El que en buena hora ciñó la espada

Is Medieval Spanish difficult to learn? Ask me again in a few weeks. It's the time of year again: across the U.S, college students are leaving their beloved, sane campuses (campi?) and swarming like locusts to Spring Break hotspots all over the country. Such mass exoduses (exodi? I need to study Latin at some point) can only mean one thing: the fall semester has begun for Peruvian Students. Yes, indeed, beloved readers. While you're having a  high ball or six, your querido blogger is just getting underway with his classes.

What have we learned after a week of hitting the books? 

--Actually, since textbooks are expensive, most college students down here don't buy them; instead professors place all of the readings in copy machine stations across the campus, and it's your responsibility as a student to pick them up weekly, biweekly, or whatever the case may be. Though there's a bit of a spat between publishing companies and Latin American universities who use this practice, so a wind of change may be on its way: keep your fingers crossed for reasonably-priced textbooks!!!

So, what have we learned after a week of hitting....the copy machine? 

--Now you've got it. Well, I've spent most of time coming up with really cool band names: "Singer and Musicians," "Singer's Sergeants," "El Cobrador y La Combis," just to give you a taste. 

But, it wasn't all fun and games.

I spent much of the early part of last week reading about El Conflicto Armada here in en El Peru, even going to a museum specifically built to keep the memory of the terror of those times alive, so that they may never come again. Here's the video documenting the struggle between PCP-SL (Partido Comunista Peruano Sendero Luminoso) led by Abimael Guzman and the Peruvian National Police and the Military, under the command of Fujimori. If you don't know much about these times, here's a bit of a summary in images:

Please read more about it. Much like my life and the lives of others of my generation are defined or will be defined by the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the lives of many Peruvians of the prior generation are defined by the struggle between the national government and PCP-SL, roughly a period of twenty years (1980-2000). Thus, if you really want a comprehensive grasp on what Peru is right now, El Conflicto Armado's a good place to start. 

After the museum, many of us wanted to head to the beach, to digest the very heavy information we'd ingested. 

As I sat at stared out at the horizon, I contemplated what life in constant terror would feel like and whether at a certain point we'd all just be, to steal a line from Tim, existing for the sake of existing. The rhythm of the ocean rolled in and rolled out  with a lot of my heavy feelings. 

On the other side of that very same ocean, however, the people of Japan were seeking refuge and security from all the terror the sea was now bringing them. My thoughts and wishes go out to those in Japan as they attempt, desperately, to stop the bleeding to one of the worst wounds ever suffered collectively by a nation. I encourage anyone to give, even if only a little, to help the crisis in Japan. 

Realities are so fluid, by the time you've caught your breath and have reflected on a personal crisis or period of achievement, another loop comes roaring at you. Even as a 21-year old, the learning curve on life remains almost as steep as it was when I was just a lad. Though, something that has changed is my willingness to take on that steep curve a tad bit slower, with more patience and reserved judgment, for, once at the top, the view is unbelievable. Trust me, there exists a place above the ugliness and darkness that can engulf you if you stray from your path even for a second. I've been able to subvert a lot of near tragedies in my life, and I can say the view from the top, however brief, is sweeter than a sneezing baby panda dipped in chicha morada. 

With that in mind: I will now sum up my weekend in poetry:

Mario Vargas Llosa came to school

To talk of architecture and Lima,

Comicbook convention was hella cool,

Anthony Robles, wrestling style = perfect schema.

Tada. 

Robles is fierce, almost as fierce as this:

Snubbed, The Chinaman, and The Goat Killers

First and foremost, I'm an aspiring writer, as many of you already know. Aspiring writers write and write and write and write, and, once in a blue moon--which actually means about once every 3 years, so not too infrequent--a writer will submit her/his work to a literary publication to be published. At which point the writer becomes a published author, poet, novelist, essayist, dramatist, short-storyist, and so on and so forth. I've been a lot of things in my 21 years on this planet: custodian, groundskeeper, telemarketer, custodian, secretary, boot-legger, and now blogger, but, alas, if not for the nepotistic aspects of a certain literary mag, and I'd add "published poet" to that list. Oh. well. At least my quilt looks fabuloso.

