What do I really know?

What do I really know about Colombia?  Turns out not a whole lot.

This evening, as a favor to my friend's cousin, I participated in an interview about my knowledge, opinions, and interpretations of all things Colombia....well, not all things, but certainly a LOT of things.  The interview lasted about an hour and I stumbled non-stop in an attempt to answer questions.  Sadly, however, after a living here more than a year, it turns out there is a LOT I do not know or have not noticed...although some of the questions I also thought were quite bizarre.

What is the national animal?   Apparently it's a condor.  I thought it was a vulture but didn't know the word for vulture in Spanish so I explained that I thought it was bird that eats dead animals.  Lovely.  The interviewer looked at my like I was totally crazy but the camera man nodded and told her I was correct.  After the interview I looked it up - and the condor is a type of vulture. Oh, and the Spanish work for vulture is "el buitre".

What religious rites do Americans practice?  Ummm...well considering the incredibly large number of religions in the U.S. I had a very hard time answering this...in Spanish.  After the interview I suppose I could have mentioned baptism and communion...and perhaps with the ridiculous amount of fighting over the sanctity of marriage and whether or not same sex couples have a right to this ritual, I should have mentioned this as well.  What can I say?  Too much pressure.  I talked about the incredible percentage of people that only attend church for Easter and Christmas.  What a lame response.

Do you think Colombians are optimistic?  Turns out Colombians have a reputation for being optimistic.  I would never have made that generalization on my own - especially because folks out work can be so negative and complain...although I suppose I do a good share of complaining as well.

The questions went on and on.  For every question I could answer, there was a question that I responded to with a blank stare or a "que"?!  It certainly made me realize that I completely unaware of a lot of what is going on around me, it was kind of shameful.  Lesson learned?  I need to open my eyes and start taking in the scenery.  Oof.