Colombia

I finished my first semester of teaching last week. Much like everything that has happened to me in the last year, teaching wasn’t something I was aware I would be doing until a few days before the first day of class. The head of the langauge institute called me on Friday and told me they needed someone to teach their level 6 English course starting Monday. I wasn’t required to say yes, but I did because I knew it would be an experience that would better me as a person. I’m very glad I made that decision.

I did not go to school to become a teacher, I have no certifications or experience of any kind, and yet my first teaching job was at a university (one of the best in the city). I remember walking to class on my first day thinking, “How in the hell am I going to do this?” I did get a degree in English, and I consider myself good with words, but I don’t remember all the rules of English grammar. It’s a completely different thing to know something and know how to explain it. I found myself studying as much if not more than my students. I also had to focus hard on using correct English. If I used yall when speaking consistently, I would see the word yall in their papers. While this would have been funny, it would not have been good for them in the future.

I was also faced with the difficult task of what to do with students you catch cheating. It wasn’t so long ago that I was in Spanish class, and while I won’t go into detail about those times I’ll just say I have sympathy for students who feel like they need to have a cheat sheet to pass a test. For the most part though, my students became my friends and I only had to stand firm a few times throughout the semester.

I’ll admit, this post is more for me than you. This blog is somewhat of a journal for me and I want to remember this experience. If I could pull some type of life lesson out of all of this it would be… 

choose your words carefully around people who look up to you

This Saturday I saw H’Sao play, an amazing band from Chad. The guys in H’Sao could only speak English and French, and I got to play translator at a salsa bar we went to the night before. I surprised myself and later got a chance to rap in front of a few of them. I was as entertained as I was educated from their concert. I like to go to shows just to get ideas of things to do in my set. I usually film a few songs and turn it into a blog if it’s worth sharing, which I would have been doing now if I hadn’t been robbed later that night.

Ten friends and I decided to make it a quiet night and get some pizza, a few beers, and relax in a park outside of Buenavista (a shopping mall). We sat in a picnic area, had a car playing music, and were enjoying the heat lightning that has filled the sky for the last week or so. At about 11 pm two cops drove up to us on motorcycles and asked us to turn the music down. About 20 minutes later three men came out of the shadows with guns, telling us all to be quiet and give them everything we had.

The first thing my mind went to was training I had received in Washington before coming here. I put my hands on my head and looked at the floor. Often robbers are more prone to hurt you if you are looking at their face, and reaching into your pockets to give them things could be interpreted as reaching for a weapon. Another cool thing I learned was how to book a hotel room in a “lets blow us up some Americans” area of the world. It’s best to get a room in the back of the hotel on the 6^th floor. Bombers usually attack the front of buildings, and a standard fire truck latter can reach up to the sixth floor.

They stole my wallet, blackberry, and flip camera, but were nice enough to drop my keys on the way out. This was the first time anyone has ever pointed a gun at me and it was a very interesting feeling. I wasn’t scared that they would shoot; I was more focused on what I needed to do to make sure they wouldn’t.

The most messed up part of all this is that my friends are fairly sure the police that came twenty minutes before the robbery called the thugs to come rob us. Ten minutes after the three men drove away with my friend’s car the same two cops showed up on the motorcycle, and they didn’t look so concerned. Apparently the police system in Barranquilla is very corrupt, but I think there’s a little of that everywhere. I’m just glad I popped my getting robbed cherry without anyone getting hurt.

Here is a video of H’Sao I found on youtube, since I couldn’t make one myself:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs9Vt_KiKPU&feature=related]

Last weekend started out pretty quiet. I was working with Julian in the studio until about 10 pm on Friday, so we decided to stay in and save up for Saturday. Then I got a call from Diego.

An hour later I was being dropped off at a bus station where my friends were waiting to head out to a house party in Puerto Colombia, a beach town outside of the city. We packed into the back of a cab (four guys, a guitar, a bass, and a box drum) and headed out there. The party was at a really big/old house about 100 yards from the beach. The dance floor inside the house was the closest to a rave party I’ve even been to. The music was up-tempo and everyone was moving. In the spirit of living in the moment I turned off my phone and never asked for the time. That’s one thing I realize we put more importance to than most people here. We always want to know whats next, have a plan, and stick to it. So I’m not exactly sure when we set up and played a set, but we did. Later in the night the party moved onto the beach, where everyone circled around us and we played until one by one everyone left. We continued to play until the sun broke over the horizon, and then laid back and went to sleep on the sand.

