Being a science teacher is pretty awesome. Not only am I permitted to be crazy and have a free pass to wear turtle earrings when I want, but I also get to go on sweet trips with my kids. For example, for the next 6 days I am chaperoning a grand adventure to the tip of Colombia into the Amazon jungle. It's going to be challenging. I'm going to be walking/canoeing many many miles. I'm going to be sleeping in hammocks. I've been told there are killer mosquitoes. I'm disconnecting from the internet/civilization. It's going to be great. I'm pumped!
See you in week blogging world!
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Spanish Fails
What I'm trying to say? I have good days and bad days in Spanish. Days when I function normally and even have the confidence to provoke conversation with strangers, and then there are days when I struggle merely counting to ten or telling the taxi driver where I live. Initially this was frustrating because I never knew where my Spanish would be on any given day, but now my response is just to laugh because Spanish fails make some of the best stories!
One day while I was grocery shopping I decided to go up to the meat counter and buy some ground beef. It is a little intimidating because I have to tell the guy what I want. Usually I'll have the conversation in my head before going up to the counter, but today I was feeling good with Spanish and didn't think I needed to rehearse. So up to the counter I walk with my head held high. The man asked me how he could help me. In my head I knew that I wanted 500 grams of ground beef, but I couldn't for the life of me think of the Spanish word for 500. So what do I do? I proceed to count on my fingers up to 5: uno, dos, cuatro (yes I forgot 3 haha), cinco. I stopped at 5, held up my fingers and added a "ciento" (means hundred) to the end. He just looked at me and grinned, "quinientos gramos de carne molido?" ...exactly! Thanks man! Then he proceeds to ask me in Spanish, "Are you from another country?" The other workers behind the counter explode in laughter: it was very clear that I am from another county. haha I don't even know my numbers! We continued laughing, he handed over my beef, and I turned and walked away with a bright pink face. Spanish fail.
Sometimes the bad days speaking Spanish is a little more detrimental. Last week I went to get a hair cut. Well, I mean, what I was really looking for was a trim with a little extra face-shaping in the front. I thought I explained this to the girl really well. The first cut? Oh, no big deal just 5 inches or so gone. I gasped. She kept going. Too late to try and re-explain now. Well, good thing hair grows back. Spanish fail.
Walking to my small group bible study a few days ago I thought I saw someone I knew walking slightly behind me. I turned and did a double take and realized I had no idea who the guy was. I guess doing a double take opens the door to conversation. So this guy starts talking to me. I just smile. Every few words I catch a word he says and so I randomly insert "si" or "cierto". At this point he has no clue that I don't know his language, so he keeps talking. A good minute passes and it's time for me to turn off the main drag and part ways with the guy, "Well, gotta go. Have a nice night." I walked away with the biggest grin. Just thinking about how little I understood made me giggle. Spanish fail.
It's comforting know I'm not the only gringo who makes a fool of myself in Spanish. Yesterday 5 of us gringos were taken to get pictures and fingerprints for our identification cards. In the process you're separated from the group to go get fingerprints done. Emily was the last one and shuffled over to the little desk. About half-way through the process the guys tells her to "Pongase de pie" (stand up). The only word she caught in the phrase was "pie" which means "foot". Her first thought was that he wanted to see her foot. So, she hauls the thing up on the table. She quickly realized her error, so did the man, and they just about died laughing. Spanish fail.
As long as my sweet Spanish skills remain on track of a normal EKG I'm certain I'll have more stories for you in the future. At least they make things a little more interesting!
Sometimes the bad days speaking Spanish is a little more detrimental. Last week I went to get a hair cut. Well, I mean, what I was really looking for was a trim with a little extra face-shaping in the front. I thought I explained this to the girl really well. The first cut? Oh, no big deal just 5 inches or so gone. I gasped. She kept going. Too late to try and re-explain now. Well, good thing hair grows back. Spanish fail.
