Soy Andina: The Blog

Soy AndE-news: Earthquake Update | Lincoln Center | Ballet Folklorico Peru

Last week's e-news about the Peru earthquake generated lots of responses from people wanting to help. Thank you.

Many of you donated to "Soy Andina." We built a large community along the way. Now I'd like to help steer support back to Peru, to the country that has given me so much.

Click here for updated info. I've posted links for donating and other ways to help. Relief efforts are just beginning.

P.S. - If you scroll down the blog, the comments section to the Aug. 21 post includes some of the responses from last week.

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SCREENING AT LINCOLN CENTER (Sept 12, 18)

Tickets now on sale. Please buy them in advance. DON'T be disappointed. I hope and expect the screening will sell out.

Also read about and buy tickets to other terrific films in the series. Most will be very difficult to see elsewhere. As Barry Rebo from Emerging Pictures says (they are partnering with Lincoln Center to bring Latinbeat to cities nationwide):

"Latinbeat is THE Film Festival for new Latin films in the U.S"

Schedule and tickets here

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BALLET FOLKLORICO PERU (Sept 28, New York)

Tickets: Same deal as the film. I'll be reminding and cajoling you to buy them IN ADVANCE :) Their shows typically sell out. This will be the biggest, best one yet. And part of the proceeds will go towards Ballet's scholarship fund for their dance school.

Info here

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MORE NEWS

Many other screenings are in the works or scheduled....

But hey, know what? I'll fill you in in the weeks ahead.

Support the earthquake victims, and grab your tickets for Lincoln Center and Ballet Folklorico Peru. That's enough, for now! :)

Thanks for reading as always - Mitch Teplitsky

Peru Earthquake Update: More Ways to Help

DONATE NOW (tax-deductible)
The following are links directly earmarked for Peru earthquake help, with reputable organizations:

Care
Caritas
Madre/Lundu
(focus: Afro-Peruvian families in Chincha Alta, Cañete)
Oxfam America
Red Cross
Save the Children
Unicef
WorldVision

IF YOU'RE IN PERU:
Consider a donation through The American and Canadian Association of Peru, which guarantees direct distribution

T-SHIRTS DESIGNED BY PERUVIAN-AMERICAN ARTIST
Great idea

HOW TO PREPARE FOR AN EARTHQUAKE
A succinct guide

Soy AndE-news: Peru Earthquake, How to Help

Undoubtedly you know about the Peru Earthquake story.

I wanted to offer ways to help from outside Peru. People with blogs I like and trust are recommending the Red Cross:

Global Voices
Peruanista
PeruFood

These blogs also offer personal perspectives and links to help you understand the story beyond the headline.

Thanks to everyone who asked about our friends and family in Peru. Everyone we know is fine (but reported how scary it was to be in buildings shaking for two minutes).

But all the people we were in touch with were in Lima. The main damage took place 100-120 miles south, in Pisco, Ica, Chincha.

Actually, just as I was about to send this out, I got this email (from a volunteer member of the Civil Defense who posted on the Peru Expat Listserve) that broadened my perspective a bit:

"The media and public attention is focused in Chincha, Pisco and Canete which are the most important affected cities in the south and where the most severe and impressive damages are shown.

But nothing is said about the remote rural areas far away in the inner valleys of Canete, Chincha and Pisco. Help hasn't reached those places. Resources are not enough and are directed mainly to those three cities....There the people are left forgotten..."

We never get the whole story, right away, from any media. That's the takeaway for me.

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A quick update about Soy Andina:

Tickets now on sale for Lincoln Center, and the complete Latinbeat festival is also online

More about that in weeks ahead.

Thanks as always for reading/forwarding.

- Mitch

U. of Pennsylvania / Wharton Alumni helped make Soy Andina Happen

Soy Andina is a film about Peruvians reconnecting with roots and community, but in the process, so has the gringo filmmaker (yours truly). One example: I reached out to graduates of my alma mata, the University of Pennsylvania and Wharton Business School. Many contributed funds and time to make this film happen. Thank you.

From Summer '07 Wharton Alumni Magazine
click to enlarge

Latinbeat 2007: Press Release

The Film Society hasn't yet posted the Latinbeat festival on their site, but they have released a press release announcing the lineup, so you can get an early peak at the series by clicking below. (Journalists, you can contact the Film Society's press office for permission to attend press screenings or download images)

Here's one article already published over at Newsday

K.C. the Wonder Dog

Hometown: Hudson County, NJ
Current Home: Falmouth, MA
Age: Nine
Status: Single
Favorite Food: Lomo Saltado

K.C. is one our oldest and loyal friends here in the Soy Andina community, and it's time to honor her.

K.C. grew up around Peruvian culture all her life, having been raised cooperatively by Nelida Silva and the legendary Camacho clan in Hudson County. Neli describes the early years:

More reactions from Kearny

From Renato Varas (whose company, the Varas Group, imports Chicha Morada from Peru - read more about them here):

Thanks for putting together an excellent documentary about Peru's customs. It continues to bother me how very few try to educate others about all that our country has to offer. I always wonder if we're proud enough as a people about our origins; I say this because I see other cultures with a lot less history and less natural resources than Peru do so much more. I guess this is a big challenge for Peruvian people to educate the world about how rich a nation we have.

Anyway, my biggest observation is how Cynthia left the U.S a girl and came back a woman. The maturity combined with her experiences there had a very big influence in her outlook about life. You can see it in gestures, manners, body language, etc. I'm glad Cynthia needed to find out who she really was and went for it. It took courage and obviously she evolved as a person and woman. Indirectly with this project you helped Cynthia find herself.

I think we can all learn from Nelida about how proud we all should be about our ancestry. Nelida showed how deep her roots are and how stubborn she can be about expressing it. I think our community should take a lesson from her book.

I also search within to find out who I am, where am I going and what my real desires are. This documentary reminded me of the essence that makes a person and a nation. Gracias.

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From Karla Corcuera:

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Soy Andina screening a the Kearny Public Library and had a great time....Soy Andina was excellent!!!

From left to right: Anna de La Torre, grammar school teacher; Nélida Silva; Karla Corcuera, owner, KC Document Services; Ana Maria Quispe, Founder, The Tiksi Group; Katty Rivera, Nuestra Comunidad newspaper

Screening at the Kearny Public Library

Thank you Ana Maria Quispe of The Tiksi Group for organizing our presentation to the Peruvian community in Kearny! Here's Ana Maria's email thanking our other contributors:

Dear friends:

Soy Andina as usual inspired us. Special thanks to:

- Judy McCarthy, Kearny Library Director, who allowed The Tiksi Group to make this possible.

- Fred and Renato Varas from the Varas Group who donated Chicha La Limena (purple corn drink).

- Martha Arbulu (TIKSI member) who donated the wonderful alfajores.

- Antonio Quispe (my father) who donated the Empanadas.

- I offered potatoes with huacatay, a wonderful herb from my father's garden, this plant has its origins in Huancavelica, Peru, and is mostly used in Europe for its rich oil to make expensive perfume.

Your Andean sister, Ana Maria Quispe

Señor Cuy

Just found this website for Señor Cuy, showcasing the diverse regional preparations of this classic Andean dish. In San Isidro, no less!

Picante de Cuy Aijino (Ancash)

Latinbeat Poster at Lincoln Center

Thanks to Doug Klosterman for taking these, back from his own Peru sojourn with lovely photos....and thanks to Florencia Castello, the Argentine-based photographer who took the photo of Cynthia dancing in Carmen, Peru!