Interntional Media Blog

Peru, I miss you!

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:01:00 EST

Finally, I am able to join slate and create an article under my own name. Only almost a month too late. It had been quite a while since I posted I have just been waiting for everything to get straightened out and settled in. I’m sure just like Maria-Ines, Steve, Andreas, Anna, Leah, Macy and Stefani, I miss being in Peru. The history, the culture, the sights, the people, the food, the everything. I still can’t believe that I have pictures with Machu Picchu and me in it. And it’s not Photoshopped!! I had an amazing time in Peru and couldn’t have asked for more. I didn’t know what to expect going into this trip, but I was very pleased with how it all turned out. Although I was sick for 24 hours and found a fake 100 dollar bill, and got severe blisters, and 30 plus bug bites, nothing could have made my trip better. The entire trip was action packed and we were always on the go. I think that Maria-Ines really set up the itinerary with us in mind. She didn’t hold back and allowed us to see interesting and important landmarks of Peru. We saw many cathedrals, monasteries, the Incan ruins (my favorite), ate many different amazing food (another favorite), we talked to many different people, saw the behind the scenes of the oldest magazine in Peru, and so many other things. We experienced things that I have never imagined I would every experience in my life. I couldn’t have asked for a better trip, experience or group to go with!

The class experience in retrospect

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:46:00 EST

This entire course, concluded by our memorable trip, was an amazingly enriching, and thus absolutely worthwhile experience. That applies to both, the personal cultural, as well as the academic level. Given the personal touch we received through Maria Ines’ immediate relation to the country, I believe the program was as good as it could have gotten. We were fortunate to participate in a program that provided a balanced mix between relevant academic enrichment through exposure to various Peruvian media outlets, and unforgettable experiences thanks to visits of famous and equally memorable cultural and historical sights, obviously topped by our visit to Machu Picchu.

I hope that the J-School decides to offer this course again, as I would definitely recommend it to anybody interested in the topic of media, while wanting the opportunity to receive a unique, immersed look at another country’s media structure.

Te Amo Peru!

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 12:05:00 EST

My experience in Peru was every thing I expected it to be, and it’s an amazing thing when your expectations are fulfilled! We were able to see the many sights the makes Peru such a unique country. And the interviews and tours that were made possible by Maria Ines, were truly unique to our trip. I am so amazed at some of the journalists we were able to meet, from our interview with Marco to the tour of Channel 4…we were so very lucky.

As Pico Iyer once wrote, “For if every true love affair can feel like a journey to a foreign country, where you can’t quite speak the language, and you don’t know where you’re going, and you’re pulled even deeper into the inviting darkness, every trip to a foreign country can be a love affair, where you’re left puzzling over who you are and whom you’ve fallen in love with.”

A reflection on Peru

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 22:21:00 EST

“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” – Samuel Johnson
Getting to go to Peru was such an incredible experience I’m so grateful to have been able to partake in. When I signed-up for this International Media at the suggestion of my friend and fellow traveler Macy St. Clair I didn’t really know what to expect from the class or trip. Throughout the semester we studied how politics of Peru have shaped their media style, but learning about a country is nothing compared to being immersed in it and experiencing everything firsthand. Being immersed in another culture is something everyone should aim to do as often as possible. I enjoyed everyday in Peru so its hard to think what my favorite part of the trip was. Naturally I loved the food but aside from that the tours and interviews were great. I really enjoyed getting to talk to such prominent Peruvian figures and I feel we really lucked out with the tour guides we got as well because they were fun to listen to and we all really learned a lot. I thought everyone in our group was wonderful and the dynamic worked out great and I’m so happy I got to go on this study abroad trip.

The Sights and Sounds of Peru (Video)

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:07:00 EST

Music:
Premonición Tuquito En Tu Puerta—Miki Gonzalez
Mi Peru—Los Zanartu
Llorando Llorando—Kusillagta
Munaq (El Amante)—Miki Gonzalez (http://www.mikigonzalez.com/)
Marinera Limena- Pisco—Peru

Final Thoughts

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:27:00 EST

I can’t believe that we have been to Peru and back already. It seems
like it was just yesterday when we were sitting in our international media
class learning about and comparing other countries media that of the United States. As I reflect back on our trip, I think about all the amazing sites we visited and got to see,
all the nice people we meet and spoke with, and of course all the delicous Peruvian cuisine we got to taste. This trip was nothing but a postive experience for me. Maria and Steve did a wonderful job teaching the class and running this program. Maria was an excellent tour guide of her beautiful city of Lima. I learned so much from the trip and I have a new respect for journalism and journalists everywhere. Not only did I learn about journalism, I learned so much about Peru and its history. I think that my favorite part of the trip was getting to experience the Peruvian culture with this wonderful group of people. I really had a great time and what a successful trip this turned out to be. I would highly recommend this program to anyone interesting in studying abroad, whether you are a journalism major or not.