Walking to my small group bible study a few days ago I thought I saw someone I knew walking slightly behind me. I turned and did a double take and realized I had no idea who the guy was. I guess doing a double take opens the door to conversation. So this guy starts talking to me. I just smile. Every few words I catch a word he says and so I randomly insert "si" or "cierto". At this point he has no clue that I don't know his language, so he keeps talking. A good minute passes and it's time for me to turn off the main drag and part ways with the guy, "Well, gotta go. Have a nice night." I walked away with the biggest grin. Just thinking about how little I understood made me giggle. Spanish fail.
It's comforting know I'm not the only gringo who makes a fool of myself in Spanish. Yesterday 5 of us gringos were taken to get pictures and fingerprints for our identification cards. In the process you're separated from the group to go get fingerprints done. Emily was the last one and shuffled over to the little desk. About half-way through the process the guys tells her to "Pongase de pie" (stand up). The only word she caught in the phrase was "pie" which means "foot". Her first thought was that he wanted to see her foot. So, she hauls the thing up on the table. She quickly realized her error, so did the man, and they just about died laughing. Spanish fail.
As long as my sweet Spanish skills remain on track of a normal EKG I'm certain I'll have more stories for you in the future. At least they make things a little more interesting!
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Perspective
While I was in the United States for Christmastime I bought a daily calendar. You know, those ones where you get to rip off a piece of paper every day and reveal a new picture/quote below? Mine is super cool. It's of cats. I can't get another cat (once you get your second you become a crazy cat lady and I'm not ready for that yet) so the next step down? Making sure I can experience another cat every day without actually giving Amiguita a sibling. Scoooore! So my daily cat calender just chills on my desk. The students like to cheat and peak ahead, and I constantly fight with them about patiently waiting for the next one. Therefore, every day feels like Christmas! They aren't as convinced.
Well, yesterday as students were bustling in, each wanting a piece of my attention, I tore off the sheet revealing the new date and was shown a cute bunch of cat groupies and this quote, "In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary." Things disappeared around me and for a good uninterrupted 10 seconds I was lost pondering the incredible truth found in that statement. It's all about perspective. Everything is extraordinary: students, situations, meals, weather, daily life, etc. This counts for you too. You are extraordinary.
Brilliance.
"In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary."
Well, yesterday as students were bustling in, each wanting a piece of my attention, I tore off the sheet revealing the new date and was shown a cute bunch of cat groupies and this quote, "In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary." Things disappeared around me and for a good uninterrupted 10 seconds I was lost pondering the incredible truth found in that statement. It's all about perspective. Everything is extraordinary: students, situations, meals, weather, daily life, etc. This counts for you too. You are extraordinary.
Brilliance.
"In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary."
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Vaca Part Dos: Fish, Plantain and Rice
So, out of all the photos I could have chosen for this first step in a more advanced direction, I've chosen to encompass this post with a dead fish and a crazy girl with her tongue dangling out. Yeah that crazy girl is me.
What's with the fish? Well, I don't like fish. I mean, I love looking at fish and they're kind of cool when you try and pick them up, but to eat - not my cup of tea. I don't like the fishy taste of fish. I tried to explain that to someone once and they just didn't understand. Fish is supposed to taste like fish. Ugh. But not that icky fishy flavor.
So what's with the fish? Well, I've reached a new development in my life: I DO like fish...it just has to be fresh. Like pull him out of the water and stick him in a frying pan. I guess there's something you have to do in between, but I'll leave that to the experts. I came to this conclusion on my vacation to the Pacific.
I remember the feeling at the restaurant the first day as the waitress explained the set lunch for the day: fish, plantain, coconut rice, and lemonade. My stomach lurched a little. I don't eat fish. Well, that was the only option so I was ordering fish. It made it better know that everyone else was too. The waitress brought out the plates and I looked down at mine. I frowned and turned my head away. There on my plate was a full fish staring back at me. Yeah, in Colombia they don't bother chopping off the head or the tail. So there I have a plump little fishy with vacant glassy eyes chilling on my plate waiting to be eaten. I looked up at my companions, "I'm not certain I can do this."
To be honest, I didn't even know where to start. Is it okay to eat the skin? Are there scales on this guy? What about bones? Am I going to choke and die? How about the fins or the tail? Should I eat those too? Pop the eyes out and suck on them? You'd think that a girl with a thick linage of Great Lakes' fishers would know what to do with a fish. Not this one. That would have meant eating fish and remember, I don't like fish.
