My heart was racing…. eyes darting side to side, and I was constantly looking over my shoulder for fear I would be attacked. The warriors come out of nowhere, armed and ready.
Then, for a split second, when your guard is down… BAM… you’ve been carnival-ed.
Carnival-ed, by my definition, is more of a hit and run situation. The victim is pegged with a mixture of flour, water, paint, raw eggs and foam accompanied by a enthusiastic scream, and kids (and adults) scampering away with sheer satisfaction.
I have never experienced quite the ordeal before.
Every person I ask doesn’t know the reason for the holiday, but everyone is thankful for a four-day weekend so let the celebrations begin!
At Ecuasol, Fridays consist of a fun activity, so naturally, last weekend they celebrated Carnival, complete with games and then of course, the onslaught of flour, water and eggs that made for some pretty awesome-smelling clothes, and a lot of freezing children.
Although Carnival has now surpassed Halloween as my least favorite holiday, I am grateful to say I have experienced it. I successfully played the “I have a camera” card at the Ecuasol carnival to avoid getting creamed with the festivities, but on a leisurely walk through Old Town Quito, I let my guard down (rookie mistake) and was hit from behind by someone I never saw coming. Many of my squad mates found themselves in the middle of a foam and paint fight that will definitely be one for the books.
I’m learning the importance of embracing culture and activities that make me uncomfortable. Although I myself didn’t buy a can of foam from the street corner (although in hindsight maybe being armed would make me less of a target), I am proud to say, we have experienced something new this month – and who knows – `maybe we will bring it back to the States… but no promises.. 🙂
