1) I finally found reusable grocery bags.....if you go to the market everyday they are especially useful. I have about 20-30 that will take a while to be used up as garbage bags so I am excited about saving myself the guilt of having to throw away the extra few hundred that I could accumulate in the coming weeks. The funny part is when I bought the bags, the clerk tried to put them in a plastic bag...not sure if I should make an ironic joke or just blame the fact that reusable bags aren't that popular.
2) I also saw a new sight for me when it comes to meat. During my time in Mexico, I saw cow heads, pig heads, and just about everything you can imagine...or at least that is what I thought. Diego and I walked past a restaurant that had a special pork plate. I know this because there was a cooked pig (head, ears, feet, everything) that was missing his back half!!! I therefore could look into the pig's stomach and beyond....I didn't have my camera on me, but I'll try to find it again, because it was definitely unique!
3) Shortly after the pig exhibit, Diego was invited in to a strip club....while I was right next to him holding his hand. I don't know if that is normal in Colombia....maybe it would be normal in the US, but typically you don't walk by strip clubs so I remain a little confused and a little amused.
4) I have a confession. I am an addict- a guayaba addict. They make these delicious sweets down here that are sugared guayaba "bocadillos" or sandwiches and I am obsessed with them. Typically, you shouldn't eat more than 1 or 2 because it is made of real fruit and lots of sugar so it's pretty hard on the stomach. However, I was left alone with the "bocadillos" for a day....and I had no control!!! I will not mention the number of bocadillos that were eaten, but I will say that the taste of them makes up for the horrible stomach ache I had later that day.
5) Diego and I went out for a celebratory meal when I got a teaching job (just one class) with Cambridge. It was a super cool Italian restaurant that had small doorbell looking things at each table so when you needed/were ready for the waiter, they would come. Super amazing....everyone knows what it's like when the waiter rushes you or keeps bothering you or the opposite when you never can find them when you need them. I think this is a trend that needs to catch on.
Also during lunch, Diego had another "Fez" moment. I have concluded that Diego is my family's Fez. He says things that normally wouldn't be that funny (I'm e-screwed), but for some reason it's hilarious when he says it. Anyway, at lunch he told me,
"I love you even when you are crazy."
"Am I crazy?"
"Yes and I love you when you are crazy and are making movies in your head."
"I make movies in my head?"
"Yes"
"What are they about?"
"CRAZY SHIT!"
Enough said!
6) Ooooooo I almost forgot the other Fez moment!!! So Diego and I are quite focused on grocery shopping intelligently and cheaply. We wanted something to small to spoil ourselves with- ICE CREAM. However a container of icecream is between $5-$9 which means you need to choose carefully so you don't waste too much money. We studied the price per gram for a little while and settled on a cookies-and-cream ice cream. We grabbed the ice cream only to have Diego get really excited and see a "cheap" ice cream of his favorite flavor with Shrek and friends on the container. He was really excited, but the barcode number didn't match up. He went to check the price to be sure and.....and.....and.....it wasn't cheap at all!!! He returned it to the freezer with a "Fuck you, Shrek."
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Cleanliness....Who's right? Who's wrong?
So after briefly singing Janet Jackson's "What have you done for me lately" because of the title of the post, I will now focus on some very serious questions at hand.
Diego says that Colombians are very particular about when and how often someone should shower. First of all, he says they must shower at least once a day. Okay, fine. I'll give him that. But more strangely, they must shower in the morning!! He told me that children who go to school without showering in the morning (proof found in the wet hair) are made fun of the way that heavier kids are made fun of in the US!
Considering the fact that I have been a night-time shower taker since ummmm birth, I find that very strange. I personally have severe issues with dry skin after showering once a day. I skip washing my hair one day or try to only wash the key areas so I don't dry everything out so much. I need my natural skin oils!!! That might be "too much information" for some people, but it's the truth. The idea that you would have to shower at night if you were dirty during the day only to wake up the following morning to take another shower seems ludicrous! My skin and hair would all fall out if I did that.
I have to reiterate that this is all according to Diego. Maybe it's something he was told so he would take a shower as a kid. Maybe it's a Bogota thing. I'm not sure....but it seems very strange in deed.
