Halloween & Holidays

Feliz Dia de las Brujas!
(and a special gracias to Eric for the fancy footwear:)

The streets filled with miniature princesses, superheroes, and daunting parents . . . and I am not referring to my costume:) It was a fun little evening. Of course, beyond the sox, I have to admit that I didn't "disfrazarme" beyond the sox. Though, we did manage to dance the night away.

Of course, a highlight of the entire event was knowing that Monday would be a holiday. Yes, in this "Catholic by tradition" country, the celebration of All Saints and All Souls Days warrants a national holiday. No complaints here!

Facebook, Flickr, and Blogs (oh my!)

Yes, the possibilities that come with technology seem endless...and a little overwhelming. To shed a little light on the subject, my office (Fundacion Saldarriaga Concha) marked their 35 years with a special forum: Social Investment: New Strategies for New Challenges. The forum featured Don Tapscott, the world-renowned author of Wikinomics. His presentation focused on how mass collaboration can stimulate positive change. The four principles of Wikinomics:

• Openness
• Peering
• Sharing
• Acting Globally

The event brought together more than 350 representatives from the private, nonprofit, and governmental sectors of Colombia to discuss ways to utilize social networks and technology to strengthen the social sector in Colombia. It was an opportunity to not only hear the principles of Wikinomics but also to translate these principles locally.

The concept of networks is growing in Colombia. Already, Colombia is one of the largest Facebook markets in the world. In addition, many groups are promoting like-minded, internet-driven networks to cover such topics as youth engagement (www.recojo.net) and child protection (www.redpai.org). Collaboration is the key to success and this forum fueled this fire. Now, the challenge is to take this energy and information and transform it into action.

Salt is Life...and Univision

A beautiful Sunday. . . and an excellent day for a day trip. (We are so local!)

The stop for the day: Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira . Imagine, a salt mine that is also a cathedral and contains the stations of the cross. It was amazing. My pictures hardly do it justice. And, it included a 3-D movie theater to explain the history of the mine. I mean what tourist site wouldn't be complete without 3-D.

A fun sided note was that we met a camera crew from Univision in Los Angeles. They are working on a series that features all the tourist spots in Colombia. It should be out in November. . . stay tuned for details. And, as I am sure that you are wandering, no I don't think that I will be in any feature footing (I don't look Colombian enough). Though, we did get to take some great shoots of us practicing being reporters!

Enjoy. . . and just think that you could see all this first hand with a visit!

Goya Arrives in Bogota

Yes, as Bogota is more than food and fun, we enjoyed the presence of Goya in this fair land.

It was a fascinating exhibit made even more so with the colorful explanations of a vibrant museum docent. Overall, the exhibit showed the many faces of war and how it affects the everyday experience.

Month #2: Time for a Top 5 (I’ll keep it brief)

Top 5 Foods that I’ve Tried So Far

Though Colombia is not traditionally known for its cuisine, I think it has some delightful dishes to offer. Overall, it is a tame cuisine that is not heavily spicy and enjoys that base of meat and rice. One refreshing characteristic here is that food is not as processed, even the packaged food. It is more direct and not as saturated as many of our American purchases. With that said, here’s too making your mouth water:

5. Aguardiente/Rum: While not technically food, I couldn’t leave out such delightful beverages!

4. Plantain Bread Pudding: Genius! This delicious treat, while I am sure has a much better name, is a great accompaniment to any meal with its hearty flavor and cinnamon and vanilla undertones.

3. Ajiaco: It is a chicken stew with a big piece of corn on the cob (inside) served with a side of rice and avocado. Delicious! The flavor is fabulous and the chunks of vegetables and corn on the cob (my favorite) and such a treat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajiaco

2. Arepas: It is great to be back in the land of these corn cakes. Now, the Colombian version is much larger than the Venezuelan version and almost borders on the Salvadoran pupusa. They are great with cheese and, in my opinion, best enjoyed when purchased from the street vender. Mmmmmm!

1. Fresh Fruit & Juice: Papaya, guayaba, bananas, pineapple, tree tomatoes—you name it, I beat that they have it. I can only imagine what the Europeans thought when they arrived. The diverse and delicious fruit options are excellent!

Buen Provecho!

Food: the Great Unifier

copi



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. . .