Hanging Santas...

I have been taking pictures of a phenomenon that I have never before come across. It involves Santa and his ability to deliver gifts to children in homes with no chimneys. Because it is a Caribbean climate here, there is no need for anyone to have chimneys and most people live in apartments. These pictures illustrate how Cartagena parents get around this dilemma.

Cartagena Christmas

Hola! It has been a while since my last post, the Christmas season is as busy for me in Cartagena as it is in the U.S. I have been to parties with my children's classes and with friends, hosted and attended dinner parties and shopped for presents. The last item has been the easiest, friends and family are getting Colombian coffee.
Last spring when I was preparing to come to Colombia, I was told to bring Christmas decorations from home. I thought about that, but then decided that I would rather purchase local decorations from Cartagena, so that I would celebrate part of the Christmas season in Colombia the way the Colombians do.
When merchants started selling Christmas decorations here, I was dismayed that almost all of them are U.S. inspired, China made products. Stuffed Santas, stockings and even fake trees all the exact same items I would find in any Target, Wal-Mart or CVS in the States. Arrggh!!!
I did find nativity scenes that are made either in Colombia or in other Central or South American countries. Other than that though, I haven't seen too many distinctive Colombian decorations.

Only in Colombia (maybe)

Here are some observations of behavior I have not seen in the U.S. or Egypt or any of the European countries I have visited. (this is not to say any of these don't happen in other countries, only that I have not witnessed it)

• While standing in line a the local supermarket, a man waiting behind me cracked open a beer and started drinking it. When I remarked on this to my friend she informed me that there is no law prohibiting drinking anywhere in Cartagena, not even while driving. (yikes)
• While at the food court in the mall, saw a group of people (adults and children) eating fried chicken while wearing plastic gloves. I am told that Colombians do not like to get their hands greasy while eating.
• Saw a Santa with a blue costume instead of red and the elves around Santa had on blue outfits instead of red and green. The display was for a local cell phone service provider. However, the display only looked like the Smurfs have taken over the world and no longer allow Santa to dress in red. They were very good sports and allowed us to take pictures.
• Along with taxi cabs, there are motor taxis. These are motorcycles (scooters in some cases) that offer rides for payment. Now, many things are not a great idea about this, the first being, I have seen children riding on their parents laps on these things; second, there is a helmet law here and the motor taxi driver has to carry around an extra helmet for the passengers, so that means complete strangers are sharing whatever germs and hair oils are in that helmet; finally, the streets get very flooded here when it rains and during high tide, these small motor cycles simply drive through any amount of water, this does not seem safe for either the passengers or the motorcycle itself.

Now, these are just a few of the observations, I will add more as I experience more of the unique culture that is Cartagena, Colombia.

Cartagena as a Rorshach test

When in conversations with people who have come here from the US, I am finding that their reaction to living here is less about Cartagena and more about how they are feeling in their lives at the moment. I know that it is easy to point to the external and say, "If only there was this and that, I would be happier." Some of the criticisms of Cartegena I have heard:

"There is not much to do here. It's boring."
"There are not enough activities for children."
"The lines at the grocery store are ridiculous and annoying."
"The traffic is terrible. People don't know how to drive."
"The mall is tiny."
"It's not a third world country. It's fourth world."

Okay, I am here almost four months now. I would not consider myself a Pollyanna type person. I think I am pretty realistic about how I experience my life. I want to address these criticisms based on my experiences:

"There is not much to do here. It's boring."- I have heard estimates that over 300 cruise ships visit Cartagena each year, there are many hotels, resorts and restaurants that cater to tourists from all over South America and the world. Now, I ask you, why would so many people come here if there is not much to do? I have not even begun to explore all the site seeing that can be done here. There is the old city, forts, museums, churches and so on. It is true that Cartagena is not a large city, however, it is a city full of richness and beauty if you want to find it and appreciate it.

"There are not enough activities for children."-Really? I know there are soccer leagues, sailing, bowling, dance classes, art classes, wrestling, taekwondo, swimming,  and baseball available here for children and adults. Not to mention the pools in each building and the beach. My children have gone sailing and my son wrestles with a local Colombian recreation team, which my husband helps coach. So, I am not sure what activities are lacking for children. I heard one parent lament, "There aren't any amusement parks." Um. Okay. Is that really the only thing for children to do? Amusement parks? It is clear that I experience the world differently from some of the ex-patriots around me. I only went to amusements parks a handful of times in the States, it was never a favorite of mine and so it is not the first thing I think of when I think of fun for children. I do understand that some people love amusement parks and experience them as a childhood activity. However, we are in a place without them, so my suggestion is to find something else that may be new and fun for your child to do.

