what are YOU doing this summer?

Experience Social Entrepreneurship: Colombia & Brazil

looking for an amazing summer traineeship experience? want to practice your Spanish or Portuguese skills, experience la vida latina, and have a major impact on individuals around you? want to know more? email me for details!

"I need your most tantalizing and captivating picture of Colombia.
To be used for internet marketing."
-Andrew

Say what?

So ... a picture is worth a thousand words + 9 months of traveling + thousands of pictures = ...one picture?

As I flip through the photo albums, I have no idea where to begin.

Do I choose from Barranquilla's carnaval, representative of the passion of Colombian people, the festival traditions that span the country, the music, and the dancing?

Or maybe a photo from the coffee region, a symbol of the country's economy and culture, and the mountain ranges that traverse a third of the country?

Perhaps the Plaza Bolivar in Bogota, the center of Colombian politics, national pride, and the site of so many historic events?

What about the stunning beaches of Tayrona, the Caribbean national park, so carefully preserved, bordered by lush jungle that is stil home to some of the indigenous communities who trace their roots back deeper into history than most of the Colombian population?

Or the colonial coastal city of Cartagena, declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site?

How do you choose ONE picture to represent an entire country as diverse as Colombia?

"just ask yourself what would single handedly sell people on coming to colombia"

easier said than done...

It's out of my hands...

A few hours before the deadline, I finally submitted the CC application that has been consuming the majority of my time over the past few weeks. Now I just need something else to occupy my thoughts and keep me patient for the next week and a half. I'm not good at waiting.

Regardless of how this turns out, HUGE SHOUT-OUT to all of you who have given me advice, recommendations, shared personal experiences, answered questions, written recommendation letters, and proofread for me throughout all of this. You guys are amazing...and hopefully I will run into many of you in Turkey...

Are you ready for some....futbol?

Junior v. Nacional

After living in South America for 9 months, I finally have the chance to go to a futbol match this week between Barranquilla and Medellin. I don't think that I have attended a large sports game since I was back in Madison. I have heard that the rivalry between these teams runs pretty deep and that the famous Metropolitano Stadium, where we attended the Shakira concert, can get pretty rowdy. Results and pictures will be posted :)

update:
Junior 2 - Nacional 1

It wasn't Camp Randall Stadium, the fans weren't singing "If you want to be a Badger", we weren't sitting in Section O, but last night's game was still pretty damn priceless.

I used to sit and watch the pouring rain...

It rained two days ago, for the first time since late October. This was the first weekend in months that it was too overcast and rainy to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon tanning at the pool.

I probably explained the arroyo phenomenon months ago when I first arrived to Barranquilla, home of the craziest rainstorms I have ever experienced, anywhere. The brilliant city planning, or lack thereof, has left the fourth largest city in this country with no sewer or drainage system. It's also below the level of the Magdelena River, which runs alongside the city and eventually empties out into the Caribbean at Puerto Colombia. Hence, when it rains, it not only pours, it also floods. Solution? Many of the major streets were built at a steep slope so that the rainwater is directed downward in the correct direction to empty out the city. The arroyos are the rivers that form in the streets as a result, causing traffic standstills for extended periods of time, as the possibility of being washed away for trying to cross one of the arroyos is not unheard of.

Silly me, I naively assumed earlier this evening that once the rain had finally let up, I was safe to venture outside. wrong. Determined to pick up some ice cream from Crepes & Waffles (anyone who has been to Colombia knows they have the best ice cream in the country) for our girls night in, I hopped on the bus that would drop me off a mere 3 blocks from the restaurant.

Once I got off, I realized that I was trapped on a corner between two arroyos that still had not stopped. I walked almost around the entire block, finally deciding to roll up my jeans and cross the street where the water seemed a little shallower. It never really looks as deep as it is. I stepped off the curb and the water rose half way up my calf. So much for keeping my pants dry.

I made it safely across the street, only to find myself in the same predicament a block farther up. The restaurant was across the street...almost there. This one was much easier...until without realizing it, my flip flop slid off and out of my grasp. Trying not to slip, I ran, half barefoot, down the block, dodging the crazy BQ traffic, looking like a fool who can't catch her sandal. I finally snag the flip flop, but not before my jeans are soaked above the knee.

Chin up, hold onto the last shread of dignity as I walk into C&W, looking like a complete mess, order my ice cream and head back to Melissa's apartment.

All in a day in the life in Colombia...

It's all in your hands, when do we begin?

GOAL: 50 US SN's --> Colombia & Brasil...let's make it happen.

