Keep it Clean, People

  

Today’s post is about food. 

What’s your relationship with food?  Food is a commonality between all humans as a basic need and daily ritual.  Our relationship with and perception of food fascinates me: Do we use it as a reward or punishment?  Are we addicted to it?  Do we eat too much or too little of it?  Do we use it to nourish or is it causing our bodies damage? 

I’ve always considered myself to practice relatively healthy eating habits but sometimes it takes a somewhat dramatic change to alter mindsets about what goes into your body.  For instance- a heart attack, weight gain, a diagnosis of cancer or diabetes.  For me, it was a detox. 

A couple of weekends ago, Juan and I decided to do a 3-day “detox” consisting of a diet of only fruits and vegetables; pretty straight forward, just like it sounds-  plus, no caffeine (fudged a little on this one) and no alcohol (stayed faithful to this one). 

Organic strawberries from a farm in Guasca

The fruit/vegetable diet didn’t sound too extreme so I gave it a shot.  It was a valuable experience.  It caused me to rethink what I am (and am not) putting in my body and 3 weeks later, I’m trying to maintain a clean diet, consisting of all natural foods, free of preservatives and artificial flavors/colors/additions. 

During the 3-day detox, I kept a food log and recorded how I was feeling and reflections I was having.  Here’s what I wrote at the end of Day 1: 

“After not even 12 hours, I am re-appreciating what I am putting in my body to nourish it.  I am already estimating some of the small changes I’d like to make in the long run re: my diet.  For instance,

• nixing Splenda in my coffee,
• cutting back on alcohol,
• cooking with more frequency and using plant-based recipes,
• drinking at minimum a Nalgene bottle of water/day,
• incorporating raw veggies into my snacks and meals (having these things on hand)
• and really thinking twice about using preserved/packaged food.”

Now THAT'S a limón!

In addition to the above adaptations, I’ve also made the following changes so far:

• replaced brown, cane sugar and honey instead of splenda or white sugar
• I keep the fridge stocked with lettuce, spinach, eggs, avocados, yogurt, water bottles and cherry tomatoes
• I subscribed to an excellent clean eating blog and have tried 3 of the recipes so far
• I start the day with a glass of water (and then coffee) and stay hydrated throughout the day
• I’m tasting my meals and actually paying attention to when I’m satisfied (not full). 

Nice clean breakfast

The clean eating diet is not always easy and I don’t think I can follow it with 100% fidelity.  Eating out, for example, is a toughie.  Yet things like salad bars and ordering “dressing on the side” are suddenly more appealing to me and not because I’m trying to cut calories or lose weight – these small modifications simply help minimize the toxins that go into my body. In fact, it's more realistic to say "clean eating mindset" as opposed to “clean eating diet.  My perception is that a clean diet isn’t really a diet at all – it’s a mindset change that is starting to become a lifestyle change. 

Christmas Eve was a fun way to experiment with new, delicious, clean recipes to share with my family last night.  Last night we enjoyed:

• Vietnamese Spring rolls
• Corn, tofu, tomato balsamic salad
• Homemade spiced cider
• Rum balls made from clean brownies, organic dark chocolate and…the all natural Captain Morgan(...)

Tonight, we’ll enjoy salmon with a mango balsamic reduction sauce :)

I’d like to say that I’m noticing all these miraculous transformations since I “came clean”, and while I have noticed an increase in natural energy and appreciated the feeling of being satisfied - not full - after meals, it’s more realistic to say that I just feel good about how I’m treating my body, and I intend to maintain this lifestyle.

I wish you an abundance of good, clean fun this Christmas!

I DO...want to eat more green things :)

¿Cuanto Cuesta? The Cost of Living in Bogotá

Something you may or may not know about me: I really like to budget. I also try to negotiate everything from club covers to umbrellas off the street (even in the pouring rain) to cost per page for copies at papelerias. It's not that I'm cheap - I just really savor the peace of mind that comes with knowing I've gotten the best deal in town. And my town for this year is Bogotá, where overall, living is cheap...but I've learned there are some unexpected exceptions. Navigating the true cost of living here has been an interesting adventure and I'd like to share some of what I've learned from living here for the past 4 months.    

