Living in Peru : your everyday companion

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Dr. Catherine Bishop, a physician from physician from Chillicothe, Ohio, has visited Peru four times, and will never forget a 10-year-old girl she met in the Peruvian jungle, who suffers from severe deformities.

"You saw the want and desire in her eyes to be more than a crippled child," Bishop recalls.

Bishop, a medical staff member at Adena Health System who practices at Adena Senior Health, was honored as the 2009 Philanthropist of the Year by the American Academy of Family Physicians; she was also honored (a few months earlier) as the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) Philanthropist of the Year.

Nine years ago, Dr. Bishop became part of the NGO InterNational, a nondenominational, Christian-based group that provides short-term missions inside the US and to about 10 countries around the world.

One of the group's purposes is to help expand churches in the areas it serves, and one of the ways that is being done is with the help of doctors and dentists.

"As people reach out for medical and dental help, church leaders are on hand to provide spiritual help," she says, as she recalls she has been on seven mission trips to India, Honduras, Nicaragua and Peru.

Bishop downplays the recognition, insisting more people should look for ways to help others.

(Condensed from The Chillicothe Gazzette)

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Andina

After holding a series of meetings in Japan, Peruvian President Alan Garcia Perez departed Tokyo on Wednesday at 00:10 hrs (14:10 Japan time) and arrived in Seoul at 03:00 hrs (17:00 South Korea time) where he is paying a state visit prior to participating in the 17th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Meeting in Singapore.

Two hours after his arrival, the Head of State attended a meeting with CEOs of major South Korean corporations, including SK, Kores, Knoc, LS Nikko and Daewoo International. The event was organized by KNOC with the participation of Congressman Lee Sang Deuk.

At 18:30 Peru time (08:30 on Thursday in South Korea) President Alan Garcia will offer an interview to the international press.

Then, at 20:20 (10:10 South Korea time), President Garcia will participate in a wreath laying ceremony at the Memorial Cemetery Tower.

Ten minutes later, the Peruvian leader will visit the presidential palace of Cheongwadae where he is to be received with full military honors.

At 20:45, the Peruvian leader will attend a bilateral summit with his South Korean counterpart Lee Myung-bak.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

President Alan Garcia concluded on Tuesday his official agenda in Tokyo with a visit to the Imperial Palace, where he was received in an audience with Akihito, who celebrates tomorrow 20 years as Japan's Emperor.

Garcia arrived to the Imperial Palace ten minutes late on board of a luxurious car of the Imperial House adorned with emblem of the Chrysanthemum, symbol of the most ancient dynasty in the world.

This is the second time Akihito welcomes Alan Garcia; the first time was when the Peruvian President visited Japan in March 2008.

Garcia, who arrived on Monday to Tokyo and will fly to Seoul on Wednesday, met in Japan with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and the Japanese Peruvian Parliamentary League of Friendship.

Moreover, he also met Japaneses businessmen to ask them for an increase in investments in Peru, "to help a future Free Trade Agreement with Japan," said the Peruvian President.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peruvian President Alan Garcia and Japanese Premier Yukio Hatoyama met in Tokyo and subscribed a mutual agreement of promotion and protection of investments, ready to come into effect in 30 days' time.

"The goals of this trip are focused on negotiations to reach a Free Trade Agreement," informed the Press Office of Peru's Government Palace.

"I'm very pleased. We are stimulating the free trade agreement and several other treaties," expressed President Garcia, who arrived to Tokyo for an official two-days visit, as a part of an Asian tour that includes South Korea and Singapore. where he will participate in APEC forum, to begin this Wednesday.

APEC has 21 members, some of them are Peru, Chile and Mexico in Latin America; United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, China and Hong Kong in Asia.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announced that it has granted a US $20 million loan to help Peru’s government efforts on improving sustainability of water and sanitation services.

A press release from IDB states that this loan will be channeled into a program designed to correct service deficiencies, such as intermittent water supply, low quality of water, high level of unmetered water, average payment arrears of five months, and rates too low to cover operational costs.

The same press release makes clear that this is the third and last loan approved for this sector, in order to help the Peruvian government start structural, institutional, law and regulatory reforms.

The loan is for a 20-year term, with a 5-year grace period, at a variable interest rate based on Libor.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

More Finnish companies have expressed their interest in investing in Peru in projects related to clean technologies, renewable energy, mining and water in Peru, according to Finland’s Ambassador to Peru Pekka Orpana.

He announced that a Finnish business mission will arrive in Peru next month, aiming to identify business opportunities in the country.

Orpana remarked that at present 25 Finnish companies are already operating in Peru in different sectors, such as machinery for mining operations, telecommunications technology, thermoelectric power stations and paper.

The Finnish mission will also include Finland's Environment Minister, who will come to meet with her Peruvian counterpart.

Orpana also pointed out that Finland has a long story of cooperation with Peru, and that Peru exports almost US $300 million dollars to Finland each year.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

Philly.com

A Federal judge has denied a central Pennsylvania man's appeal of an order that he be extradited to Peru to stand trial in the murder of the 21-year-old woman he married there.

U.S. District Judge James Munley dismissed the petition filed by 28-year-old William Trickett Smith II of Paxtang contesting his extradition in the murder of 21-year-old Jana Claudia Gomez Menendez.

Her body was found in a large suitcase that washed up on a Pacific Ocean beach in August 2007.

Munley cited witness accounts that Smith left a hotel where he was staying with Menendez with a suitcase like the one in which the body was found.

Two co-defendants have said Smith weighted down a suitcase and dropped it into the ocean.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William A. Behe said he was pleased by the decision and hoped that another appeal immediately filed by Smith's attorney would be heard quickly

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peruvian Pisco Mosto Verde Don Alvaro was awarded a gold medal at the recent International Wine and Spirits CINVE 2009 contest, which took place between September 25th and 27th, in Seville, Spain.

This award confirms the excellent quality of the Pisco Don Alvaro, the careful process followed in the elaboration of pisco, and the quality of the grapes. This award is also a valuable opportunity for national pisco to promote sales in Spain and Europe.

The CINVE jury was composed of 40 of the most renowned tasters, wine makers and wine experts worldwide, and had the participation of a great variety of samples from all five continents.

The awards ceremony will be held on Tuesday, 3 November, at a gala dinner at the Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville. Pisco Mosto Verde Don Alvaro is produced by TLC Promotores.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peru celebrated the 160th anniversary of Chinese immigration with a ceremony at the Government Palace, where President Alan García declared his Chinese counterpart in China, Hu Jintao, an "honorary Peruvian."

The Peruvian President praised the close relationship between Lima and Beijing which has  a free trade agreement (FTA) that tightens ties between China and Peru.

"Thanks to the efforts of our friend and brother, our honorary Peruvian, Hu Jintao, the Free Trade Agreement with China will enable us to develop Peru's capacities, production and modernity,” said Garcia.

The ceremonies included not only a Chinese dance show, but also a special Chinese cuisine dinner, as well as an exhibition of Chinese artifacts, and a photography exhibition dedicated to the first Chinese immigrants.

The Chinese community in Peru, estimated at over a million descendants, is the third largest in the world, behind those in the United States and Canada.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

"The Great Inca Road," a photo exhibition (of the famous Incan Capaq Ñan) organized by the Consulate General of Peru in New York, is currently open to public at the American Museum of Natural History.

The exhibition showcases photos of storage edifications, forts, suspension bridges, as well as administrative and religious centers of the Inca Empire, which included current territories of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

Photographs were provided by the National Institute of Culture (INC) and the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The exhibition will be open to the public for almost a year from October 17th, 2009 to September 2010.

(Condensed from Andina)

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.