Salento, at the end of a very long week.

Warning: This is a very long post, please do not feel obligated to read it in its entirety.

Hello everyone! It's been a very long week in Colombia. Today will end our first two weeks here, but it seems as if we have been here much longer than that. This past week was really busy, especially considering we had Monday off!

Last Monday Warren and I went downtown and really enjoyed wandering along Circunvalar. It's one of the main avenues in P---, and a lot of shops, night clubs, bakeries (pastry shops), and hotels line the street. At the bottom of the street in P--- Plaza, a mall. We had gone there before, but it was dark and it was also right after we arrived. Monday was much more pleasant because it was a holiday and it was daylight. Almost everything was closed, except for a few of the stores in the mall. It sounds strange, but we felt much safer and enjoyed ourselves a lot more since there were very few people on the street. I think we both feel confident enough to go downtown at night now. Last Monday we also wandered in to Exito, which is sort of like a Super Walmart on steroids. They sell everything from fresh baguettes to motorcycles to computers. We stocked up on the necessary snacks, etc. For $46 we got a ton of fruit and vegetables, sweets, bread, snack food, and 2 bottles of wine. Also, we gave in and bought Oreos.

On Tuesday we were back at Liceo Pino Verde. We started our first pronunciation class on Tuesday, and that generally went well. I am lucky to have great resources that the ELI let me borrow. Our schedule for the coming weeks is as follows: On Monday/Wednesday, we teach 9th-11th graders Speaking and Pronunciation from 3:15 to 4:30. On Tuesday/Thursday, we teach 6th-8th graders the same subject. We have about 28 people in the Tuesday/Thursday classes, and only 11 in the Monday/Wednesday classes. On Saturdays we have English play time, and we have two different sessions, 8:30 to 10 a.m. and 10:30 to noon. We have around 24 students in each group.

Anyway. On Wednesday we interviewed the 11th grade to help prepare them for upcoming standardized tests. It was really fun to interview them because we had to ask them questions about their goals and plans for the future. They are really interesting students. One of the students I interviewed wanted to major in literature (Spanish lit, of course) and had studied abroad in New Zealand. We had a great conversation! All of the students speak English well. It's really fun to realize that students in the USA and students in Colombia share so many similarities. We also attended the 11th grade's English class that afternoon, and they got to ask us questions. They asked a lot of questions I expected (Are you from the same Springfield as the Simpsons? Why do you watch so much reality TV?) and a lot of questions I didn't expect (Is Missouri empty? Do people really live there? Warren, what do you think of Colombian women?) It was quite enlightening.

Thursday was by far one of the worst days I have had in Colombia. I had to get up at 5 a.m. and I didn't go to bed until midnight on Wednesday because I was preparing for a pronunciation workshop that I had to present at 7 a.m. Thursday morning. I'm definitely not qualified to lead a pronunciation workshop, but Diana, our boss, asked me to, and I didn't want to disappoint her. I spent a lot of time re-reading my textbooks and planning what I wanted to present. The workshop actually went really well. I was surprised by how much I had actually learned about pronunciation (and how useful my textbooks really are), and the teachers all said they had learned a lot. Even so, I was exhausted the entire day, and it made me pick up on all the little things in Colombia that make me angry. (For example, the differences between the administration and the teachers and how each are treated.) Thursday afternoon we got home really late (almost 6!) and Stellita told us we had been invited to a dinner hosted by the Parent's Association. At first, I really didn't want to go, but Warren and I hadn't been invited any where yet, so we decided we probably needed to go. The dinner was held at a tapas restaurant in Pin., a really nice area near Circunvalar. I showered and got dressed up before we left, so I felt a lot better. The dinner was really nice. Everyone spoke Spanish, but they made an effort to include us. It was great to be out with adults again.

On Friday morning I gave the pronunciation workshop to the teachers who hadn't come on Friday. It went even better than Thursday, and I had gotten plenty of sleep. LPV doesn't really teach pronunciation. I think this is partially because the teachers are mostly native Spanish speakers and they aren't confident enough to teach it on their own. After the workshop Diana asked me if I could do another one, but for the next one she wants us to teach the teachers correct pronunciation! : ) We also started testing the 5th graders on Friday, but so far the students are struggling with the tests. It has math questions on it, but the questions are supposed to gage English skills, not math skills, and the math questions are hurting the students' scores. It's a bit of a problem.