"The lines at the grocery store are ridiculous and annoying."- The person who said this has clearly never been to a suburban NJ grocery store and stood in line for upwards of 45 minutes. ( a common occurrence during weekends and before a snowstorm or holiday) The longest I have ever stood in line at the grocery store here is 15 minutes, hardly unreasonable.

"The traffic is terrible. People don't know how to drive." -Yeah, okay. Drive in New York City, Boston, Chicago and Cairo, Egypt; then come back and tell me that people here are unusual.

"The mall is tiny."- Hahahaha. This one is humorous because actually the mall is a decent size meaning it has more than ten stores, to me that is an adequate size mall. Also, I have lived in Jamestown, North Dakota. That  was a tiny mall.

"It's not a third world country. It's fourth world."-We have running water and electricity all the time. We are way ahead of most of the planet.

Okay, my point is not that Cartagena is perfect, my point is no place on this planet is perfect. Cartagena is charming and rich in diversity and culture, if you care to see the beauty. I have met and become friends with Colombians who are kind, gentle and generous. I have also run into some Colombians who are aggressive drivers and some who are not so nice. In general, I will say that my experience of the Colombian people is that they are humble and appreciative of people from the US coming here to work. I wish I could say that most of the US was just as appreciative of immigrants coming to work there.
I have a friend from the US Navy living here who received this advice from a Colombian Navy Officer: "See Colombia with the eyes of a bee." When she asked what that meant he said, "When you see Colombia with the eyes of a bee, you will see the honey, if you see Colombia with the eyes of a fly, you will only see the shit."
I have realized that the people who are only full of criticism of this place are choosing to look at it through the eyes of a fly instead of the eyes of a bee.
I choose to be the bee.

Funky Fruit

The top ones are mangoes, the middle round ones are lulu and the ones that look like yellow hand grenades are yellow pitaya (a cactus fruit). So far these are my favorites here. There are also many others that are super yummy.

The pitaya cut up and ready to consume.

Links to articles on Cartagena

Here are two articles written in the last few years about Cartagena:

http://www.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,1882856-1,00.html
http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/travel/25hours.html

¿Quién es este Señor. Amazon?

We are able to receive packages here in Colombia from Amazon.com and other internet sites from the US.  Packages arrive about once a week and there are always many boxes for people ordering products online that they either can't find here or are cheaper from the States. Drivers from Colombia pick up the packages from the airport and deliver them. One of the drivers asked someone about the return address of most of these boxes. "Who is this Mr. Amazon? He sends so many packages to people!"
At face value this is a hilarious question with an easy answer.
However, when I think about it more deeply, who is this Mr. Amazon?
Colombia does not lack in material goods, yes, some things are very expensive, however, you can find whatever you want here. Food products are a bit trickier. I can't find pure vanilla extract. Not to say it's not available in other parts of Colombia, but here in Cartagena, I can only find imitation vanilla flavoring. I digress...
My point is that while living in what is considered a developing nation, I have access to almost everything Mr. Amazon has to offer. I can order food, clothing and anything else I may need and get it delivered here.
Am I missing out on being creative with local ingredients and products I can only find here? If I want a shirt or shoes, I simply go online and purchase those items. Prices here are very high due to Colombia's high import tax. (I understand that the new free trade agreement between Colombia and the US may help lower this tax, if not eliminate it altogether)
If I could not purchase anything from the internet, I would have to be much more selective in what I purchased. Perhaps I would notice that I didn't need those cute sandals because the sandals I have are just fine. Or, that I can cook with imitation vanilla. It tastes the same after all.
I wonder what will happen to humanity in the long run now that we don't have to do without anything, as long as you have the money, you can buy almost anything, thanks to Mr. Amazon.

Do You Go to the Gym?

I was in my neighborhood supermarket checking out when the woman waiting behind me in line started talking to me in Spanish. I smiled and told her I don't speak Spanish. She then started talking to me in English. She asked, "Do you go to the gym?"
I was so happy! In the split second before I answered her I had a big smile on my face thinking that I made a new friend. Maybe she was in my Rumba class. Do I remember seeing her? Maybe she saw me on the eliptical machine or something. Regardless, I was thinking of how great it is I am making Colombian friends and now seeing the locals in the store and I will get to converse with them. I answered enthusiastically, "Yes! I do go to the gym. I go to the Rumba class. I love it."
She looked at one of the items that I was buying and pointed to it and said, "If you go to the gym, you really shouldn't be buying that, it is very fattening."
Wow.
There's a lesson in not making assumptions about what others are thinking.
I didn't even know how to respond to her. I was purchasing frozen dough that I was hoping would turn out to be fillo dough so I can make Egyptian meat pies and baklava for my friends.
I was crushed and perplexed at the same time.
"Um, okay." I responded. I still bought the dough, because I am not in the habit of doing things complete strangers tell me to do.
I was thinking that I would never tell someone I never met not to buy something because I think they need to work out instead. I guess this woman thought she was helping me. Not sure.
I have been told that here in Colombia, when someone refers to someone else as "fat," it is not derogatory, just a statement of fact.
For those of you who don't know me, I am not fat, I am not skinny either. I will say with confidence that the size and shape of my body hardly warrants comment by complete strangers.
So, that woman did not turn out to be a new Colombian friend I made. She, well, I don't know anything about her because I did not want to continue talking about what I should and shouldn't purchase. I packed my groceries, paid for them and left.
The encounter does make for a good story, so for as insulting as that woman was, I thank her for making me and my friends laugh.

