"How can you just sit there and not help the children?" And we couldn't. We just couldn't sit there and not help the children.

So, I wrote this whole post about 4 days ago. it was fabulous. It talked all about Kristen's visit and the exciting things we did. It went through the highs and lows of the week and discussed the things that I learned. I posted it. Reread it. it wasn't half bad. In short, I was pleased.

Now, I return to continue my exciting Colombian saga, only to realize that my last post is not here. at all. gone. Perhaps it was the internet. or maybe just Colombia reminding me that absolutely nothing works here the way you expect it to. Lesson plans. School schedules. In any case, I will have to put off my topics for today and try and recap a little about what i talked about before. It won't be the same, but I'll do my best. Heck, maybe it will be better!

So Kristen, my sister, visited last week!! It was soooo nice having her here. I got to show her all of my favorite things about Colombia and it definitely reminded me about why I love it here. However, her visit also reminded me a little of home, and the things I left behind. Even watching her miss the little things about daily American life (like air conditioning), left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. However, she also brought a suitcase full of American goodies, so I recovered quickly. Looking back, after two and a half months here, the following is a summary of the things I absolutely adore about Colombia, and the things I miss about home:

Things I miss about the US:
- family and friends
- consistent electricity and internet
- the ability to take a hot shower (I realize its 90+ degrees here but I'm weird)
- air conditioning
- my token comfort foods (I love rice and beans, but they can only take me so far. I need some fresh milk and homemade mac and cheese in my life)
- the American love of schedules and keeping people informed (I'm a planner)

Things I adore about Colombia:
- The kids, who are always full of love, hugs, kisses, laughter, gifts, and encouragement (exactly what I need)
- The fresh fruit and vegetables!!
- Street food (not exactly the most healthy, but nothing beats a good empanada or chuzo)
- Crepes and Waffles (noticing a pattern? I'm in trouble, but don't worry.... its the good kind :) )
- the Colombian people are the most friendly and helpful I've ever met
- the Colombian love of holidays
- Latin dancing! (even if my own skill falls embarrassingly short)
- being in a place with so many interesting, historical, naturally beautiful places to explore
- the beach (nothing like the rolling waves to do some good thinking, and sunbathing)
- the ability to challenge myself (it can be hard, but that's what life is for)

A day doesn't go by without me finding myself frustrated by some change in plans or some situation in which I can't express myself the way that I want to. Still, a day doesn't pass that I am not extremely happy and thankful to be here. I am continually learning about myself and feeling myself grow in new and different ways. In the span of a few minutes, I will leave a classroom in which my lesson-plan flopped, no one paid attention, I broke up two fights, and left a child crying, feeling like a complete failure as a teacher. Then suddenly, I will run into a favorite student, smiling from ear to ear. He will inevitably yell "Profe!" run up, give me a hug, and ask me to teach him another question in English. Or grin while he repeats one of our silly inside jokes. or perhaps I will see another favorite student, who can't speak a word of English, but has the patience of a saint while i stumble through the Spanish I do know, and even calls me her mother. And I can't help but smile. This is why I came here. And I think that my sister got a taste of this while she was here too.

Sure, we visited Playa Blanca, a picturesque Caribbean beach, and Cartagena, a gorgeous colonial port city. We did touristy things in Barranquilla, like go to the market and out dancing, and American-like things, like go to the mall and see a movie. We even ate at Crepes and Waffles (my favorite restaurant)... twice. We crammed a lot into the short week she was here. However, I think that going to school with me one day is a memory she will definitely carry with her for a long time. She was sick with a bad sunburn and the usual Colombian digestive challenges, but the kids adored her! They showered her with gifts and drawings, some even better than any I had ever recieved. They hugged her, kissed her, asked her questions, danced for her, even escorted her hand-in-hand around school. One class even said they liked her better than me, which I won't take personally since she wasn't making them learn anything. Sometimes I think that God put kids on earth to remind us of all the good in the world, and why we are here. To think of the situations some of these kids deal with at home, its hard to believe that they are still so happy and excited. I don't know how you can meet these kids, know these kids, and not want to help. Not want to give everything you have, every piece of yourself to make their lives easier. Some days, I can't even bear the thought of leaving them. I hope that Kristen got a small dose of this. So when she looks back on the crazy country without air conditioning and where you can't flush the toilet paper, this place with beautiful beaches and friendly people, the country where few people speak English and communicating can be a struggle, I hope that she remembers the children. and how love can transcend any language barrier.

Gringos make the news again!!!