Friday afternoon Warren went to UniCentro, the largest mall in the area, with a student and the student's mother. I stayed home, because I was sick. I blogged a bit about this on Friday, because I thought it was funny. I probably should have listened to all the worried people on Friday and gone to a doctor, but more about that later...

Saturday morning Warren and I had our English Play Time sessions. I was really sick, but forced myself to go. The students were terrible for both Warren and myself. Partially because I was sick, and partially because the 1st-3rd graders are wild little monkeys, Diana helped me with the second session. During this time, I discovered:

1. Colombian children do not learn how to play Duck, Duck, Goose.

2. When Colombian children learn Duck, Duck, Goose, they love it.

3. Colombian children will play Duck, Duck, Goose for 45 minutes if given the chance.

4. Diana is a genius. She suggested that we could use minimal pairs in Duck, Duck, Goose to help little kids learn the difference. (A minimal pair are 2 words that only have 1 sound that is different, like bit and beat. So in her version, it would be "Bit, Bit, Beat!")

On Saturday afternoon we slept and I tried to recover. It didn't really work, but Warren did his best to put up with my whining.

Sunday was fantastic, despite the fact that I was sick. Andrea and her sister took us to Salento, which is this sleepy little town high up in the mountains in the Quindio region. It's supposed to be a tourist town, but the only tourists are Colombians. The drive was great. It was the first time we had been out of P---, and we were able to see coffee fields and flower farms. The mountains here are beautiful, and the views are just amazing. We ate lunch (okay, Warren and our hostesses ate lunch) in the valley below Salento. Warren had smoked trout (a whole fish, head included) and patacon, which is a deep fried plantain chip that was larger than his plate. I had mora, or blackberry juice. Warren loved his food. I've never seen him enjoy anything as much as he enjoyed the trout. I, on the other hand, loved the conversation. We talked to Andrea and her sister, Juanita, for a long time. Andrea described what life was like only 8 years ago. People in Colombia could not leave the city, even if they owned a farm or a home in the country. It was too dangerous because of the FARC, the drug lords, and the paramilitary. They would stop cars driving past, and if the passengers were rich, they would kidnap them. Andrea's mom was even kidnapped for a little while! Andrea described how scary it was, and how limited they were. She explained that now that the current president, Uribe, has cleaned up the country, they feel free. They can go to the country on the weekends. They can drive to Salento. They are safe, and they don't have to worry about being kidnapped. Andrea really likes Presdient Uribe, and she also really respects the Colombian Army. We saw a lot of army men while we were in Salento. They were on the road, and every time we passed Andrea would say, "Hola chicos!" She was obviously proud of them. I know I'm not Colombian, but I'm proud of them, too. They make me feel a lot safer, of course, but I really admire what they do. Colombia isn't a safe place to be in the army, and I know that they don't have the same benefits American military people do. Without the Colombian army, Warren and I wouldn't be able to safely travel in Colombia. Also, it has made life in Colombia much better. Eight years ago, people lived in fear. Now they can be worried about fashion or about education, they can buy homes in the country or take trips to the Amazon. I think that a lot of the social problems here will probably also start to improve. I know that they are talking about environmental issues, and I'm sure that as the country becomes more stable, they will also address the rich-poor gap and other problems.

I digress. After we had lunch we went to Salento. It's a very quaint town, and we were told it was very traditional. The houses are painted in bright colors, and many of them have cute little balconies. There is one main street, and it is lined with little souvenir shops. The shops primarily sell jewelry, coffee related foodstuffs, and things made out of the giant bamboo found here. We bought a lot of little things, and I got 3 new pairs of earrings. (Which, by the way, are crucial to Colombian fashion. Women always wear long, festive earrings.) Visiting Salento was a lot of fun. I was still feeling a bit sick, but the weather was warm and we really enjoyed our trip. I put up all the photos on Facebook, but for those of you who don't have access to Facebook, you can see the photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/MelodyStratton.

Today I am going to the doctor. I was instructed to stay home from school, and I am going to see a doctor who has children that attend LPV. I really didn't want to go to the doctor, but I've been sick with no signs of improvement since Friday, and I think Stellita is ready to drag me there if I don't go willingly.

