The Chaos, I mean the Science Fair
I knew it was going to be a long day, but I didn’t exactly know what was planned for the Science Fair. As you’d expect, kids brought their projects and displays, set them up, and there were judges. What you might not expect is that it was second through twelfth grade and it was from 7:00 – 2:30. What were the students supposed to do? Sit with their display for 7 1/2 hours with nothing to do! Really? You expect a 7 year-old to sit and do nothing for 7 1/2 hours? I’d like to see that. Unfortunately, I didn’t.
I was one of 4 people on duty (read: crowd control) for the room designated for the second – sixth graders.
Did kids run around, misbehave, and fight? Of course they did. Did students listen to anything I had to say? Oh no they did not. I’m continually amazed by the lack of tears at my school. At the Science Fair I saw 5 different kids crying. There was blood, broken glass, experiments ruined, kids running around with dry ice (I actually saw one girl drop it in her mouth), yes, it was complete chaos.
That’s when I realized the actual genius of the whole day – the whole thing was a science experiment! An experiment in human behavior! Truly, this was an amazing idea.
Since I realized that the day itself was an experiment, I decided that I would write it out in the scientific method.
Problem Question: What will happen if you put about 250 seven – twelve year olds in a room with nothing to do but sit with a science experiment for 7 1/2 hours?
Objective: To understand human nature.
Hypothesis: It will take less than one hour for several kids to start behaving very badly.
Materials: Students, too few teachers, and science projects.
Data Collection:
• Some amazing displays and experiments quite obviously done with an incredible amount of parental help and money.
• No consequences for actions
• Lack of chairs. Many students who were repeatedly told to sit down, had to share a seat. When the extra chairs did finally arrive about 3 hours in, it was a frenzy. Seats disappeared as fast as they would for a sold out rock concert.
• There were actually a few engaging experiments: plants removing petroleum from water, which generation has the best memory, green roofs, and apparently warm whole milk is a stain remover.
• Getting bumped and run into multiple times, never with an apology.
• Ants taken from experiments were everywhere they shouldn’t be.
• Lots of falls, fights, and hurt feelings
• No positive behaviors rewarded (although I tried with little success)
• Pink hands
• Running with dry ice
• Cornstarch head to toe
• Me being overjoyed with the two students who were smart enough to bring 'Uno' and a 'Gameboy' to play. Never had there been a better time for video games.
• I asked a responsible 6th grader if it was like this last year, she said, “It’s been like this every year.” Unbelievable, yet true.
Results: ¡Qué desorden!
Conclusion: My hypothesis proved to be more than accurate. This could have been a great day where students learned about science, with activities and problems to solve. Instead it was a free-for-all. Students could have had breaks and seen a science show. They could have been led in science experiments. To save money and coordination, they could have just had a screen and played videos of ‘Bill Nye, The Science Guy’.
There were some fabulous student experiments. I wish kids could have had a bit more time actually engaging with these projects. With a little organization, other kids might have even gained some scientific knowledge from their fellow students. Kids could have been doing something, anything, but alas they did, and as far as I could see, learned nothing. I'm sure they learned something while doing their projects (although it appeared that many of the projects were mainly done by parents), but the disorganization of the day was too much. Ultimately, for me on crowd control duty, it was an exercise in frustration. I think some of the kids enjoyed the day, but I do hope for next year that they can do more than just sit for so long. More adult supervision and a schedule of activities to follow would really help the event in the future.
Based on her experience of the day, a high school student volunteer said, “I could never be teacher.”
I said nothing. I was thinking, “Honey, if this was teaching, I wouldn’t be one either.”
I need to thank God for my ability to see humor in chaos.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Rio Don Diego ¡Divino!
Rio Don Diego ¡Divino!
After a night of getting drenched, super loud techno music and mosquitoes that kept us awake, Yoyi and I eventually fell asleep in wet clothes and covers in our tent on the beach at Casa Grande. When we arose I was disappointed that the waves were no good for surfing. Fortunately, it was beautiful and sunny, and the beach was tranquil, so I took advantage of the hammock while my clothes dried.
Yoyi disappeared down the beach for a while and I’m sure he ran into multiple friends. He knows practically everyone everywhere we go in Colombia. I was getting a bit too much sun and went to find him. He had planned a day for us. We were going with his friends somewhere, (going where, and doing what, I didn’t know) and it was supposedly a surprise for me.
Five of us piled in a 4 x 4 few and headed to Rio Don Diego. This was about a 1/2 hour drive from where we’d been, up on the Caribbean coast, east of Santa Marta and Parque Tayrona. When we arrived, I still didn't know what was going on, but I saw a river and a bunch of inner tubes, so I put 2 and 2 together. It was gorgeous.
Rio Don Diego
Sweating up the trail with inner tubes in hand
Luis + inner tube herding cows
Our probably 12 year-old guide, Luis, escorted us on a trail alongside the river with inner tubes in hand.
We passed some arahuaco indigenous people.
Seriously, could that child's face be any cuter?
And there was some wildlife.
I love how roosters and chickens just wander around everywhere
Doe-eyed cows
The model iguana. I swear he posed for me.
We finally got to the entry point on the river after about 45 minutes of hiking up the trail and sweating like mad. The cool river was divino.
Ahhh!
¡Divino!
We slowly floated down the river for about an hour and a half and it was plain and simply delightful. Quiet, serene, and extremely relaxing are descriptions that come to mind. Here's some of the scenery looking up from the inner tube on the river:
Spanish moss
An amazing array of birds in flight
The canopy of trees overhead
A little house like this one already built next to the river apparently costs about $5000-$7000 USD. The Carribean sea is also less than a mile away. Not too shabby.
Cabaña del rio
It was indeed a nice surprise and very different from anything else I’ve done in Colombia so far. There were moments when I saw the ferns next to the river that reminded me of Oregon, but then I realized that it was about 90 degrees, I was sweating wearing a bikini, and it was November. This is definitely Colombia.
After a night of getting drenched, super loud techno music and mosquitoes that kept us awake, Yoyi and I eventually fell asleep in wet clothes and covers in our tent on the beach at Casa Grande. When we arose I was disappointed that the waves were no good for surfing. Fortunately, it was beautiful and sunny, and the beach was tranquil, so I took advantage of the hammock while my clothes dried.
Yoyi disappeared down the beach for a while and I’m sure he ran into multiple friends. He knows practically everyone everywhere we go in Colombia. I was getting a bit too much sun and went to find him. He had planned a day for us. We were going with his friends somewhere, (going where, and doing what, I didn’t know) and it was supposedly a surprise for me.
