Puerto Colombia

September 14 – September 20

This week, everyone went to visit a current Peace Corps Volunteer at his or her site. Three of us accompanied a volunteer in Puerto Colombia, exploring the town, visiting with people she knows, attending a project meeting, and helping her with a drama workshop at her school for her English language students. The whole experience was an adventure and it was a wonderful opportunity to see what life is like as a volunteer.

- Sunday – We have arrived at our volunteer site visit! Two other volunteers and I are here in Puerto Colombia with a Peace Corps volunteer who has been here a year, so we can learn about what she does. Of course, since today is Sunday, there was not a whole lot we needed to do, yet, other than explore the town, which happens to be right next to a beach, so you can guess what we did. We actually gathered volunteers from all the little towns in the area to come with us to the beach, where we ate lunch, hid from the wonderfully refreshing rain, and hiked along the shore, which turned out to be an amazing adventure. By the time we got on the bus to head home with the volunteers, most of us were covered up to our knees in muddy water from stomping through sand that became mud after the rain. The volunteers kept jokingly accusing each other of scaring us away, but we continued to insist that this was one of the most fun things we had done since we got here, which is definitely true!

- Monday – The volunteer we stayed with did not have too many classes to teach at the high school today, so we had a chance to get to know the town a bit. We walked around, taking pictures of sculptures and graffiti and looking at all sorts of things. The volunteer we’re with seems to know at least half of the people in the town, even though the area is pretty big. I wish I could be as sociable as she is, but she makes it seem almost effortless (though she did tell us maintaining relationships takes a lot of work). We went to her school for class, but there was some confusion with 11^th grade internships, so no one was in class and we ended up just planning. Throughout the day, we spent time with quite a few of the people she knows and even joined her for a meeting for a project she is working on – she and several Colombians are putting together a once-a-week class/club/group on environmental awareness and making art out of recycled materials. The group will be for students from several schools and those students will participate in trash cleanups and learn about microbusiness management, so they can sell the things they make. Overall, that seems like an amazing project!

- Tuesday – We joined our volunteer friend to help with a drama workshop she put on for her English students. The idea was to get students to talk and they got out of class, so that was certainly motivation enough to come to the air-conditioned auditorium/multi-purpose room to play a few drama games. After we got all the technology working, the workshop was very successful. Students seemed highly entertained by the video we made as an example drama and participated in the drama games we led for them, including a skit called, “The Dog Died,” where students needed to act out the same skit over and over with different themes, from extremely dramatic to opera to interpretive dance to anything at all. Their participation was wonderful and some of the students seemed to have quite a talent for being in front of an audience.

- Wednesday – Today, we’re back in Barranquilla and had our 2^nd day of practicum. My partner and I continued to observe one 8^th and two 11^th grade classrooms. The students seem wonderful and more motivated than a description of many “typical” Colombian students might imply (depending on who you heard it from) and I definitely look forward to teaching when the opportunity arises.

- Thursday – Today, we learned about gender and equality and how to consider gender in our projects. After classes, we went to soccer and I cheered on, well, both teams, since everyone playing was Peace Corps.

- Friday – In addition to having Spanish classes, we learned about classroom management and several different styles of co-teaching.

- Saturday – This afternoon, a group of us went together to see the Maze Runner, which was in English with Spanish subtitles. The movie was wonderful, if somewhat dark…I would definitely like to read the book if I can borrow it from someone. Afterward, we went to English conversation club at Mazzino’s pizzeria, which was as lovely as always.

- Occasionally, consider cooking (healthy) American food for yourself. Your body will thank you. I recommend oatcakes, which are cooked like pancakes, but consist of mashed bananas, oats, eggs, and whatever else you like (cinnamon, chocolate, other fruit, etc.).

- Bring bandanas to use as sweat rags. Even if your classroom has a fan, you will definitely need one. And don’t worry about looking awkward pulling out a bandana to wipe your face – Colombians use them, too.

