tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61333271409108150262011-08-01T07:00:31.629-07:00Livin' La Vida Colombianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17114963337770751693noreply@blogger.comBlogger811100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6133327140910815026.post-31645855390902315092011-01-17T22:21:00.000-08:002011-01-17T22:21:51.236-08:00

Carrot Cake  {originally written April 30, 2010} Ahh, the comforts of little things that make such a difference. Today at a staff meeting we were served a tiny muffin version of a carrot cake. We haven’t had food at a staff meeting since August. We haven’t ever been served anything remotely like carrot cake before. In fact, I haven’t seen anything like it available anywhere in Colombia. One

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Reflecting BackSince it’s just post New Year - a natural time for reflection, coupled with the fact that I’ve had time away from my life in Colombia, I thought I’d finally finish up this blog. I also noticed that the hits on this blog have surpassed the 10,000 mark. A big thank you to all you readers!There are several pieces I wrote at various times throughout my time in Colombia that I left in

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Apologies for not Writing as of lateI know it's been a while. The school year ended YIPPPPEEEEEE!!! You cannot believe my relief. I have been traveling and have partial blog posts written on many things, but the truth is that I will probably not publish them until I'm back in Portland.Posts coming soon of places I have been in the past few months: Ciudad Perdida, Parque Tayrona, Quebrada Valencia

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Jirafa de CervezaIt had been a nice day of surfing in Pradomar, Karen even caught her first wave.Karen is up!We took a brief musical journey to my apartment.La luna bellaElizabeth and FatimaElizabeth and YoyiKaren and Fatima dancingDave had a friend in town and we’d been wanting to go the Aguila World. Karen, Dave, and I had been calling it Aguila World so long I thought that’s what it was

Livin' La Vida Colombianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17114963337770751693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6133327140910815026.post-52293370579989910072010-05-26T18:46:00.000-07:002010-05-31T04:45:55.903-07:00

Doh!I am usually a label reader at the store. When I first got here it took me forever in the store. Now I’ve gotten used to what I like, so I don’t take as long or look at the labels that much, especially since you almost never find partially hydrogenated soybean oil in anything here.Well, yeah, um I maybe should start being a bit more careful. One day Yoyi was in my bathroom and said, “Amor,

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Bocas de CenizaIt was a rainy Sunday afternoon in Barranquilla and instead of going for a walk, Yoyi suggested going to el rio. I knew he meant the Magdalena River, which is a border of Barranquilla. I had crossed it on the bus to Santa Marta, but I hadn’t really been there before.Barranquilla is not a city for tourists, and because of this there is a lack of information for things for tourists

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La Lluvia‘Partly cloudy with chance of rain.’ This is so often the weather report in Oregon, but so seldom here. Lately, it’s been raining here and I’ll have to say I love it.From the pitter-patter of rain hitting the ground, to the claps of thunder, to the flashes of lightning that briefly brighten up the night sky; for me this is nature’s symphony and light show. It’s a nice time to stay inside

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Sting en Barranquilla?When I walked into the staffroom this morning and saw this newspaper sitting out I squealed, “Sting? In Barranquilla? I love him!” much like my 6th grade girls do about Justin Bieber. The truth is I have been a fan of Sting since I was their ages. Anyone from my youth could tell you how much I adored the Police when I was growing up.How could I not appreciate Sting? He’s a

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Bags for SaleIn Colombia you can buy many liquid or gel-like products packed in a bag. At first you may think, well, that’s not unusual. Have you bought milk or water in a bag? Before I came to Colombia, I had not. In Thailand when I bought soda it would often be poured in a bag and I’d be given a straw, but that was so they could keep the bottle to get the rebate. Here, no, it’s just sold in the

Livin' La Vida Colombianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17114963337770751693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6133327140910815026.post-68363162061665723522010-04-30T21:01:00.000-07:002010-04-30T21:16:46.651-07:00

My Love Affair with MaracuyaI’m not quite sure how it started, but I fell in love with maracuya. For a while it was nispero, but in the end, maracuya won my heart.maracuya inside and outWas it the shiny yellow outside? Its oval shape? Could it be because it's lightweight yet strong? No, it must be the way it made an impression on my lips and mouth...luscious.inside the fruitThe inside seeds are