Apparently one newspaper article about us gringos is not nearly enough. Our lives are so interesting that they wrote a second piece in the Barranquilla newspaper, El Heraldo. I didn't want you to miss it! So, here it is for your reading pleasure, in Spanish and roughly translated into English:

LINK TO ACTUAL ARTICLE ONLINE
http://www.elheraldo.com.co/ELHERALDO/BancoConocimiento/G/glapandillagringa/glapandillagringa.asp?CodSeccion=25

ALSO, IN CASE YOU MISSED THE FIRST ARTICLE ABOUT OUR TEACHING:
http://www.elheraldo.com.co/ELHERALDO/BancoConocimiento/G/glamisiongringa/glamisiongringa.asp?CodSeccion=48

La pandilla gringa encanta a los habitantes de la playa
(The Gringo Gang loves the People of La Playa)

Después de un día fatigante, los profesores se reúnen en la casa para compartir cuentos y sus impresiones de trabajar en la escuela Pies Descalzos. (After an exhausting day, the teachers gather at home to share stories and impressions of work in the school, Pies Descalzos.) Foto: Cristian Mercado

Por Gabriel Stargardter

Después de estudiar ingeniería biomédica en la universidad, el New Yorker Nick Mikolenko decidió ir a enseñar matemáticas en Micronesia, unas islas del Pacífico. Por lo visto, Nick prefiere el clima tropical porque después de un año, se vino a Barranquilla para ser profesor de inglés en la escuela Pies Descalzos.

Para Mikolenko, su misión está clara. “Colombia es un país que se está desarrollando, y para que continúe su progreso la próxima generación necesita aprender inglés”.

Su compañera, Aisha Chapell, otra profesora de Nueva York, está de acuerdo. Aunque admite que su percepción de la ciudad y el país todavía es limitada, asegura que “todos los niños están muy entusiasmados por aprender inglés”.

¿Pero, qué piensan los niños? ¿Y los otros profesores? ¿Y los barranquilleros de La Playa que viven al lado de los huéspedes estadounidenses?.

Para Néstor Martínez, director de la escuela Pies Descalzos, la primera impresión ha sido completamente positiva.

Él está aprovechando el curso de inglés que los siete voluntarios dictan para toda la comunidad, como preparación para una maestría en investigación en educación en la Universidad de la Norte, que está por comenzar este año. “En realidad se han integrado muy bien”, dice Martínez.

Margarita Donado es la propietaria de la casa donde habitan los siete voluntarios. Ella comparte la impresión de Martínez, y los describe como huéspedes ideales.

“Se han comportado muy bien. Están amañados, como decimos acá. Me siento contenta con ellos, compartimos y los queremos como si fueran de la familia”.

Uno de los jóvenes estudiante y vecino del barrio, Juan Camilo Arias, está consciente de las ventajas de aprender el inglés, por ello no quiere perder esta oportunidad.

“Las clases son espectaculares. Hemos aprendido mucho: los saludos, los años, los meses y un poco de cosas bacanas”.

Para Lindsay Giesen la situación es de admiración mutua. “Me encanta vivir en este barrio, en el que me siento muy segura. Yo realizo caminata todas las noches y el vecindario en las calles me saluda. La gente nos invita a sus casas a cenar, eso me parece maravilloso”. Su compañera Lauren Doll nunca había visitado a Colombia, pero dice que la gente es amable y como Giesen, también piensa que es mucho más seguro de lo que esperaba.

“Pasé por una iglesia aquí en el barrio, a los 15 minutos salió el cura para invitarnos a comer y a conocernos a todos. Mi español no es perfecto y lo encuentro un reto, pero al mismo tiempo, es una aventura, y creo que estoy mejorando” confiesa.

Aunque Giesen admite que su pandilla gringa es “difícil ignorar” y que hay diferencias culturales entre Colombia y los Estados Unidos- la falta de privacidad y las actitudes educativas de los colegiales - que pueden ser fatigantes, asegura que la experiencia ha sido muy positiva. Además, se ha enamorado en Barranquilla. “¡Adoro los cookies Festival!”

Fundación Pies Descalzos

Fundada por la cantante barranquillera Shakira, la fundación Pies Descalzos existe para dar el apoyo a los costeños más vulnerables: los niños. Actualmente, la organización tiene cinco escuelas en sitios con una historia de violencia y desplazamiento de poblaciones a causa de la violencia. Según su pagina web, “La Fundación Pies Descalzos financia programas en tres ciudades colombianas. La meta es expandir nuestra labor a más ciudades, para poder ayudar a más niños y así ejercer su derecho a una educación de calidad”.

El salón escolar en EU

Todos los profesores están de acuerdo que hay varias diferencias entre la experiencia de ser profesor en los EU y en Colombia. Según Mikolenko, siempre se pregunta “Los niños hablan mucho y no levantan la mano para hacer preguntas”. Todavía está definiendo cuáles son diferencias culturales y cuáles son simplemente falta de respeto. Para Aisha Chapell también es un reto. Ella comenta que el horario es diferente, y que se tuvo que acostumbrar, pero asegura que la oportunidad ha sido muy positiva y educativa.

Roughly Translated:

After studying biomedical engineering at the university, the New Yorker, Nick Mikolenko, decided to go teach mathematics in Micronesia, Pacific Islands. Apparently, Nick prefers the tropical climate, because after a year, he came to Barranquilla to be an English teacher at Fundacion Pies Descalzos.

