Wow. What a night. My second quinceneros and first New Year's in Peru. By this time, I knew the outline of the quinceneros so I anticipated an all night bash. The day was spend in frenzied preparations, cooking, cleaning, setting up an outdoor fiesta space, ironing clothes, hauling in cases of beer. Peruvian beer is 5% with bigger bottles than those in the US and I counted over 20 cases when the evening started. Then the DJ and sound system came at which time the house started to actually vibrate.
My friend Sarah came from her site nearby which made the evening just great. My family is quite hospitable, welcoming of Peace Corps friends and in the midst of the celebration, the DJ made a big deal out of the guests from the US who were here for 2 years as volunteers in the health program. The quinceneros girl was given the traditional presentation by her parents, grandparents, godmother and godfather. She had a court of attendants including squirmy 15 year old boys in ties and lovely girls in formals. Then the traditional waltzes. Dinner of pork (which I skipped), delicious turkey, potatoes (this is Peru) and a salad. Sarah and I had been cutting carrots into tiny cubes for several hours for this salad.
Then the crowd got down to serious drinking and dancing. I should mention that the family had put a net fence around the yard to keep uninvited guests out which meant that on the other side of the fence was half the neighborhood watching. And that drinking here takes place in a circle with one cup passed from person to person along with the bottle of beer so you pour your own. After you drink, you toss any that's left on the ground or floor and pass it on. At one point, Sarah said, "Doesn't this increase our risk of TB?" I could only laugh and say that this wasn't the best time to ponder that. At least in my family circle, people don't hassle me when I want to pass the cup without drinking.
My family has some incredible dancers. One of my host brothers could be dancing in an exhibition group. When he asked me to dance, I just laughed and said I'd have to drop 40 years to keep up with him. But I did dance with many of my host brothers to the cumbia. When they played reggaton, I bowed out.
At midnight, fireworks went off all over town as effigy dolls of last year were burned in the street. These are large dolls filled with firecrackers, dowsed with kerosene and set on fire. Then all the kids run around throwing more firecrackers in the blaze.
My about 4AM people were having trouble navigating the yard. Sarah and I went to my room where I actually fell asleep with the floor vibrating to the music. We got up early and went to the beach with hot tea and terrific birthday cake. After a long walk, Sarah went home and I alternated snoozing with helping in the clean-up. About 10 AM the men started another drinking circle and by 5:30, a fight had broken out in a nearby alley.
So I left the scene and walked to the internet cabina to write the story.
This morning I woke with a knot in my stomach and wave of homesickness thinking, "Two more years is a long, long time, whatever was I thinking". But of course, I'm not living 2 years right now, I'm only living today tired after an all night party!
1 comment:
I remember the quinceneros I attended in Mexico. I thought it was going to be an afternoon party, and I got back to the little house where I lived 2 days later. I felt so trapped, but it was an experience. I never drank a drop of alcohol in front of anyone, and they thought I was an evangelico, which was a good cover at the time.
I remember learning to find solitude in the middle of a crowded bus, or an endless conversation about life in the USA.
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