So I sat there for a few minutes, watched what everyone else was doing, and dug in. It was quite laborious. Fork on fish. Flesh in mouth. Chew. Chew. Chew. Then the flavor hit me. BAM! I was taken aback. What? Is this even fish? Yummm! Wait, I don't like fish. But, it was so good. Then you add some coconut rice and fried plantains. It was a plate to die for! I gladly continued working around bones until I had finished my very first full fish. I felt like it was such an accomplishment!
You know, It's a really good thing that I discovered that I liked fish. Guess what we had for dinner that night: fish, plantain and rice. The next day at lunch? Fish, plantain and rice. And when dinnr time came around the fish, plantain, and rice returned. For 5 lunches and 5 dinners that's what we ate: fish, plantain and rice!
Whew, I'd say this crazy girl with her tongue sticking out has had her fair share of fish for a while...and plantains and rice
Monday, April 1, 2013
2 Weeks and a Wicked Vaca
I started writing this blog post a few days ago, got distracted by who-knows-what and forgot to return. It's a pleasure knowing that I'm being distracted though, it kind of makes me feel like I'm living a normal life again. I've struggled through the culture shock of living in a foreign country and now I'm just living an every-day life again. Well, I mean, I'm still a gringa in Latin American and there will always be things that make me cock my head and curiously wonder what the heck I just saw, but at least my emotions are planning out. Planning? Kind of like a plain. Flat lined. Should it be plained? I don't know. But anyway I don't often feel the urge to break out in tears from the home sickness, I don't find myself criticizing the way Colombians do or don't do things, and I don't have the super highs and super lows that I experienced the first few months here. So yeah, I think this is home for a while.
Finding myself in a "home" also means that I get to go on "vacation". Since I live in Colombia and not in Michigan anymore, this also means that I get super sweet vacations on steroids for about 1/2 the price as I could in the United States. Perk of the life style I'm living I guess. I just came back from a vacation such as this. The other foreign teachers and I went to a small town on the Pacific coast. I wasn't sure what to expect, but these are some of the things I experienced:
...wait, before I continue I just want to clarify something for my mother back home...everything we did was surrounded by thought and precaution against dangers. Some of these stories may lead to to think otherwise, but really we never found ourselves in danger-some circumstances.
So here we go:
(1) The trip to El Valle (the town) took quite a toll on my brain. We left Pereira at 9:30 PM after a full day of teaching, cleaning, packing etc. The bus ride took 5 hours and we arrived in another city around 3:00 AM. Our plane didn't leave that city until 8:00 AM that morning so we crashed in the bus terminal. Of course we all didn't sleep at once and I took guard of our luggage first while my companions crashed. It was quite entertaining watching them struggle for sleep. Steve eventually passed out and a cockroach was crawling around him. Sick. Eventually it was my turn to sleep but that turned into a grimacing 30 minutes of struggling with the chill in the air and the lack of comfort at a cafe table. Time passed surprisingly quickly though and soon we crossed the street to the airport. Quite convenient if you ask me. We checked in, went through security, and waited for our 8:00 departure. 8 turned to 9 without explanation. 9 turned to 10. 10 turned to 11. I didn't really pay much attention. I was suffering from sleep deprivation and every time I closed my eyes I felt a release into a world void of problems. My traveling buddies were getting anxious though. The only thing we were told was, "No, don't worry, you'll leave in a little bit." Colombians view time in an interesting matter. "A little bit" could probably mean "day" if they wanted it to. Luckily for us it only meant waiting a few hours. So, we finally got to board our plane. Ha! It was this dinky little puddle jumper in which I could lean into the aisle and see into the cock-pit. It was fascinating watching the pilot and her first hand man flipping switches and getting us ready to go. At take off it was even cooler watching the runway ahead of us. Maybe it was pretty awesome, but it was also kind of nerve wrecking. Who knows if this plane was up to regulation. Thankful for my exhaustion I didn't dwell too much on that fact and passed out. I was opening my eyes as we landed on a dirt runway in the middle of the jungle. I felt like I was a world away. It could have been Africa. After arriving we gathered our luggage, jumped in a mototaxi and were taken to El Valle. Boom. We made it!
