Criss-Cross-Cultural

So I know I´m not doing very well in the blogging and the updating...but I have a new resolution to improve on this. In addition to blogging on my life here, I´m also working on a new project called "Bolivia Weekly," bringing Bolivian news to an English-speaking audience. At this website you can catch up on all the goings on in Bolivia and listen to our weekly podcast. Sreally cool, you should check it out.

OK, on to my multi/inter/poly-cultural life. Last Saturday night/Sunday morning I had opportunities to enjoy several cultural mash-ups. The first, at a little bar I´ve visited a few times with my friends Hortencia and Oscar, was a party bringing together traditional Aymará spirituality and collegiate themed parties. Saturday was either the 3rd or 13th anniversary of the bar depending on whom you ask (not a momentous occasion in either case) but the resulting celebration was more reminiscent of a centennial or at least sesquicentennial bash. This tiny bar is pretty popular with local Paceños but the anniversary celebration seemed drastically out of proportion compared to its normally tranquil atmosphere. The main event of the evening was a parade featuring a sapo, the Aymará spirit which protects the bar and brings good luck for the year. According to Oscar, the owner of the bar was walking through the witches´ market one day when the sapo whispered to her, "Hey, buy me, I´ll bring you good luck." 3 or 13 years later to the day (Saturday night) the sapo was paraded around the block accompanied by a 15 piece band and a crowd of over 50 patrons. We marched around the neighborhood for about an hour with people occasionally running back to the bar for refreshments which were equal parts consumed and poored on the sapo. This was a big party and I´m dreading that I may not be in Bolivia in 2 or 12 years for a more momentous occasion.

The following morning I went to a going-away lunch of sorts for some friends from Peru and France. The girlfriend of François, the French friend, was visiting and brought along some traditional French ingredients. Max, a Peruvian cyclist and chef, prepared the rest of the meal for the group of 10 Bolivians, German-Bolivians, Peruvians, French, and Americans. The result was incredible. After a night of excessive partying in the name of the Aymará spirit, nothing quite healed my headache like a bit of foie gras (I know, unethical) scraped over bread from a Bolivian market followed by stuffed peppers prepared from a recipe by Max´s Peruvian mother and potatos au gratin all accompanied by good French and ok Bolivian wine. The gastronomic diversity was only surpassed by the varied experiences of the friends at the table and I think for one of the first times here I felt truly at home.