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"Ponche crema" (also written "ponchecrema") is a typical venezuelan drink, specially for Christmas. You can get it all year long in liquors stores or supermarkets... but I woundent have a sip of ponchecrema from January until November. It´s a December celebration's drink. (Specially on the 24th and the 31st).
What is it like? Very simple: very sweet, "thick-heavy-with body", white liquid. You can make your own with Venezuela's finest rhum "Aniversario" + milk + condemsed milk + one egg + a little bit of nutmegg.
MIX REALLY WELL and chill.
But you always can buy a bottle of the original brand "Ponche Crema de Eliodoro González P."
The homemade one you mush make, chill and drink. The "comercial" one -once opened- you can save it in the refrigerator for ever... for next Xmas. And that is something you really want to drink in a venezuelan snowless Chistmas.
Be merry!!!
And dont forget:
One pochecrema
two ponchecremas
three ponchecremas...
DRUNK!!! Leave a Comment
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Although we are open to any kind of forein Xmas traditition and celebration: xmas trees, carrolls in English, german breads, italian pandoro and pannettone, spanish "turrones", french bois de noel, the welcoming of the spirit of xmas on Dec. 21rst, wearing funny earings from the U.S., getting dressing in red and green, etc... our tradition in Venezuela is to put a "Nacimiento". A nativity scene with San José, Virgin Mary, the mule and the "buey" (oak?), a little white lamb, people from Belén (Bethlehem), the STAR and three holly kings, which in Spanish are called Reyes Magos (magician kings). We dont place Baby Jesus in the nativity until December 24th, when he was born.
This tradition, of course, comes from Spain. We were, if not discovered, at least found by Cristóbal Colón (Columbus) and then colonized and christianised by spaniards. Since colonial times, "nacimientos" are our tradition.
There are simple, modern, original "nacimientos" (like the one in the pic) and there are the trully traditional ones that require lots -tons- of work. With boxes covered with thick brown paper (like the ones of the groceries stores) you built a landscape with mountains and a valley.There always has to be a river -blue painting and glitter- that runs down from the mountain and ends up in a lake (a mirror...). Then is the whole mise-en-scene of the nativity moment.
You can see this everywhere: in houses, in the churches, in the subway, in the schools... anywhere.
Now, a sexual-reproduction thought:
Virgin Mary was virgin.
San José was much more older than Mary and it is said that he could not have any kids.
The mule is a mixed animal: is the result of the intercourse of a he-donkey and a she-horse; or a she-donkey and a he-horse. This mixed animal can not reproduce. It cant.
The "buey" is a castrated he-cow. A bull with out testicles (cutted in order to have an strong, but mild, animal for working in the field purposes).
Has this ever come up to your mind? Leave a Comment
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Baile = dance. Terapia = therapy. Bailoterapia = dance therapy.
In Venezuela we love to dance no matter what: from caribbean rythms such as salsa, mambo, rumba, guaguancó, merengue, son, perico ripiao,bachata, danzón, conga, chachachá, bugalú, cumbia, porro, etc... to dances from any other country: samba from Brasil, tango from Argentina, waltz from Austria, flamenco from Spain, etc.etc.etc.
In gyms, dancing schools, and parks (on the weekends) you can find a bailotherapist (a man or a woman), dancing boneless and with rythm and energy.
And there we are, trying to do the same steps and succeding.
In 2004 I went to two parties where a bailotherapist was hired. On the first party: 2 hours dancing with a gay professor and the men in the party (ooohhh sooo machos) backed up inmediately.
Actions were taken and, on the following party, the teaching services of the young lady in jeans and black long hair (in the picture) were hired. Within 5 minutes all of the men came to dance. In this picture you can only see Juan Francisco "El Pollo" ("The Chicken") who -with or with our rythm- will dance no matter what. We spent 4 hours dancing. Next day our eyelashes didnt hurt... but everything else...!!! Leave a Comment
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Before Hugo Chavez (our "President", or should I say dictator?) the Venezuelan flag wasn't very popular. There was a lot of people who didn't even have one (including us).
Now, ever since the opposition took the streets to protest against the government of Chávez, Venezuelan flags have become very popular.
