Today we had our four hours of classes followed directly by a ceremony at the high school, or so we thought. After grabbing a quick lunch at Vivanda’s, another grocery store with better food and a salad bar (why did I just now decide to go there?), I headed over to El Polo. I wasn’t entirely sure if we were supposed to be teaching that day or not, but when the high schoolers came up to us and told us we weren’t, I thought I had my answer. They told a few of my classmates that we were having dancing lessons instead. My language partner (Jorge, who shows me to my room each time) took me upstairs, where I was expecting to learn some salsa. However, I walked into a classroom with Brielle, where we were teaching a new class clothing and shopping in America. While I wasn’t prepared to teach that day, our lesson was very successful. We went over articles of clothing, types of stores, etc and then played a game where groups of 4 students acted out a shopping trip. They chose a type of store and picked who would be the shoppers, cashier and dressing room attendant. Each customer had to choose two articles of clothing they wanted to buy. Since it was an advanced class, they did a great job, and even included questions such as “Cash or credit?”
Afterwards, we headed to our lecture room for what we thought would be our ceremony, but first we had a lecture on the current election. It was really hard to hear what the professor was saying since they were setting up for the ceremony, with tons of students right outside the door talking and tuning instruments for some live music. Still, I tried to listen but had already learned much about the two candidates.
After the lecture, we stayed seated for 45 minutes or an hour until everything was set up for the ceremony. After a brief introduction, some of the high school students played local music for us. Within a few minutes, everybody in the room was dancing.
Next, they presented Monica with a beautiful alpaca blanket as a token of their appreciation. She used to teach English at El Polo before she moved to the States, so I know it was a special moment for everyone involved.
One of my favorite parts was afterwards, when other students dressed in elaborate costumes and danced traditional dances of Puno and Lima.
There is so much more culture and tradition in Peru than the United States, and it was a blast to see the students demonstrating an important part of their lives.
Finally, my other favorite part of the ceremony: a huge buffet of local cuisine. I had started out with the intention of trying a bite of everything, but that would’ve probably taken 3 plates to do. I tried cebiche, which consists of raw fish, corn, onions and more, for the first time, and had delicious plantains, more fish and meat, rice pudding, etc.
After the ceremony, I went home to relax for a bit then headed out to a salsa club. Because of the election weekend, the country will implement a dry law starting about 12am on Friday morning. Most clubs, discotecas and more are prohibited from selling alcohol, though consumption is still legal. I went with to the club with my friends for what we thought was our last chance of nightlife in Peru, though this law isn’t too strictly enforced. I danced a lot, though I need to learn some salsa. I ended up leaving around 12:30am so that I wouldn’t be too exhausted during my last day of classes in Lima.
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