Moon Over Cartagena Bay

Iguana, Views and Napkins...

Iguana we saw in the bushes of a hotel parking lot.

We were told that around 300 ships come into Cartagena bay each year. Here's one leaving.

Napkins for normal families here in Colombia.

Hair

There is an interesting phenomenon that I noticed here in Colombia and in Egypt. Women in both these countries love straight hair. They spend a lot of time and money blowing their hair straight, either with a blow dryer or chemically. When I was a teenager and would visit my family in Egypt, they would always tell me to brush my hair, because it was messy. I would explain that my hair is not messy, it's curly. There's a difference. They didn't think there was. My female cousins would tell me that my hair may be curly, but curly equals messy and I should really do something about my hair, like straighten it.
Once, when I was 17, I gave in to the pressure and let my cousin take me to a hairdresser in Alexandria, Egypt. After it was straightened, it was very long and flat. I actually didn't like it at all. I felt bald, even with all that hair. It sat so flat on my head. I straightened it once again a few years later after I was married. My husband didn't like it straight either. He loves my curly hair just as it is.
I noticed in Colombia that I haven't seen any women with curly hair. Almost every Colombian woman I have seen straightens her hair, just like in Egypt. I was talking about this with my two friends yesterday at lunch and they said they also noticed the lack of curly haired women here.
Last night I asked my husband to pick up bread from my favorite restaurant here. He came home later than I thought he would and he explained that the waitresses were talking to him about learning English. They knew who I was and they asked him about my curly hair. How funny is that?? I tried to get an exact quote as to what they asked about my hair, but he just said they commented on the fact that I have really curly hair. He said, they wondered about it.
There is a great documentary by Chris Rock called, "Good Hair," that I highly recommend watching. He focuses on the "hair culture" of African American women. Many women spend millions of dollars each year straightening their hair. The movie also addresses issues of identity and race, both of which play a role in how women accept (or not) their hair just the way it is.
I love my curls and (I also have no desire to spend more time on my hair than I have to) my daughter has inherited my curly hair. She did want a straightener and I did get her one. She does not use it everyday here. She uses it a couple of times a week and always for parties.
I don't know how she feels about curly or straight hair. I know she keeps it long and most of the time leaves it curly. I don't want to give her a complex either way. When she wants it straight, it is her choice to make it so.
I do lament that women feel they need to change something so central to who they are because of socially constructed ideas of beauty. Why do women in these two developing nations (I am sure there are many other nations that can be added to the list, I just haven't been there) believe straight hair is more desirable? I know sociologists and anthropologists have detailed answers this.
I ask it as food for thought.

Sex in the city

I was talking to my husband about the possibility of a Hooters opening in Cartagena. To me, such a place seems redundant. Many women here have large breasts thanks to implants and are not shy about showing off their cleavage. He agreed with me that he didn't think such a place is necessary, in fact, he pointed out that there aren't any strip clubs here. Prostitution is legal, there are brothels all over the country. The plus side of that is that the women are tested regularly and are taken care of.
I realized that there is little to no sexual repression here. Women are very open about their sexuality. Sex is accepted in a way that is surprising. There are condoms available everywhere. When we arrived in Bogota a few months ago, the hotel had condoms next to the sewing kit and little bottles of shampoo. At the checkout line in the supermarket, condoms are sold next to the chewing gum and snack chips, I have also seen them in bathrooms here.
I have not observed any cat calling here, men don't yell out rude things to women, which is not the case in other places I have lived, especially Egypt, where the catcalling has gotten so bad that there is an app that Egyptian women can use to find out which corners and areas have are the worst for groups of men standing around harassing women. But, I digress.
While it is refreshing that Colombians are open about sexuality, the dark side seems to be the underage prostitution here that is rampant. The major hotels in Cartagena have agreed not to support underage prostitution in any way and would support efforts to combat the crime.
Another downside is that some women here are encouraged to get breast and ass implants (those are another phenomena here) to try and attract a man to marry (or the man they already have pays for the plastic surgery). The emphasis for these women is less on education of the mind and more on the superficiality of plastic surgery to achieve the look of a model. That seems to be true in most of Latin America. Yes, I know there is plenty of superficiality in the US. However, that is balanced a bit by the desire to teach women and girls that it is just as important to get a good education.
Sexuality is part of who we are as human beings and it is interesting to see how different cultures express it.

