the Smart Maid

First, I have to explain how the maids are treated in Peru. Unfortunately, because of our colonial inheritance, there are people here who think that some human beings were born to serve and others to be served. It is a complicated matter of race, gender and class. The maids (who have all of these elements: Andean or African heritage, women and from lower classes) are treated pretty badly: they have to wear uniforms that stigmatize them and differentiate them from the rest of the population, they earn almost nothing, live in very bad conditions inside the houses, cannot eat at the table with the employers, in some houses they cannot eat the same food the family eats. In the exclusive beach towns that exist 2 hours from Lima in a district called Asia the maids, besides all of what I just told you, are not allowed to swim before 6pm and have to wear uncomfortable uniforms while taking care of the children who are playing at the beach.

Tired of this racism a collective of people called "stop racism" created the idea of a group of people coming to the beaches of Asia dressed as maids and swimming in the beach (a very subversive idea: maids swimming in their uniforms!!!). I was part of the group that organized it as a volunteer. On Sunday, 12 buses departed from Lima filled with women dressed as maids and men wearing t-shirts saying "stop racism, being racist is no longer cool." I was the coordinator of one of those buses. More people waited for us in Asia. In total we might have been around a thousand people. We thought that only a bunch of people would join us, we never thought to have 1000 men and women coming enthusiastically to Asia.


This is me with Gina, who coordinated another bus and Vanessa, a Canadian girl (in the middle) who joined us, before going to the point of departure.

After departing from Lima, the 8 buses rented by the national coordinator of human rights got first to a gas station at the entrance of Asia where we joined other buses and the people who got there by their own means. The mall that exists there closed its doors. They were afraid of us (which made it very difficult to find a bathroom).

Sol y Maine, other participants. As you can see from the mic behind them, there were lots of media there from Peru and from other places. For instance, I was interviewed by the London BBC and Telemundo was also there.

We crossed the first gates that go to the beaches inside the buses but then we got out of them and started walking. As you can also see from the pictures, there were many policemen. The office of the ombudsman was also there, along with the prosecutor's office.

Before going to the beaches we started singing the national anthom. Then we hold hands and started making a human chain. When the people from Asia knew we were coming, they run into their houses with their kids. Others stayed at the beach and participated, others only looked at us, others showed us the middle finger. But we had a very pacifist manifestation.

Once the human chain was extended through different beaches the scream of "smart maid!!!" was the signal for us to get in the ocean holding hands... I have to confess that to see all these women (around 800) dressed as maids getting into the ocean was incredible. This is me having fun and enjoying the ocean. After the symbolic gesture, some people remained in the beach, some (like me) went to the mall to get something to eat.
At the mall we started to give flyers away about how to treat the maids fairly and their rights but the mall's security guards came and told us that this was a private property and bla bla bla. So we put the flyers away. This man with the peach shirt came to us and said that we shouldn't give the flyers away (long after we had put them away) and followed us until I took my camera out and started taking pictures of him. Then he ran away.

These guards were also following us until I took my camera out.

But we ended the day by enjoying our time at the mall and, before starving to death!!!, having lunch together. Then we went back to Lima in our buses with the satisfaction of the accomplishment of an important mission. Here we are with Miguel, a good friend of mine and co-coordinator of my bus.

The people from my bus were the best. I am very proud of myself and them. This manifestation shows that my country is tired of racism.

free as a bird

Here I am flying over Lima. The story started when my uncle turned 80 and we threw a huge party that ended on Sunday with the entire family going to a restaurant that is right next to the Miraflores cliff where you can do tandem flights. My uncle did not have a better idea than to end his celebration by flying over the beach!! So, what could we have done but go flying with him? (hey! he's an 80 yr old guy!!) So, this is me with Marco, the instructor leaving the safe and beautiful land into the Pacific ocean...

I have to confess that I have never been that scared in my entire life. If you see my face in this picture... this is the fakest smile I have ever had!!!!! I am petrified!!!

The view is breathtaking, amazing, incredible. And Marco tells you all the details that normal people (who actually walk but not fly) cannot see about Miraflores. An extremely original tour.

You can see the reflection of our tandem (orange) on the Marriot hotel.

Pics of the other tandems that joined us in our adventure and more of the amazing views of my neighborhood.

Did I overcome one of my biggest fears? No. But at least I faced it. Do I recommend it? Of course!!! If you come to Lima, you have to fly. It is 100% adrenaline. Just contact Marco at flyantonioaym@yahoo.com or I can take you there. You won't regret it at all!!!!!!!

age and the west

There is a 12yr old girl who just gave birth to twin girls. This wouldn't have been all over the media if the twins had not been too weak to survive in a small Andean town's hospital. The mother and the twins were taken to the hospital of the closest city. The girl has not been raped. She was living with a 30yr old man. Her and his parents agreed on the union. He was in love with her. She was in love with him. But Peruvian law does not allow this type of unions. Sex between a minor and an adult, even if agreed by both, is still considered rape. So, the discussion is now if the twins should live with the parents or not and if the father should go to jail along with her parents for consenting this. What some journalist say is that by doing that we are imposing Western rules into a non-Western environment. She is not a girl for the town. She is a woman. Moreover, there are many girls who have been married since they had their first period and are mothers now. To Western feminists this is definitely a rape. She is too young to know what she is doing. But I am unsure of what to think. Especially after listening to the girl. My feminist side gets mad when listening to the father of the twins crying that he did not rape her, my feminist brain thinks, “she is a little girl!!!!” But on the other hand… I don’t know. I just remember that not even a century ago my great-grandmother had my great-aunt when she was 13yo, and by my age she was already a grandmother.

cough! cough!

I hate being sick!!!!!!

Let's laugh!!!!!!!!!!

Doctor calling

It wasn't the avon lady calling, it was the doctor knocking on my door last night at 2am. I was extremely sick and called my insurance company. My insurance company (that costs a third of what I used to pay in the States) has a phone number that you can call and ask for medical advice. I called them at 2am and -to my surprise- the doctor on the phone told me that I could have a doctor coming to my house for a copay of $10 and that all the medicines would be for free. I asked her: "really? can he come now?" and she said: "Of course, we are here to serve you." I never thought that phrase could go along with the word "insurance", hahahaha. But the doctor did come and gave me all the medicines I needed.

Needless to say, so far, I love my insurance company.