Carolina Valdes HCOM 100 Mon/Wed 1-2:15/Toomey Title: The Culture of Alpaca Breeders Specific Purpose: To inform the audience about the culture of people who breed alpacas. Introduction Attention Material: Who can tell me what these are? (picture of alpacas) And who can tell me what purpose they serve? Well, I am hoping that after this presentation, You would be able to know all you need to know about the alpaca. Thesis Statement/Preview: Today I am going to talk about the culture of alpaca breeders. To better understand the culture, I will inform you about the history of alpacas and their breeders, how to maintain your alpaca, and the uses for alpacas. (First, let’s take a look at the lives of the alpaca and their breeders!) Body I. Alpacas and their breeders have a very distinct and interesting culture that not many people are aware of. A. The history of Alpacas starts off in the ancient Inca civilization. 1. Here they were vital to the Incan society in South America. 2. They weren’t imported to the United States until 1984. 3. They haven’t spread across the world at all. They have mostly stayed in South America. According to Northwest Alpaca traders, 99% of alpacas still live in Peru, Bolivia and Chile. 4. Alpacas come from the camelid family, along with the camel and llama. Alpacas resemble a small llama. B. There are two types of alpacas, the Suri and the Huacaya. 1. The only real difference between the two is their fur. 2. The Suri’s coat is longer and straighter, almost like dreadlocks. 3. The Huacaya has tightly bound curls, which makes their coat look fluffy. C. Here are some Basic facts about Alpacas 1. They are on average 36” tall to the withers. They measure to the wither, which is the ridge between their shoulder blades. 2. They generally weigh between 100 and 200 pounds. 3. The alpaca lifespan is 20 years. 4. They eat hay or grass, but they are also known to eat anything, such as paper or a bottle. 5. They spit. They make noises, like humming or a click, but when they are in a fight or they are frightened, they can make a high-pitched cry, but this is pretty rare. 6. If you are interested in buying one, it could cost anywhere from $100 to $500,000. D. Moving on, Alpaca breeders are just as important as Alpacas themselves. 1. Most people who breed alpacas use this as their only source of income, although many people also just enjoy them and do it for fun. Yet, it is a lot of work and is considered a full time job. 2. A lot of organizations around the world for Alpaca trainers and breeders. The biggest one is AOBA (Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association). They hold conferences, auctions, training sessions, and online blogs where you can post all sorts of cool information or stories about your own alpaca. Another one is AFCNA (the Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America. This organization accepts alpaca fur and turns it into products. 3. Just to name some others: The Alpaca Nation Community Central, The Alpaca ...

1. Carolina Valdes
HCOM 100
Mon/Wed 1-2:15/Toomey
Title: The Culture of Alpaca Breeders
Specific Purpose: To inform the audience about the culture of
people who breed alpacas.
Introduction
Attention Material: Who can tell me what these are? (picture of
alpacas) And who can tell me what purpose they serve? Well, I
am hoping that after this presentation, You would be able to
know all you need to know about the alpaca.
Thesis Statement/Preview: Today I am going to talk about the
culture of alpaca breeders. To better understand the culture, I
will inform you about the history of alpacas and their breeders,
how to maintain your alpaca, and the uses for alpacas.
(First, let’s take a look at the lives of the alpaca and their
breeders!)
Body
I. Alpacas and their breeders have a very distinct and interesting
culture that not many people are aware of.
A. The history of Alpacas starts off in the ancient Inca
civilization.
1. Here they were vital to the Incan society in South America.
2. They weren’t imported to the United States until 1984.
3. They haven’t spread across the world at all. They have
mostly stayed in South America. According to Northwest
Alpaca traders, 99% of alpacas still live in Peru, Bolivia and
Chile.
4. Alpacas come from the camelid family, along with the camel
and llama. Alpacas resemble a small llama.

