Home and Space in Peru

I just started my Fulbright in Peru this week and instead of blogging about migration etc, will be taking a short hiatus from that and writing about my experience here in Peru. This is my first reflection:

The house that I am staying at is in the East part of town. It’s a city that mostly runs West to East similar to Philadelphia, though some people still call it the southern part of the town. I am just on the outskirts of the city, the place where there is an invisible border and after you cross it, all the things we consider modern, developed, and clean disappear. But, its real- real in the sense that this is how the majority of Peruvians live. I really like my house. Its completely made out of cement and brick and has somewhat of an open roof. It has a tin roof, but not completely covering the house. Its also still under construction, but has running water, electricity and all necessary amenities. My host family made a room out of the garage for me- its actually pretty sweet, except for the fact that there are no windows and thus no natural light. The neighbors can skip across to our side using the roof. Its not the most safe space necessarily, but then neither is the street or most places in the world.. And it is very cozy. Im also learning to get used to cold showers. Its going to take some getting used too. At least its humid enough and somewhat hot enough for it to feel refreshing. Overall the place is very real and that’s what I like about it. I know its not for everyone, but for now, its right for me as well. To borrow from what an old friend told me about his own childhood home, the borders between inside and outside are not clearly defined. Its quite possible that after three months, I will want to return to the world of clearly defined spaces, where a luxury is a hot shower, but right now this does feel like home.