errata

i stand corrected - apparently not all those songs were by Grupo5. the cumbia bands seemingly just cover all each other's hits during concerts. which is great for me, cause i get to hear all the stuff i know! plus we hear that Grupo5 will have 3 nights of free concerts in the park about 200 meters from our place next week. Lucky us!

but while I have your attention, you may want to see this triste payaso (sad clown) video. it's the current chart topper.

i heart peruvian mobile phone providers (and Grupo 5)

On friday my mobile phone was stolen, while I was taking my daily on-combi nap. I can't help it! The bus vibrations lull me into daydreams and then naps. I do try to do some educational reading or listening to Goljan, but eventually I always succumb.

Regardless, today I went to get a replacement phone from Movistar. Given that I had a prepay sim card, I was shocked to learn that I can actually get the same number again. So I got:
- a new phone
- a new sim card, same number
for the grand total of 69 soles (about $23), in under 10 minutes.

Why can't we do this in america? price, efficiency, ease, everything!!! I hate US cellphone providers.

Speaking of Movistar, I went to a concert they sponsored on Friday: Grupo5. They are a really popular cumbia band here in Peru. When I say really popular, I mean that 99.5% of the songs played on the radios of the combis and buses are their songs. Of course, you occasionally get the wierdo driver who listens to hard rock or 80s music, but that's an uncomfortable moment. Anyhow, they bring out 5 main guys, plus a brass section, caribbean-style drumers, the whole nine yards. Apparently there is actually a whole stable of singers (see photo) but they take turns singing to rest their voices, since each of them has a huge repertoire of hit songs that they are soloists for. They are STUPENDOUS. They channel this ricky ricardo vibe with the band, matching suits and their dancing in synch. Their stage presence is fab, too, with lots of horseplay and at moments some pretty camp imitation of women. Plus one of them is super-guapisimo. Don't know his name or I would tell you.

Check out on of their current faves: Te Vas (hand gestures during chorus a plus)

we're famb-lous

well, in Brookfield: follow-up article from the race

and also at tufts

true fame will have to wait for our raft across the atlantic . . . (just kidding, mom!)

calling all science fans

I have a sincere science question for you all out there.

But first I need to set the stage by describing, ever so briefly, Lima's climate:

Lima is a tropical, desert climate. The yearly average rainfall is 0.3" (0.7 cm) at the coast, and 1-6 cm further inland, the least of any metropolitan center in the world. Less than the Sahara desert, my friends. However, humidity is super high, in the winter around 80% and reaching 98% in the summer months. Not to mention the microclimates that make you take layers on and off as you move through the city. Which brings me to my point . . .

There is no static electricity in Lima. None. It's seemingly dissipated by the humidity. Fine, so far I follow. But science experiments to demonstrate static electricity, like Van der Graaf generators, are seemingly impossible. Science classes have to watch videos of static electricity since demonstrations don't work. Seems like we should be able to create static charge with lots of voltage, no? Can someone smart please explain??