Desperately Seeking Accountant

This blog is written to you by candle light and powered by the not-so-long-lasting battery on my computer. Why you ask? Well obviously there is no electricity again at my site, but not for the normal reasons. Usually every now and then the lights go out because there is a problem in the bigger town, but this time the reason was because my host family forgot to pay the bills. And the reason for that? I’ll tell you why.

And with just two words: Satellite Dish. 

While you are picking up your jaw that has dropped to the floor, I will take you back to the beginning. 

This started when I first got back from my Christmas vacation in the states. I roll up to the house after being gone for quite some time, only to be greeted by massive satellite dish laying on the ground. I thought it looked out of place, but since my host dad is in charge of a radio station, it only made sense to me. Wrong.

That day at the dinner table, I asked them about it: 

“So I notice the big satellite dish on the lawn. Is that for the radio?” I ask.

“It’s for more channels silly!” my brother yells, hardly containing his excitment. 

Now you have to picture my house to see how ridiculous this thing really is. One, I live in the campo where there are no paved roads, houses are made of mud and sticks, and people barely have enough money for food or shoes. And two, we aren’t the exception. Yes, I pay my host family money every month for room and board, but we aren’t exactly well off in our community. 

But seeing this satellite dish pretty much sums up money management problems in Peru, and while yes, I admit I’m a bit peeved at this moment, and probably isn’t the best time to be writing a blog, I don´t really care. 

I might come from a bunch of tight-wad Norwegians, not to mention my dad is an accountant (and republican!), but the principal ideas of money management is to save money and spend the money you do have on things you really need, and not frivolous stuff (Dave Ramsey would be proud).

Since I’ve been here, my host family has bought a used computer, and now this monstrosity in our front lawn. And it’s not just the satellite dish, but the whole sha-bang. Because of course there is no infrastructure for this thing, so we now have the 3-story high antenna, along with the satellite dish large enough to go into outer space in front of our sticks-and-stone built house. 

While I admit, it is a great thing to have access to technology, especially where I am. All I´m saying is that there are probably more pressing matters that were skipped over in getting this additional technology. Like perhaps money would best be spent going towards building a new latrine that right now is too-close to being full (if you know what I mean…), or to the half-finished cement floor, or I don’t know, my host brother’s education?? 

I kid you not, the first night I get back to my site, I have a long conversation with my host mother about summer school and the following school year. My host brother, who is in 3^rd grade high school, wants to go to a better school in Bambamarca, which honestly, is smart of him to want that, since our schools in our town are not that great. But the problem is, my host mom doesn’t have the money for the entrance fee, not to mention transportation and food costs for the year. My host mother is telling me this while crying meanwhile…..we have a SATELITE DISH outside on our lawn!

I just don’t get it. And honestly, I don’t ever know if I will. 

Tomorrow I’m going into town to take out this month’s rent, so that we may have light tomorrow, but I’m sad to say, I don’t think this is the end of this problem.

All I have to say is Dave Ramsey and tight-fittest Republicans everywhere would have a heart attack if they saw what goes on here.