Tipping a rustic hand-created clay pitcher while holding a homemade decorated cup, Giulliana Tamblyn, president of the Latino-Canadian Association of Northern B.C., demonstrates a simple tradition well known to her people of South America.
Celebrating small-town life in Peru with great enthusiasm, workers would put in a long week of labour and return home to enjoy chicha, the traditional fermented corn beverage, with family and friends.
And just like that celebration, Viva lo Caliente, presented by the Latino-Canadian Association of Northern B.C., will be held Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Hart Community Centre where everyone is welcome to enjoy a night of Latin culture and cuisine while dancing the night away to live Latin band Cada Uno.
"This is our eighth Viva lo Caliente fundraising event," Tamblyn said. "Our organization celebrated 10 years last October and we didn't have a chance to celebrate our tenth anniversary yet so we are hoping at this event we are going to be able to do that. This event is to show our Latin culture to Prince George."
Along with the cultural cuisine, music, and dance, there will also be a pinata.
"So people can hit the pinata and there are several prizes as well," Tamblyn said. "We are hoping to raise some funds for our organization. We want to keep our community together and our culture strong."
The association likes to support people who are in need and offers English classes to minimize the language barrier.
"We would like to see our organization development programs especially for those women and families who are facing a difficult time in our community," Tamblyn said.
Many people who come from foreign countries experience culture shock when they arrive in an atmosphere so unique to them, she added. In Latin culture, family is a strong component for emotional support when times are tough. When one family moves to another country they are often left feeling quite isolated, Tamblyn explained.
"I feel sad about that," Tamblyn said, looking at her friend Maria Delgado-Chinchajoa sitting at the table, who moved to Canada about a year ago. "So I would just love to see more involvement from not just Latin people but even Canadians. I think it's in everybody's best interest to have a healthy community. So I am trying to begin a social group within our organization which will meet once a week where we will just be sharing issues people are facing and sometimes that's all you need."
Tamblyn is also looking at programs to immerse local Latin families into Canadian culture.
"So we'd like to raise some funds so that we can provide these opportunities to the local Latin families," Tamblyn said.
Tickets are $70 each and available at Books & Co., 1685 Third Ave., or by calling 250-962-5374.