Now we own them, wear them and carry them with pride. Leave a Comment
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Forget Santa, the reindeers and Rudolph. We venezuelans, who are so open to forein Xmas traditions and characters, dont believe in Santa Claus. Probably because we dont have chimenies.
BUT WE HAVE BABY JESUS: our dear darling "Niño Jesús".
Somewhere the spanish xmas present celebration got confused in Venezuela. In Spain, in Puerto Rico, in other latinamerican countries, are the 3 holly kings the ones to bring presents to the kids on Jan 6th (as they did with baby Jesus 2004 years ago). But here in Venezuela, the one that brings presents is the sweet little new born baby Jesus, on the morning of Dec.25th. Extrange traditition, but ours, and a very loved and dear one.
Kids are now writting their letters to "El Niño Jesús". My mom (83) wrote hers as well.
HURRAY FOR EL NIÑO JESÚS!!!
¡¡¡Feliz Navidad!!! Leave a Comment
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I'm NOT dreaming of a white Xmas... How could I?!?!?! It's imposible; I'm realistic... In Caracas you cant!!! It's sooo sunny here!!!
Now... about the Xmas tree... of course that is not a local tradition of our own, but we dont care!!! In our houses, next to the Nativity figures: Baby Jesus, Virgin Mary, Saint José, the 3 holly kings: Melchor, Gaspar & Baltazar, one little lamb, we put our Xmas tree.
It can be a real one (imported from Canada, very expensive); a fake one (that you ensamble every year); or this trully original that we have on the balcony of our apartment.
Venezuelans are open to any kind of celebration: Xmas Spirit on Dec 21rst, Xmas trees, Turkey, Xmas Carrolls in English. Unfortunaltely not many people know about the miseltoe tradition. I must spread the news this Xmas. I'm going to see if I can find miseltoe in Caracas. I will wear it in my hair with a hair pin.
THERE ARE NO EXCUSES FOR CELEBRATION!!!
Güigüichu a Merry Xmas 2004 and a Happy New Year 2005!!!
(photo credit: Alejandro Dembo) Leave a Comment
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In Spanish is simply called "escudo", which means "shield".
El Escudo Nacional. But I checked my dictionary and it said: heraldry, an escutcheon, coat of arms. My friend M.C.Valecillos from Tsukuba, Japan, assured me that the correct way to say it is: "National Coat of Arms of Venezuela".
So, there...
Thank you once again, M.C. Leave a Comment
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In Venezuela we have good cigarettes brands. Belmont and Astor, for example. Our tobacco has a superb quality. These cigarettes are milder if compared to Malboro (which you can also get in Venezuela).
Smoking is allowed in certain places, in certain areas, but, to tell you the truth, this XXI century is comming rather smoke free. Leave a Comment
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Is called: ¡Gloria al bravo pueblo! (Glory to the brave people!).
Lyrics by Vicente Salias; music by Juan José Landaeta.
President Antonio Guzmán Blanco declared it our oficial national anthem on May, 25th, 1881.
Whenever you hear it, you are supposed to stand up, sing with respect and period. Yes. Period. No clapping at the end, no whisteling, no yelling "hurray"!!! No. The end and absolute and respectful silence.
But... that is the way it was... young people nowdays, clap, whistle, root and chear... I guess I will have to get used to it.
Here it is:
GLORIA AL BRAVO PUEBLO
Coro
Gloria al bravo Pueblo
que el yugo lanzó,
la ley respetando
la virtud y honor.
I
¡Abajo Cadenas!
gritaba el señor;
y el pobre en su choza
Libertad pidió:
A este santo nombre
tembló de pavor
el vil egoísmo
que otra vez triunfó.
Coro
-II-
Gritemos con brío:
¡Muera la opresión!
Compatriotas fieles,
la fuerza es la unión;
y desde el Empíreo
el supremo Autor,
un sublime aliento
al pueblo infundió.
Coro
-III-
Unida con lazos
que el cielo formó
la América toda
existe en Nación;
y si el despotismo
levanta la voz,
seguid el ejemplo
que Caracas dio.
Coro
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listen to the music on the www below. Leave a Comment
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on September 2, 2003
on November 28, 2004
on January 14, 2003