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SpellinfgSpelling is one thing that remarkably my entire class of English as a Second Language students here in Colombia is good at. I have been consistently impressed by the quality of spelling I've seen from my students here, much more so than in the United States.Another thing my school does well is make huge colorful posters that are hung all over the school. They are always done

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Bouncy Bouncy* It was another Playa Verano at Climandiaro and Hotel Prado Mar. This is the beach right outside Barranquilla where I go surfing most weekends (not to be confused with Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, that shares the same pronunciation). This time the focus at Playa Verano was on fitness. My gym, Bodytech, had aerobics classes, dance classes, and my favorite the

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Oh the PressureIt’s true, here at my school kids can fail the year and they sometimes do, but the pressure for grades is a bit much. Many students have outside tutors to get work done. Some tutors are absolutely fantastic and students learn a lot from them. Other times it seems as though the tutors do the work for the student. One of the reasons that this happens with tutors is because they get

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WavelengthThe sound of the ocean is soothing. There is some primal instinct that draws so many of us to watch the undulation of the waves. Then sometimes surfing is just extraordinary. Here is one exquisite wave:The beauty of the sea always lures me to it. Sometimes surfing is art. Thanks Yoyi for making a magnificent wave even more elegant.

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Concierto por Doce Horas It was Sunday, February 14th, Valentine’s Day, but that means nothing here. The main event was Carnavales and every Latin American band that you’ve ever heard of, and many you probably haven’t, was playing in concert. There was the exclusive (Read: elitist and expensive) Ruben Blades concert Friday, Daddy Yankee on Saturday night, and on Sunday there were a ton of groups

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I Wonder If They KnowWhile carpooling home yesterday, I noticed the 12-year old daughter of the woman driving looking at a teen style magazine full of pictures of the likes of Taylor Swift, the cast of Twilight, Justin Bieber, and other teen icons that I’m too out of the loop to recognize. She was shuffling through a CD of pop tunes from Latin America and the US. I am certain that American movie

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Making Ajiaco Ajiaco, a national dish of Colombia (regionally from Bogotá), is more than a glorified chicken and potato soup. I first heard of the dish from my Colombian Spanish teacher back in Portland who was salivating at the description of it. When I first tried it here I definitely liked it, but didn't think that much about it...then I started getting cravings

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La Batalla de FloresIt was time for Barranquilla to show off. It was Carnavales – time to bring out the best of the best. The day after the Carnaval at school and the Tambor was La Batalla de Flores. I knew that the translation meant the battle of flowers, but also had learn that this would be a grand parade.Even Barranquilla's nature was showing off Karen, Dave, and I had made plans with our

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KaBOOM!There I was in my classroom as my students had just left for extracurricular activities and Ka-BOOOOOM! It sounded as though a bomb had gone off in my classroom. The light flashed brightly then went out and seemed to have exploded on the inside. My room smelled like burnt electrical wires.After my initial scream, with my hands still trembling and heart racing, I went out in the hall to see

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Let the Carnavales ContinueAfter the amazing Carnaval show at my school, it was off to the beach to do a bit of surfing. This time my colleagues Dave and Jose wanted to give it a try. Yoyi was going to give them a lesson and had told me that the waves were perfect for beginners. Indeed they were. It was possible to catch a wave, and stand up, but not be completely smashed around by a fierce

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Computer Translators? Maybe Not.Have you ever wanted to communicate with someone whose language you do not speak or write? Have you ever been tempted to try to just use a computer translator and hope for the best? Here’s my advice, don’t do it.I had a concerned parent who obviously wanted to communicate with me and thought it would be easier for me if she translated her e-mail into English. This

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Let the Carnavales Begin!Before I came to Barranquilla, the best thing I heard about it was that it was the place for Carnaval. Supposedly Barranquilla has a Carnaval without equal in South America (outside Rio de Janeiro) and I was looking forward to see what it was all about.It was Friday, February 12, Carnavales started this day and went on until the following Tuesday night. That day at school

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Las Olas Han Regresado“Las olas han regresado,” – the waves have returned, is what an amiga said to me when she saw Yoyi and I together again. It’s true, they had, and it was time for me to be a little bit more serious about my surf habit. It was time for me to get a board of my own.Our family celebrated my dad’s birthday and I flew to Florida for the occasion. My brother and I took a trip to Ron

