Marci Soifer

Happy New Year. It´s the first day of the year, and I think that Peru has taken note. The myriad stray dogs still roam the streets and the ice cream selling women in yellow smocks still bicycle over the cobblestone, pushing a small matching yellow freezer on wheels in front of them. However, the traffic has trickled to nearly nothing, the pedestrians have vanished, and the majority of shops appear closed. As I entered this rather dingy internet cafe, I even noticed a yellow and green uniformed woman, sweeping litter from the street (which is something I never see during days of regular pedestrian movement). Ayacucho seems to stand still today, in the 85 degree sun.

However, such was not the case last night. I decided to stay at home, as I have been struggling with a bit of dehydration (don´t worry, it´s not the plague of my house, but it still threw me for a loop...but I´m much better today) and since most people from my program did not go out. Instead, we grouped on the roof of the building and watched the city ring in the new year, from above. Similar to the New Year in the States, alcohol is prevalent, stupid hats are rampant, and there is much yelling, dancing, and...merriment. Unlike in the States, Peruvians take advantage of the New Year to set off as many fireworks and small street fires as they possibly can. Progressively through the night, we heard a bang or a pop here or there. But, as we sat with an ear to the chaos down below and a scenic view of the city, the clock struck 11:45. The city errupted. Literally in every direction one could turn, fireworks filled the air. Each patch of sky within sight was either a colorful display of lights or a temporarily hovering cloud (post fireworks). The people in the streets danced and shouted, and in two spots surrounding our building, set fire to piles of shoes. The children fueled these fires by continually tossing in small firecrackers (I have no idea what these are called...but you might...you know, those small ones that just pop). This continued until about 1:15. This morning, the air outside our front door still smelled a bit like burning rubber. However, the fires were extinguished, despite the fire department´s noticeable absence throughout the night (I mean, I noticed). Overall, it was a really memorable evening, and I had a great time.

So, that´s the report from here. Tomorrow, I look forward to asking the women inside if they could see the fireworks display from behind the high walls of the prison, since I was thinking of them last night. The prison is set off far from the city, and has towering walls that do not allow for much viewing of the outside, aside from directly above. Other than that, I guess the holidays are over. Tonight is the final time that I will light my disposable menorah, and tomorrow, I will actually dispose of it. So, happy holidays for the last time, and I hope this is a good year.

And, if anyone has suggestions for methods to train both your brain and hand to write the correct year in January, I´m in need of tips (considering the current page in my journal is now a sloppy mess of scratched out 05). Haha.