(2) The stay in El Valle wasn't really in the town. We booked nights at a hostel but didn't realize how far away it was. Soon the mototaxi turned off the main drag and onto the beach. Really? We were cruising down the beach for a while when we came to a river that was uncrossable. Here we go, we had to walk the rest of the way. Under normal circumstances this wouldn't be a problem, but I had packed a rolling suitcase. Rolling suitcases on sand do not mix. Again, really? I didn't think that one through much. We finally made it to the hostel though and were in for a surprise.
(3) Humback Turtle: We stayed in a dorm room at a hostel that was basically a jungle hut. Although we had running water and electricity, all the walkways were dirt and the bathrooms were outhouses. It was all worth it though because it was situated right on the ocean. The drone of the waves, the smell of salt water, the view of the sunset over the ocean from the balcony of the hostel. We were in Paradise.
(4) The town itself was made of dirt roads, a few little diners, houses here and here, fishermen galore and a world of people sitting outside passing the day. What a simple life. It was beautiful.
(5) Snorkeling: I've never gone snorkeling before, but let me tell you it is one of the coolest things I've ever done. Getting to that point took a little convincing though. We waded into the water from shore and popped our heads in the water. Jellyfish. Jellyfish. More jellyfish. They were startlingly beautiful but also terrifyling dangerous. I've been stung by a jellyfish before and it is not pleasant. There was no way I'd swim through their barricade to go look at fish. No way. Not happening. Our guide, who was about 100 yards away up at a hut on the shore kept motioning us to get in. He just didn't understand, did he? Every once in a while one of us would scream as a jelly approached and he would motion again to get in. Gah. No way. Eventually he came over to us and told us they weren't dangerous. Bro. I've been stung before. Not cool. He kept at it. Was he really trying to convince us? Then he did the unthinkable, he swooped his hands in the water and scooped up a jelly. Bare hands. What?! My mind was blown. Apparently these ones weren't the stinging variety. We just hadn't understood, had we?
(6) One of the highlights of the trip for me was not wearing makeup, not caring what I wore, and living in a bathing suit. The bliss of all that cannot be explained. If you're a women, maybe you understand.
(7) While on the trip I also felt like I slipped through the cracks of civilization into a more simple life. My cell phone didn't work, I couldn't access the internet, and I had no plans or commitments. Ah! Even returning there in my mind brings me close to that point of peace that is nearly impossible to reach in real life.
...So, I have a slight problem. I have the desire to keep writing and writing but I'm back to real life and the preoccupations of work are pulling me from the screen. Maybe this will be a 2 or 3 day post. Spreading it out, re-living the adventure-sounds like a plan to me. Besides, it has been more than 2 weeks since I've written anything ...can I blame it on my wicked vaca?
....vaca is short for vacation and should not be confused with the Spanish word for cow.
Finding myself in a "home" also means that I get to go on "vacation". Since I live in Colombia and not in Michigan anymore, this also means that I get super sweet vacations on steroids for about 1/2 the price as I could in the United States. Perk of the life style I'm living I guess. I just came back from a vacation such as this. The other foreign teachers and I went to a small town on the Pacific coast. I wasn't sure what to expect, but these are some of the things I experienced:
...wait, before I continue I just want to clarify something for my mother back home...everything we did was surrounded by thought and precaution against dangers. Some of these stories may lead to to think otherwise, but really we never found ourselves in danger-some circumstances.
