Thursday, October 20, 2011

Speaking Spanish with the Japanese

I’m not proud of it but I do carry some stereotypes.  Based on very limited experience (the foundation of stereotype) my impression of the Japanese has been of tourists who take A LOT of pictures.  Doesn’t matter really what it is, they want a picture of it!  On top of that, I get the impression they are really into gadgets.  But that’s just me.  Interestingly, speaking Spanish (although admittedly I’m a total beginner) has helped me see past stereotype.
Our first month in Lima, we stayed with a family that hosted students for the language school.  During our stay we lived with 2 Japanese, 1 Canadian (a French speaker), 1 Swiss, 1 Colombian, 2 Peruvians and we of course brought 3 Americans to the mix.  What struck me about this international brew (among the non-native Spanish speakers) was that as we only communicated in Spanish, it seemed like a neutral territory we all existed and communicated in.  For some reason it helped me focus more on the person rather than on my preconceived notions of national identity.  Whether hearing about what they did that day, their work or the party they went to, hearing it in Spanish helped me get past some of my own stereotypes.  Somehow this shared and neutral language helped me feel like we had that much more in common despite our many differences.

Transaction:  A month of language school offered more insight and learning than simply improvement in my Spanish.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Introduction to Fair Trade in Peru

One of the important reasons I wanted to spend an extended period in Peru was to connect with the artisan and producer side of fair trade.  Global Gifts works with fair trade wholesalers and our relationships with them are valued and important.   But it lacks the personal touch of making connections and really understanding what fair trade is about from the producer standpoint. 
Recently at Manos Amigas I had the opportunity to sit in on a training that SERRV sponsored for several of its artisan partners in South America.  Representatives from 6 fair trade organizations were present.  They were: Vilma Allauca with Camari in Ecuador, Eduardo Velasquez with MCCH in Ecuador, Pamela Diaz with Comparte in Chile, Ruth de la Cruz & Flora Mamani with CIAP in Peru, Emilia Anyosa & Maribel Inga with Bridge of Hope in Peru and Yannina Meza & Mario Rietveld with Manos Amigas in Peru.
I asked SERRV if I could come and sit in on a session and be an observer and they said “sure”.  Observing is pretty much what I did since my Spanish is still very limited and everything was in Spanish.  But still it was interesting to hear and see a presentation that focused on the types of product trends we see at Global Gifts on a regular basis.  For instance,
·         Making things out of recycled or reclaimed materials is “hot”, especially if you can give the items a new look and purpose and there is a surprise factor when the person realizes what it is made from. 
·         Decorative items are popular especially if they are also functional.
·         There was a big focus on jewelry which is no surprise.  It is my understanding that jewelry is biggest sales category in fair trade when you don’t include commodities such as coffee and cocoa.
I asked Maria from SERRV if the representatives attending were designers (the focus of several days of training was on product design).   She said no because most groups can’t afford to pay a designer.  Regardless, I think the training was an important effort to share information about the US and to a lesser degree the European market that the producers might not otherwise have access to.  I know SERRV was also able to receive some feedback about what was and wasn’t especially helpful in terms of resources they offered to one of the groups.  In my mind, investing in training and taking the time for honest communication is what fair trade is about.  It was great to see it in practice.  I hope I get to see some popular new designs that may be a result of this effort.  On a more personal note, I was able to eke out enough Spanish to introduce myself to Pamela of Comparte and let her know that Alison and I were looking forward to coming and visiting them sometime in the coming months - another adventure to look forward to.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

9-26-11

Last Sunday Alison and I had our first chance to see Manos Amigas and meet Yaninna who is head of the organization and her husband Mario.  We called Yannina Saturday after some unsuccessful attempts to reach her by email.  Even though they were busy preparing to host a training session led by SERRV, they made time for us on Sunday morning. 
We were conscious of not wanting to take too much of their time and they were being conscious about wanting to give us a warm greeting despite feeling under pressure to get things done.  After chatting for a few minutes and basic introductions, we said, “is there anything we can do to help get ready”.  They gladly accepted our offer.
I got more of a tour of the organization as I carried crates from one area to another.  Alison and Simon met Yaninna and Mario’s 11 year old daughter (Digwi – not sure about the spelling) as they cleaned dishes and filled salt shakers.  Digwi and Simon hit it off famously which we were both glad to see.
Up until our visit to Manos Amigas, I had been feeling a bit directionless in Lima.  My main focus has been on studying and learning Spanish and helping to take care of Simon.  Perhaps I have felt this way because we are currently staying with a family and haven’t moved into our own place yet and because our volunteer work hasn’t begun.  At any rate, it was nice to have a task at hand and feel like we were contributing during our initial visit to Manos Amigas.

9-22-11

Simon loves to say hello and he has a few ways of doing it.  In the Miami airport he enjoyed running into groups of people with both hands extended as if to give multiple high-fives.  It was fun to see the reaction.  Now after a week in Lima, he waves “hola” and “chao” as well.  A transaction enjoyed by all.

9-20-11

On September 17, Simon, Alison and I left for our grand adventure.  I have been granted a one year sabbatical from my job at Global Gifts, during which time we have rented out our house and moved to Lima, Peru.  After a month of Spanish language classes we will begin volunteer work with a fair trade organization named Manos Amigas.  In addition to our volunteer work, the year will involve travel through South America and eventually to Mexico.
This will be a year of new experiences.  Writing a blog is one of them.  As I went online to set up my blog, I hit a stumbling point when I was required to give my blog a name.  What will this blog be about?  Will it be about me and my family’s experiences traveling, about the people we meet, or about my perspectives on fair trade? Most likely it will be some combination of the above.  My title of Thoughtful Transactions is a reflection, somewhat biased by my work in fair trade, that so many of our daily interactions are transactions.  In my thinking I’m taking a liberal view of transactions and thinking transactions include many interactions between people, not just those involving money or commerce.  At any rate I needed to come up with a name for this blog!