Quote:
Originally Posted by Alfred
Totally, everything from Peruvian culture and government, to coffee production, to the country's long and convoluted past. The most eye-opening things were probably the huge abuse and child prostitution problem, the role of Roman Catholicism in history and present-day culture, as well as the complexity of race relations (the indigenous and the Spanish, and everything in between). Definitely got a lot more out of it than I have from some of my university courses.
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That's great! I've looked into programs offered abroad through my school but everything seems very passive and touristy- looks like your uni is doing it right.
I had a roommate a few years ago who was adopted out of Lima and brought here to Northern California. She goes back to visit her birth mother every few years and said that when she was young she had a hard time coming to terms with being put up for adoption until she visited as an adult and really got a sense of how bad the human trafficking problem is in the cities - she said once she grasped te future she may have had if not adopted she became much closer with and understanding of her birth mom. If I remember correctly child prostitution is illegal but still widespread, and pimps only get like 5 years if caught. Crazy.
I won't go into the anti-imperialist rant I'm inclined to, but I'm glad your experience was fulfilling and not a whitewashed vacation.
