The Welcoming Committee

So, one part of moving to a new place that can be really challenging is meeting new people and building solid relationships in order to have a support network and to feel less alone.  In my first month in Colombia, I began to draft a post about some of the great people I had met thus far...but then I thought, what if they read this?  How will they feel about me talking about them to the "world"? (this is a public site after all) And what if someone else reads this post and is upset that I didn't write about them?!  ... in the end I nixed the post.  Yesterday, nearly 6 months later, one of my good friends here in Bogotá posted this on my Facebook wall:

You know what?  I took the time to read your blog just to realize you haven't mentioned your dear co-work/bad-(and, sometimes good)- Spanish-words teacher/ lunch partner/ friend: Me.  Thanks a lot, man.

So I feel I've now been given the green light to write about some of the people that have graced me with their presence and enriched my Colombian life.  This only the short list...if I tried to write about every person who has had a positive impact on my time here in Colombia - the post would be 100 pages long.  So for now...drum roll please...my Colombian dream team:

Halloween party - such style!

David & Sandra
David was a teacher at Gimnasio La Montaña (now he is training with the government to work in international relations).  He was the first person to invite me to do something and to get my out of my hotel room (where I lived for my first two weeks in Bogotá).  We - David, his wife Sandra, and I - went out for pizza and then met up with others from La Montaña at Hard Rock Café (very gringo!) to see a Red Hot Chilli Pepper cover band.  David and Sandra are an incredible pair.  They both have traveled quite a bit and are fluent in English, Chinese, and Spanish (their first language).  They regularly invite me to meet them to go dancing or have a beer, and Sandra and I are still trying to find an evening where we are both free to go to yoga together.  They are up for anything, are super interesting to talk with, and are just about the nicest people you could ever meet.   Because they know how challenging it can be to learn a new language (and how easy it can be to avoid practicing), they almost exclusively talk to me in Spanish.  David, no matter how much English I speak, only speaks back in Spanish.  Sandra will often help me with difficult Spanish translations for my English expressions.  It is wonderful.

At the school holiday party.

Francisco (Pacho)
Pacho is the one who pestered me to write this blog.  While that might make him seem a bit full of himself, he really is quite humble and caring.  Pacho was one of the very first people at the school to introduce himself to me and continues to be an awesome friend.  We sit close to each other in the teachers's room and laugh about silly things, when time get stressful (think report card time!).  We eat lunch together when our schedules allow it and rather frequently Pacho will give me a ride home (whenever he has a car).  This is a HUGE favor, because my bus route can be terribly slow.  In the beginning, I needed a tremendous amount of help knowing what was being said, where I needed to be and what I was supposed to do, the phrase "Pacho, explica la Kate..." (explain to Kate...) has become a joke amongst some of the middle school teachers.  While we generally speak in English together, Pacho is very patient when I do speak in Spanish and gently corrects my numerous errors in pronunciation, conjugation, and grammar.  He also makes errors in English every once in a while, just to make me feel better about myself. :) Pacho can be counted on regularly to grab a beer after school on Fridays and is usually up for doing things when others are looking to get out of the house (unless he's gotten too comfortable on his couch and gets sucked into some professional sports events).  I was very worried for a while, because last semester he was a substitute for a teacher who has since returned from maternity leave.  Thankfully the powers that be are looking out for my sanity, and the school shifted Pacho's responsibilities to cover another teacher who is now out on sick leave.  Hooray!  Pacho is a patient and hard-working teacher, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the school will have a permanent position for him next year.

In la ruta, celebrating Lili's birthday.

Liliana
Liliana is in my bus route.  She speaks fluent English, spent a large amount of time in the U.S. studying it, and was another person who reached out to me early on when I arrived in Colombia.   She would invite me to dinner with friends and also invited me to her birthday with her family.  Liliana is a passionate woman and I can always count on her for intellectually stimulating conversation.  We don't agree on everything but it is so nice to have someone with who I can ponder themes of religion, education, love, life, etc.  For a while I was attending a Bible Study-like group with Liliana.  While in the end I decided it was not for me, it was so kind of her to welcome me into a personal part of her life.  Liliana not only shared her ideas on the world and her dreams for her future with me but she opened up her family and friends to me as well.  My social circle grew quickly because of her.  I even got to attend my first Colombian wedding after meeting her niece (the bride) just once!  She has wonderful people in her life and many of them have important fixtures in my Colombian life as well.

In La Calera for lunch.

