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Published: January 18th 2008
Hola everyone.
First thing first....I haven't been kidnapped. I haven't been mugged and I haven't gotten any weird tropical disease. Those were my biggest concerns, but they really are unfounded. Actually, the only things that really separate Bogota from Chicago are the amount of pollution, the size and that everyone down here speaks Spanish. Other than that, I'm living in a major metropolis. There's plenty of 'social capital', people walking around talking to each other. Five blocks from my apartment is a nice little shopping center called Mazuren. It's clean, safe and has a couple really nice restaurants that are inexpensive. There's a little cafe where I can grab some coffee when I need...and they actually do have real coffee...not the stuff Colombians call coffee. It's so strange, but the majority of the coffee crop is sent north to the States, so whats left is really bland leftover second crop. It tastes like dirty water. I don't have the heart to tell the Colombians how bad it really is. Anyway, here are my observations after two weeks.
1. Safety doesn't mean anything down here. I've seen kids on the back of motorcycles, kids hanging out of car windows and kids walking up and down the autopista (highway). The worst was a man driving a motorcycle, a mother in the back and a baby....literally a baby....squeezed between the two. So dangerous! Our windows don't have screens or safety features...and we live on the 8th floor. People run through traffic, and every car follows their own set of rules. There is nothing stopping mass havoc from breaking out. It's strange to see this after living in the States where everything is regulated and controlled.
2. Poverty is covered up by fashion. Most people here are poor as dirt, and yet they strive to shop at the fanciest mall. Saturday at Santa Fe Centro is crammed by those trying to imagine what'd be like to be rich. This is such a class society. Knock off merchandise is everywhere, but the real thing is desired. It's better to be broke here and with some material object, than be a poor laborer. You'd think that if as much effort was exerted into working and pulling up on the bootstraps, as it is on looking good, then Colombia might get out of this economic down spiral.
3. Don't trust street food. It could be clean and is tasty, but the risk isn't worth the stomachache. I'm just saying....you don't see many dogs around street vendors.
4.Colombians are amazing mechanics. The roads down here are so terrible. Every time it rains hard, the road breaks up. Huge pot holes are waiting around every corner. Some pot holes are large enough to swallow a car. Cars are always falling apart and most are really advanced in years. Colombians take some of the oldest cars and outfit them for Bogota traffic. By the look of them, nothing more than duct tape is holding together half of Bogota's traffic.
5. No matter how long I stare at them, I still can't believe the Andes mountains are right there. I see them when I wake up, all day at school and on the way home. So green, so beautiful. It makes you think of the line in Psalms. "I lift my eyes up to the hills. Beautiful.
There's plenty terrible about this place too. Pollution, crime and the ever-present 'rat-race' mentality of city living. That happens everywhere though. I'd say mostly the problem is that in a city of over 9 millions, sometimes I'm pretty lonely. You can go places, you can hang out with friends but most Colombians look and stare at me. The big gringo! They want to hear me speak Spanish, they want me to speak English...I just really stand out here. Plus, I stumble and bumble around alot. I ordered a burger last night from this local place at Mazuren. I saw 'Texas burger' and I got excited. I started envisioning bbq sauce, friend onions......and got a burger with an egg on top. Their ideas are so different than ours. A hot dog isn't a foot long with mustard....it's a bun filled with mayo, potato chips and fruit....and then a hot dog. Not so tasty.
School is easy, and I'm learning my way around. I'm over my initial culture shock and starting to learn how to live down here. Each day is more comfortable, but also reminds me of how easy and convenient home is. It also shows me how much we waste, take for granted and unthankful we can really be. Until faced with grim realities of living without our trappings, we don't truly know how well life can be.
I will try and post pictures on the next update. My computer is a bit slow and doesn't like to work all the times. I will try and fix it, and show you what I've been seeing with my own eyes.
I love you all. God Bless.
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Chrissy
non-member comment
Greetings Josh
I don't know if you remember who I am. I am your Dad's cousin. I think it's great that you are down there trying to misinter to those people. I had my taste of it a few years ago, by going down to Mexico. What a culture shock. I like reading your little blogs. Your right, the people in this country take everything for granted. Keep up the good work, and good luck with school. I will look forward to reading your little blogs. Take care Chris Simmons