Five of us piled in a 4 x 4 few and headed to Rio Don Diego. This was about a 1/2 hour drive from where we’d been, up on the Caribbean coast, east of Santa Marta and Parque Tayrona. When we arrived, I still didn't know what was going on, but I saw a river and a bunch of inner tubes, so I put 2 and 2 together. It was gorgeous.
Rio Don Diego
Sweating up the trail with inner tubes in hand
Luis + inner tube herding cowsOur probably 12 year-old guide, Luis, escorted us on a trail alongside the river with inner tubes in hand.
We passed some arahuaco indigenous people.
Seriously, could that child's face be any cuter?And there was some wildlife.
I love how roosters and chickens just wander around everywhere
Doe-eyed cows
The model iguana. I swear he posed for me.We finally got to the entry point on the river after about 45 minutes of hiking up the trail and sweating like mad. The cool river was divino.
Ahhh! 
¡Divino!We slowly floated down the river for about an hour and a half and it was plain and simply delightful. Quiet, serene, and extremely relaxing are descriptions that come to mind. Here's some of the scenery looking up from the inner tube on the river:
Spanish moss
An amazing array of birds in flight 
The canopy of trees overheadA little house like this one already built next to the river apparently costs about $5000-$7000 USD. The Carribean sea is also less than a mile away. Not too shabby.
Cabaña del rioIt was indeed a nice surprise and very different from anything else I’ve done in Colombia so far. There were moments when I saw the ferns next to the river that reminded me of Oregon, but then I realized that it was about 90 degrees, I was sweating wearing a bikini, and it was November. This is definitely Colombia.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Internet Connection - It’s Like Pulling Teeth
Internet Connection - It’s Like Pulling Teeth
As a follow up to previous posts Solución? Extracción and Just One of Those Ridiculous Little Technology Things, I thought I’d let you know what happened with my tooth and the internet. Let’s put it this way, having my wisdom tooth pulled was painless in comparison to the internet.
It actually took longer getting the shots of novocaine than having the tooth pulled. The oral surgery itself was painless. The dentist is a star. The recuperation was not very difficult either. It helped having Yoyi cook, clean, and generally make sure I was okay during my recovery. A week and a half later I feel like I’m back to my normal mouth. Gracias a Dios.
I do have an internet connection again, but only after repaying my 82,000 pesos ($45), which I had “lost” (Read: Comcel pocketed the money after changing their policies). Sadly, my North American colleagues, Kären and Dave have also “lost” their 82,000 pesos as well. Everyone knows it’s crazy, but there doesn’t seem to be anything that can be done. Sometimes I guess that’s just the way things go.
As a follow up to previous posts Solución? Extracción and Just One of Those Ridiculous Little Technology Things, I thought I’d let you know what happened with my tooth and the internet. Let’s put it this way, having my wisdom tooth pulled was painless in comparison to the internet.
It actually took longer getting the shots of novocaine than having the tooth pulled. The oral surgery itself was painless. The dentist is a star. The recuperation was not very difficult either. It helped having Yoyi cook, clean, and generally make sure I was okay during my recovery. A week and a half later I feel like I’m back to my normal mouth. Gracias a Dios.
I do have an internet connection again, but only after repaying my 82,000 pesos ($45), which I had “lost” (Read: Comcel pocketed the money after changing their policies). Sadly, my North American colleagues, Kären and Dave have also “lost” their 82,000 pesos as well. Everyone knows it’s crazy, but there doesn’t seem to be anything that can be done. Sometimes I guess that’s just the way things go.
Sharpie es Mi Compañero
Sharpie es Mi Compañero
Why is it that I dislike my job so much? The disorganization of the school is frustrating as can be, but that’s not it. I’ve been pondering this question a lot lately and I think I finally got to the bottom of what it is.
I figured it out the day there was a retreat called RUAH. I thought this was an acronym for something, but Gingi, the fantastic leader, told me that Ruah is a Hebrew word that means ‘spirit’.
At this retreat the students did community-building activities. Gingi lead them in 2 minutes of silence. They tried it 8 times before they did it, but they finally were silent for 2 whole minutes and that made me realize they can do it. They had to cooperate as a group to get anything done. My favorite part was the goofy song he made up before the shirt signing: Sharpie es mi compañero, Sharpie es mi compañero, Sharpie, escribe sobre todo. This made me laugh pretty hard.
Sharpie es mi compañero
I had the chance to step back and observe my students. It was good to see them working so well together. I observed Gingi and thought, “This person is making a difference,” and that’s when it hit me.
I brought one laminated thing to hang on my wall here, and it is a quote by Gandhi. It is, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I guess this really sums up why I teach: to make a difference. It’s never been about money really, it’s always been about helping people.
I’ve been here almost 4 months and I’ve been getting headaches and stomachaches lately and wondering why. Besides the extremely loud volume at school, I think it’s the undeniable feeling that I am not making a difference. I do not feel like I’m helping my students become better people. I do not feel connection, which is very unusual for me especially after this long. I have been in classrooms for one day and felt, “Today I made a difference.” Clearly this doesn’t happen everyday anywhere. Teaching is not some magic thing that turns people into saints and miracle workers, nor is it a pill like Prozac that makes the teacher feel good.
After Ruah there was a closing ceremony where students were given awards for teamwork. Gingi had the students listen as he thanked the teachers. He had the students bless the teachers for our hard work. He said that we are here because we want to be here. I got a sinking feeling in my stomach of, “I’m not sure I want to be here.” I know I like teaching, but I’m not sure if here is the best match for me. I feel like I need to be making a difference, and right here, right now, I don’t.
Could this change? Of course it could. I know this has to do with me as much as it does with my school. Unfortunately, here I feel kind of like the un-me. I’m occasionally eating chicken after 20 years of pescetarianism, I’m not recycling anything because I can't, I’m not doing as much yoga as I should, and feel like I’m not being the most effective teacher for my students. I got an e-mail this week from one of my students I had 5 years ago. She said she wishes she could be in my class again. It reminded me that I can be the change I wish to see in the world. I think the key word here is change.
Why is it that I dislike my job so much? The disorganization of the school is frustrating as can be, but that’s not it. I’ve been pondering this question a lot lately and I think I finally got to the bottom of what it is.
