Navidad Chimbotana...la segunda

I´m back – the IW sisters have recently handed down to us an older computer of theirs that serves well in our house for writing blogs, etc, that can be saved and transferred later to my blog. So, I write these next blog entries from the relative comfort of our own house, where we do our best in the afternoon to lay low and stay inside, away from the strong afternoon heat of full summer.

My celebration of Christmas this year was very distinct from that of 2007, in many ways I was able to enter more fully, I felt, into the rites, festivities, and traditions. In general, I have noticed a big change in my perspective as I experience life here the second time around – for example this January I noticed clearly that the funk of homesickness and feeling out of place that I struggled with last year was not to be found. Below, you will see that even with all the new traditions we encounter, we still found time to bake and decorate Christmas cookies.
At Christmas, instead of just surviving, I participated much more – as an example, I learned a number of Peruvian Christmas carols, both through my singing in the choir and on the guitar from friends Roger and others. I took part, through our much-more-involved youth council, in the actual planning and orchestration of events – a children´s Christmas party, first-ever Christmas Carol festival in the parish, and a Christmas play at Christmas Eve mass – that left great memories for myself and others in the parish. Children´s Christmas parties here are called chocolatadas, because – copying their cold weather counterparts in North America – they serve hot chocolate, even though the heat has already made its first inroads. In addition to hot chocolate, a chocolatada necessarily includes panetón (see previous blog entry), songs and choreographed dances (our parish youth dance group took this on), games and contests, and giving presents. Coordinators of our eight parish neighborhoods invited specific families whom they felt were of the most need, and the youth council decorated the parish hall with lights, balloons, paper-cutout snowflakes  and a large Nativity Scene of styrofoam cutouts (picture below).



Taking advantage of the decorations, we had planned a first-ever Christmas music festival for the evening, following the afternoon chocolatata. Various groups within the parish prepared acts, including a first-communion children´s choir, the two youth/young adult choirs, a couple solo singer/guitarists, our English class (classics in English!), and a composite ´all-star´ group from the two choirs. All in all, December 23 was a beautiful night of music and fellowship, the black styrofoam silhouettes of Mary/Gabriel, the shepherds, and Mary/Joseph/donkey that the youth council had created at our house adorning the candlelit walls. Unfortunately, I accidentally deleted photos of these decorations before saving them – but I did record several of the songs from that night on a new digital recorder, a Christmas/birthday gift from my brother Ryan. As a sidenote, several of these songs, plus some English Christmas carols that my housemate Courtney and I recorded, can be accessed for your listening pleasure at www.reverbnation.com/raymundoycorina. I performed in two groups that night, singing with my choir Trovadores del Evangelio (Troubadors of the Gospel) and accompanying Julie, Jane, Courtney and our English students on guitar (see photo of us on stage below).


Not taking much of a break following the chocolatada and music festival, at 9:00 mass on the 24th a group of 20 of the Confirmation youth put on a Christmas play in the church – a combo of the classic Nativity story and a telling of how St. Francis initiated the tradition of Nativity Scenes by orchestrating the first ´live´ nativity scene in the 13th century. We lacked a couple actors to fill all roles, so I stepped in as Friar León, companion of St. Francis. Unknown to all of us, the priests envisioned the entire cast remaining up front, as a living nativity scene, during the entire mass. Sitting on the floor in bare feet and my Franciscan robe, surrounded by teenage Mary and Joseph, angels, squirrelly young shepherds, etc – a Christmas Eve memory that I will not soon forget.

Though utterly exhausted due to the event, rehearsal, and preparation schedule of the previous days, mass here marks just the beginning of the Christmas celebration, which for all takes place on the 24th and not on the 25th. Tania, a friend of ours from the parish, invited the four of us foreigners to her home for Christmas Eve, la Noche Buena. Tradition is to, at midnight, place the baby Jesus in the Nativity Scene, give hugs all around, and open presents (they had one or two for each person, including one for each of us). Also at midnight, some folks set off fireworks in the street. Finally, a Christmas dinner is served: chicken (or turkey), potatoes, and of course panetón and hot chocolate. Following dinner, the prerequisite for any party – music and dancing. I have only foggy memories of the next couple hours, fighting doggedly to avoid falling into a deep slumber on the couch. Mercifully, we left ´early´ and I was in bed by 3:30 am or so. Christmas itself was low-key – we had a lunch invitation at the home of a community of Dominican sisters here, the same place I shared Thanksgiving with the year before with Emily and Nicole. Several other displaced norteamericanos were also present, as were our own IW sisters for a pleasant outside lunch of chicken, ham, yams, mashed potatoes, salad, and ´pumpkin´ pie. Finally, we four held our gift exchange at home around our two-foot artificial tree and under our hanging snowflake decorations and then laid down for a well-deserved rest.