Things that cost un brazo y una pierna (an arm and a leg):

1. Wine (this one pains me since we are relatively close to Chile and Argentina). You know the really crappy bottle of wine called Beringer that costs $3 not-on-sale in the states? It costs $20 here (and still tastes like a trash can). I probably spend on average about $13/bottle here. The compromise? I drink less wine. Not the end of the world, but Yellowtail, Barefoot pinot grigio, and 2 Buck Chuck: we shall have a happy reunion come December. :)

2. My rent. I even negotiated this a bit and still pay about $200 more per month than my nicer, double-the-size apartment in Phoenix…it makes sense; I live by myself in a furnished, 1-BR apartment in estrato 6 (neighborhoods are divided up into “estratos” by income level from 1 – 6; 1 being the poorest). When I first moved to Colombia, I had no friends to live with, was a little bit scared by any neighborhood below estrato 5 and didn’t have the slightest clue where/how to buy and move furniture here…all of these things have since changed and it’s true: I pay too much for rent.

3. Utilities/internet. Again, higher estrato = higher cost of services. Non-negotiable.

4. Cetaphil products. Isn’t Cetaphil like the budget, down-to-earth way to keep your face clean and healthy in the US? Well, here it’s a luxury and I shelled out $30 for a bottle of face wash a few weeks ago.

5. Makeup. They keep maybelline and maxfactor behind counters and in locked cases in the grocery store and charge about 3x for the same products. My L’Oreal mascara that costs $6 in the states costs $18 here.

6. Yoga. Even with a “bulk” purchase of like 30 classes, each class runs about $18…upon learning this reality, I've opted for running, cycling and one yoga class a week. Aspiring yoga studio owners; there is an untapped market here!

7. Certain foods, specifically:

• Aforementioned wine.
• Peanut butter – about $7 for a jar of jiffy...
• Feta Cheese – almost $20 for a really weird kind of feta cheese kept in a jar full of liquid…a happy reunion of feta, peanut butter and wine is in store in December.

8. Not registering your visa in time with the DAS. Ya, my bad. I literally didn’t know that I had 15 days upon arriving to register my visa with the dreaded Administrative Department of Security (in Spanish, “Departamento” comes first, hence D-A-S) and apply for my cedula extranjera (ID). This logistical faux pas set me back over $200 in penalties and fines and many hours of my life. Better yet, I learned that the DAS was recently dissolved by the government on account of corruption…so I do wonder how my $200 has been put to use…

9. Andres Carnes de Res.  Don’t get me wrong – I love this place. And so does everyone else and their mother, which is why for every birthday, out of town visiting guest, or 3-day weekend, Andres becomes a staple party place. But those $20 cocktails, $7 bottles of beer, $30 steaks, and $70 bottles of aguardiente start to add up, right? Not to mention entrance fees + transport (if we opt for the real deal in Chia). But it’s hard to say no, especially when friends are here for a few days only and want to experience Andres; after all, there really is no night like an Andres night.  My strategy is to go on a full stomach, pre-game if possible, and be happy with one delicious cocktail for the night (plus, you know that aguardiente bottle will be floating around at some point :)).

Our most recent Andres night - Halloween!!

Bumble Bee + White Swan made a great team

That’s about all I can think of on the particularly “costoso” side of things. Let’s tip the scales and celebrate all the wonderful cheap thrills that life in Bogotá has to offer:    

 1. Manicures/pedicures. I had had a grand total of 1 manicure before coming to Colombia, but at $3 per service (you read that right), I can’t really justify having shabby fingernails!  

2. Hair drying services. I haven’t actually received this service yet, but apparently for about $2.50, somebody will wash, dry and style your hair; it’s like going to the hair salon minus the haircut. I’ll check it out next time I’m invited to a prom.      

 

3. Arepas. most days that I go to the university, I pick up the most delicious arepa of my life, smothered in butter and honey and oozing with melted cheese for $700 COPs, which translates to about 35 cents. Seriously, I could live off of these, and let’s keep in mind that’s a daily budget of $1.05, a weekly budget of $7.35 and a monthly budget of $22.05. Works for me, as long as I can also have my daily allocation of…      

4. Juice/snacks/fruit etc. You can find a cup of freshly squeezed juice or fruit on almost any corner for mil pesos (50 cents). And you know what goes well with fruit (and everything)?...   