- How to make huevos pericos (a popular Colombian breakfast dish, which is often served with toast or saltine crackers): Whisk eggs in a bowl with a ¼ - ½ teaspoon of the spice of your choice (oregano, cumin, etc.). Dice 2 small onions (or one medium, red or white) and 2 medium tomatoes (or one large). Cook onions in skillet with oil until slightly caramelized. Add tomatoes and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 1-3 minutes or until the vegetables stop simmering so much. Add eggs and stir, scraping the bottom of the skillet, until eggs are fully cooked. You can also add diced peppers of any color to this dish (add with or slightly after the onions).

- If you go to Puerto Colombia, I highly recommend staying at the Hotel Estambul. The people there are extremely nice and hospitable and are delightful to talk with. The equally nice cook (who they called the “casi dueña,” almost owner, of the hotel) also cooks wonderful Colombian food and the night watchman is happy to let you back in at any hour of the night (which, remember, starts at about 6:30 PM, so his vigilance is definitely appreciated).

- For some reason, hot chocolate is just as good or better here, despite the heat…probably because chocolate grows in South America…

- COS stands for “Close of Service,” not “Change of Station.”

- TDY still stands for “Temporary Duty,” though it is usually used to refer to the person doing the job, not the job itself. Example: “He’s your TDY [Program Manager, Director, etc.] for now.”

Exploring Barranquilla

September 7 – September 13

Halfway through the week, we had our first morning of practicum. For our teaching practicum, another volunteer and I work with a wonderful mentor teacher in an all-girls colegio in Barranquilla, where we learn techniques for teaching in Colombia and also help with English classes. On Thursday, we celebrated my host sister’s birthday and, on Saturday, we explored the Centro of Barranquilla with our language classes.

- Sunday – This morning, I went to church with my host family. This time, we went to a different church, which was farther away and air-conditioned. We actually met up with several other family members for Mass and praying with them was nice. In the afternoon, I went with two friends to the market and then cooked dinner in the evening. The vegetables for my tortilla española took way too long to cook for who knows why, but it still tasted great. I also discovered that brownies here need a little extra flour and a little less vanilla, but that brownie fudge is also delicious.

- Monday – During training today, we had Spanish class, as usual, and also learned a method for peer observation and providing feedback, which I actually like even better than methods I learned before, since this way suggests having the teacher give him- or herself feedback before the observer does. We also learned about how to analyze the English education and general needs of our communities. I put the brownies I made in the coffee room, so I am not sure how many people found them, but everyone who did seemed to like them, so that makes it a success.

- Tuesday – In Spanish class, we learned more words to describe someone’s physical appearance and, in the afternoon, we learned about the functional approach to teaching. Even though I have a background in education, I appreciate knowing what seems to work best for most Colombians and am excited to try using this method (as well as bits and pieces of others I have learned) for teaching English.

- Wednesday – This morning, we had our 1^st day in our practicum schools. I am teaching at el Colegio Mayor de Baranquilla, a school for girls from preschool through high school. This seems to be one of the more prestigious schools – students tend to show up to all of their classes and behave relatively well. I really like the school itself, too – there are posters and signs and paintings of the school’s values everywhere with 3 floors of classrooms and a courtyard for gym in the middle. The teacher I am working with is also very nice and her English is excellent – I am excited to get to know the students and her style of teaching.

- Thursday – Today is September 11^th. It has been over a decade since the 9/11 attacks, but not so long that those who were lost are forgotten. We Remember. On a less solemn note, today was also my host sister’s birthday. At around 11:55 last night, I awoke slowly out of a deep sleep to the extremely loud sound of a Mariachi band (with turned-up-all-the-way speakers), which was in our living room. The musicians and singer were wonderful and I’m pretty sure everyone within a kilometer of our house knew it was my sister’s birthday. We also had a family party for her in the evening and had a delicious arequipe cake and sang, “Happy Birthday,” in very out-of-tune English and much-more-in-tune Spanish. Sometime during the day, I also gave her a card, which ironically (considering the previous night’s event) had a musical theme, since my sister likes to dance.