Diego says that Colombians are very particular about when and how often someone should shower. First of all, he says they must shower at least once a day. Okay, fine. I'll give him that. But more strangely, they must shower in the morning!! He told me that children who go to school without showering in the morning (proof found in the wet hair) are made fun of the way that heavier kids are made fun of in the US!
Considering the fact that I have been a night-time shower taker since ummmm birth, I find that very strange. I personally have severe issues with dry skin after showering once a day. I skip washing my hair one day or try to only wash the key areas so I don't dry everything out so much. I need my natural skin oils!!! That might be "too much information" for some people, but it's the truth. The idea that you would have to shower at night if you were dirty during the day only to wake up the following morning to take another shower seems ludicrous! My skin and hair would all fall out if I did that.
I have to reiterate that this is all according to Diego. Maybe it's something he was told so he would take a shower as a kid. Maybe it's a Bogota thing. I'm not sure....but it seems very strange in deed.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
What I'm thinking is......
1) What I'm thinking is that trying to post the pictures of my apartment on the blog is a little too much time. So for any of you that didn't see them yet, go to my facebook page and see amazing pictures of the apartment, city, and a trip to "Coffee World" (that's my name for it at least).
2) What I'm thinking is that Colombians in general do not drink much during a meal....they really only drink their juice, water, soda, whatever it is until after they finish their plate. That's nothing crazy, but it is something that I noticed especially when we were staying at the boarding house with 8 other people.
3) What I'm thinking is that I look better in Diego's jeans than I do in my own. Is it a little depressing that I fit into someone's jeans that is 6 inches taller than me....of course. But do I LOVE the fact that my wardrobe has expanded some.....HELL YES!!!
4) What I'm thinking is that roller-coasters are not as common in Colombia than they are in the US. When we went to the "Coffee World," there were a couple small roller-coasters that normally would be considered the smaller, not-so-scary roller-coasters at an amusement park in the US. The endearing part of it was that each time the small roller-coaster got back the entire crowd waiting/watching cheered the victors for their amazing survival. I'm almost a little jealous of their excitement. It takes a lot for me now to really get my adrenaline pumping. It's like firework shows.....once you have seen Thunder over Louisville it's hard to be excited about any other show.
5) What I'm thinking is that I am a little too competitive. First, it should not surprise any of the family....I had to stop myself from being too serious about a game of pool. One reason is that I sucked....horribly!!!! And if I stayed serious I would want to stab myself with the pool stick. Another is that it was a fun game that we made up so that 8 people could play. Luckily, I was with Diego's coworkers who are so much fun and I had a great time.
6) What I'm thinking is that I want to continue giving English lessons even if I find a different job. There's something about people wanting and excited to learn that will always keep me coming back for more as a teacher. I had my first lesson on Thursday and it went really well. I think I like to make a difference on a more individual basis and we all know that my multitasking ability (in regard to dealing with 20 students at a time) questionable.
7) What I'm thinking is that I am a master cook!!! Not really, but I took off the skin and ribs from the chicken breast I bought the other day.....that's got to count for something.
8) What I'm thinking is that I LOVE our washer/dryer!!! It's amazing when you don't have to wash your clothes by hand or wait 3-4 days for them to dry in a small space with no sun and little air. Plus our washer/dryer sings a beautiful song each time it finishes. I haven't caught it on video yet.....but soon....very soon!
9) Finally, what I'm thinking is that the statues here in Manizales are the funniest, collest statues ever. There are some human statues that look like they have war paint on, there are bulls walking down the side of a building, there are bulls jumping out of a fountain, it so much fun!!! I am going to try to take more pictures to post them soon!
2) What I'm thinking is that Colombians in general do not drink much during a meal....they really only drink their juice, water, soda, whatever it is until after they finish their plate. That's nothing crazy, but it is something that I noticed especially when we were staying at the boarding house with 8 other people.
3) What I'm thinking is that I look better in Diego's jeans than I do in my own. Is it a little depressing that I fit into someone's jeans that is 6 inches taller than me....of course. But do I LOVE the fact that my wardrobe has expanded some.....HELL YES!!!
