Beach bums

I recently went to Pianguita, a beach site on the "litte Africa" Pacific Coast of Colombia, and it was a very enjoyable experience. We played in the waves, partook in games on the beach (I even got to teach Ultimate Frisbee to interested players), learned about the ever-changing tides (The posts below were the soccer goal earlier in the evening), witnessed all sorts of impressive jungle wildlife (including the featured tarantula and huge Conga ant, which can kill you!), made lots of young friends, and swallowed about 4 tons of salt water.

Alas, my time at the beach is now over, and I'm busy writing papers and taking final exams. :-(

Embassy Notes

The US Embassy kindly sends out emails like the following one periodically:

May 16, 2008: The U.S. Embassy in Bogotá advises all Americans in Colombia to keep a low profile and to remain vigilant as a result of continued military activity and recent extraditions of Colombian citizens to the United States. Although the Embassy has no specific, credible information concerning threats against Americans in Colombia, all Americans are strongly encouraged to exercise caution and avoid areas where foreigners are known to congregate. All official and personal travel outside of Bogotá by Embassy personnel continues to be reviewed, with the exception of air travel to Cali, Cartagena, and Medellín. Embassy personnel are prohibited from taking public buses in Colombia and the Embassy advises all Americans to refrain from using them as well.

Good thing I don't know any other Americans here and have no idea where foreigners "congregate." 80)

And it burns, burns, burns...

I had originally hoped that my next blog entry would contain something of great worldly significance, like an analysis of the many human rights violations that are currently taking place here in Colombia (Please note-- these include those of: antipersonnel mines, the highest rate of internal displacement in the world behind the Sudan, a high rate of child soldiers, murders, crimes, kidnappings, torture, lots of missing people, the huge narco-trafficking ring (that creates tons of violence in and of itself), gangs, targeted assassinations, etc.), or perhaps something about the conflicts and political controversies of the country, or even some information on the research that I’ve been conducting on the indigenous peace movement of the department (state) of Cauca. But, in reality, the story that I am most eager to share involves the history of a mattress.

Two weeks ago, I became the proud renter of an apartment in Colombia (which is way closer to my university—yay!!!). It had an extra room, so I decided to invite my German friend, Melanie, to stay with me. We were very content in our new home-sweet-home, although we soon discovered that taking care of our living space would require battles with cockroaches and other insects that appeared daily without warning. I also discovered that I had to “battle it out” nightly with my mattress, which was completely old, uneven, full of ridges, and pretty much the most uncomfortable space where I’ve slept in ever (which I feel says a lot, as I’ve slept on many hard grounds and rocky camping spots). When my back could no longer take it, I searched for a replacement.

This replacement came in the form of another mattress that was kindly lent to me by Lola, Liliana’s mother. When it arrived, it was pretty much the oldest, dirtiest mattress I’d seen (It had been her daughter’s 40-years-ago), and insects started falling out of it as we lifted it up to the apartment. It looked so bad that Melanie wouldn’t even let me bring it into our place. “We already have a bug problem!” she said, “I do NOT want it to get worse.”

When we asked the guard of our apartment complex (Rodrigo) if/how/where we could dump it, he only had one suggestion: set it on fire. He also offered to help with this process—that is, if we agreed to wait until his shift ended at 12:00am. “Setting the mattress on fire at midnight??? Si, señor, sounds like a plan!” (That was our reply).

Ergo, Luis (Melanie’s Colombian boyfriend) and I bought a bag of gasoline (yes, you can apparently by gasoline by the bag) and matches and prepared for our mattress burning ritual… It was all that we dreamed of and more! Here are photos of the event, which was quite memorable and rewarding… I am sad to report, however, that I am still currently sleeping on the floor. :(

This photo does not really do justice to the true ugly condition of the mattress.

Rodrigo prepares the mattress by covering it with our secret ingredient: gasoline.

Whew--- it was up in flames instantaneously!

I call this the “feel the fire of the burning mattress” ritualistic ceremonial dance.

Nothing says “invigorating” like a mattress on fire!

Presentation Circuit

I’ve begun my presentation circuit as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, and it has been quite an interesting process to be forced to reflect on my own culture, societal norms, and characteristics of my country and present this to various audiences.

Here I am with my Rotary Advisor, Carlos, after presenting yet another flag of the Rotary Club of the University District of Seattle (this time to the Club of Cali San Fernando).

I am deep in thought as the following question is posed for me: “How will each of the three main presidential candidates react to the current situation of Colombia if elected as president? More specifically, how will they respond to the actions of the crazy Marxist President Chávez [of Venezuela]?" Ay, ay, ay!! Can’t people just ask me about something easy, like American food or movies?

Just Call Me “Teacha [Teacher] Heeeeelary”

Due to some “logistical challenges,” my jump rope club in El Hogar María Gorreti has evolved into an English class. I can’t say that it wasn’t a disappointment to end this endeavor, but I do believe it will perhaps be revived at some point in the near future. In the meantime, I feel that the absence of this chaotic club in my schedule has freed up lots of energy for me, and I’m glad that I can still be a part of the girls’ lives.

My English class has presented its own unique set of challenges, but it has also provided me with some amusing moments as well. For instance, yesterday, four of the girls asked me if I would do them the favor of translating texts they had written. (As a side note, I have become quite popular as a translator here, constantly receiving emails with letters, applications, and documents to translate. Ergo, I am becoming very experienced and efficient at transforming Spanish into English!). I naively agreed and found that each of my students had written love letters to the boys of their “corazones” that were quite entertaining. My favorite was one that concluded dramatically with, “You know that I love you wholeheartedly and want to be with you forever. But you already have someone, and that someone is not me.” Ah, the heartache of teenage love!

