Feliz Cumpleanos

Peruvian birthdays are a lot of fun and have certain traditions that make them quite unique. This past week was full of birthdays among girls in the youth group, so we celebrated throughout the week. Flor’s birthday kicked off the celebratory week so we enjoyed the sunshine and heat that has recently increased here in Poroto and went to a nearby swimming pool. Poroto has several tourist centers that have swimming pools, dance floors, restaurants, and sports fields that charge a minimal fee to enter, so we took advantage of the good weather and I accompanied the girls from the youth group to celebrate her birthday at one of the local centers.

I volunteered to bake a cake with the girls to help celebrate the other birthdays, but finding a place to bake a cake was more complicated than I anticipated. After purchasing the ingredients we wondered around the town in search of an oven we could use. Most people cook over firewood or on a stove top, so an oven can be difficult to find. The panaderia (bread store) had turned off their ovens for the day and the electricity wasn’t functioning until later in the afternoon, but we finally found a location to bake our cake. Unfortunately, the cake wasn’t the most beautiful creation in the world because it stuck to the bottom of the pan, but we had fun baking it together. We brought the cake to the youth group meeting and of course no one had plates or forks, so we ate the crumbling cake off of toilet paper squares, which was just a huge disaster. However, although it wasn’t a very pretty cake it was quite delicious. I love the way they sing Happy Birthday in Spanish- they always begin by singing in English (with their awesome accents) and then clap their hands and quickly transition to a much more upbeat rendition in Spanish. Following the birthday song everyone lines up to give hugs to the birthday girl/boy.

After our meeting we were walking up the hill to town when I hear something whiz by and smack Beatriz, the birthday girl, in the head. I look over and she has raw egg dripping down her back. Apparently throwing eggs is a birthday tradition that I didn’t know about. Before the night was over at least three more eggs were thrown at Beatriz and I think we all got splashed in the process. Beatriz’s family invited me to join their birthday celebration in the evening, so we all headed to her house which is located in one of the close caserios. Her 10 year old brother was the only boy in attendance so he happily traded dancing partners throughout the night as we showed off our dance moves. As the night progressed we all offered “palabras” or toasts to Beatriz, and I was the lucky one to begin, which was kind of entertaining. Throughout the evening the house was filled with good smells as her mom and aunts were busily preparing mountains of food. Before long we were given heaping plates of rice, potatoes, and cuy (guinea pig), which is reserved for special occasions. I still can’t honestly say I love guinea pig, but it’s definitely part of the cultural experience.