4) What I'm thinking is that roller-coasters are not as common in Colombia than they are in the US. When we went to the "Coffee World," there were a couple small roller-coasters that normally would be considered the smaller, not-so-scary roller-coasters at an amusement park in the US. The endearing part of it was that each time the small roller-coaster got back the entire crowd waiting/watching cheered the victors for their amazing survival. I'm almost a little jealous of their excitement. It takes a lot for me now to really get my adrenaline pumping. It's like firework shows.....once you have seen Thunder over Louisville it's hard to be excited about any other show.
5) What I'm thinking is that I am a little too competitive. First, it should not surprise any of the family....I had to stop myself from being too serious about a game of pool. One reason is that I sucked....horribly!!!! And if I stayed serious I would want to stab myself with the pool stick. Another is that it was a fun game that we made up so that 8 people could play. Luckily, I was with Diego's coworkers who are so much fun and I had a great time.
6) What I'm thinking is that I want to continue giving English lessons even if I find a different job. There's something about people wanting and excited to learn that will always keep me coming back for more as a teacher. I had my first lesson on Thursday and it went really well. I think I like to make a difference on a more individual basis and we all know that my multitasking ability (in regard to dealing with 20 students at a time) questionable.
7) What I'm thinking is that I am a master cook!!! Not really, but I took off the skin and ribs from the chicken breast I bought the other day.....that's got to count for something.
8) What I'm thinking is that I LOVE our washer/dryer!!! It's amazing when you don't have to wash your clothes by hand or wait 3-4 days for them to dry in a small space with no sun and little air. Plus our washer/dryer sings a beautiful song each time it finishes. I haven't caught it on video yet.....but soon....very soon!
9) Finally, what I'm thinking is that the statues here in Manizales are the funniest, collest statues ever. There are some human statues that look like they have war paint on, there are bulls walking down the side of a building, there are bulls jumping out of a fountain, it so much fun!!! I am going to try to take more pictures to post them soon!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
That Can't Be True!
2) So as I have mentioned before, Colombians eat a lot of food. To the right is a picture of a plate of food that I ordered at a restaurant. It's bigger than it looks...They like to stack food whereas in the US we still like our food separated for the most part. Diego ate his plate and about 1/2 of mine. For the 2 weeks we stayed at the boarding house I finished a total of 3 meals (that was after I told her to give me less. That can't be true!!!! I have decided that there is something about Colombian food that makes me feel it faster so I get full very fast....cause lord knows I can kill 2 plates of Bob Evans "Big Farmer's Breakfast" in the US. And yes I did eat the chicharron (fried pig skin)....that can't be true!!! But actually it can!
3) My husband is an evil dictator wanting to take over the world!!!! See video for proof! That can't be true, can it? Further proof can be seen by his evil joy of the thought of eating little, adorable, innocent bird eggs!4) There are a few things in Colombia that seem backwards to me. First...they do not drink juice for breakfast, but they do drink it for lunch and dinner! That can't be true!!! Second, I cannot get in or out of my apartment building without the doorman. That can't be true!!! But it is!!!! The doorman is the only person who has the key to the building. So yes, that means sometimes I wait inside the building to get the attention of the doorman, who also works the 3 buildings near me, in order to let me out. Btw, the next blog will be devoted entirely to the apartment and furniture!
5) To go to the grocery store I have to climb these stairs....that can't be true!!! But it is!!!! There are 84 stairs plus the two sets of stairs to get in the apartment!! I love the challenge especially 7,020 ft up!! Take that Marie with your little 52 steps to your walk up!! Hehehehe! 
6) This is definitely true!!! I am the clumsiest person ever!!! Diego and I went to get some arepas and cheese along with some beer for our very first meal ever in the apartment. It was raining and I was in flip flops so when I walked down the stairs I slipped and slid down 3 or 4 stairs on my side. I have a large bruise on my hip along with a few other bruises down my leg!!!! Painful...yes. Embarrassing....hell yes!!!!! Luckily the arepas and beer were fantastic!!!!!!7) Finally, a couple pictures that are absolutely beautiful that just don't seem real to me! I love the dog picture, because he was doing the same thing I was.....hanging out in the middle of the road checking out the fantastic views!!!!
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