My First Mass in Spanish

I attended an evening mass last weekend that was lead entirely in Spanish. I went with a friend and wanted to go even though I knew I would only understand a word here and there. I like going to places of worship of any religion. I find they tend to be peaceful places. I meditate and pray in my own way. I also like listening to the songs and the prayers said aloud have a rhythm that is calming to my soul.
So, off we went to mass and as I sat listening and at times kneeling (yes, I sit, stand, and kneel whenever the congregation does, when in Rome...), I tried to imagine what the priest was saying. I didn't get much. At one point, people laughed at something, then another time, many people raised their hand in response to a question. I didn't know what was being asked, so I didn't raise my hand. I didn't want to interrupt my friend's spiritual experience, so I didn't interrupt her and ask for a play by play every few minutes. I waited until the end of mass to ask her what the sermon was about. She said it was about being welcomed into God's kingdom. I asked her what the question was that he asked and she said, "He asked who wanted to go to heaven."
"Really?, I didn't raise my hand, in fact, not everyone raised their hand."
I thought about that and wondered why people wouldn't raise their hands. Do the people who didn't raise their hands not believe in heaven? Did they not necessarily believe in all the teachings of the church and didn't even want to humor the priest with raising their hand?
I thought it was mostly US Catholics that were ornery like that. My Catholic friends in the states vary in their spiritual beliefs and their views of the world. I found when talking to Colombian Catholics, there is the same diversity. My friend, who attends mass every day here, is very open minded. We talked about God and spirituality and we have the same view that religion is about people and God is so much bigger than that.

It's Always Sunny in Cartagena except when it rains...

Since arriving the first week of August, the weather has been, for the most part, hot, sunny, humid and dry, except for the days it rains and the streets flood. (The streets flood every time it rains due to the city not having a proper drainage system.) The temperature does not fluctuate much so it will be consistently around eighty degrees, sometimes higher.
For those of you who live in a place that faces especially cold and snowy winters, this may seem like a dream. I will tell you that for me, perfect weather gets old after a while. I know I have only been here a couple of months and how could I still not be salivating over perfect summer weather almost everyday?
I lived in the northeast part of the US for most of my life. One of my favorite things about the northeast is its weather and the changing of the seasons. My favorite is fall. The leaves starting to change is always a site to see, especially in New England. I love the cool nights and wearing sweaters.
It is October and leaves on palm trees don't change color. I need to wear a sweater only when the air conditioning unit isn't working properly and it feels like a freezer in the apartment.
I also love the winter, getting snowed in and being forced to stay indoors and spend time reading or cooking is one of my favorite things too.
Yes, winter gets old by the end of February and I can't wait for spring. That's my point. I love going through each season, I get my fill of the weather and plants and then appreciate the next season right around the corner.
I actually love when it rains here. We have a view of the bay and we get to see some really amazing lightning storms. I will try to get some pictures the next time to post. The rain breaks up the monotony of the perfect weather days.
Maybe because I have lived through the different seasons do I know what I am missing. My guess is that someone who has lived their entire life here in Cartagena might not think snow, slush and cold wind are a charming break from clear sunny hot days.
I suppose I am thinking about this as a metaphor for life. I appreciate my family and friends in a way that I probably wouldn't had I lived a "perfect" life. I know that life is precarious, my father died at the age of 42, I was only 13 years old. This was after my parents divorced when I was seven years old. I appreciate every healthy day and every day that I can tell people I love them. I try not to take one positive thing for granted in my life.
I guess, I shouldn't take this awesome weather for granted either. Our stay here is temporary and before we know it, I will be back to the changing of the seasons, the rain, wind and snow of the northeast. Maybe, just like I don't take my family and friends for granted, I should say a prayer of thanks for the opportunity to live with such beauty each day while I am here.

My thoughts on the Collegio...