 

5. Arequipe. I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to eat more and more and more. Like this guy. That video doesn’t actually explain what arequipe is so I’ll leave it to this picture:   

Ok, that doesn’t totally do it either: arequipe is basically dulce de leche that tastes like pure heaven and is found everywhere in Colombia; inside and outside of cheese, pastries, bread, obleas, on top of lattes, apparently on the crusts of pizzas (arequipizzas) or just in a spoon...in my mouth. I kid you not, a little cup of arequipe is considered a “healthy snack” for school children, kind of like Gogurt, Poptarts or Yohoos in the US, perhaps. And it’s all dirt cheap, considering the sugar high and perfect, creamy, caramelly satisfaction with every hit.

6. Transportation. I don't drive here which has been liberating and a great way to explore the city. Bus rides costs about 70 cents each way, cab rides start at $1.50 and climb very slowly from there (I’ve ridden in a cab for 45 minutes and paid $10), and the Transmilenio (Bogota’s bus transit system) costs 80 cents each way.

7. Plastic surgery. Or so I’ve heard – cheap and good. Medical tourism, anyone?

8. Newspapers. I just learned that 2 kinds of newspapers here are totally free!

9. Vinassa EcoVillage/monastery/Ashram. I came across this fascinating opportunity while reading a travel blog; $10 a day affords you accommodation, 3 vegetarian meals grown and sustained by the Ecovillage/monastery, daily yoga, and philosophy lectures all in the backdrop of a serene monastery. A week of volunteering is absolutely on my list while I’m here.

10. Roses! There are seriously beautiful roses grown in Colombia and I have bought 24 lavender roses (for myself) on my street corner for $4. Yes, $4.   

          

11. Tejo (Colombia's national sport)!! Wow, didn't know what I was missing in my life until this past weekend. You stand about 30 feet away from a slanted mud target that conceals gunpowder below the surface and throw a big heavy metal thing at it. Yup. When the gunpowder explodes, it's pretty much the most exciting thing EVER. And you don't even pay to play or enter - you pay for a case of beer, split amongst your group and call it a day. Awesome.      

Until you let me know what I’ve inevitably left off of either list, “cheap things” is in the lead, 11-9. And for those 9 expensive things, never forget that everything is negotiable (well, except the cover at Andres and I'm pretty sure, fines at the DAS...nonetheless...¡Viva Bogotá!).

Say Hi First - A Theoretical Framework

 Some of you may have seen me get into “research mode.”  That is, the obsession with developing hypotheses and research questions about daily life – particularly social life – establishing control groups and experimental groups complete with independent/dependent variables, ensuring uncontaminated and truly randomly selected sample sizes, and then going out into the world to test the hypothesis all with the ultimate goal of simply learning more about my surroundings.  While I am a dreamer, pacifist and lover at heart, I am a researcher, investigator and explorer by nature – and really, these things can and should coexist quite well. Because my primary job here in Colombia is to do research, I tend to be in ‘research mode’ often.

A “research question” that has been brought to my attention on a daily basis since arriving in Colombia goes something like this:

What happens in Colombia when a blonde-haired, green-eyed, gringa-looking female…

…walks into a busy grocery store? 

…hops aboard a bus full of people?

…enters a classroom of 40 squirrelly 6^th graders at the school I’m conducting research and begins speaking Spanish with an American accent?

 …orders an arepa con queso on the street corner?

…makes a comment in her class at los Andes to an audience of 100-something Colombian students?

…walks down the street- any street will do- filled with pedestrians, cars, buses and taxis? 

The partial answer to most of these questions is this:  I get lots of stares.

While I am aware of peoples’ reactions, it doesn’t usually make me feel self-conscious or uncomfortable.  In fact, most days I find these responses endearing and interesting. 

But I’d like to hone in on one sample size in particular: men.  This group of onlookers and intense-gazers has led me to develop research question #2 (nerd alert):

Does her (‘her’ defined as formerly stated blonde girl) reaction (independent variable) to these reactions (constant; ‘reactions’ range from fixed gazes, or stares, to comments including, but not limited to, “princesa”, “mona”, “reina” and in some cases, “hissing” sounds uttered between the teeth as though calling for an animal) influence future reactions (dependent variable)?

