Out of the Apartment!

Today, despite my being 'incapacitado', I showered, dressed, and hobbled down to the street where I caught my cab to get to the hairdresser that my friend Marsha recommended. I knew it was against the rules, but staying inside was making me crazy!

Norbeto's salon is quite a ways from the apartment and so I had plenty of time to practice my ever improving Spanish on my driver (they love it when you do that!!) In fact, this guy actually did seem to enjoy my attempts at conversation, and tried to explain what the various buildings, universities, and trees were. On one street, where we were stuck in traffic, there were vendors wandering the street with their wares. I asked what one man was selling (it looked like a grape-like cluster of limes). Oh, my driver informed me, those were 'mamons' and they were delicious. He started to call out to the vendor so that I could buy some but I told him, no no, it was alright, I was just curious. "Tranquilo, tranqilo" he told me, and he called the guy over, bought a bunch of mamons and gave them to me to try. What a nice guy!!!!!!!!!!! I doubt that cab drivers anywhere else would buy fruit for their passengers!

Well, he was right. The mamons are delicious!!!! They do look like little limes, and to eat them you have to 'crack' open the rind by biting it until it 'pops'! The fruit inside reminds me of jellies (aka jellyfish) because the light peach colored meat slings to the seed and yet sort of 'floats' away from it all at the same time.




It's hard to explain, but to eat it you pretty much just suck on it like candy until all the fruit eventually comes off the seed. Sounds gross, I know, but trust me, it's great! And everyone here seems to love them as much as I do. I had fun sharing them at the salon.

The salon...... wow! I didn't have an appointment to get my hair done. I had called this morning for an appointment, but they couldn't find Hugo, my friend's hair dresser, and they said they would call back, but telephone conversations are so hard for me since I can't act out the words I don't know... so I decided that taking a little jaunt out to the place would be a better idea. Besides, I liked the idea of seeing the salon before making an appointment. Here in Colombia you never know what you may find. So, I hopped out of the cab (my ankle feeling so much better not having to be stuck in the apartment all day again!) and made my way into the salon. It was very pretty. Marble floors, crystal chandeliers, lots of pretty people. Not the kind of place I would EVER go into in the states for fear they would charge me just for looking!!! I was about to back quietly out the door, when a lovely woman came to ask if I wanted a manicure. Well..... what's a girl to say????

I explained, in my Spanglish and sign language, that I was there to make an appointment with Hugo. The older, more severe woman behind the counter remembered my earlier phone conversation with her and she commanded that two ladies (the manicurist and a sheepish young thing who spoke some English) take me to Hugo immediately. Well, they did and he was there and he happened to have the afternoon free so he sat me down and they all started in. He matched my hair color to a swatch, the manicurist started to remove my old polish, and the sheepish young thing offered me a myriad of drinks. It was all just a bit overwhelming. And even though I paid more than I had planned, my hair isn't fuschia and I am feeling very relaxed and lovely!

Not so content . . .

Well, I am sitting here on my couch, again..... only this time not so 'content'. For those of you who had concerns about my health care down here in Colombia, let me allay your fears!! The health care is GREAT ~ if a bit extreme. Let me explain...

Tuesday afternoon, trying to get lots done before going home, I went (a bit too swiftly) to my cabinet in the math room and as I spun around to head back to my desk, I twisted my ankle. Yes, it was reminiscent of the Princess Sprain of a few years back, to the point that I almost passed out. The fainting spell was more because I was remembering how terrible that first sprain was. Missy, you were there, you know!!!! Anyway, I collected myself and hobbled home. Tuesday, as I was semi limping up the hill to my classroom, I ran into a friend who, as a former coach, suggested that I go to the infirmary for an ace bandage so as to immobilize my ankle for a speedier recovery. I thanked him for his advice and after getting the same advice from a math colleague a few minutes later, I went to the infirmary.

