A Day at the Races

So Friday arrived.  Everyone loves Fridays.  The end of the week, the weekend in sight.  We all have plans.  Sometimes those plans include going out for dinner or drinks with friends until some ungodly hour and sleeping until noon.  Other times they include taking advantage of those two days without work to get the laundry done, by the groceries and get a haircut.  Other times still the plan is that there is no plan and you are going to simply relax.  Ahhh.... Fridays.

Fridays at my school are extra special because we get to leave early - 2:10pm instead of the normal 4:00pm.  Awesome...unless there is an electric storm.  My school is very safety conscious.  We have a group of teachers that make up La Brigada.  They are responsible for training and preparing the school on how to respond in the case of an emergency - any emergency.  The biggest "emergency" we typically have is thunder and lightening.  Don't get me wrong, I understand that lightening can be a very dangerous thing and have no desire to be struck at any point in my life, but to consider it a school-wide emergency remains something quite new to me.  In my 20+ years in education (as student and teacher), Colombia is the only place where I have found electrical storms affecting my day-to-day life.

We have a device that measures the presence of electric storms and their distance from the school.  At a certain distance (not sure what that is...maybe 15 km?), La Brigada has determined that the risk of getting electrocuted is too high.  That is too high to use technology, too high to have the windows open, too high to leave the room you are in (we don't have hallways at our school to get from one place to another you must walk outside).

So on Friday, at 2:09pm, the alarm sounded signaling a state of emergency.  Most of the students had already gotten on their bus but us teachers, all waiting with bags packed were NOT on the bus nor in our cars and had the pleasure of staying at the school for an extra hour to wait out the risk of this passing electric storm.

Here's how we passed the time:

About 5 teachers participated in this great event of office chair racing before we were able to leave.  We each presented our own region/country.  You will all be proud to know that I, representative of the grand ole' US of A, won with a record time of 13 seconds...  my competitive spirit is alive and well. ;-)

Staying connected

It's been way too long since I've posted.  I think in my second year there is less that seems new and noteworthy.  Also, after my last post, it seemed strange to go back to simply reporting on my life here in Colombia.  Still, thought I'd share an update on my progress in staying connected to friends and family. I'm not doing super well, but there have been some improvements/discoveries.  In my last post, I said that my resolution for this year was to be better about my finances so that I can make the visits to friends and family for major events and when I feel the need.  This way Colombia won't feel so removed from the rest of the world.  I also, just generally need to be better about staying connected.

So how am I doing?

1) I've already booked the ticket for my friend Shannon's wedding in June.  I will be in the country for about 80 hours in total but it is soooo worth it.  Shannon is my oldest friend, not in age but in terms of the amount of time we've known each other.  We were in the same Kindergarten class and every Wednesday we were placed at the kitchen station together.  We've been friends ever since.  She's asked me to be in her wedding and I cannot wait to be there for the big day!

2) There was also talk about going to Shannon's second wedding in Macedonia (fiance's family is from there) and making it a super vacation by flying to Berlin to visit with my friend Sophia and then traveling by car, train, or plane (still undetermined) to visit a few places between Germany and Macedonia...Croatia for example.  This is still undetermined.  It would be amazing but also very expensive.  I've taken on some part-time work and I'm hoping to sell my car (my 2002 Honda that is sitting in my parents' garage) once springtime has sprung.  I also need to solidify a job for next year.  If these things happen, this trip might be possible.  I need  to visit Sophia and obviously the Macedonia wedding is a once in a lifetime opportunity... so it's still on the table.  If anyone reading this wins the lottery and wants to make someone verrrry happy, I'm your girl. (wink, wink)

3) Google Hangouts!  If you have not tried this yet, you should.  Last night I was able to talk to six of my friends from when I worked in Texas.  It was pure chaos and ridiculousness but it was also AWESOME!  We were all sitting in our own houses, at our computers, video-conferencing.  I could see and here everyone.  It was amazing.  There are lots of fun effects - like adding masks, eyewear, and hats to the videos and sounds to the conversations.  Again, ridiculous.  Hoping we can make this happen more regularly.  It made my week.  Here's a glimpse at what this conversation looked like:

4) Skyping with Mom and Dad.  In the past  I have always Skyped with my Mom and Dad at the same time, but a few weeks ago my Mom decided she was having it anymore.  Now I speak with each of them individually every other week.  It has turned out to be fabulous.  Dad and I talk about Dad and Kate stuff -  TUK (my car), weather, Yankees/Giants, work, love, funny stories about my mom (past and present), etc.  Mom and I talk about Mom and Kate stuff - work, books, exercise, recipes, love, education, etc.  Glad we have found a system that works and glad to have the quality time with each of them regularly.