The answer that I’ve found so far is: yes. My reaction to these stares does indeed make a difference.

My natural inclination in situations when I’m being stared at by men is to keep my eyes straight ahead, chin slightly up, and a stern, but not unnecessarily snooty expression on my face.  The accompanying internal monologue goes something to the effect of, “I don’t care if he honks his horn or yells from his scaffolding tower all day, I’m not acknowledging a single damn thing.”  However, as it turns out in my experience, the “ice queen strategy” (also known as the “ignore, ignore, ignore strategy”) seems to egg on even more attention – like it becomes a challenge of sorts, to try to elicit some sort of reaction out of me.  This observation caused me to try a different approach.

Here’s the strategy that has proven to diffuse 90% of all “staring situations” so that they do not escalate to prolonged stares, comments or unwanted attention (drum roll please….): say hi first.  Yep, this is what 4 months of diligent social research has yielded and I’m not at all disappointed.  It works beautifully!  I’ve been blown away at how a simple smile and “buenas tardes” completely turns the table and gets the ball back in my court.  More often than not, this strategy is reciprocated with a smile and “buenas tardes” in return and we both go on our merry way. 

There was one situation in particular where I tested the crap out of this theory: when my sister and I found ourselves a bit lost in a completely dodgy part of Santa Marta -our earthly possessions bulging from the packs on our back- desperately searching for the bus that would whisk us away to Tayrona National Park. Talk about stares, comments and feeling uncomfortable.  Nonetheless, a confident smile or wave and friendly “buenas tardes” went a long way in diffusing some of these dicey encounters.  My sister yelled at me for waving at creepy people and that’s when I explained to her my developing theory.

Perhaps it’s the way that speaking and smiling makes a person appear more human to others (“ah, the gringa speaks!”); perhaps my American accent or the “buenas tardes” confirms what they were wondering in the first place and puts everyone at ease; or perhaps people are indeed more friendly and less hostile than we (I) sometimes give them credit. 

It should be noted that the “say hi first” strategy applies to all people, not just men in Colombia, and not just to diffuse seedy situations.  I think it should become a habit to “say hi first” when checking out at the grocery store, for instance, or asking for cell phone credit at the Comcel store.  Fortunately, Colombians are quite adept at giving a proper greeting and farewell to perfect strangers; they really are some of the most genuinely friendly people on this planet.  After all, I think I learned the “ice queen strategy” from living in big cities in the US – people there can be pretty cold sometimes.  And it’s no coincidence that the “say hi first” strategy started to develop in this country full of warm people.  So, in true academic best practice, allow me to credit my source of inspiration behind this research design: Colombia et al, (2011): your constant stares caused me to re-think my cold reaction and your constant warmth and friendliness taught me to try a new approach and say hi first. 

Let’s remember that this theory has only been tested in the country of Colombia.  I urge any international readers to “say hi first” at every chance you get and see how it changes your daily interactions.  Just do it – say hi first.

What I learned from 30(ish) days of writing

  As some of you have astutely observed, it is indeed past September 24^th, the date in which my 30-day challenge expired.  The “How did it go?” “What did you learn?” post is long overdue because I spent last week traversing the Colombian, Peruvian, Brazilian Amazon (more to come on THAT experience very soon!)!  On August 24^th, I challenged myself to write for one hour each day, every day, for 30 days.  I found it pretty astounding how this small adaptation to my every day has started to shape my life, and I’d like to share with you ten things I have learned and observed over the past 30+ days. 

1.  The golden writing rule: Buh bye email (facebook, skype, distractions)!  This might be a no-brainer for many of you, but still worth stating. There were times when I had to buckle down and apply my disciplinary powers to stay off of these things for the full hour of writing. 

2.  Mac or PC?  Neither!  For this challenge, I opted to go 100% paper and pen, the only exception being when I was writing blog content.  My computer gets more than enough of my love and attention during the other 23 hours of the day.  Pen and paper also feel more organic and down to earth and tends to generate a different type of creativity.  By way of writing on paper, I finally wrote on the very last page of a journal I’d been writing in off and on since 2007 (and who knows how many pens I went through)! 

