Finally, more independence

This week I have been commuting to Spanish class on my own, woohoo. Standing up for an hour in a bus moving quickly along pot-holed filled streets while being pressed against multiple creepy men who supposedly will not hesitate to cut my purse open to steal my possesions is exactly what I had in mind when I decided to come here! Okay, kidding. It really isn't that bad! I enjoy that I have now learned how to use the TransMilenio alone and that I can go anywhere in the city that the TransMilenio goes. My family (host and real) still worries about me, but I know that I am smart enough to not get lost (there are seven year old kids that take it alone, how fricken' hard could it be?!)

On Monday I had Spanish class early in the morning, and afterwards went to the ICYE office to collect my transportation allowance for the month (enough to pay for two TransMilenio rides a day at $.75 a pop) and my "pocket money", which is actually $65 instead of $30 like I thought. I will probably spend that all on transportation though, because I use the TransMilenio a lot! Monday afternoon, after I had eaten lunch with my host parents, my host dad took me for a long walk around our neighborhood area (Ciudadela Colsubsidio). He showed me all of the parks (tons, but surprise, surprise, I am not supposed to go to them alone) and the neighborhood library. I also tried unripe mango strips with lemon juice and salt (Dad, have you ever had these? Has gpa?) and they were such a different taste than I had ever had. That is definitely why I am here, to experience new things, so it was really cool to have them, even though I could only eat like 5 and then I had to stop because they were so weird! It wasn't even that I didn't like them, it was just such a strange flavor. I went out to dinner with a friend also, so I wasn't bored at all really on Monday.

On Tuesday I went to lunch with most of the people from my Spanish class and then we all went to Museo del Oro. I only could spend about 40 minutes there because I had plans to meet Claudia for Pilates! We are planning to return to the museum on a Sunday when the entry is free. Pilates kicked my butt. I am sooo happy to have found somewhere to take it! I was surprised that I could understand most of what the instructor was saying, even though he taught the class in Spanish. I think that if I hadn't already known how to do Pilates it would have been hard to understand, but it was a blast. I bought a package of 8 (at only $5 a class!) and am planning to do 2 per week with Claudia! After class we walked back to her house, about an hour away. She made me arepas and fresh squeezed orange/papaya (yum) juice for dinner and we Skyped with Dad and Grandpa. It was really cool to have Gustavo, Gustavo Adolfo, Mariela, Claudia and I on one end and G-pa and Dad on the other. I even spoke Spanish to them for most of the 40 minutes because I didn't want to exclude the non-Spanish speakers. I was surprised that G-pa's Spanish is still so good! I can't wait for us all to be together in person :)

Today I went to lunch with my classmates and then just came home. I think they all went to a movie but I was feeling tired and decided to come home and rest! I talked to Jen on the phone for an hour and 24 minutes haha and had a relaxing afternoon. I also talked to Juan David's (my cousin, for all you non-family readers) uncle on the phone, and I think we are planning to meet on Friday evening for dinner and then I can possibly go out that night with his sons (18 and 21)! I am excited to be meeting more people and connecting with more family (not actually blood related, but still family in spirit). As my Dad said, it seems like I am on more of a "family visit than an exotic adventure!"

Love everyone!

P.S. I like getting the comments and feedback to know that people are reading and that my time spent updating is worth it. Thanks guys!

No matter how poor a man is, if he has family, he's rich

Today was alllll about family (and I had a lot of fun, Dad!) I woke up at 9 after getting home at 3.
Let me back up and tell the story of last night... My night started at 7:45 when I left my house to take the Transmilenio to the place where all of the volunteers were meeting. I met up with two friends on the bus on the way there and got there at 9. (Yes, I live ridiculously far from EVERYTHING.) We waited until 9:30 for the late ones and walked through five blocks of bad neighborhood to the bar/disco. There were about 20 of us, including like 5 Colombians, so we weren't too worried about being in a bad neighborhood. When we first got there around 9:45 it was totally empty and pretty boring. They played mostly American music that really was not very good to dance to until about 1 when they started playing salsa music, which I loved! I started actually having fun at that point, and then we left at about 2. It took about 45 minutes in the taxi to get to my apartment (which only cost 6 dollars, amazing, so cheap!) and I found it on the first try! I was actually ridiculously proud of myself :).