I'll blog about the trip to the doctor later. I also want to blog about Stellita, but I think it might have to wait a bit. I want to get a picture of her first!

I hope everyone is well! If you have time, I would really appreciate it if you left a comment or a little check next to interesting, cool, or funny. I'm not trying to get attention, but Warren and I want to know how many people are reading the blog. If there are a lot of you, I'll definitely try to write more often. (Especially since no one wants to read such a long entry after 3 days with no entries!)

Have a good day!

True story.

It went down in a shady deal in the doorway of our apartment. A man brought them up in a bag, and the housekeeper slipped him a few thousand pesos. She checked the contents of the bag, nodded, and quietly shut the door. Then she handed the bag to me, and told me how much I should use.

No, not THOSE kinds of drugs. Just your average Tylenol and stomach medicine. (Okay, fine, so the whole Colombian food thing is getting to my stomach. Don't laugh.) I'm perfectly fine, but apparently a stomach ache is a big deal here. When it was discovered that I was sick, our hostess called my boss, Diana. Diana then proceeded to call Warren to ask if I needed to see a doctor and if I have health insurance. One of the families at LPV asked if I needed to go to the hospital. Then our hostess, Stellita, called a pharmacy and had medicine DELIVERED to the apartment. I've been banned from everything except water, aromatic tea, and toast. Just because I had a stomach ache. (Mom, I'm fine. Don't worry.) To make things more entertaining, our hostess is having a small party. I've now been introduced to multiple people, and every single time Stellita told them I have a stomach ache. I've decided not to EVER get sick in Colombia again.

I don't think that Stellita has been mentioned in the blog yet. She arrived in P--- on Sunday, but we didn't meet her until Tuesday. She's fabulous. She speaks English well, but usually speaks to us in easy Spanish to help us learn. She's incredibly kind, and is taking very good care of us. Everyone has, actually. Last night, the Parent's Association invited us to dinner at a tapas restaurant. It was great to be out with adults, and the conversation (although mostly Spanish) was stimulating. We were able to dress up, and the drink of choice was sangria.

I have a lot more to talk about, but we really need to do some lesson planning. I hope everyone is well. I'll definitely write a long post this weekend. If you have time, I'd appreciate it if you commented or sent me an email. I miss everyone, and it would be good to hear from you.

Good night!

Guest Post by Warren

Hello! Warren is going to blog today, so be excited. I thought you would appreciate his perspective instead of my random banter. -Melody

It rained a little extra today to make up for yesterday's sweltering rain-starved heat. We woke to grey skies and unusually crisp air for P---, and D-ita told me that she was cold and she expected a lot of rain today. Never doubt a local, especially when she's the one who feeds you every morning and each night. When we arrived at the liceo, Melody and I first went to Lucho, who teaches 11th grade (the highest grade at LPV) English, as he had requested we interview his students with original questions to approximate those they will have to take before entering university. Lucho is the most candid teacher I know at the school--he apparently spent the early part of his life in New York, and so his English is spot on and full of idioms with an ever-so-slight accent of his Latino upbringing. He had his students come one-by-one to our simultaneous interviews. The kids were quite sharp for the most part; the spectrum of their English ranged from decent to extraordinary. During our gentle interrogations the rain finally came down in a brief torrent that lasted, at most, twenty minutes. By the time the interviews were over, the sun was glinting brightly off the moistened vegetation and a moat of murky water had filled around the Plazuela del Saman ("Little Plaza of the Salamander"--a shady alcove where a brick sidewalk rings underneath the leafiest tree you've possibly ever seen).

We probably should have prepared more for the 5th grade English assessment tests that we are to administer to those unsuspecting 11 year-olds, but it requires a lot of patient, extended reading and practicing on our parts. The tests HAVE to be administered in a specified manner, and honestly, it's mundane and tiring, and so we've been putting it off in favor of preparing lessons for Wednesday and Thursday and Saturday and et al. We'll get around to it in due time. Besides, our fifteen minute snacktime around 10 am turned into an hour-and-fifteen-minute-long affair when Lucho got ahold of us and we talked about everything from the price of cars in Colombia (horrendously expensive, by the way), to our opinions on the last three American presidencies (it's true, most foreigners love Obama), to how Colombian parents pay for their children to attend LPV (drug lords are still out there doing what they do best, and one student's father was apparently extradited to the US last year). Do NOT take this to mean that anyone who has money in Colombia is in the drug business; it is quite uncommon. Lucho confirms that prostitution, even among members of the upper classes, if far more widespread.

