Food: the Great Unifier

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Who hasn't shared a laugh or initiated a new friendship over home-cooked meal or a cup of coffee? The same holds true in Colombia. I had the fortune of celebrating two delicious culinary experiences within my first weeks of arriving:

Office Potluck: It started as an innocent lunch time conversation and soon we were dividing responsibilities between main entrees and desserts. (I brought the dessert. The ever popular Monster Cookies. My recipe was a little unique; regular M&Ms are hard to find; and I am stilling becoming accustomed to the altitude and cooking with celsius. Otherwise, they turned out great!) It was a great Friday celebration that got everyone out of their office rolls to enjoy everyone's company.

Dia de Amor e Amistad: Instead of just celebrating those we love, let's celebrate our friendships as well . . . and let's do it for an entire month. So, we exchanged names, gave secret little gifts, and celebrated with a feast of food and a flurry of gifts. And, yet again, it was a rousing gathering outside of the confines of the typical office routine.

PS I also love the fact that most celebrations not only include copious amounts of food but beverages as well. Delicious!

PPS Angie, you can also consider our office celebration a birthday party for you...it was exactly the same day. Isn't great how such excitement transcends borders and distance?!

Climb Every Mountain. . .

It was a beautiful Saturday and a great day to see Bogota from above. That means a trip to:
Monserrate.

Set on the hill overlooking Bogota, it is one of the most well-known landmarks in the city and, for that matter, the country. The bonus was enjoying the trek with a DC friend (from St. Matt's) Tom. And, in the process, we made a new friend (Jorge) from Medellin. It is amazing how offering to take a photo create an instant friendship. Now, I just have to plan that next trip out of the city. . .

Tejo: the National Sport

Life isn’t always fun and games but for this post it is! Close your eyes for a minute and picture: lawn darts, horseshoes, and firecrackers…

Combine them all and you have Tejo. This Colombian game is a unique excuse for drinking beer, hanging out with friends, and eating copious amounts of fried animal parts. Really, the sign I included actually states you don’t pay for the field, you just pay for the cases of beer! The object of the game is that you throw this stone into a clay box and try to hit this colored triangle that is filled with firecrackers and touching metal. The one who makes the spark, or closest to it, wins that round. People are so serious about the game that they allow limited time for bathroom breaks. There were actually caged in boxes between each field…thank goodness that patch of gunnysack allowed for some privacy.

We experienced our first round of Tejo (along with some Colombians who were also new to the sport). Yes, we looked completely out of place. And, yes, it was a fabulous way to pass the time. In fact, I think that Tejo is a great opportunity for a brief Spanish lesson of what we learned that day:

• Tejo: (no direct translation but it is what they call the little piece you throw)
• Canasta: Basket; or, the Spanish equivalent of a case of beer
• Picados: snacks—more specifically, a plate overflowing with blood sausage, fried pig intestines, and baby potatoes…thank goodness for those baby potatoes!
• Aguardiente: the national liquor—it is like you are drinking black licorice; all you Sambuca lovers! The bonus was that when we were unable to finish our two canastas of cerveza (applied Spanish lesson) they exchanged the unopened bottles for a bottle of Aguardiente. Talk about customer service!
• Domicilio: home delivery—they deliver anything at anytime (from food to brooms to liquor). This feature came in handy later in the evening when we decided our first bottle of Aguardiente wasn’t enough.

*Interesting Colombian Fact: They are very strict on drinking and driving—for the driver. It is actually acceptable for the passengers to be enjoying bevies.

Happy Anniversary

Hello Everyone-

Yes, today we celebrate our one week anniversary in Colombia. How exciting! To mark this special occasion, and for those of you who have known me long enough, it is one of my favorite ways to celebrate (other than with a glass of wine): A Top 10 List! So, here it is:

Top 10 Ways to Know that You Are in Colombia

10. Abby talks less. Yes, my complete comfort with the language and ability to form eloquent orations has not yet been totally fulfilled. All in good time....

9. You can type half as fast. Yes, these spanish keyboards take a minute to get used to. I mean who knew that at sign would be with the Q.

8. Shoes are hard to find. I have been laughed out of every shoe store because who would think of carrying a size 11 in womens!

7. Motorcyclists where their hearts on their sleeve. Actually, they wear these reflective vests that make them look like construction workers and their license plate is written on the vest. It is a great idea. So, when they are weaving in and out of traffic they can't be missed.

6. The Transmilenio: It's a bus. No it's a metro. No, it's a bus that you get on and off with at stations just like you would a metro/subway. genius! Of course, the city bus system is another story....

5. Delivery service right to your desk: That's right. We have two women who work in our little office kitchen and just bring you water, coffee, tea...it is great. It turns out it is pretty common in most offices. No more debating over who is going to make the coffee.

4. BRRRRRRR! Surprise, it is actually a little chilly here in the mountains of Bogota (and I don't mean Puerto Rico in February chilly.) We are talking some crisp fall weather. So, (just a suggestion), if anyone is inspired to send a week anniversary present...send warm clothes!

3. Aromatica: Ah yes, this hot beverage is fabulous. It is kind of like apple cider made with the flavor of the day. So, as I am huddled in my layers in the office (we all know that I am a wimp anyone), the kitchen workers just keep pumping me full of aromatica.

2. Comida, Comida, Comida: Ah, I love this food. Beans and rice and fresh fruit and soups all the time. We went to this huge fruit market yesterday and it was heaven. I cant tell you exactly the fruit I am eating but it sure tastes great. Of course, I also tried what appeared to be a polish sausage and it turned out to be something made of liver (I think) and I had to run to the garbage. I hope that is culturally exceptional....I mean I will eat just about anything but liver! Of course, I had to find the garbage while dodging numerous carts. It was kind of like bumper cars but no one actually acknowledges that other people are trying to pass.

1. Buena Gente: Yes, there are great people here. The woman, Clarita, that I live with is great as are the two dogs. And my co-workers are great...it is an office of about 15 with many more women than men. And, last night, we went to a bar (it felt like going to Grandma's in Duluth) and I think we met the equivalent of Colombian frat boys. They kind of had their own choreography and lip singing to the songs and instead of the shopping cart dance they did this mime with a basketball....some activities cross all cultures. (And, if you don't know that I am talking about, go find some 20 something American male.)

Basically, Bogota reminds me a lot of New York on another continent. People are from everywhere and the driving is crazy.

I miss you all lots and do hope that all is well! A blog shall be coming soon so look forward to it. Also, I plan to send some pictures but I am not completely connected.

Love!

Abby

PS For those of you who are connected, look me up on Facebook because I am sure that I will be posting some pictures there.

PPS Start planning those vacations now....I mean if you come visit, I think that you would make a top 10 list!

Tourist Day #1: La Candelaria

We are here and ready to explore! Thanks to the organizing skills of Friends of Atlas Corps (a group of locals who so graciously volunteered to be our first friends), we are headed to the center of the city to explore more the historic district. Otherwise known as: La Candelaria.

Since the tour is better seen than read, I’ll let you enjoy the photos which include the government buildings, some of the older housing, and a stop at La Puerta Falsa (The Fake Door) for hot chocolate and tamales!