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I Just Can’t ResistAll of my students are learning and speaking English as their second language. They have had English since kindergarten and they’re in 6th grade. Mostly they do a good job, but subtleties and slang are always the hardest things to learn.I have assigned my students to do research on people from the 1920s. They have everyone from Georgia O’Keeffe, to F. Scott Fitzgerald, to Jelly

Livin' La Vida Colombianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17114963337770751693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6133327140910815026.post-68353539471083774682010-03-05T15:20:00.001-08:002010-03-06T05:16:28.624-08:00

Being in the Present – Livin’ La Vida ColombianaI’m here, I might as well embrace it. My friend Grace gently reminded me that life is short - live it now! In Buddhism, so much of what meditation trains the mind to do is to be in the present moment.I realized that there were a few things I needed to do: talk to strangers and meet new people - check, talk to my boss - check, talk to Yoyi – gulp. He

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Everyone Has a Cell Phone, but No One Has MinutesA funny little thing about Colombia is that everyone seems to have a cell phone, some people even have Blackberries, but no one ever seems to have minutes. Now that I’ve lived in Colombia for over 6 months, I have suddenly become one of these people.llamadas and recargas available here from Tigo, Comcel and Movistar You can make a call from one of

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La Hora de la VanidadIf you are thinking of getting cosmetic surgery, Colombia is definitely a good place to visit. I have seen more fake breasts here than I’ve seen anywhere in my life. Often they are accompanied by fake rear ends also. The thing is the women here are generally absolutely gorgeous. I’m sure they all looked beautiful before the surgery. I’ve never been big on the beauty salon or

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Always Talk to StrangersNow I am back in Barranquilla after a few weeks rest in Panama. While I was gone I seriously considered quitting my job. When my flight landed in Barranquilla at midnight, I was welcomed back by an ad for breast enhancement and a cab driver telling me the other cab driver was going to rob me. In the cab, we drove through some of the dire and scary parts of the city. I felt

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Panama Final Chapter – Monkeys!!Ben, who I'd met in Santa Catalina, and I took the 7 am bus for the long journey from there to Playa Venao. I had been told about it from a Panamanian woman in Boquete who said that there was good surfing there. I looked it up and found a place that sounded very cool called Eco Venao, and eco-lodge in the jungle.Ben and I laughed at the multiple bus journey there.

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Panama part 3 – Surfing Meditation in Santa CatalinaA big part of the reason I wanted to go to Panama was to surf. The supposedly best place to surf in Panama is Santa Catalina, and although it was far away, and kind of hard to get to, I just had a feeling it’d be worth it. I was not wrong.It took several modes of transportation and about 8 hours to get there. When I finally arrived, it felt more

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Panama Part 2 – Mmm Coffee, Ahhh Hot Springs of BoqueteAfter having sand fly bites, a sunburned nose, and tired eyes from the brightness of the sun in the sea, it was time to head up to the cooler cloudier climate of Boquete. To get there I first rode in a water taxi, to a water bus, to a taxi, to a buseta, to a school bus and finally made it to Boquete about 6 hours later. The buses snaked up

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Panama part 1– Important Meetings on Isla CareneroOn Christmas day I left the main island in the Bocas del Toro archipelago and took the water taxi to Isla Carenero to meet up with my friends Rahul and Rohan. This was a smaller island and when I arrived at the dock the man who ran the hotel said, “Elizabeth? Here’s your room, they’re waiting for you in the restaurant.” Wow. I got there just in

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Panama – Introduction: Culture Shock in Bocas TownA brief diversion from La Vida Colombiana, here is a vacation to Panama.It was almost Christmas and I was off to Panama for the holidays. Upon landing I had a minor panic attack because I found out when I landed in Panama City that there is an international airport as well as a domestic airport that are about a 30 minute cab ride apart. Luckily, I

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Volcan Totumo – I Can’t Get Enough of Your MudOn the extremely bumpy and speedy boat ride back from Playa Blanca, I met three English guys. Now, when I say bumpy, I was literally flying out of my seat a few times. We all had a few laughs on the way back and decided to have dinner and a few drinks later on.During a really tasty pizza dinner in one of Cartagena’s many squares, we hatched a plan for