For Mikolenko, the mission is clear. "Colombia is a country that is developing, and to continue its progress, the next generation needs to learn English.

title="Su compañera, Aisha Chapell, otra profesora de Nueva York, está de acuerdo." onmouseover="this.style.backgroundColor='#ebeff9'" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='#fff'">His colleague, Aisha Chappell, another teacher from New York, agrees. Although she admits that her perception of the city and the country is still limited, she says that "All of the children are very excited to learn English."

But what do the children think? What about the other teachers? What about the Baranquilleros in La Playa, living next to the American guests?.

For Nestor Martinez, director of Fundacion Pies Descalzos school, the first impression was quite positive.

He is using the English courses, held by the seven volunteers for the entire community, in preparation for a masters in education research at the Universidad del Norte, which will begin this year. "We really are very well integrated," says Martinez.

Margarita Donado is the owner of the house inhabited by the seven volunteers. She shares the feeling of Martinez, and describes them as ideal guests.

"They have behaved very well. They are here to stay, as we say here. I am happy with it, and we share like family. "

One of their young students and neighbor, Juan Camilo Arias, is aware of the advantages of learning English, and does not want to miss this opportunity.

"The classes are spectacular. We learn a lot: the greetings, years, months and some cool things."

For Lindsay Giesen the situation is mutual admiration. "I love living in this neighborhood, where I feel very safe. I go runing every night and the neighbors on the street greet me. People are invited home to dinner, I think that's wonderful. " Lauren Doll, her friend, had never visited Colombia, but says the people are friendly and, like Giesen, also thinks it is much safer than expected.

"I went to a church here in the neighborhood, with only 15 minutes left in the service, and the priest came to greet us and everyone invited us to eat. My Spanish is not perfect and I find it a challenge, but at the same time is an adventure, and I think I'm improving," she confesses.

Although Giesen admits that her gringa gang is "difficult to ignore" and that there are cultural differences between Colombia and the United States, for example, the lack of privacy and educational attitudes of the students - which can be tiring, she says the experience has been very positive. In addition, she has fallen in love with Barranquilla. "I love the Festival cookies !"

The Barefoot Foundation

Founded by Barranquillera singer Shakira, Pies Descalzos Foundation exists to provide support for the coast's more vulnerable: the children. The organization currently has five schools on sites with a history of violence and population displacements due to violence. According to its website, "The Barefoot Foundation funds programs in three cities in Colombia. The goal is to expand our work to more cities in order to help more children and thus exercise the right to a quality education. "

The Classroom in the U.S.

All teachers agree that there are several differences between the experience of being a teacher in the U.S. and Colombia. According Mikolenko, "The kids talk a lot and do not raise their hands to ask questions." He's still defining which are cultural differences and which are simply disrespectful. For Aisha Chappell it is also a challenge. She said that the schedule is different, which she had to get used to, but ensures that the opportunity has been very positive and educational.

¡Quien lo vive es quien lo goza! Carnaval de Barranquilla

So sorry again for the delay in updating you all (or most likely just the few members of my family who read this). The internet has been really bad the past few weeks. Plus, I have so much I want to talk about, it's hard to know where to start! I have been here a whole 8 weeks now. It's hard to believe. Obviously, though, I can't possibly move on to any other topic until I discuss the amazing, exotic, culturally relevant, Carnaval de Barranquilla. So more on life and work in La Playa to come.

There are no words to describe Carnaval in Barranquilla. It is as much a part of the city and its culture as the architecture and the food. For the weeks preceding and following the event, it takes over every aspect of daily life and remains a source of immense pride for the people. In short, if you have not experienced Barranquilla during Carnaval season, you don't know the real Barranquilla. I will attempt to give you a small taste of the craziness and culture that is Carnaval.

PRECARNAVAL

¡Quien lo vive es quien lo goza! Roughly translated: "He who lives it, enjoys it." This is the motto of Carnaval, and, in my experience, it couldn't be more true. Carnaval takes place in the 4 days preceding Ash Wednesday, or February 13-16. However, Pre-Carnaval activities take place formally and informally during the whole month before. These include concerts, dancing, events (such as the Coronation of the Queen of Carnaval) and many other impromptu celebrations. There is music going at all hours of the day and night and it is not uncommon to see people covered in cornstarch and foam, walking down the streets late at night.

One of the most interesting and enjoyable Precarnaval events we went to was a drum concert in Barrio Abajo, a neighborhood of the city. We had been invited by the other teachers in the school, with little idea of what we were actually getting ourselves into. When we arrived, a small crowd had begun to gather around a closed-off intersection. There were stands selling food everywhere and people had already begun to search out the perfect viewing location for the concert. Instead of staking out our own spot, a few teachers dropped Shakira's name at the gate, and we were ushered into the closed off section, where at the time, only the band was setting up. They soon started to play traditional Carnaval music, with big drums, shakers, and small wooden flutes. The band consisted of an odd assortment of men, women, and children, each taking turns playing and dancing. As soon as they began, with no one else around but the band, they told us to start dancing in a circle around them. A few small children dressed up in traditional Carnaval costumes joined us, and in no time, there were tons of people dancing around the band, drinking, throwing cornstarch, and having an amazing time. After the number of people grew exponentially, we decided to move on to another Precarnaval celebration, at a local bar and restaurant. There we found more of the same, with a little more room to move around. All in all, it was a great first taste of Carnaval and left us ready for the real thing.

