mutli-cultural weekend

So, we´ll call this past weekend "multi-cultural." First, on Saturday, I was invited to play again with the traditional ska band, so let´s call that Jamaican culture. It was a benefit concert for animal rights. Right afterwards, we went to another concert (as spectators this time) of a really amazing French rock band. Can´t say that i had ever really heard French rock before. But I really liked it...especially the songs that were in French because you don´t get caught up in the words. Their one song in English said, "This is my first song in English, this is my first song in english, and i have nothing to say...." repeat repeat. Hence, i enjoyed the french songs even though we didnt understand because the lead singer/guitar player was super dramatic and she was a woman, leather pants and all, which was great because really here in El Salvador in all the concerts we go to, there are hardly ever women playing nor singing. I´m trying to make a breakthrough here in the country... =) Here's a video of "Mademoiselle K":


On Sunday, we experienced a completely different but very cultural experience...a quinceaños party for Elvis´s "cousin" (we´ll call her a cousin because that´s what you call relatives here when you aren´t quite sure of the relation!) It was in a little town out in the countryside and was oh-so-salvadorean! I think that i have finally met all of the relatives that are still living in the country! We had a big lunch of "sopa de gallina india" (literally, hen soup...its really a lot yummier than it sounds!) and then hen with rice and salad and an insane amount of fresh, hot tortillas (tortillas here not your typical mexican tortillas that you are thinking of...they are about a 1/2 inch thick, made of corn, and a staple food in any typical salvadorean dish). The best part was that the hen was cooked in a clay pot over a wood-burning stove!

After stuffing ourselves, they proceeded to have a sparkling cider toast for the newly fifteen year old, in which they passed around the microphone to practically every single person there to say something. That´s pretty typical here too...the fact that everyone is expected to share words for the birthday boy or girl, even if it´s not a quinceaños. Which, is great and really meaningful when you are celebrating a close friend´s birthday, but pretty awkward for me when it is a "cousin" that i have never met before in my life. i pushed myself to the back of the crowd so far that i was actually outside of the house, on the street when they called my name to come up and say a few words. Luckily, one extra bonus of being married is that now Elvis can say that kind of stuff that gets me nervous, and say it on behalf of us both! so i lucked out! then they started up the discoteca in the living room and starting dancing (check out this sound system!!!) This was my favorite part, when the girl's grandma started hitting the flower in the ceiling with an umbrella to get the confetti to fall on the birthday girl and her dad as they were having the first dance:

Elvis and I in the gardens: