Chevere

I feel like the blog might just turn into me relating a series of random moments I find interesting, but it is hard to find time online that I do not feel at least a bit rushed. Anyway, here are two more fun things from yesterday:

1) I was observing a religion teachers class and when it ended there was a 15 minute recess. As I went outside to hang out with the kids, she called me back in and proceeded to ask if I could give a talk on my experiences with finding the meaning of life (el sentido de la vida) in her next class, which was on personal development. She handed me the teacher´s edition of the textbook so I could read through it.

To say the least, I was a little bewildered. In the end, however, I was saved because she didn´t even have class thanks to two visitors from the Ministry of Agriculture who came to speak to the students on Fruit Flys and the importance to the Patria on keeping them out of Tacna and Taquenan fruit. It was a bizarre half hour of unexpected surprises, to say the least.

2) At night, I went with my host family to their friend´s place which was only a few minutes out f town in an area that has a lot of touristy restaurants. The area itself, however, is very rural and has a lot of fields with different things growing. About a two minute walk from the Panamerican Highway, we entered this farm with figs and grapes and all sorts of things growing everywhere. It felt like we were entering a different world and when we reached the house, there was a party of about ten people. Wine was passed around (serving each from the same little cup as seems to be a Latin American mainstay), gringo jokes were made (especially about dancing), some roast lamb (like the ribs of the lamb - which were delicious) was brought out, and generally a good time was had in celebration of this one guys birthday. Oh, and especially important - the wine was homemade - footpressed on premises - delicious, and apparently only brought out by this guy on special occasions.

The highlight of the night, however, came when this guy´s friend, who we had passed on the way in, came on the main radio station for Tacna (Radio Uno) and wished the guy a happy birthday. As the guy was doing this, he also put in a shout out to all the guests, and did not forget to mention the Gringo who was with them (me). He even mentioned me a second time to say how strange it was to see one and that he didn´t know where I came from.

First time I have ever been given a shout out on the radio....