CARNAVAL WEEKEND

Friday = La Playa kicked off Carnaval Weekend with a monumental Carnaval celebration in school on Friday. Throughout the week, teachers and students had been making posters and decorations (often in place of class time). So by the time Friday rolled around, the place looked fantastic. I had, somewhat prematurely, agreed to be the Gringos Queen of Carnaval, so it wasn't long before I had on a lovely sequined costume, taking pictures next to all of the other ornately decorated teachers. We put on an amazing presentation of the queens from every grade, the results of a stiff competition which had earned each her own crown. There were also dance performances (some a bit more suggestive than I might have anticipated) and musical presentations. I danced more in public than my abilities probably warranted, however it was a ton of fun! And the kids were really into it. The day's events concluded with a huge parade around La Playa, complete with a band playing live Carnaval music. We (the gringos) even had our own "float" (or mule-drawn wooden cart) to stand on. Floats were decorated with flowers, paper-machete marimondas, and streamers. And when we through the neighborhood, the school filled the streets with dancing, laughing, and craziness. Kids and families not in school would run to see the spectacle, which seemed to go on for miles. It was certainly an experience.

We were also very fortunate to have our Worldteach friends from Cartegena and Isla Baru in town for the weekend. While they missed the excitement at the school, they were in time for a little food and going out Friday night. It was so nice to see them again and hear all about their amazing experiences in their own sites.

Saturday = Saturday is the biggest parade of the weekend, called Batalla de Flores. We had to "reserve" seats ahead of time with teachers from the school, and even in doing this, the crowds made doing so nearly impossible. It took us hours to get from La Playa to the parade site, involving buses, cabs, and a lot of fighting crowds. I don't think I have ever seen so many people packed into the streets in one area in my life. People were dressed up in costumes, carrying instruments, covered in foam and cornstarch, and generally having a good time. With seats going fast, I immediately went to try and feed myself. Even while buying food, I found that at any second, somebody was inevitably going to spray foam into the crowd and invade my newly purchased lunch. I eventually had to accept that I would ingest the foam at some point, and vowed to enjoy my fruit smoothie and empanada regardless.

Our seats were actually plastic stackable lawn chairs, and by the time we had returned from our food adventure, the ones we had previously claimed had been taken. I managed to claim another one in the second row, a pretty good vantage point to watch the parade, so no harm done. The parade itself was amazing. The floats were huge with intricate detail. There were characters from Uncle Sam to Mr. T, from wholesome advertisements to inappropriate characters. If you can imagine it, it was probably present somewhere in the parade. There were floats with bands and dancers, and dancing groups which paraded through from across the country. Some of the costumes were really out of this world. The parade lasted for hours. We actually had to leave a little bit early, because a few of us had tickets to a Daddy Yankee concert, another huge part of Carnaval.

Concerts are huge affairs during Carnaval. With our limited funds, we had picked one to attend. Daddy Yankee, for those of you unfamiliar with the Latin American music scene, is a huge singer from New York, specializing in reggaeton, a Latin American combination of rap and R&B. After the adventure of navigating our way to the stadium, we grabbed some quick comida rapida (fast food, but not in the McDonald's sense) and made our way to the line. The tickets had said doors would open at 4, but the lines only began to move around 5. While we made it inside in time for the start of the concert at 6, we quickly learned that this is merely a suggestion. Nothing started till 7. Ok. not too bad. we got some more food. chatted. unfortunately, we hadn't had any time to sleep so the soft sounds of hte opening bands almost put me to sleep. I tried to stay awake by watching the crazy people around us. The were having a ball smearing corn starch on eachother, dancing, and drinking (beers were only a $1, but most people had rum, which required bribing hte police checking bags - if only we had known. jk). They even tried to get us to join in, but the idea of cornstarch smeared over my face was not a part of Carnaval I was interested in. I had sunburn already from the parade and I knew, for a fact, that it did not come off easily. We talked a bit to some new friends, with a time limit of 11. If he hadn't come by then, we were leaving. Two hours later, practically alseep on our cement benches, Daddy Yankee took the stage at 1AM, a whole 7 hours after the concert was set to begin. We promptly woke up, enjoyed an amazing show of all of his songs, and crawled our way home to bed. Certainly a great success. Totally worth the wait.

Sunday = Sadly, Sunday our friends from Cartagena and Isla baru left us to return home. It was sad seeing them go. So, to drown our sorrows and recover from the day before, Wismine and I decided to adventure to the market. We spent the day poking around stands of arts and crafts and Carnaval specialties. I got a few gifts and a few treats for myself. We even made some new friends, like a man from Peru and a family who gave us bracelets and rum. lol. all you need in life, apparently. Wismine even spoke on the radio. It was absolutely lovely.

