Cueca, Cueca, Cueca!

Well, it is Cueca mania here in Chile and in the Santa Cruz area. I just got done watching the Cueca comuna (city level) competition. I will tell you, the way the fans were shouting out chants, throwing confetti, and cheering with pom poms, I would have thought I was at a basketball game! Wow! The crowd, in their eagerness to get into the gymnasium, pushed so hard to get in that people were thrown into the glass doors causing them to break (the glass doors, not the people!). Insane!

When I had arrived to the event, a little late (thankfully, didn´t need to deal with the stampede), I stood by the door. It was so crowded and I didn´t want to make a big deal trying to find a seat. As I was watching, I felt someone grab my arm. It was the woman I had met and sat next to at the Cueca yesterday. She pulled me all the way up to the front row where their weren´t any seats, told me to wait one moment while she went and got me a chair. Wow! Front row! I felt like Jack Nicholson at a Lakers Game!

Ok...a bit about the Cueca!
First, here is a link for you tube so you can see what the Cueca looks like, cuz, I am sure you are wondering by now...maybe you have already looked into it. :)
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=R0PYgX6CmWA&feature=related (I hope it works, if not, just go to you tube and search Cueca).

There are three traditional dresses of the Cueca, depending on the region you are located in. In the north, it is a ver glittery, luminoso, sort of costume. The woman where a dress, of course, and the man, a outfit with a hat. I am not as familiar with the north costume, because I haven´t seen it first hand yet. But, the second region is the central region, which is where I am. The woman wears what is called the China dress (prounounced Chee-na). It is a dress with colors and ruffles. The man wears the traditional huaso outfit: a sombrero, a manta, pants, boots, and spurs. In the South, they have, I believe, longer skirts for the women, and a bit more rustic outfit for the men....now that I am thinking about it, I really only know the central region outfits...so you will have to explore on your own for the others ;)

At school, last week, students wore the traditional hauso costume. Yesterday, I was invited to the Cueca competition in Apalta, which is a small town nearby out in the country, to see the difference between the cueca I saw last week and that of the campo (countryside). The difference is pleasant. People of the country are more simple. The men where trousers rolled up to mid calf. Then, the wear a gingham or plaid button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. They have a straw hat, which still resembles the huaso hat, and a dish towel around thier waist. The best part of the costume, I think, are their sandals. People in the country, because they work out in the fields, wear sandals in the summertime, because the fields are hot and muddy. Well, I asked one of the students if I could see his sandals, because it looked rather unique and handmade, so he handed it to me. It was very heavy and as I turned it over, I saw the tread of a tire. The sandals were made out of tires! Interesting eh? Recycled sandals! So, the boys, for the most part, looked like a bunch of huckfins walking around and dancing about. When the dance in the campo, they dance with a little more hop in their step and a bit more crouched over. The woman wears a skirt, braids or pigtails, a blouse, and flat shoes. I was happy to be able to see the competition.

Yesterday´s activities were like a party. First we took a tour of a vineyard, where I and the other teachers, received a bottle of wine as a gift. Very kind. Then, we went and ate at the school, where they served wine with our meal. Then it was Cueca time. The Mayor was there and other important community members. During the introduction of the cueca, they made mention of my presence, but I was kind of wrapped up in looking around and taking it all in that I didn´t realize I was being recognized, because I wasn´t paying attention to the speech. Aye! I didn´t realize I would have to play Miss America while I was there. This resulted in a cultural mistake on my part. I guess I was supposed to get up and saludar (do the whole hugs kiss thing) only by the time it came to my attention I was supposed to do all this, I had missed it. Oops. The woman wasn´t happy, I could tell. I tried to make up for it after the cueca when we were all called in for wine and empanadas, but that didn´t roll over well. Oh well, I tried. I am not ambassador material.

I felt like a celebrity though. The P.E. teacher, Christian, who invited me to go, kept reminding everyone that he brought me. ha ha...The Apalta Cueca competition turned international that day. The radio guy was there with his little tape recorder and he pulled me aside to interview me. I was so nervous and praying that I answered the question I thought he was asking. I think I did. He said I could listen at 7pm on the radio, but I really didn´t want to hear myself.

I have to laugh, because I watched Miss Congeniality in Spanish the other night...which just might be me in this situation...maybe by the end of my trip I will have all the salutations down. :)