Peruvian Christmas

I'm feeling pretty lucky this Christmas.  Christmas in my site was kind of a let down; pretty darn uneventful.  At dinner my family my family asked me questions about what Christmas is like in the U.S. and they also were very interested in air travel.  I was really looking forward to dancing, because my family had been bugging me about if I was going to dance or not.  It turned out they just wanted me to dance, but no one else would.  We did watch about an hour and a half of Huayno music videos after the first dinner-so we watched other people dancing.  There was a second dinner at midnight, but I went to bed-I know I'm such a party pooper.  I just wasn't feeling up to eating my second guinea pig of the night.

There was something really extra special that made my day on Christmas Eve.  One of my neighbors came over; Dona Pricilla, and invited me over to her house.  I was dreading going over there, because I was feeling the pressure to eat all my guinea pig later at my abuelita's house for Christmas Eve lunch.  I knew she would nag me to finish all my food at lunch and if I went to my neighbor's house she would also feed me.  Peruvians; I have found, show there love by over-feeding you and trying to get you to take seconds.  I pictured an awkward conversation with the neighbor woman whom I didn't really know, but I dutifully went over to her house at 11am like she asked.  It turned out to be such a nice visit.  She made my day.  She told me that she was really excited to get to know me and she wanted to teach me how to cook.  Her kindness was so touching-it really made my day.

Even though I was feeling some homesickness on Christmas Eve, on Sunday I got the chance to skype with a lot of friends and family.  I also got to spend time with other volunteers in Chota-a bigger town about an hour away from Bambamarca.  I also finally got to send my letters.  We watched It's a Wonderful Life, blasted Christmas music, and ate food that wasn't rice and potatoes!

Hayden and Diamond making Christmas dinner grilled cheese.  We used cheese I bought from my host mom.

Earlier this week was the high school end of the year ceremony.  The two kids with the best grades in their class get a special 'diploma' recognizing their academic achievements.  My brother Witman had the best grades in his class and typically a family member walks up to receive the diploma with the student.  Witman asked me to go up with him to receive his diploma.  I was really touched that he wanted me to be his 'familiar' or family member for the ceremony.  So that was another really sweet thing that happened this week.

Witman had the best grades in his whole class.

Witman's dog is pregnant and he asked me the other day to be the new puppy's madrina or godmother.  I asked him what responsibilities that would entail, because I have heard some horror stories about madrina positions.  According to Witman being the madrina to his dog's puppies would just require that I think of the names.  In Peruvian culture there are madrinas and padrinos for various different events.  For example, during graduations there was a padrino of promociones, because he had sponsored the event.  There was also a woman who was the madrina of the cake, because she had bought the cakes.  The horror stories I have heard of are when Peace Corps volunteers are asked to be madrina/padrino to a kid during their graduation or even to a whole graduating class.  That would require that the madrina/padrino cough up a couple hundred soles for a gift and typically it is expected that they continue to give gifts for the rest of the kid's life.  

Long story short-there are going to be puppies at my house soon and I'm going to help name them.

In Peru people add -ita or -ito to the end of words as a sign of 'carino' or care.  It gets incorporated into everything.  I had an experience on a bus ride a couple weeks ago when I overheard a woman talking about a 'burrito.'  I got really excited, because I love burritos and I haven't really seen any mexican food in Peru.  I asked the woman about her 'burrito', where could I buy them here, I loved mexican food, etc.  Then she kindly explained that she was talking about her burro or donkey.  Only it was a little donkey or a donkey that she cared for and called it a 'burrito.'  I was sadly disappointed, but it was a really great peruvian moment for me.  So on Christmas Eve when my abuelita started calling me Katacita, I was pretty excited that she had found a way to add an -ita to my name.  It made me feel really happy.  It kind of reminds me of a nickname my Babu and her mother used to call me; Katrinca, I guess that's Kate with a Polish spin to it.  Now my Peruvian grandma Peruvified my name-it makes me feel special.

A year from now I'm pretty sure I'll be in Michigan for Christmas.  So watch out-I might have to hit up a Pet Smart and cook everyone up some guinea pig a year from now...or we could just have Christmas burrito.

Thanks again for all the letters:

Allison and Patricia Kingery-I loved your x-mas card and Sesame thanks for the letter I'm saving it for tomorrow when I'm back at my site 

The Yamo family-the care package and letters were so sweet

Nana- your note made me cry for goodness sake!

*I'm going to tack up all the letters you sent me on my wall in my room.  I'll take a picture and post it next time I'm in Bambamarca with internet.

Chau and thanks for reading,

KB