19.04.08 Line dancing with the vice minister for culture

In honesty, all of the above is a lie: he was the acting vice minister, it was synchronised dancing in lines rather than “line dancing” and I, of course, was not doing it with him. I know there is a time and a place for my freeform air maracas, and this was not it. We were at a practice for the Gran Poder, a religious, dancing festival. Our relatively small group of 60 is one of 56 teams taking part. It’s a huge event and our lot are regular award-winners for best dancers and best costumes. They were extremely welcoming and friendly, especially in their ill-advised efforts to get me dancing. I hope to follow them until the big day of the Poder itself—a celebration of Christ’s great power merged with the old pagan faith in Pacha Mama.