Ok so back to today... I woke up unfortunately early and left around lunch time to go meet my host parents' extended families. They were sooo nice and we had ajiaco for lunch which is the most amazing soup ever. They all called me Anita, much to your dismay, mother. Ramiro's mom was obviously very taken with me, and she told me that she had dreamed about me before I got here! It was really adorable. After meeting their extended families I went to meet Gustavo and co.! Honestly, I almost cried tears of joy, and that would have been the first time ever. It was just such a cool thing to be doing and experiencing and I really realize how lucky I am to be here! They were completely welcoming and I could actually communicate surprisingly well in Spanish. Claudia helped me when I wanted to say something more difficult though, because she speaks English. They asked a lot about the boys and about grandpa. I told them that I think grandpa is going to suffer enormously at altitude (someone show this to grandpa and tell him that he really really really needs to get on working out! my apartment is on the fifth floor and even I get out of breath walking up the stairs because of the altitude! If he wants to see me he will need to step it up like ten notches.) and that the rest of the family is doing well! Claudia asked if I have ever done pilates, and I told her that I usually do it twice a week and miss it! She said that she also does it and that she wants to bring me to a class! That was really exciting. As I was leaving Mariela, Gustavo's wife, told me she loved me in Spanish and in English and I definitely teared up! They all walked me downstairs and Gustavo told me (in Spanish obviously) that anything I could ever need he will be there to provide for me and it was just the cutest thing ever! I am really looking forward to getting to know them and spending more time with them.

I got another food/drink speech tonight...haha we were eating arepas for dinner and Martha (my host mom) made me mora juice. (I am not quite sure what mora's are in English..blackberries maybe? but more bitter.) I am fine with drinking juice sometimes..but she always asks what I want to drink, I tell her water, and she always gives me something else! I said to Ramiro that they just don't understand that I really enjoy water! He said they do but that they don't enjoy water so they just aren't used to it. Also, when we were at Gustavo's, they spent a full on 10 minutes talking about how I like fruit a lot and how I don't eat very much! Anyone who knows me would disagree with that statement, I think.

I started writing things down in a little book that I wanted to remember to put in my blog, so here goes:
1. The car they have doesn't have seatbelts in the back! I hate hate hate not wearing one, especially in Bogotá traffic and with Bogotá drivers.
2. I took my first "Collectivo" or "buseta" a few days ago! They all have specific routes that are mapped out no where and you just flag them down anywhere when you want to get on or off. Kinda sketch.
3. Today when we were driving to Gustavo's house we passed some little houses in a gated community. Ramiro was like "those houses are sooo expensive" and so I asked how much they were. 350,000. I thought to myself that you couldn't even buy a cardboard box to live in in Davis for that much money! Ok not really, but it is interesting and eye opening to see the difference in perspectives.
4. The Transmilenio system is now super easy! I am getting into the groove of living here and figuring out the way around the main areas and that feels nice!

Hope I'm keeping you satisfied with almost-daily posts mama! Love everyone!

Getting used to the "way things are done in Colombia"

A few mornings ago, I got my first mini-lecture. My stomach has been sensitive since I have been here because of the change and the altitude, I think. Anyway, because of this, I have been usually eating minimal breakfasts (a piece of fruit) because it is the most sensitive in the mornings. My mom was not very happy about that and I could tell that she was kind of holding her tongue, but after a few days she finally sat me down and told me "how they do things here in Colombia". She explained that they eat a big breakfast and that fruit is not sufficient. She said that they always drink something like juice, coffee, tea, or milk (they are all so bothered by the fact that I only drink water!) and have eggs, toast, yogurt, or something else besides just fruit. I think it is cute how much she is worried about me, but it's also difficult at the same time because I haven't had anyone worry about what I eat for as long as I can remember!

Today I went and wandered around La Candelaria with Amy. It is the first time I have actually felt relatively unsafe anywhere I have traveled. I am not sure why, because a lot of the places I have been have been worse than here. I think it may be because my dad isn't in the country or anywhere close and I am used to having him there! I felt like the responsible one of our pair, and that was a huge weight on my shoulders. I was the one with the experience traveling abroad and in dirty/sketch places but it was nice to know how to handle myself in that situation I guess.

There are a lot of other little things that I have noticed while being here. Everyone has my hair! It is all so thick and wavy and I feel like I fit in! Haha except mine is blonde but whatever, it was still cool to see other people with it! I have also seen a fair amount of babies and I saw one that looked exactly like Clay! His facial expressions and everything reminded me of Clay, it was really weird. Shoot, I don't remember the other things I noticed. I will try to remember to start writing them down or something!