- Friday – Today was rather cloudy, but not rainy, so I took time to take pictures of the Colombo’s campus. We learned words for describing personalities in Spanish and, during technical training, talked about methods for teaching large classes and how to work within Colombian educational cultures.

- Saturday – This afternoon, we went in small groups to explore el Centro, the “downtown” of Barranquilla. We took pictures in the Plaza de Simón Bolívar and of the Iglesia de San Nicolás de Torontino, though we were unable to go into the church at the time. We also walked through the shopping centers there, which were very tightly packed and full of people, more so than anything I have seen in the United States. I thought about buying things, but I was pretty overwhelmed and decided I could probably buy what I needed someplace quieter and less chaotic…

- Thunderstorms are amazing. At first, they make everything really humid, but then they bring the temperature down significantly and make life more pleasant overall. A lot of the locals aren’t fans, though, because rain also causes arroyos, which translates to “streams.” However, arroyos are more like “flash flood rivers” that careen down streets sweeping away cars, buses, and anything else in their path. They also tend to make a lot of people late and cause…surprisingly little stress…

- I live in a neighborhood sitting in the highest part of Barranquilla, which is nice because there’s always a lovely breeze blowing. It does make nights sound like there’s a hurricane coming, but I can sleep through just about anything and the neighborhood is otherwise relatively quiet and safe, so I like living here. If you’re in the area and are dying of the heat and humidity, come visit and enjoy the mirador, an overlook of the city, and the nice breezes.

- Ask what the price is to go to such and such a place before you get into a taxi. (Just open the passenger side door and ask.) That avoids unnecessary arguments at the other end and gives you a better chance of getting a fair (or almost fair) price.

- Dulce de leche is called arequipe here.

- A cake is generally called a “pudín”, rather than a “pastel”. Anything pie-like is usually called either “pie” (just like in English) or “torta”.

PST Begins

August 31 – September 6, 2014

Sunday, we went to the Museo del Caribe to learn about the history, people, and cultures of the Colombian coast. Then, our first week of pre-service training (PST) went by fast – a whirlwind of Spanish classes and technical training on how to be teachers and work within Colombia’s diverse cultures.

- Sunday – This morning, I went to Mass at the neighborhood church with my host family. The church was very large and open and very hot, even though they had a lot of fans going. I couldn’t really understand anything (I can tell I will definitely need to relearn “microphone” Spanish), but the music was nice and I could look over the readings on the handout that parishioners are given for Masses. In the afternoon, I went with the Peace Corps to el Museo del Caribe to learn about the landscapes, people, history, language, and dance of Colombia. The museum was very neat and hands-on – I appreciated all the exhibits of things to read and do that gave me an overview of culture along the Colombian coast. I also met Sr. Ricardo, the taxista my family usually calls to take us places when they really want someone they can trust. He was very nice and took Jimmy and me to the museum and then home.

- Monday – Happy September and Happy Labor Day! Because today is a holiday in the US, we will start classes tomorrow, but today my LCF (Language and Culture Facilitator, my Spanish teacher) came to pick up 4 of us who live close together and show us how to use the buses. We really just need to know how to get from our houses to the Peace Corps office and the Colombo, but that’s scarier than it may seem when you really have no idea what you are doing. It turns out that Jimmy and I just need to take an Urbaplaya bus to the Colombo and that the 4 of us should probably take a taxi to the office, so everything worked out well. We also had a chance to explore a few local malls and discuss commonly used slang over lunch, which was fun.

- Tuesday – Today was our 1^st day of classes at the Colombo, which is a lovely university complex that’s kind of in the middle of nowhere and has several buildings, as well as a little snack shop, open area to eat, and a side area for cookouts. There’s also a lovely pond with lots of fish and there are iguanas that hang out in the gourd trees that grow in the main part of the complex, as well as lots of birds and a few cats. We had Spanish classes in the morning and learned about typical formal and informal greetings and introductions and gestures that people use. In the afternoon, we had technical training, which is training about how to be an English teacher in Colombia – today, we learned a little about the Colombian educational system.