2. B. There are two types of alpacas, the Suri and the Huacaya.
1. The only real difference between the two is their fur.
2. The Suri’s coat is longer and straighter, almost like
dreadlocks.
3. The Huacaya has tightly bound curls, which makes their coat
look fluffy.
C. Here are some Basic facts about Alpacas
1. They are on average 36” tall to the withers. They measure to
the wither, which is the ridge between their shoulder blades.
2. They generally weigh between 100 and 200 pounds.
3. The alpaca lifespan is 20 years.
4. They eat hay or grass, but they are also known to eat
anything, such as paper or a bottle.
5. They spit. They make noises, like humming or a click, but
when they are in a fight or they are frightened, they can make a
high-pitched cry, but this is pretty rare.
6. If you are interested in buying one, it could cost anywhere
from $100 to $500,000.
D. Moving on, Alpaca breeders are just as important as Alpacas
themselves.
1. Most people who breed alpacas use this as their only source
of income, although many people also just enjoy them and do it
for fun. Yet, it is a lot of work and is considered a full time job.
2. A lot of organizations around the world for Alpaca trainers
and breeders. The biggest one is AOBA (Alpaca Owners and
Breeders Association). They hold conferences, auctions,
training sessions, and online blogs where you can post all sorts
of cool information or stories about your own alpaca. Another
one is AFCNA (the Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America.
This organization accepts alpaca fur and turns it into products.
3. Just to name some others: The Alpaca Nation Community
Central, The Alpaca Registery, The Alpaca and llama Show
Association.
4.
(Transition: Now that we can understand Alpacas more in depth,

3. we can learn how to maintain them.)
II. Maintaining an alpaca as a domestic pet, or to breed can be
very difficult if you don’t know how.
A. It is really hard to train an alpaca, but some easy things you
can do with it are:
1. Get it’s attention, put a halter on it and attach a leash to that.
Pull the leash and make the alpaca move and be able to take off
the leash without it running away. (Its not that cool, but it is
generally a huge accomplishment if they can do all that.) (Point
out halter on powerpoint slide)
2. They are capable of doing more, they have the brain capacity
to do so. Some rare tricks that very rare alpacas can do are:
throw balls, play chess, play golf, and a lot of other weird
things. You can youtube videos to find out more tricks they can
do.
B. Taking care of an alpaca is also time consuming and requires
a lot of upkeep. (speed up on this section, not as important)
1. You need to have about 5 to 10 acres to house your alpaca,
and it needs to be enclosed in a pen. Have to be able to
transport them to the vet, ect. If need be. You need to sheer
your alpaca once a year. That is an important necessity! And
then obviously you need to keep them up to date with their
shots, and you need to keep their housing clean.
2. It is very important to have a guard dog to protect them. “We
have a gun that's handy for stray dogs. While we don't like to
kill an animal, we have to protect our livestock. We live next to
a state gameland where people tend to dump their dogs. An
animal left to fend for itself will kill your alpacas when they are
starving. And sometimes a dog will kill just for fun as one local
owner lost 10 of his alpacas to a dog that somehow managed to
get in one of the pastures.” Owning alpacas.com
(Transition: Lastly, we will move on to discover the many uses
of the alpaca.)

4. III. The alpaca breed has been used for many different purposes
over the past centuries.
A. The main thing that alpacas are used for is their fur coats.
1. The fur is clipped yearly from the alpaca and it causes them
no pain at all. Ilovealpacas.com says it is so popular because it
is as soft as cashmiere but also stronger than wool. It also is
available in 22 colors, which is more than any other fun animal
in the world. The yarn is sold in many common stores and can
be made for anything, such as hats, scarves, panchos, shirts,
anything!
B. Other uses of the alpaca include packing, carting, showing,
and nursing home hospital helpers. (Slow down, explain a little)
C. The most money producing thing alpacas are used for is
breeding.
1. There are less than 50,000 alpacas living in the United States
today, so it is in high demand to breed them.
2. You can sell a breeding female anywhere from $8000 to
$30,000, or even higher
Conclusion
(Make sure to click to last slide)
Summary Statement: In conclusion, Alpacas are great animals
that aren’t very well known throughout the world. I hope you
now know a little bit more information on the history of alpacas
and their breeders, how to maintain and alpaca, and the many
uses for alpacas.
Concluding remarks: I encourage all of you to go out and
discover a little more about alpacas so that you can see how
unique these animals are. If our knowledge on the subject grows
a little more, than maybe the interest of the alpacas can grow as
well. If you ever have the time, you should visit and alpaca
farm and meet an alpaca breeder yourself! Thank you!
References
“Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association”,2010.

