The significance of Wednesday...

The Significance of Wednesday… An odd title I agree! What is so significant about Wednesday? And regardless of any significance whatsoever, why are OCN‘s marketing staff spending precious hours writing about Wednesday‘s when they have far more pressing work to do. These are natural questions to ask. And yes, I have to admit I probably could be doing more important things right now. But, I think sometimes we should all follow the advice of an old lady I met a-top a mountain en-route to Machu Picchu which was, ‟HEY YOU! Stop and smell the roses!″. In more colloquial terms, take your time, and not be so keen to press on that you forget to reflect on things and see the value in them. So it‘s with that piece of advice in mind that I feel I should share with you all a reflection of one particular Wednesday. But first, purely because I and probably you have never looked at Wednesday‘s with such interest before, and since the title of this tale demands it, let‘s delve into the significance of Wednesday some more. Did you know…Buddha, was the god of Wednesday, or that in the famous children’s book, Winnie the Pooh, the disagreeable weather is attributed to it being ‟winds-day″ (Wednesday). According to the Thai solar calendar, Wednesday is the also the color green, and in recent research it’s been concluded Wednesdays are a good day to ask for a pay rise but a bad day for driving. And for over a decade now phone network giant Orange has sought to add to the reputation of Wednesday as a significant day by offering cinema goers two for one, terms and conditions apply! These are good reasons to think Wednesdays are ok, but the particular Wednesday I am concerned with however, was the 3rd July. Ahaa you say, well then maybe I am talking about 3rd July 1871, when the famous Jesse James robbed a bank in Corydon, Iowa for a sum at the time of $45,000, somewhere equivalent to tens of millions in today‘s money. Or 3rd July 1863, when The Battle of Gettysburg came to an end, serving as a turning point in the American Civil War. Or perhaps even this date in 1994, when the 108th Wimbledon Men’s Tennis Final saw Pete Sampras beats Goran Ivanisevic (76 76 60), or when ten years later, in 2004, Maria Sharapova as a 17 year old defeated two time champion and top seed Serena Williams sparking the beginning of ‟Maria Mania″. Perhaps finally and for all you movie junkies you might be thinking Im referring to the 3rd July that either Tom Cruise, Julian Assange or Sebastien Vettel were born, without whom the world would be a far less interesting, noisy and action-packed place. True. But these are not the Wednesdays or 3rd Julys I am talking about. Sorry to disappoint. No. And here is the climactic ending … Wednesday 3rd July, the most significant of them all was the OCN PUB QUIZ! All this over this over a quiz…! And isn’t it true that the quiz takes place every other week, SO WHY ARE YOU GETTING ALL JUMPED UP ABOUT ONE PARTICULAR WEEK!? Yes, okay you got me! But your missing the point! This quiz is something to be remembered and for all the right reasons . First and foremost, the quiz sets about to achieve great things, not only, of its participants on the night, who make that MENSA crowd look like a bunch of dummies and who help to create some of the most memorable faces when it comes to “pass the balloon between the legs” game, or even of its bar staff who serve some of the best cakes and beverages on offer in South America, not just these, no. Its undoubtedly the greatest feat of Wednesdays and indeed the pub quiz that every week through the generosity of the attendees it manages to fundraise and support one of our projects here in Huanchaco, the skate ramp project. If you haven’t heard about or seen the skate ramp its situated up in the hills on the outskirts of Huanchaco town. Set in the heartland of a shanty town, called the Cerrito de la Virgen, its inhabitants originate from an area which suffered from the ENSO phenomenon. ENSO, or El Nino Southern Oscillation, was a natural climatic reoccurrence that caused excessive rainfall about 13 years ago, and it caused damage worth over $3.5 billion. Because the government was unable to meet the needs of all those who suffered especially with regard to housing, many were settled in arid landscapes, one of these in La Libertad, Cerrito de la Virgen. With little to no support from the government, with not even electricity and water available, inhabitants since have led difficult and simple lives. Education and social activity for the families and their children have been put to one side, as their lives become more concerned with the most basic human instinct, survival. However, Otra Cosa Networks volunteers saw potential and an opportunity to make a difference to the lives especially of the children here, and began a process which in its final product delivered a skate ramp on a plot of land donated by a local surf school. Pub Quizmaster and Skate Ramp Manager had this to say about it all. “Helping at the skate ramp has really shown me how much the kids value this project. Often they are stuck outside all afternoon with nothing to do, waiting for hours since their parents are out working long hours. This project gives them a chance to play and learn in a safe environment for a time which they may otherwise be in much more dangerous and unforgiving environments. The project has very stretched resources and money from the pub quiz really helps since new materials are fundamental to sustain the project and the safety and enjoyment of the children and the piece of mind the project gives to the parents. A fun evening funding a great cause, viva la pub quiz!” So there it is, the significance of Wednesdays! Please come along and help support our efforts and we look forward to seeing you at Meri Hostel (near the pier) - 8:30pm (Peruvian time).