A Very Peruano Christmas

After posting photos of Christmas past, I decided it would be good for everyone to see my Christmas present. Here´s what my site looks like right now, as well as a few photos from a chocolotada I attended. You might need to click on some of the photos to see them closer up (especially the ones of the plaza).

¡Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año!

Christmas carol competition. Watch yourself--these girls are 14.

Constructing our Christmas tree. First time in my life I´ve had a fake tree for Christmas.
Maricielo is not happy I´m taking a picture because she doesn´t have makeup on.

Tada!

I was trying to get Luana to put the star on top of the tree--she just wanted to play with the ornaments

She loves her Tia Amandita---sometimes.

I´m the only person who tosses her around like a sack of potatoes. She´s gotten so used to it  that you can see in this picture she´s more concentrated on the ornament in front of her than the fact that she´s upside down hanging over a concrete floor. 

And now she begins taking off all the ornaments we put on

The security guards at the municipalidad.
They were super excited to have their  picture taken for people in the U.S. to see.

The plaza with all the decorated trees (and the massive fake pine tree). 

Christmas wrapped

The central nativity scene

My host family helped put this together--it´s advertising the private school
my host uncle is the director of.

My friend Jimmy decorating the dance group´s tree.

At a chocolotada--this kid is so excited for hot chocolate and presents he looks frightened.

My friend Lorena  put on this particular chocolotada. She likes to call me ¨cuñada¨ which means ¨sister-in-law¨ because after seeing pictures of the fam, she has decided she wants to marry my brother Sean.

Santa, apparently eating the mic

Dancing with the kids

Handing out one present to each child.