Ok. So my Danish friend told me that they had a great children’s choir during Sunday mass at the cathedral, and asked me if I wanted to go. Sure! I mean, I’ve already brought Liana to bars to hear music, might as well hit the cathedral.
Of course we arrive late. My friend explains that the children sit up front. She meant the kids singing, but what do I know? So we push our way up to the second pew, past hundreds and hundreds of devotees. There is one man sitting at one end of the pew, and one woman on the other end, with plenty of room in the middle, and so mid-sermon, we excuse ourselves and plop down. Ummmm….. I seemed to have brought the only stroller in the church, so we left it beside the pew.
Now the music was wonderful. It was not only a choir, but a full children’s orchestra. And Liana loved the music. The sermons, however, she found quite dull. So she wanted to be on my shoulder. No. On the floor. No. On my lap. No. She took off one shoe. And waved it around for everyone to see and squealed gleefully. Have I told you how excellent the acoustics were? No, on the floor. No. On the lap. One sock off. Threw the sock on the floor. Up on my shoulder. Now!!! Let’s take off the other shoe. Have you every cuddled a restless octopus? As I tried to retrieve the shoes before they went flying towards the father himself, I caused great offense to the princess, who howled in what sounded like agony. Have I told you how good the acoustics were?
Well, my friend stuck her daughter’s bottle in my daughter’s mouth, which bought us precious minutes of silence. Several people around us were giggled, amused and sympathetic, but the fellow next to me just exuded displeasure with the whole spectacle.
Finally we left, walking down the middle isle just as several angelic little boys were carrying candles down that same isle, in full view of hundreds (thousands?) of Antigua’s most outstanding residents, most of whom will clearly recognize my face as that of the gringa who disrupted mass.
Afterwards we hung out with the vendors who sell street food to the after-church crowd. My friend had something to eat while the two year old daughter of one of the vendor’s entertained Liana, and I made chit chat with the locals, who, unlike the church crowd, seemed to think we were funny and delightful.
Of course we arrive late. My friend explains that the children sit up front. She meant the kids singing, but what do I know? So we push our way up to the second pew, past hundreds and hundreds of devotees. There is one man sitting at one end of the pew, and one woman on the other end, with plenty of room in the middle, and so mid-sermon, we excuse ourselves and plop down. Ummmm….. I seemed to have brought the only stroller in the church, so we left it beside the pew.
Now the music was wonderful. It was not only a choir, but a full children’s orchestra. And Liana loved the music. The sermons, however, she found quite dull. So she wanted to be on my shoulder. No. On the floor. No. On my lap. No. She took off one shoe. And waved it around for everyone to see and squealed gleefully. Have I told you how excellent the acoustics were? No, on the floor. No. On the lap. One sock off. Threw the sock on the floor. Up on my shoulder. Now!!! Let’s take off the other shoe. Have you every cuddled a restless octopus? As I tried to retrieve the shoes before they went flying towards the father himself, I caused great offense to the princess, who howled in what sounded like agony. Have I told you how good the acoustics were?
Well, my friend stuck her daughter’s bottle in my daughter’s mouth, which bought us precious minutes of silence. Several people around us were giggled, amused and sympathetic, but the fellow next to me just exuded displeasure with the whole spectacle.
Finally we left, walking down the middle isle just as several angelic little boys were carrying candles down that same isle, in full view of hundreds (thousands?) of Antigua’s most outstanding residents, most of whom will clearly recognize my face as that of the gringa who disrupted mass.
Afterwards we hung out with the vendors who sell street food to the after-church crowd. My friend had something to eat while the two year old daughter of one of the vendor’s entertained Liana, and I made chit chat with the locals, who, unlike the church crowd, seemed to think we were funny and delightful.
On another note, have I told you what an adventurous eater this kid is? We went to a Mexican restaurant last night, and I ordered mole poblano for me, and a crepe for the princess. But guess what!!!! The kid LOVES mole poblano!!!!! Picante tambien? Are you reading this Yolanda? As my favorite poblana, I want you to know just how cool my daughter really is!!!!
