This last week was spent on pigging out. So much food. No wonder people keep pointing out my gaining weight. On Sunday there was a xmas party with the Junta de Vecinos (neighborhood group) where I overloaded on food, while the others danced to classical merengue and bachata. I had a chance to dress up and wear my green dress again. We had played an angelito/a game, which is the same as secret santa. The party was the culmination of the gifts, and each one of us had to go up and announce to the crowd who we had been giving gifts to. Into the microphone, which I was a bit nervous about, but it was painless. You can see in the pictures the dancing, the food, and my family.
Apples, grapes, pears and raisins are the xmas treat. Throughout December all of the markets and colmados are selling the xmas fruit. I was excited to see some of my old favorite fruit; even though I have grown to love lechosa (or papaya) I had forgotten about apples. I definitely took advantage of the opportunity and ate as many apples as I could. Xmas Eve was spent cooking all day. I learned how to make empanadas, although we did cheat and buy the dough made out of yucca instead of making them from scratch with flour. They were yummy. I definitely had my fair share of empanadas as I was also in charge of frying them. I had control over the empanadas and the kids were trying to snatch them before it was even time to eat. Of course, I did share as they also helped out with the filling and forming of the empanada. It was a feast, turkey and fish and all sorts of salads. But, since I had been sneaking food all day long (along with the kids) by the time it was dinner time, I ate very little. The next day was spent eating leftovers and laying about the house.
Throughout the month of December, there have been groups of people out in the streets singing, drinking, playing music. They come to your door and sing to you in exchange for money or liquor. Both are graciously accepted.
There is a new cafeteria that opened up about a block from my house, where they blast their music all day long, beginning at about 10 AM and ending depending on when or if the beer runs out, which does tend to happen. It is a pretty busy place, except that I have yet to see them serve any type of food. The people spill out in the street, dancing and drinking by the rows of motorcycles that circle the bar. I enjoy listening to their music (it starts off loud progressing to louder by the days end) -since for the most part, there is no music in my house. Most of the family is Christian, and are not allowed to listen to “world” music, and so it has been refreshing to be able to listen to merengue and bachata instead. At first I thought it was a bit annoying to have the music so loud, but I have grown so accustomed to it that I feel as if something is missing when it is not on. It is just part of the background noise, along with the motos, fruit/veggie trucks, and competing jipeetas that blast their daily announcement with huge speakers. The spot was converted from a rooster farm (cages of roosters, raised and trained for cock fighting) to a cafeteria bar. There are a few cages left in there, but most have been moved to another location. I had gone in there once before it was converted to see all the roosters. There was one rooster that in fighting so much had its eyes pecked out – it was blind. It was caged in and could only go in circles, yet they would still taunt him. I couldn't watch.
Yesterday we went out to the campo, to visit some family members. Even though I live in a small town, it was refreshing to get out of town and out into the countryside. It is so beautiful, the green mountains, rows of palm trees, including random sightings of sheep, goat, cows, and horses. I took some pictures from the car, but of course it doesn’t compare. Then we were fooling around with the camera. I lent the camera to one of the boys and we took some random pictures: next to a “for sale” sign, the house, the enramada, and some puppies (I was tempted to borrow one – he would have fit in my backpack). There is one of boys with a bandage on his head, but he is not hurt. We were just playing and I had to take the picture. It made me laugh.
