Promocion

It all started with an unlikely invitation. Becca and her site-mate, Lily dropped in to visit Gustavo, the computer and records specialist at the health post and ask him a bunch of questions and he invited them to the Promocion de Inicial*. Having been taught to say yes to everything and overrun with curiosity, they gladly accepted. Gustavo told them there would be dancing and a lot of food, though he told them he was a Padrino (godfather) he made his part seem small. It wasn’t until much later that they realized what a big deal being the Padrino of a promocion really is, but we’ll get to that.

Becca woke up, took a bucket bath*, ate breakfast, and threw on a clean skirt and shirt. She studied the invitation and came to the conclusion that it must be in the colegio closest to her house. Just before nine she set out and minutes later when she arrived at the colegio she found workers still putting up the tents and and sound system. She pulled out her cell phone and called Lily.

“Hey,”

“Hey, I’m at the colegio, the one by the park and they’re still setting up,”

“Yeah, my sister is in this thing and she’s not even dressed yet, we just finished breakfast,”

“Of course,” Becca replied remembered just how real Peruvian Time was proving to be. “Is it ok if I just hang out at your house for a while?”

“Sure, see you in a bit.”

Becca made her way to Lily’s house, buenos diasing and holaing everyone along the way. The waited around for a half hour and then, thinking perhaps it was starting now, they made there way back to the colegio where set-up was still underway. This time, however, Gustavo was present and gladly greeted them, introducing them to the teacher of one of the graduating classes.

“Aw, mucho gusto, gracias por venir...para las preparaciones...una hora mas, solo una hora,” she told them with a sweet smile and then excised herself and went back into the madness. Gustavo followed. (Aw, nice to meet you, thank you for coming...for the preparations...an hour more.)

Lily and Becca looked at each other and shrugged. They returned to Lily’s house and killed more time. But when they returned in an hour, it was a similar story. This time the music was playing (at an insane intensity) and everything seemed to be ready but the kids were not all present and so they wandered to Becca’s house and killed even more time. By noon, three hours after the original starting time, the girls had returned and were met by the teacher who seated them at the head of the room.

In the center of the room was a long, narrow, green and white tent lined by fancy chairs where the children sat. The outer perimeter was lined with tables and chairs for the families and other invitees. And at the head of the tent were three beautiful tables donning green and white tablecloths. At these tables sat Lily, Becca, Gustavo, who was now decked out in a black suit, and some others. Gustavo explained that he was the Padrino which basically meant that he donated the funds for this shin-dig and they quickly realized that they were his invited guests, hence their place at the fancy tables.

A voice came over the loud speaker announcing that they were ready to begin. They all rose to sing the national anthem of Peru and then the graduation ceremony began. Each child, dressed in either a lovely green party dress or a suit with a green shirt, was introduced as they walked down one outside edge of the tent, their pareja shadowed them on the other side of the tent. Each child had a pareja, a sort of date for the event, typically a cousin or neighbor. Each pair walked the outside, came together and walked up the middle together, waving until they reached the head tables and grinned.

After all of the introductions were completed, Gustavo gave a toast about the importance of parents and teachers in the lives of children and they all drank to the success of the children (the adults champagne and the kids Inca Cola). Afterwards lunch was served: this was when the real fun began. Lunch was a corse of rice and a leg of something that was too tough to really tear apart or chew for that matter. By this time Becca, Lily, and Gustavo had been joined at the nutritionist from the post, Liwi, her friend, the Madrina, and the directora of the primary, Marleni. 

They all watched and giggled as the girls tried to eat their meat, Becca spilled her rice, got sauce all over her face, and generally struggled until Marleni looked at her and said something that sounded like a quick coaching in Spanish. Becca, in sheer panic didn’t get it.

“Damelo,” Marleni said and held out a hand, that one was clear. (Give it to me). Becca was unsure what exactly that was supposed to mean though; the meat? Like, hand it to her? Marleni then reached over her and grabbed the meat from her plate. In one swift motion she tore it in half and handed it back to Becca. Everyone around the table laughed except for Lily who hadn’t let given up on fighting her own battle with lunch.

“Dude, the director of the secondary just tore my meat for me,” Becca said to Lily, who chuckled at the thought.

The rest of the afternoon was filled with more food, drinks (which the girls refused more than just a sip of), photos and dancing. When she got home, Becca sat down on the couch and wasn’t sure if she wanted to sleep or run around the block.

*Literally translated to Promotion of the Initial - “Incial” is sort of like preschool and kindergarten; kids from ages 3-5 attend for early education. 

*Though it’s fairly self explanatory, it’s when you take a bucket of warm water (warm thanks to your loving host mother’s insistence that she heat it up because she’s afraid cold water might kill her little gringa) into the little brick room with a makeshift drain and splash around until you’re clean.