Panetones

If you`ve read the entry on November, one thing missing is a description of our our youth council`s panetòn project. Friends Lenin and Nelly, students at the local state university, got the idea while giving me a tour of the campus of renting the agro-industrial center`s kitchen in order to make and sell panetones for Christmas as a fundraiser and service project. First of all, to describe a panetòn: it is a 1 kg cylindrical sweet bread loaf, with a hint of orange flavor and filled with raisins and candied fruit. Sold and eaten by the truckload from late November through New Years, the panetòn is immensely more popular than it`s northern cousin, the similar but heavier fruitcake. With origins in Italy, I have no idea how it became a Peruvian holiday staple, and neither do most people here -- they are just really surprised that we don`t eat panetòn in the US (I assure them that we more than make up for the calories with fudge and Christmas cookies). Anyway, Lenin and Nelly attended a three-day training course on making panetones (I accompanied them the first day) and did a ton of research on prices, products, etc and presented a plan for making 300 panetones in one day, using a popular pre-mix that would greatly simplify the shopping and measuring/adding of ingredients.

Originally nixed by the parish council for fear of not getting their loan of 2000 soles returned, Michi saved the day with a loan to finance the project. To summarize, I spent Thanksgiving Day with about 12 of our youth/young adult leaders, making 312 panetones that we easily sold for 10 soles each (3 soles = $1) -- and we could have sold double for 12 each (next year they plan to make more). Out of the 312 we saved 34 for a Christmas party for parish kids and our Christmas carol festival, more later on those events, with several hundred soles profit and a great group project. To top it off, the panetones turned out very well (maybe its an adaption process, but panetones tasted better to me in general this year than last, and ours was the best I`d tried).


What goes into 300 panetones? A lot: 750 egg yolks, 38 kg raisins, 38 kg candied fruit, 175 kg panetòn mix (flour, sugar, butter, flavorings, etc), water, yeast, elbow grease. I spent three days with a smaller group buying the ingredients, separating egg yolks, and -- most tediously -- sorting through the raisins to remove the overly-dry ones and the occasional stem. How nice that in the US raisins come cleaned already! Overall, a very positive experience for our group, gave us good PR (label read `Panetòn Francisco`), and some funds for future group efforts.

Some Catching up...November

Hello again! Except for a very brief entry in mid December, I have not managed to post much about my life here, which is not to say that things have been dull. On the contrary (as you may have noticed), as I get more involved in life here, I find it more difficult to sit down and write about it. This is a first 2-3 entries attempting to download some details about the last couple months.

Beginning with November...

CONFIRMATION RETREAT AND MASS
With the group of 35 high-school age youth (whose comments you may have read in previous entries) we held an overnight retreat Nov 8-9 and celebrated a confirmation mass on Sunday, November 23. I was more involved this year in organizing the retreat (transportation, materials, etc), though a team of two guys (Soto, Tino) from the parish who lead youth retreats for a living led the actual talks, dramas, music, etc. Memorable moments, after waiting two hours for the team to show up :), included a campfire songfest with Soto, Tino and my friend Roger. After a number of songs with actions, of prayer, etc that are common in youth settings, the girls and boys had an informal singing competition. With a few seconds to think, the group(girls, then guys) had to sing the chorus of a song in unison. Whichever gender did it better or louder, won that round. First, the theme was 'guys/girls are the cause of pain` type songs, followed by numerous rounds of love songs back and forth. This must have gone on for 30-45 minutes -- definitely a musical culture!

Second, the leaders had invited parents to come on Sunday morning as a surprise to youth, preparing the young people for a reunion with reflections on family life, how they treat their parents, and finally with letters that parents had written beforehand. The moment of reunion was moving for most involved, with tears on old and young faces alike. Many of the parents had been very reluctant to let their children (especially the girls) participate, they having never slept outside the house before, and Yuri (coordinator) and I had to make a few house visits to ease parental concerns in the days before the event. Another notable aspect of the whole experience was the relatively short time in which the retreat was organized, parents informed, etc. With less opportunities and activities to be involved in, youth did not have the conflicts that arise in US parishes -- some of the parents only found out a few days ahead of time when we visited their homes. The experience of accompanying this group of young people for a few months as they learned and grew closer to each other was an enriching aspect to my year here, in this aspect resembling the Confirmation process in the US. Though I will not be here for the next retreat or Mass, I plan to help with the new group when it begins in April until I leave in September.
(For more photos from the retreat, follow this linkhttp://toddsiwmphotos.shutterfly.com/2427)

