Mark and I went to serve in Ecuador as needgreaters in 2008. Our daughter Amanda joined us in 2010 and is serving in the Chinese group in Cuenca. Aaron, our son has also taken on the challenge of learning the language and culture of this beautiful land and arrived in July 2011.
We had to return to New Zealand in 2012 but have arranged things to be able to return to Ecuador August 2013
Monday, December 29, 2008
Can you Guess?
Question for you - What are these things and why are they on every street corner in Cuenca at the moment? Chocolate fish to the first correct answer. (All Cuecan Residents excluded from this competition)
Possible answer! Ecuador has a very unique tradition on December 31, Ecuadorians celebrate New Year's eve with the "años viejos"("old years"). These, are stuffed dummies constructed with paper, sawdust, wood and firecrackers shown through the whole country before they are burned.
. But other local, international politicians and famous personalities are also characterized representing the old year. Children and women (or men dressed as women) in black play the old year's "widow" role, crying and asking for some money or candies in the streets, or from house to house for the old year's (dummy) funeral. When the year that has gone by has been a very bad year, most people and the dummy's widow kick or wipe it out before it is burned, to have a better year. This tradition takes place everywhere in Ecuador, but the most exciting place to spend New year's eve is in Salinas.
P.S If i win will wait for that choco fish when you get home, After seeing that poor, sad ugly fish on the plate. I would hate think what their choco fish looks like, or if they have any at that???lol
Trust you Alice to use your noggin and look up on the internet! I'll buy the chocolate fish for you at home - otherwise it will melt on the 21 hour flight!
So 31 Dec is going to be one noisy night - cause there are hundreds of these things being sold all over the place. The people here already have a fascination with fireworks (I'll fill you in on that story one day)- so we have already decided we will probably not get any sleep that night! Hopefully though I will have some great pictures to show you!
Question for you - What are these things and why are they on every street corner in Cuenca at the moment? Chocolate fish to the first correct answer.
6 comments:
BETH: "Talking heads revival"???
Possible answer!
Ecuador has a very unique tradition on December 31, Ecuadorians celebrate New Year's eve with the "años viejos"("old years"). These, are stuffed dummies constructed with paper, sawdust, wood and firecrackers shown through the whole country before they are burned.
. But other local, international politicians and famous personalities are also characterized representing the old year. Children and women (or men dressed as women) in black play the old year's "widow" role, crying and asking for some money or candies in the streets, or from house to house for the old year's (dummy) funeral. When the year that has gone by has been a very bad year, most people and the dummy's widow kick or wipe it out before it is burned, to have a better year. This tradition takes place everywhere in Ecuador, but the most exciting place to spend New year's eve is in Salinas.
P.S
If i win will wait for that choco fish when you get home,
After seeing that poor, sad ugly fish on the plate.
I would hate think what their choco fish looks like, or if they have any at that???lol
Wow - Alice should submit this explanation to Wikipedia! ;)
Trust you Alice to use your noggin and look up on the internet! I'll buy the chocolate fish for you at home - otherwise it will melt on the 21 hour flight!
So 31 Dec is going to be one noisy night - cause there are hundreds of these things being sold all over the place. The people here already have a fascination with fireworks (I'll fill you in on that story one day)- so we have already decided we will probably not get any sleep that night! Hopefully though I will have some great pictures to show you!
well done Alice
Hope all is well in TGA
We will be back next week - so see you then.
Posted by Ann
I will go with Alices explanation, I know I am a little late but some of us have to work at this time of year
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