Funny Money

Money is funny here in Peru, but, I guess you could probably say the same thing about any place. What's funny here in Lima is that you can use US dollars and Nuevos Soles practically interchangeably almost anywhere. At the supermercado and pharmacias the cash registers show you the total in both $US and in S.Peru and you can pay with either. Cambio (change) is in whatever coins they have in the register. Even without a register the street vendors and cab drivers will gladly tell you the price in either or both $US and S.Peru. Pretty much every block in my neck of Miraflores has a casino (honestly, really nice casinos like smaller versions of Lost Vegas), a Peruvian designer alpaca wool and Peruvian cotton outlet store, a pharmacia, a beauty salon, a cute little restaurant, a street vendor, and one or two men or women who call themselves Cambio. The Cambio wears a bright green vest that says, "Cambio" and has a big roll of $US in one hand and S.Peru in the other hand. They also have cell phones and are up to the minute with the current exchange rate. I am always amazed when I walk out of the supermercado with two huge, ripe paltas (avocados), a veggie wrap, a big bag of bulk trail mix and a two liter bottle of water for $6 US. I am then confused to think that my little hotel room is listed as costing $85 US per night. I was really confused when I thought about the fact that I got a fabulous bargain on a B-day gift for sobrino (nephew) Frank with a little something for his mom but then mailing it at the cheapest rate cost me $30 to send it to Boulder, CO. Fascinating was the process to send a package from Peru to the US. I was warned when I bought the shipping envelope not to seal it before it could be inspected at the post office. I am so glad the I heeded this warning. At the post office they would not accept anything that was even gift wrapped unless they could open it and inspect it. I was then fingerprinted (really, truly, honestly, not kidding) and sent to the copy store around the block to buy (for 5 cents US) a photocopy of either my US driver's license or my passport to tape to the outside of the package (see photo).

Speaking of funny, I actually made two jokes in Spanglish today and everyone laughed (well, I think that they were laughing at the jokes). Laughing was probably a good thing because there was an earthquake drill (I really, really, really am not kidding) during my lecture that made it necessary for us all to exit via the hospital mortuary and chapel. Why and how on earth someone managed to schedule a funeral service during a planned earthquake drill is beyond me. So today's word has to be "bromear" with is the verb "to joke" as in "No estoy bromeado" which means "I am really, really not kidding."