Going to the dentist

For my first month in Colombia I had insurance that only covered emergencies.  After that I was told that my insurance would cover regular check ups and what not.  Lost in translation, I thought the information I received from a company called Skandia was my health insurance information.  I went along thinking this, until last week when my health insurance card and information arrived for me at the school...only 6 months after arriving in Colombia.  Oops.  I also received information from Skandia.  Skandia assists in savings.  It is required by law the companies and employees but 4% of the employee's salary into a retirement fund.  For me it's a little different - again, forgetting what my contract says I forgot about this money but the school has been putting an amount equivalent to 4% of my salary into this account.  Sweet!

Anyhow, I sat down to read the information, was totally confused and was feeling greatly in need of a dentist.  When I went to the dentist in the States this summer, my dentist said it would be a good idea to get two fillings... this has had me feeling nervous and knowing that I needed to care of my teeth but I just didn't have the energy to try and figure out the system.  With the booklet on my health insurance and my insurance card I felt more prepared.  I asked for help with friends in my bus route and I spoke with folks in HR.  The person who helped me get things done though?  Juan Carlos.  I'm not sure why I just didn't go to him from the beginning.  In less then 24 hours, he called the clinic, got me and appointment AND accompanied me to the dentist.  Good thing because even with an understanding of the Spanish that was being said to me I was totally confused by the entire system...

1. There are only a handful of locations that I can go because I have the most basic insurance.  Perhaps not ideal - but for me, free.
2. In order to see a doctor immediately, I could not be picky about the location which meant going to El Querigua - an hour-long Transmilenio ride from my house.   (Transmilenio is the public bus system in Bogotá that I had avoided until today...but now I can check it off my bucket list! Hooray!) I left school at 4pm and got on the bus at 5pm.
3. You arrive at the clinic - this was an "urgent" visit - take a ticket, and wait to check-in.  You then wait to see the doctor.  I was impressed with the punctuality.
4. The dentist poked around my mouth and sprayed some cold air on my teeth for about 2 or 3 minutes and then decided that I don't have any cavities but that she will order x-rays for me if I want to be sure.  I want to be sure.  (Again, my dentist in the U.S. told me in July...or August that I have cavities.  Here they tell me I don't.  Do I believe the dentist in the U.S. with the good technology who is going to make $500 if I get these cavities filled or do I trust the Colombia dentist with limited technology who has no incentive to lie to me?  Tough call.)
5. They don't do x-rays at the clinic.  I have to go to another location, get the x-rays, and then return to the dentist for her to read them.
6. It's 7pm.  The clinic closes at 7:30pm.  It's pouring.
7. Juan Carlos and I run down the street looking for an x-ray place that is open - we are crammed under an umbrella barely big enough for one.  We are soaked.  There are no places open for x-rays at this hour.  We stop for empanadas. We agree they are not the best empanadas we've had but are a heck of lot better than being hungry, cold and wet.
8. We walk 20 minutes in the rain to the bus station and take the hour-long bus ride back to my house.  I arrive home at 9 pm.
9. I get in my pajamas, turn on my electric blanket, and e-mail my boss to explain why I will have to write my lesson plans in the morning.  I'm pooped.

After all this, I still don't have the x-rays and I need to return to the clinic for a cleaning (in a week and a half) and to have the dentist ready by x-rays.  If I do have cavities according to the x-rays, I will have to return again.  This is potentially 7 - 8 more hours of my life.  Dear God.  Again, all this is pretty much free.  I had to pay about $10 (23,000 colombian pesos).  The school is paying for my insurance, where normally the employees have to pay a percentage from their salary.  So I shouldn't complain - I know this.  It is certainly an adventure though...

Go big or go home!

So this past week, I started getting the same questions from students and teachers "Are you going to the Bazar?"

I tend to be the last one to know about things because only certain things are communicated to new teachers and my Spanish limits me from picking up information from eavesdropping (I have to listen REALLY hard if I even want to understand what folks are saying...and to this discretely? much more difficult).  So I started trying to get information about this Bazar.  And all I could gather was that it was a fair-like event to raise money for the 11th graders.  We then started receiving e-mails about the lack of people signing up to work at "our-Bazar".  This just made me a bit angry because not once had I receive a formal e-mail with any information about this even that was supposedly mine somehow.