Monday = We tried out another parade, but this time from the comfort of the shaded bleachers. We had a much better view of the parade and without the intense heat from the sun. While it was only $5 today, on Saturday, these same seats sell for like $100. We defintiely got the best of all worlds. Monday's parade was the Gran Parada de Fantasia, which we experienced with Margarita and Kati. It had a lot less floats and much more dancing. It was amazing. the dancers were more choreographed than the day before, and their costumes were awesome. I got a lot of good pictures. On our way home (always an adventure during Carnaval) we met some really interesting people. The first was a CNN Asia photojournalist from Hong Kong, who took our pictures and picked our brains about Colombia. Then, after we sent him on his way with Margarita and Kati to a comedy show, we headed home to get some rest. When our street disappeared (as in literally the streets went from 53 to 55, leaving 54 nowhere to be found), we asked for help from a really cool guy who had learned English from his dads books. He was really helpful and sweet. He walked us all the way to the bus stop and even waited until the bug got there. That's defintiely one of my favorite things about Colombia. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. No one seems to be too busy to stop what they are doing and help you with whatever you need. It's so refreshing.

Tuesday = This day celebrates the death of Joselito, who, legend tells us, died and left hundreds of pregnant women mourning. So, to celebrate this, women dress up in all black and parade around the town, mourning the death of joselito. Several of these women visited our doorstep with a suitcase carrying a big marimondo costume, signifying joselito. They were crying and moaning and putting on a grand show. It was hilarious. We then, tried to catch the funeral and parade for joselito, which the website said started at 4. This was, apparently, a lie. When we arrived at 3:30, we learned that it had already been going on for an hour and a half and that we had missed the funeral. We did get to see more costumes and dancing. Plus, we made up for the loss with some ice cream, one food of which Colombia has plenty, and I stopped on my way home at Buenavista (the mall) for a Burger King dinner. It was a bit expensive, as American fast food tends to be abroad, but well worth the money.

Wednesday = And thus ended Carnaval. We had off from school on Wednesday, to recover from Carnaval, so we decided to celebrate Aisha's birthday by treating ourselves to Crepes and Waffles, a lovely restaurant with more food choices than you will ever have a chance to sample. We followed the good food with a little movie-time by seeing Valentine's Day. A little corny, it was a nice dose of home and relaxation. I then did my big grocery shopping trip of the week and called it a day. All in all, a great end to a great weekend.

Now if only I could have had as much fun going back to work on Thursday.... alas. A two day week was a nice way to ease ourselves back into teaching. The following full week was defintiely much harder to get through. Still, more to come on normal daily life soon!!!

For every person who wants to teach there are approximately thirty people who don't want to learn. - W. C. Sellar and R. J. Yeatman

If a doctor, lawyer, or dentist had 40 people in his office at one time, all of whom had different needs, and some of whom didn't want to be there and were causing trouble, and the doctor, lawyer, or dentist, without assistance, had to treat them all with professional excellence for nine months, then he might have some conception of the classroom teacher's job. ~Donald D. Quinn

So it's been way too long since my last post. There are several reasons for this. One being that I got crazy sick last week. I started with stomach cramps, a sore throat, and a headache on Sunday the 31st.... progressed to a 102.5 fever and the chills on Monday.... and continued on to have cronic diarrhea and digestive troubles for the whole rest of the week. On the positive side, I seem to be almost completely better and may even have lost a few pounds. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that since i have experienced just about every problem possible, hopefully I have eliminated the chance of getting them in the future. Probably completely untrue, but I can hope!

I started actually teaching last week, as well (which was challenging considering my health troubles). It has been a very interesting experience. The kids know absolutely no English, and my Colombian co-teacher (who is employed as an English teacher) is honestly right behind them. This makes lesson-planning together particularly challenging. Furthermore, each class has between 40 and 50 students. (here are some of their shining faces, looking deceptively well-behaved) Picture 50 ten year olds, in a classroom, in the heat, without a computer or a TV, without any knowledge of the subject, and without the ability to print and distribute worksheets. What do you do with them, you might ask? I ask myself the same question every single day. So far, I have given a diagnostic test to check their abilities (a waste of time because they all cheated off each other), taught the ABCs, worked through a paragraph about my family, and started common classroom commands. There were some songs thrown in there, as well as a few games, but so far I haven't tried to be too ambitious. However, it is before Carnaval.

Carnaval in Colombia is a huge deal. The school shuts down for a few days (Feb 12-16), the whole school puts on a huge parade (more on that to come), and learning fails to occur. In fact, serious classes and serious learning does not even start until after Carnaval. The schedule isn't even finalized. I never knew which kids I would see on any given day or whether I would be doing it alone or with my coteacher. Teaching without a coteacher is also particularly challenging. Most teachers discipline and maintain order by yelling, and oddly enough, a small gringo who speaks broken Spanish just does not seem to gain the same order and respect as a Colombian one. If I can keep them interested, I am golden. However, if it is the end of the day or they are already insane to start with, it is all over. And since teachers do not wait for a replacement before leaving the classroom, most classes are left completely unsupervised, and thus out of control, awaiting my arrival. Every day is an adventure. However, with Carnaval this weekend , it will be interesting to see if any of that changes at all after the festivities are over. I'm excited to see.

