Living in Peru : your everyday companion

“Can I live a simpler life in Peru than I have in California?”

Someone asked me this question while I was visiting in California recently. 

I don’t remember my exact reply to this question, but it went something like this:

“The answer to your question is yes, no, and it depends.”

After that, I’m sure that this person will never want to speak to me again. The reason for the wishy-washy answer is that the question itself, while appearing simple, is actually pretty complicated.

I can say yes, in many ways, my life in Peru is simpler than in California. .  This is a little embarrassing for me because, as I write this, I have become aware of how my life has been made simple. Quite frankly, I must confess that I enjoy the support of a good many people here. To live as I do, without their help, would be quite complicated.

Let me explain.

Daily life in the house, for example, is pretty simple for me. We have help to do things like clean the house, cook the food, shop and wash the clothes. Actually, I would like to do more, but my famous incompetence in fixing things and doing domestic chores has followed me to Peru. Of course, I do some simple things while being closely supervised. I am, however, a pretty good organizer so I keep all the papers we need in easy reach and pay the bills. 

Language is also definitely a factor influencing my role in the house.  For example, my Spanish has improved a lot, but I still find it difficult to talk intelligently to people like the plumber and the electrician and the multitude of other tradesmen that are necessary when you have a house. So someone else has to do that most of the time--- my wife.

Further, I believe that cars are a major factor in making our lives complicated. So here in Lima I have altered my relationship to cars. I choose to walk most of the time, and when I can’t, I usually ride with someone else in a taxi, and I also use the combis once in a while. We do have a car, but usually my wife drives it.

Now to the complex areas at least as I see them. That includes anything to do with large organizations such as the government (national and local), the church and major corporations such as insurance companies and banks. Sometimes I deal with these matters. Sometimes I have help.

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In sum, if my life in Peru is simple, it is because others give me a lot of help. The first and most important of these is my wife. She organizes the house, talks to the tradesmen, and generally protects me from making many of the innocent mistakes that can make my life in Peru more complicated.

Therefore  I would respond to the question about whether daily life is simple or complicated in Peru in this way--- It DEPENDS on whether you have  someone, friend or spouse,  who knows the ropes and does a lot of the heavy lifting.

Without that, I believe, to live as I do, would be quite complicated.