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Cartagena – The Old and the BeautifulIf you are from the United States, the chances are that you don’t know very many people who have visited Colombia. If you do ever meet someone who has been here, the chances are that they have been to either Bogotá or Cartagena. I have not been to Bogotá except the airport yet, but I’ve now been to Cartagena twice, and I will definitely return. There are so

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The Colombian Beach of SuperlativesIt’s true, I’ve spent a lot of time on beaches in Colombia since I’ve been here, but yesterday I went to the best one so far. It was about a 45-minute boat ride from Cartagena. The beach is actually called Playa Blanca, but I’m going to call it the beach of superlatives for obvious reasons to follow.Yes, Playa Blanca - the most peaceful, relaxing, turquoise

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The Christmas SpiritLast week, the week before Christmas break, was one of the best weeks I’ve had at my school. One of the things I like most about my school are the masses (see: la Misa). Each morning of the week started out with different grades presenting novenas. There were prayers and singing Christmas songs. Having worked in public schools, the kids will sometimes sing generic types of

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A Blustery December Day at Playa SalgarIt was the Sunday before Christmas break. I suggested that Kären, Dave, and I go to the nearest beach, Playa Salgar. Kären and Dave were taking flights the following Saturday, so this was our last opportunity to go to the beach together in 2009.This is what Christmas decorations look like here. For more see Karen's blog post.From where I live, Miramar, I can

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Coveñas y la Ecosistema de los ManglaresAfter spending all Saturday touring Las Islas San Bernardo, Kären and I headed to Coveñas. It is a beautiful little Caribbean beach town that was 45 minutes away from where we were in Tolú, and about 6-7 hours away by bus from Barranquilla.I arose early and walked across the street to the beach.outside our hotelCoveñas beach early in the morningla sombraWe

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Ahhh…the Caribbean IslandsTwo weekends ago I thought it might be nice to get away to a Caribbean island, I am in the Caribbean after all. I’d heard and read that Islas San Bernardo had the clear turquoise water that dreams are made. That was all I needed to know to motivate me to take a rather lengthy trip for only having a weekend in which to do it.Kären and I left on Friday afternoon at 3:30

Livin' La Vida Colombianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17114963337770751693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6133327140910815026.post-10678048229464689022009-12-12T06:33:00.000-08:002009-12-12T07:29:20.731-08:00

Welcome to the Jungle! We’ve Got Parasites for You!OK, it’s true, I’m not really in the jungle. I am in the tropics though, and unfortunately I have contracted a parasite.Do I know how I got it? I think I do. The weekend I went to the farm I got innumerable bites. There was one particular bite on my foot that was extraordinarily itchy. About a week later it was a little less than the size of a

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Mariposas, Cocos, y un PerritoIn the end of November Yoyi and I took a little trip to his aunt's farm. It was not the right season for most of the fruit, but there were some entertaining animals.Not long after arriving we took a scary walk on the side of the highway into the closest town to buy food for dinner. I came back carrying this:Scared little puppyThe puppy was a present for Yoyi's aunt.

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Surfing After School into the Sunset Something that I have wanted to do since I arrived is surf after school on a school day. The beach is not that far away, but for one reason or another - teaching is tiring, the weather doesn’t cooperate, no waves, no surfboards, more work after school, etc. - I haven’t done it. Yesterday, on December 2nd, it was a gorgeous cloudless day with a high of 92 and a

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The Chaos, I mean the Science FairI 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

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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

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Internet Connection - It’s Like Pulling TeethAs 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

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Sharpie es Mi CompañeroWhy 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

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El Día Ideal en la Costa CaribeThis 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.

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Just One of Those Ridiculous Little Technology ThingsOh 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

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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

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There’s an Assembly Right NowThere 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

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All Saints DayIt 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

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Playa VeranoHalloween 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

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Surfing on HalloweenLast 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

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The Naked TruthIt’s October 27th, and in Barranquilla right now it is 91 degrees Fahrenheit (33C). The high today is 93 (34C) and a low of 79 (26C). This is how it is on a regular basis even though it’s the end of October. It’s sweltering ALL THE TIME. I’m always really bloody hot here. The shiny stickiness of sweat is commonplace. Could it be because of the temperature? Could it be because I

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Then there are the things we fearBefore I came to Colombia I heard a lot of horrible stories about violence here. Barranquilla is supposed to be less violent than other big cities, and the whole country has improved since 2005. I haven’t had any problems here. I have remained blissfully apart from the sketchiness that exists here, but it is here. I have taken a cab through some really depressing