I woke up the next morning when the tide came up and hit me in the face. I sat up and looked around for my friends. Diego was close by, hugging his bass with his head in the sand. Albert was curled up in a ball on the porch of a beach front store. My guess is the water hit him earlier than it did me and he made his way to safer grounds. But it took me a while to find Jean. I finally found him passed out on top of a table. We all got up, walked to the road, and caught a ride back into town. Here is the only picture I took all night:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW4HlE5UOR8]

This weekend my friends and I had two shows, both of which were at pizza restaurants. They were also both followed by after parties and impromptu shows in a park where people that were walking by, or walking home, joined in the crowd. These always last until the sun comes up. I woke up on Sunday and went to a beach right outside of town called Puerto Colombia. When I got there I stumbled upon a reggaeton video being filmed and did a little filming of my own. I’d say I wish I could relive this weekend over and over, but I’m too excited for next weekend to do so. What’s happening? I have no clue… but I’m sure it will involve singing, salsa dancing, making friends and laughing at jokes and stories I don’t fully understand.

If you haven’t yet joined the Addictive Nature facebook band page please do so: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Addictive-Nature/111638225522127?ref=ts

Our album (SMOOTHIE) is really coming together and will be released in June. Until then we will be releasing promo videos and leaking songs on this page, so please click the “like” button— if you feel that way.  More than anything, we are just trying to reestablish our following, see who is still listening. Thanks in advance!

I’m writing to tell you about a new diet plan I have invented. It only cost .75 USD and is guaranteed to help you lose 10 pounds before summer. Your perfect beach body is just three steps away:

1. Go out on any street in Barranquilla

2. Eat a beef empanada at 2 am from a man selling them on the side of the road. You want to wait until 2 so you can get the last one he has and build up a good appetite to put it down quick.

3. Go home and get some sleep. The next morning the real magic begins.

While this is very effective I don’t suggest it to anyone. Last week was pretty rough! Sorry I have been slacking on the blogs recently. Let me give you a quick recap of what I’ve been up to. Last night I played in a plaza downtown at a music festival with my friends. We were the last group to play and we killed it! Had the people dancing, jumping around, and throwing flowers at us. My friends told me I was the first gringo to ever perform in the plaza. It was a very sketchy part of Barranquilla, an area they told me to never go by myself. Before we played we walked to get a beer from a stand, a short 3 minute walk that was filled with a strange paranoia. Don’t want to sound like a ignorant gringo here… but it looked very 3rd world ish. The performance was without a doubt one of the most fun 15 minute shows I have ever had. Thanks to my combo!

The day before we performed in a store in Buenavista, the largest mall in Barranquilla. It was my second in-store performance and I had a lot of fun. My friends here, just like Flex Mathews did in DC, have been bringing me everywhere they play and letting me perform with them. I’m very blessed to have met such great and talented people in my life.

Other than that I’m just living, trying to improve my Spanish, planning some trips to see different parts of the country, and thanking God for my health and the opportunities he has provided me. Well with exception to tonight… I have a 102.6 fever and there is a mariachi band playing in my living room. Got to love Colombia!

Now that carnival is over and I have a second to breathe let me try to recap the four days. I’ll start with day 1:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKUI6abqn_M]

After a wild Friday I wake up on Saturday at 11:30, jump out of bed, and run down to the battle of the flowers (the largest parade of the carnival). I went to meet with my friend Jean, but once I arrived there was no Jean to be found. So I’m walking around alone in a crowd of thousands of people, drinking Aguilia, looking for my friends, and trying to find a place where I can see the parade. While walking through the crowd I got cornered by 4 guys who wouldn’t let me move and kept reaching into my pockets. I covered my pockets with my hands and ran. Crisis averted.

So I come to terms with the fact that I’m not going to find my friends and finally found a place where I could see the action. After about 10 minutes the group of people next to me ask if I want a shot of their Whiskey.  I become the token gringo, repeating words and phrases, and taking shots whenever handed the bottle. Things got a little wild. We tear down the tent in front of us where the rich people are sitting to get a better view and start throwing water on everyone. After a few hours of mayhem they invite me to the beach. Good and bad things happen on the beach… this was no time to go.

I left and went down to the south of the city to a baseball field where a huge concert was being held. I went to meet with some friends I had made the night before at La Troja, but once again could not find them in the crowd. So I walked around until I found one of my students and went in with him and his friends.

They don’t sell beer… only liquor. Bottle of rum it is.

The concert is amazing. I’m dancing all over the place. Salsa, vallenato, reggaeton, whatever comes out of the speakers we are moving to. I take my sandals off to dance with someone, a few songs pass, I turn around and notice they are gone. So hours later I am leaving a sold out concert in a sketchy part of the city with no shoes. I call a friend who is at a street party and says he can get me an extra pair. Off to the street party I go, once again flying solo.

I get there and walk around until I find him only to be told he forgot the shoes. About 30 minutes later I step on a broken bottle of something and my foot starts bleeding all over the place. I poor some beer on it, grab a napkin and scotch tape, and make a band-aide. I went home around 4 am, cleaned the cuts up a little bit, and went to bed.

