Bautismo

On Sunday, the baby in my house, Samantha, was baptized. Her grandmother and great aunt make all the prepartions for the fiesta afterward. Tamales and chocolate are the traditional foods for a baptism. The party was held at a special ¨jardin de fiestas¨ a fenced in area for rent with a covered patio, tables, chairs, a kitchen counter with stovetop and a playground for the kids including trampoline, swings, slides and a bounce house.

Marimar, Memo, Samantha and I left the house about 9:15am, the car was really loaded down. We went to the fiesta site first where Marimars´aunt and mother were setting tables and getting things ready. I jumped in to help. We set the round tables for 8 each + a really long childrens table. A possibility of 75 guests. An arch of balloons and a piñata completed the decor.

At each placesetting we put a disposable plate, fork, spoon, 2 cups, and a jello. A container of napkins set in the center. Then we filled one of the cups with juice. I was worried that the gathering clouds would blow everything away, but it was fine.

We went on to church, being too late for Mass. There was a gathering of family members that attended the baptism itself. Memo´s brother and Marimar´s sister were the Padrinos (godparents) the pre-sacrament talk the priest gave was all about the parents and godparents responsibility and promise to be good examples to the child, teaching them about Christ and living it out. Samantha did not protest during the ceremony and was fast asleep by the time we got to the fiesta.

There were 2 types of tamales, dulces (a sweet one I did not care for) and de rayes (a strip of chile down the center, very good) In addition there were pan dulces, hot chocolate milk, the jellos, apple juice, cake (delicious tres leches) and popsicles----a whole lotta carbs!!

I sat with Rebecca, another alumna of the Institute, she is 24 from Texas, and is studying for 4 months. Rebecca lives with the mother and sister of my host, Marimar. We were scolded by Memo´s father for speaking English with each other!! But truely we mostly spoke in Spanish with our tablemates, though everyone seems to want to talk politics and whether one likes Obama---argh! After awhile I claim I only hablo español pocito and take a break. It is exhausting to listen and speak---particullarly with the American Disco music blaring in the background. I did seek out Memo´s sweet older Tia that I had met on father´s day. She is recovering from a broken arm, so it is easy to start up a conversation, and she speaks slowly and distinctly, so she is easy to talk with.

The children all had a good time, and the Piñata breaking was fun, if not dangerous. The older kids get quite ferocious and the little ones, are anxious to pick up falling candy, not minding the swinging bat.

After cleanup we went home. I took a nap and worked on my homework to get ready for the new week.