Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Todos los Santos


Today was a nacional holiday in Perú called Día de Todos los Santos (All Saint's Day) so I didn't have classes.  It's kind of a bummer because I like my Tuesday classes.  Why can't the holidays be on a Monday or Wednesday!  Anyway, today really wasn't a day off for me because I had a field trip to go on.  The field trip was still pretty interesting though.  We went to the Cementerio de Nueva Esperanza (Cemetery of New Hope) in Villa Maria del Triunfo, which is a trek from Miraflores. It's the cemetary I told you about several days ago and it's real name is the Cementerio del Virgen Lourdes, but nobody knows it by that name.  It's one of the largest in the world and on All Saints Day it is packed full of people visiting their loved ones who have gone before them.  There are people selling flowers, food, beer, wau wau (bread that is shaped like a baby), jewelry, toys, etc.  It's a huge event.  People put flowers on their loved ones grave, they sit there and eat with them, play music/dance for them, drink beers with them, paint their gravesetc.  It was honestly a pretty joyous occasion.  Considering that it's one of the biggest cementaries in the world (meaning more deceased people), it's the least creeped out I've been by a cemetery.  It was such a celebration of life!  It was pretty cool to see.  I liked witnessing another holiday that is celebrated in Perú.
Wau Wau
Two guys doing the scissor dance
(probably one of my favorite dances in Perú)
for a loved one.

A guy painted a grave

Candles in the chapel (It was so hot in there because of all the candles)

After seeing the cemetery, we all went back to Miraflores.  Mark, Tonisha, and I went to lunch at a cheap restaurant near Parque Kennedy and then we went to McDonalds for ice cream.  We just sat there for awhile and chatted.  It was nice, but you could tell we were all tired.  So what do you do when you're tired?  Do you go home and rest?  Nope, you go shopping!  Tonisha and I went to the markets because she wanted to do some gift shopping.  I don't know how long we were there, but it was fun.  We both still have to go back again, but it was successful.

Once I got home, my host mom wanted me to go with her to buy a gift for someone.  It was a pretty short and simple trip because she knew exactly what she wanted.  Plus, the store was really cool.  It's called Casas&Ideas and it's similar to a Bed, Bath, & Beyond or IKEA.  After that, we came straight home and I got to working on uploading pictures from the weekend and writing yesterday's blog since I didn't write it yesterday (oops, sorry).

Anyway, it's Music Martes!  This weeks video is Bésame (Kiss me) by Nova & Jory.

Buenas noches y dulces sueños.

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