So here we go:
(1) The trip to El Valle (the town) took quite a toll on my brain. We left Pereira at 9:30 PM after a full day of teaching, cleaning, packing etc. The bus ride took 5 hours and we arrived in another city around 3:00 AM. Our plane didn't leave that city until 8:00 AM that morning so we crashed in the bus terminal. Of course we all didn't sleep at once and I took guard of our luggage first while my companions crashed. It was quite entertaining watching them struggle for sleep. Steve eventually passed out and a cockroach was crawling around him. Sick. Eventually it was my turn to sleep but that turned into a grimacing 30 minutes of struggling with the chill in the air and the lack of comfort at a cafe table. Time passed surprisingly quickly though and soon we crossed the street to the airport. Quite convenient if you ask me. We checked in, went through security, and waited for our 8:00 departure. 8 turned to 9 without explanation. 9 turned to 10. 10 turned to 11. I didn't really pay much attention. I was suffering from sleep deprivation and every time I closed my eyes I felt a release into a world void of problems. My traveling buddies were getting anxious though. The only thing we were told was, "No, don't worry, you'll leave in a little bit." Colombians view time in an interesting matter. "A little bit" could probably mean "day" if they wanted it to. Luckily for us it only meant waiting a few hours. So, we finally got to board our plane. Ha! It was this dinky little puddle jumper in which I could lean into the aisle and see into the cock-pit. It was fascinating watching the pilot and her first hand man flipping switches and getting us ready to go. At take off it was even cooler watching the runway ahead of us. Maybe it was pretty awesome, but it was also kind of nerve wrecking. Who knows if this plane was up to regulation. Thankful for my exhaustion I didn't dwell too much on that fact and passed out. I was opening my eyes as we landed on a dirt runway in the middle of the jungle. I felt like I was a world away. It could have been Africa. After arriving we gathered our luggage, jumped in a mototaxi and were taken to El Valle. Boom. We made it!
(2) The stay in El Valle wasn't really in the town. We booked nights at a hostel but didn't realize how far away it was. Soon the mototaxi turned off the main drag and onto the beach. Really? We were cruising down the beach for a while when we came to a river that was uncrossable. Here we go, we had to walk the rest of the way. Under normal circumstances this wouldn't be a problem, but I had packed a rolling suitcase. Rolling suitcases on sand do not mix. Again, really? I didn't think that one through much. We finally made it to the hostel though and were in for a surprise.
(3) Humback Turtle: We stayed in a dorm room at a hostel that was basically a jungle hut. Although we had running water and electricity, all the walkways were dirt and the bathrooms were outhouses. It was all worth it though because it was situated right on the ocean. The drone of the waves, the smell of salt water, the view of the sunset over the ocean from the balcony of the hostel. We were in Paradise.
(4) The town itself was made of dirt roads, a few little diners, houses here and here, fishermen galore and a world of people sitting outside passing the day. What a simple life. It was beautiful.
(5) Snorkeling: I've never gone snorkeling before, but let me tell you it is one of the coolest things I've ever done. Getting to that point took a little convincing though. We waded into the water from shore and popped our heads in the water. Jellyfish. Jellyfish. More jellyfish. They were startlingly beautiful but also terrifyling dangerous. I've been stung by a jellyfish before and it is not pleasant. There was no way I'd swim through their barricade to go look at fish. No way. Not happening. Our guide, who was about 100 yards away up at a hut on the shore kept motioning us to get in. He just didn't understand, did he? Every once in a while one of us would scream as a jelly approached and he would motion again to get in. Gah. No way. Eventually he came over to us and told us they weren't dangerous. Bro. I've been stung before. Not cool. He kept at it. Was he really trying to convince us? Then he did the unthinkable, he swooped his hands in the water and scooped up a jelly. Bare hands. What?! My mind was blown. Apparently these ones weren't the stinging variety. We just hadn't understood, had we?
(6) One of the highlights of the trip for me was not wearing makeup, not caring what I wore, and living in a bathing suit. The bliss of all that cannot be explained. If you're a women, maybe you understand.
(7) While on the trip I also felt like I slipped through the cracks of civilization into a more simple life. My cell phone didn't work, I couldn't access the internet, and I had no plans or commitments. Ah! Even returning there in my mind brings me close to that point of peace that is nearly impossible to reach in real life.
...So, I have a slight problem. I have the desire to keep writing and writing but I'm back to real life and the preoccupations of work are pulling me from the screen. Maybe this will be a 2 or 3 day post. Spreading it out, re-living the adventure-sounds like a plan to me. Besides, it has been more than 2 weeks since I've written anything ...can I blame it on my wicked vaca?
....vaca is short for vacation and should not be confused with the Spanish word for cow.
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