I’m taking four classes (well, taking two and auditing two, for the moment anyway…so this is what being a full-time student is like!) at la Universidad de los Andes, the rich kids’ school. I think I’m okay with that for the moment, though. It’s definitely one side of the Colombian reality.
Next semester I think I’ll take classes at La Nacional, which is currently on strike over the administrations’ proposed changes – the students and professors are not “de acuerdo” – as anyone who has seen the graffiti covering the city knows well. Although some of it is quite poetic, the overall effect makes me miss Atlanta graffiti, which is much more artistic.
Anyway, I really like my classes! The 7 AM one I’m not completely crazy about, as you can probably imagine (insert joke about my Antitrust hours here), but the theme is interesting – collective action and democratic theory. Should be challenging, to say the least – it’s a graduate seminar course…in Spanish. At 7 AM. What was I thinking?
The second class is Architecture for non-architects, and I love it! Another Fulbrighter took it last semester and keeps in touch with the professor, who is dynamic, super passionate about architecture (it’s essential to the human condition, you know), and charismatic. Today the discussion ranged from Greek mythology to poverty in Colombia to the objective/subjective nature of beauty. The class will mostly consist of tours of the campus and city to see and draw buildings that represent various styles and eras.
After class #2, I went home and took a nap. So don’t feel sorry for me! Life is good. It was the most delectable, satisfying nap ever. I woke up, got dressed for the ambassador shindig set for that night, and headed off to campus again.
From here in the El Recuerdo neighborhood (The Memory for those of you not on the Spanish bandwagon yet…yet) to the campus in bus is maybe a ten-minute ride, and there’s NEVER any wait, so I wasn’t too worried about my 5:30 class in (drum roll please) Public and Mass Transportation.
I’m so thrilled to be finally taking a class in my second nerd nature. Back among my people, the transit geeks. Actually, they didn’t seem very geeky. I was a tiny bit disappointed at first, but cheered up quickly when the professor (the famoso Arturo Ardila) mentioned bus counting at 5 AM and a field trip to Medellin to tour the metro system there. This is gonna be great!
After class I looked at a friend’s apartment, but I think I’m going to stay put. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you how cheap the place I live now is, so I won’t. Never mind, like any good woman I can’t keep new of a bargain to myself. The total, including all bills and internet when we finally get it: 300,000 pesos, or about $132. The only downside is that I don’t have a guest room for visitors, but we will work something out! There’s always the huge living room, where I could sleep if I had an important visitor like the momma J , and hotels here are very cheap. I also know of several sweet older women who rent out rooms in their homes for about $15 a night, breakfast included! This girl’s apartment was charming, though, and close to school. Still.
On to the main course: an invitation-only event at the Ambassador’s house to celebrate the naming of a new Fulbright director. The bulletproof hedge in front of the house was only a preamble to the poshness we were about to experience. We didn’t let the chandeliers cloud our judgment, though – I was first in line for food (first!) so we got an entire room full of gilt armchairs and slightly strange American flag-inspired artwork all to ourselves.
I met a literary agent and we had a great talk about changes in the city of Bogotá, its mayors, and TransMilenio. There’s an international theater festival taking place here March 31 – April 17th, and she invited me to go along with her so I would know which companies were worth seeing. Russian theater in Bogotá, Colombia! This place rocks.
Finally, the ambassador “dropped by.” I can’t tell you what we talked about, top secret you know (okay, it was mostly buses), but he was charming and single, for all you older diplomatic types (I’m guessing he could go younger, too).
My roommate got into a discussion of US policy vis-à-vis Colombia with him, an actual discussion. When I heard her broach the subject I was glad we’d eaten and drunk, since I didn’t expect us to last much longer after that. But they talked for quite a while, and she found him surprisingly willing to listen to her point of view. I don’t think any of the Fulbright students here are in favor of current policy, so he probably wasn’t terribly surprised, but regardless, I was proud of her.
It was a long day, from 5 AM to midnight. I hope every Tuesday is like this, but with more sleeping and web chat. I missed my internet messenger!
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