Si se puede (Days of Awe)

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It felt so great to hear the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, it's such an important mitzvah. However, spending Shabbat Shuvah with 40,000 screaming, chanting Ecuadorians probably is not a mitzvah.

I have been in Quito three times now in the past ten days. First for Rosh Hashana and now for Yom Kippur and on Saturday I saw Ecuador tie Uruguay and win an invitation to the World Cup.

It is only the second time in history that Ecuador has gone to the World Cup and everywhere before the game people were shouting "!Si se puede¡" (yes can)

I have definitely learned that "Si se puede", all it takes is a trip to the grocery store.

On Erev Rosh Hashanah I came to Quito defeated. I had tried e-mails and phone calls but couldn't find a Jewish Community to be with on the holidays. I had decided to spend Rosh Hashanah alone in a hostel room with my prayer book and some apples and honey. But while I was looking for my apples at the grocery store I overheard someone talking in English about services at the synagogue. I spun around and introduced myself to Mari Titus. She didn't feel comfortable inviting me to the synagogue (security is enormous) but she gave me some phone numbers and wished me luck. When I ran into her that night after Rosh Hashanah services we both almost cried--- she felt so terrible that she hadn't helped me enough and I felt so wonderful that she had helped me so much.

The next day I spent Rosh Hashanah at the synagogue and at the Titus family household with Mari, Sean (age 10), and Jonathan (age 6). It was wonderful. I'm going over to their house tonight for dinner.

I didn't get a chance to see the Titus's when I was in Quito this weekend. I spent my entire time in the Stadium.

We got to the soccer stadium at 10am and bought our tickets for $40. That was a weeks worth of salary for Rafael but this game was that important (imagine paying around $300). And we went straight inside. The game started at 4PM, the arena was full by 11AM, and there's no assigned seating. By 1PM standing room only had all but disappeared and people were practically on top of each other. All day we were chanting and singing. Things got rowdier and rowdier as 4 o'clock approached. When the players came out onto the field the stadium ignited --- literally. People blew up fireworks, ripped out emergency flares, and lit newspaper torches on fire. I thought if things escalated anymore it would be absolute mayham. And then at 4PM it began... and everyone sat down and didn't make a peep. It was ridiculous. I thought there was going to be bloodshed, but besides a few fights that broke out because some guy couldn't see over the guy who had forgotten to sit down, nothing happened. It all went calm. We still broke out in song (after being around these fans for 6 hours I knew all the songs by heart) and chanted a lot, but no riots, no brawls, no deaths, all was calm. Ecuador didn't score a goal, but it didn't matter, they needed a tie to go to the World Cup, and the game ended zero-zero.

No one slept in Quito that night. Cars packed the streets and car horns filled the air until dawn. I hung out with Ecuadorian strangers in the street for most of the night as we continued singing and chanting.

These have definitely been ten days of absolute awe.

-Aaron

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Comments

[Greg]

I took care of it
Dear Aaron, Don’t worry, I got your e-mail about Tivo-ing Sex and the City, the Hillary Duff Show, and Hanity and Colmes on Fox News. Once I transfer it, I’ll let you know. Anyway, it sounds like quite an interesting time down there. I am glad that you were able to observe your holidays and I will never forget the time you invited me into your circle in Leon. On to different business, besides those Tivo-ed shows, if there is anything from the EEUU that you need/want/crave that can fit into a box and sustain itself sufficiently for the trip, please let me know. Anyway, I need to draft a presentation for my boss to try to convince him to upgrade our office systems. Take care. Sincerely, Greg

[Michael]

Preservation Hall
Hey Aaron, I realize this is about 3 months too late, but I saw a story on CNN today about Preservation Hall and it reminded me how we searched for it forever when I was in New Orleans in July and couldn't find it. Well, apparently it's at 726 St. Peter, basically at the corner of Royal and St. Peter, 1 block northeast of Jackson Square. Just thought you might like to know. I hope all is going well with you. Talk to you later, Michael