Well, after looking at my swollen ankle, the nurse there immobilized me alright! She wouldn't let me leave!!!! Even though my first class was about to begin and even though my belongings were in the math room, I was stuck! She applied an anti-inflammatory cream (which I never even knew existed) and wrapped my ankle in ice. Then she called the office to get someone to take care of my classes; called admin to get copies of my health card and Colombian identification card ('schedula') neither of which I had on my person since I don't carry my purse to school (so much for not carrying valuables!!); and she called the emergency room. Yup, that's right. Because the 'accident' happened at school, they were required to take me in to the hospital.

So, then, as if missing class for a twisted ankle wasn't bad enough, she, amidst many a protest by her not willing patient, managed to wrestle me into a wheelchair and then pushed me through school to the waiting car and driver and translator. Now, what I want to know is, why were so many people out and about instead of teaching in their classrooms at 9:10 on a school morning?????? Because I am pretty sure that every person I know at CNG was out on the sidewalk to witness my humiliating ride to the car.

Anyway, after tearful goodbyes and protests of 'it's just a sprained ankle' I was locked into the car and whisked off to an emergency room. And even though my translator, Fanny, and I were expecting a long wait, we were blood pressure checked, doctor inspected, x-rayed, and doctor wrapped all in under 2 hours. Maybe the fact that I was a Gringo with muy pequeno Espanol......! So all in all, the hospital visit wasn't all bad. Not ALL bad, meaning there was some bad news. Because my ankle had a "strong" sprain, I was given this short form, signed and stamped by my doctor, explaining that I would be "incapasitado" for 5 days! That means that for 5 DAYS I am expected to sit on my couch, not touching my foot to the ground, so that I can heal properly!!!! Did I mention this was for 5 DAYS???????????????????? Well, again with the tears, I pleaded for him to take it back, insisting that it was just a twisted ankle and that I would hop most of the time so no weight would be put on the injured ankle.... Nothing doing. These Colombian doctors, and administrators, and colleagues, and translators are a tough bunch!

So.... here I am 'enjoying' a vacation from school. Funny how we always wish we could have days of just lounging around but when we get them we are not happy about it at all.

Anyone for a game of pool online??????

Content with where I am...

I am just sitting here on my couch. It's dark outside even though it's only a little after 8. It gets dark here at about 6:30 or 7 and you know what? I don't even mind. In fact, that is what I am sitting here thinking about ~ how I am just so...... content here. Even the getting dark early doesn't bother me. Of course that could be because I have to get up sooooo early that the early dark just offers me the excuse of going to bed early!!

And of course it helps that I am able to take the time here to get to know myself again. There is definitely something good about being alone for a while in your life, I've decided. I've always been reflective, but here, somehow, it's more meaningful. Maybe because I am here by myself?

But back to the content state of mind.... Just when I think that I am totally used to being here, something happens that makes it all seem surreal again. These aren't big important things. No, it can be the tiniest thing. Like tonight. Walking down the broken sidewalks with Aaron, talking about our Back to School nights, on our way to Juan Valdez for a muy delicioso cup of Chocolate ~ mmmmm. You know, before I got here, I worried about the weather. A lot. After all, I was leaving rainy, not too hot Washington for a spot in South America that is rainy and not too hot. But you know, it isn't the same here. I mean, the rain doesn't stay too long and the sky is quick to turn blue again. And the cooler temperatures.... maybe it's the fact that there is only ever about a 10 degree difference, but it doesn't feel that cold here.

And school sometimes makes my stay here feel surreal. Like, I don't make my own copies anymore. Nope, there are these very nice young men who do that for us. Of course, they are one of the main reasons that I am trying to learn Spanish. Do you have any idea how hard it is to act out "back to back copies"???????? LOL

All in all, and despite the fact that I miss my girls so much, I am very happy here. (And not just because they mine emeralds!!!)

Shiny Things and Girls :-)

Okay, one more word..... Emeralds!!!!!! Wow! Did you know that the finest emeralds in the world are found in Colombia? Or that about 60% of the world's emeralds are mined right here in Colombia?

