Happy Mother's Day

1st grade sailors

Today we had a big celebration in school all in the aid of Mother's Day which is the second Sunday in May here in Peru.  Peruvians seem to love any excuse for a party or celebration - this is one of the things I really love about the people of Peru.  
Mother's day is no exception!  Its a huge event here which starts days before the actual day on which its celebrated.  We had no classes at all yesterday as the children put on a performance for their mothers who had all come to watch.  
Each class had prepared something to perform from the little 1st graders right up to the the 16 year olds 

6th grade in their traditional Andean constumes

getting ready to leave school this year.  I only saw the primary performance but that really was enough for me! There was plenty of singing, dancing from traditional to modern and poetry.  All the children performed very well and looked so cute in their costumes.  The little 1st graders in their sailor suits were especially angelic looking and the 6th graders who performed a traditional dance from the Sierra region of Peru looked fantastic in their brightly coloured traditional costumes.  But one performance really stood out from the others.  A little girl in 5th grade and her partner danced a dance known as the national dance of Peru.  The "Marinera" is a dance which comes from the coastal area of Peru and is a fast paced and exciting to watch.  They both danced wonderfully and it was a pleasure to watch their performance.  For me it was another reminder of how different my culture is and the culture I am getting to know.  I miss many things about Scotland but I am reminded everyday how fortunate I am to be here in Peru amongst a people whose traditions and culture are very different to my own but equally as vibrant and exciting.

We have a week off this coming week and tomorrow morning I head off to Tarapoto and then onwards to Moyobamba in the jungle! I am very excited since this will be my first glimpse of the Amazon rainforest! I'm told Moyobamba is a beautiful place full of beautiful green palm trees and brightly coloured flowers.  More than anything I am really looking forward to escaping the traffic and noise of Lima.

The Marinera Nortena