Overall, I think I'm making progress.  Would like to Skype with some more friends regularly and need to be better about e-mailing Grandma and Grandpa, but I'm headed in the right direction.  Loving life in Colombia, but it's easier to love when I don't feel so far away from family and friends.

Difficult Questions

I love visiting family and friends and cherish the time I have with folks, but going back home for those few weeks is also tough emotionally.  There are lots of questions asked but lots of unspoken feelings and questions as well.

The doozies:

When are you coming back home?  

Why aren't you working in education HERE, in the U.S.?!  Your own country needs you.

Why Bogotá?!

I know the questions come from a good place.  It's nice to know that I'm missed, that people worry about me and that people think my presence in the U.S. would make a difference.  I also know that for some people the questions are more emotionally charged than actually coming from a logical place.  But the questions are also sometimes hard to handle.  For a few reasons:  1.  I don't know.  2. I don't have a good answer/ the right answer.  3. I feel guilty.  4. I feel attacked/judged/misunderstood/etc.  Still, the questions force me to take some time to reflect and find some answers for myself... here's what I know right now.

I know that I don't know when I'm returning "home".  

Truthfully, I'm not sure where home would be first of all.  And secondly, I'm not sure where my life is going to take me.   Certainly, the house where I grew up will always be considered home and I can always refer to it as home and people understand.  Still, when people ask me about returning "home", I'm quite certain they don't mean "when are you, as a 29-year-old going to go back to living with your parents?".   The question seems to mean when will I return to the States.  That's confusing.  The U.S. is huge.  For me there is not a huge difference between being in Colombia and being in California, or Texas for that matter.  It's a flight away - a 4 hour flight versus a 6 hour flight really doesn't seem like a lot...to me.  

Additionally, if I did return to the United States.  I'm not sure where I'd want to be.  Anywhere I went, I'd have to start fresh.  Yes, there are a handful of cities where I have some good friends - Houston, New York City, Washington, DC...but I'd still have to build a life in this new location and I've done that quite a bit.  I'm actually quite good at it, but frankly, I'm tired of moving so much and would like to just stay put until an opportunity arises that really screams "this is the move you've been waiting for!"

My commitment to education is to a global community, not the U.S.

This is not a very patriotic statement, I understand.  It may even be offensive to some.  Still, I'm fascinated by this shrinking world and all that people can offer each other, if we are just willing to cross borders into different languages, cultures, and understandings about the world in which we live.  I believe education has the power to change a person's life and was motivated to work in education through my time as a tutor in D.C..  My passion grew with my experiences in New Orleans, Houston, Uganda, and South Africa.  My dedication and sense of purpose was developed at Harvard.  And now, in Colombia, I continue to learn about the power of education and find new ways to use my skills to make a difference.  The amount of work to be done is overwhelming and the answers are not going to be found in one place.  I am one small player in this fight to ensure that all children have a quality education in this world.  And I do what I can, where I see a role for me.  I should probably also mention that I do continue to contribute to education reform in the U.S. from over here in Colombia.  I work part time as a consultant and take on work here and there, again, when I see a space that could benefit from what I have to offer.  

Life in Bogotá is simpler.

For sure I make jokes about some of the struggles I've had living in Colombia but at the end of the day, the simplicity of life here makes me a better person, a saner person, a healthier person - a happier person.  I don't have a car and public transportation here is not great.  But I walk...a lot.  I get out of my apartment and into the sunlight.  Sometimes I get caught in downpours, with not a taxi to be found, but when I arrive to my apartment soaking wet - the pleasure I get from that hot shower, those comfy pajamas and that cup of tea are unmeasurable.  Healthcare can sometimes be confusing and frustrating but I've been humbled by the process of navigating a system in what sometimes feels like broken-Spanish and seeing how the majority of the world lives.  I could also choose to pay a bit more to avoid the lines and the chaos, but to see what I've afforded to avoid my whole life has taught me something.  I have more free time.  I work a full-time job which does not require I bring work home.  I have time to explore new hobbies, to travel, to take on additional work (if I so please...which I sometimes do), to plan a Thanksgiving dinner for 20 people, to enjoy an empanada and beer after work with a friend, to date, to exercise, to meditate, to just be.  Finally, every day I am learning.  My Spanish will never be perfect, but it gets closer and closer with each day that passes.  It is so exciting to learn a new phrase and than put it into use immediately.  It is so rewarding to go to dinner with a friend's family and realize at the end of the night that I was able to follow the entire night's conversation and contribute to it.  Bogotá might not be where I settle down permanently but for now life is good here.  I am happy.  

The distance doesn't have to feel so great.

