a week's worth

I left out most of what happened this week, so here’s a quick run-down:

• Sunday night (seems so long ago…) I went to see the Vagina Monologues with three other Fulbright girls. The slang in Spanish was hard to follow in places, but the performance of the three actresses who interpreted the monologues was incredible. It was the show’s last night at the national theater, after a long and successful run. Joy, a dancer, was so inspired by the director/oldest actress, who performed beautifully, that after the final curtain she slipped backstage to talk with her. I tried to follow but got caught immediately (those Buckmaster genes, right Jeremy?) and kicked out. When Joy finally came outside, she was practically skipping with excitement – she’d gotten her phone number and the promise of a lunch date. Fannie, I’m not sure of her last name, is an important figure on Bogotá’s theater scene, so it was quite a coup for Joy.

• After the show, we all wanted to prolong the feeling of female solidarity, I think. We decided to take TransMilenio to the only place we knew would be open on a Sunday night, where we ate nachos and drank beer and aguas de horchata till just before the last bus left. I ended up catching a taxi from the stop nearest to my house, since it was after 10 pm by that time, and although the city yawns but barely sleeps during the week, Sundays are for family time, and the streets were more deserted than usual.

• Monday was spent trying to convince someone to bring us the Internet. This is not turning out to be as straightforward as I thought it would be. We can’t seem to get the web in the apartment because we are not a business…so I’m thinking of opening what would be the 14^th Internet café on this street. People from the main phone/cable internet company were supposed to come this morning, but instead we got a phone call informing us that we were a home, not a business, and therefore they would not be installing the internet for us. So we’re back to square one.

• Thursday I went with Joy to one of her dance classes, or tried to. The Afro-Colombian dance studio was closed (she said it’s always hit or miss whether she will have class there), but by happy coincidence we ran into some friends of hers on their way to an Afro-Cuban dance lesson. So much fun! I was terrible, naturally, having never tried this kind of dance before, but the instructor and atmosphere were so laid-back and nonjudgmental that I felt completely comfortable flapping around, wiggling, giggling, jumping and machete-ing (I know that’s not a word, but that’s what the movement was called – it represents people chopping cane with machetes, and I don’t know what else to call it). I don’t think I need two activities in my life here that I’m both bad at and are physically exhausting, so…anyone need a pair of cleats, size 8.5?

• Friday was a nerve-wracking day for whatever reason, and Elizabeth helped distract me with her dinner party plans. We went grocery shopping, something we’re getting better at now that our Colombian roommate and friends have stopped “accompanying” us to tell us what to buy. That well-intentioned kindness, added a level of stress we decided is not necessary to the grocery-buying experience. Later in the afternoon I tried to play basketball but ended up just dribbling on the sidelines as the court was being used for a pretty exciting soccer game. It was good practice for my basketball game today, though – I haven’t done any ball-handling drills for a long, long time. Today Tom and Chris, although they may not know it yet, are going to experience the power of women’s basketball. Joy and I are taking them on. Hopefully I won’t sit down to write tomorrow with any major injuries…I tend to be a little on the over-competitive side with these things, especially when I feel the need to show skills for gender equality!

• I called home to wish Jer a happy birthday - happy quarter century, my brother, you’re off to a great start. And as the smartest one of us kids, you’ve got a lot to live up to. I’ve never heard of our family working so hard – Julia’s putting in 60 hour weeks, Mom’s putting in 10 hour days, Dad is crazy with work as usual, Jeremy’s schedule has him working and/or on campus seven days a week, and William seems to be taking school more seriously this semester (good for you, kiddo!) Georgia State should start giving up a group discount. Julia, maybe if you head over to the public health or policy school, they will! Then Dad could finally finish his masters’ degree and start teaching – what he’s really called to do, in my opinion. I at least couldn’t have asked for a better teacher for everything that counts. Mom and Dad both really did right by us kids, even when we made it harder than it had to be, and this distance makes me appreciate them even more.

• I miss those interminable family dinners on Sundays a lot here …but this place is getting more and more comfortable to me. It’s a lot more like moving to New York (what people generally thought I meant when I said, “I’m moving to Colombia.”) than I expected it to be. Like moving to NY and never leaving Spanish Harlem. Cosmopolitan, busy, sometimes dirty, and always with something interesting to see or do.

• GG – if you get a chance to read this, just want you to know I’m thinking about you and hoping you’re feeling better today. I’ve been reading a lot since I’ve been here, and had time to think and write, and think some more. I’m pretty happy overall – I needed to have the experience of moving, alone, to strange city and learning how to make it home, and so far that’s exactly what the Fulbright is providing me. I’ll call you this evening!

• Last night the supper party Elizabeth cooked up was delicious. Everyone had a great time, and at least one new couple was formed. A female friend of Trish’s came, so for once I was not the only person to be significant other-less here – I know, poor poor pitiful me! (I love that song, lately more than ever…) This girl is studying law, like our roommate, and was super-nice. We all went dancing, to Antifaz again, and had a great time. Dancing is proving to be a great release for me here.

Well, folks, that’s all the news that’s fit to report from Barrio El Recuerdo. I miss you all, until the next time! Please comment – Mom thinks no one is reading my blog if you don’t. :-)