Thursday. I went to the U again and got a detailed tour of the campus. They have hangers for research and labs, including a mortuary for medical students and a botany building full of plants. I love the campus! I also met some more AWESOME people, including Maira, the VPTM. We talked about so many things, including politics and world peace. Here, people are very curious about the attacks of 9/11/2001. Apparently, some students here also partied when Osama died. however, Colombia has it's own breed of homegrown terrorists. Originally, they fought as a force for the people against corrupt government. In the past decade, the government has improved greatly, though there is still plentiful financial corruption. The people no longer support violence as the answer. As a result, the rebels lack a substantial and cause. Everyone is a victim of their bombings and kidnappings. They live in the mountains, which is why driving long distances in mountainous regions is VERY dangerous.
Walking around the U, I see the same groups of kids that roam the UH campus. You have the smoker clan, the anime/Japanese fanatics, the girly girls, the gangsterrrs, and the hot nerds (my crowd ;]). Maira invited me to play on her all-girls soccer team. I haven't played in years, but I'm down to try again. I think it will be a great way to get some exercise and meet awesome new people!
What do the students do here on the weekends? Go out to eat, go to the movie theatre (although, cinema is not as well-funded an enterpirse as in the U.S., the cinemas don't have a good reputation), go to the beach, and to las discotecas (clubs!). I have seen a few skaters, but not many. Bikes are far more common. Cocacola is popular here, and I have seen a commercial for KFC. The Spanish slogan is KFC ~ buenisimo! I've met some fellow AIESECers who love American rock and pop from the 90s, including Disney music. Made me so happy! :D
Some information about legality:
Cedula - the ID that everyone has to verify citizenship and age
Carnet - student or employee IDs
Licensia de Manejar - Driver's License
Drinking Age - 18yrs old
Driving Age - 15 yrs old
More Important Words (tehe):
Ricirici/Papasito/Bandito - player, womanizer, super hot
Mototaxi - a motorcycle taxi
Broncearse - to get a tan
FARC - a terrorist group
Salchipapa - sausage and french fries (I hope to try some soon!)
Gringo/a -designates someone from the U.S.
Cumbia de Colombia - the national anthem
More on the differences between the coast and the interior of the Colombia.
Costenos = people from the coast
Cachacos = people of the interior
The difference is similar to that here between the north and south. The climate largely impacts the mentality of the people. In the interior, the people speak more slowly and more formally. They are less casual and festive. On the coast, they speaker very quickly, el espanol golpeado, leaving out certain letters in different areas of the coast.
More on the food.
There are fruit trees EVERYWHERE. Especially mangos. You can simply eat the fruit from the tree in many cases. I have tried so many new fruits for the first time, I can hardly remember the names. Also, they don't use tortillas commonly, as in Mexico. They use corn cakes, which are much thicker.
More on National news in Colombia.
Currently, Bogota, the capital, and surrounding cities are suffering from horrible flooding. The rivers filled with too much water and overflowed into the cities. Also, there are have been recent terrorist attacks in the same area. :S
Friday. The days being early. The sun naturally wakes you up. Bright. Hot. Omnipresent. My sleep schedule: lights out around 11pm, ponder upon life, fall asleep in mid-thought, wake up around 2 or 3 in the cold to use a blanket, wake up again around 6am to the hot sun, remove blanket, and sleep again till 8 or 9. Every night, I have dreamed in great detail. Not restless nightmares, but detailed dreams full of random people and events. I have started a dream journal of sorts. Time to analyze! lol Also, the dreams have started to incorporate Spanglish. A true sign of adapting bilingualism.
Yesterday and today, I attended events for a forum on race in the coast. There are many people of African decents, and mixed races, like Creoles in the U.S. I enjoyed the seminars, though I could not understand everything. Today, girls from the secondary school performed afro-hispanic dances. Very cool!
Tonight, AIESEC celebrates the graduation of several members. There will be a formal ceremony, afterwards a huge dancing party a club, and swimming at the beach to end the celebration at some obscure hour of the morning. I am excited to learn the dances, but I know it will be a big challenge. I wasn't born with much rhythm lol
Duvan, my adoptive brother, pllays the guitar. He has even recorded songs, Vallenato, Merengue, Salsa, and Regeuton, at a recording studio. He has a lot of talent! So, I've been borrowing his guitar to sing and attempt some song composition. A nice way to relax :)
I also road on a motorcycle for the first time yesterday, and again today. SO COOL. and dangerous. You really have to be careful abotu speed, bumps, and holes in the streets. Also, other crazy drivers. Here, there is NO safety for the pedestrians, You must constantly remain vigilant. Apparently, a previous AIESECer on exchange burned her ankle when exiting a motorcycle on the wrong side, and another broke her ankle in an accident. YIKES!
and finally, the meaning of the TITLE, "Para Dios, el tiempo siempre es perfecto." Maira told me about the phrase. In English, it says, "In the eyes of God, timing is always perfect." I am not religious, but the phrase spoke to me. I tend to be very organized and always living around a schedule of classes, meetings, etc. But here, life is more flowing, more free. At first, I worried about not having a schedule, but now I realize the timing will work itself out.
In the eyes of God, timing is always perfect.
Cassie
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