15th Birthdays

I (Mark) went to my first 15th birthday on Tuesday. The 15th birthday for girls is the biggest birthday of their life, so I went as Fiorella, whose birthday it was. Fiorella is one of the young people we are working with at the moment.

A 15th birthday is a very strange event to English eyes.


It was strange to me for several reasons. Firstly, the party started (on a Tuesday when most of the guests were working or studying early the next day) at 9pm. (Traditionally it is supposed to start at 12 midnight). We are of course however in Latin America, which like Africa is more relaxed in terms with time than Europe and America. Therefore I arrived fashionably late at 9.15 in a strange part of San Gabriel. (the main shanty town we are working in) However 9.15 may be fashionably late in England, but it's very early in Peru. I am aware of this however and took my book. At 10.00 other people arrived, and the party started at 10.30ish, when Fiorella arrived in her elegant, but in my thinking, over the top, ballgown.

The second cultural shock was the first official part of the party. The girl celebrating their birthday starts by dancing with her dad. Then all male members of her family, then her male friends, which I was told included me. At this point i'm thinking, I have danced publicly less than 5 times in my life, (even on my wedding day I danced about 5 steps before shrinking away off the dance floor) all of these men have probably done this at least 10 times, are more than likely trained for these 15th birthdays, and are Latin, hence have natural rhythm. I on the other hand have no rhythm, have always hated dancing, and have no ideas where to put my feet, so was dreading my inevitable turn at dancing.

Anyway, the dreaded moment arrived and I was summoned up, and starting dancing in the wrong direction, nearly tripping over Fiorella's dress, and caused much laughter. (I did get the second biggest clap of the night after Fiorella's arrival, for going ahead with it). Following my diastrous start, Fiorella leaned over and whispered in my ear 'just follow me'.

Following the endless dancing, which involves the expectation that those attending have to clap in time the whole time the music is going (up to 30 mins to an hour). Well i cannot clap in time, but I'm pretty sure I was more in time than most of the other people there.

After the dancing, I thought we can move onto the speeches, then bring out the food, and I can disappear, but no. First every single person has to be photographed several times with the birthday girl. Therefore at 11.30 or later, the food comes out and the party starts, after the speeches, that is. Which normally take a long time: an hour sometimes, because Peruvians are very emotional, and worse at birthdays. However Fiorella's family are not big on words, so it seems, and the speeches, were 3 lines long, at best. It was quite an experience, but due to tradition it started very late, and I was ready to go home to bed before it started, but I'll be ready for my next experience.


Unfortunatley I have no photos of the event as it was unwise for a Gringo (white European or American) to take a camera to that part of town. So instead I have a picture of our first young adult meeting. Fiorella is the girl in the far corner wearing blue and white.