Vamonos a Ica

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:41:00 EST

Post by: Anna Phillips

Hello all. I am also still having difficulties with my MasterID, so here is my second post under Leah’s name again. I’m not going to write much beyond a short introduction because I think the movie says most of it.

A few of us were very interested in seeing the Nasca lines, but unfortunately they are too far to make a day trip out and turning that sighting into a two-day trip was a little out of our price range (as students we’re either extremely limited on cash flow or are mature enough to have regret about freely spending our parents’ money). So after a few calls and Maria Ines working some magic we had a great option to take a bus south and see Paracas, Ica and Pisco in a day. So, here’s the video. Hope you enjoy it!

Guillermo and the other Estadio Maracana

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:16:00 EST

post by ANDREAS

Because I wanted to do some traveling before the start of our International Media program, I decided to head over to Bolivia, thus I didn´t get to know all that much about Peru yet. But that is certainly still to follow. Before my bus left to go to Arequipa, I walked the city of Lima for a few hours, and got a good glimpse into everyday life within a small section of this vast metropolitan area. The highlight of my little tour certainly was Guillermo, a 17-year-old kid who I spotted doing amazing juggling tricks with a futbol in the middle of a terminally busy and thus horrificly dangerous intersection. I watched him from in front of an upscale super mercado for about 20 minutes, as he was doing his tricks while the traffic light was in its red phase. At the end of every little session he´d thank the audience – drivers stuck in the middle of Lima traffic paying varying degrees of attention to the artistic shenanigans Guillermo was pulling off in front of the hoods of their very vehicles. He then would walk over and pick up the coins that a few generous motorists were willing to hand him in appreciation for his efforts.

After a while I walked over to the middle of the intersection and started talking to him. Every time the lights turned green we had a chance to chat for maybe a minute or two. I was amazed by his skill, keeping the ball in the air at will with any body part imaginable,... knee, shoulder, head, and of course, foot? while lying on his back, sitting on his behind or using a jumping rope? and all this while in the middle of this busy intersection, continuously dodging pedestrians on the crosswalk, and making sure to get out of the way before the lights turned green again.

I couldn´t help but think to myself: ´If that guy were to play in Austria, he´d make it into our National Team in no time? although he´d probably make the same amount of money.¨ Now, I know that doesn´t really say a whole lot of good about the current state of affairs in regards to Austria´s futbol, and I am probably exaggerating, but he was good at what he did! Guillermo told me he was already out of school, and that he did play in a local club team. But in order to help support his family, he would perform his tricks here in the streets of Lima. He would practice for four hours a day and then come to that intersection for about an hour, competing with other jugglers, fire-eaters and little girls selling chewing gum and air-fresheners for the attention of the passing pedestrians and motorists. According to his own accounts, this typically earns him about six Peruvian Nuevos Soles – or about US$1.90.

The Peru of Contrasts

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:37:10 EST

post by ANDREAS

While traveling through Peru I was immediately taken by the diversity of people and their living environments. The day I arrived in Lima on December 15th, I was already impressed by the big, modern, clean and efficient airport Jorge Chavez. While taking a taxi to and through the upscale Lima districts of San Isidro and Miraflores, I was amazed at the sight of countless skyscrapers, beautiful urban residential complexes, and not to mention, the abundance of Las Vegas-style casinos, hotels and restaurants lining the streets.

Now, I only had the chance to spend about half a day and half a night in Lima before traveling to Bolivia. That short time, however, was already enough to do away with my abstract pre-conceived notions of what Peru, and Lima in particular, was going to be like. Don’t get me wrong, I knew Lima was a huge city, and that it would probably boast all the characteristics typical of a modern urban area. However, I was still quite surprised by the upscale metropolitan feel that Lima emits.

