Dándole la palabra a la contraparte

Como bien saben en este blog escribo lo bueno y malo que me pasa en Melbourne Australia, sin embargo siempre quise saber qué pensaban los extranjeros del Perú y otras curiosidades como: ¿Hay visa peruana?, ¿hay restricciones para trabajar como acá?,etc. La verdad es que nunca averigué sobre eso y pensando a la peruana supuse que no habían visas, y cualquier extranjero que tenga ojos verdes o azules, rubio y de piel blanca podía hacerla linda. La verdad es que así no funcionan las cosas y así como acá muchos estamos teniendo problemas para conseguir trabajo por el tema migratorio, en Perú hay, de alguna manera, este tipo de problemas.

Hoy estuve en un pub con unos amigos de la universidad y llegando prendí un rato la pc para ver que había y como ya apagando todo di un vistazo a las novedades en PeruBlogs y me encontré con unos enlaces bien intersantes. Este es el caso de un inglés y su enamorada peruana. El inglés actualmente vive en Perú en la casa de la familia de la enamorada y trabaja como programador Web independiente. En esta entrevista él cuenta sus experiencias en Perú, positivas y negativas. No se a ustedes pero a mi me ha dado una idea más clara de cómo funcionan las cosas en mi país. Pensé que todo era más fácil para los extranjeros pero veo que no siempre es así.

British expat Stuart is a freelance Web programmer who lives in Lima, Peru

August 14 2006

For Stuart, the slower pace of life in Peru is both a good and bad thing. With his girlfriend he lives in Lima, known as the City of the Kings. Here, he talks about things he has observed and experienced there — like his business plans, tips on getting a work permit, and factors that affect the cost of living in Peru.

-Where were you born?
London, United Kingdom

-In which country and city are you living now?
Lima, Peru

-Are you living alone or with your family?
I am living with the family of my girlfriend.

-How long have you been living in Peru?
Almost 1 year.

-What is your age?
23

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Peru?
I have always been interested in living in another country, I just hadn’t decided on where. I regretted not taking a gap year before starting university; which I found to be a really tough time and unfulfilling in many ways. I was determined to do something interesting abroad after university. It was then that I met my girlfriend, who is from Peru. She spent several months in the UK, and when I graduated we left for Peru immediately.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
A visa isn’t necessary for visitors from many countries for up to three months, with possible extensions for another three months. After this a small (by European standards) fine is imposed for each day you stayed over this. Leaving the country and reentering is what I have been doing as I quite enjoy traveling. This gives you a whole three more months with the option of extending it for another three.

Getting a residency or a work permit is another story in a country where bureaucracy rules. If you were to find work, your future employer would need to vouch for you on your application. If successful you would then be asked to leave the country to visit a Peruvian embassy anywhere abroad, collect your permit, which will have been sent there, collect it and then re-enter Peru. This is even the case if you marry a local.

-How do you make your living in Peru? Do you have any type of income generated?
My girlfriend works as a (sometimes freelance, sometimes contracted) graphic designer, of which some work is for the Web. I work on any Web application programming that needs to be done after her design has been completed. In addition to this I work on projects handed to me by friends back in the UK. I am currently pursuing other ideas that would provide a more stable income; you’ll have to read my blog to see when that starts and how it goes.

-Do you speak Spanish and do you think it’s important to speak the local language?
I had studied Spanish for a short while in London, which provided me with a foundation level knowledge. Living here for so much time has helped me progress quite rapidly. I would recommend immersion combined with regular lessons for anyone.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
I miss my family and keep in contact with them on a regular basis through various electronic means. The culture here is extremely family oriented and I spend most of my time with the family of Annett; this has made my time here so far that much easier.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
I am looking at ways of making a stable living here, self-employed, but it may take some time to organize. If that doesn’t work out I would consider moving to another country not my own if I can’t find opportunities here.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
I am currently living in the family home of my girlfriend, which is considerably larger than mine back home, which was bought and paid for; for a grand total of $90,000. That would probably buy only the front door of a similar house back in London.

-What is the cost of living in Peru?
Services and local products vs. imported products

Here the price of people’s time and effort is what makes the cost of living here so low. Where you might cut the grass yourself back home, or fix your own leaky tap, there’s no reason to do so here. Eating out is cheap. In London families rarely eat out because of the price involved. Here you will be paying barely more than the price of the raw ingredients, a similar price you would pay for foods to cook at home – again this comes down to the low cost of human labour.

Material items on the other hand, such as TV’s and cars are often imported from the Far East or the West, which means that you will be paying a dollar equivalent price, a steep tripling of what would be the equivalent local.
The cheap labour issue is true across the board – you won’t be paid much for working a long 9-7 day if you get a job here, but with a good restaurant meal costing as little as it does, perhaps it balances out.

-What do you think about the Peruvian people?
The only notable thing to say is about the staring. Long, glaring looks at strangers or people obviously not Peruvian are normal here and should not be considered threatening or offensive.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Peru?
Positive
- Friendly people, always with a smile
- Slower pace
- Family-oriented culture
- Best food in the world, but almost totally unheard of
- Colours other than grey for buildings
- Outstanding natural beauty just hours in any direction

Negative
- Poverty
- Slower pace
- Terrible customer service
- Outstanding natural beauty covered in garbage and destroyed with pollution

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Peru?
Don’t drive, it’s deadly. Don’t walk, it’s smoggy.
Luckily, loose change is enough to pay for public transport; but be careful, they drive like lunatics.

fuente: http://expatinterviews.com/

PerúBlogs: Australia, Melbourne, Reflexiones
BloGalaxia: Australia, Melbourne, Reflexiones
Technorati: Australia, Melbourne, Reflexions

Filed under: Curiosidades | |No Comments