Here I am with a few of my dear, oh-so-charming-and-well-behaved students.

Bogotá or bust!

I was able to take in some new scenery and discover many amazing, cultural wonders of Colombia’s capitol city last weekend, when my German friend (Melanie) and I traveled to Bogotá for the largest International Theater Festival in the world! I’ve still been struggling quite a lot here in Cali, so I must say that it was good for my heart and soul to be in new surroundings, and I discovered that I am a huge fan of the atmosphere of Bogotá. Aside from a very memorable German version of Macbeth that included 8 German men playing all roles (both male and female) in FULL nudity (!!!!) and a really impressive Spanish flamenco dancing show (two productions of the theater festival), we saw many neat attractions. Here are some images and descriptions:

We rode cable cars up to the scenic viewing point of Monserrate, which has 360-degree views of the massive city (which is situated in a valley) and surrounding green mountains.

We viewed many famous works of art. Here's the Mona Lisa, according to Botero (Colombia's most famous artist, who really enjoys embracing the chubbiness of mankind) and a work of Picasso.

Bogotá is home to many beautiful churches, cathedrals, and chapels.

Melanie and I befriended many pigeons in the city's center.

The highlight of our excursion, however, was the festival’s inaugural parade, which was the COOLEST parade I’ve ever seen in my life. It was pretty much a 2.5-hour nonstop party that included tons of dancing, enthusiasm, audience participation, incredible costumes, Latin American culture, and resounding energy. Here are some highlights:

[This last one was quite eye-catching! A man passed by completely naked, riding a bike in a glass cage. He was the ninth naked man that I saw throughout this Bogotá experience, mind you!].

Intensity Level = High

Colombia has recently found itself in the midst of quite a heated controversy and conflict, and I assume that most of you have heard at least bits and pieces of the crazy events that have unfolded here within the last few days. It's really hard to know who to believe and anticipate what will happen, and the news reports are coming in at rapid speed. Basically, here's a quick summary: Last week, the FARC released four political figures who had been kidnapped and in captivity for six years, and this important step was made possible in part through the assistance of President Hugo Chavez (of Venezuela), who has constantly been involved in the process of negotiation with FARC leaders. All seemed to be going well-- as this was noted as great progress. However, on Saturday, Colombian military officials crossed 1.1 miles into Ecuador to kill Raúl Reyes (a top FARC leader) and 15 guerrillas. This has caused quite the reaction from Correa (president of Ecuador) and Chavez. Here's an article that gives a bit more of a summary of the various actions that have been taken:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/02/ap/world/main3898139.shtml . Things are constantly changing, and new facts are continually brought to the public eye. For instance, recent reports have declared that Reyes' computer contained proof that Chavez had given $300 million to FARC leaders, which has completely outraged Colombian President Uribe (who hopes to bring him to the international court). It is quite the crazy atmosphere; here's hoping that all gets resolved peacefully and quickly!

Jump Rope Club

I've been teaching my Jump Rope Club at los "Hogares María Goretti" for four weeks now, and... well, it isn't exactly the structured, organized team that I had anticipated! It often seems like chaos (imagine 27 girls with jump ropes in a small space), and I still don't have enough ropes for all of them. I try to plan "lessons," but it turns into "do whatever you feel like." Last week, one little girl had an "emotional crisis" (imagine her screaming/kicking/yelling at a man who wasn't there) in the midst of Jump Rope Club, and she was in a psychiatric hospital for 8 days. It was sooooo crazy and so sad! The girls definitely come from broken homes and have had really horrible experiences in their short lives. I was feeling like a huge failure with the whole thing, but one little girl (a 6-year-old) and I had the following conversation: Girl: "I wish I could go and see my mommy. I can't, and it's my daddy's fault." Me: "Oh, that's really too bad." Girl: "He was raping me. Do you know what raping means?" Me: "Yes, that is really awful. No one deserves to be treated like that. I'm so glad that you don't have to experience that any more. Aren't you glad that you are living here at los Hogares Maria Goretti?" Girl: "It's okay. I wish I could live with my mommy, but I really like it when you come and jump rope with us. That's what I like about Hogares Maria Goretti." Ah, that totally made my day! See? I may not teach them a single trick, but it made me feel like I'm some sort of positive influence for them. =) I do hope to get a little more control and organization with it at some point, and I'm even hoping to have a little performance. We shall see...

Since I don't really see myself in the role of "coach" yet, I feel like my main role is official photographer. Seriously! The girls LOVE to have their picture taken, and I think I've captured about 350 shots of them thus far. I often regret revealing the fact that I had a digital camera to them (as they pull on my arm and tell me, "Now take a picture of me like this! And like this! And like this!"..."And how about a picture to send to my grandma? And one to put in my bunk bed? And one for my friend?"... "And now PLEASE take a picture of me with my dolly!!"... "And one with my favorite stuffed dog!"), but I think it really is something that they can have that means something to them. I try to do things that individualize them (as you can imagine what it's like living in a small home with about 30 girls of various ages), so I guess it's worth it. I just have to set picture-taking limits...

"And now a picture of me with her because we both are wearing pink..."

One notable event that I experienced with the Girls of Hogares María Goretti was a large dance performance. (They apparently are more dedicated to the art of dancing then they are with jump roping; perhaps I'll have to talk to their instructor to get some pointers!). It was quite the affair! There were many preparations (hair, make-up, costumes), and their 15-minute show featured various types of dances from different regions of the country. Volunteers had graciously donated and made the costumes, and the girls were quite fetching. I felt like a proud parent!!

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.