On to bigger things. I've been in Lima for about a week and half now--pictures and videos coming soon, I swear--and I've gotten to know, not in the Biblical sense, mind you, a fair deal of this city and the country of Peru in general. Did you know they speak Spanish here?! It's like living in Spain (if you can call that living?.... my sincerest apologies to any and all Spanish readers and enthusiasts).

What's piqued my interest thus far? I'm always amazed at how the world is full of so many contradictions: Peru is a country with a proud indigenous past--the Incas, of course--and a somewhat rich European tradition, nothing like Argentina or Chile, but, still, the Spanish definitely left their foot prints deep in Peru's chest. However, whom did the Peruvian people elect in the 1990 presidential election? Mario Vargas Llosa, the most famous novelist, arguably writer (I say arguably only to pay my respects to Cesar Vallejo: much love!) in Peruvian History?
Nope.

The 1st Marquis of Vargas Llosa, so dubbed by King Juan Carlos I of Spain, came up just short. To whom, might you ask, did the eventual Nobel Laureate lose? Alberto Fujimori. That's right, Peru beat the US to the punch. Surprising but it's true. The first generation Japanese-Peruvian won in a surprising landslide over the national idol, and I'd like to say Fujimori's story is one of inspiration and barrier-breaking excellence. Seriously, I'd really, really like to say that, but, unfortunately, the man who did away with the narco-terrorists responsible for insighting the violence of the 1980's in Lima and other areas of the country, did so with his own terror tactics. Without giving you a history lesson, because I'm not here to do that--wikipedia this man--I'll tell you this, the Peruvian Constitution states that a person can only be president for 5 years, then he/she must step down, and he/she may run again in another 5 years, so that is how Peruvian reelections work. Crystal?

Fujimori was president from 1990-2000, like a red-eye from LA to NY: nonstop. Violating/rewriting the constitution for your own needs: strike 1. Granting the military almost endless power to do away with "suspected" insurgents: strike 2. Forced sterilization of hundreds of thousands of indigenous women: well you know. The list goes on and on and on, I'm not exaggerating. Once affectionately dubbed "El Chinito" ("the chinaman": these nicknames don't carry the same weight down here as they do up in the States) Fujimori would come to be known, by the mid 90s, as Chinochet: get it?

Well, to wrap this part of my post up, because I've other things to get to. Fujimori eventually flees, is extradited, and imprisoned for countless charges of violations of human rights. Wondering if the Peruvians will ever again elect an Asian-Peruvian? You can find out in 2 months, for there are elections afoot. So tune in as Keiko Fujimori--yep--attempts to follow in her father's foot steps towards the Presidential Palace. Two very quick sidenotes: 1) if you find yourself on Jeopardy and are asked, "This Midwestern university has produced one world dictator?" a safe answer is "What is the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee." Panther Pride. 2) Do you think winning a Noble Prize 21 years after the fact wipes away the sting of losing an election to a crazy person?

Next topic: I'll be quick-- I'm an ally, and I've never been ashamed or afraid to hide that. I've a Pride bracelet on almost 24/7, and there's a Colby Pride sticker on my laptop. With that said. I've decided to maintain a lower key in Lima, not during the day, mind you, but when I'm out at night with friends in the "more active" parts of town. Why? Have I suddenly given in to the pressures of backwards thinking? Are the Catholic ideals of this country seeping into my brain via osmosis? Absolutely not! What's a belief if you don't believe it?

My main concern are "Los Matacabros" (The Goatkillers). Are they a cool punk band? Maybe Peruvian comic-book heroes? Sadly enough, no. They're the 21st-Century equivalent of a lynch mob. Although, they don't target any specific race; they target gay men. I know only what I've read and heard from others, but there are a lot of horror stories surrounding this group of violent morons, and as much as I'd love to flaunt my strong beliefs and show that I ain't 'fraid of no ghosts, there are people who are afraid for me--I can think of seven off the top of my head. Hence, I shan't invite any trouble...


unless of course I'm rollin DEEP with a whole crew of my gay brethren who are looking to bloody up this gang of ignorant jackasses. At that point all bets are off, and we rumble.