However, despite all the insanity that surrounds teaching English in Colombia, I really do love it. The kids are just adorable. They run to greet you every day, kiss you on the cheek, hug you, spout out any English they know, and shower you with presents. When I leave a classroom, I may depart with any number of new possessions, including food, drinks, action figures, drawings, or love notes. Walking in the hallways, I hear a chorus of "Teacher!" "Profe!" "Good morning!" "Thank you!" whatever they can think of to get my attention. I get hugs from smiling kids, many of whom I don't even know or teach. They want to eat with you, talk with you, learn from you (just not in the classroom). If any of us sits down by the snackbar at snack time, we will inevitably end up surrounded by children, listening to us talk and trying to join in. I love it. Now if I could just channel that enthusiasm into the classroom, life will be grand.....

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined....

So we are finally in Barranquilla, Colombia, and I'm pretty sure this is EXACTLY the life we imagined. Warm weather days, cool Caribbean breezes, sprawling beaches, friendly people, and a community that offers more hospitality than we can ever hope to reciprocate. To say it simply, life is good. However, it hasn't all be roses and vacation fantasies.... but I will get to that in a moment or two.

To start, Barranquilla is situated on the northern coast of Colombia on the Caribbean Sea. While most guidebooks would suggest simply skipping it, passing through only en route to the more exciting nearby destinations of Cartagena to the west or Santa Marta to the east, I adamantly disagree. Barranquilla has a laid-back energy and a Caribbean friendliness that is certainly unique, and definitely not worth missing. Come visit me, and I'll show you!!

We are currently living in a boarding house of sorts, owned by an awesome woman named Margarita. She lives in the house with her two children, Kati and Edgar (college aged), as well as four other tenants, mostly university students. Our group has taken over the entire third floor, with each volunteer enjoying his or her own room and sharing a bathroom with one or two other people. The rooms are pretty basic, similar to dorm style, but they certainly do the trick. We share a kitchen, dining room, and living room with the rest of the house, but we get free internet and laundry, which is awesome. Also, there is roof access, providing the perfect setting for early morning tea, journal writing, exercise classes, and anything else fun that we can come up with. It has a beautiful view of the neighborhood, the beach, and and the city. On those rare moments that you can get the whole roof to yourself, its like a little slice of heaven.

While we are free to come and go as we please, Margarita is quickly becoming our second mother. She definitely does her best to take care of us and tries to join in on our adventures whenever she can. She has participated in our exercise classes, adventures to the beach, and dinners out with coworkers. Whenever possible, she drives us to run errands or to show us exactly where to find the best gelato. She helps us cook (we tried a few Colombian dishes) and even offered to take us out clubbing some time. She is definitely crazy, but we love her. Her kids are really amazing assets for us as well. They inform us of all the fun places to go and teach us the slang language used in the area. I couldn't imagine exploring Barranquilla without them.

La Playa, itself, is actually right outside Barranquilla city center, so it has more of a small town, Caribbean feel. Most of the buildings are cement walls with tin roofs, and resemble small seaside shacks. The people often sit out front and wave to passerbys, or let their children run in the dirt streets. However, due to La Playa's proximity to almost all of the city's universities, several brand new developments are also springing up nearbye. It's crazy to see these brand new condos just blocks from the shacks of the rest of town. However, the town certainly has a wonderful community feeling and a warmth that I'm excited to be a part of. I'm hoping that after we start teaching, we might get to know some of our neighbors a little better. the teachers at the school have already invited us out to dinner and to their homes, but most of them live closer to the city. Still, the Colombian hospitality certainly makes the transition here so much easier.

Anyway, while this the setting for our adventure, the true excitement doesn't come from the vibrant city, quaint La Playa, or even our lovely host family of sorts. I think what makes me smile the most every day is the kids. Whenever I get frustrated with my lack of Spanish, or my failure to make any kind of dent on my to do list, I remember the reason why I'm here. Our team of seven eager, creative, talented volunteers are in La Playa to work as English teachers, teacher educators, and community development associates at Fundacion Pies Descalzos, the Barefoot Foundation. It is an organization created by performing artist Shakira to work with displaced Colombians throughout the country. Colombia has the most displaced people and children in the entire South American continent and second only to the Sudan in the world. With a history of violence among paramilitary groups, including violent deaths, kidnappings, and lootings, a great deal of progress remains to restore the lives of these people. FPD has set up schools and community development programs all over the country, but the school in La Playa is it's most recent and ambitious endeavor. As a flagship school, a lot is riding on the success of this ambitious project and the children in this school have a long way to go.