I figured it out the day there was a retreat called RUAH. I thought this was an acronym for something, but Gingi, the fantastic leader, told me that Ruah is a Hebrew word that means ‘spirit’.
At this retreat the students did community-building activities. Gingi lead them in 2 minutes of silence. They tried it 8 times before they did it, but they finally were silent for 2 whole minutes and that made me realize they can do it. They had to cooperate as a group to get anything done. My favorite part was the goofy song he made up before the shirt signing: Sharpie es mi compañero, Sharpie es mi compañero, Sharpie, escribe sobre todo. This made me laugh pretty hard.
Sharpie es mi compañeroI had the chance to step back and observe my students. It was good to see them working so well together. I observed Gingi and thought, “This person is making a difference,” and that’s when it hit me.
I brought one laminated thing to hang on my wall here, and it is a quote by Gandhi. It is, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I guess this really sums up why I teach: to make a difference. It’s never been about money really, it’s always been about helping people.
I’ve been here almost 4 months and I’ve been getting headaches and stomachaches lately and wondering why. Besides the extremely loud volume at school, I think it’s the undeniable feeling that I am not making a difference. I do not feel like I’m helping my students become better people. I do not feel connection, which is very unusual for me especially after this long. I have been in classrooms for one day and felt, “Today I made a difference.” Clearly this doesn’t happen everyday anywhere. Teaching is not some magic thing that turns people into saints and miracle workers, nor is it a pill like Prozac that makes the teacher feel good.
After Ruah there was a closing ceremony where students were given awards for teamwork. Gingi had the students listen as he thanked the teachers. He had the students bless the teachers for our hard work. He said that we are here because we want to be here. I got a sinking feeling in my stomach of, “I’m not sure I want to be here.” I know I like teaching, but I’m not sure if here is the best match for me. I feel like I need to be making a difference, and right here, right now, I don’t.
Could this change? Of course it could. I know this has to do with me as much as it does with my school. Unfortunately, here I feel kind of like the un-me. I’m occasionally eating chicken after 20 years of pescetarianism, I’m not recycling anything because I can't, I’m not doing as much yoga as I should, and feel like I’m not being the most effective teacher for my students. I got an e-mail this week from one of my students I had 5 years ago. She said she wishes she could be in my class again. It reminded me that I can be the change I wish to see in the world. I think the key word here is change.
Friday, November 20, 2009
El Día Ideal en la Costa Caribe
El Día Ideal en la Costa Caribe
This was the first day of a 3-day weekend and it was time to do something fun before my dental surgery. After the gym, I went to meet Yoyi in Prado Mar and when I arrived the waves had returned and there was a little surprise for me.
These were bigger than the itty-bitty waves on Halloween, these were respectable waves. I surfed, and laughed, and surfed some more. Yoyi and I surfed together, hence no photos.
Las olas han regresado
We went to find wax, because the long board was a little bit slippery. We didn’t find any, but we did find these…
Could it be turtle love?
When we returned to the beach, one of Yoyi’s friend’s had prepared lunch for us.
Deliciosa cojinua, patacones, y ensalada. Mira el gato.
From having little...
...to having even less
While we were eating it started getting windy and we ducked for cover under a palm thatched kiosko and finished eating our cojinua, patacones, y ensalada. Watching the storm roll in was somehow thrilling.
La tormenta viene
Some of the locals looked at me kind of like, "Who are you extranjera and what are you doing here?"
"Quien es la rubia gringa?"
The sky got darker...
kioskos y los nubes oscuro
... and darker
Then the storm blew over.
Yoyi suggested going to Catillo Salgar for the sunset, which sounded fantastic to me.
We walked all the way out to the edge of this wall with nothing but the wall and the waves crashing around below.
The sun did set and rather beautifully.
Salgar
The waves were rather sizable back at Prado Mar, so a few people were surfing at night, but my camera did not let me take pictures because the flash wouldn't reach what I was trying to photograph. I did get this picture though.
Prado Mar at night
This was the first day of a 3-day weekend and it was time to do something fun before my dental surgery. After the gym, I went to meet Yoyi in Prado Mar and when I arrived the waves had returned and there was a little surprise for me.
These were bigger than the itty-bitty waves on Halloween, these were respectable waves. I surfed, and laughed, and surfed some more. Yoyi and I surfed together, hence no photos.
Las olas han regresadoWe went to find wax, because the long board was a little bit slippery. We didn’t find any, but we did find these…
Could it be turtle love?
When we returned to the beach, one of Yoyi’s friend’s had prepared lunch for us.
Deliciosa cojinua, patacones, y ensalada. Mira el gato.
He told me that if I had any clothes I didn’t want anymore that I should give them to her because she was a very special person to him. Yes, that and based on the houses people live in here on the beach, she obviously had almost nothing.
From having little...
...to having even lessWhile we were eating it started getting windy and we ducked for cover under a palm thatched kiosko and finished eating our cojinua, patacones, y ensalada. Watching the storm roll in was somehow thrilling.
La tormenta vieneSome of the locals looked at me kind of like, "Who are you extranjera and what are you doing here?"
"Quien es la rubia gringa?"The sky got darker...
kioskos y los nubes oscuro... and darker
Then the storm blew over.
Yoyi suggested going to Catillo Salgar for the sunset, which sounded fantastic to me.
El Castillo
We walked all the way out to the edge of this wall with nothing but the wall and the waves crashing around below.
The sun did set and rather beautifully.
SalgarThe waves were rather sizable back at Prado Mar, so a few people were surfing at night, but my camera did not let me take pictures because the flash wouldn't reach what I was trying to photograph. I did get this picture though.
Prado Mar at nightAll in all this was the kind of serendipitous day I'd been hoping for. Ahh la costa.
Just One of Those Ridiculous Little Technology Things
Just One of Those Ridiculous Little Technology Things
Oh the internet. I love it. It is my communication with the outside world as well as much of my communication here in Colombia and with my school. When the internet stops working, it’s a bit frustrating.
The way things work here, at least for me, is that I do not have a cell phone or an internet plan. I just pay whatever amount I want to recharge them whenever I want. With the phone, whatever I pay gets used per call and text. With the internet it depends on how long you want to recharge it for the per diem rate. The most economical is to recharge it for a month. This is not cheap, but a much better deal than charging it for any time less than a month. It is 82.000 pesos, which is about $45 USD for 30 days. Not cheap at all.