3.  Music is essential for my writing process; in fact, I rarely write in silence.  Some of the featured artists on my writing playlist include: Kid Cudi, a Tribe Called Quest, Explosions in the Sky, Blind Pilot, SOJA, Ben Harper, even Rage Against the Machine depending on the “zone” I’m in.  Incense and a glass of wine, tea or coffee never hurts either. :)

4.  Reading is also essential to my writing process and I don’t do it enough. I’m thinking of doing a 30-day challenge in which I read for an hour each day…some of my latest literary inspirations include Isabel Allende, Pema Chodron and Dostoyevsky.  

5.  I usually got stuck when I had 20 minutes of my hour remaining…

6.  …And when I got stuck, I often reverted to making lists of everything I am thankful for.  I kind of felt like a kid again when you’re asked to say prayer at the Thanksgiving table and your prayer turns into 10 full minutes of giving thanks for everything that pops into your brain, from your new pajamas to the tablecloth.   Here are some of the “thanks” that came out on August 26: “I am thankful for today, thankful for the people that have crossed my path, and joined me graciously in my walk.  Thankful for my health and strong legs and lungs that are going to take me on a run in little while.  Thankful for Colombia and it’s people.  Thankful for this shelter and more than enough food to eat.  Thankful for the education that has enabled me to write and think and learn and grow and communicate.  Thankful for my citizenship and my country which, in spite of its flaws, arrogance and mistakes, has nonetheless provided my family and I freedom and opportunity and, when all is said and done, a very good life.” Other times, I would simply make a list of things I really like about myself.  Here are some of those things I liked about myself on August 21:  “my scars, my ability to speed read, my love for animals and nature, my strong will and spirit, my comfortability with myself and with being alone, being left-handed, my handwriting, my eye color, the trust and love I’ve developed for my soul.”  Speaking of which, both of these list exercises have never failed to yield positive results within my soul – I suggest you give it a try! :) 

Welcoming in another year of life with
the Rotary Club - Bogota, Occidente

7.  Writing every day is a grand way to gracefully welcome in a new year of life.  I turned 27 on September 19 and all of that writing and thinking helped me to embrace a new year with an added layer of gratitude and enthusiasm.  

8. Writing consistently has helped me to be kinder to myself and more thankful for what I have.  On August 27, I wrote, “I think simple situations can get so complicated by ourselves.  While maybe it’s not as simple as ‘all you need is love,’ it probably isn’t too far off and the need to love, trust, and treat yourself with compassion is difficult to overstate.”

9. But really, most of my thoughts are not too profound and that’s ok.  This insight reminds me of my days shooting on a film camera.  I would shoot rolls upon rolls of film and most of the pics would come out in the “average to crappy” range, but every 30 pics or so, I’d get that one magic shot that made all the others worth it.  Instead of getting bummed about all the less than fabulous shots, it’s crucial to be thankful and inspired by the magic shots and from there resolve to keep taking pictures, no matter the outcome.  In a sentence, the outcome is not important. 

10. To confess: I didn’t actually write for a full hour for all 30 days…and you know what, I’m ok with that.  There were days when I simply needed a good night’s sleep and hadn’t planned my day well enough to pull off the full hour.  There were days when I simply had nothing left inside of me to say (although these times are really few and far between; I’ve found that if I sit with the silence for a while, something usually comes…).   Yet this challenge has strengthened my belief in writing just for the sake of writing.  For as long as I can remember (tracing back to the poems I wrote about animal rights and the days of scribing fights with my sister in my Little House on the Prairie diary), I’ve been aware of the power that writing holds in my life.  And yet, as I mentioned in the 30-day challenge post, my discipline is often lacking and I’ll go weeks, months even, without putting a single word on paper.  This 30-day challenge reinforced my belief in the value and benefits of writing in my life.  On September 3, I wrote, “I think it takes courage to sit with my thoughts and words for an hour each day.  Who knows that might surface during those 60 minutes?  But each day that I stick with it, the more I know that only good, only growth can come from this commitment and this process.”  On September 26, I wrote, “If nothing else, writing relaxes me and helps me to keep it real.  Remember the value and stay committed.”