The Confirmation Mass was, as in the US, a joyful occasion for all on the late Sunday afternoon of November 23. Girls wore nice pearl colored dresses and guys shirts and ties, several kids showed up after the Mass had begun, there was a party and dance in the hall afterward, and we leaders were in charge of keeping the eager family photographers from overwhelming the bishop at the altar during administration of the sacrament. Having also served in a similar crowd-control capacity during the morning First Communion mass, it wasn`t too stressful.


For more pictures of the Mass, follow this link http://toddsiwmphotos.shutterfly.com/2456.

TRIP TO ECUADOR
Soon after the busy schedule of wrapping up the several month Confirmation process, we four missionaries embarked for an all-night bus ride to Machala, Ecuador -- the motive being to get the girls` religious/residency visas to replace their temporary tourist visas. You might remember that Nicole, Emily and I made a similar trip in November of 2007, and I technically did not have to go again. But, we decided that my previous experience would be helpful and that the trip would be good community bonding. This year, however, we made a couple strategic errors: arriving on a Friday and not calling in advance. These errors were key because the Consul, who needed to sign our visas, was out of town until Tuesday morning and we were left with no option but to stay three extra nights in Machala, the self-proclaimed banana capital of the world. In this pleasant but not overly-interesting (in a tourist sense) city in far south Ecuador, we spent our time reading and watching cable TV movies and CNN when we weren`t on our outing to the mall (wonder of wonders), the beach, or cruising around the small downtown with its very attractive main plaza. The beach was a treat, involving a short bus ride and then a boat ride through mangrove swamp from the harbor to the beach.

The trip ended successfully with the girls getting their visas, though through a misunderstanding with the hotel staff we had agreed to a price more than double what we thought. Photos from our adventure in Ecuador (where it is hotter but they use ice in their blended drinks) can be found by following the photo link at right.

More later, as my internet time is about to expire...
God bless!

New Photos

Hello everyone! After a decent absence, a short entry for now to let you know that I`ve posted some photos from the past couple months on my photo site, link at right.

Life has been full here, as I prepare for my second Peruvian Christmas. Also since my last entry, we had our Confirmation and first communion masses, a trip to Ecuador with Jane/Julie/Courtney to get their residency visas, our youth council shopped for, made, and sold 300 panetones (1 kg sweet bread, super popular here for Christmas time), we`re preparing a Christmas music concert and Christmas play with our young people (including our English students singing some English carols). My internet time a this moment is running out, but soon I will write some more details and reflections. God bless.

Peruvian youth: What do you know about the US?

I asked Confirmation youth here in our parish (14-18 years old) to answer a few questions about themselves in order to begin an interchange with Confirmation youth from my former parish in Corvallis, Oregon. In this entry I have posted their responses to the question of what they know about the US, and in the previous entry I share what they like and dislike about Peru.

What do you know about the United States?
That it is a globalized country and is very developed as much in technology as in its people.

That is is a very big country, with a lot of people with charitable spirits.

Well, it is a country that is very developed in all aspects.

nothing

It is a country that is considered the greatest world power that has an excellent government that helps the country advance more and more each day.

I know that it was the first country to develop and libertate itself in all aspects in respect to the 13 colonies, and that this stimulated Latin America to be free. There is acid rain there and it is polluted; in truth I know a lot of other things also.

That it is very beautiful, very well organized, and has a good government.

Well, I just know that there a lot differences between the United States and Peru.

That it is very populated, developed, orderly, nice, and has big universities and casinos.

That it is a very developed country with the most opportunity of any country in the world.

Well, I only know that it is nice there. I have an uncle who lives there in the United States.

That it is a very developed country, technological, but like all countries has defect; but very beautiful.

That it`s a very nice country, the majority speak English but like latin features and customs, the same as we like their features and customs, and that it is a very developed country.

That it is a very modern country with a lot of technology, and with many nice people.

It is a very big country that has a lot of work and opportunities,, and there is a lot of technology.

Well, that it is a developed country and that the things there are good in comparison to the things in Peru.

It`s a country, considered the biggest world power, that has an excellent government that helps the country move forward each day

It is very beautiful and calm, there are many pretty things.

That it is a very developed country, it has a lot of riches, it is very beautiful, and it is very big.

