Recent Scenes

Here's a bit of a photo diary:

Groups of children enjoy themselves while sliding down a slick, concrete hill on plastic boxes.

This is one view of a residential area of Cali.

The Rotarians invited me to a luncheon at a "finca" (like a cabin) in the mountains. Memorable sights included this rainbow and this Coca plant, which (I assure you) will NOT be used to make cocaine.

I also was able to take another much-needed trip away from the city to learn a great deal about the production of plantains (one of my favorite foods here, by the way!).

Here I am with Fernando, Liliana, Carolina, and Isabela (Carolina and Isabela are sixteen-year-old twins)-- the very welcoming, helpful, and amazing Colombian family with whom I have been living. I will be leaving them for another home that is closer to the university shortly. (Note: They are standing on a ledge to appear as tall as me!).

This short, random video of a town called Puerto Tejado will give you an idea of what the streets are like in most cities. Please note the abundance of bicycles, buses, motorcycles, people, and taxis. Cali is like this... only X 20!!! I have had a hard time adjusting to the over-stimulating hustle and bustle of the city and chaotic driving. In fact, one of the hardest things for me has been seeing so many crashes and accidents. The most impacting of these involved a little child who had been hit on his bicycle. I didn't see him, and I'm not exactly sure what happened-- all I saw was a kids' bike all smashed up and surrounded by blood. I really hope that he is okay.

A Fish Out of Water

Last week, I was prescribed three different medications (one pill to be taken daily and two creams) for the many pestering mosquito bites that seemed to appear daily all over my arms and legs-- in spite of my constant application of 20% Deet bug repellent. (And, mind you, I'm living in a city-- not the jungle!!). In all of my travels and time in the great outdoors, I've never experienced anything like this before. They are quite noticeable on my glowing white skin, and I became so frustrated with the continual urge to itch that I was almost at my wit's end...

I have felt like a small child battling chicken pox.

What was even more enraging was that no one else seemed to have the same problem!!! My huge welts became symbolic of the feeling I've had a lot of lately: "Why's everybody always picking on me?" I have to honestly say that the last few weeks have been rough; I've been struggling with feeling like an outsider-- and I kept thinking that even the darn mosquitoes know that I'm a foreigner!!!

Some of you have heard me express my strong feelings of homesickness and loneliness that I've been experiencing recently, and I think that I'm currently headed upward. But I have struggled so much with not knowing the cultural norms and blending in that I think it may take me a while to feel at "home" here.

I think I would feel better about being an "outsider" if Colombia weren't so dangerous for foreigners. I have been told time and time again about certain rules to follow to stay safe (My least favorite= "Sit in the aisle of the bus if there's a seat available, as it is harder to rob you there." My instinct is to head straight for the breeze of the window to assist me in tolerating the hot stuffiness of the crowded vehicle!), and perhaps I've gotten a little paranoid... But (frankly) I get scared sometimes and don't know who to trust. Even taxis are allegedly dangerous. Then, when I need help, I am afraid to ask because so many people have told me, "Don't talk. As soon as someone hears your accent, they'll know that you're not from here... And bad things will happen." I also get asked sometimes, "Don't you know that it's a bad idea to be by yourself?", but I usually don't have any other options. Perhaps these are exaggerations, but they sure don't make me feel comfortable...

I also am having a hard time with the (from an American's perspective) seeming lack of effectiveness of the systems in place. I obviously want the best for the people here, but there's so much that really needs to be improved with the way things work. For instance, I saw four car wrecks (not the actual events taking place, but the remnants once they had occurred) on Friday (Yes, that was in ONE day!), and each one was just craziness. I thought of how easy it would be to call 9*1*1 in the United States, wait a few minutes for the police/ambulance to arrive, and get everything under control in an efficient manner. Here, that's definitely not the case. Traffic was absolute chaos for a very long period of time (With lots of honking and road rage), and the police didn't seem capable of handling the situations. Meanwhile, who knows what was happening to the poor people who had been injured...

