Why Twitter from Peru?
During my month-long hiatus from this blog, I got hooked on another form of social media: Twitter.
Unlike Facebook, which facilitates staying touch with family and friends, Twitter is a freeform broadcast to just about anyone on the planet. That might not sound like a medium that would interest a relatively private person (like me), but it turns out that Twitter makes it ridiculously easy to connect with people you’ve always wanted to know. You can tweet with editors of magazines and publishing houses, ask a quick question of New Yorker writer Susan Orlean, compliment Dave Matthews on his latest album and keep up with environmental issues from the Guardian Online, The Climate Project and other sources.
Twitter also will lead you serendipitously to aquaintances who are pursuing projects similar to your own (like bloggers Stuart of En Peru and Rachel of Rachel in Peru) and/or are leading fascinating lives.
For instance, if it weren’t for Twitter, I don’t know how quickly I would have discovered Paul Cox and Melanie McLean of the entertaining travel blog Wayward Winos. The young adventurers are blogging their way through South America “far and wide, one drink at a time.” They stopped in Peru for a while before continuing south to Chile (nix on the food, says Paul) and then to Argentina (thumbs up). Currently they’re roaming around Buenos Aires, where they’re separating the real culture from the tourists traps.
It’s also thanks to Twitter that I’ve discovered an alternative universe I would never have imagined: nonPeruvians who are passionate about raising alpacas on their own farms. I always thought that alpacas needed the frigidly cold air of the Andes to thrive, but now after following @Zenasurialpacas (“ex reporter ole lady alpaca rancher”), @AlpacaFarmgirl and other camelid caretakers, I’ve learned that alpacas are happily breeding in places as far-flung as Utah, Alabama and the Netherlands. It’s fun to eavesdrop on the alpaca tweet gang as they share news of new crias, fleece-carding and pronking.
New words are good.
Maybe what I like best about Twitter is its potential to spread urgent news fast among widening networks of people.
This past weekend, a bunch of us were tweeting about how we can help the people in the Andean highlands who are dying from extreme cold-induced pneumonia. About 10 people messaged me, saying they want to contribute however they can. El Fotografo and I are researching groups that are doing clothing and blanket drives. Stay tuned for more info.
And check out my Twitter feed.
Barbara
I am an American writer who lived in Lima for seven years (2007-2014), where I covered Andean traditions, melting glaciers and daily life in the capital for Miami Herald, MSNBC and Huffington Post. I now live and work in northern Florida where I champion climate change advocacy and compassionate, affordable eldercare.
8 Comments
Alpaca Farmgirl
Wonderful post! I’m dreadfully addicted to Twitter and so glad I found you and your blog through it.
Let us know what we can do to help the Andean people who need blankets and warm clothing. I’d love to help!
Peruanista
That’s funny I am following since yesterday, have you noticed?
@CarlosQC
PaulCox
Great post. We were just talking about how powerful and twitters experience is exactly what we were thinking. Great resources and amazing for networking
Barb
Wow — you guys were so fast to find my post after I tweeted about it. That truly is the power of Twitter.
Yes, Katy, I’ll get the word out about blankets and clothing for people in the Andes.
Carlos — no I didn’t notice. Thanks for following!
Readers: click on the names above to visit Alpaca Farmgirl’s, Peruanista’s and Paul Cox’s websites. Highly recommended.
zenasurialpacas
I’m impressed by your blog and thank you for the mention. I hope to have my website up within the next few weeks.
Please let us know what we can do for the people suffering from the cold in Peru.
PB
Great post. We were just talking about how powerful and twitters experience is exactly what we were thinking. Great resources and amazing for networking
Rachel in Peru
Twitter took me a week or two to get hooked, but I agree that it definitely keeps you in the loop when you don’t have time or cannot blog.
Thanks for the mention and watch the local daytime variety programs in Peru for mentions of where to donate clothing/blankets.
For those in Lima, clothing/blanket donations are generally accepted at the TV stations or at the National Stadium.
Barb
Thanks, PB. Yes, Twitter is powerful.
And as Rachel says, it can substitute for blogging when you’re time-pressed.
thanks, R, for pointing out that people can donate clothing and blankets at TV stations.
There’s also a clothing and blanket drive in the main plaza/park in Barranco, and at Union Church.