Well, it only took one week to make the front page of the most read newspaper on the Colombian Coast. They got the story about me a little wrong, but still. #FinallyFamous #RaisingTheBarr #TheGirlWithTheTattooIsNotMe
It's been just one week, and I feel as though I've seen the world, tasted the world, and experienced the world. The five long, incredibly hot days of orientation were all worth it. Without school even starting yet, I've realized what great value this country holds, but even more so the city of Barranquilla and the people of UniNorte (my university). We all talk about the "American Dream", but I have a feeling we may have gotten it confused with the Colombian Dream. Luckily, I'm here and I'm living it!
THE PEOPLE
THE PEOPLE
- My home stay family is one that people envy! I have no siblings here, but basically two sets of mom's and dad's that are protective, hospitable, and hilarious. I could never repay them for the loving, supportive, eventful home they've provided me with.
- There are 15 Americans here with me, and together we fit every single American stereotype you could think of, especially the one about getting incredibly sunburnt.
- All together, about 70 international students, about 40% from Mexico (they did not forget to bring their Mexican flag and take pictures with it everywhere), a few from places like Venezuela, Canada, Korea, and Brazil, the 15 of us, and the rest from Germany and France. It's incredibly cool to come face to face with people from completely different countries that have the exact same goals as you do.
- Throughout the week I've met a series of random Colombians, for example the taxi guy that wanted me to help him set up Google Translate app, or the taxi guy that gained my trust by welcoming me to his country so warmly and then ripped me off for 5 bucks more than necessary, or the guy from the Migration office who didn't give me the time of day until I started singing the lyrics of the song he was humming along to, or the little girl who I made friends with through the bus window, only by waving. As my host mom would tell me "Here, we have great people and we have horrible people, the same as everywhere in the world."
- We have probably 15-20 "Madrinas" and "Padrinos" which are students from UniNorte that act as our Orientation Leaders and our resources throughout the semester. They wear yellow polos, take great group photos, and even accompany us to the night clubs. To say the least, I love them.
Two of my favorite padrinos, (but I love them all). Natalia is incredibly sweet, lots of fun, and very caring. She helped me take my first ever taxi in Colombia and made sure I got home safely. She's awesome! Andrés was my first Colombian friend at school. He has a great sense of humor, his English is impeccable, and he definitely understands the value of friendship. So far, he functions as my fake Colombian husband, a great dance partner, and the other mastermind behind introducing Oreo Balls to the people of Colombia. We love that money!
THE PLACES
- My home stay is absolutely beautiful. They don't have "piles" of stuff everywhere like we tend to in our US houses. My mom calls it "pile disease". In Colombia, they don't have that, but they do have Chikungunya.
- Even the beaches that Colombians tell me are "dirty and ugly" are incredibly beautiful to me. I spent a day this weekend with some friends at the beach, enjoyed some fresh fruit, strong currents, and great beach music.
- The University is full of interesting buildings, exciting restaurants, and lots of places to explore. It's a bit tricky to navigate, but we're getting there!
- Our last day of Orientation we went on a tour of Barranquilla. I came home with a face red as a tomato, but a camera full of great pictures.
THE CULTURE
Some more cultural realizations that have occurred to me in the past week.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for Week 2's post on the food, the university, the classes, new friends, and the opportunities that have presented themselves to me thus far!
Some more cultural realizations that have occurred to me in the past week.
- I haven't used my headphones once. Here, this is no reason to cut yourself off from your environment because it's full of quality people, quality conversations, and quality experiences.
- There is a "life goes on" attitude about Colombian people. Even when they electricity and the water went out in the same day, life went on. My host mom laughed and told me she knew this rarely happens in the United States.
- They believe in resting and relaxing. You don't always have to be doing something, and for that matter, doing 10 things at once. Definitely incredibly different than NY or Boston culture.
- They flatter themselves. Instead of thinking "ugh, I'm chubby", wearing baggy clothes and never presenting themselves well, they know how to flatter their respective shape, size, and features. You won't catch a Colombian walking around in sweats or gym clothes. (But you can spot Americans a mile away by their public display of gym attire.)
- Colombians have fun eating, but they don't eat for fun. They eat three delicious meals a day, and it's enough.
- Ones personal beliefs are independent of their friendships. In the US we always say "If you want to be friends with them, don't talk about politics or religion." Colombians, thus far, have been very open to talking to me about politics, religion, and other controversial topics. They have an opinion that they freely express, and want me to express mine.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for Week 2's post on the food, the university, the classes, new friends, and the opportunities that have presented themselves to me thus far!