Taco Tuesday - "You can't win the lottery if you don't buy a ticket."

 

I reluctantly began the Fulbright Scholarship process a year ago when I said goodbye to one of my mentees, friends, and now mentor.  The night before it was due I stayed up all night editing my essay and social project idea. I remember wanting to give up...
I’m glad I didn’t because this has definitely become one of the most rewarding processes in my life.

I feel as if I won the lottery.

This lottery has not made me rich in money but in life experiences, human connections, and a better perspective about my purpose in life; albeit sounding existential in this moment may be premature… Life is pretty incredible right now.

Bogota treated me very well. It was nice to trade in the constant sun rays of California for the bipolar contrast of daily showers and extreme sun that Bogota usually has on a day to day basis this time of the year.  Bogota has incredible culture, incredible gastronomy, incredible people (Rolos), but what stood out to me most was the marriage between contrasts: the colonial and the modern, the conservative and the liberal, the pagan and the religious. These contrasts come from a history of complicated periods of civil war, political movements, and constant struggle to become a better nation regardless of the inner turmoil.

Because Colombian people have suffered a constant state of civil war, for lack of a better word, it is without a doubt they prescribe themselves constant dozes of warmth, happiness, & fun; evident by their value placed on human interactions. Whether it be breakfast, mid-lunch, lunch, dinner, coffee, drinks, or “rumba,” one constantly gives a piece of factual intimacy to a total stranger.

Hostels Pre-Orientation Rumba:

The hostel was a pretty amazing experience. Visitors of LaPinta were super friendly and ready to embrace anyone and everyone. I met a really cool lady from Britain with a serious cough.  Jen had worked for 30+ years and one day decided pack her bags and travel through Latin America.  She accompanied the group of 20 something year olds during our two nights of Pre-Orientation Rumba.

The group was composed of really amazing people: Marc (Local Rolo & friends with last year’s FBs = Fulbrighters), Kelly (FB), Adam/Vicente (FB), Cyntoya (FB), Tiffany AKA TIFF la PAISA (FB), and yours truly. We went to this really cool Flea Market style bar where we ordered Polas, local slang for beer. Marc taught the group how to dance the typical Afro-Colombian music called CHAMPETA!!!! <--click to listen

After dancing way too many songs for Bogota’s altitude, wearing a couple of wigs & hats from the flea market, and meeting the manager of Mi Tierra/Taverna we decided to call it a night.

Saturday night a couple more Rolos, joined in on the festivities. If you know me, you know I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Theatre. So imagine my excitement when I found out we were going to “rumbear” in a historic theatre turned club: THEATRON. The biggest night-club in Colombia: four stories high, over 13 bars, and a ton of dance floors catering to different music styles. Although this club is LGBT there is an array of patrons; it’s the hottest place in Bogota. Marc established protocol before entering - “We all stick together and nobody leaves until we are all ready to go!”

Of course, I also immersed myself in the historic/cultural aspects of Colombia’s capitol. Here’s a list of places I visited: 

The historic Candelaria neighborhood

-Centro Cultural Gabriel Garcia Marquez

-Municipal Palace,

-Museo del Oro

-a ton of small but enigmatic Catholic churches

-Museo Nacional

The Beverly Hills of Bogota - Rosales Neighborhood

The WeHo or Hillcrest of Bogota – Chapinero

-Catedral Lourdes

-Theatron

-MiTierra/Taverna

-Zona Gastronomica or Zona G (amazing cuisine)

The Central Park of Bogota – Parque Simon Bolivar

Zipaquira  - A lively small town about an 1 hr 30 mins north of Bogota known for its underground salt cathedrals… WHICH I FOUND OUT CLOSE AT 6:00PM!!  Unfortunately we couldn’t enter, not even to use the restroom #youliveandyoulearn. We still happen to witness a wedding in a small cathedral on the mountain top which made up for it #weddingcrashers.

(Pictures soon to come or you can go to my Facebook) 

Orientation:

I had anxiety about orientation. The typical questions one asks themselves the night before meeting some of the most brilliant U.S. Millennials who happen to have a common interest in Colombia as a destination for their Fulbright: what should I wear? Should I stick to the peeps I already know or venture off to the unknown? Should we play cards against humanity as an icebreaker?

Entering the orientation room I realized we were all very distinct; we come in different ages, sizes, colors, religious practices, genders, political affiliations, and sexual orientations.

Orientation (see what I did there?) was amazingly well done; and I say that having been a part of over 5 years of new student orientations for SDSU and 4 years of Bridge Programs. During the Orientation we found out some bittersweet news; Paola Morales, the person who had been in contact with us from the beginning was going to be leaving Fulbright BUT Claudia Santana is taking her place as the new Fulbright Coordinator. BTW Congrats Lola!!!

We were fed a ton. Literally. I feel like a fat cow waiting to be taken to the slaughterhouse after being fed the finest of grasses.  

 I loved each of my fellow Fulbrighters, and because I loved them so much I took them to that Flea Market Taverna in Chapinero. In Colombia one has to know how to dance… it’s a must. So I needed to make sure they had their grove on before sending them to their respective regions: Cali, Medellin, Sincelejo, Tunja, San Andres, Cartagena, Santa Maria, Barranquilla, Pereira, Manizales, Girardot, Ibague, Armenia, Pereira, Pasto, Popayan, & Leticia.  We had a blast!

 (At the U.S Embassy in Bogota for the Fulbright Reception)

I kind of miss them right now. Anyway…

During the Ambassador's event I was trying to find the connection between all of us (Fulbrights) and it was very difficult. I kept on thinking - We are all very different in many ways - where is our crossroad? I realized. There is no one prototype to a Fulbright Scholar. None of us are the same. Each one of us brings a different experience, and therefore we are all bound to have a unique Colombian experience.

So what do we have in common? Where is that crossroad?

Well, the thing each Fulbright ETA has in common is that we all bought a ticket and have won the lottery.  All of us decided to play, and here we are... standing on the corner of Opportunity and Adventure with a Golden Ticket in our hand.

Till next time,

Ciudadano-Global-Citizen