Women's Day

Friday was International Women’s Day.  It’s widely recognized and celebrated here.   From the start of the day to the end, women are treated.  As I walked into the bakery this morning, I and a few other women were served ahead of men, because we were to experience a “feliz dia.”  Hector, a friendly man who works for the university in Lambayeque, picked me and a few other professors up at our homes in Chiclayo, and ferried us to the neighboring city.  After doing administration work for a short while, we were called down to a large room on the first floor of the building where there was a ceremony.  It was beautiful.  Each of the women were given a rose and we were serenaded by a mariachi band as well as Andean flutists and the rest of their band.  Additionally we were served about ten different snacks, were given wine for a toast, and a man and woman performed a Marinera Norteña dance for us.  This type of dance is traditional to northern Peru and is a gorgeous, complicated, quick and graceful dance.  (If you’ve never seen it before, check out some videos on YouTube.)  In the afternoon, I came back to Chiclayo to work at the Language Centre (which also belongs to La Pedro (my university).  There in between work, we also had a ceremony, during which several of the same things occurred.  We got to listen to a non-machismo version of Cinderella…which was really funny, and to see a type of dance typical of the Andes.  We all danced a lot and took turns wearing the mariachi’s sombreros.  Fun day.