That it is a very beautiful country, orderly and very clean. In addition it is very beautiful and that there are many beaches and casinos there.

That it was a world power and that currently it has been surpassed by Japan.

The United States is a country of many qualities (riches, poverty, good wellbeing); mostly I hear that it is a country that is very advanced, full of free people, work can be found, it has a good government, very civilized country and very developed. Although sometimes Peruvians there are a little discriminated against and treated poorly, but only in their work.

That it is one of the biggest countries in economic development, it’s another life. My dream is to be able to step on a soccer field there.

That it is big, beautiful, full of hard-working people, but they don`t have time for God.

That it is one of the most important countries in the world and that it has an economy that is very stable. That it supports many Latin American countries.

That it is a great world power, that it participated in World War II, that it had a rivalry with the Soviet Union, in the 90`s its economy was very good.

That it is a very nice country, they speak English, the people that live in the United States are kind and good.

I don`t know anything.

nothing

That it is an underdeveloped country, with a lot of technology and it offers jobs.

That it is a very developed country.

That it is a very developed country, very nice, big, and its language is English

I think it is an important country where there is work, and I think it is a country that is very far ahead.

Peruvian youth: What do you like/dislike about Peru?

As I mentioned in my previous entry, I asked Confirmation youth (14-18 years old) to answer a few questions about themselves in order to begin an interchange with Confirmation youth from my former parish in Corvallis, Oregon. Below I share their responses to a couple of the questions:

What do you like about your country?
I haven´t visited every part, but it´s a country very rich in natural resources, architecture, its people.

Well, almost nothing.

That we have many riches to share and our people.

The traditional food, the groups of people and dancing

It`s people, customs, cities like Mancora, Lima, etc.

I like the customs.

I like the archeological sites

I like all things we grow here and our cultures.

I like the tourist places.

I like its landscapes, its museums of the great cultures that it had, Cuzco (Machu Picchu).

I like it`s tourist and recreation sites.

I like its people, their way of treating others.

I like the landscapes, the food, and the people.

It has places for recreation, tourist sites, and good food.

What I like about my country is that Peru is the only country that has such a diversity of cultures, beautiful places, etc.

That it has a variety of tourist attractions.

I like its mysteries.

I like the people.

I like our food.

Well, about my country, I like the beaches (Mancora), its museums (like the Lord of Sipàn), the ruins of Machu Picchu (Cusco), and all that is related to the Incan culture.

I like Machu Picchu since it is a wonder that is in our country.

I like its people, its recreation centers, everything there is here.

Almost nothing

I like that Peruvians are hardworkers.

I like the tourist sites that exist.

Machu Picchu and Cuzco.

What I like about this country is Machu Picchu.

What I like are its tourist sites, beautiful places to visit, and the food.

I like the food and dancing.

I like the climate and Peruvian food.

The great riches that we have, like for example, Machu Picchu, and the food is delicious.


What changes would you like to see in Peru?

In truth, a lot more work, opportunities, and that poverty stops.

I would like that the governors change so that the people might be able to change.

That it would be cleaner and that we would take better care of our riches.

I would like there to be no corruption, violence, etc.

I wish that the politics were more clean, just, and not corrupt.

I would like to change the social and economic aspects, and the politics of the whole government

I would like it if there were no more crime and delinquency.

I wish that there were no gangs.

I would like there to be more order in Peru so that there could be more development and progress and also that there wouldn`t be so much gang activity.

I would like to see all the change that is possible.

I would like there to be no deliquency or crime, and that the people here would change.

I would change the pollution and the bad leaders of the state (presidents).

I don`t like the crime and delinquency, the pollution.

I would to see the following changes: no crime or delinquency, no gangs, no poverty, etc.

I would like it to be more united, respectful, and that people would say no to injustice and corruption.

I would like to see my country more united and that there wouldn`t be people who are indifferent to the needs of others.

I would like the politics to change

I wish it would be more calm and with a lot of peace.

I would like there to be more work opportunities that jobs would pay well.

I would like there to be no gangs, for it to be cleaner so that it could develop more.

What I would like to see changed is that foreigners aren`t taken advantage of and that they treat them in a friendly way.

I would make changes in the form of government, in that they would do a little more of what we as citizens do in order that Peru could grow more.

Perhaps if there were social changes or improvements in politics.

I would like that there would be nobody in gangs and that that everyone would know how to read.

I would like to see more opportunity for Peruvians and foreigners to visit the tourist sites

I would like there to be no poverty.

I would like to change the president.