- Wednesday – In technical training, we talked about language awareness and Colombian culture(s) around the country. Besides the culture discussion, though, the highlight of the day was probably the early afternoon thunderstorm, which consisted of pouring rain, lightening, and very loud thunder – it also brought down the temperature, which was great.

- Thursday – We went to the Peace Corps office today to talk about food and water preparation, as well as what to do in case we do get sick, which was really helpful, since I felt terrible. In fact, after that talk was done, I went with our medical officer to the medical office and slept for 2 hours, after which I felt much better and went back for a presentation about theft prevention, which is important, since some of the best thieves in Latin America live here – don’t be upset with the culture, just learn.

- Friday – Well, I’m still sick, but feeling much better now. We talked about different methods of transportation in Spanish classes and discovered that the neighborhood in which I live is not listed explicitly on our map (though the neighborhood right next to ours is, so I could still find my street). In the afternoon, we learned about different approaches to teaching and I was excited to be able to help my group teach a 1-minute lesson using Krashen’s Natural Approach.

- Saturday – This morning, we gathered at the Peace Corps office to talk about living with host families and several things volunteers do that tend to drive host families crazy. In particular, people clean differently here because of the heat and humidity. It may never have occurred to you that you didn’t know how to clean, but you really have no idea until you ask. Later, I went with a few other volunteers to the actual Peace Corps office (instead of the conference room) and a volunteer from an earlier group gave us a quick tour. We hung out in the volunteer lounge to use the computers and pick out books from the “library” of books donated by previous volunteers.

- Remember how I mentioned needing fiber? Well, if you have the opposite problem, skip the papaya and substitute apples and bananas. Also, until you are better, try to avoid eating legumes and raw vegetables…especially raw vegetables…

- We get a lot of vaccines, so definitely bring your yellow WHO card and your immunization history to avoid some of them. The medical office may already have these documents on file, but it’s best to have a copy anyway.

- The Peace Corps Office is awesome. There’s a computer lab with a mini library (the Volunteer lounge) and a jar in the director’s office that (almost) always contains Oreos. Volunteers have pictures posted on the walls and, as the other volunteers say, it’s your space and you are “accepted for who you are.”

- The Peace Corps medical staff are amazing. When I felt like heck and just wanted to sleep, our medical officer walked with me over to the medical office and just let me sleep in a side room for 2 hours, after which I felt much better.

- Here, lemonade can be made much like it is in the US, or it can be made with panela, which is sugar cane sugar (kind of like raw sugar). That lemonade tastes totally different than the stuff with white sugar, but is equally as good, especially since both are always made with real lemons and limes.

 - A few ways to prevent theft: Always be aware of your surroundings, especially on buses and in crowded areas. Look at what time stores close in your neighborhood – you should be home before that time. When possible, go with a buddy. Avoid poorly lit streets, especially when it seems like there is no one there. Walk on the side of the street closest to the road, but keep your purse on the side away from the road. Do not use your cell phone or any other electronic device on the street. When in doubt, trust your instincts – if you think it might be dangerous, don’t do it.

- Safe taxis: Check all three copies of the license plate – front, back, and side or top – and make sure they all say the same thing. Look for an antenna (this isn’t a surefire way to decide whether a taxi is safe or not, but if it has several antennas, that’s usually a good sign because it means its location is tracked). Or, even better, just call a taxi company and they will send you a safe taxi.

- (An introduction to) How to clean in Barranquilla: Mop the shower after you use it. (You may need to shower more than once a day – see how many times a day your family showers and go with that.) Hang your towel outside. Also, hang your clean laundry and your sweaty athletic clothes outside. If you sweat a lot, you may even need to store your dirty laundry somewhere other than your room. Use deodorant every day without fail – forgetting is not acceptable. When you sweep, sweep more than just your own room. Same goes for dishes – anytime you clean, clean more than just what is yours because that’s polite. And when you do wash dishes, always do so with soap – consult your host mom for exactly how she does it (and that goes for all of this). Don’t forget to throw toilet paper in the trashcan, not in the toilet.