Well, I just had the greatest shopping experience ever!!!! Diana, a friend from CNG, took a couple of us to the home/shop of an emerald dealer. Oh, my gosh! The stones were beautiful!!! And I found so many things that I would love to have.... Unfortunately, I don't have $20,000 laying around. Or for that matter not even $5000. But I did find something that I can afford. It is the most beautiful ring with emeralds and diamonds in a line, set in yellow gold. I also found some matching earrings that I almost didn't take out when I left!!!! He is making the set for me and I will pick them up next Saturday. I can hardly wait!!!!!!

I really like it here :-)

Back to School Assembly

Thursday was a bit day at Colegio Nueva Granada. The children came in their formal uniforms and we had our official Back To School Assembly. The thing is, there wasn't much to it ~ singing, marching, announcing, and more singing. And yet, it was one of the most moving assemblies I have ever attended.

We all climbed the mountain to the high school gym where the younger children sat on the floor and the older ones sat in the bleachers upstairs. The kids waited patiently for about half an hour while everyone assembled ~ Colombian time is a bit more relaxed than US time! Then all the children and teachers stood and sang the Colombian national anthem (which I guess I should learn) and the US national anthem which I know!) and then the school song (which I also have to learn). Then (and this was the best part) this year's senior class walked in, hand in hand, with the new class of Kinder4 children. Watching those seniors gently lead the cutest, tiniest, newest members of the CNG family into the gym, with Disney's "Colors of the Wind" playing in the background, brought tears to my eyes. It was such a touching moment. And it really showed the family feeling of CNG. There is a strong allegiance to this alma mater, as parent alumni send their babies to the school. Anyway, it is hard to describe here, but trust me when I say it was one of the most touching moments I have ever experienced at a school assembly. I am glad that I am a member of this family.

I did it!!!

You know,life is not about the amount of money you make. Or how fancy a car you drive. It's not even about how many friends you have. No, life is about succeeding at those little things that REALLY make a difference. For example, today I finally experienced such a success. Today, I called and ordered my dinner for delivery!!!

I know this may not seem like much to most of you, but trust me, this was a BIG deal. After the fiasco with the first attempt, a number of days ago, I was leery of even trying again. But not one to let little disasters get the better of me, I did make another attempt. Well, and this time I had help! I used Babblefish (thank you thank you thank you to Erin Z.!!!!!) and I WROTE DOWN the phrases I would need and then I PRACTICED THEM out loud until I was sure I had them mastered. Then I dialed. They answered and asked ..... well, okay, so I'm not sure what they asked, but I let them know that I did not speak very much Spanish and I proceeded to place my order. There were more questions that I simply ignored, going on with my well-rehearsed ordering conversation. And..... SUCCESS!!!! I actually had a super delicious Olivetto's Calzone for dinner!!! And I ordered it all my myself!!!! (I of course called down to my portero, Christian, immediately with the good news (he was the one who ordered the last time, as I stood by tearfully. He was thrilled as well!)

So you see, it's the small things in life that matter. So, 'tranquillo' everyone. Don't worry about the big stuff. Just enjoy the little things that really matter!!


(I would have added a picture of the sublime Calzoni, but I ate it before I got a chance to snap a photo.....)

My maid

Yes, I did hire a maid. I actually was quite opposed to the idea, but my predecessor, Kim, told me how little they make and that she would be out of a job if I didn't hire her, so.....

So, Tuesday, our first day, I came home to a spotless apartment and a scrumptious dinner in the fridge. But it didn't end there. I only have this to say:

She folded and ordered my panties!

Ville de Leyva

Well, it's official. I will never return to public education again! And for that matter, I may never leave Colombia! Why, you ask? Well, this last week I was treated to a 'business' trip much like I imagine really seriously amazing business people take in America. All the new hires (about 40 of us, both import and Colombian) were driven out to a little colonial town about three hours from Bogota.

On the way there we stopped at an historical site, Puente De Boyaca.



It was at this location that the revolution for Colombian independence took a turn for Bolivar. The story goes that the Spanish and the Colombians came face to face with each other. The Colombians were on the top of the hill and the Spaniards on the bottom (never a good thing). Well, the not as militarily spiffy Colombians tied the tails of their horses together so that as they careened down the hill toward the Spaniards, they swept them off their feet, and not in a good way!