Juan Carlos
Perhaps it is wrong to list the boyfriend fourth, but this is the order in which I met these wonderful people.  Liliana introduced me to Juan Carlos during a trip to Suesca.  The introduction was not planned - we ended up bumming a ride off of Juan Carlos at the last minute, when Liliana's brother decided to head to Suesca earlier than we could be ready - but the connection was immediate.  The entire ride to Suesca, Liliana and her son, Marco (sooo adorable), napped in the back seat, while Juan Carlos and I listened to music, struggled through Spanish conversation, and somehow found ourselves laughing and enjoying ourselves immensely despite the language barrier.  The next 48 hours continued in the same fashion.  We drank and laughed, we took turns riding a bike because neither of us were in good enough shape to go the whole way, and bonded over a love for empanadas.   Juan Carlos continues to be a wonderful friend in adventure - he is extremely patient (with both my Spanish and my crazy I'm-a-gemini-and-so-I-have-a-right-to-change-my-mind-regularly antics), is always up for adventure, is willing to let me learn to drive a stick-shift using his car (again, despite me screaming in frustration both at the car and at him), and is just one of the most selfless people I have ever me.  He makes delicious arepas,  has a very large family with which he is very good about staying connected, and has a killer sense of humor (despite the fact that I can only truly appreciate about 60% of the jokes... the rest go over my head because of the Spanish).  He is an architect and works very hard but his schedule is also flexible which has allowed us to see Los Nevados and plan a few more trips here and there in the months and weeks to come.  As you all know, I am extremely independent but Juan Carlos has somehow been able to carve out a spot in my life, just the right size, that gives me the alone time that I need but also makes me soooooo appreciative that he is in my life.

These are the people that I can regularly count on for support and fun.... the network is growing and there are other people that I regularly work with and talk with...so perhaps, they too will earn some space on this blog....I definitely still need to share about the folks with whom I live, the gringos that I've been getting to know better and are helping me to stay sane, the curriculum committee that is keeping my brain challenged, and the folks with whom I work (although that could be a little bit trickier) .... stay tuned...

Lazy Sundays

They're the best.

Enjoyed a delicious breakfast: Tomales Tolimense, pan con queso and café con leche. Yum!

Then spent the afternoon reading here, in the courtyard outside by house.

Going to the Dentist - Part 2

My view from the Transmilenio.

So today, I traveled on the Transmilenio alone AND I went to the denist...alone.  I felt so adventurous because the teachers in my van were so impressed that I was taking the Transmilenio alone and going to Quirigua (far, far away).  Really it was not that big of a deal but the weather was perfect and it was mid-afternoon so I was happy.  Also, now that I've identified some of my frustration as part of my stage 2 culture shock, I'm really trying to accept my new home with all its surprises and differences... on my way home, however, I decided that the healthcare system - especially for dental care - is just not something that I will ever get used to.  No. Way.

Two weeks ago,  I made an emergency appointment to visit the dentist because I was convinced I had cavities.  After 2 or 3 minutes of poking around, she told me she could find nothing wrong with my teeth.  She did sign off, however, on x-rays (which I still have not gotten because I have to go to another location and then return to the dentist for her to look at the x-rays....and then of course if I have cavities I have to make another appointment and return to the dentist.  No thanks.

The dentist also suggested I get my semi-annual cleaning, so today I returned this time on my own to get my teeth cleaned.  When I got to the dentist I had to wait about 45 minutes (even though I had an appointment).  The problem was the building lost water for awhile...awesome.  When they called my name, I signed a consent form and then sat in the chair.  The dentist poked around my mouth again, sprayed some water, had me spit every 15 seconds because they don't have that convenient sucky tool, and then she asked me if I brought my toothbrush and floss.  I did because I brushed my teeth at school before leaving for the dentist...but what?!?!  She then proceeded to instruct me on how to brush my teeth using my toothbrush and toothpaste to sort of clean my teeth.  So weird.  Yes, I'm judging, I know.   Anyway, that was it.  An hour to the dentist and an hour back to my house for a lesson on how to use my toothbrush. 

I'm wondering if my complete astonishment with this system is evidence of my privilege in the U.S.  I've always had health insurance and a good job (or parents with good jobs) to cover a large chunk of the expense.  But what is the health care like for folks without insurance?  Or work?  I know there are clinics - many of my students used them in Houston.  Do they also receive this absurdly low level of service?!  Yes my dentist visit was free, but now I'm wondering what I could get if I was willing to pay $25 (the typical co-pay for a visit to the doctor in the U.S.).  In six months, I plan to explore these other options - even if that means paying a little extra...or maybe even a lot extra.  If anyone knows more about the health care system in the U.S., please share.  I've become very curious...

Gringo Tuesday

 So after having conversations with a few different groups of people about Gringo Tuesday, I decided to give a try with some friends this week.

Gringo Tuesday is event (held on Tuesdays, duh.) to bring people from different countries and who speak different languages together for conversation practice.  Colombians go to practice their English, and the Gringos pour in by the droves to practice their Spanish and/or find people to speak English with when their brains need a break.  The event begins at 7pm.  From 7pm until about 9pm, the lights are bright, there are couches, chairs and other comfortable seating scattered throughout the bar - La Villa, and strangers sit down to talk with one another.  After this the lights begin to dim, the furniture is moved piece by piece, and the conversations end so that the dancing can begin.

I didn't arrive until 8:30pm, so I missed out on the quality convos and on a Tuesday night with a full day of teaching to look forward to on Wednesday, I was not up for the late night of partying that so many folks are looking for (because they have no jobs and are simply passing through Colombia for a few weeks...maybe a few months).  Still, I think the concept seems great and will probably give it another shot - arriving at an earlier time.