Wednesday, my time with the internet was up, so I trudged up to SAO, the grocery store with the magic cashiers, and recharged my internet for 82.000 pesos. For some reason I just had a feeling that when I left, that something wasn’t going to work out. I went home and sure enough, no internet. I tried again throughout the night with no success. The next morning I tried again and nothing. It was time to head to SAO again.
Yoyi was with me and when we asked the Comcel representative there she said that I’d receive a text message from Comcel saying that I needed to send a text to who knows where and put in a code. What? I understood your Spanish, but that makes no sense! I had one hour to do this from the time I received the text. Did anyone tell me this? Nooooo. Did I have to do this the other months? Noooo. So, she then called up someone who said I had a saldo of 0 pesos (no money in my account) because I didn’t respond to the text. Did I receive the text? Noooo. Why? Because my phone is not my internet modem and in fact, it’s a different carrier. In other words, I had lost $45 because I didn’t respond to the text in the whole hour-long window given.
The thing about this is it’s like some crazy kind of secret message and code – one may say a mystery to be solved by a clever sleuth. There is no paper work on any of this. The representative wrote on a tiny piece of paper a cryptic number code and what to do. She then told us that since I’d lost my money that we should go downtown to the Comcel office and maybe they’d be able to fix it.
We took a cab and waited our turn when the downtown representative came to wait on us. I knew right away, by the way she looked at Yoyi and me, that she wasn’t going to help us. She left and came back 10 minutes later saying there was nothing she could do. I thought this was a bunch of BS, and in fact, I let them know in English that I felt that way. I also stated a bit more vehemently that were thieves who had robbed me, this time in Spanish.
I thought this was totally insane and I told Yoyi how ridiculous I thought it was. He agreed and then said, “It’s Colombia baby.”
Because I’m stubborn, I suggested to Yoyi that, “We should talk to a manager before we leave because this is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard of and I’m sure someone can get in the system and change it. It’s new as of this month, I can’t possibly be the only person this has happened to.”
We went and talked to the manager and she immediately said she’d change it and that I’d be receiving a text within 24 hours. How could they not change it? Isn’t that the right thing to do? I certainly can’t be the only person in Colombia with a different internet and phone carrier.
The thing is my internet modem chip is now in my phone so I can receive the arcane text message. My phone does work, but no one has the number except Yoyi. So if anyone wants to contact me via phone or internet, they can’t. I am home from school because I had my wisdom tooth pulled, so I feel very out of touch.
By the time I post this I’ll let you know how long it took, and if I got my $45 internet back. We left Comcel at 11 am Thursday. Right now it’s 6 pm Friday. No message yet. I’m posting this from my local Zona WAO (read:WIFI) at Centro Commercial Miramar. Despite several phone calls to Comcel today, and revisiting the representative at SAO, I’m not feeling very confident that I’ll get my internet or money. This is one of those things that if it happened in the US, there would be lawsuits out the wazoo. Once again, it seems like it’s time for me to practice patience. I’ve done what I can do, so now I’ll just sit here and wait. As a reminder of this, when I start to get angry, the hole in my mouth where my tooth was starts to hurt. Patience, patience, patience. Yes, patience and maybe it’s time to switch from Comcel to Tigo.
Oh the internet. I love it. It is my communication with the outside world as well as much of my communication here in Colombia and with my school. When the internet stops working, it’s a bit frustrating.
The way things work here, at least for me, is that I do not have a cell phone or an internet plan. I just pay whatever amount I want to recharge them whenever I want. With the phone, whatever I pay gets used per call and text. With the internet it depends on how long you want to recharge it for the per diem rate. The most economical is to recharge it for a month. This is not cheap, but a much better deal than charging it for any time less than a month. It is 82.000 pesos, which is about $45 USD for 30 days. Not cheap at all.
Wednesday, my time with the internet was up, so I trudged up to SAO, the grocery store with the magic cashiers, and recharged my internet for 82.000 pesos. For some reason I just had a feeling that when I left, that something wasn’t going to work out. I went home and sure enough, no internet. I tried again throughout the night with no success. The next morning I tried again and nothing. It was time to head to SAO again.
Yoyi was with me and when we asked the Comcel representative there she said that I’d receive a text message from Comcel saying that I needed to send a text to who knows where and put in a code. What? I understood your Spanish, but that makes no sense! I had one hour to do this from the time I received the text. Did anyone tell me this? Nooooo. Did I have to do this the other months? Noooo. So, she then called up someone who said I had a saldo of 0 pesos (no money in my account) because I didn’t respond to the text. Did I receive the text? Noooo. Why? Because my phone is not my internet modem and in fact, it’s a different carrier. In other words, I had lost $45 because I didn’t respond to the text in the whole hour-long window given.
The thing about this is it’s like some crazy kind of secret message and code – one may say a mystery to be solved by a clever sleuth. There is no paper work on any of this. The representative wrote on a tiny piece of paper a cryptic number code and what to do. She then told us that since I’d lost my money that we should go downtown to the Comcel office and maybe they’d be able to fix it.
We took a cab and waited our turn when the downtown representative came to wait on us. I knew right away, by the way she looked at Yoyi and me, that she wasn’t going to help us. She left and came back 10 minutes later saying there was nothing she could do. I thought this was a bunch of BS, and in fact, I let them know in English that I felt that way. I also stated a bit more vehemently that were thieves who had robbed me, this time in Spanish.
I thought this was totally insane and I told Yoyi how ridiculous I thought it was. He agreed and then said, “It’s Colombia baby.”
Because I’m stubborn, I suggested to Yoyi that, “We should talk to a manager before we leave because this is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard of and I’m sure someone can get in the system and change it. It’s new as of this month, I can’t possibly be the only person this has happened to.”
We went and talked to the manager and she immediately said she’d change it and that I’d be receiving a text within 24 hours. How could they not change it? Isn’t that the right thing to do? I certainly can’t be the only person in Colombia with a different internet and phone carrier.
The thing is my internet modem chip is now in my phone so I can receive the arcane text message. My phone does work, but no one has the number except Yoyi. So if anyone wants to contact me via phone or internet, they can’t. I am home from school because I had my wisdom tooth pulled, so I feel very out of touch.
