Shoeshine Boys and Finger Puppets
Something that everyone seems to find disturbing in La Paz is the shoeshine boys with masks over their faces. I had two theories: 1) they are from the jungle area and are cold in La Paz or 2) they are protecting themselves from the air pollution. The second theory seemed weak because it was only the shoeshine boys with the masks and the first was not much better of a theory because all of them wear the masks and it would be pretty unlikely that they are all from the jungle and are all that cold. Caryn learned that they do it because of discrimination. I thought that didn’t sound right and I finally asked the woman at my hotel’s front desk. She confirmed that there is discrimination against the shoeshine boys and most of them are students at the universities who do not want to be found out by their fellow classmates. I guess I really never thought about shoeshining as such a lowly job or at least not one where I would make fun of someone for doing it. I then remembered that George Bush (41, not 43) used to call Saddam Hussein “Sad-em” and that was supposedly an Arabic name for shoeshine boy which is supposedly a great insult in that part of the world. So, I guess the average Bolivian and George Bush (41) are in agreement on this one.
The most ridiculous thing anyone has tried to sell me is finger puppets. It is a very popular thing to sell here in Peru’s Andes. I do not know why and I don’t care to find out. When I was first approached by someone adorned with ten fingers worth of puppets I was quite perplexed. “Why would you think I would want finger puppets?” “What would I do with them?” “Do I look like someone who needs finger puppets?” Now I just laugh at them. There is a very short indigenous girl in Cusco’s Plaza de Armas who sells them. She is funny. We have shared a few laughs because the situation of her hustling me with finger puppets is just so ridiculous. She is relentless, but funny and good-natured. The short indigenous girl who approached me this evening in Puno doesn’t get the joke. Oh well. I am actually considering buying some from the Cusco girl when I get back there next week. I think they will be a good reminder of the hustlers in Peru and that they can be fun if you just make it that way. I was talking to a friend this evening and an old indigenous woman approached with textiles. She did the Andean Cry bit where she got all sad and blubbery that we didn’t want any. I tend to put on the same face back at them and sure enough it gets a smile. It’s a two-way street in the world of hustle.
Tags: peru, south america, Travel
vagabondrick
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