What a Day!!!

6:45 - took the mini bus (combi) to Surco

7:30 - met Anna in Surco

8:30 - Community Center in San Jaun - end of summer school dances and music by children (organized by Aynimundo).

15:30 - Arena y Esteras preformed Midsummer's Night Dream in Miraflores

19:00-22:00 - saw Parque Kennedy, Parque del Amor, Larcomar shopping center.

23:00-05:00 - YUNZA!

1. first 'solo' trip in a combi, from Villa to Surco...doing my best to blend in, looking like I've done this 5,000 times before...success!

(and a little offended that I don't get more attention around here! he-ll-ooo...I'm a foreigner! show some interest, talk to me... but then again... probably safer this way...)

2. Peruvian children don't naturally smile for cameras. They put on serious faces instead.

3. Shakespeare - Midsummer's Night Dream - in Spanish, with Peruvian musicians accompanying, minimalist set. AMAZING!

(photos tomorrow, as I am going to see it again - my hosts are the actors!)

(but for now: http://www.larepublica.pe/files/edicionimpresa/fama/2009/02/06/20090206_2_1547_7_2.jpg )

4. As Anna noted: Does anyone else see the irony in a theater group from Villa el Salvador (poor masses) performing Shakespeare at the Alliance Fancaise (colonialism and all that...) ?

5. Yunza = A transplanted tree (grown especially for the yunza ) is decorated with gifts, then raised up and re-planted in a yard or street. Guests dance around the tree in a circle, holding hands, leaping wildly through the air, pulling and snaking around and around while a traditional band plays loudly... oh, and the dancers take turns hacking away at the tree with an ax, in pairs. When the tree finally (after anywhere form 20-40+ minutes) comes down, everyone standing around runs away shrieking to avoid getting hit by the tree and at the same time there is a mad rush by those who were dancing around it to tear off the presents, young and old and even older alike. The couple who strike the final blow and topples the tree, by the way, are given the honor of organizing next year's celebrations (and paying for the trees and the gifts...) We left at 3 a.m. and there were still 3 trees to dance around and topple... lots of meat still on the BBQ... lots of drink still left to drink.

(no camera with me so for example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM5fcQXcNBc )

6. one final thought: famliar faces and language in the endless myriad of sights and sounds and hustle and bustle of a new place can be really reasuring and calming :)

7. and on that last note: there are the photos (of me and of our day!) that Anna took:

http://annaylima.blogr.com/albums/8006119/

see you all tomorrow!

a. xx.