Pasaykamuy! Welcome! The Quechua language or Runasimi (Runa= people +simi= language) is an indigenous language commonly spoken in the Andes. It is the official language of Perú and Bolivia alongside the Spanish and Aymara languages. Where Quechua is spoken in Peru. Image taken from Wikipedia In 2017, I had the opportunity to travel to Cuzco, …
Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind. – …
Continue reading Piecing Together Stereotype and Misunderstanding
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes. -Marcel Proust Traveling is a way to immerse oneself into different cultural ecosystems to cultivate a deeper understanding of what it is to be human. By seeking out new lands to walk upon, exotic foods to ingest, and listening …
Continue reading Stereotypes as Cherished Traveling Partners
Reading classical Chinese can be one of the most daunting linguistic experiences a Chinese language learner, native speaker, or budding Sinologist can face. It is a fierce yet enchanting assimilation of syntax and history compiled into a singular linguistic form. The greatest challenge that I have faced while reading classical Chinese is knowing how literal …
Paucartambo is an Andean village that is a three-hour drive northeast of Cuzco, Perú. Paucartambo is famous for a festival in July that celebrates the Catholic patron saint Mamacha Carmen. Many Andean festivals celebrate a specific patron saint, and Paucartambo acknowledges the Virgen of Carmen, a patron of the mestizos. The festival at Paucartambo remains the …
Rituals, costumes, and customs play synergetic roles in the development and maintenance of cultural norms. Celebrations are events where these roles coalesce to create and extend the bonds of tradition among neighbors and across generations. Festivals like the Mamacha Carmen allow locals and visitors alike to experience local customs and how the community celebrates their …
During a visit to my hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, I have been pondering the topics of identity, lifestyle, and belonging. This sojourn has led me to my first posting at Tales of a Wandering Ghost. I use the phrase Wandering Ghost as a way to identify with a cultural condition that many European immigrants …
Tales of a Wandering Ghost 
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