Juan's marimba band that he hired for the evening and set a new standard for graduating students. They were not interested in playing for the school at first but eventually came around, walked in unannounced, played great music and had us dancing and swaying etc.
At La Escuela Miguel Angel Asturias we usually have our graduation dinner on Thursday evenings. It usually a student potluck where each student prepares a dish for all the students and attending teachers. The dishes can run from Guatemaltecan favorites such as frijoles, ceviches, chorizos to home country favorites such as hot dogs, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, smores as well as pastas and salads. One of the challenges in "la concina" is that the school only has a stove top so everything has to be cooked in pots and pans, no baking or grilling.
Before the meal words of appreciation are said by the director or directora, each graduate for the week is introduced some words spoken about his or her time at the school and then receives diploma. Each student then says some works of appreciation--in Spanish, of course. Then the eating commences. It is a heart warming and usually funny experience week after week.
La cena de graduación this week set a new standard. One of the graduating students, Juan, persuaded a local marimba band to surprise us at the end of dinner and play lively music. It was a wonderful experience and one that is going to be challenging to match or surpassed in the coming weeks, if graduating students should choose to try.