Keep in mind, while I did drink a good amount of alcohol throughout the day, I did it at a pace that kept me relatively sober. I have never, and will never, black out in this country… there’s too much to remember!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1lU-pvgr00]

Last weekend was one of the last pre-carnival events called La Guacherna. It was my second parade, the first being in the beach town of Puerto Colombia, but my first time actually dancing in one. It was one of the best nights of my life.

I went down to the parade with my friend Keren. We had to force our way through the gates and a few security guards to get inside the parade. Once we got in the dancing and drinking began, and there was plenty of both. The tricky part is you have to dance while you move forward, which is why most people just put their arms around each other and run all over the place. After about two hours and one too many sips I hear a bunch of people screaming my name. I look over and all of my students are standing on the side of the road, screaming, jumping up and down and taking pictures. This was already a once in a lifetime experience (I never thought I’d be dancing in a Colombian parade) but this topped it off. Apparently my students have pictures on facebook… blackmail.

I ended the night at an 80’s bar with some friends. I got to dance, had a few more drinks, and went home to rest for the next day.  Big thanks to one of the coolest girls I’ve ever met, Carolina, for the costume for the parade. Caroli na na na na na (you will hear about her in a song soon)

Every day before my class starts I play a few songs for my students. I have realized by picking these songs how rap music is rarely universal. I almost never find myself playing rap music, which has made me want more out of my own music. I’m looking forward to making fans that can’t understand me. Check out some of the tracks I’m enjoying in that same regard right now.

French: Stromae – Alors On Danse

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHoT4N43jK8]

Spanish: Juan Luis Guerra – Bachata En Fukuoka

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PESglbdGUUQ]

Dutch: Brainpower – Boks Ouwe

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oiuaka_rA-k&feature=related]

If you have never danced bachata you really should learn how. It is a wonderful type of music and a great way to get close to someone. I will share a lot more music on twitter so look me up: twitter.com/addictivenature

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8Z-WfbImJo]

This was my first time performing in Colombia, back in November. You have already “met” Julian (guitar), Keren (singer), and Diego (bass). So I would like to introduce you to Camilo, the drummer. Camilo is one of my best friends here. He specializes in making music that people jump to, and is helping me with a few songs for the new album, so expect to jump. I’d also like you to meet Juan, a rediculously good singer and rapper who plays in a reggae band here. He will also be on the album.

I have no idea who took this video, but whoever it was really likes zooming in and out.

If you don’t have a car in Barranquilla you have three options for getting around: taxi, moto (motorcycle taxi), and bus.

BUS:

Trying to get on a bus is a lot like jumping into a double-dutch game. Sure it might slow down for you, but don’t expect it to stop. The second your foot touches the first step that bus is back to full speed. Your first obstacle is to climb up and push your way through the rotating gate. Once you get through you have to pay the bus driver, who turns around while driving to take your money (1.3 mil/.75 cents) and give you change.

Then comes the hardest part, trying to make it to a seat. This bus will come to sudden stops, jerking around to avoid cracks in the road and people as they play frogger. Colombians call these buses “erasers” because as Tavo says, “they erase people from this earth.”  If you can make it to a seat without falling into someone you are a better man than I. In my opinion these busses are better than the DC ones though. I think I was attacked by a crack head 80% of the time I rode a DC bus.

Now comes the part that’s especially difficult for me. Not all buses have a button to ask the driver to stop. So many times you have to yell at the driver from the back, which is really hard when you don’t know what to yell. Expect to be left at least one block away from where you intended to get off.

Taxi:

At first taxis will seem like heaven, especially after being on a bus.  A 10 minute cab ride is 6 mil/3 USD. I can see all my DC people’s faces as I’m writing this… I know, that is what you pay just to get in. There are three things you need to know before taking a taxi. 1) You will not stop at red lights after 9pm 2) you won’t go anywhere near the speed limit. You’ll want to learn how to say slow down (mas despacio) 3) If a taxi ever stops to pick you up at night and is full of people run, run very fast.

Moto:

You don’t want to ride one of these. It is cheaper than a cab and it will get you there faster… but think about it. This guy has been driving people around all day. It’s hot here, and you HAVE to put on the extra helmet he has been carrying around. People go to the hospital with funguses on their head because they put these things on. On top of that, what guy wants to ride on the back of a motorcycle?

While these things aren’t ideal, they are in their own way fun. It’s different, and an adventure if you make it one. I’ve jumped on a number of buses when I didn’t have anything to do just to go somewhere, and let it take me wherever it was going. I ended up downtown once, out in the country once, and even where I was trying to go a few times.