By the time I post this I’ll let you know how long it took, and if I got my $45 internet back. We left Comcel at 11 am Thursday. Right now it’s 6 pm Friday. No message yet. I’m posting this from my local Zona WAO (read:WIFI) at Centro Commercial Miramar. Despite several phone calls to Comcel today, and revisiting the representative at SAO, I’m not feeling very confident that I’ll get my internet or money. This is one of those things that if it happened in the US, there would be lawsuits out the wazoo. Once again, it seems like it’s time for me to practice patience. I’ve done what I can do, so now I’ll just sit here and wait. As a reminder of this, when I start to get angry, the hole in my mouth where my tooth was starts to hurt. Patience, patience, patience. Yes, patience and maybe it’s time to switch from Comcel to Tigo.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Solución? Extracción.
Solución? Extracción.
I had an incredible Colombian day yesterday, which I will write about soon, but I need to write this post now for soon to be obvious reasons.
Last Saturday I noticed that my jaw was hurting a little bit. By Sunday it was hurting more. By Sunday night I thought to myself, hmm this is a familiar pain, this feels like a wisdom tooth growing in. On Monday it was so bad I could only open my mouth about 1 centimeter. Tuesday was the same, so I made an appointment, with help from my fabulous school secretary, to go see the dentist.
Wednesday after work Yoyi accompanied me to the dentist, not for translation because he doesn’t really speak English, but for helping me navigate the health care system, which is difficult in any country even if you speak the language fluently.
I went in to see the Dr. Cabrera, who was a very nice man who spoke slowly to me.
“Es tu muela cordal. Esta imflamada. Solución? Extracción.”
I was a bit fearful, because any surgery anywhere is scary, but I felt very calm and reassured with this dentist.
Yep, it is indeed the wisdom tooth. My face was a swollen, so he gave me a prescription for amoxicilina for the swelling and potential infection, and 400mg ibuprofen for the pain. He wanted to wait until the swelling went down to do the surgery, so the appointment was set for next Wednesday 11/18.
Yoyi and I went to go get my x-rays in another building, which took all of 5 minutes. There is one tooth growing in on top and another one that is sideways on bottom. An interesting little switch is that I bring these to the appointment, the doctor doesn’t keep them, I do. We also went to get the medicine in a droguería. Since I've been taking the medicine the inflammation and pain have decreased substantially, but I still can’t open my mouth wider than a centimeter because my tooth digs into my gums.
I forgot (or shall I say didn’t know for sure if they were still on that date) about parent – teacher – student conferences next Friday. My fantastic elementary Principal, who is organized despite the disorganization of the school, said I should probably switch the appointment to Tuesday so I could be there. This is when she taught me a very important Colombian word: palanca.
Palanca is translated into English as, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Albeit this is true in the United States, it’s essential in Colombia. If you have palanca you are set. If you don’t have palanca, good luck, you’ll need it. Because of a connection in the school staff, I had the palanca to get my appointment changed from Wednesday to Tuesday.
On Tuesday morning I am getting a wisdom tooth removed here in Colombia. Yikes! Yoyi is coming with me - this time for moral support.
Right now, it’s Sunday morning. Tomorrow is a holiday. I will not be able to do much for a while after my surgery on Tuesday morning. The waves have returned, so today Yoyi and I are off to go surf and camp on the beach in Santa Marta. I might as well go have fun while I can.
I had an incredible Colombian day yesterday, which I will write about soon, but I need to write this post now for soon to be obvious reasons.
Last Saturday I noticed that my jaw was hurting a little bit. By Sunday it was hurting more. By Sunday night I thought to myself, hmm this is a familiar pain, this feels like a wisdom tooth growing in. On Monday it was so bad I could only open my mouth about 1 centimeter. Tuesday was the same, so I made an appointment, with help from my fabulous school secretary, to go see the dentist.
Wednesday after work Yoyi accompanied me to the dentist, not for translation because he doesn’t really speak English, but for helping me navigate the health care system, which is difficult in any country even if you speak the language fluently.
I went in to see the Dr. Cabrera, who was a very nice man who spoke slowly to me.
“Es tu muela cordal. Esta imflamada. Solución? Extracción.”
I was a bit fearful, because any surgery anywhere is scary, but I felt very calm and reassured with this dentist.
Yep, it is indeed the wisdom tooth. My face was a swollen, so he gave me a prescription for amoxicilina for the swelling and potential infection, and 400mg ibuprofen for the pain. He wanted to wait until the swelling went down to do the surgery, so the appointment was set for next Wednesday 11/18.
Yoyi and I went to go get my x-rays in another building, which took all of 5 minutes. There is one tooth growing in on top and another one that is sideways on bottom. An interesting little switch is that I bring these to the appointment, the doctor doesn’t keep them, I do. We also went to get the medicine in a droguería. Since I've been taking the medicine the inflammation and pain have decreased substantially, but I still can’t open my mouth wider than a centimeter because my tooth digs into my gums.
I forgot (or shall I say didn’t know for sure if they were still on that date) about parent – teacher – student conferences next Friday. My fantastic elementary Principal, who is organized despite the disorganization of the school, said I should probably switch the appointment to Tuesday so I could be there. This is when she taught me a very important Colombian word: palanca.
Palanca is translated into English as, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Albeit this is true in the United States, it’s essential in Colombia. If you have palanca you are set. If you don’t have palanca, good luck, you’ll need it. Because of a connection in the school staff, I had the palanca to get my appointment changed from Wednesday to Tuesday.
On Tuesday morning I am getting a wisdom tooth removed here in Colombia. Yikes! Yoyi is coming with me - this time for moral support.
Right now, it’s Sunday morning. Tomorrow is a holiday. I will not be able to do much for a while after my surgery on Tuesday morning. The waves have returned, so today Yoyi and I are off to go surf and camp on the beach in Santa Marta. I might as well go have fun while I can.
There's an Assembly Right Now
There’s an Assembly Right Now
There are more unscheduled assemblies at my school than you can imagine. Advanced noticed is an hour before. Extreme advanced notice is 24 hours before, but this is usually the way it happens.
“Mees, estan esperando para ti” says a janitor
“Ok, donde?” I say
“El deportivo”
“Ahora? Estas seguro ahora mismo?” is my response, because ordinarily this information is only partially correct.
“Sí, ahora mismo.”
This week took the cake though when Sunny the Shark the new school mascot assembly was scheduled with advanced notice (meaning less than 24 hours in advance) for the next morning at 7:10. Students were supposed to start their math trimester exam at 7:25. Let’s get kids all hyped up to go take a math test. Let’s push an exam that is 20% of their grade out of the way to welcome a new school mascot in November. That is a genius idea.
I got to school and my Principal said to me, "Right after the bell rings at 7:05 take your students to the deportivo."
