Today they changed the light bulbs on the chandelier to energy savoring light bulbs.

“A certain brother asked of an elder, saying; If a brother owes me a little money, do you think I should ask him to pay me back? The elder said to him; Ask him for it once only, and with humility. The brother said: Suppose I ask him once and he doesn’t give me anything, what should I do? Then the elder said: Don’t ask him anymore. The brother said again: But what can I do, I cannot get rid of my anxieties about it, unless I go and ask him: Forget your anxieties. The important thing is not to sadden your brother, for you are a monk.” –The Wisdom of the Desert

I wake up to fireworks in my room sometimes. Today is cusco day, today is inti raymi, today is dia de San Pedro and dia de San Paulo, today is dia de Virgin del Carmen, today is a gas strike, today go to Feria de Huancaro. Today I went to a store and no one was in it. I thought the entrance was on the side and I wandered into a woman’s house. She sat amongst 30 guinea pigs. She slowly stood to a little above my waist “mami” “mami.” That is my name in Quechua greetings. If I was born a man she would call me “papi.” She had a cane and walked 6 feet in 5 minutes. She pointed to the store, and I walked in and grabbed a coke. I handed her 5 soles. She stood in front of the store opening. She kept pointing to the store and finally said inca kola. Handing her 5 soles meant I must spend five soles. I was not going to try to get by a 4 ft. 6 in woman with a cane calling me mami. I’m amazed by her business skills and tenacity and love of guinea pigs. She is titled “the Pigeon woman from Mary Peruvian Poppins.”