I have recently been engaging in some very excited conversations regarding this initiative. While I was not able to attend AXLDS, I was excited to see the results that it generated. Many people back in the US and here in Latin America are working hard to create some awesome exchange opportunities. The timeline is pushing down on us, but considering the passion and experience of those involved, I am not worried. Personal motivation? I'm just excited for more people to experience what I have over the past year...Colombia es Pasion :)

saber que se puede, querer que se pueda.

A step in the right direction? Too soon to tell...

Colombia backs ELN ceasefire plan (bbc)

Colombia's government has agreed to a temporary ceasefire proposed by the country's second-largest rebel group, its senior peace negotiator has said. Peace commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo said any accord with the National Liberation Army (ELN) would not begin until rebels ended their campaign.

No specific details of the "temporary and experimental" ceasefire have been agreed yet, Mr Restrepo said. The ELN proposed the ceasefire agreement on Monday, saying it was ready to begin temporary disarmament in an effort to create a viable atmosphere for peace.

"We accept the proposal that the ceasefire be experimental and temporary," Mr Restrepo said. "Once the ELN halts its violent actions, halts the kidnappings and frees the hostages it holds, then the government will immediately cease all type of military offensive against them."

Correspondents say the ELN - some 4,000-strong - is not regarded as a big player in the civil conflict, which has pitted left-wing rebels against the state and right-wing paramilitaries. However, the government is keen to remove the ELN from the equation so that it can concentrate on the more powerful Farc, with whom it has refused to talk, and the drugs trade that fuels the fighting.

...more indepth Spanish analysis on BBCMundo...

THE ELN
Formed by intellectuals in 1965
Inspired by Cuban Revolution
About 4,000 members
Mainly carries out kidnappings and attacks on infrastructure
Listed by US and Europe as terror group

what is your signature strength?

Your Top Strength
Curiosity and interest in the world
You are curious about everything. You are always asking questions, and you find all subjects and topics fascinating. You like exploration and discovery.

I think that was a given...

So you're saying I have a chance...

two very distinct, but equally amazing opportunities are within my reach. very good energy coming off of some very good conversations. ideas are flowing, excitement and nervousness are both high. butterflies in my stomach. head is spinning. big things are going on around me, coming at me from every direction, making me feel dizzy. anticipation is rising...what's coming next...only time will tell.

Virginia Tech Shooting Kills at Least 32

At least 32 people were killed on the campus of Virginia Tech today in what appears to be the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history. Many of the victims were students.

NYTimes

I'll find my day, maybe, far and away...

I miss Wednesday nights at Brats and Thursday nights at Bros.
A-bars. shisha.
Snowstorms.
Unlimited coffeeshops.
My roommates. Rollerblading.
Late night drives. Late night runs.
The passion that an entire university feels for a football team.
Complaining about walking up Bascom Hill.
My Paris girls and our reunions.
Spending afternoons on the terrace. Babcock ice cream.

I know that when I leave I will miss salsa dancing.
Crazy bus drivers.
Our pool at the Prado. Llamada guys.
Fresh exotic fruit.
Spontaneous excursions all over the country.
Living close enough to a beach to go whenever I want, even if I don't always have time.
Learning phrases in Portuguese, Polish, German, and Patois.
Complaining that it's TOO hot in Barranquilla.

Leaving bits and pieces of my heart all over the world.
Bittersweet. I haven't even left yet. Caught between somewheres.

Cuz baby, there ain't no mountain high enough...

The deeper I get into this application, the more intense and challenging that it is proving to be, which just makes me even more determined.

My roommate commented yesterday, after I told her repeatedly that I needed to work all weekend, that I was not going to the beach or out to lunch or out clubbing, "wow, we really approach things in life differently".

damn right. i'm thinking big. work hard, play hard. it's time to rock this.

gemelas...

Katy: we are @ twins

Within the past 24 hours, I have received 3 emails from @ers back in the States who are interested in doing traineeships in Colombia.

VERY COOL.

in the news...

Car bomb hits Colombia police HQ

A large car bomb has exploded in front of police headquarters in Colombia's south-west city of Cali, the first such attack in a major city for four years.

Officials said the blast, which killed one person and injured more than 30, was most likely the work of Farc, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

But drug traffickers, paramilitaries or common criminals have not been ruled out as suspects (BBC).

We're spoiled...

Colombia undoubtably has the ability to capture the hearts of all foreigners who discover it. As it was after Christmas vacation, everyone has returned from their Semana Santa excursions to other Central and South American countries and one common thread is revealed in all of our stories.

"x-country, y-city, etc. was great, we had fun, it was beautiful...but there is no way that it can compare to Colombia. The Colombian people, the culture, are pretty much unlike anywhere else in the world".

yeah, we are pretty damn lucky to be here :)

It's a small world after all...

