Ecuador 10/15/2022 - Sisa's Confirmation |
||
Saturday, October 15, 2022 - Sisa's ConfirmationThe tourists left before we woke up this morning. We had hoped that they would be able to stay to enjoy the Confirmation party this evening, but they obviously had a schedule that they needed to keep.Breakfast was scrambled eggs with salami, coffee, and juice. Everyone was continuing to get ready for the party. Lunch was chicken, fries, mote (hominy) and tomatoes. Aida, Celestina, and Neli helped me to get dressed. The only part of the outfit that I can put on myself is the blouse. The elaborate Otavaleña dress for women is way too complicated for me to dress myself, as it involves two layers of wrap-around skirts ("anakos") which have no fasteners except for two woven belts ("mama chumbi" and "wawa chumbi") which are cinched tightly around the waist. These must be very precisely positioned, because if your under layer sticks out at all below the top layer of anako, it is an indication that you are a loose woman who is looking for a partner. So I always need lots of help! They tied a sash ("fachalina") over one shoulder, and wrapped my hair in a woven hair tie ("cinta"). My necklace ("walca") was broken, so I borrowed one from Celestina. They wrapped long strands of coral beads ("maki watana") around my wrists. I wore espadrilles on my feet, and a piece of cloth ("uma watarina")on my head. It was a process! Craig got dressed in his white shirt, white pants, poncho, and hat. The men's clothing is a lot simpler! Sisa wore her traditional clothing, and her hair was put into a gorgeous braid accented with flowers. We took some photos in the garden. She looked beautiful and so grown up!  The car was supposed to come at 3:30 p.m. for the special 4 p.m. Mass, but was a bit late. Craig and I rode inside with Sisa and Aida, while I held Kuri. We got to San Francisco church in Cotacachi with 2 minutes to spare. This was par for the course here. The family was always either right on time, or, more frequently, a bit late. Friends and family arrived. Family friends Diego and Norma were there, but Javier and Jess were at a wedding and were unable to attend. They held a short Confirmation Mass where we had to stand in front of everyone, put our right hand on Sisa's shoulders, profess our belief in God, and renounce Satan. Other people were already gathering in the church for the regularly scheduled 4:30 p.m. Mass, so after we took pictures at the front of the church, there was a very full house. Diego and Norma drove us, along with Sisa and Kuri, back to the house. We got settled at the head table under the tent. The cake was delivered at around 5:15 p.m. There were four round tiers which were set up on a stand that resembled a swan, and a single rectangular cake. They had white frosting with pink frosting flowers and said "Bienvenidos a mi Confimacion - Sisa Jeres." Many of the women were in the house preparing plates of food. This was the first party we had experienced here which had taken place in the front yard rather than the back yard. The entrance to the kitchen was in the back yard, so we felt a bit separate from the women who, as always, were keeping things running. We made a toast to Sisa. She opened the gifts that people had brought for her, including a fuzzy sweater that she imediately wore because it was getting chilly. Then there was dinner... a huge bowl of soup and heaping plates full of chorizo, steak, chicken, potatoes, and mote (hominy). Then it was time for the cake. We ceremonially cut the first slice with Sisa (with each of our hands on the knife) and then Delia proceeded to make quick work of slicing the cake while Sisa delivered it to people. It was beautiful and delicious. Then the music started. Antonio's group Fender's Band provided the music, with Yupanki helping out with percussion. At first, nobody was dancing, and Diego and Norma decided to get the party started. Diego danced with Sisa, Craig and I danced together, and Norma danced with Rosita (Natalie's mother). Eventually others danced and the alcohol was flowing. Along with beer, there was pajaro azul, a moonshine from Cuenca. I danced with an inebriated 24-year-old until it started to get a bit uncomfortable. Then I went and sat back at the head table. Then he came back and wouldn't take no for an answer, so I danced with him again. Later, I danced with Dashel. Afterwards, she kept running over to the head table to visit us. Local dogs were a nuisance, even so much as climbing on the table to eat the detritus from the cake. At around 1 a.m., people were pretty drunk and started getting into altercations, so Craig and I decided that it was time to go to bed. We knew we wouldn't be able to sleep with the loud music blaring so close to our casita, but we didn't want to be around for the inevitable alcohol-induced fights. So we said our goodnights and went to the casita. It turned out that there was just one more song and then the band called it quits, so we were able to sleep after all. |
 Achi Mama and Achi Taita  Rosa, Yupanki, Achi Taita, Sisa, Achi Mama, Shina, Aida, Dashel, Antonio  Achi Taita, Sisa, Achi Mama  Sisa and her cake  Confirmation party See all photos from October 15 |
|
|
 |
|
 |