5. http://www.alpacainfo.com”
“About AN”, 2000 <alpacanation.com>
“American Breeders Co-Op”, 2010 <ilovealpacas.com>
“Northwest Alpacas”,2010 <alpacas.com>
PAGE
1
Albuloushi
Mohammad Albuloushi
May 15, 2013
Mr. Pelle
English 101-84
Gergean
Introduction
Gergean is a traditional festival that has its roots in many Gulf
countries. It is an opportunity for parents to show how proud
they are of their children for fasting during the holy month of
Ramadan. Children usually dress in traditional clothes and go
around the neighborhood in groups holding small bags and
singing special songs. Gergean is held on the 13th, 14th or the
15th of Ramadan when the moon is full. This celebration is like
the Arab version of Halloween, but without the scary part.
Children go from one house to another and knock on neighbors’
doors asking for candy and nuts. It is like a holiday made
especially for children to help them through their fast and
encourage them to fast every year.
Ramadan is a time for all Muslims globally to call upon God
and re-evaluate their lives as apart of the Islamic guidelines.
This is a time to make peace with those who have wronged
Muslim individuals, a time to strengthen family and friendship

6. bonds as well as get rid of bad habits (Elsheshtawy, 34)
. Fasting during the month of Ramadan is not just physically
fasting but rather the complete and full commitment of one’s
body and soul to the spirit of the fast (Peterson, 50)
.
Discussion
Majority of the Arab nations celebrate Ramadan. However, each
has another way of celebrating the end of the Ramadan. In
Kuwait, a special celebration referred to as Gergean is usually
held when the moon is full during Ramadan. It is considered to
be a traditional festival having its roots in majority of Gulf
nations (Kurtass, 62)
. During this particular festival, parents are given the chance to
exhibit their pride in their children for having fasted during the
holy month of Ramadan (Elsheshtawy, 35)
. As mentioned earlier, Ramadan is a time when all Muslims,
young and old, are called upon to fast completely during
daylight hours. Those exempted from the fast are the elderly,
pregnant women, women experiencing their monthly cycles at
that time, the sick and infants. Children above the age of 12
years are allowed to fast if they are in perfect health (Peterson,
55)
.
The Process of Gergean
Gergean is the Western version of Halloween or trick or
treating. This particular festival or celebration is held every
13th, 14th or the 15th of Ramadan (Peterson, 56)3. At the time
of the festival, children are dressed up in traditional clothes and
go around the neighborhood in small groups while holding bags
and singing special songs (Elsheshtawy, 36)2. The only part that
misses in this Halloween-like tradition is the scary part of it.
Children usually ask for chocolate and candy. This is a time
which majority of the children look forward to at the end of the
Ramadan as they get the opportunity to run around the
neighborhood, play games with each other while knocking on

