My birthday was this past Friday. Patricia thinks anyone with living memory of the 1970s is positively antique, so that makes me a viejo (old guy).

That Peruvians have a different concept of age is not really surprising, considering the population in Peru is very young. The median age is in Peru is 26, fully 10 years lower than in the US. One disadvantage is that age discrimination in the workplace is common here. At 35 I would not be considered for many jobs, but that’s not a great loss since working for someone else is often a sad proposition in Peru, with poor wages and working conditions. I think I’ll just make my own luck.

Here’s a few pictures of my birthday. We’re bad with math here in Cusco so we just put one or two candles on the cake, no matter what age. A fun part of the birthday celebration in Peru is that you get to take a “bite” out of the cake after blowing the candles out, and someone gives you a gentle push on the back of your head… that explains the whipped cream on my face 😉

Viejo getting ready to blow out the candle

After I took a bite from the cake