HERE COMES THE JUDGE, HERE COMES THE JUDGE
It all started out innocently. I was invited out to a small town about a half hour from where I am working to have some fun at a little festival. Sounded like a fun thing to do on a Sunday. It was sunny when I caught a bus at the terminal. When we got to Pijal (the town), a few of us got off the bus, and started the 15 minute walk up to the town on the stone cobbled road. There was more than one place where nature had reasserted herself and returned what men had done to mud. Luckily I had forgotten to change into my boots before leaving the hotel. I was in boat shoes. We passed a minga. That´s a communal work group to do what individuals can´t do by themselves. They were working on a house, and there must have been 30 men and women in all. All accompanied by music. Remember that scene in Witness, where the Amish have a communal barn raising? That´s what we´re talking about. Cool – first one I ever actually seen.
When I arrived at the festival, it was already going full blast. Pijal is a Cayambe community. That´s another indigenous group. They are to the Otavalo what the Seneca are to the Mohawk. Culturally, they are very similar, but distinct. I don´t know how to distinguish Otavalo men from Cayambe men. Traditionally dressed, they both wear alpargatas (shoes), white pants, a blue poncho, and a felt fedora hat. Cayambe women, on the other hand, have a long pleated skirt that is frequently red, while Otavalo women wear a two-part black skirt (an anaco) that is straight.
Anyway, the women already had a number of stalls set up, and were cooking a variety of traditional foods, including cuy (guinea pigs). My friend wasn´t there, but according to Ecuadorian culture, I immediately started meeting people. One was the mayor of the town. A minute or two later, I was informed that I was going to be one of the four judges at the festival. Oh really?! Three competitions: artesanias (crafts), danza (dance) and comida (food). Up on the stage with the other judges.
Let the dancing begin! three dance groups of young teenagers. The real agenda here is to promote the perpetuation of a culture that is exposed daily to global cultural forces. The secondary agenda is to learn how to present their culture for tourists – an important economic objective. In the end, the rookie, picked the top group. Despite being gringo, I was able to identify the best dancers. All those years of looking at anthro films finally paid off.
Next came the food. About 20 dishes, and three traditional drinks. One of them was chicha (a mildly fermented drink made from blended corn). Blenders have replaced women in the creation of chicha. They used to chew the corn up and regurgitate it into bowls. The saliva apparently accelerated the fermentation process. Four dishes featured cuy. All of the dishes I picked finished in the top five, and I had the top dish, which was a vegetarian delight. Thank you, Emeril!!!
Likewise I had the top pick in crafts. I expected to be o.k. there because it IS my specialization in anthropology. I picked the embroidery of a woman because of the quality of her stitching. Beautiful colors on a white cotton background.
So what´s the point of all this? General education! Today was a validation of the arts and letters. Where would I have been with out college courses in the arts, college programming, the food channel and A&E? Looking like a fool! You never know what´s around the corner, or awaiting you in Pijal. You never know when that show you watched on Martha Graham will pay off in dividends for World Peace and International Relations!