I love my family and friends and cherish the moments I have when we are together.  Traveling makes maintaining these relationships a bit more challenging but it is also because of traveling and taking risks that many of these amazing friendships came to be.  This year my new year's resolution is to be better with my finances so that the distance does not impact these relationships as much.  I don't want to miss out on my best friend's wedding (and would really like to see her second wedding in Macedonia!), missing my grandmother's funeral was terrible, and if Mom, Dad and Bubba decide they want to vacation as a family in some crazy locale, I want to be sure I can swing it.    Still, I plan to make it happen while living here, in my comfortable life in Bogotá.  At least until, something pulls me in another direction.

Home for the Holidays

I've just returned to Bogotá after two weeks back in the northeast (USA).  It was a whirlwind of a trip but I fit in a lot.  It was a great balance of family time and friend time and down time.  There was also lots of snow, which I was hoping for but is never a guarantee.

These visits back home are never long enough but they always remind me of just how lucky I am to have such a loving bunch of people in my life.  The visit home was rejuvenating.  Quality time with family and catch-up time with friends from childhood, college, and work.

Thanks to everyone who squeezed in time to see me during the craziness of the holidays.  I am totally blessed.

Some highlights:

Family Time

Great time with aunts, uncles, and cousins.  So much delicious food!

Visiting favorite places - had to get my chocolate shake from Orbakers.

Walk down memory lane, in Joy.

Keeping with traditions, we attended the candlelight service and
then woke up to stockings, gifts and a delicious breakfast.

No visit home would feel quite right without Krochko QT.

Dinner with mom and dad before I left.  

Catching up with friends

1.  My best childhood friend is getting married (twice!) and I'm going to be in her wedding in June.  Very excited and so great catching up with her.

2. Jule and Sophia in town for a very brief visit.

Sophia came a bit earlier, so we had some time to hang with my family.

Continued catching up with cocktails and dinner. 

Then headed to a townie bar for some entertainment...

....which we dominated.
I feel both proud and embarrassed of this.

3.  JCI Reunion with guest star, KA

Catching up over drinks...

...and brunches...

...and dinners.

Celebrating the New Year

...with this view.

Love my time with these ladies and
really hoping for a reunion in Bogotá this July!

Giving Thanks

I did it!!

I successfully hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for 20 people!

I have been planning this for weeks - I sent out the Evite, I planned the menu, I tested some recipes for pies, checked in with Grandma Naylor about the best way to freeze pies, learned that freezing a pumpkin pie was not a good idea, and this weekend I cooked all the elements of a Thanksgiving dinner that I could given some of the Colombian limitations (no cranberries, no sweet potatoes).

The menu

Appetizers:  

• Ham Rolls ups (family tradition) 
• Crudité with two cream cheese dips (one with bacon and onion; the other with onion soup mix and red pepper)
• Camembert cheese and crackers

Dinner:

• Turkey  
• Stuffing
• Gravy - Thank you Tiffany!  She arrived just in time to help me with this difficult task but I think I could do it on my own now...maybe.
• Vegetable Medley
• Mashed Potatoes
• Squash Casserole (mom's recipe)
• Buttermilk Biscuits (tiffany's recipe)

Dessert:

• Pumpkin Pie
• Apple Crisp
• Whipped Cream 
• Vanilla Ice Cream

 Everyone seemed very happy.  The turkey was so juicy and flavorful.  I've never seen my parents marinate the turkey for Thanksgiving but I decided to stick with recipe that I found and I think I'd recommend it for the future. Soooo tasty!  The most popular item was probably the pumpkin pie because it simply does not exist in Colombia - It was so fun to introduce so many of my friends to this delicious dessert.

The whole event was quite hectic...did I mention there were 20 people in my tiny apartment?!!  Still, I wanted to make sure we didn't completely forget the purpose of Thanksgiving so I made a poster for people to write the things for which they are thankful.  I think it came out well - and it definitely showed the variety of personalities that were visiting. 

Overall, such a great day!  Definitely an event I will want to repeat in the future. 

The Baking Begins

Last year I struggled because I was lacking in close friends here in Bogotá.  Friends I could talk to about anything - friends that would dream with me and sit around a table and talk for hours about life and love.  Of course, some of this was due to my limited ability to speak Spanish, but still it was very lonely at times.  I found myself talking about this last night with folks that have become family and realized just how far I've come and how happy I now am because of the beautiful people in my life.

Thanksgiving is not a holiday in Colombia, but I've decided to bring it to Bogotá and to my friends here.  Thanksgiving is a day to be with friends and family and to reflect on all that you have to be thankful for.  I know how have friends with whom I can share this special day and that's just one of the many things I have to be thankful for.

I've planned the menu and have begun searching for the ingredients.  Today I baked my first pie ever!  It's an apple crisp.  I found the recipe online.  And I think it's going to be delicious!!!

