I think that morality is a little more flexible in Latin America than in the United States, and politicians are very easily forgiven when the next guy comes and leaves the country worse off than the guy before him. I… Read More ›
Bogota
What to do
In our resolve to see all of Bogota, Ivan and I took a transmilenio to the south of Bogota’s last week. As I have heard many things about the south (mostly bad) but have never actually gone, this area of… Read More ›
Oh Nostalgia, how Nostalgic you Make me Feel.
Even the street people in her recollections are remembered lovingly: La Loca Margarita who dressed completely in red and walked up and down the Septima in the 1930s and 40s with a basket of flowers and fruit, shouting “Que viva el gran partido liberal, abajo los Godos” (long live the liberal party, down with the Godos (conservative party)
A Conversation with my Grandmother
When I was talking with my grandmother about possible places to move, the following conversation occured: Me: What do you think of La Candelaria? Grandmother: They’ll shoot you as soon as you leave the house. Or at the very least,… Read More ›
Marriage Proposal
Yesterday I got proposed to for the first time in Colombia. It was not a particularly romantic or tempting proposal. But I do appreciate the guys honesty. Here’s how it went down: Guy: I want to leave Colombia and go… Read More ›
A Day at the Tailor’s
Because I have only one pair of pants that currently fits me despite my recent frappaccino craze (yay unintended weight loss!), yesterday afternoon I hit the backstreets behind my apartment in search of a tailor. I unfortunately can’t afford to… Read More ›
Colombian Honesty
Today I was telling the lady who helps my grandmother that I ate a brownie. She told me I was too fat and how did I expect to lose weight eating brownies. My American sensibilities are not used to such… Read More ›
Is the Grass Really Greener on the Other Side?
I was doing a little facebook stalking and started getting a little depressed. As it is with facebook photos, my facebook friends (some actual friends, most people I know and am nosy about) were posing in all sorts of happy-looking… Read More ›
I Got Held-up.
As the title indicates, I got held-up today. I was making my way to the bus this morning when a woman came up to me and demanded I give her the COL$5,000 bill I was carrying in my hand. Taken… Read More ›
Street Flattery
I have reached the point where if I go out and no one catcalls me, my day doesn’t feel complete. I assume something must be wrong with the men, because of course, there can’t possibly be anything wrong with me. That’s the kind… Read More ›
La Macarena & A New Cafe
I didn’t actually just find it — I saw it when Stephen was here and have been intrigued ever since. It is called La Boheme, a much more romantic name than Cafe del Sol, I think. Maybe this will be… Read More ›
A Day at the Beauty Salon
This afternoon, three generations headed to the beauty salon: My grandmother, my mother and myself. The salon was creatively called “Hair and Care.” As my mother and I are undergoing dental surgery tomorrow, we decided to treat ourselves before the… Read More ›
NOT what every woman wants to hear
Today I was walking around the city center when a homeless man started catcalling me saying “Que barbie botella tan linda.” For those of you who don’t speak Spanish, this means “What a pretty bottle barbie.” I don’t know what… Read More ›
Colds, Danger and Anti-independence.
For the most part, I really enjoy living in Bogota, the somewhat sophisticated, progressive capital city of Colombia. The people are educated, friendly and warm and friends are easy to make. But being an American, I’m kind of used to… Read More ›
Saving Dogs with Cataracts, One Article at a Time
Some of you out there may be wondering how an individual such as myself can afford the comfortable expatriate lifestyle, and the answer is work. Not traditional, 9-5 employment, but a mixture of freelance writing/editing and tutoring. I am currently… Read More ›
Street Life
Like any major city worth mentioning, Bogota has an active and entertaining street life (and I don’t mean the pay-by-the-hour illicit type, although there’s plenty of that as well, if you’re interested). You can be perfectly entertained without entering a… Read More ›
Milo, Rice and a Can of beans.
I’ve discovered that earning a Colombian salary while paying American bills requires a bit more budgeting and planning than previously anticipated. To prove this point, I will disclose the contents of my pantry: Half a can of Milo, half a… Read More ›
On the Outside, Looking In.
Since this is supposed to be a blog about my travels and experiences abroad – currently in Colombia – it would make sense for me to write a bit about what I’ve been up to in the last few weeks…. Read More ›