Chicken burritos for me for lunch, pinto bean burritos for Melody, and I also had some fresh, lightly salted tortilla chips that were perfectly deep-fried, and which Melody began stealing from my plate. I gave her dirty looks as payback. We talked to a couple of girls whose names I cannot recall, and of course Justin showed up and talked to us in that sweet, teacher's pet, fifth grade way of his. I can't help but like the kid: his English is impressive, he loves learning, and he has the Spanish version of my middle name as his first.

Today's after school "Let's Talk" was for the eleven students (eight of whom showed up) in the 9th to 11th grade section. We spoke about appropriate and inappropriate topics of conversation (e.g. occupation and salary, respectively), had them read Spanish with gringo accents to help them better learn American English pronunciation, and had a talk about the advantages and disadvantages of learning English. Beforehand, Melody had confided her nervousness in teaching potentially unreceptive know-it-all high schoolers, but I felt like they might be one of our best groups. Indeed, I thought the activities went smoothly and well, and that the kids were willing to interact with a couple of newbies at this teaching thing. (Well, maybe I should just speak for myself here.)

Stellita was at the dining room table on her mini laptop when Melody and I returned "home" at 5:30. She showed us pictures of Cartagena she had taken last year and also called a woman she knew in Bogota about us (M and W) going there in the near future. The odds are in our favor, as the woman there will look for a hotel for us that is cheap, safe, and comfortable. Stellita left for her finca and we had dinner of bean soup, rice with tomato, fried yuca, Melody with a broccoli/cauliflower mix and I had a steak. D-ita is a good cook, but seriously, I really can't have such heaping portions. I'm gonna be a fat guy soon.

Tomorrow there is a pronunciation workshop for the TEACHERS at 7 am that Melody is leading. Wish her luck. I certainly will. This means we have to wake at 5 am, hop on the bus at 6:10, spend a full day at LPV, and then lead the 6th-8th grade "Let's Talk" from 3:15 to 4:30. Sleep is getting harder to come by these days. My spirits are high, and my Juan Valdez pure Colombian coffee intake will undoubtedly need to be higher. Thanks for reading, and good night. -Warren

Yesterday

I apologize for not blogging last night. I'm safe, and so is Warren. Exhaustion prevented me from blogging, but I certainly slept well.

Yesterday was wonderful. When we arrived at LPV the kindergartners were getting ready to put on a play. Some of them ride the same bus as us, and they were in costume on the bus. One of them was sitting in front of us, and she had two friends sitting in the row across from her. They kept staring at us, whispering, and giggling. I don't know if you've ever had a 5 year old tell secrets about you and laugh, but I don't think I have. I started staring back at them. Eventually, they started speaking to me.

Invariably, all the students at LPV (especially the younger students) ask the same questions in the same order:
1. You speak English? (This is sometimes in Spanish.)
2. What is your name?
(We answer, ask their name, and ask how they are doing.)
4. I am fine, and you?
5. What is your favorite color?
6. How old are you?

I think these are questions that they've have been trained to say, but it's really cute when they ask.

We watched the play (I have pictures, but I'll have to post them later), which was completely adorable. (I'm in love with the entire kindergarten right now.) All of the parents came to watch, too. I've noticed that after we arrived we became our own advertisement. The kids would see us or talk to us, and the next day they would come and tell me they were going to take our class. When parents see us, they realize that we really are at LPV, and I think it must be good publicity for our classes. We've had so many students sign up for the Saturday program that they had to start turning students away! On Saturday morning, we have 48 students (at different times and in different classes) coming to play with us and talk in English! I hope I'm always this popular!!

Actually, it is really different to be on display all the time. I knew I would be a minority here, but except for a few adults and the people that know us, everyone openly stares at both of us. I've become a lot more aware of what I look like every day. Colombians dress similarly to Americans, except everything is tight. Even if it shouldn't be. Yesterday, I was tired of looking weird, and I wore an old pair of jeans that would fit much better if I lost a few pounds. I was complimented all day long!