The other 6th grade teacher and I went at 7:05. We all sat down and we the only ones there while the janitors swept the leaves off the ground in this partially covered outdoor structure.
“Que paso?” My colleague asked the janitor.
The time, of course, had been changed between the time we arrived at school 7:05, and the time we arrived in the deportivo 7:15. The new time was 10:15, after exams. What an amazing idea! If any teacher had been asked, I’m sure they would’ve suggested that time in the first place.
Scheduling meetings last minute at any job is annoying, but when it requires moving a bunch of 11-12 year olds it’s a much bigger production. Oh, but don’t think this only happens with assemblies, it happens with meetings too.
Let’s also do this: schedule a meeting less than 24 hours in advance for the English department and the only way this is communicated is by an e-mail. (Did I mention that I need to use my personal computer as well as my portable internet modem for work because I don't have a computer there?) At that meeting let's tell you that your whole second trimester plan is due tomorrow. Guess what, I missed that meeting because I checked my e-mail at 12:30 and the meeting was 11. Well gee, sorry about that. I’ll give you a plan, but don’t expect it to be quality work with the “it’s due tomorrow” deadline, when so are all of my report cards with comments that I have to translate into Spanish.
If this happened once in a while it would be understandable, but it actually happens almost everyday. It happens so much my colleague and I joke each other by saying, "There's an assembly right now."
Hey, here’s an idea – it’s called a PA system. If there’s a meeting that gets scheduled last minute, or a planned meeting that gets cancelled by another unplanned meeting (this also happens a lot) let us know.
No wonder the students aren’t as respectful to adults as they could be at this school. It’s hard to be respectful when the adults don’t know what’s going on.
There are more unscheduled assemblies at my school than you can imagine. Advanced noticed is an hour before. Extreme advanced notice is 24 hours before, but this is usually the way it happens.
“Mees, estan esperando para ti” says a janitor
“Ok, donde?” I say
“El deportivo”
“Ahora? Estas seguro ahora mismo?” is my response, because ordinarily this information is only partially correct.
“Sí, ahora mismo.”
This week took the cake though when Sunny the Shark the new school mascot assembly was scheduled with advanced notice (meaning less than 24 hours in advance) for the next morning at 7:10. Students were supposed to start their math trimester exam at 7:25. Let’s get kids all hyped up to go take a math test. Let’s push an exam that is 20% of their grade out of the way to welcome a new school mascot in November. That is a genius idea.
I got to school and my Principal said to me, "Right after the bell rings at 7:05 take your students to the deportivo."
The other 6th grade teacher and I went at 7:05. We all sat down and we the only ones there while the janitors swept the leaves off the ground in this partially covered outdoor structure.
“Que paso?” My colleague asked the janitor.
The time, of course, had been changed between the time we arrived at school 7:05, and the time we arrived in the deportivo 7:15. The new time was 10:15, after exams. What an amazing idea! If any teacher had been asked, I’m sure they would’ve suggested that time in the first place.
Scheduling meetings last minute at any job is annoying, but when it requires moving a bunch of 11-12 year olds it’s a much bigger production. Oh, but don’t think this only happens with assemblies, it happens with meetings too.
Let’s also do this: schedule a meeting less than 24 hours in advance for the English department and the only way this is communicated is by an e-mail. (Did I mention that I need to use my personal computer as well as my portable internet modem for work because I don't have a computer there?) At that meeting let's tell you that your whole second trimester plan is due tomorrow. Guess what, I missed that meeting because I checked my e-mail at 12:30 and the meeting was 11. Well gee, sorry about that. I’ll give you a plan, but don’t expect it to be quality work with the “it’s due tomorrow” deadline, when so are all of my report cards with comments that I have to translate into Spanish.
If this happened once in a while it would be understandable, but it actually happens almost everyday. It happens so much my colleague and I joke each other by saying, "There's an assembly right now."
Hey, here’s an idea – it’s called a PA system. If there’s a meeting that gets scheduled last minute, or a planned meeting that gets cancelled by another unplanned meeting (this also happens a lot) let us know.
No wonder the students aren’t as respectful to adults as they could be at this school. It’s hard to be respectful when the adults don’t know what’s going on.
Friday, November 13, 2009
All Saints Day
All Saints Day
It was a full moon in Taurus and despite exhaustion from Playa Verano, I couldn’t sleep. Yoyi, his friend Jairo, and I were supposed to go to Casa Grande in Santa Marta to surf on All Saints Day – a Catholic holy day of obligation and a Monday with no school. There were no waves. Instead we ate a delicious pescado, patacon, arroz con coco, y ensalada lunch on the beach in Santa Marta. We then played Frisbee on another beach as we watched the storm roll in.
Frisbee in Santa Marta
As we headed back to Barranquilla, there was an absolute deluge.
Jairo was driving. Yoyi was sleeping. I was observing and thinking:
One of the few things I miss from the Midwest is the dramatic thunder and lightning storms. The earth shaking claps and evanescently illuminated sky are images of my youth. Very little, besides the sky, about this scene reminded me of anything else from the Midwest or my childhood.
Between Santa Marta and Barranquilla is a town called Ciénaga. Ciénaga means swamp in Spanish. Now, a town called swamp doesn’t really sound like somewhere you’d like to visit, and it is definitely not. I have traveled to many of developing countries in my life, but the abject poverty of Ciénaga is rivaled by few places I’ve ever seen. Corrugated tin roofs atop garage-sized square cement walls are far superior to the thrown together slabs of wood with roofs made from plastic garbage bags. Some of the structures I think were made from former billboards. The depressing nature of the houses did not look like permanent structures, but for the residents of Ciénaga they are.
The streets became rivers. Houses must have been flooded. Life went on. Bicycle taxis still had passengers and were pedaling away with barely visible wheels turning in the foot-deep water. Kids with no shoes were playing soccer in the mud. Big, fresh-caught fish without any ice was for sale on the street. People on the side of the road continued peddling their (mainly food) goods.
We bought some circular crunchy cheese puff things ubiquitous on the road in Caribbean Colombia, and dry queso costeño con bocadillo, and agua bien fria from the tollbooth vendors. It was my first time having the queso costeño and bocadillo together. I believe it’s sometimes called matrimonio, and it is delightful marriage of dry, but soft, salty cheese and bocadillo is something like quince paste. I will definitely get that sweet savory combination off the street again. As we handed them a few dollars worth of pesos it occurred to me that this might be the only money this person earns all day.
