The Royal Birthday Party
My host dad had been trying for weeks to get me to go salsa dancing. I finally made some time to salsa on Saturday night after a long day at the volley ball courts. I got all dressed to go. Thinking we would end up in a ‘middle aged’ salsa club, I decided that I wasn’t going to bother getting decked out. Me, Martha and Edgar set off. I started to get a feeling we weren’t going to a club when we started skulking around a residential area looking for an address. We pulled up to this large walled in house with a wide open door. (Many houses in Ecuador are enclosed by a cement wall lined with broken glass at the top of the wall for added security) Apparently noticing the look of confusion on my face, my host father looked at me and said “cumpliaños de me amigo” (“my friend’s birthday”). Oh, I see, as if my horrible skills as a dancer weren’t going to make me feel awkward enough, now one more social circle in Quito could see how miserable my Spanish is. I followed reluctantly behind my host parents as we entered into this fortress full of people that had already been drinking whisky on the rocks for a few hours. I was cheerfully greeted and welcomed into a large room with an oriental carpet and walls lined with matching antique chairs. The chairs were filled with various family members and friends of the birthday boy. There was even the sleeping grandfather sitting in the center chair. Edgar and Martha started making their way around the chair occupants giving kisses on the cheeks, as if we were greeting the royal family. I uneasily followed suit (smiling and nodding because I had no idea what these people were saying to me in Spanish) until finding comfort in clinging to a chair in the corner. Edgar wasn’t having any of that; the minute my tush hit the cush, he looked at me and said “vamos a bailar” (“let’s dance”). I stumbled my way through saying in Spanish “ummm are you kidding? I’m not dancing in the middle of this floor with chairs of people surrounding me”. That didn’t matter, the music started and everyone (including sleepy grandpa) was out of their seat, dancing. I got comfortable quickly realizing that not everyone who speaks Spanish is also an amazing dancer, and people just wanted to enjoy themselves. So I let loose all of the salsa, meringue, and bachata that I know (which isn’t much).
Me and Martha The men got hats, the women got clown noses
After what seemed like hours of dancing, we were carted into the formal dining room for a formal dinner. All of the kids in the family were the designated servers and busboys of the evening. They carried around trays of whisky and appetizers, served dinner and kept our waters full. All of this with pleasure and not the complaining that you might hear from an American teenager expected to do as he was told. After a little cake in the face action, the crowd began to cheer “PINATA, PINATA”.. yes, that’s right, there was, in-fact a piñata! That is when the whisky seemed to start working it’s magic on the adults because they all went crazy over the candy spewing from Mickey Mouse’s bum.
Pinata time Grand kid lighting the candles
That was right about the time the live band showed up, amps and all. Martha and I were only good for about 3 more songs, Edgar was ready to party all night. He turned to me and told me (in Spanish of course) “We will leave at 5:00AM”. I think we had a bonding moment when I looked at him and said “Estas Loco!!!”. He cracked up laughing and we ended up compromising for a 2:30AM departure. It was a unexpected great evening!
The live band and the royal room Martha and Edgar
Me and Martha The men got hats, the women got clown noses
After what seemed like hours of dancing, we were carted into the formal dining room for a formal dinner. All of the kids in the family were the designated servers and busboys of the evening. They carried around trays of whisky and appetizers, served dinner and kept our waters full. All of this with pleasure and not the complaining that you might hear from an American teenager expected to do as he was told. After a little cake in the face action, the crowd began to cheer “PINATA, PINATA”.. yes, that’s right, there was, in-fact a piñata! That is when the whisky seemed to start working it’s magic on the adults because they all went crazy over the candy spewing from Mickey Mouse’s bum.
Pinata time Grand kid lighting the candles
That was right about the time the live band showed up, amps and all. Martha and I were only good for about 3 more songs, Edgar was ready to party all night. He turned to me and told me (in Spanish of course) “We will leave at 5:00AM”. I think we had a bonding moment when I looked at him and said “Estas Loco!!!”. He cracked up laughing and we ended up compromising for a 2:30AM departure. It was a unexpected great evening!
The live band and the royal room Martha and Edgar