I need to get ready now, so I'm going to go. I'll definitely try to blog tonight--I need to write about our trip to the supermercado with D-ita! It was fabulous, and I found quinoa, soy milk, and vegan chocolate!

After 48 hours in P--- (And a Plug for Avianca)

First of all, I need to thank all of you who have been reading my blog. I really appreciate you. It's comforting to know that people are investing their time into reading this because it helps me feel more connected to the outside world. Also, I really enjoy sharing my experiences because I think that people still tend to have some misconceptions about Colombia (and don't we have those about anywhere?) and I want to change both my own misconceptions and hopefully others as well.

The other topic I absolutely must address is Avianca Airlines. Avianca is Colombia's largest air carrier, and it is phenomenal. I mean it. Honestly, I was really worried about flying with them before we got on the plane (there are those misconceptions again!). I expected something sort of like a (really) ghetto version of RyanAir, or maybe a really old plane that was dirty and gross. Let me just say, I think Avianca on its own is enough to change misconceptions of Colombia. The plane was literally the nicest plane I have ever ridden. It was new, the seats were extremely comfortable (and a big bigger than usual), every seat had it's own touch-screen TV, the food was fantastic (there were even artichokes in the salad!), and the flight attendants were incredibly kind. The movies/television shows/documentaries/music available for in-flight entertainment were up-to-date and well-chosen. (They had Slumdog Millionaire, a documentary about food, Milk, that Benjamin Button movie, and a number of other Oscar nominees.) They played a game with the entire plane where 1 person one a free trip, and everything was incredibly pleasant. Also, the flight attendants spoke English and were very helpful. Overall, the flight was the best I've ever taken. I can't believe they offered so many nice amenities just for a four hour flight.

Okay, I'm done advertising. (But seriously, if you ever have the chance, take an Avianca flight!

Today was fun. It was slow, as was yesterday, but I'm very grateful for that. We're only here for 6 weeks, so I don't want it to go by too quickly. We spent most of the day preparing for the screening tests we will be administering. We start screening the kindergarten tomorrow, so that should be interesting.I think one of the best parts of our day was riding the school bus. It took us home yesterday, but today it picked us up too! We got to ride with all the little kids, and they are absolutely the cutest kids I have ever seen. All the students at LPV have begun to warm up to us, and we've begun to have extended conversations with many of them. Justin is Warren's favorite. He sat with us at lunch and near us on the bus today. The child talks more than any kid I know, but he is really sweet. He sang me a song today when we were riding home, and HE MADE US CARDS! They are cards welcoming us and telling us that he is glad we are his friends. We've also been invited to Ricky's house on Saturday. Ricky, was one of our students at Camp Bear International last summer, but he was a handful then. Now, he is very mature and polite, and he sat with us at lunch and talked for a long time. He's grown up a lot since we last saw him.The other fun parts of the day:

1. Spanish/English lessons with Gabriel, the bio-chemistry teacher at LPV. We learned a lot of words, few of which I remember, but he's a lot of fun to talk to, and he really wants to learn English.

2. Spanish/English lessons with D-ita!!! We walked around the entire apartment, and she would point to things and say the word in Spanish, and then we would teach her the English word. I'm definitely learning the most Spanish by speaking with D-ita. She's very patient with me, and she is easy to comprehend. Even if I don't always know what the words mean, I usually know what she wants to tell me.

3. Going to the bank! Believe it or not, we managed to go over 48 hours without having a single Colombian peso. That's how nice everyone in Colombia is! We just never needed any money. We really want to go to the grocery store, though, but to get there we have to take a taxi, and to take a taxi we needed cash. Andrea was kind enough to pick us up and take us to a bank. She dropped us off downtown, and we walked around a bit, but we want to go back tomorrow and explore during the day. We had to take a taxi back to our apartment... guess how much it was?! 3,175 pesos, which is roughly $1.75, $2.00 with tip. It wasn't a short trip either, it was definitely over a mile!

LPV & The Mystery Fruit

Image 1: The view of P---- from our apartment.