Now with the two opposing forces on either side of this little river, the Colombians had a bit more of an advantage as the Spaniards were all tuckered out from their earlier encounter.





And the rest, as they say, is history. I am sure our students will get about a 15 minute lecture on South American history somewhere in their eighth grade year.....





While I was pondering this horrible deficiency in our educational system, I played around the palm trees. :-)





Our first evening in the town, even before checking out our hotel, was spent at the vinca of the elementary school art teacher.


This is her husband with our beloved Maria Cristina

Wow! What a place! It belongs to his family and will stay in his family, probably forever. I fell in love with this place the moment we stepped out of the bus and saw the red and blue macaws fly over our heads.





It was like entering a fantasy land. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.












This fruit is actually edible!! And yummy!


Oh, and we went for a walk on the property and I found two fossils. One was like an egg, inside of which you can find fossils of amenites. I also found a rock with fossils of leaves on it. They let me keep these, which is just one tiny example of these people's incredible generosity. Even though we were just supposed to stop by for a quick visit and then have dinner at the hotel, they served us drinks and food ~ all of which was delicious!

We stayed in a four-star hotel just outside where the service was out of this world. The people working there will do just about anything to insure that you have perfect stay.





We did some community building activities. We learned all about the fruits and veggies of Colombia. We learned all about the mission and vision of CNG. Very impressive and inspiring. I really love this school already! And of course, the whole while we were 'working' at the hotel, we were fed. And fed. And fed! In fact, we ate about every two hours. Meals, snacks, tastes. You know! LOL

And we took little trips into this historically preserved colonial village. Yup, that's a real live cowboy!



Apparently, August is kite flying month here because it's windy. When we made our way to the town square, which is cobbled with really, really big rocks!, we say families out with their kites. It was very romantic.





And here is the square at night. Just beautiful.



And we also danced! In fact, we are apparently the most 'lively' group of new hires they have had at CNG for quite awhile. Usually, after the local performers come to show off the local dances and try to get the gringos up to dance a bit, the gringos quickly rush back to their safe seats and then call it a night. Not us! We not only had several people try out the local, traditional dances, but afterwards, our new dance teacher, Jose Luis, put on some Salsa and Merengue (not sure of spelling) and we danced and danced and danced!!!!








We had so much fun! In fact, the last night we were there, I went to bed about midnight, woke up at 2:30 and still heard our group! And then in the morning, the last of them had to take up a collection to pay for a chair that got 'stepped through'! LOL Yup, we are a fun group!!! And best of all, the administration from CNG is fun as well. :-)

Birthday day!!!!

This is a short one, but I just had to include a few pictures. Aaron shares the same birthday as my Christina. The day was a little hard for me since I was not home.... I thought of her all day long. But the evening was saved since a bunch of us went out to Harry's for a birthday dinner.



It was sooooooooooo delicious and the deliciousness started with the Mojitos we had in the bar upstairs. You may think you know how to make a Mojito, but, oh, you'd be wrong! Let me explain. Our waiters showed up with a tray of glasses with ice, mint leaves, a bottle of vodka, and a bottle of Club soda (or something like that. Not sure, not important!) Anyway. After mashing the mint, he starts pouring the vodka into the glasses. Not one finger, not two, not even half a glass. No. He fills the glass to almost full. Then he literally splashes some soda into the glass and hands it over! Wow!

Then we went to our table for one of the most wonderful meals. I ordered a ribeye with sides of asparagus and grilled tomatoes. What I actually got was a side of beef, four halves of tomato grilled to perfection, and a full plate of asparagus. Needless to say, those of us at my end of the table ate tons!!!! And I had leftovers for two days!!!!




Stephanie, John


Avon, Kim, Dahlia


Michelle, Don & Julie

It was a great night with great friends.

Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuun!