The changes that should happen are that there should be more organizations that take care of the natural environment.

more work and help for the most needy

I would like to see changes in the conduct of our citizens, that they would have more love for their country an take care of and value it, not make it dirtier.

I would like to see less poverty and environmental pollution.

Un Halloween Peruano

Greetings! Some snapshots of events since my entry on October 30:

HALLOWEEN/DIA DE LA CANCIÒN CRIOLLA
Although the US customs of Halloween (costumes, mostly) have made small inroads here, the primary celebration on October 31 is Criolla (Peruvian Spanish) Music day, in which this style of music -- usually slow-tempo, with a lot of intricate guitar work and a cajòn drum (which is a box you sit on an hit with your hands) -- is celebrated. Also, the fact that the following day, November 1, is a national holiday due to being All Saints Day gives more reason to celebrate late into the night (Peruvians don`t need much push in that area). Our choir planned a social event, though in typical style the nature of our outing was in doubt until the day before, when we decided to have a party in the house of Alex (a friend of mine and a member of the choir) instead of braving the crowds at the karaoke places or discotecas. At the designated meeting time of 9:00, a couple people besides myself were present, but by 10:00 a few of the guys were there and they began an impromptu concert in the street outside the house where we rehearse while we were waiting for others. With two guitars and a cajòn they played and sang out on the sidewalk for nearly and hour, me enjoying the live and unique concert and appreciating their substantial guitar skills, wishing I could somehow record such a Peruvian moment. At around 11:00, we walked with instruments to Alex`s where the show continued -- mixed in with CD recordings -- until around 2:00 am. At this point I called it quits and walked home with my friend Roger, but Julie, Jane, and Courtney stayed dancing until nearly 5:00. In typical fashion for our choir (unlike the usual case of US parish choirs, ours is predominantly guys) we were about 10 guys and the only girls were my housemates. A memorable night all in all.

CONFIRMATION GROUP
We are nearing the close of this year`s confirmation program, with the ceremony coming up on November 23. Their initial offerings in the Corvallis-Chimbote interchange have been translated and sent, and in my next entry I plan to share a few of their responses that might interest you. Our one-night retreat took place last weekend, November 8-9, and though was organized a bit last-minute for my taste, the two-man team who led the retreat (a part-time job for them) did a solid job -- they have a gift for being crazy, goofy, funny, prayerful, and powerful at the appropriate moments. On Saturday night we had a bonfire at the retreat center just on the edge of town, with lots of music and singing. For at least a half-hour the girls and guys traded turns singing songs to each other: first `guy hate girl and girl hate guy` songs and then love songs. Then, just general singing to religious and popular music. Par for the course, I didn`t get much sleep. On Sunday morning, youth were presented with letters their parents had written ahead of time and at the closing their parents entered the room for a pre-planned but surprise (for the youth) visit, which for many was a powerful moment of reconciliation.

GENERAL REFLECTIONS
I`ve been missing home a little more recently, the season of fall seems to be when I notice the lack of beloved seasonal rites the most: birthdays, football, fall colors, Thanksgiving, etc. Summer is not here yet, so -- knowing this year the heat that will inevitably come -- I am doing my best to appreciate and savor the still-cool mornings and refreshing breezes. It strikes me that despite the distinctly slower pace of life here compared with the US, it is still quite easy to become involved in the day-to-day of the local community and personal relationships to leave undone efforts to build wider networks or projects for societal change. The gospel today is about the kingdom being among us, and this is a good reminder -- God is already working here. My role isn`t to start from scratch but to notice where the spirit is moving and to nurture/encourage/build on this. Not every moment or every day in any place, ministry, etc. will be gratifying or fulfilling, but if I look attentively I will find small moments to savor. Some of these moments come from the slow but steady progress in the area of guitar playing as I continue my twice weekly lessons with Roger, who is also becoming a good friend. We have changed the time and day so that now Courtney can join Roberto and I in the group. When we are all three practicing different strums, etc, at the same time the sound is a bit discordant, but a joyful one. Yesterday was Julie`s 22nd birthday, and I helped the celebration by preparing a US-style cake from scratch and, with Roberto`s help, a homemade ceviche lunch. Saturday evening the youth council has planned a Festival de la Risa (Festival of Laughter), with several parish groups preparing and rehearsing short comedic skits or routines to share. Also this weekend, Fr. Carlos has arranged for a seminar on parenting, obliging confirmation parents to attend two mornings and one afternoon. It would never work to add an obligatory gathering like that with two weeks notice in a US parish.

Anyway, I`ll sign off. Have a blessed day -- may you savor the small joys.