BootsnAll Travel Network



No Flag For You

28 October 2005 (Friday) – Lima, Peru

Danitza arrived at Percy’s home to deliver my glass items. However, as I had to go with her to buy the silver fittings for the glass jewellery, I simply left them at home without looking.

If I have to buy silver, I should buy them in Peru as here, they MINE silver. But still, I could not buy everything, it will cost too much and I still need money for survival for perhaps another month! I looked through my glass creations. Wow, some of them turned out quite nice but perhaps half of them were so-so or downright awful. I guess this is the element of surprise that I like about this craft. You can never know for sure what to expect… the colours changed after baking, the colours spread around and mixed everything up, sometimes there are bubbles, some big, some small, sometimes no bubbles. So, you can never be sure until they all come out after more than 24 hours.

We tried the various silver fittings and I bought just enough for my budget and eagerly returned home to check out the rest of my creations. The display plate turned out rather nice. I also adore the ash-tray and the candle-holder, but the soap dish was a little off. The salsa dish was alright, but I guess I do not quite fancy the black outlines. Wow, I am so excited as I already have a lot more ideas in my head. I guess I am really going to continue this craft when I return to Singapore.

I sat down and stuck the silver fittings to my glass jewellery to make rings, necklaces and ear-rings. Oh, they looked rather nice.

Later, when Percy’s mother came home, I gave her the display plate. She was delighted. It was too big for me to carry but I was more than happy to give it to the family that had been feeding me and taking care of me… well, my Lima family!! I later also gave a pair of earrings to Emiko.

At 9 or 10pm, Percy’s mother, her friend, Dante and I prepared to go to a restaurant where folkloric dances were performed. We called Emiko, who was still at work, the poor thing, and she was game to join us as well. So, we drove to pick her up and headed to this restaurant called La Candelaria in Barranco.

Wow, the restaurant was nearly full. Folkloric dances from all over Peru were performed to great ‘live’ music and much enthusiasm. The Peruvians and tourists were all very responsive and spontaneous.  Whenever the music played for the floor, everyone ran up excitedly to dance. There was no hesitation at all. It was great to feel the energy here! Percy’s mother loves dancing and we, except Dante who refused to dance, got up and danced to the folkloric music or merengue or whatever.

Traditional dance performance at La Candelaria

Percy's mother (right) and her friend

Pretty Emiko and I

The compere went through the entire restaurant asking foreigners which countries they come from. Estados Unidos… Holanda… Inglaterra… España… Portugal… Suiza… Panama… Chile… Colombia… Tailandia… SINGAPUR… Argentina… etc…

Later to our surprise, a tray of flags was brought out. The compere asked representatives from each country to come out to collect their flags. I guessed there would not be a flag for Singapore. For, what are the odds that another Singaporean had been to this restaurant previously for them to prepare a flag of ours. Indeed, they even had a flag for Thailand but no flag for me… Still, the compere remembered SINGAPUR and beckoned me to come right up to the floor, apologizing on behalf of Peru, that they had no flag for me. Haaha…

No flag for me, but I still have to perform

Now, here’s the funny bit. The compere wanted us each to perform our country’s traditional dance!! The music started for the Chilean lady and her hankerchief dance called Cueca… Wow, very sporting of her! Then, samba for the amazingly svelte Portugal lady who was superb in her rapid and sexy samba moves… The Colombians did a little cheesy cumbia… The Spanish guy faked a flamengo… The Thai girl tried her best with some graceful moves but the musicians had no clue what Thai music was and simply played something which was what they thought to be Oriental-sounding. The Argentines circled the floor with a slow tango… And thank goodness, for the rest of us with seemingly no traditional dances, we did YMCA. What a fun evening!! My final night in Lima and I was one of the stars of the evening… haha…



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