Anyway, tonight I am supposed to go meet the extended families of my host parents. After that we are all going out dancing, which should be fun, and then I have to take a taxi home. Here, I have to direct the taxi driver where to go, which should be interesting because I really am not quite sure how I am going to manage that! Tomorrow I am supposed to meet Gustavo and co. which I am very, very, very excited about!

First days exploring Bogotá

Well okay, maybe not quite exploring...so far I have basically stuck to what I know. Exploring in this city is hard to do because it is pretty dirty and bad neighborhoods are abundant. You can be in a good neighborhood and two blocks later be in an awful one. Also, my host parents don't want me walking around alone anywhere, which creates a sort of problem when all I want to do is explore!

These past two days I have seen new parts of the city though. Yesterday I was supposed to meet my friend Amy after her Spanish class (I was placed in the intermediate class in the afternoon and she is in the beginning class in the morning) to get lunch. I was supposed to be there at noon but because of "Colombian time", the lack of Google Maps, and the complicated Colombian street layout, we didn't get there until 12:45. Obviously, she wasn't there. That was kind of a huge bummer, but I ended up going out to lunch with my host parents and we walked around the neighborhood that the Spanish classes are in. When my class ended at 5:30 I was surprised to see Amy waiting for me! My host parents were also there to pick me up, so we all went back to a mall near my apartment and bought cell phones (finally! 312 439 8861 call me! it´s cheap from skype!). We asked my host dad to call Amy's host parents to tell them that she was safe with me and that they would bring her home when we got home from the mall. We got back to my apartment at around 10 pm and got to Amy's at around 10:30 pm. I walked her upstairs and her parents were so mad! I guess they hadn't gotten the message of what Amy was up to, so they thought she had gotten lost! They had even gone as far as to call the director of the program we are here with and tell them she was lost. That was kind of a fiasco, but my host parents explained to me that Bogotá really is pretty dangerous, and that we need to always tell them where we are, what we are doing, who we are with, how we are getting home, etc.

This morning, despite the late night, I went with my host parents to"La Candelaría" which is the old/downtown part of the city. This part of town is yet another place where my host parents say I shouldn't walk alone, even in the day time. In the main square of La Candelaría there are buildings with amazing architecture, and I saw the house of the president. I also found an Indian restaurant, which is amazing since I have been craving Indian food! After walking around and exploring there for a while we took the TransMilenio back to the neighborhood where the Spanish classes are so that I could meet Amy. We were early this time! The whole beginning class (5 girls), one of the teachers, and I went out to lunch at a vegetarian place close to the Spanish classes. It was only$1.75 per person! There is so much cheap food here that is actually super good, it´s amazing. I realized pretty quickly that here, especially in my house, people eat a big lunch and a tiny dinner. My host mom usually only has a few crackers and a glass of milk for dinner, but she always makes sure that I am going to have a huge lunch. Today, before I knew that we were going out to lunch, I told her that I brought an apple with me to eat for lunch and all she said was "No.", which was pretty clear, haha. My host parents expected Amy to meet me again after class and take the TransMilenio home with me, but she was in trouble from last night (she is 24 and still getting consequences! haha) so I took the TransMilenio alone. My host mom called me at 5:30 right as class was ending and asked where I was and if I was with Amy. When I said I was walking to the TransMilenio station and was not with Amy she got soooo worried! Even though I was with other people from my class I could tell she was going to worry until I got home. About five minutes later my host dad also called to see where I was and if I was safe. It is weird having two people always needing to know my whereabouts and exactly who I am with! I am just so used to the comfort of Davis that it is going to take some getting used to.

Tomorrow my host mom is going to take me to explore another part of the city, and then I am going to meet some friends for lunch again. By the time I get home after Spanish class, a total of about 1.5 hours from door to door, it will basically be time for bed! The commute to and from Spanish class for the next month and to and from work for the following months (probably closer to 2 hours each way) is definitely going to take a lot of getting used to!

Orientation in La Mesa

I guess a lot of people are reading this now, since nothing is private on facebook!
Anyway, I just got back from a 5 day orientation in La Mesa, a town about 3 hours down the mountain from Bogota. Since it is down the mountain it was super hot and humid, but there was a pool! The drive down was really pretty-- super hilly and lush, it reminded me of Rwanda.