The building, itself, is absolutely beautiful. The campus is connected by long outdoor hallways and seperate buildings for primary, transition, and secondary classes. It has a beautiful auditoriam (paid for by the Warren Buffet Foundation), a covered cafeteria (with local mothers providing nurtritious meals through a program set up by the Clinton Foundation), and a gorgeous AstroTurf soccer field that gets plenty of use. The rooms are covered in inspirational posters, the computer labs are equipped with the internet and other learning tools, and the library is slowly building up a collection of books, far beyond what these children have ever seen before. The rectangular pond (see left) at the center of the campus seems to put the final touch on a wonderful atmosphere for learning.

However, despite all of its many assets, the school is still lacking in many aspects. We quickly learned that even after one whole school year, most kids across all grade levels could barely speak a word of English. On the first day, we struggled painstakingly through "What is your name?" and "My name is." The English teachers, themselves, while enthusiastic, only possess a basic level of English and lack in correct pronunciation, vocabulary, and knowledge of engaging teaching techniques. This not only makes our job difficult while teaching the students, it also presents a major challenge with lesson-planning alongside our co-teachers. The language barrier will especially prove challenging for me, due to my severe lack of Spanish skills. However, while the situation before us is certainly challenging, we definitely have a lot to contribute. We all bring powerful life experiences in working with children, most of us in the education field. We also received a great deal of valuable TEFL training during orientation. Furthermore, the foundations we establish through curriculum development, classroom techniques, and English usage both in and out of the classroom will drastically transform the way this school conducts it's English education. Through working alongside local teachers, we will help improve their language and teaching skills. While working with the students, poor children will receive constant access to native English speaking and engaging teaching techniques. While we constantly face challenges of resources, language barriers, and the last-minute, casual Colombian way of doing business (we still dont have class schedules), I know I have something to contribute this year and after meeting the children, I have already realized I have a lot to learn. I cannot wait to see the amazing way God uses us in the months to come. I could not be happier about calling La Playa my new home.

There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth...not going all the way, and not starting.

So I'm finally ready to set the stage for you all about my new life. Since a lot has happened in the last three weeks, I'll try to break it down. We'll start with getting to Colombia and orientation. More to come on Barranquilla!!

DEPARTURE

Ok, so as usual, I tried to cram as much as humanly possible into my last weeks in the US. In the last week alone, I fit in: working, a family reunion, a lunch excursion with friends from DC, dinner with Lauren and Laura, a dentist appointment, coffee with Sylvia, dinner with Ashley, New Year's Eve, getting stitches in my foot, making applesauce with my grandfather, Lauren's wedding, packing, and all of my pre-trip errands and shopping trips (with help from Kris and mom). It was pretty ridiculous. I definitely wish I had planned better and could have made my last week a little more relaxing. I felt like I rushed through all my goodbyes. However, I expect most of you guys to come visit so I'm not worried ;)

Anyway, after I stayed up all night to pack, I rushed to the airport, only to find both my suitcases grossly overweight and so late that i had to be put into the expedited security lane. I arrived at my gate in Philly right as they were calling my section to board (i.e. success!). Then i had two connections, one in Dallas, and another in Houston, where i met most of the other people in my program. It was a long day with lots of air time and minimal sleep. We arrived in Bogota around 10 pm, completely exhausted and thrilled, all at the same time. Needless to say, I did not have any problems falling asleep.

ORIENTATION

So the next two weeks consisted of a whirlwind of activity. Much of the first week contained necessary activities such as registering our visas so we could get cedulas (official Colombian identification cards), applying for Colombian bank accounts, setting up cell phones, etc. We also took classes in Spanish and TEFL at two area high schools, Gymnasio Moderno and La Montana. This entailed being out the door by at least 8 every morning and not arriving back home until 5 or 6 at night. In the entire two weeks, I think we had one cumulative day off. Needless to say, it was exhausting

The hotel we stayed it was absolutely lovely. It was up on a hill so it had great views of the city from the surrounding neighborhoods, kitchens in every unit, and the most amazing breakfast, made to order, every morning. Needless to say, after my fellow volunteers, what I probably miss most about Bogota is definitely the breakfast ;).

Besides classes and logistical tasks, we had several fun adventures during Orientation, as well. We heard several interesting speakers and visited many important government offices, including the Ministry of Education, United States Embassy, and the Inter-American Development Bank. We were fingerprinted, searched, and questioned. However, the information we recieved was definitely worth it (in my opinion). At the Ministry of Education, we actually met the Minister, herself (see below) , after which we heard an interesting discussion about education in Colombia by the director of bilingual education. We spent the entire day at the Embassy (where there are absolutely no pictures allowed - not even one taken from behind a bus window. trust me, I checked). While these discussions were obviously more beaucratic in nature, it was certainly interesting to hear the Embassy's perspective on education in country and the programs they are currently working on. Plus, while arguably a bit overdramatic, the security briefing contained interesting information to keep in mind. Still, with every speaker we encountered, the same message resonated loud and clear. Colombia is more than thrilled to have us here. They believe that we have a great deal to offer, and hope that the foundations that we create this year will continue to strengthen and translate into big things for Colombia. There is certainly a lot of weight on our sholders, but I have no doubt that our group will rise to the challenge.