All that being said, I need to add: Lima is not Peru, and Peru is not Lima.
And even within Lima. The districts of Miraflores, San Isidro and Barranco are definitely considered the city’s poster children in terms of urban development, upmarket shopping and corresponding income levels.

Overall, Lima is this bustling, busy and loud, modern and diverse city on the Pacific Ocean. Given the number of inhabitants standing at close to eight million people, one might suspect that it feels very crowded here. And during busy lunch hours or at the onset of the prickling Friday and Saturday nightlife one certainly gets a glimpse into that. However, Lima stretches out over a vast area, with each of the 43 districts functioning as a smaller city unit in itself. Aside from the above mentioned sights setting this city apart from the rest of the country, as soon as you take your first taxi ride along the four-lane Via Expresa, your head will keep turning at all the brightly lit-up bank and other commercial buildings.

On the other side of the shiny and highly desired coin that is Peru, you will find the rural communities. Although the majority of Peruvians do live in one of the bigger cities – aside from Lima that would be: Arequipa, Trujillo, Chiclayo and a number of others – life in the rural areas in between greatly adds to the countries multi-faceted personality. As I’ve traveled to Peru’s Lake Titicaca border region with Bolivia, and while traveling with the group in and around the old Inka capital Cuzco, I got a glimpse into the realities of life for the “campesinos” – or rural population – of this amazing country.

Many of them still dress in traditional clothing, usually boasting vibrant colors, oddly paired with manually produced rubber slippers created from recycled car tires.

Here is some more information on the type of clothing typical of the highland regions of Peru:

In Peru’s rural areas, the way people dress makes an important distinction, as a result of the blend of pre-Hispanic influences with the European clothing that the natives were forced to wear during the colonial era.

The traditional Inca anacu was transformed by the local women into the brightly-colored and multi-layered petticoats known as polleras. Depending on the region, a black skirt is decorated with a belt which can come in a variety of colors and is decorated with flowers in the northern Piura highlands or a brightly-hued woolen lliclla in Chiclayo, further south.

In the highlands above Lima, the skirt is decorated with red and black embroidered edging, while in Junín, as in Cajamarca and Cuzco, women no longer use black skirts. Underneath their skirts, the women use layers of petticoats made from cotton which can be embroidered with gold and silver threads, featuring superbly-crafted drawings along the edge.
(Source: http://www.peru.info)

Also, subsistence farming remains a large part of Peruvian life on the country side – a stark contrast to the western service-oriented existence typical of most Limeños – or inhabitants of Lima.

If one comes to Peru and only decides to linger in Lima – which is definitely a worthwhile and memorable experience – one nevertheless will miss out on what it truly means to be in Peru. And even when venturing out of the city, when one only decides to stick to the well-trotted tourist routes – mostly around Cuzco and Peru’s world-renowned Inka site Machu Picchu – the experience is certain to fall short of cultural diversity destined to make for the most long-lasting memories for a western tourist.

Channel 4 tour

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 03:25:00 EST

We had the pleasure of getting to tour the Channel 4 building as well as the “Prensa Libre” set with its host, and our guest speaker Rosa Maria Palacios. Mrs,. Palacios is according to polls the most important TV political journalist and interviewer currently in Peru. Channel 4 is the oldest private owned station in the country since 1958 and has the distinction of holding the best rating as of now. On our tour we got to see the different news rooms (which were smaller than one might expect) as well as the master control room. The best part of the morning in my opinion, was the sit-down we had with Rosa Maria Palacios. Her being so passionate about her work made her lecture fun to listen to and such an amazing opportunity. She is revered as the most trusted TV journalist in Peru. She is a formal lawyer that strives to deliver comprehensive information about national politics to her audience. “Prensa Libre” airs at 11:00 following the 10:00 news (that’s the primetime news in Lima) and typically features three stories and one main interview. Unlike anchors in the United States Rosa is very hands-on in the production of her show and has a crew of fourteen that is responsible for pulling everything together. I found it almost astonishing how humble Ms. Palacios was and how she’s able to switch from a loving mother of five to an aggressive journalist and interviewer. She is very stern in going after the straight-forward answer from the people being interviewed regardless of their rank, which is something rarely if ever seen in the U.S.. There is an unshaken determination to get the pieces she covers right rather than first which is to be commended.