There are a lot of noteworthy moments down here, and a lot that make me stop and think. Sometimes these small tidbits leave me pondering something deep and profound and sometimes I just have a chuckle or smile about the differences in culture that exist in this world.
I am still not sure where yesterday´s little moment falls, but it makes an interesting little story to relate. To begin, the center of town here is filled with casinos, but these casinos only have slot machines (alas, no craps tables - which might be a good thing most of the time, but definitely is an impediment to my attempts to lure my college friends down here). Apparently it is mostly Chileans who come up to use these when they come to town to shop and eat the good Peruvian food.
Anyway, yesterday I was walking home after a pretty successful day and a good extra English class that I offer afterschool on Monday and Friday afternoons. I saw two fourth year students huddled around this little machine that is outside one of the internet places out in Vinañi. I came over to them to say hi and saw that they were intently focused on this machine, which had some weird Pokemon drawings on it. I asked them what they were doing and apparently it is some sort of kid´s slot machine (with real money pay outs and all). As I was starting to think about how weird I thought it was in the middle of this deserty area, with houses made of estera and tons of poverty and what not, to have a slot machine just out on the sidewalk (well, there is no sidewalk - out on the side of the dusty dirt road with garbage all over it), the kids were trying to convince me that it was not a scam and you really win money.
When they actually did win one sol and began - goodheartedly - to shout for joy and bicker over the 5 twenty centimo coins that came shooting out, I had to go.
Take out of it what you will, but it definitely left a mark in my memory.
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