Image 2: Warren eating huevos con tomate y arepas for breakfast. He's eating so well, I'm fairly sure he'll never eat my vegan food again. For lunch he had a traditional potato and chicken soup with fried arepas and avocado, and tonight he had slow-cooked barbecue pork with fried plantains and of course, una cerveza. I shouldn't complain, though. I had fruit and fresh-squeezed orange juice for breakfast, salad, avocados, rice, and fried arepas for lunch, and beans, rice, fried plantains, and salad for dinner. We've also both snacked on fresh mango, and we're about to indulge in a little pineapple as well. YUM!

The day started early. Too early. The culprit behind this much-too-early morning? A bird. Specifically, some kind of loud parrot that squawks and screams loudly right outside my window. I hate birds.

Despite being woken by a bird thirty minutes before the alarm was supposed to go off, it was a very good day. We ate a yummy breakfast prepared by D-ita and then Andrea picked us up and drove us to the school, LPV. This time, our drive was relatively uneventful, and it was fun to see all the different parts of P---.

Of course, most of our day was spent at LPV, and thank goodness. The place is practically a resort! Palm trees line the sidewalks, lilies and hibiscus color the grounds, and all the buildings are made of bamboo. The school has a pool and an ecological park (where the older students apparently like to make out). It also has cute little courtyards with incredible trees, two playgrounds, and a number of courts for soccer and volleyball. Only the office building and the library have windows; the classrooms are all open air. It's so beautiful, it is hard to describe. If American children went to school at LPV, they would think it was vacation. (To the right: a 1st grade classroom.)

LPV is a bilingual school, so the students learn both English and Spanish. Today Warren and I observed a lower level class. The teacher spoke entirely in English, but the students could ask questions in Spanish. Usually, answers had to be given in English. They study language arts, math, science, and some social studies in English. They also learn Spanish and study some history in Spanish. In addition, the students have swimming class and P.E. (To the left: a view of the "cafeteria" from the elementary school. It's open air, and I was told people rent it out for weddings. Can you even imagine someone renting out your elementary school cafeteria for a WEDDING?)

The students are very eager and absolutely adorable. At first, they were very shy around us. During their recess, a number of them would stare at us and then whisper to each other. Eventually, a few of them would ask a very simple question, like "Do you speak Spanish?" and then after receiving an answer, they would run away. This continued for awhile. We figured out that they would huddle together, come up with a new question, practice it, and then come back and ask questions. It was really cute, but both Warren and I started asking them questions to make the conversation a bit more... less rehearsed. It worked really well, and the kids got really excited about us. In the afternoon we began learning about the W-APT test which we will be administering. It's a proficiency screening test, and it looks interesting, but the information is rather tedious. While we were reading the material, a group of students gathered outside the windows and stared at us. We began talking to them, but they were mostly just interested in looking at us. We went outside and I told them I felt like I was in a fish bowl and they were all staring at me! They laughed, and after we talked for a few minutes they went back to their work. (Above right: one of the playgrounds.)

We rode home on the bus with the students. It was a lot of fun. One little boy, Justin, sat near us and talked to us for a very long time. He's really cute, and he has excellent English. Actually, most of the students have very good English, but they are all quite shy.

Tomorrow we begin our Spanish-English exchange. I'm really excited. The bio-chemistry teacher is going to teach us Spanish and we are going to help him with English. It's a great opportunity, and I hope I can learn enough to at least converse with D-ita! (I think I stress her out a bit because I don't speak Spanish.)

Today I noticed a much clearer division between the rich and the poor here. Few places look "middle-class" but lots of homes looked really expensive. Sadly, we also have seen a few slums. They are cramped together, and the roofs are made out of sheet metal and often look like they have been patched over at least a dozen times. I have to admit that I feel like the Pereira I am living in and working in is much different than the lower-class Pereira, and I hope my view of Colombia isn't too skewed because of it.

Mystery Fruit.... This is a very unusual fruit that I had as my "after school snack." D-ita had to show me how to eat it... basically, she cracked it open like an egg and then scooped all of the insides into a cup. It tasted sort of like a plum, but was very slimy and full of seeds. Does anyone know what it is?

BUENAS NOCHES!

I have a maid.

Hello everyone! We FINALLY made it to Pereira, Colombia today. After lots of delays, lost luggage, confusion at the airport, and missed flights (due to Delta's staff, not us), we made it here. We were supposed to arrive yesterday, but we ended up spending the night in Atlanta. We caught a flight to Miami this morning, and then we flew to Pereira.

