Quarterly Review 7 - Video

It helps, now and then, to step back

and take the long view.

-Prayer Honoring Pd. Oscar Romero

With the Quarterly Review Video, my aim is to give you the long view in a short time. This quarter I wanted to use a song that is well known here in Peru, a song that captures the sound of Peruvians partying.

Ráfaga is an Argentine group, but they're all over the radio these days in Cusco. So their biggest hit, “Una Cerveza” (A Beer) is the perfect choice. The lyrics (which you can find after the jump) are about “dedicating [one]self to alcohol” after a lover walks away. Yet the music is clearly joyful. That's what a lot of Andean music is like – sad topics sung happily. There is great joy inside the tears. There is hope inside the sorrow. There's fun to be had even when life is painful.

Don't worry dear readers, I haven't recently had my heart broken by a faithless lover. But I am having fun despite the pains that I have shared in. I'm not dedicating myself to alcohol, but if we're celebrating, I'm down to share una cerveza.

Key events this quarter include

• San Pedro, San Pablo – the festival of the patron of Andahuaylillas (St. Peter). It's a full day of celebrating mass, processions, traditional dances, and a town fair.
• The visits of two high schools from Texas
• Teacher Appreciation Day – which is a thousand times better than it is in the States. The students put on a pageant and then go home early. Teachers stay behind to eat a lunch served by the parent association and then party.
• Día del Logro (Accomplishment Day) – the open house where students present everything they've learned in a semester.
• My friend Deepti's visit – I can't express how wonderful it is to have friends who love you enough to cross the world to visit you. I know you're reading this Deeps, many thank yous!
• The FyA Mini-Congreso – The biggest event I will be involved in planning and running this year.
• FyA 44 Anniversary – FyA 44 is 21 years old! Now it can enjoy that cerveza back in the States too. A highlight week of the year, it was packed with mass, dances, and a school fair. Hey, that sounds similar to San Pedro, San Pablo.
• Party at the Jesuits' – Remember the recent post about music at the JesRes? Here's some of the video of that night.

Porque vos, se nota que no me querés se nota que ya no hay amor y yo me dedico al alcohol. Una cerveza voy a tomar, una cerveza quiero tomar y así olvidarme de aquella trampa, de aquella trampa mortal. Otra cerveza voy a pedir, otra cerveza para brindar y no quedarme sin esperanzas, sin esperanzas tal vez. Porque vos se nota que no me querés se nota que ya no hay amor entonces ya no hay más que hacer y yo me dedico al alcohol bis Amor, amor.

Because of your, it's clear that you don't want me it's clear there is no love anymore and I dedicate myself to alcohol. I will drink a beer I want to drink a beer and forget about that cheat, that terrible cheat. I will ask for another beer another beer to toast and not stay without hopes, without hopes Because of you it's clear you don't want me it's clear there is no love anymore there there's nothing else to do and I dedicate myself to alchol My love, my love.

*My secret to avoiding faithless lovers? Being single.