So what now?  Will I continue to challenge myself to write for an hour every day moving forward?  I don’t think so - not in the same sense, but I am quite sure I will write more days than not and my belief in the importance of writing consistently has certainly been fortified over the last month.  I also see the value in making small, sustainable changes to my life and will continue to experiment with this concept.

Writing is indeed one of the most powerful ways I have found to share my story with others and be real with myself about how my story is unfolding.  I do believe that we have an almost immeasurable capacity to create, to communicate, to share, and to love once we honor this potential and give ourselves the space and freedom to express these things.

The Hangout!

  “I want us to organize, to tell the personal stories that create empathy, which is the most revolutionary emotion.”  – Gloria Steinem

This past weekend, I attended an unbelievable party. There is much to say about this event so I’ll start simple, with the help of the trusty five elements of fiction that we mastered in the 6^th grade:

Character: brilliant, beautiful friends from a vibrant mezcla of culture, language and country.

Plot: above-said brilliant, beautiful people gather together to share stories, laughter, food, drink, futbol, and karaoke songs one rainy-and-then-sunny-Saturday in September.

 Setting:  Place - a picturesque family farm straight out of a fairy tale in Tocancipá, an hour outside of Bogotá, Colombia.

 Time – last weekend, 2011

Theme: Bridging cultures.  Empathy.  Openness.

Style: you know it.

How did each of these magnificent elements come together not in fiction, but in real life, you ask?  Well, let me tell you, ¡con mucho gusto! A few weeks ago, my friend, Juan gave me a call and described a vision that very closely matched the beautiful reality that occurred this past weekend.  “Hey Em, we are lucky to have many awesome friends from many cool countries,” he said (in so many words). “Why don’t we celebrate this diversity by hosting an international bbq on the other Juan’s farm (there are many Juans in this story, kind of like a Marquez novel – you’ll sort it out eventually) and share food and drink from all over the world?”  Of course, I was down with this phenomenal idea 100% and so began the momentum for an international bbq intended to celebrate diversity and bridge cultures – an event that we’ve affectionately come to refer to as The Hangout.

Pit stop for pan y tinto

Our diverse group convened bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 9:30 am at the Carulla plaza, international cuisine in hand, and hopped aboard a charter bus which swiftly changed our scenery from the pollution and traffic of Bogotá to the splendid countryside of Colombia. Of course, we made a pit stop for pan y tinto (bread and coffee) along the way before completing the final leg of our journey which led us to the fresh air, lush vegetation and open space of Juan Camilo’s family farm – the perfect setting for a perfect day.  We happily united with the others who had traveled by truck, car and motorbike and by noon, the farm was sprawling with citizens of Korea, Colombia, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, China, the United States, Russia and Australia.  

Katie (USA) pins the tail on Ligia (Brazil)

Other than a piñata, a game of pin the tail on the donkey (or, in our case, a glittery zebra) an abundance of RICO food, and music, we didn’t really have an agenda or plan.  We had faith that the equation of food, good people, music and fresh air would yield amazing results and we were not disappointed. 

There were countless shining moments throughout the day. 

la comida (photo by Ligia Aguiar)

A particularly shiny feature of this party was, of course, the food!  We indulged in a multi-course feast of deviled eggs (USA), Moon Cake (China), Picada, fruits, tofu, maiz (Colombia), carne picante from Korea (also known as 제육볶음 (jeyuk bokkum)) Cuzcuz Paulista (Brazil), cheese dip (Russia), brownies & Oreos (USA), French crepes, and an abundance of Poker and Aguila to wash it all down. Once we had eaten our hearts out and slipped into minor food comas, we relaxed under the shelter of a tent and played rounds of Uno. 

  

 At that point, Juan brought out a cake and we broke out in a melodious chorus of happy birthday for his lovely, youthful mom- first in English…then in Korean…then in Chinese…Portuguese…Spanish…German…French…Russian…American (just kidding, bad joke).

By FAR the best rendition of “happy birthday” I have ever heard in my life.

Celebrating our gooooooooooal!  while Carlos and Camilo look on :)

Eventually, someone decided it was time for an impromptu futbol (soccer) tournament. We went all out with co-ed teams and all nations represented. For the championship game, we ditched our zapatos (shoes), rolled up our pant legs and got dirty!  Mud, slipping and sliding, blood, sweat, tears, bruised shins, the whole bit.  My French friend, Josian and I even enjoyed a true world cup moment with the collision of our heads in mid-air (and we have the goose eggs to prove it if you’re interested).  

