Carnaval Days 1 & 2
The madness officially began yesterday like a tiny baby lion that doubles in size each day.
I went to the first parade, which immobilized a large chunk of downtown with throngs of standing on-lookers. What was on parade? KIDS KIDS KIDS. Yep, it was a preschool through high school costume extravanganza with a vaguely futuristic theme (lots of stars, moons, aliens–and princesses?). It was very cute, and I snagged some decent esquites off a street cart.
Last night was the burning of the bad humor, which I didn’t attend because it was a school night and I am a lame-o who goes to bed before midnight. The bad humor is a giant effigy made to resemble somebody or something of which the general populace would like to be rid. My teachers and I were betting on George W., but this year the organizers decided to be a little more heady and a little less catty and made it a giant dollar sign to represent the worldwide economic crisis.
Tonight was the coronation of the king and queen infantiles–yup, kids again. It took place on the monstrous stage they built in the zocalo and after the crownings (the king and queen each had separate, elaborate posses of Carnaval royalty) there was a firework display right OVER OUR HEADS. Over a tree-lined downtown plaza, which rang all kinds of panic in my lived-in-a-desert heart. It’s a good thing everything here is built with stones and coral. But the deepest impression made by tonight’s ceremony was that of the child-queen’s dress. It was a beautifully purple, sumptuous ballgown with an absurd train and layers and layers of floaty, glittery fabric, and, prominently displayed in the front, two GIANT SILVER SEQUINED PEGASUSES OMG.
I did not know before that I wanted such a thing but now I know I need one.