Living as an ex-patriot has many benefits and a few downsides. One of the many benefits is learning a new language, being immersed in a different culture and having a housekeeper for eight hours a day for about $15.
Some of the downsides are not learning the language fast enough and realizing that even a pre-schooler can go to the grocery store and clearly ask for what they want in Spanish, and you can't.
Another downside- when any issue arises here, the severity of it tends to become inflated and magnified, simply because of living in Colombia.
For example, there is an ongoing discussion about which bi-lingual school is better here, the Colombian school that follows the British system or the Colombian school that follows the American system. As far as I am concerned, they are both good Colombian schools. Each offer a bilingual education where about 30% of the instruction is in Spanish and the rest in English. For me, I chose the Colombian school that follows the American system because my children are older and are already used to that system. 
My priority for them is to learn Spanish.  Some parents here are worried about how "behind" their children will be when they return to the States. My answer to that is, 'How behind were they when they got here?' Not all school systems are the same in the US, some are ahead in math and science and some woefully behind. I find it interesting that some people feel entitled to a US education even when not in the US (but that is another blog post, yet to be written about the entitled attitude among some). 
The benefits for children from the US to be exposed to another culture and language far outweigh any negative aspects to the education here.  If I find that my children have fallen behind on either math or science, it is an easy enough remedy, tutoring and in a month or two, they will be right where they need to be.
I have found my children's school to be engaging and responsive to any questions I have had since coming here. The school also has a much richer arts program than any of the US schools my children have attended. They not only get music and art but also drama. Their art and music classes are well equipped and extremely creative.
My son will be in a play in his drama class and his part is entirely in Spanish! He invited me to go and said, "Mom, you can go to the play, but it's all in Spanish, you won't understand any of it."
While that is true, I probably won't understand it, the important thing is, he is learning so much from that experience. My children both take Spanish as a Second Language (SSL) classes everyday.
They are now teaching me how to say words and phrases in Spanish. 

Campaigns for local gov't parades in front of our bldg.

My morning at the gym

This morning my friend and  I took a Rumba class. You know, the high energy super fun dance/aerobics class I wrote about last week. I had the same entertaining male instructor, the one who I think really wants to be part of a dance ensemble on Broadway.  I have had two other male instructors and he is by far my favorite because of how simply entertaining he is. (He loves to do jazz hands and look at himself in the mirror while he gyrates his hips really fast. Need I say more?)
All the people taking the class are women, I am assuming they are mostly Colombian women and that most if not all are housewives. They are always dressed in outfits that match, even down to socks and scrunchies. Their hair is in a perfect pony tail, their make up seemingly shellacked on because no matter how much they sweat, I never see it run.
Anyway, during class, one of the women stopped dancing and got the remote control for the air conditioning unit to change the setting. Next thing I know, another women takes it, says something to the first woman then changes the setting again. The room is not big and there were probably about 15 women in the room and there wasn't much more space to move. So, anyone stopping in the middle of the room to do anything can be a bit disruptive. The instructor ignored both women and kept on going. So, the rest of us are having to maneuver around these two women. I figured they would take a minute to figure out the AC and get back to the dancing. I was wrong. One of the women then went out to get another gym employee to change the setting (Apparently it wasn't cool enough for her, maybe her makeup was in danger of melting. I go to the gym expecting to sweat and after an hour look like a slob, so I didn't care if the AC is on high or low.).
The employee tried to change the setting and when it didn't work left the room and returned two minutes later with another remote that changed the setting to something that made the women happy.
Meanwhile, the woman who started the AC remote thing to begin with, started talking with her friend who was standing next to me right in the middle of the class, while I was trying to salsa my way to a leaner me. Again, the instructor ignored everyone but his beautiful self in the mirror and kept on going.
I kept turning to my friend and smiling about the goings on of this woman who kept stopping. Just when I thought the class couldn't get any funnier (I was laughing to myself this whole time over the AC needing to be perfect) The instructor changes the song and we go from a fast salsa to...... Michael Jackson's Thriller. He then proceeded to lead us dancing the zombie dance from the video!! I was ready to fall on the floor laughing my head off!!! I was actually doing the Thriller dance!! It was another time I wished I had a reality show camera following me, you all would have been rolling on the floor laughing too.

Pics of incoming Navy ship

Cartagena Lure

Hola! Here is a great site that highlights the best of what Cartagena has to offer. Enjoy!
http://www.lurecartagena.com/eng/index.asp

Where are you from?