The three of us were crammed in front of the 4 x 4 with the unused surfboards in back. We snacked on our street vendor food and sipped the rest of what had become warm water. I scratched my seemingly endless array of mosquito bites, while heat from the engine warmed my leg on one side, and Yoyi occasionally rubbed my head on the other side. The constant stickiness of sweat is the norm. Our soundtrack was reggatón and rain pounding on the windshield.
Leaving Ciénaga we returned to the backdrop of Caribbean Sea with a swamp, a nature reserve full of birds, and garbage in the foreground. The odd combination of cacti, palm trees, and wetlands were striking. The torrential downpour turned into a light rain with the sun occasionally peaking through the clouds.
The ephemeral pleasure of a rainbow
The sun appeared from behind the clouds just outside Barranquilla. We had the occasionally mandatory road check by the police. You get out of the car and they look at it to make sure you’re not smuggling drugs. It has only taken a few minutes when it’s happened to me, but I’ve heard that sometimes your car can be substantially dismantled if the police feel like it.
After that, we plunged into the crazy urban poverty of remarkably dry downtown Barranquilla, then through the nicer streets approaching my neighborhood. Yoyi and shared the fleeting moment a of bleary-eyed goodnight kiss outside the 4 x 4.
I entered my apartment complex with this thought: my life here is transient. It seemed that everything during the day was a reminder of that to me. Continuing that thought, here’s something from a bit later in my Midwestern youth:
“Everything is temporary anyway, when the streets are wet, the colors slip into the sky…”
- Edie Brickell from “Circle”
It was a full moon in Taurus and despite exhaustion from Playa Verano, I couldn’t sleep. Yoyi, his friend Jairo, and I were supposed to go to Casa Grande in Santa Marta to surf on All Saints Day – a Catholic holy day of obligation and a Monday with no school. There were no waves. Instead we ate a delicious pescado, patacon, arroz con coco, y ensalada lunch on the beach in Santa Marta. We then played Frisbee on another beach as we watched the storm roll in.
Frisbee in Santa MartaAs we headed back to Barranquilla, there was an absolute deluge.
Jairo was driving. Yoyi was sleeping. I was observing and thinking:
One of the few things I miss from the Midwest is the dramatic thunder and lightning storms. The earth shaking claps and evanescently illuminated sky are images of my youth. Very little, besides the sky, about this scene reminded me of anything else from the Midwest or my childhood.
Between Santa Marta and Barranquilla is a town called Ciénaga. Ciénaga means swamp in Spanish. Now, a town called swamp doesn’t really sound like somewhere you’d like to visit, and it is definitely not. I have traveled to many of developing countries in my life, but the abject poverty of Ciénaga is rivaled by few places I’ve ever seen. Corrugated tin roofs atop garage-sized square cement walls are far superior to the thrown together slabs of wood with roofs made from plastic garbage bags. Some of the structures I think were made from former billboards. The depressing nature of the houses did not look like permanent structures, but for the residents of Ciénaga they are.
The streets became rivers. Houses must have been flooded. Life went on. Bicycle taxis still had passengers and were pedaling away with barely visible wheels turning in the foot-deep water. Kids with no shoes were playing soccer in the mud. Big, fresh-caught fish without any ice was for sale on the street. People on the side of the road continued peddling their (mainly food) goods.
We bought some circular crunchy cheese puff things ubiquitous on the road in Caribbean Colombia, and dry queso costeño con bocadillo, and agua bien fria from the tollbooth vendors. It was my first time having the queso costeño and bocadillo together. I believe it’s sometimes called matrimonio, and it is delightful marriage of dry, but soft, salty cheese and bocadillo is something like quince paste. I will definitely get that sweet savory combination off the street again. As we handed them a few dollars worth of pesos it occurred to me that this might be the only money this person earns all day.
The three of us were crammed in front of the 4 x 4 with the unused surfboards in back. We snacked on our street vendor food and sipped the rest of what had become warm water. I scratched my seemingly endless array of mosquito bites, while heat from the engine warmed my leg on one side, and Yoyi occasionally rubbed my head on the other side. The constant stickiness of sweat is the norm. Our soundtrack was reggatón and rain pounding on the windshield.
Leaving Ciénaga we returned to the backdrop of Caribbean Sea with a swamp, a nature reserve full of birds, and garbage in the foreground. The odd combination of cacti, palm trees, and wetlands were striking. The torrential downpour turned into a light rain with the sun occasionally peaking through the clouds.
The ephemeral pleasure of a rainbowThe sun appeared from behind the clouds just outside Barranquilla. We had the occasionally mandatory road check by the police. You get out of the car and they look at it to make sure you’re not smuggling drugs. It has only taken a few minutes when it’s happened to me, but I’ve heard that sometimes your car can be substantially dismantled if the police feel like it.
After that, we plunged into the crazy urban poverty of remarkably dry downtown Barranquilla, then through the nicer streets approaching my neighborhood. Yoyi and shared the fleeting moment a of bleary-eyed goodnight kiss outside the 4 x 4.
I entered my apartment complex with this thought: my life here is transient. It seemed that everything during the day was a reminder of that to me. Continuing that thought, here’s something from a bit later in my Midwestern youth:
“Everything is temporary anyway, when the streets are wet, the colors slip into the sky…”
- Edie Brickell from “Circle”
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Playa Verano
Playa Verano
Halloween night there was a party and I definitely stayed out too late, but the next day was Playa Verano. This was an event that I had been looking forward to because a band that I love, called Dragón y Caballero, was playing at this festival on the beach.
Yoyi and I spent the better part of the morning making Playa Verano promotional stencils to spray paint on his surfboards. It didn’t work very well at all. On the last surfboard I just ended up writing this, which took all of about 2 minutes and looked a lot better than the others. This little promotional surfboard spray painting got us free admission to the event. I now have a new appreciation for graffiti artists.
Those of you in the know will recognize the handwriting as mine immediately
I had a truly Colombian moment when Yoyi and I got a ride from a motorcycle taxi. I sat behind the driver and Yoyi was behind me holding a surfboard on each side - I was sandwiched in by surfboards and people. Nobody blinked an eye at this. Earlier that morning I’d seen a family of 5 people on the back of a motorbike, so why would 3 people with 2 surfboards draw any attention? Yoyi read my mind and even though I had said nothing, he said to me, “Estás en Colombia ahora.”