7. other people’s doors. It is also a time when children get to
socialize with others and make new friends. They also tend to
show off their candies and chocolates they have collected from
their neighborhood (Kurtass, 64)
.
Why it is Different than it was in the Past
Gergean is considered to be a tradition that is celebrated by
older generations who are also passing it to the next
generations. Even though it is a tradition event that everyone
looks forward to at the end of Ramadan and during the full
moon, no one really knows of its origin. When asked, majority
of Kuwaitis say that they found the tradition already in practice
(Elsheshtawy, 37)
. It has, however, been observed that the manner in which
Gergean is celebrated in the 21st Century is not the same as the
way it was celebrated in the past. This can be attributed to the
fact that car accidents and some violence in the neighborhoods
has been increased, and most parents tend to feel that it is no
longer safe for their young ones to run around the
neighborhood, knocking on other people’s doors. In the recent
years, there were a lot of car accidents, which ends with an
injury or death of many young children that were celebrating
Gergean in the neighborhoods. In short, parents are scared for
their children, and they are today very protective over their
safety. What has now become the order of the day during
Gergean celebrations is that families visit their families where
children come together and have a lot of fun (Kurtass, 66)1.
Since they are together with their families, these children have
the privilege of staying up late and eating as much candy as one
desires.
Where it is Celebrated
Gergean is a tradition that has originated from Kuwait and
spread to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Elsheshtawy, 38)
. Those Saudi Arabians who have the privilege of going to
Kuwait for business tend to spend a number of years in the

8. country. While there, they tend to pick on a few traditions, one
of them being the Gergean tradition, which they later bring back
to Saudi Arabia. This particular tradition is then spread among
one’s family and neighborhood (Peterson, 58)
. It should be remembered that children do not necessarily fast
every day of the Ramadan month, but rather for as long as they
can. They can fast for as much as they can handle of the days of
the Ramadan month and break their fast afterwards. Gergean
celebrations is a way of rewarding children for having fasted for
that long, even if they did not complete the days required for a
complete Ramadan fast, which is 30 days (Kurtass, 68)
. This is an important time for children to learn how to be
obedient and faithful as per the Islamic guidelines. Gergean
celebrations encourage children to fast in the course of the next
Ramadan month in order to get more candies and gifts as a
reward for their efforts (Elsheshtawy, 39).
The History of Gergean
Some people claim that the festival Gergean was originated
when the grandson of the prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was born.
Hassan, the prophet’s grandson, was born in the middle of the
holy month of Ramadan. People went to visit the prophet’s
home to congratulate him on the birth of his grandson. The
prophet’s daughter, Fatima, started giving her relatives and
people around her some colored candy in the 15th of Ramadan.
Thus, people began this tradition since that day and many
people still have this tradition, which occurs in the middle of
Ramadan.
Works Cited
Elsheshtawy, Yasser. The Evolving Arab City: Tradition,
Modernity and Urban Development. London: Routledge. 2008.
Print.
Kurtass, Muthanna Al. Mecca and the Baron, Faith and Me.
USA: AuthorHourse. 2009. Print.

9. Peterson, Carol. Around the world through holidays: Cross
curricular readers theatre. Westport, Conn.: Libraries
Unlimited. 2006. Print.
�Elsheshtawy, Yasser. The Evolving Arab City: Tradition,
Modernity and Urban Development.
London: Routledge. 2008. Print
� Peterson, Carol. Around the world through holidays: Cross
curricular readers theatre.
Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited. 2006. Print
1 Kurtass, Muthanna Al. Mecca and the Baron, Faith and Me.
USA: AuthorHourse. 2009. Print.
2 Elsheshtawy, Yasser. The Evolving Arab City: Tradition,
Modernity and Urban Development.
London: Routledge. 2008. Print
3 Peterson, Carol. Around the world through holidays: Cross
curricular readers theatre.
Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited. 2006. Print

10. � Kurtass, Muthanna Al. Mecca and the Baron, Faith and Me.
USA: AuthorHourse. 2009. Print.
� Elsheshtawy, Yasser. The Evolving Arab City: Tradition,
Modernity and Urban Development.
London: Routledge. 2008. Print
� Elsheshtawy, Yasser. The Evolving Arab City: Tradition,
Modernity and Urban Development.
London: Routledge. 2008. Print.
� Peterson, Carol. Around the world through holidays: Cross
curricular readers theatre.
Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited. 2006. Print
� Kurtass, Muthanna Al. Mecca and the Baron, Faith and Me.
USA: AuthorHourse. 2009. Print.
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