Exploring Cali

This is Dani, my new friend from Cali (and Dolce)

The morning after the wonderful distraction of Dolce and friends went back to LA, I got to hop on a plane with my friend Natalia to visit the vibrant city of Cali.  We went for the purpose of visiting schools that are implementing the Aulas en Paz program but along the way, I got to meet a lot of Natalia’s family and also got to stay with my friend Dani and her family, who I met through Dolce’s volunteer team.  Natalia’s dad’s side of the family is from Cali and I feel as though I met about 50 members of the family in just 3 short days!  We were greeted at the airport by Natalia’s hilarious, sassy, and very kind aunt (or maybe cousin, I can’t keep it all straight!), Fani and an uncle (also, maybe a cousin?), Hernan.  From there, we visited four different homes of Natalia’s family where we were welcomed with hugs, good conversation, coffee, bread, juice and beer.    Every single person I met was warm, generous, and good-humored.  I was so happy and relaxed in Cali.  Natalia’s cousin Valentina is 10-years old and a phenomenal salsa dancer.  I can’t really describe it, so instead I’ll leave it to this video clip of her rehearsing one of her dances in her living room (I couldn't figure out how to rotate the video for the life of me!):

Apparently, many 10-year olds in Cali can dance like this!  Valentina gave Natalia and I a salsa lesson which made me feel old beyond my years and like I had two left-feet, but it was so fun and endearing. 

Natalia and I in a swarm of happy kids

During the days in Cali, Natalia and I visited the schools that are implementing the program Aulas en Paz (classrooms at peace), which was created by the professor that we’re working with in Bogotá.  We observed the lesson plans in action and interviewed teachers about their perspective on teacher/student relationships and the impact of the program.  The success of the implementation of the program seemed to be almost exclusively contingent upon the teacher (which did not surprise me in the slightest).  We saw classrooms full of happy, respectful kids, enthusiastically engaging in role plays with little paper dolls as ways to teach constructive problem-solving…and we saw (one) completely chaotic classroom where kids were being taught new ways to defend themselves and prey on weaker students (not by the teacher, but by the atmosphere in the classroom that had been created by her permissiveness and lack of structure).  The latter observation was pretty exhausting and downright sad.  The former was uplifting and enlightening.  I’m sure I’ve just hit the tip of the iceberg in terms of things I will learn and think about as I continue to observe Aulas en Paz in action.  More to come on that subject.  And in the meantime, google it if you want to learn more!