Katie: Dia de Adultos Mayor

When I went to San Vicente for Spanish classes I was happy to be able to stay with my host family in San Isidro. After 3 buses totaling 5.5 hours I was ready for a rest or I thought so. My host family mom gave me a little lunch, because I had so little during my travel. Of course she remembered all of my favorite foods. We were talking when she started to seem anxious so I asked “que pase?” she then told me we were going to a something and that the bus for Verapaz was ready. I say something because I did not understand part of the sentence. So I ate faster and we went for the bus, yep another bus. When we reach the bus there are only three other people. They are all older so I ask again because my curiosity is peaked and again I gain no new insight except the bus is free. We wait and wait after about a half hour and a handful more people we leave. Upon arriving at the park in Verapaz young girls hand us little papers with numbers and when I ask about this I understand from my host mom that its for a rifa (raffle). Then I promptly tell her if my number is called she is trading numbers with me. Anyway on a platform I see Dia de Adultos Mayor (A day for Older Adults) and sure enough I was surrounded. There were a group of performers (2 men and 1 woman) who could all sing well and gathering from the reactions in the crowd they were humorous too. The mayor and other important people in the community got up to say good things or tell humorous stories. Everyone who came was fed two tamales and hot chocolate the real stuff! My host dad actually got up on stage when prompted by the performers and danced with a young woman. My host mom laughed and said he can’t dance and then laughed again. During one of the rifa breaks they called my number and I frantically gave it to my host mom who said are you sure and I said por seguro (for sure) its yours so she got a prize we were both happy. It seemed to me everyone enjoyed themselves including me.