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The Reasons WhyMany people ask me, “Why are you teaching in Colombia?” The reasons are many: I wanted to be in a Spanish speaking country where it’s hot, on or near the beach, in a good school, etc.Last weekend reminded me of the advantages of being a teacher in Colombia. It was a 4-day weekend and I went with a Colombian to a beach near Santa Marta called Casa Grande for a surf holiday. Since I’

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Sharks, Flamingoes, Guerrillas, Oh My!We have a 4-day weekend this weekend. Originally, I was planning a longer trip to Parque Tayrona. Then I thought since I had the time, and after having viewed some amazing photos of wildlife in the Guajira Peninsula, that I’d go there. Gaujira is ‘the wild west’ of Colombia. It’s located a bit further from here in the Northeastern part of the country where

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In the Kitchen with Colombia and PakistanOn Saturday night there was a party in Prado Mar at a colleague’s house. It was in a huge garden with a DJ then a live band, but that is not what this story is about. A teacher named Fatima had invited me to the party. When I arrived, she introduced me to her step-mom who lived across the street and told me on Monday that she would be having cooking

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Little Addendum (with lots-o-links)There are some bits of information that I have learned post publishing that I would like to add here. Because it is not obvious in the color scheme of this blog, anything underlined is a link to more information if you click on it.To add to Junior:I found out that a Junior player named Javier Florez killed a fan who was heckling him. Yikes! Name calling hurts a

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Surf TherapyAttempting to go out with people from work, Kären and I took the bus to Prado Mar. This is a beach about 20 minutes away from Barranquilla. We were instructed to take the yellow bus; that’s usually the way things are done here, by color rather than number, name, or route. Unfortunately, we found out on the way there that our colleague who lives there happened to be in Barranquilla for

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A Not Altogether Peaceful Peace WeekLast week at school was Peace Week. Our director started it out with a school-wide hug. There was supposed to be a moment of silence to listen to Juanes whose song has the chorus, “It’s time to change,” but there was NO silence, which disappointed me. Throughout the week that song, and “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson were played at recess.Juanes had put

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El Día de Amor y AmistadEl Día de Amor y Amistad or Love and Friendship Day was September 19th. Since that was a Saturday, we celebrated it at school on the 18th.The first thing I heard on the radio in the morning was a song that I hear every single day that has the lyrics, “Estoy enamorado traigado de ti…” meaning I’m head-over-heels in love with you. Pretty par for the course for the day, I’d

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Oddities and Pleasantries (and a few enigmas)These random little things are part of my world here.‘God Purifies’ is written in English on the water filter in the school kitchen. This makes me smile each time I see it.When students at school run for student council (personera/-o), they give speeches and make campaign posters in schools all over the world. They usually look like this:This is what

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Vale la Pena – TaganagaLast week was a real drag at both school and home. What’s the antidote? A beach weekend getaway! I had looked in the guidebook the week before and found Taganga: a sleepy fisherman’s village of 5000 inhabitants that had been discovered by travelers, located only 5 kilometers away from Santa Marta. Buses leave from Barranquilla to Santa Marta every 15 minutes and the ride is

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Things That Make Me Laugh, Smile, or CringeAlthough there are many things in Colombia that fit that description, I will limit this posting to name brands and signs I've seen, along with some visual aids:Juan Sushi - gracias arigatoLa Casa de la Brownie - this has a picture of a brownie with chocolate sauce on it. It just makes me giggle.Cunit - That's just too close for comfortRomance Relax -

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JuniorYes, upon the first day of meeting students I heard about Junior. Come on, we’re talking about 6th grade boys here. This is the soccer (fútbol) team here in Barranquilla. Last Sunday I went to go see them, and thankfully they won.Before the game with sexy cheerleadersRight before a goal. Advertising with the odd absence of a scoreboard.I will not pretend to be a sportswriter, that I most

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No Reason To Cry Over Spilled Beer and Spoiled Milk – (the days that followed)On Tuesday morning, my alarm clock didn’t go off – I woke up at 6:25, had to be out the door at 6:30, and start work at 7:00. I still had no water, so no shower for me.The school schedule, which is still not official after 4 weeks, started extracurricular activities today. I was supposed to observe my director teach a