Unfortunately, there were no waves, so the surfboards didn’t really get used. The beach was packed with people. I saw more augmentation than I’ve ever seen in one place in my life (no, I have never been to Brazil). I’ve heard that Colombia is called “silicone valley”, I can see why.
Bands played throughout the day. There was some kind of fashion show where women, and then men did the catwalk. Finally, it was time for Dragón y Caballero. They are a band from Cartagena, which is about an hour and a half from here. They are a mix of reggatón, reggae, and maybe even a little vallenato. Puro Costeño Colombiano in the best way. If you want to have an idea what Playa Verano was like, watch this video of Fruta Prohibida and when they are dancing at the beach party, throw in a lot more enhanced anatomy and some sketchy people who were drunk or high and you’ll almost be there. This was shot in Cartagena, which admittedly has a lot prettier buildings than anywhere around here though.
Fruta Prohibida has been a bit of theme song for Yoyi and me. I have to say I don’t mind him singing, “Eres para mi una diosa,” to me. No, I don’t him singing that I’m a goddess to him at all. There is a line in the song that goes, “a tu lado no importa” which means by your side it doesn’t matter. We purposely mondegreen it and sing “a tu lado in Portland” because it does sound like that. Listen, it really does.
Dragón y Caballero did not disappoint. Kären came out to see them too, and I think it’s fair to say we all had a good time. I knew dancing on a Colombian beach to a big name Colombian band would be fun. Yo tenía razón. You know what I mean.
Beach sunset at Prado Mar *
*OK, it's true, this picture was taken a week before Playa Verano in Prado Mar.
Halloween night there was a party and I definitely stayed out too late, but the next day was Playa Verano. This was an event that I had been looking forward to because a band that I love, called Dragón y Caballero, was playing at this festival on the beach.
Yoyi and I spent the better part of the morning making Playa Verano promotional stencils to spray paint on his surfboards. It didn’t work very well at all. On the last surfboard I just ended up writing this, which took all of about 2 minutes and looked a lot better than the others. This little promotional surfboard spray painting got us free admission to the event. I now have a new appreciation for graffiti artists.
Those of you in the know will recognize the handwriting as mine immediatelyI had a truly Colombian moment when Yoyi and I got a ride from a motorcycle taxi. I sat behind the driver and Yoyi was behind me holding a surfboard on each side - I was sandwiched in by surfboards and people. Nobody blinked an eye at this. Earlier that morning I’d seen a family of 5 people on the back of a motorbike, so why would 3 people with 2 surfboards draw any attention? Yoyi read my mind and even though I had said nothing, he said to me, “Estás en Colombia ahora.”
Unfortunately, there were no waves, so the surfboards didn’t really get used. The beach was packed with people. I saw more augmentation than I’ve ever seen in one place in my life (no, I have never been to Brazil). I’ve heard that Colombia is called “silicone valley”, I can see why.
Bands played throughout the day. There was some kind of fashion show where women, and then men did the catwalk. Finally, it was time for Dragón y Caballero. They are a band from Cartagena, which is about an hour and a half from here. They are a mix of reggatón, reggae, and maybe even a little vallenato. Puro Costeño Colombiano in the best way. If you want to have an idea what Playa Verano was like, watch this video of Fruta Prohibida and when they are dancing at the beach party, throw in a lot more enhanced anatomy and some sketchy people who were drunk or high and you’ll almost be there. This was shot in Cartagena, which admittedly has a lot prettier buildings than anywhere around here though.
Fruta Prohibida has been a bit of theme song for Yoyi and me. I have to say I don’t mind him singing, “Eres para mi una diosa,” to me. No, I don’t him singing that I’m a goddess to him at all. There is a line in the song that goes, “a tu lado no importa” which means by your side it doesn’t matter. We purposely mondegreen it and sing “a tu lado in Portland” because it does sound like that. Listen, it really does.
Dragón y Caballero did not disappoint. Kären came out to see them too, and I think it’s fair to say we all had a good time. I knew dancing on a Colombian beach to a big name Colombian band would be fun. Yo tenía razón. You know what I mean.
Beach sunset at Prado Mar **OK, it's true, this picture was taken a week before Playa Verano in Prado Mar.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Surfing on Halloween
Surfing on Halloween
Last week at work made me seriously consider leaving my job. By Thursday night I got a migraine that lasted about 30 hours. I also had some dodgy stomach issues. I couldn’t work on Friday because of them. Do you think my illness had anything to do with the stress from my job? No none I’m sure. The body mind connection anyone?
Moving on to more pleasant stories, Saturday morning I woke up feeling like myself again. I had to finish writing my trimester exams, but after that I wanted to go to the beach and hopefully surf. Karen decided she’d come along. We took what I call the champeta bus to Prado Mar. I call it the champeta because this is the music that is always playing really loud. Click on the link, turn the volume up to 11, and pretend you are on a hot, crowded bus that looks like this on the outside, and that will give you an idea.
One of the champeta buses
It had been sunny all morning, but by the time we got there the clouds had started to roll in. There were tiny waves and Yoyi had a long board for me. He gave me a mini-lesson and I surfed!
Lessons
I'm up
I can surf! OK, not very well.
Waving to Kären, at the end of the wave
The waves were only itty bitty, but it was still fun. There was almost no one at the beach or in the water so the conditions were perfect for me.
Surfing reminded me once again that, much like the crest of a wave, my time here in Colombia is ephemeral.
Last week at work made me seriously consider leaving my job. By Thursday night I got a migraine that lasted about 30 hours. I also had some dodgy stomach issues. I couldn’t work on Friday because of them. Do you think my illness had anything to do with the stress from my job? No none I’m sure. The body mind connection anyone?
Moving on to more pleasant stories, Saturday morning I woke up feeling like myself again. I had to finish writing my trimester exams, but after that I wanted to go to the beach and hopefully surf. Karen decided she’d come along. We took what I call the champeta bus to Prado Mar. I call it the champeta because this is the music that is always playing really loud. Click on the link, turn the volume up to 11, and pretend you are on a hot, crowded bus that looks like this on the outside, and that will give you an idea.
One of the champeta busesIt had been sunny all morning, but by the time we got there the clouds had started to roll in. There were tiny waves and Yoyi had a long board for me. He gave me a mini-lesson and I surfed!
Lessons
I'm up
I can surf! OK, not very well.
Waving to Kären, at the end of the waveSurfing reminded me once again that, much like the crest of a wave, my time here in Colombia is ephemeral.
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