Yes, Thursday, a Colombian holiday, was a day marked with fear, stress, sightseeeing, and good manners. On Thursday Isabella ~ yes THE Isabella ~ took a bunch of us gringo teachers to La Candelaria, the colonial section of town. Sounds harmless enough but... she runs a tight ship, let me tell you. When she walked down the street toward the bus station, taxi cabs screeched to a halt lest they receive her wrath. ( I sort of want that super-power!!!!) And while we were walking and she was giving us the history of all the families down in the Candelaria district, she shushed us!!!! Not kidding!!! She shushed and said, "excuse me, excuse me!" if we were holding side conversations (which adults sometimes do when they are out on a nice Sunday walk). Once, as we were approaching the Presidential Palace, and the guards that checked bags before crossing behind it, I was relating an interesting tale to a friend when suddenly Isabella spun around and announced, "You. You will be searched. You are too loud!" Ouch...... But the little district was quite lovely. Ito plan return. Alone!







But it didn't stop there. Isabella, who just by the way knows anyone who is of ANY importance in Colombia (including the president's wife and the first wife of the illustrious Botero!), took us all to lunch at the lovely Hotel de Opera. She walked in the lobby with us and announced to the poor unsuspecting lad behind the counter that she was here for lunch with very important guests from CNG (my school) who didn't speak any Spanish and would therefor require special attention. We would be eating on the third floor because the view is the best there. Well, the young man said that the upstairs kitchen was not currently serving but he would call to see what could be worked out. She simply announced, 'We are going' and she marched us past him and into the hotel and up to the top! Well, by the time we made our way up (she had to stop and give us the history) they had a table set for us and the men literally ran to her when she called. Very impressive. (I sort of want that super-power too!) Oh, and then when we ordered, she got up and walked with the waiter to each of her charges, who spoke no Spanish! and translated our orders for him. Well, eventually she got to poor Julie who ordered her meal and 'una cafe, por favor' "What? Coffee? For lunch? We go to Juan Valdez after lunch" exclaimed Isabella. Julie, looking quite morose, stuttered, 'lemonade?' and Isabella, much relieved, nodded to the waiter, 'Si, she will have lemonade.' Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!! All I can tell you is that my palms started to sweat at that point and I just wished over and over, 'please let my order be right, please let my order be right!!!'



Ah, what a woman.

Usaquen

On Sunday we all had a wonderful outing to an outdoor market ~ arts, toys, foods, leathers.... It was wonderful. In fact, I was lucky enough to even find some art for my cute little apartment! It is about two and a half feet square, etched and painted aluminum. I love the colors and it looks GREAT in my apartment.

We wandered around and looked at all the beautiful crafts and I ate the best snack ever!! It was green mango sprinkled with salt and lime juice (which they call lemon juice....). It is OUTSTANDING!!! I can't wait to go back because there are so many things I can start buying for Christmas presents. I know, I know.... I 'm a bit early, but seriously you should see this place.

We ate at the Bogota Beer Company and tried lots of yummy traditional Colombian foods. Here is one of those 'statue guys' and then some of my friends at the Bogota Beer Company: Diana (a science teacher), Michelle (new here), and my math partner Dahlia. Then a nice trio: Stephanie (new here), Aaron, and the most wonderful Maria Cristina!!

Medellin

Oops ~ it's been quite awhile since I updated (which is bad because so much has happened....!) but I've been a little preoccupied with other things. So now... where to begin?? I will have to make a couple of entries just to divide up the last two weeks:

Medellin~
As I said earlier, 'wow' what a town! Medellin is located in a valley (I forgot to tell why we had to land at the airport on the mountain as opposed to the one in the valley. In order to land successfully in the valley, pilots have to pull an Indiana Jones type of maneuver tilting the plane first to one side and then the other in order to avoid the 'hills' in the way!!!!! Knowing that made the long drive from our mountainous airport not such a bad thing!

For those of you who, like me, don't know too much about Colombia, Medellin has a rather notorious history. Even my new Lonely Planet guide book says that the city's drug capitol past keeps it listed as a, and I quote, "sketchy" city to visit. Needless to say, I was a little nervous most of the time! Especially the night that we ended up taking a cab off the side of the street because we couldn't reach one by phone!!!!!!! Luckily I was with other people, one of whom was a Colombian who took great care of us Gringos!