I have been asked this question my entire life. For most people, the answer is simple.
"I am from..Texas, New York, Colombia, Egypt, Long Island etc...."
For me, I have never found the question an easy one. I was born in Alexandria, Egypt and moved to the US when I was a toddler. I grew up primarily in New Jersey, but have also lived in North Dakota (for about a year), Maine and my most recent residence is in New Hampshire, before moving to Colombia. People here often ask "Where are you from?" I will at first say, "The US, but usually will add, however, I was born in Egypt." Actually, I like saying Egipto in Spanish, so I will usually say "Yo soy Egipto." When I was still in Jersey, I would always say, "I'm Egyptian." When visiting family in Egypt, I was considered a foreigner, regardless if I saw myself that way.
I could never relate to people who have lived their entire lives in one place, or who live in the same house as their grandparents, or even their parents. Being from more than one place will always be who I am and where I am from. I realized that I have developed character traits from the two places that have impacted my life the most. Egypt and New Jersey.  It was during a recent conversation with people here that I came to the conclusion that what I am most accurately is a "Jersey Arab." I talk fast and with my hands (one of my friends here calls me ghetto fabulous because of the hand talking). The talking fast is both from  Arabic being my first language and from growing up in Jersey. I tend to speak first and think later.  I am not sure I can blame this on either identity, but if I had to choose, I would say that's the Jersey in me.
I have told people here I am "from" New Hampshire, but I am not fooling anyone. New Englanders are not nearly as in your face outgoing and loud as I am. I thought I would not be the loudest person in the room when I came to Colombia. Well, I still am. Colombians, in general, are not a loud people. When I am out to eat, I have found people turn and look at me either when I am laughing, or telling a story (in which case, I tend to get very animated).
So, where am I from? I am a US Jersey Arab with a house in New Hampshire who currently resides in Cartagena, Colombia. 

Hips Don't Lie

I am an avid fan of Zumba, having taken my first class a few years ago while still living in New Jersey. It was love at first hip shake. The class was created by a Colombian man. I couldn't wait to try it here in Cartagena. (for those of you who have never heard of Zumba, it is an aerobics class that uses Latin dance moves for the work out.)
 My friend and I went to the gym early this morning and we found out there would be a Rumba class. (In Colombia the classes are called Rumba not Zumba. Not sure why the name change for the States, but I am guessing it might be a copyright issue.)
My friend couldn't stay for the class, so after working out on some machines, I stayed alone to try it.
It was unlike any of the classes I took in the States. First, I had never had a male instructor and here was a young man leading the hip shaking.
My friend did let the instructor know I don't speak Spanish and I would be able to follow along because I have taken the class before in the States.
Hahaha. I laugh now, because what I took in the States only loosely resembles REAL Rumba.
The class started simple enough with slow moves for a warm up.  I couldn't wait to show off my hip shaking abilities. (Being an Egyptian woman means I grew up learning how to belly dance among my aunts and female cousins. I have mostly belly danced in the States around my friends who are predominantly of European decent, so hip shaking was not something they did well and I was always more adept at.)
Well, humble pie was served a la mode this morning. I danced with a room full of Latin women and a Latin man leading the show. At times I felt like I was trying out to be an extra in a Shakira video and other times I felt like I was part of the scene in 'West Side Story' where Rita Moreno sings about how she likes it here in America while dancing exuberantly on a rooftop.
No matter which scene popped into my head, I was clearly going to be one of he dancers who was cut out of the show. I was never more grateful that I am an unselfconscious person than this morning. I tried to follow along as best I could and although I got some of the moves wrong, what I lacked in skill I certainly made up for in energy and exuberance.
The women around me were all thin and wearing matching outfits and knew how to shake their hips the way only Latin women know how. The instructor went from one move to another seamlessly and the group followed. In the States, instructors are measured in teaching moves, breaking down the dance into small steps then leading up to putting all the moves together for the dance.
The instructor here simply lead and we followed. We understood where he was going with the moves and we went along for the ride. 
Well, I have a lot more hip shaking practicing to do so I can even come close to dancing the way the rest of my class does.

The State of Boredom

One of the things I heard before I came and since arriving (from US citizens) is that there is not much to do here and it can get boring for the spouses without jobs. (Colombians I have spoken to LOVE Cartagena and acknowledge it is small, but I never heard one complain about being bored here.)
First, I want to say a bit about the state of being bored. To me, boredom is a lack of imagination. I never understand people who say they are bored. When my children say it, (which is rare because I react so strongly) I tell them that their boredom is not my problem. They can clean, do laundry or read a book. I am not here to entertain them or anyone else for that matter.
While I can understand to an extent a child or teenager complaining of boredom. I don't get it when a grown person complains. I have to bite my tongue from responding with things like, "Really? You're bored here? Don't you read books? They can be very engaging. The internet is also a really cool invention that, when used creatively, can really engage ones mind."
I am also puzzled by the people here who complain about the lack of sightseeing. I thought about my life in the US. I didn't spend every weekend sightseeing with my family. In fact, we rarely went to tourist attractions. We spent our time with schoolwork, sports and exercising around our neighborhood and town. I want to ask the people here who complain about such things-"Did you really spend every spare moment back home sightseeing?"
We spend our summers on an island off the coast of Maine that has only two general stores and one community center. You can only get there by boat. It is one of my favorite places on the planet. I have never felt bored there and in fact, I feel most at peace when I am there.
When someone said to me, "Well, there's not much to do here." I said, "I live on an island in the summer with only two small general stores. I am sure there is more to do here in Cartagena, Colombia."
The other funny statement I have heard from more than one person is, "There is a mall here, it's small, but at least it is something to do." Wow. I hated the malls in New Jersey when I lived there. I only went when I absolutely had to.  The last place I would go just to keep from being "bored" would be the mall. (I can write an entire blog entry about the "mall culture" that is in the US and we are sadly exporting all over the world, but I will save that for another day.)