I love the connections, the way that people are brought together through this organization that we have all made a part of our lives.

Scenario uno:
Xiomara - member of my LC in Madison, from Medellin. I spent New Year's Eve with her family in Buga, small town in the mountains north of Cali, she left shortly afterward to attend the same study abroad program in Paris that I did Spring 2004.
Ivan - former LCVP X in B'Quilla, matched my traineeship, currently doing a CEED for AIESEC France.

A couple weeks ago, I was chatting with Ivan on msn and he mentioned that he had met a friend of mine. As I searched my brain trying to think of any AIESEC'ers who I knew in France (none), he said that Xiomara had stopped by the MC office in Paris to visit and meet some AIESEC'ers there, realized that there was someone from Colombia, figured out that they both knew me.

Scenario dos:
Katy - my AIESEC twin, took over as LCVP Event Coordination, just returned from AXLDS, and *hopefully* doing a traineeship in Colombia sometime in the near future.
Camilo - one of the UNINORTE @ers who I met at AXLDS last year who everyone remembered for sleeping onstage during opening plenary, recently elected LCP UNINORTE.

me: i hear that you met camilo from uninorte?
Katy: we were roomies on the study tour!! he has a video for you from me, he was like..SAY HI TO SARAH
me: did you meet a lot of the colombian delegates?
Katy: ooomg yes..i fell in love with them, they were first ones i latched on to

make the world your comfort zone? DONE.

Ghost town...

Spending Semana Santa (Holy Week/week preceding Easter) in Bogota has been a very interesting experience. We had expected that museums and other tourist attractions would have limited hours and that we may not be able to visit as many places as we would during other times of the year, but what we had not expected was how EMPTY the city has become. I have never walked around a huge cosmopolitan capital city and wondered where all of its 9 million inhabitants had disappeared to.

Yesterday, as it was Good Friday the Zona Rosa (one of the usually busiest neighborhoods in Bogota, where many of the best bars, restaurants, and shopping malls are located) was SILENT. When we headed down to the Candelaria however, we were shocked to see the streets and sidewalks packed with people. I dare say that the crowds rivaled those of State Street in Madison during Halloween. The Candelaria is the historic and cultural center of the city, home to government buildings, museums, and of course, dozens of churches and cathedrals. People were pouring in and out of the churches attending mass, street vendors were suddenly selling prayer cards and roseries, processions were led through the streets and more.

Having been raised in a Catholic family (and yes, 9 years of Catholic grade school), I understand many of the traditions and much of the history that is associated with Holy Week. However, having been raised in the States with such a diversity of religious beliefs, it is fascinating to witness these types of religious celebrations in a country that is overwhelmingly dominated by a single religion, and to see how much it filters into the daily lives on an entire nation. The Catholic Church has played a significant role throughout the history of Latin America. I do not wish to argue whether or not this has been a positive or negative role, as I believe that religion is a very sensitive and personal topic, but rather just to comment on how visibly and deeply engrained into the culture that this has become.

Raindrops keep falling on my head....

We survived our adventure into the jungle, which was one of the most unique trips that I have ever taken. We really did swim with pink dolphins in the Amazon, fished for pirahnas, watched the fastest moving sloth you could possibly imagine as our guide climbed up into the tree after it, and held caymens (type of alligator). Our rubber boots were a laughable attempt to "stay dry" on our hikes through the rainforest when we ended up crossing water that inched higher and higher, to our thighs, above our waists, and finally deep enough that we needed to swim across. Blair, Julia, Melissa and I had the lodge to ourselves for 5 days and we enjoyed every minute of it.


Melissa and I arrived back to Bogota yesterday evening for the second half of our nice long spring break. As much as we loved the rainforest, it was nice to return to civilization...away from all of the misquitos...wash our nasty jungle laundry and enjoy some fine dining in the Zona Rosa. Bogota remains my jumping off point, I have been here several times, and despite a few unlucky incidents that several of us have had here, this city becomes more and more appealing each time that I return.


I realized earlier today that yesterday was exactly one year from the date that I had first returned home to Madison from Colombia. So many memories come back as I recall the first time that I arrived to Bogota last year and like others, I feel a pang of jealousy thinking about others who were able to go to AXLDS this year, hopefully having an equally life-changing experience. My life has changed so much since my first encounter with Colombia last year. I smile as I wander through the city and remember my initial discovery of different spots in the capital city, each time that I have returned since then, and the wonderful people who I have spent time with here.

My time in Colombia is winding down quickly. What comes next remains to be determined, my future still seems to be one large question mark. For now, all that I can do is cherish mi vida colombiana, for I know that it will be one more memory all too quickly....

In the jungle, the mighty jungle...