Janice helped to put together the week-long Math Institute that is why we all went to Medellin in the first place. She is such a driving force in the teaching of mathematics here in Colombia. It is obvious how everyone who worked with herr respected her! We spent our days at the Colombus School ~ another International School~ observing teachers, listening to speakers (the co-authors of the Bridges program!!!!!!!!!), and debriefing about all we learned. One day I went over to the 'sister' school of The Colombus School, a public school, just to experience it. Much like the public sister school of my own CNG, this school was overcrowded with few supplies. The director and teachers, though, were amazing and so enjoyed their participation at the math institute hosted by The Colombus School. The directors words to us on the last day of the institute brought tears not only to my eyes, but to the eyes of most in the room. Here are two shots of the classrooms at the public school, and the third one is a dance that some of those children performed for us back at the Colombus School as a thank you for coming to their school too:








The evenings we were on our own to explore the city and enjoy the wonderful food. I spent most of my time with my new teaching partner, Dahlia, and Colombian teachers from out school as well as four amazing women from Guatemala!! What a good time we had! We spent most of our evenings around the Park Llerdes where great restaurants abounded along with street vendors. Here we are on one of our evenings out. From left to right it's Claudia, Bianca, Ruben, Dahlia, Sylvia, Me, Gustavo's shirt :-), and Anatoly.




I think I most enjoyed getting to know some of the CNG teachers the most. Ruben I knew from my spring break visit. He is also a math teacher, but for elementary. He is Colombian and a great tour guide. Ruben made sure I was safe at all times and took us to one of the most beautiful malls I have ever seen! This is the view of Medellin from the bridge in one part of the mall:




Freddie and Vicky are both 5th grade teachers and they are a kick in the pants!!! They both kept me in stitches the whole time. Freddie was particularly awesome on the dance floor!!



I also got to know three wonderfully kind women: a K4, a 1st, and a 2nd grade teacher. What I appreciated about them the most was there kindness. There were times when thoughts of home hit me and I felt a little alone at dinners with just Colombian teachers, who of course spoke in Spanish. Vanessa, Vanessa, and Juliana always made sure that they spoke English in front of me and thereby made me feel included. During my low point that week, they were my saviours. We also hooked up with four of the coolest women, who were down from Guatemala. Claudia (fun fun fun), Sylvia, Bianca, and Anna joined us for a couple of dinners. I tried to get them to come on down to Bogota with us, but they said their husbands would miss them...... Dang it.

Oh, I also want to let you know that Colombian people are the nicest people EVER! On two separate occasions, I was talking to people about my Christmas plans ~ taking my girls to the coast in Cartagena and three seperate women gave me their names and numbers so that I could call them when I get there. One lived in Barranquilla (a fun Carnival town!), one was from Cartagena, and one (who also gave me the address of her apartment that she would vacate so that the girls and I could stay there for free!!!!) was from Santa Marta. I have met friendly people in many countries, but seriously.... wow!

Medellin was a little difficult in that Dahlia and I were, for the first time, without Aaron. The three of us have become quite close friends. He was working as a consultant, with Karla, at the public school. Here they are on either side of one of their new friends, a vivacious Colombian teacher!





And as you have probably gathered, it wasn't all work for any of us!!! Janice let me sneak along on a shopping day and then dinner out. Even the hardest working of us needs to relax every now and then!



In fact, the great thing about Medellin was that I got to see my Debbie!!!!!!!!!!!! Yup, she did it! Debbie came down with the group of consultants with Janice and even though I didn't get to spend too much time with her, we had a great time when we were together! I think Debbie had a great time teaching, playing, dancing, going out to eat. All I know for sure is that we laughed a lot!!





One night we had a particularly good time. Must have been the Club Colombia with lime...... LOL Actually, she is throwing candy down my shirt. Don't ask!!!!!!!




And of course, even though it was a couple of days off, we celebrated Aaron's birthday down in Medellin. Now that was funny!