There's something really special about taking the time to plan and prepare a meal for friends.  And I'm hoping that the sharing of the meal and time together will be just as special.

I LOVE Visitors!!!

 So Haley already two posts about her arrival to Colombia and a day in the city, but I still felt that I needed to share my excitement over her visit.   It was a quick day and a half but it was WONDERFUL!


Some of the highlights:

Dinner at Club Colombia.  This is not a place I go to often because it's a liiiitle too fancy for regular visits but it is pure heaven.  Gorgeous inside and out, great food, great lighting, and with Haley and Aly (her colleague traveling with her for work), great conversation as well. 







Drinks at Cafe y Crepes.  I had only been to the sister location, Cafe de la Montaña, but the locations are nearly identical and equally adorable.  Dark, warm, live guitar playing, and delicious beverages that warm you to the core: canelazo and vino caliente.  I know Haley and Aly were exhausted from the flight from Paraguay but it was sooooo nice to have this evening to catch up and talk about love, life, the future, etc. 


Tamales at La Puerta Falsa.


A trip to Monserrate.  I don't think I'll ever tire of this place.  Stunning views of the city and a great market full of typical Colombian cuisine.  We tried the coca tea - and Aly purchased some for her altitude sickness.

 

 

Obleas.  I actually don't think I've ever had an oblea...even after a year of living here.  How crazy because they are delicious...or exquisite as the vendor's cart claimed. 

Worlds colliding.

Onces potluck with my favorite Colombians and my lovely American visitors.  I invited a bunch of my favorite people from Bogotá to bring a dish and share it Sunday evening at my apartment.  The theme was onces and folks brought: hot chocolate, refajo (a mix of beer and Colombian soda), empanadas with ají, caladitos, fruit salad, cheese, guacamole, papas criollas (a special Colombia potato), and more.  The food was good and the company even better.  I love bringing my favorite people together and when my worlds combine and make new connections among themselves I am suuuuper happy. 

Haley and Aly, thanks so much for the excuse to have friends over on a Sunday night and for a great weekend.  It was sooooo wonderful to have visitors and I hope that your next visit will be a bit longer.

The Search for Jubilee in this month of June

Sorry it has been so long since I wrote anything.  The truth is I've been in a funk because it is the beginning of June and usually this means June Jubilee.

In Texas, a large number of friends have their birthdays in June.  School is also over.  The combination results in constant celebrating the entire month, hence June Jubilee.  This weekend was the graduation of the third class of students I taught (so proud!) and following the graduation, my friends (as is tradition) are packing up and having a week-long vacation somewhere in Texas.  I'm not with them (in spirit yes, physically no).  I'm so glad they've kept the tradition going and will really need to find a way to be there next year for Doublewide Cinco (yes, this vacation is called Doublewide because the first place we ever rented was apparently a Doublewide - according to my friend Andria who seemed to be some sort of expert in the topic).

Without the Doublewide and without my Houston friends, I'm struggling to feel the jubilation of June.  That's normal, right?  Yes, I have friends here and yes life, for the most part, is continuously surprising me with it's awesomeness... but for the moment June feels a bit less jubilant.

Thankfully it's only June 4th.  For the rest of the month I will focus on making my own sort of Colombian June Jubilee.  A friend and I have already discussed that we should go out more and enjoy the month because while we do have to work, we don't have to teach.  I also just stepped away from a bound-to-be-toxic relationship situation with my pride and self-esteem fully intact - definitely something worth celebrating if you ask me and a sign that my 29th year of life is going to be fabulous because I'm not acting a fool (quite as much at least...a little foolishness keeps life interesting).  Still, I am on the hunt for even more jubilation in this very special month.  I am open to suggestions and hope to share some stories and pics with you as the jubilee transpires. :)

Just a few pics to commemorate the wonderful tradition of June Jubilee and Doublewide:

Hot dogs, Texas Tea, and Rachael showing as the she "got your crazy"...what more could a person ask for?

First thing after my arrival in Texas last summer for the kickoff - a beer at Cedar Creek.

Love this B!

2 years ago, June Jubilee included skydiving on my birthday.

La Candelaria

Sadly, it has taken me 7 months to hop on a bus (only ONE bus) and go downtown (el centro).  This is the heart of Bogotá where the city's first neighborhood was established and where the museums and the government are.  There is so much going on and so much culture.  It's old and run-down in many ways but the beauty in the history of it all is breathtaking.  Two of my new friends, Tiffany and Juan Pablo, invited me to go see a parade downtown.  We went early because I wanted to walk around and enjoy the city.  Here's a glimpse of our 2-hour stroll....so lovely...

Old Convent, converted into loft apartments.  Sweet!

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...