So Christmas came to Ayacucho. It went pretty much as predicated., more fiesta than religion. We had our cultural exchange and all shared in the reading of the Christmas story around the table before dinner. Stomachs growling, candles were lit!!! Good times. Mama Julia (Habacuc, my host dad´s mom) even lead us in some spontaneous Quechua hymns. The kids Penuel, Miguel, and Eunice who were so excited to participate in the advent ritual and reading of the Christmas story the day before, BAILED on me though. Sheridad stuck with me.
The other kids just wanted to light the candles so they could play with the fire. Not happening on my watch. They got their opp later around midnight when the fireworks went off all around the city. It was a spectacle and deafening. Then all of a sudden I realize I am no longer in the front yard but standing next to the kitchen table with 6 children AND adults waving sparklers around INside the house. I feel like I should have something to say here...oh wait!! That was said the next day when Rosa (my host mom) realized the geniuses burned her table cloth in multiple spots. She asked me if I was involved. UH, no...incindiary devices indoors IS NOT my calling I explained, I then referred her to said photos of the night before which demonstrate my innocence. Culpable parties, please stand at this time....(oh no takers).
No turkey though. My family does not have a refrigerator (by choice because we live 50 yds from the market) and so like many people in Ayacucho they headed out the morning of Dec 24th to buy a turkey and other carne to prepare. I am a planner with flexibility. Just an outline please, something to go by. Planning has been one of my struggles in living here, basically it happens at the last minute or ultima hora and life goes on. All the turkeys were frozen and in order to get it to the big community roasting ovens (the ones that are usually for baking bread are turned to turkey roasters on this day, no chapla sorry) it needed to be bought and prepped in the morning. So to go with our INCA (remember the lamb BAHHHH!!) we had ¨Lechon¨or roast pig. Succulent, none the less. Rosa asked me if that was okay? I was a little taken aback by the Spanish Inquisition. I mean I explained that we could eat my shoe and I wouldn´t know the difference becasue this was my first Peruvian Christmas. It sort of gave them license to stick in what ever they wanted and this oblivous (well maybe not) American wouldn´t know the difference.
Rosa wanted everything to be perfect for this Christmas, I KNOW!!! and it was. It was great. Loads of family and friends feeding and spending time together. That I think was my favorite part. The house was loaded to the gills and so was the kitchen table, but no matter what there always seemed to be room for one more. Rosa made sure of that, and she always makes room for one more at the table whether it is Christmas or not. Again, not to drive this point home too many times but, it was a time to remember - complete with fireworks (those incendiary devices) INdoors.
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