I've recently made two foreign friends: one from Germany and one from Spain, and it has been so nice to have the support of people who are sharing a similar experience (By the way, they both have had the same problem with mosquito bites, which made me feel so much better about it!). My Spanish friend, Rosario, told me that she was so afraid for the first month that she hardly ever left her home. She has started to adjust more, and I'm sure that I will eventually, too. I am so glad that I'm meeting lots of Colombians, but I really value these friendships of people who have found themselves in the same circumstances as me. I thinks it helps us all to process the realities of Colombia.

Thus, I am happy to report that my mosquito bites have improved dramatically, and my outlook is getting better as well. 80)

[I hope to post more shortly about the many good things and people found in Colombia, as the country does have nice things to offer!! I now must immerse myself in my studies, but be on the lookout for more photos and commentaries within the next day or so...].

Here we go a-Marching!

On February 4th, I joined the estimated 4.8 million people who turned out for 387 different events across Colombia and more than 100,000 people in 165 cities around the world to take a huge stand against the FARC (Some also took it to be simply a stand against ALL violent groups of Colombia). Wow, what an experience!!! It was quite impressive and exhilarating as I met up with Rotarians of my host club (Below, we are with a banner that reads, "The Rotarians of the world united for peace in Colombia") and stood in solidarity with 1,000s of peaceful (yet expressive) citizens. Roads were shut down; schools were closed; and everyone dawned white t-shirts (symbolizing peace) and colorful signs, flags, banners, and symbols expressing the desire for the kidnappings, threats, internal displacement, and horrendous violations of human rights to end.

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However, while the ideas and symbolism behind this demonstration were very meaningful, I have to say that it wasn't exactly a "pleasant" experience. The powerful sun combined with the body heat of so many people crammed into one space was almost intolerable, and the sheer number of people prevented us from actually "marching" for quite some time. We eventually had to may our way "upstream," fighting against the crowd and getting separated from various other group members, to leave without getting injured... Regardless, I am glad to have participated, and I really am hopeful that the many, many people suffering because of violent groups like this will find themselves in better conditions very soon...

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*I'm on the end on the first picture.
This features part of the rally, which included singing the national anthem. This was taken when we all had precious space!


I was surrounded by this crowd (which became MUCH more animated than this at various points throughout the event).

School Days

As many of you know, I'm quite the perfectionist (pretty much to the point of obsession) when it comes to my studies. I have always identified myself as a "good student," and I definitely feel at ease in the school environment... or at least I DID until I started classes at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana here in Cali. I am taking both undergraduate and graduate courses at this Jesuit college, and each type has proven to be very humbling, interesting, and challenging.

My main focus is in a graduate program called "International Humanitarian Rights/Accords and the Culture of Peace" (which is VERY relevant in the context of violent, war-torn Colombia). Our current materials are focused on theories of conflict, and the texts that we're reading are incredibly dense. The classes take place at night and on Saturday to accomodate the schedules of working professionals, and my classmates are almost entirely lawyers, with one sociologist, two psychologists, one anthropologist, one retired engineer, and one professor of "conflict management."...And then there's me!! I am the only non-Colombian; I am very young in comparison to the rest of my peers; and I definitely feel like the "weakest link." I struggle with finding the confidence to express myself with the right Spanish vocabulary during class discussions (I get nervous, and it's usually a bunch of incoherent phrases), and (although I usually understand most of what the professors say) there are times when I get a little lost. The other day, I had the feeling of "the kid that never gets chosen to be on the team" when people were beginning to select group members for a required project, and no one wanted to be with me. I mean, I can certainly understand that I wouldn't be the most "strategic" choice, but I really did feel pretty crummy... Luckily, however, I am happy to report that I now have a group and have befriended many of my impressive classmates. Hooray! =)

My undergraduate classes are not quite as intimidating, but they still are challenging nonetheless. I'm taking a few Latin American political science courses, and the reading for them (which, of course, takes me longer than it does for native Spanish-speakers) is quite hefty. For my "Latin America: Problems and Perspectives" class, we have to turn in a 4-page paper EVERY class!!! Thus, I spend a lot of my time studying... But it's good for me, right?