We also managed to fit in a little fun during our two weeks, as well. Excursions included La Laguna de Guatavita (an ancient Lagoon, associated with the indigenous Muisca people), the small town of Guatavita (with its adorable shops and touristy stands selling anything you can imagine), Catedral de Sal (a Cathedral built into a salt mine, now greatly commercialized for our touristy pleasure), hiking to the top of a nearby mountain (amazing views), Museo de Oro (Museum of Gold), and the historical Bolivar Square (picture >>>>). While we certainly did not spend enough time sight-seeing in the city itself, we definitely crammed a lot into our two weeks. In the free evening hours, there were groups that went running, did yoga, ran exercise classes, played games, went out to dinner, and sat around talking until the wee morning hours (or as late as possible to still get up in the morning). On the weekends, we went salsa dancing (or in my case, tried to) and explored area restaurants. A few of us even enjoyed a traditional Colombian meal of Ajiaco (a chicken soup of sorts) at a local woman's home. Good company, good conversation, good food, what more could one ask for?

For our last night together as a group, we explored a city favorite (or so we were told) called Andres Carne de Res. Honestly, words cannot this establishment. It looked like a trailer park and a Christmas parade and a TGIF all threw up to birth this building (if you want to see pictures, check out my facebook albums!). It looked like it was held together with peices of tin and seemed to stretch on forever. There were Christmas lights everywhere, trees growing in the middle of the restaurant, tin decorations hanging in every nook and cranny. Your senses couldn't help but go on overload at the amount of craziness that was surrounding you. Plus, it was expensive!! You had to pay just to get in. However, after two hours of waiting, or so it seemed, we finally got our food and something to drink and it all seemed to turn around. The food was wonderful and the dancing was just what we needed to end a fun-filled two weeks together. Sadly, the restaurant was 45 minutes from our hotel and half the group (myself included) had to leave at 6:00 the next morning.... and I hadn't packed. It was touch and go for awhile but I pulled it all together. Dreary eyed and saddened to be leaving our new friends, the folks headed to Barranquilla and Cartegena boarded the bus, ready to embark on the next leg of our journey. And what an adventure it has been.....

For pictures of Bogota, feel free to check out my facebook albums (embarassingly I have more than one):
22 Gringos take on Bogota
I take too many pictures: Bogota edition

The Lovely ladies of WorldTeach^^^^

The Dashing Gentleman ^^^

525,600 minutes... how do you measure a year?

I have officially been in Colombia for three weeks, so I am well aware that I have a lot of catching up to do. However, before I delve into the highs and lows of moving to a new country, meeting and falling in love with my fellow volunteers at orientation, and getting acclimated to my new home and workplace, I want to take a few minutes to talk about life. how its measured and how we go about navigating it.

I recently read the blog of an amazing young woman, exactly like me. She graduated in May, absolutely loves children, and felt the need to avoid the working world by volunteering abroad. She had an infectious smile, an adventurous spirit, and a quiet resolve to make the world a better place. The only difference between us was that she left for her year of service in June instead of January, and she chose Haiti instead of Colombia. Otherwise, our paths were similar. I read countless posts about working with the kids, the difference she made in the lives of orphans, and the numerous things she learned about the human spirit and its ability to endure. She had titled her blog 535,600 minutes and was in the process of discovering how she would measure a year. this year. However, the world changed, things shifted, and in a split second an earthquake in Haiti trapped her in a building collapse and she died. Her year of service ended on January 12th in the first of two earthquakes in Haiti. She never finished her year. never saw the fruits of 525,600 minutes of giving of herself.

For me, this blog severely challenged my perspective on my year. The effect was subtle at first. the emotions simple. surprise. sadness. But I couldn't help identifying with this girl. She wasn't out to save the world. She just wanted to do what she could, with what she had. I had previously been thinking about my year in the big picture. What would I accomplish in a year? What did I hope to leave behind in December? I thought about my projects in long term, even learning Spanish. Would my projects be sustainable? Would I set myself apart from the group in my own way, as everyone else seemed to be doing? However, her blog made me remember that the whole point of this year, for me, isn't the big picture. It's not what I can write on my resume, the long list of accomplishments I can compile, the connections I can claim to Shakira or her foundations, or the countries I can visit. The big picture is certainly important and sustainable change is undeniably crucial in developing countries. However, for me, this year is all about the small things. The day-to-day victories will make this year, or month, or day, worthwhile. I may not change the school system or inspire all of my students to speak English, but I will teach some. I will inspire some. I may not be fluent in Spanish when I leave (and in fact, probably won't be) but I will be better. I will smile every day and make the people I encounter feel special, worthwhile. I will do what I can with what I have. every day.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to remind myself, and anyone else crazy enough to read this blog, to find the small victories in the every day. I wanted to remember that we never know how long we have: a month, a year, two years, ten years. I can only hope that I accomplish in my time here, however long it is, half of what this girl did in Haiti and inspire others the way she did me, reminding me about why I came here. for the smiles. the small victories. and a chance to grow as a person. one day at a time.