miss primavera 2008

It was a chaotic day at the Hogar on Tuesday. None of the girls had school because it was the first day of spring, Dia de la Juventud, and Dia de Amistad. Instead, they spent the morning getting ready for Miss Primavera 2008 which is a pageant they have every year. 42 girls were running around like divas getting their hair and make up done. It was pretty intense. As many of you know...dress up is not really my cup of tea. But I helped out where I could. We made a pretty legit runway which I was pretty excited about. Most of the girls seemed to enjoy the attention and getting all dolled up. But there were some who wanted nothing to do with it. In the middle of everyone running around like crazy...there sat Rosaula and Natividad. They had just arrived that morning. Both are 14 and were brought to the Hogar because they ran away from home. There are supposed to be here for two months before they are sent back home. When I saw them, they were sitting on a bench by the office. I have never seen girls their age with eyes that looked as tired, bored, and zoned out as theirs did. I was on my outside to get some fresh air and decided to say hi and try to strike up some conversation. Rosaula barely moved her lips when she spoke and I had to lean in pretty close to hear what she was saying. They were cold and wanted to go sit outside and sit in the sun but they were told they had to stay there on that bench while everyone else was getting ready. I went looking for a Mami to ask permission to go for a walk outside with them. We finally made our way outside and found a little hill to sit on. Hot diggit...did that sun feel good! I was not really sure if I was bugging them or not...and then Rosaula just put her head on my shoulder and almost fell asleep. When it was time for the pageant to start, I was sad to leave our spot in the sun. But the rest of the night went well and the next thing I knew, I was designated photographer...perfect. Now I have all these girls handing me their email addresses so I can email them pictures of them in the gowns. I wonder how long it will take me to upload all 255 of the pictures. On my way home, I stopped by the Plaza de Armas to check out the outdoor concert going on. It was pretty crowded. I bought a sandwich and stood off to the side watching for a while. It was nice seeing everyone out there with their friends celebrating Dia de Amistad. I felt very alone watching everyone smile and sing along to the music that I had never heard before. I was frump girl in the corner pigging out on her sandwich. But it was okay...I knew that we are always with each other in spirit.