In addition, riding the bus to and from school takes up a TON of my time. I love the family where I'm currently living (They really have taken me in with open arms and don't want me to leave), but they live very far from my school. The crazy bus ride can last up to 2 hours each way! I would love to take advantage of this down-time to study, but the environment is so chaotic that one can only sit/stand as more and more people hop onboard and the bus zips along unpredictably. Plus, my graduate classes are at night, and everyone says it's incredibly dangerous for me to be out on buses or walking to bus stops during this time (In fact, I've actually had to hire a driver to take me home from most of my classes). Therefore, I am in the process of relocating. I'll keep you posted as I find a new home!

Service

My host Rotary Club of Cali invited me to help out with a day of service that provided many underprivileged children of the area with free dental and eye care, and it was definitely a worthwhile event. The clinic was held at Hogar María Goretti, a home for girls who have been abused (most of them sexually), neglected, and abandoned.

These girls were looking down from the second floor, growing nervous as they contemplated what their visit with a dentist might entail.


After helping out with set-up, I was assigned the task of assisting the dentists (who were actually dental students who kindly volunteered their time). I proved to be quite lousy at this, as they would ask me to hand them a tool, and (since I don't know the names of most dental apparatuses in English, let alone in Spanish) I wasn't exactly the most "efficient" volunteer. Ergo, I soon was usurped and was able to spend time with the children who were waiting their turn. I felt like I connected very well with them, and I really enjoyed our exchanges. Thank goodness for being inadequate as a dental assistant! =)

One group that provided for particularly interesting communication was that of deaf/mute children who had come to partake in the day's activities. I quickly learned the signs for removing teeth, crying, and fear. At one point, one little boy ran and held onto me, in tears, confused and scared after the dentist had attempted to explain the procedure of removing one of his teeth; a lot of the reassurance that he needed seemed to have been lost in translation. The history of most of these deaf children (as told to me by their instructor) , the majority of whom come from poverty, is very unfair and tragic, but I found them to be quite endearing-- in spite of our language barriers.

Finally, a very positive outcome of the event was the fact that I am going to coach my own little jump rope club at Hogar María Goretti!! The girls seemed very excited about the idea, and I even wrote a quite technical proposal about my intended outcomes, qualifications as an instructor, prospective schedule, etc. I have a few technicalities to work out, but I plan on starting this week. Be on the lookout for updates about our little team; here's hoping all the pieces fall into place!

Here are Luciana and Alejandra, two of my future jump ropers. 80)

Racial Relations

From my own observations and what I've gathered from conversations and written materials, Colombia sadly harvests many racial tensions and manifestations of discrimination. (For instance, graffiti reading "skinheads" in English was in many parts of Medellín, and I even noticed a couple Swaztica tatoos). [PLEASE NOTE: This is not to say that everyone feels this way; there are many amazing people who treat all others equally].The nation is home to many people of Afro-Colombian and indigenous descent, who seem to lack the same opportunities for advancement as their lighter-skinned compatriots. For example, it is standard for families here to have an "empleada" or "muchacha"-- a woman who does the cooking and cleaning for the home and lives and works within the household-- and, here in Cali, almost all of them are black or indigenous. Although I'm hopeful that most employers pay their "muchacha" adequately and provide her with proper compensation (and most probably do), I don't think that this is always the case... Thus, Colombia needs to make a lot of progress to create an environment of equality for all.


Please meet Marlon, the five-month-old son of Marta, the "muchacha" of our household. He is my constant companion and little buddy. =) I often think about the future that awaits him, and I really hope that he'll be able to get an education and build a better life for himself someday.

Aguaceros

Sooooo, how about the weather??? My time here thus far has been plagued with “aguaceros”—huge downpours that make Seattle rain look weak and boring. The day seems nice, then the clouds come in, then bam!!!! HUGE DOWNPOUR!!! I am happy to report that I finally purchased an umbrella yesterday, and I’d like to say that I’d take heavy rain instead of clammy heat any day. =)