• Sports

    Peruvian Cross-Country Skier Sets Sights on 2010 Games, Reports NY Times

    The New York Times’ Inge Sheve reports on an underdog contender for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. He’s 38-year-old Roberto Carcelen, a surfer and runner from Peru, who hopes to become the best cross-country skiier in South America, as well as his country’s first Olympic cross-country skier. (Carcelen trains in Seattle, where he lives with his American wife and their 16-month-old daughter.) A Skier’s Singular Pursuit by Inge Sheve, pub. Jan. 2, 2009 Roberto Carcelen is a runner and a surfer, which does not make him unusual in his home country, Peru, but his newest sport does. He is aiming to be the only Peruvian cross-country skier in the 2010 Olympics.…

  • Food & Dining

    Surquillo Market No. 1

    The photo above was taken in Surquillo Market No. 1, in Miraflores. The vendor is arranging her eggplants and tomatoes as the day winds down. Peruvians prefer to prepare their meals from fresh fruits and vegetables, rather than buy canned, frozen or processed foods. Doing so it more economical and tasty, Peruvians agree. As an added bonus, preparing meals from scratch is healthier.  Eating healthier foods enables many Peruvians to stay fitter than their U.S. counterparts. According to the World Health Organization, obesity in developed and developing nations is soaring, notes ACAP. An astonishing 74.1% of U.S. citizens over age 15 are classified as overweight. The United States ranks #9…