Colombian idiosyncrasies

Eventually, I would like to touch on some serious topics, but maybe we should start out with something light. I have spent nearly 8 months here in Colombia, and my life here is quite distinct from my life in Bolivia. I live in my own apartment(instead of with a host family), the climate is significantly cooler, and my job description is much more than “hang out with the kids.” Of course, there are some similarities, too. However, let me start by listing some things that, in my mind, are unique and somewhat representative of certain aspects of Colombia.

1. Keys. In college, I had about 4 keys (house, car, work, and church). In Bolivia, I had one key (house). I got to Colombia, and I had 8 keys (4 house keys, and 4 work keys). I only have 6 keys now, since I only need 2 to get in the door of my apartment, but it’s still a large number keys for only a few functions. And I don’t exactly love carrying lots of keys.

2. Bike paths. Bogotá’s system of bike paths is one of the longest and most extensive in the world. In addition, on Sundays and holidays they have Ciclovia, where over 70 miles of major streets are blocked off for bikers, skaters, joggers, etc , and hundreds of thousands of people take advantage of it. A few months ago, I acquired bike from a friend, and now I am one of those hundreds of thousands of people taking advantage of this.

3. Bus emergency exits. Most buses have some sort of push-out window or back door as an emergency exit . . . except in Colombia. Here, it’s like they made all the buses first and later realized they needed emergency exits. So now, your standard emergency exit on a Bogota bus is a small hammer strapped the window. . .

4. Coffee. My frustration in Bolivia reached a peak when I ordered coffee at a nice restaurant and got hot water with a packet of instant coffee. On the other hand, within a few blocks of my apartment here, there are probably a dozen places I could get real coffee and espresso-based drinks. This definitely contributes to my emotional health.