On the way to Pereira, we were able to see (from the air): Cuba, Jamaica, Cartagena, Medellin, and a great deal Colombian countryside. We flew on Avianca, which is Colombia's own airline, and it was fantastic. The plane was very new and had amenities I haven't ever seen before (like a jack for a USB stick, a touch screen for movies, and a coat hook!). It was a great flight, and we didn't have any problems.

The airport in P---- is very small. It only has one arrival area, and I'm fairly sure customs and border control had no idea what to do with us. We got through everything just fine (I even answered a question asked in Spanish without any help!). After we finished with border patrol, the baggage claim, and customs, we simply walked outside. There wasn't even a door! Andrea, one of the Colombian teachers from Camp Bear last summer, was waiting to pick us up.

Andrea drove us to the apartment where we are staying. The city itself seems crowded. We drove through very nice areas and some not-so-nice areas within a few feet of each other. In Pe----, the transportation method of choice is a taxi (or your own car), but there are also regular buses, the Megabus, and lots and lots of motorcycles. Apparently, P---- has such a problem with traffic that the city has instituted a law restricting when people can drive. Depending on the number with which your license plate starts, you cannot drive one day of the week. For example, on Mondays vehicles with license plates beginning with 0 or 1 cannot be on the road. (Of course, Andrea's vehicle began with a 1, so she actually had to borrow a car from a friend just to pick us up!) On the way to the apartment the car in front of us got into a fender bender. Andrea explained that those were normal, and we had to laugh as everyone honked their horns and negotiated how to get around the accident through by yelling through the car windows.



The place we are staying is unbelievable. It's in a nice apartment building up on the hill, in the nicest part of town. It's huge, and we have our own room. I've posted a picture of the living room and the hallway. I'll try to post more pictures tomorrow; the ones I have from tonight aren't very good. The apartment has 3 bedrooms, a living room, a study, a wide hallway, a dining room, a kitchen, and... the maid's quarters. We have a maid that lives with us! It's so strange! She has already been taking very good care of us, but it feels very weird to have someone constantly serving me. She is supposed to do the laundry, clean, and cook. Her name is D-ita, and she doesn't speak any English, but Warren does his best and we've been able to communicate a little bit. She showed us her room, which is really small, and we tried to get her to sit with us out in the living area, but she said no. I think we probably did something that was socially unacceptable, but it just feels to weird to have someone sitting in a little tiny space when we have such a large living area! Also, besides D-ita, we are the only ones living here right now. It is the principal's apartment, but she is in Buenos Aires this week. She also has a house in the country, so we aren't expecting to see her very much.

Other than that, there isn't much to say. We start working at LPV tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. Andrea is going to give us a ride tomorrow, but after that we get to ride the school bus with the kids!

The weather here is wonderful. Not humid, just warm. Andrea told us that it rains almost every day, but it's usually just a light rain that ends quickly.

I know this was really long! I apologize. Tomorrow, I'll try to get up some good pictures... especially of our view from this apartment. It's incredible!

Good night!

Welcome & Bienvenidos

First of all, it should be noted that I am quite American, but that I was looking for something creative (and yet unclaimed) to name my blog. I can't claim credit for the title, as that is the pure genius of ML, who refers to me as "Barely American" and "Distinctly English" which are by far the greatest titles anyone has ever given me.

Next... this blog is intended for those who would like to keep track of me over the next year. I leave for Colombia (flying out of KC) in approximately 7 hours and 50 minutes. (The Colombia in South America, not the Columbia in Missouri.) You've heard of it... it's the place known for cocaine, coffee, bananas, and the FARC. It's also a beautiful land of (hopefully) wonderful people, and I'm very excited to have this opportunity.

Warren and I will be in P----, Colombia, until July. We will be teaching assistants at LPV, and we are hopefully directing an afterschool pronunciation and speaking program as well. It's all quite exciting, and I will blog about it as much as possible.

In addition, today I also accepted a job in Seoul, South Korea, beginning in August. I'm not completely sure of all the details, and as the paperwork as yet to go through, I suppose I might not actually end up there, but hopefully everything will work out and I'll be able to write all about it.

Wish me luck!