Visual 1.2

Somewhere in the mix, in true Colombian fashion, the aguardiente started to flow generously, served by our in-house Criollo, Juan, complete with mask and poncho (note visual 1.2).  We all became warmer and jollier and eventually moseyed on over to the karaoke machine for even more chistes (jokes, laughs) that lasted into the night. 

Cross-cultural psychology tells us that the smiles and laughter are universally recognized as signals of happiness and joy.  We certainly took full advantage of this universal language in abundance on Saturday! These people are just TOO much fun for words.  I would add two more commonalities that also seem universal among this group of people I’ve come to know as friends: openness and empathy. I’m not convinced we are born with these 2 characteristics.  If we are born this way, these attributes sure do get stamped out quickly and replaced with self-preservation, survival, competition and an “in-group/out-group”, “us vs. them” mentality (if you need further evidence of this type of socialization, go observe kids – as young as kindergarten - on a playground at recess). 

I LIKE empathy (and Juan's hat) a lot

 Ligia (Brazil), Salena (China), Camilo (Brazil),
Majang (Korea)

I believe that openness and empathy are actually the primary reasons that I travel; it seems that exchanging my own story and listening to the stories of others is one of the most profound ways, if not the only way to become a more open and empathetic human. It’s a tall order - it takes courage after all to perceive the world with empathy and openness because it is almost guaranteed that the truth of your own reality will be challenged along the way.  I had the honor of hearing Gloria Steinem speak on a panel in February and I have not forgotten her powerful words, “empathy is the most revolutionary emotion.”   My courageous friends that I’ve met in Colombia are people who have empathy and openness very much intact in their lives.  It is no wonder that this weekend’s party was pure magic given the company we are fortunate enough to keep!

We anticipate that The Hangout will evolve into a consistent space that allows people from all countries, languages and backgrounds to meet, enjoy each other and exchange stories.  We’ve got ideas for benefit concerts, open mic nights, art projects and charity events.   If you live in Colombia or will be visiting Colombia, expect an invite for the next Hangout and also let me know your brilliant thoughts for ways in which we can celebrate our stories together.  If you don’t live in Colombia and can’t come Hangout with us, find ways to celebrate stories where you are!   Also, please do my friends at LARGE minority/More Local a favor and give their fan page a "like" on Facebook. Please help them reach their goal of 1,000 LIKES -  the relevancy of many businesses are often judged by the number of Facebook 'likes' these days, so a little 'like' goes a long way! 

Until next time, peace, empathy and openness…

Melissa (USA), Ligia (Brazil), Salena (China), me!

The closing of a TFA chapter

Today signifies the closing of a big chapter for me.  Today is officially my last day on staff with Teach For America.  It’s an understatement to say I owe a lot to this organization, and more importantly to the people I have encountered through this organization, so I can’t let this day end without sharing some reflections and expressing my gratitude. 

First year at LMS

It is a rare occasion to be able to say with conviction, “_____(fill in the blank) changed my life” but I can sincerely say this about TFA.  As an idealistic and restless senior in college, my future felt open to just about anything, from joining the Peace Corps to going to law school to becoming vegan and living in a commune.  But a k-12 teacher?  Not so much.  I literally have a visual of myself riding along on the “bike path of my future” or as a passenger on the “train of life” (really, any moving vehicle will accomplish the metaphor – you get the point) and then TFA comes into the picture, switches up the course and I pull a complete 180. And what do you know?  I love teaching.  Through TFA, I have learned some indispensable lessons, at least 3 of which will have a lasting impact on my life:  1.  I love students, I love to teach and I get extra fired up for the special needs population.  2.  Educational inequity is the greatest injustice that exists in the United States.  3.  I’m going to be involved in education reform for the long haul. 

For those of you who don’t know, I was lucky enough to stay on as part-time staff with TFA working from Colombia.  Back in April or so, as my d-day for moving to Colombia drew nearer, I started wondering what Teach For America really meant when they said “location flexible” in the description of my role. Does that mean I could work from the moon?  How about Colombia?  YES! Great idea, and you know what? It was a success!  Despite a few webmail outages, pesky Mac/PC incompatibilities and a couple of dropped skype calls, I was able to stay onboard very part-time, working very remotely from Colombia! 

