My First Quinceañera

Well, not mine, since I just turned 30 (I guess that would be my second quince...LOL). Zanita, the daughter of Lita´s brother turned 15 today and we celebrated last night. Well, we started last night, and finished early in the morning! Peruvians never start a party before 10 pm. I told Pedro that most of our parties END at 10 pm!

Pedro was working yesterday, so I took a combi all the way to his parents´ house on my own--the farthest I´ve ever been alone. It was an interesting ride. Pedro told me to ask the cobrador (that´s the person who opens the door and collects money) if the combi went to "todo La Marina?". I guess some combis turn before getting to my stop. I asked the cobrador of the first combi that had seats available (sometimes I don´t fit standing up!) and he said "si" and so I got on. He collected my money, confirming that I was going to La Marina. About 10 minutes later, the combi pulled over and the cobrador said something, which I didn´t understand, but people started complaining and getting up out of their seats. Evidently, the ride was over. Why did he tell me they went to La Marina? I made him return all my money.

After waiting for another combi, which was standing room only, and paying again, I was on my way. The ride is usually an hour from our house to theirs, but several roads were closed for construction now, so it was going to take a bit longer. When we were only several blocks away the worst traffic hit. It
was at a major intersection of a major shopping center and on the day before Mother´s Day! Including the construction going on, it was complete chaos! We were moving at a snail´s pace, if we moved at all. Taxis and buses were blocking intersections, honking at each other...CRAZINESS! I sent Pedro a text to let him know I was close, and he called his mom to come meet me at the combi stop. Finally, I arrived at 6:15 (I left La Molina at 4:30). Lita was on the telephone--she was worried I had passed the stop.

When we got to the house, it was Pedro´s mom, her mother, myself, Pedro´s sister and her two boys, and the father of the birthday girl (Lita´s brother). I sat upstairs watching TV, playing with Leo, and waiting for Pedro and the party to begin. I was under the impression we were having dinner around 7 or 8 pm. I should´ve known better. The birthday girl arrived around 7 pm. She had her hair done and then she changed into her dress. At 8 pm, Pedro arrived. At 9, we watched television and waited...waited...waited some more...until 10:30 when we went downstairs to start the party!

There were several other people downstairs now, all family, some I knew and some I didn´t. Lita´s family is from Pucallpa, a small town in the jungle of Peru (and an 18-hour bus ride to Lima!). Pedro was telling me how she never would have had a quinceañera if she was still in Pucallpa, so this was a really big deal for her. Pedro´s father escorted her down the stairs (he´s her godfather) and everyone clapped. Many of the women, as well as Zanita and her father cried. Her mother wasn´t able to come to Lima--she had to stay in Pucallpa. She danced with her father. She danced with Iterio. Then she danced with the other men in the room. Then they ate dinner--this was around 11:30 pm! I had asked Lita if I could eat right after Pedro arrived. After eating came more dancing. Finally, we sang Happy Birthday--I guess they were waiting for midnight. Pedro said we could leave after, but then other people started singing to her--first her father, then her grandmother, her great aunt, her uncle...I thought it would never end! Finally, they went back to dancing and Pedro and I made our rounds to say goodbye. It was after 1 am when we returned home! Thank goodness I didn´t have to work today, but poor Pedro did.