Learning what it Really Means to be 'American'

At times in conversations here in Colombia, I will refer to being American and I have been told by more than one person, that people here are Americans too. The more accurate description would be to say, people from the United States. People from Central America and South America consider themselves American. People from the United States seem to think the word applies to them only, when in fact, it doesn't.
I realized that I have not heard any native Colombian refer to people from the States as American. They will rarely say America, they will say 'United States,' when referring to the country itself. 
I do know that in Europe and the Middle East and perhaps other parts of the world may not differentiate and say Americans when referring to US citizens or the country. However, here in South America, people are well aware that there many countries whose citizens are also American. Kind of puts the whole immigration discussion in a new light doesn't it. At least it does for me.

Attitude is Everything

In my last blog post, I write about how expectation in life is everything. After spending the day with one of the most full of life people I have ever met, I realized that attitude is everything.
I was asked by a friend if I wanted to take a day trip to Barranquilla, a city about an hour and a half ride north of Cartagena. My friend, Michelle, said we would be making some purchases from the new Price Smart (a Costco type store) that just opened up. I never pass up an opportunity to visit a new city.
Because the company the purchases were for needed many items, two cars were taken.
Michelle and I were not the only females going, the wife of another employee of the company was also going. I met her just as we were going to leave. Her name is Evelyn and she is from Honduras. Evelyn told me right away that it was Central American Independence day. She had on a beautiful blue shirt and white pants along with a pin of a United States flag next to a Honduran flag.  As she was explaining her excitement about the holiday, she was radiant and full of energy and light. When she learned my name she told me it would be confusing for her because we know another woman in the office who has a similar name to mine. I told her whatever she called me would be fine.
As we went to go in the cars, her husband had expected her to ride with him and Michelle and I would ride in the other car. She immediately asked if we could ride together. Hence, the three women rode together and her husband went with another man in the other car.
It was one of the funnest car rides I have ever been on. Evelyn speaks English very well, (she will tell you she doesn't, but she does) despite learning as an adult when she moved to the States.
My Spanish is slim to none, so we had fun telling stories about getting around in a different country when you don't know the language. The funniest story she told involved her going to the garden store in WalMart. She needed fertilizer, but didn't know the word for what she needed.
She explained, "I needed something for my plants and I didn't know the word, so I went up the woman and said, 'Excuse me, do you have cow shit?' She looked at me and said, 'You mean manure.' And I said, yes, this is right." We hooted over that one. I told her my story of trying to find turkey at the grocery store. I asked for a 'pollo grande' (a big chicken) and we laughed over that too.
We spent the entire car ride talking about all sorts of things, laughing and just enjoying each others company. Not once did she talk about what wasn't available here, or what she didn't like or why other places are better. I just loved her spirit and her energy. We went to the big box store, loaded up on items and then went to lunch. We ate, laughed some more and got back in the car for another hour and a half ride, which went by quickly because of how much fun we were having. It was really fun because her husband had to ride with us because the other car was so full of merchandise. At one point we were laughing about something and I used the word 'booby' and she said, "Oh, my husband told me to use the word, 'breast' because 'booby' is not nice. Well, of course I took that as an invitation to say the word 'booby' as often as I can. (I can only hope she is not banned from hanging out with me anymore!)
Anyway, even though we didn't spend time in a museum or beach or park or anything others consider fun, I had the best time with someone who just appreciated being in the moment. Thank you to Evelyn and Michelle for one of the funnest times I have had in Colombia.

