Parte'.
Classes are going well. Students are wonderful. And you can take that to the bank.
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