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Un día Normal (it’s not always an adventure, you know)I arise at 5:28 just as the sky is starting to lighten. It’s already 86 degrees (and 100% humidity 100% of the time) in my bedroom, and the fan has been on all night. I make my coffee, shower, eat breakfast, make lunch, go downstairs to await my carpool, which is supposed to get there at 6:30, but arrives at 6:45.We get to school at 7:04 and

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Mi ApartamentoMy apartment is quite roomy for one person, with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, and living room. It is nice, and a lot bigger and nicer than I expected.view from the top of my hillmy kitchen - note gas stove! But no cabinets.dining roomliving roomthe office bedroom (there is a tiny yoga room, but it's so small, the picture didn't turn out)my bedroommy view outside - 18 inch

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Make Dance, Not WarThere was an assembly on Friday, first celebrating the Colombian Independence from Spain, which is school theme of the year - 2010 is its bicentennial. We were also celebrating 17 years of the existence of Altamira International School. This was a bit more involved than assembly celebrations I’ve seen at other schools. The Spanish teacher told me it would take 2 hours. She was

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More Oddities and PleasantriesGrocery Store Bill Pay At the grocery store tonight, I noticed that the guy in front of me had a huge bill, and I thought that it didn’t look like he had very much food. It was because he was paying his bills right there at the grocery store checkout. I guess soon I will be doing the same thing. I guess this will have to happen after I have a bank account... and get

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El MasajeA new friend of mine, Andrés, was concerned when I had the ear infection, couldn’t sleep, and was a bit stressed out from school. To help me out he bought me a gift certificate to a spa for a massage. He gave it to me on Friday night and said, “La cita es mañana a las 11.” The very next morning I went for my massage. ¡Qué simpatico!I had wanted to get a massage, because of my sore neck,

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La MisaFor our first Friday at school scheduled at 7:15 am was la misa or the Catholic mass. With the chatty children I’d been with all week, I wasn’t sure how this would go. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement.All the classes filed in to a very hot and humid open-air auditorium. Up on the stage were the altar, flowers, and the band. The band was made up of a variety of

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First Week of SchoolWarning: This may only be interesting to teachers.The school where I teach is called Altamira International School. It is on the highway about 10 minutes outside of Barranquilla. This highway seems to be where the majority of International Schools are located as the German school is our neighbor.This is what the school looks like from the air on Google Maps. It's easy to find

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The Kindness of Strangers (read: new friends)People here are extraordinarily friendly. This weekend some of my new Colombian colleagues invited me to a battle of the bands local rock concert, a jazz club, and a barbecue.The battle of the bands called the Miche Rock Festival, was outside in a place called Plaza la Paz. Turns out Miche is a guy who owns a music store and happens to be a dad of one

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"Uh-oh"It was my first Saturday night in Colombia. I had been to Cartagena the night before and got back in the afternoon. After grocery shopping, and eating food at restaurants that was OK at best, I thought it’d be nice to cook a pasta puttanesca – this was partially because I found all the ingredients at the store. I had finished cooking and was feeling rather pleased with how it turned out

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Oddities and pleasantries worth mentioningTraffic mimes: Many of us have seen the guys who wash your windows at stop lights for change, well here there are traffic mimes. They are sometimes painted up like your standard mime, but there are others. I’ve seen a squeaky robot, a fisherman statue, but my current favorite is from yesterday: a silver painted astronaut walking in the middle of traffic

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Mud Bath VolcanoOn our first weekend, my North American colleagues and I decided to go to Cartagena. I will write more about that later. On the way to Cartagena we stopped by a “mud volcano” called Volcan Totumo. At first it just kind of reminded me of a large termite hill and didn’t look very impressive. Oh, but just wait.The four of us climbed up the rickety staircase in our bathing suits. At

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BarranquillaBig city, but prettier than expected. Tourists = zero. People are super friendly and I do not worry about safety. More to come.

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Pre-Colombian TimesI have traveled a lot in my life and have had many comments on my countries of choice, but I don’t think reactions could be any more varied than when I said, “I’m going to Barranquilla, Colombia to teach 6th grade Language Arts and Social Studies for a year.”I got everything from, “Make sure to wear a bullet-proof vest,” to “I have heard so many great things about Colombia, don

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