Promocion

Peruvians like to party. (Had you figured that one out yet??). I think it gets taken a little too far when they have huge formal fiestas called Promociones for when you finish High School, Elementary School, and even when you finish Pre-school. Here’s a little bit about how they work.

Girls get a prom like dress, and everyone in the class has to wear the same color. They also get their hair done and wear lots of make up. They have their date (pareja), and then each kid has a madrina and a pradrino (godmother and godfather) to accompany them for the day.

I was asked to be madrina for Yanina, a girl somehow related to me, I guess I’ll call her my cousin. Yanina was finally finishing elementary school at the age of 14. I think she was held back once or twice because all the other kids in her class were only 12. My brother Jando was her date and some guy named Jose from the health post was the padrino.

The day started off with a mass. Then we continued on to the ceremony, which was as boring as you could ever imagine. Afterwards there was a lunch complete with…. You guessed it: rice and potatoes! They also served us cuy but we both know I’m not about to eat those little guys. After lunch, the parents broke out the beer. I had no desire to drink especially at 2 in the afternoon. Luckily I’ve gotten pretty good at making it look like I’m pouring it in the glass then sipping it, when really I’m dumping it all out on the floor. Meanwhile everyone around me is getting sloshed.
Before long I notice my cousin and her friends are passing their own bottle. Soon, they finish it off and my cousin comes over with another asking her dad to open another. Without hesitation its open and he hands it back to them. A few minutes later they are toasting with their teacher! Doesn’t anyone see something wrong with this picture?

By the end of the night my campo relatives are D-R-U-N-K. They’re dancing the “huyano” and there’s hardly anyone left but them. I glance over and see my little brother Jhair passing the bottle with my cousin. He’s only 8! At this point I’m done. I grab my brother and start walking home.

Half an hour later my cousin, aunt and uncle show up at the house with Yanina’s cake. Every kid gets their own personal cake during promociones. I had been waiting all day for that thing, finally I got my piece of sugary goodness. My aunt, uncle and cousin ate theirs with their hands, shoving it in their faces insisting they had to eat it all now because it would be too heavy to carry home. In reality it was because they were…. WASTED!