CARNAVAL

Wow.

From the moment I got my site assignment back in July, all I've hear about is this festival called "Carnaval" (not to be confused with carnival -- where Ferris Wheels, cotton candy, shooting games with over-sized stuffed animal prizes rolls into town for one or two weekends). This is C A R N A V A L ... where parades, dances, music, and yes, water fights rule the streets. The locals tell stories of how crazy the streets and dances are, the foreigners ask me for a spot on my floor ... Guaranda, you see, has the biggest and best parties in the country.

For most places in Ecuador, Carnaval lasts for a weekend and ends the Tuesday before Ceniza (Ash Wednesday). In Guaranda, it started January 6th, the day after the 3 Kings arrived in Bethlehem (and finishing the Christmas festivities). The festivities included live music and dances every weekend, having to dodge water balloons (especially the hour after schools get out), and family water fights.

Scheduled events in Guaranda started the end of January, as each escuela and colegio begins by selecting their Reina (Queen). The Taita Carnaval is also selected every year – an individual who acts as the Mayor of Carnaval – organizing activities, parades and events, as well as raising money and putting on a pig-fry. The Reina competitions are very similar to beauty pageants in the States. The competitors have to wear traditional clothing and evening-wear, walk around the stage in front of a panel of judges, and have to answer a question. My cousin Mischel competed in her colegio Reina competition. She placed first in the traditional clothing portion! The family and her friends were so excited for her - we shouted cheers, waved posters, and banged pots together every time she was on stage.

My family and I also went to the Reina competition for the city of Guaranda. It started around 8:30pm Friday night, and finished up around 2am! The indoor stadium was packed with fans - each group sitting bellow huge photos of their hopeful Reina. The purpose of the crowd was to make as much noise as possible using drums, noise makers, pots and pans, whistles, or just yelling. My aunt told me the competitors spend $800+ on each outfit (and that's just to rent the attire). After the competition, there was a dance party outside - sponsored by Pilsner - with two live bands. It was so much fun, family was in town and I have never seen so many young people in Guaranda. The music was fabulous - dancing salsa and merengue - mixed in were some classic English 80's hits, and of course - Michael Jackson ... we went home early at 4am.

The next week, starting Wednesday, the schools were out for a week. And, the entire week before, every moment between class, recess, and after class, the school kids filled the streets with water balloons and polvo (flour). I, being a Carnaval-un-experienced-gringa, decided to hold class at a local escuela Wednesday (like I do every week). I entered the school grounds to find children running from end to end, water covered the ground. The kids were concentrated in two areas - one at the water-supply near the bathroom, and the other at the water-supply in the opposite corner. I quickly darted up to my classroom, the teacher was expecting me and we had an environmental education class planned. As I entered the classroom, the kids were filled with Carnaval enthusiasm and they eagerly greeted me. Two seconds later, as I was looking for the teacher (we always chatted a little before I start), she had booked it out of the classroom. I started gathering my stuff to start class, but the kids were in official "Carnaval-mode". Half the class was outside, starting to fill their water balloons, the other half was inside asking me if I wanted to go outside and play Carnaval. As I muddled over my options - to stay and play or to try and get back to work dry, the kids brought out the polvo and began "painting" each other with polvo. I looked outside at 100s of kids filling water balloons and running after their classmates - I was not equipped to take on these elementary school kids (I didn't even have proper tennis shoes to run in ...). Since my attempted class was officially a failure, and some of the kids (who had similar feelings about playing Carnaval at that moment) were hanging out in the room untill the madness outside died down - we decided to play Hang Man. After 45 minutes of Hang Man, we picked up our things, and dogged a few water balloons on our way out. I am very proud to say however, that I made it back to work, and DRY.

For the next week, Taita Carnaval had planned dances and parades for different groups:
THURSDAY – University Day (my official work day was from 8am-10am; the parade started at 10am)
FRIDAY – Guaranda Day and Parades in Guanujo (local barrio)
SATURDAY – Indigenous Day
SUNDAY – Parades in San Miguel (local community)
MONDAY – Parade with groups from all over the country
TUESDAY – Parade with groups from all over the Provence

Each of these parades ran multiple hours (a record 5 hours on Monday) and was concluded with a dance party (or two) in the center of town. Additionally, small stages were set up in the park and a local colegio, featuring live bands every night.

One of the big Family Events during Carnaval is the killing and cooking of the pig. Saturday morning, starting at 5am, the entire family gathered to kill the pig. When I was still not there at 6:30am (I didn’t mind helping with the cleaning and cooking, but didn’t want to be there for the killing), I received the best morning phone call from my Aunt Cecilia – “Deanna, where are you?? We’re killing the pig. Why are you not here? Get over here, QUICK!!”

The family was so excited about the pig- and rightly so – their favorite treats cuello, fritada, morcilla, chorizo, agua locro, and chicharon come from the pig. Every part of the pig is cleaned with care and cooked up, nothing wasted. I love this model of preparation and part of their culture – nothing goes to waste. Some Peace Corps friends were in town and we all helped the family fill large intestine with rice, carrot and peas (for morcilla), make chiguillies, and start celebrating Carnaval. The cousins even started a water fight, and no one left dry.

The parades were amazing – traditional clothing and dances; New-Age costumes and sexy moves; Michael Jackson; large floats with Reinas and a few jungle surprises. To make things better, these parades aren’t like in the US – where you get a wave and a small candy from passing by paradies (individuals in the parades) – these parades are interactive. The crowd dances, has water and foam fights, and passes out traditional Pajaro Azuel to the paradies. In return, the paradies hand out roses and other flowers, candy, and Pajaro Azuel (just to return the favor).

To make things better, some wonderful Peace Corps friends made it into town for the festivities. We enjoyed the craziness of Carnaval, but also escaped to some wonderful home-made meals, a fire-pit and some card games.

Some 2010 updates:
- My Grandparents are coming in visit in April for three weeks!
- I’ve started a new project with my Foundation – helping professors and parents to organize a child-development program. The school received $8,000 in toys (think everything from dress-up clothes, to puzzles, to houses, to bikes) and our purpose is to help them integrate the toys into their school curriculum as well as their community. We’ve divided up the toys into three stages, and the school has the first! It is an indigenous community, and they are so excited to have the opportunity to execute this project in their community. We're helping design norms, goals, evaluations and activities with the professors and parents. Also - future projects include parent groups, business classes with woman run small-businesses, and community planning.
- I’ve officially mastered baking brownies.
- My 12 year old cousin beats me at Phase 10.
- Profesora Judith’s 7^th grade class is officially pen-pals with a class in Mesa, AZ – the kids are so excited to write letters to their new friends.
- Omnibus 104 came to Ecuador last week – we are no longer the Freshmen.
- I’ve been in Ecuador 8 months – and 6 months in site. Sometimes, I feel like my Spanish is improving.
- A woman in Fuerza y Union, a community bank I have been working with, needs a lens transplant. She has cataracts and has lost vision in her right eye. She just found out it spread to her left eye, and needs to operate to save it. If anyone knows of any optometrist opportunities in Ecuador, please let me know.
- I ate pig skin -- I think there were still some hair follicles in it.
- Thanks for the cards, good thoughts, emails and photos from home – I really can’t get enough love from you guys!!

- New Photos are up - including a trip to the beach (for an American Superbowl); Carnaval; and the kids in Santo Domingo.