We're so LA.

I’ve been extremely thankful for this work the past couple of months.  My teachforamerica.org email account has strangely become a sort of security blanket, a familiar tie back the US.  Through this account I have not only been able to continue to do meaningful work and stay in touch with my superb team, I also got to keep doing all these fantastic “American/TFA things” - such as yammer and feedback cycles, and tracking changes on those feedback cycles, and “checking in” and action-planning and prioritizing and google sites and vimeo and opening emails with phrases like, “I just wanted to touch base…”, and giving ‘shout-outs’ and aligning objectives and acronymizing EVERYTHING… (and making up new words, apparently) :)

In all seriousness, what I will hands-down miss the most are the many people I’ve had the privilege of working with over the years who have challenged me, inspired me, encouraged me, mentored me, laughed with me, and befriended me. I haven’t yet figured out if it’s a good idea to give personalized “shout-outs” on the worldwide web via a blog, but you know who you are and I hope you’re reading.  I cannot thank you enough for being my friend and partner in this important work.

Dhouse!  2009

I’ve had a lot of “TFA goodbyes” over the past 4 years: sad but relieved goodbyes to my 2007 Los Angeles Institute friends (or perhaps more accurately, my lifelines) at the end of the most rugged 6 weeks of any of our lives. Tearful goodbyes to my students after 2 remarkable years of teaching.  Hugs and heartfelt farewells on the steps of LMU to my fearless 2009 corps members at the close of my LA Institute experience as a Corps Member Advisor. I sent out the “farewell-and-thanks-for-the-honor-of-working-with-you” email to the spectacular Los Angeles program team when I transitioned to a new role and moved to Phoenix.  And another farewell email to the Phoenix team at the end of last year.  But there was always an ellipsis hanging over these goodbyes; “I’m still on staff, I’m still with TFA, I’ll still be around, I’ll see you at conferences, etc.”  I feel there still exists an ellipsis of sorts (still part of the movement, still involved in education) but it is different this time because I honestly don’t know what the future holds for me after this year in Colombia. 

Studying and doing research in Colombia has already opened up a world of new thoughts, insights and knowledge regarding my understanding of both educational inequality and the powerful role of education in any society. This will likely shock precisely none of you, but educational injustice exists here in Colombia as well. There are two types of schools here – public and private- and the estrato in which a student lives (basically Colombia’s equivalent to zip code) largely determines which type of school he or she will attend.  Tuition at private schools in Colombia can be more expensive than most universities in the US but offer a world-class education to kids whose families can pay a pretty penny. Everybody else attends public school, where the quality of education varies immensely. When you consider the fact that the average monthly salary in Colombia is about $250 USD, you start to get a picture of the gaping class divisions in this country.  Bogotá is divided according to a six-level index (known as estratos), which indicates the socioeconomic status of the residents in any given area.  Estrato 1 is the lowest and therefore covers areas excluded from urban planning norms with restricted access to public services.  Two-thirds of students living in the lowest 2 estratos attend public schools whereas only 37% of students attending private schools live in the lowest two estratos – many of whom were granted a spot in a private school on a voucher (source!).  Just as is the case in the US, access to high quality education for all is a far cry from reality in Colombia.  Therefore, it does not seem much of a coincidence that Colombia recently joined the growing Teach For All network and this year marks the debut of Enseña por Colombia (Teach For Colombia).  Needless to say, there is much to be learned and many already existing networks to partner with while I’m here and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have this opportunity.

While I do feel sad to be saying this farewell, I am also extremely excited to be 100% present in my life here.  So Colombia: I’m all in.  I’m yours.  Let’s do this.  And America: If I didn’t bleed red, white and blue before joining TFA, I do now on behalf of the kids whose futures are getting short-changed every day on account of our failing education system. My email may no longer end in teachforamerica.org and my business cards may now only be good for games of paper football, but you better believe I’m still part of the movement of ‘One day’...

My gorgeous kids enjoying a day at Knottsberry Farm

Dorsey!  LA Institute 2009

Christmas 2007

A really precious math equation