Trick or Treat

Another month completed...another week has passed me by. Things don't seem to be slowing down any between now and the end. I now have a private student a few nights a week in order to help another teacher out. I will be tutoring a 19 year old boy who is preparing to take the SAT to study in the States. It'll give me a few extra soles to buy Christmas presents with :)

It didn't feel much like Halloween today. I don't get into the holiday so much, but I have great childhood memories of going door to door in the freezing cold fall weather, ringing door bells, and saying, "Trick or Treat" or walking down the street repeating, "Trick or treat. Smell my feet. Give me something good to eat." I remember church parties, school activities, and being almost sick from eating so much candy.

Halloween can be a very disturbing holiday, and many of the Christian faith no longer participate in the events of this day. The Christian school where I am working does not even mention Halloween. A few classes did lessons on why Halloween is not/should not celebrated by Christians. I also noticed that unlike the States where there are fall parties, Noah's Ark parties, milder versions of Halloween that still enable the kids to dress up and receive candy, churches here really don't do such things. It's just like a normal Saturday afternoon.

This evening, I went on a stoll through Miraflores. I enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the ocean, and did a little bit of street shopping at Parque Kennedy. Vendors come and set up their booths right in the middle of the park. Having actually forgotten it was Halloween, I was quickly reminded what date it was when I began to see many people dressed slightly out of the ordinary. It was interesting to see how this culture celebrates this unique day. The costumes were not near as elegant or elaborate as many costumes in the United States. Most were not a full costume but rather one simple part...masks, butterfly wings, dresses or capes, etc. Kids trick or treat in the stores, to the street vendors, and even to people as they drive by in their cars. Not near as many adults were dressed up which I was quite glad for as I was worried about the bus on the way home tonight. If adults do host parties like they do in the States, I must have missed that crowd.

It's hard to believe November is here already. I can't believe I have less than 7 weeks left here. It's been quite an experience, and I've enjoyed each part of it.