There were 18 other volunteers there who arrived a few days ago also, and one volunteer who arrived in January. 16 of the 19 were German speakers (15 from Germany and 1 from Switzerland), 2 of them were from England and 1 from Sweden. I automatically started talking to the girls from England because they were speaking English (obviously). Throughtout the weekend it was really cool that the others spoke German because I actually remember a lot from school and could usually understand their conversation. I wouldn´t talk back to them in German but it was super nice to feel kind of included. The three girls who didn´t speak German felt alienated because they couldn´t join in on many of the conversations that were being held outside of the activities, so I´m glad I didn´t feel that way! Plus, that means that I will be able to work on my German and Spanish while I´m here!

Other than that, La Mesa was good. We talked about the rules and regulations of being with the program, cultural shock, Colombian culture and other things to expect while we are here. I learned that I shouldn´t walk alone past 6, I should separate my money and not carry it all in one place (some in my bra, some in my shoe, some in my pocket, etc.), and that I need to be very careful of thieves when I am on the Transmilenio (bus). We also started our first couple of Spanish classes. There is a beginners class and an intermediate class. I am in the intermediate class but there is a big gap between the speaking levels. I feel like I am doing pretty well though, and I understand everything that the teacher says. It is a lot nicer than the Spanish classes I took in school because everyone actually wants to be there learning!

Tomorrow I start my first day of Spanish classes in the city! I will probably also take the Transmileno alone for the first time, sketch.

Arriving in Colombia

The descent was amazing. Since it was pitch black outside, I saw the lights of a string of islands, and the lights of costal Colombia. I asked the guy in front of me what the islands were and he didn´t understand, but he said ¨That is Colombia¨ in this way that gave me goosebumps (in a positive way). I was so happy to be finally coming here! Before that, I had been starting to get super nervous and scared. For some reason I was worried that no one would be at the airport to pick me up because it was 2 in the morning, but I got myself to calm down and was fine by the time I got off the plane. Customs was not bad at all, even though I had heard horror stories. My host family and the director of ICYE Colombia were waiting for me when I got off the plane, and I quickly realized that yes, indeed, my host parents speak only Spanish! My first impression of the apartment: tiny. The whole thing is about the size of the living room at my mom´s house, I am not kidding.

This morning I woke up late (around 11) and had to lay there and work up the effort to get out of bed. I had lots of butterflies in my tummy because I always have to be speaking Spanish, which takes an enormous amount of concentration and effort for me. It literally took me 30 minutes to convince and prepare myself to get out of bed. I have a feeling that this will be happening kind of often, but I am really looking forward to my Spanish improving.

After breakfast I did yoga and then my host parents and I went for a long walk around their whole area. The neighborhood is really nice (aerial picture included) and there are a lot of parks and areas for me to run :). They tried explaining the TransMilenio (bus system that I will most likely be taking to work) to me, but I am still a little confused about it. I am going to try and buy a bike instead, depending on how far away my work is.

Tomorrow I head to La Mesa for a 4 day orientation. The orientation will be in English :)

How quickly the days go by...

After being home for two weeks, I definitely was not yet ready to leave. It’s too bad I really didn’t have a choice. With both of my parents being out of town (thanks, guys), I had Jen (Miramontes) and Emma take me to the airport (thanks, guys!) They were amazingly generous and waited for me outside of the house forever, because I, already being on Colombian time, was not ready when they got there. When we got to the airport Emma helped me carry my bags in, just in case I ended up needing to unload some items because I knew my bags would be overweight [they were 53.5 lbs and 51.5 lbs but the nice lady let them through :)]. When I was at the check-in desk and realized that I would have to pay $25 for having two checked bags, I went to get my credit card out of my wallet. Unfortunately, that proved pretty difficult because I didn’t have my wallet with me. I had forgotten it in the center console of my car. So, at 10:58 pm, I am inside the airport with Emma and have only my passport and 85 dollars cash (thanks Jen (Jenkins) for making me take that!). My phone had broken as I was rushing out to the car on the way to the airport (I dropped it, stepped on it, and kicked it 10 feet across the asphalt), so I had to use Emma’s phone to call Jen (Jenkins) and ask her to bring me my wallet. The tricky thing is, Jen (Miramontes) had put a restriction on Emma’s phone, so she couldn’t use it to call anyone but she and Dave after 11 pm. I quickly called Jen (Jenkins) and got the point across to her, but the phone disconnected our call because it had reached 11 pm. Trying to get my phone to work, I purposely dropped it on the ground a few times and banged it around, and that actually did the trick. I was able to call Jen back and she brought me my wallet. I made my flight with plenty of time, but the fiasco was a great start to my trip! I am now in the Newark airport, with my flight delayed 2.5 hours, a re-broken phone, and 24 hours of internet for $7.95! This is going to be an adventure.