Fiestas Patrias 2009

As I mentioned already last year, the 18th September is Chile's national day (see here). This year it was not very different. I was working again, the same folk group came, the organization of the event and the folk show this year were a little different, people were less up on the mountain, but the spirit was the same. The show presented folklore from Chiloé Island, a very peculiar place in the south of Chile, that I will visit soon, and the typical cueca. There was also some acting together with the dancing. In what is called a repicada, one of the girls came to pick someone from the audience (which turned out to be me!) to dance in a very provocative way, while her partner would try to start a fight, in jealousy. The act would continue after the dance, now with the guy trying to pick someone from the audience and the girl making a fuss. It ended with them making up and dancing together. It was very funny, specially because I didn't know all this before. Finally, it ended with the cueca and I saw myself drawn into a contest. Luckily, I had had one cueca lesson a couple of days before and got myself a second place! Not bad at all!

Chocolate Chilote