Expectation is Everything
I came to Cartagena with very low expectations. Before arriving, I heard different things from people about what to expect. Some who have lived here said that it was a great city and a lot of fun. Other people have told me that, after the sights are toured, you will get bored quickly.
I had heard the supermarkets are small, the mall is small and does not offer much variety, and the city does not have much to offer a family.
Well, I came here expecting to food shop in a store no bigger than a bodega you would find in New York City. The reality is not quite as primitive. The supermarkets here are an adequate size. I have found most of the ingredients I cook with. (Although for some odd reason black pepper is very expensive here, so I have had friends ship me some from the States.) I have also found new ingredients, spices and herbs I have never seen before. Guascas is an herb found in a common soup here, there are many different kinds of plantain chips (all delicious) and there are ready made frozen empanadas and other tasty Colombian dishes that are heat and eat.
Having said that, American products such as cleaning supplies, shampoos and other groceries that are imported are also very expensive. I try to keep purchasing those items to a minimum. 
As for the sight seeing. Because We have been busy each weekend with sailing and swimming, we have not really even begun to start exploring the rich history of this city. I am looking forward to finding out about the Spanish influence here as well as the history of the indigenous people of the Colombian coast.
As for the mall, it is fine. I didn't love the malls in America, I have little patience for shopping, so it didn't matter to me what size it was going to be. Again, because my expectations were so small, I thought it would have three stores tops. It has much more than that, a food court, arcade and movie theater, it is more than adequate for our needs.
I have come across a few Americans who have experienced Cartagena as "primitive."
I understand, to an extent, these experiences. It was very frustrating to wait weeks to get internet hooked up, the internet/phone company will say they will show up on Wednesday at 3pm and they don't come until the following week on Thursday at 5:30pm. That is the norm here. It takes a long time for any services and medical care is not consistent. My daughter is seeing an orthodontist here who seems to know what he is doing. Several Americans here have used this doctor and seem happy. Many women I know have gotten laser hair removal done and some non-invasive cosmetic surgery. That seems to be safe and very reasonably priced.
I am by no means a Pollyanna, I don't experience the world as rosy all the time. I also don't think the world around me is only full of dog poop ready for me to step in.  I take the good with the bad. Having this opportunity is a once in a lifetime experience. I really want to appreciate the positive aspects of this country, its culture and its people.

Coconut Rice Cartagena Style (one of my favorites)
1 mature coconut
2 cups long grain white rice
3 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt


1.Crack open coconut and use approx. 3/4 of white coconut meat and grate
2.Squeeze grated coconut to extract milk. When most liquid has been extracted add water to make 4 cups of coconut milk
3. Combine coconut milk, rice, sugar and salt in medium saucepan. Mix and bring to boil over high heat.
4. Turn heat down to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
yum yum yum yum...........

On a Morning Walk...
My friend and I like to walk along the bay in the mornings. There are usually people jogging, pushing babies in strollers, rollerblading, bike riding or sitting on one of the many benches along the water. This morning while walking, my friend turned to me with a startled look on her face and said, "Did you see that?"
"See what?" I asked.
"That man. He is....masturbating," she whispered.
I said, "You've never seen that before? Geez, woman, I saw that more than once in New York City."
"I am going to tell the police over there." She said.
I said, "Aw, leave him be, I think he is done anyway."
She said, "Anyway, I will tell the policeman and he will just look at me and nod and not do anything."
She proceeded to tell the officer in fluent Spanish what she saw, again whispering the word that I think means masturbate. As she predicted, the officer looked at her and barely turned his head in the direction of the man on the bench she pointed to.
We continued our walk and the man was not there when I passed the bench again.
When I got home and told my husband, he laughed and said, "Really, people have told me that goes on a lot here, but I didn't believe them. Did you actually see him do it?"
I said, "Well, I didn't see him actually do anything, I only saw his face and my friend saw him. She told the officer."
At that my husband really started laughing, he said "What did he do?"
I said, "Well, he just looked in the direction she pointed and that was it. We just finished our walk and the guy left."

Experience Being in the Minority
My daughter, Leila, told me last night that one of her friends asked her if we had cars in New Hampshire. I was surprised and asked her why someone would ask her that, isn't it obvious that America has plenty of cars? Leila said her friend was being facetious. She was making fun of some of the questions she encountered when she went to a summer camp in the States. When she told people she was from Colombia, they would ask her questions like-"Are there cars in Colombia? Do you live in a jungle? Do you have a house?"
After hearing about this, Leila said, "Mom, I apologized to her for all those dumb people that asked her those stupid questions. It was embarrassing to hear that people behaved that way." 
I told her that when I was growing up, and my peers found out I was born in Egypt, they would ask if I was born in a pyramid and I was also asked if we had cars in Egypt.(I thought Americans were especially dumb with the pyramid question because no one was ever born in a pyramid, they were built as tombs. But, I digress)
I was glad that my daughter, who has not had many opportunities to understand what it means to be in the minority, is having these discussions and experiences with her Colombian peers. She has been socializing with other teenagers on the weekends. They primarily speak in Spanish when they socialize, a few of Leila's friends will translate for her during the conversation and one will only speak to her in English. I was worried that she would not want to continue socializing with the group because she doesn't understand all that is being said. However, I am glad to say, that she is not deterred from hanging out with her friends. She enjoys their company and I also think she will learn Spanish much faster that way.

Cartagena, Colombia (pics from my daughter's iTouch)

Monserrate Catholic Church Bogota, Colombia