Policies in Colombia that would make The ACLU and The Tea Party Cry (That I think are great ideas)

There are three national policies in Colombia that I think are a great idea that would make both the ACLU and The Tea Party either cry or set themselves on fire, or both.
1-National Identification Cards-Every single person living in Colombia is required to have an identification card. This has a person's picture and reason for being in the country. No matter where you are from and why you are here, you get ID and you are required to have it on you at all times. I think in the US, this is a great idea and if implemented, can help solve the immigration issue. My idea? Let anyone who wants to go to the US, do so and get an ID card and work permit. This way, there is a record of everyone in the country.
2-No Alcohol Sold On Any Election Day-You read correctly, in Colombia it is illegal to sell alcohol starting 24 hours before an election until 6am the day after an election. I asked a few people about why this law is in place and they said it is because people need to be clear headed when choosing elected officials. Imagine if this rule was instituted in the US? At the very least, people would become more involved in elections just to find out why they can't get beer for Monday night football.
3-Restrictions On Driving-In Cartagena (not sure if this is true for Colombia as a whole) cars are allowed to be on the road in a rotation based on their license plate number. For example, even number plates are not allowed to drive during noon and 2pm on alternate days. (I will admit that this idea will work best in cities and states with large transit systems.) I think having restrictions on when people can drive can help the environment and encourage people to ride buses, trains and maybe even ride a bike once in a while.

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