No comprendo…

I was surprised that Spanish-speaking people actually say this phrase that Americans sometimes use. Beyond this, I have learned that no Spanish class could have prepared me for only conversing in Spanish during my trip to Colombia. My first overwhelming language experience was at a party when I first arrived. Thinking they were talking about kittens, I answered a question, but apparently they were asking about two little girls. Gratefully, my hosts enforce Spanish so I can improve, but they also speak English in case I have no idea what they are talking about. We’ll see if this remains true of my hosts in Argentina. But nevertheless, I feel that I am becoming more comfortable surrounded by Spanish. My conjugation of verbs is still rusty but is improving. And words long forgotten (like cucumber) are coming back to me.

Despite my second grade Spanish, the language and its cultural idiosyncrasies enrich my own experience of Bogotá. I was offered a bocadillo. My mind scrambled to translate. Boca? Mouth? What? But it turned out to be a common Colombian dessert of a slice of candied guava with a slice of local cheese on top. Sounds horrible, but in all honesty,  I’d give up ice cream forever and replace it with this dessert.

The opposite of expectations

Walking through a Spanish Franciscan church that softens the cries of street vendors, I have arrived in an entirely new place. Compared to my austere Protestant church at home, I am awed by the ornate decoration- silver, gold, carved wood- of the church. I steps echo and I try not to disturb the Colombians kneeling and praying at midday. Religion permeates this country’s culture, but not as I expected. Many people struggle with Catholicism despite its seemingly pervasive nature in South America.

Outside of the churches, the streets are lined with military personnel. Dressed in camouflage and carrying huge guns, their presence makes me want to shriek and run. But the more I experience the city, I question what is this impending threat. As it turns out, Colombia experienced a bombing about a decade ago, and this event initiated the enormous increase in security. It seems radical at first, but is the increased security at my high school in response to Newtown just as ridiculous? What is so different between soldiers guarding Colombian schools and American schools continually being locked down from the outside world? Whether it be ridiculous, radical or rational, our reaction to violence is to arm and secure schools, movie theaters, and airports.

Soldiers by the Plaza de Bolívar

So far, I am loving this experience and cannot wait to learn more. ¡Hasta luego!

Location: Calle 73 Bogotá Colombia