The lies we tell

I recently realized that I tell a good number of small white lies on a daily basis here. It's not something I'm proud of, but nor am I at all ashamed of it - lying is not ideal, but these minor untruths make my Peruvian life a lot more livable. I'll give you the rundown of my most common misinformations (in no particular order)...

• I studied international economics in college. (Reality: Peruvians would not understand what "international development," or worse, "Comparative Regional Studies of Latin America and the Middle East," mean - those aren't majors here. So I approximate.)
• I have a Masters in Public Administration. (I almost do, and most casual interactions don't warrant a five-minute explanation of the Masters International program.)
• I live in Washington. (In itself, this is not a lie - I do indeed live in Washington state. But I'm well aware that if I just say "Washington," Peruvians assume Washington DC, since most do not know Washington state exists. I do not correct this mis-assumption.)
• I have a boyfriend in America. (I obviously do not. This is one of those for-my-own-safety lies, often used with male counterparts or out at night in Cajamarca. It is fully necessary.)
• I don't drink alcohol. (I do, but almost never in Cajabamba. Drinking here would mean drinking in front of my counterparts and my students - not the image I want to project, so I lie to get out of it.)
• I am a vegetarian. (99% of Peruvian lunches involve meat and rice, and not much else. People notice that I eat "strangely" here: very little meat, very little rice. If they ask if I'm a vegetarian, I typically just say yes - try explaining 'pescatarian' or the reasoning behind a low-meat diet to a Peruvian.)
• Peace Corps doesn't let me ___ (e.g., teach English). (People are persistent in asking for what they want, even if they know it's something you don't want to do. Sometimes the only solution is to use Peace Corps as a big brother and say my hands are tied.)
• I have a meeting/class/commitment, so I can't ___ (e.g., come to your boring event that really has nothing to do with my work). (See previous bullet - sometimes a simple "no" just doesn't do the trick.)
• I am a Christian. (Literally every Peruvian I know is Christian, and 99% of them are Catholic. Non-religiosity is not only very rare, but also frowned upon and somewhat of a social taboo. I try very hard to avoid these conversations, but if pressed I will opt for Christian rather than a truth that could affect my relationships in my community.)
• I have to travel next week for a Peace Corps meeting. (Sometimes this is true, but other times I'm really just traveling for fun. To avoid giving the impression that I'm a gringa with dollars to spare, sometimes I lie.)

On an average day, I probably tell about three of these little white lies. To clarify, I don't tell them to everyone - my host family, and my Peruvian counterparts and friends who I've actually gotten to know get the real truth. The lies are for acquaintances: for the lady behind me in line or next to me on the bus who strikes up a conversation; for the male socio who's giving off a sleazy vibe; for the cousin who shows up to lunch who I'll meet once and never see again; for the restaurant owner who wants to know why I only ate the lentils and onions but no pork; etc. In a context where I'm constantly explaining myself, who I am, what I'm doing, and where I come from, these lies are a survival tactic.