Mangoes

How many times can Tiffany change the colors in her blog? I thought the green was hard to read and I`ve been having the worst time with technology recently. So...everytime I try to change the configuration my internet goes out, the computer freezes, I have to sign-in again, etc. I just left a photo shop where I spent an hour waiting for the really slow-processing computer to read my pictures...and then it froze up and failed. No computers seem to be reading my card-reader for my camera card, so sorry no pictures this time around. And, apparently my Ipod won`t charge either from a computer. I personally think there are just viruses everywhere that these older computers can`t handle. So it is all a test of patience I guess. It makes me want to deal with technology less and less. Anyways, I wasn`t sure what to update on my blog, but since I have to wait 3 hours for my pictures to print before I can go home, I thought I should write something...so here is something from my journal:

Fruit seasons are ripe and evident here. I know occasionally at Kroger some fruit will be cheaper and mangoes might show up, but other than that all fruit is pretty much available and consistent throughout the year. Here, not so much. I remember when I arrived in Huari, it was fall and the apple trees were ready to harvest. I went apple picking with my host mom one-day and shook the branches and watched the apricot-sized fruit fall to the ground and then we went around throwing them all in large potato sacks. I made a lot of boiled apple juice and sequentially apple sauce for about a month after. Then the avalanche of mandarine oranges season arrived. You`d have to buy them by the dozens: 30 or so for about 75 cents and I watched the different types come and go in their ripening weeks: large thick skins, stripped Japanese kinds, and then as the season was ending the small tart ones. They got more expensive again and I was sick of eating 10 a day when the large truck stopped arriving on market days. Instead pineapples and watermelon hit the market. The watermelons were all spherical dark green thick skinned and filled with seeds but sweet and ruby red, while the pineapples were small but golden yellow inside. Both can be bought by the slice in a bag with enhanced sugar juices on top. I always ask ´sin jugo´ (without juice). Now we are in mango season, which brings me to my motivation to write. I bought at least 8-10 for 75 cents, large plump green fruit with the strongest savory syrup inside...however it is quite the battle to get the meat off the seed and yes the texture as I chew is just like a slab of steak. Once I pull the skin off the body, my left hand struggles to clasp the fruit as I saw off chunks of flesh---occassionally the fruit makes a jump for it across the cutting board as my syrupy hand cannot contain it. I stab the stringy flesh that I`ve managed to separate from the seed and stab it with my utensil and feel it pierce the bumpy layers while I pop it into my mouth giving thanks that my dry/barren homeland here in the altiplano shares nationality with the Amazon basin and all eco-climates in between that are suited for fruit production such as mangoes and pineapples and kiwis and grapes and pears and avocados and peaches and bananas and cantelope (yes once I saw cantelope). And I`m even thankful for the trucks and peaple that bring it to us directly on market days and sell it so cheap...at least it is not flown or shipped overseas to be presented flawless under flourescent lights in a small refrigerated display.