Well, the weather was absolutely perfect on Sunday (and Saturday for that matter) - sunny, about 70 degrees, a cloud every once in a while to keep the heat down - perfect.  So I rounded up Juan Carlos and we drove up to the school (in terrible traffic because everyone in Bogotá had the brilliant idea of getting out of the house).  Well, when we arrived I was totally surprised - in a good way.  This was a real, professional-ish carnival/fair.  There was tons of food, games, rides/things to climb and bounce around in for the kids, and entertainment (music, dancing, etc.).  I ate Sushi, Juan Carlos some sort of pork dish and then pizza (the guy can eat!).  After this we got in line to play Tombola.  People here love this game!  Basically, you buy a ticket and when its your turn you pick a number.  The  number corresponds to a prize.  You're guaranteed to win something - although some prizes are better than others.  Students told me about people winning a stick of butter and dog food.  But then other people have won bikes, drum sets, and weekend getaways.  Juan Carlos and I won a set of products from a Bath & Body-type store and a set of wine glasses.  Not too bad for $4.50... but kind of silly.  After that we watched the Carnaval-esque dancers and then played miniature golf.  Sadly, I got my butt kicked...I tried to be a gracious loser - but oof.  Juan Carlos didn't even know the rules!!!

Anyhow, a great way to spend the weekend.  I'm glad I didn't blow off the event. :)

Trying to look happy after losing at mini golf.

In line to play Tombola!

The entertainment was so fun!

No words.

My favorite things: Empanadas

I have an addiction: empanadas from El Kiosko.  If you lived two blocks from the place, you would too.

This place makes the best empanadas in all of Bogotá.  If you are not familiar with empanadas - here in Bogotá at least - they are fried pockets of dough (made of corn) filled with delicious things.  I always get carne (meat) but they have cheese and chicken as well...and everywhere you go they are a bit different.  You eat them with lime and aji (hot salsa...there are different kinds) - YUM!  I generally order water to try and balance the fried (unhealthy) deliciousness with something that my body actually needs, but they go wonderfully as well with Colombiana - a delicious soda made in, duh, Colombia.
 

Getting out of my rut

Yikes!  It's been nearly a month since I added to this blog.  I apologize for those of you who like to read about my various escapades.  I have no good excuse, except that living in Colombia has started to feel normal and when that happens nothing seems blog-worthy.  However, after having a wonderful and much-needed conversation with my dear friend Sophia (also a blogger who has just recently moved to Berlin), she reminded me that there are others who read this and even if there aren't this will be an excellent "scrapbook" for me 5 years from now when I want to reminisce.

So, my goal is to start sharing the highlights of my week (with pictures) of the things that I love in my life to matter how trivial they may seem.  Again, sorry for the lack of pictures but here are some of the highlights that have taken place recently...and perhaps in the near future I will expand on some of them:

1.  Recently got in touch with some Americans  - we have the Teach For America connection - and have had some fun get-togethers with them.  It's a handful of American-Colombian couples so it's a great balance of speaking in English (it's a nice break) and practicing Spanish (greatly needed).
2.  Went to a pub to watch the Giants win (woo hoo!) with this lovely group of people.
3.  I am a part of the curriculum committee at my school and as my Spanish improves, I am starting to feel more and more useful.  This month I suggested that members of the committee and the department heads also be observed during Rondas (rounds) and we did just that.  It was nice to have people in my classroom, see that great work my students are doing, and my recognized for my hard work.  It was also awesome to see other excellent teachers in action - made Rondas much more of a balanced discussion about what works well in the classroom and what other approaches are less effective.
4. At the very beginning of the month I had the opportunity to attend a wedding.  It was beautiful and SO much fun.  I've included some pictures from that event (probably the last time I took a photo here) to make this blog less boring.
5. I've begun applying for some consulting jobs as a way to make some extra cash, further develop my skills in curriculum writing, and fill some of my extra time feeling helpful. Will keep you posted - hopefully with good news.
6. Started practicing with the girls basketball team every Monday morning at the school (at 6 am...oof).  It is a killer workout and so fun to get to know other students.  I also think the coach appreciates having an extra hand.  Which I could practice with them more but I have a weekly department meeting the other morning that they practice.  So sad...but glad I'm finding at least a little time to exercise.