It’s been over two weeks since I returned to Medellín and I already feel like my visit home is slipping into the abstract folds of memory. It was absolutely wonderful to be reunited with family and friends and I relished every minute of morning coffee-talks with my folks, bikerides, river dips, and reggae-dancing. What joy to indulge in fresh blueberries and raspberries again, eat goat cheese and walnuts, drink kombucha!! I’m already missing the luxuries of liberal, plentiful Northampton. And the general gloriousness that is Western MA in the depths of summertime. How bizarre to switch so quick and seamlessly between diverse realities! But I feel deeply grateful for having such a global, diverse, and rich sense of community. When I arrived in Colombia one year ago, I felt nostalgic, confused, culture-shocked and lonely. Setting up a bank account, registering for classes, finding an apartment and just navigating through daily life seemed daunting and I remember countless nights collapsing into bed with exhaustion. This time, however, returning was easy and normal. It feels so comfortable jumping back in. It is precisely the joy of chatting with neighbors, wandering through the market, sipping tinto coffee with classmates and watching the sun disappear behind the Andean peaks that makes living here so lovely. Sometimes it’s fun to fantasize about melding worlds; wrapping up all the mountains and jungles and oceans and rivers that separate this place from home into a tight ball and then poof! send it flying into the atmosphere as all my people come together into the same time and space. But alas, I suppose its the diversity of these worlds, the impossibility of ever completely blending them that makes this experience so profound. Different styles of eating, talking, walking, gesturing, conceptualizing,... all of these things fit so comfortably into the context of one’s culture. There is something quite electric - but at times lonely - about having one foot in two worlds.
Medellín right now is bustling with energy. The annual “Feria de las Flores” festival is taking place. Each day there are fireworks, live shows, parades and concerts celebrating flower culture all over the city. Today I went with a friend to lie in the grass and listen to live jazz at the modern art museum. We enjoyed the last rays of sunshine before gray thunder cracked through clear blue skies and unleashed a powerful rainstorm. This year the Sub-20 World Cup Soccer games also happen to be taking place in Colombia. Tomorrow night I’m going with a group of friends to Mexico vs S Korea and Argentina v England. The combination of these events has brought a lot of tourism and energy to Medellín. On top of it all, the weather has been spectacular (though it seems that might be changing). I’ve been leaving the windows and the door to my balcony open, letting the warm breeze float through my apartment and fill it with moonlight and street sounds from below.
There is also political buzz sweeping Colombia right now regarding upcoming Mayor elections. The leading candidate for the city of Bogotá is Enrique Peñalosa, former mayor and member of the Green Party. He is strongly backed by ex- president Alvaro Uribe, who himself is facing a lot of criticism as more and more corruption scandals are seeping into public consciousness regarding his past two administrations. People here tend to identify as "Uribistas" or "anti- Uribistas"; the former being conservatives who support democratic security, investment promotion, and social cohesion as the most important policies. Opponents of Uribe tend to criticize him for being corrupt and elitist and for worsening the income/ opportunity gap between the country's rich minority and poor majority. Uribe is no longer in office, but these terms continue to float around public discourse as ways of describing one's political orientation. It’s interesting to witness the elections unfold and watch the political climate take shape. Despite the embarrassingly high levels of corruption and old school populism that have historically characterized Colombian politics, I’m always surprised at how many people I know follow government affairs with anticipation. I often feel more disillusioned and hopeless about the state of politics (and democracy) than most of my peers here. When asked my opinion about what takes place in Washington, I struggle to provide an optimistic perspective on the future of US politics or the prospect of bipartisan compromise (though if there's any way to make light of the political debt squabble, Jon Stewert nailed in last weeks Daily Show: http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/tue-july-26-2011-juan-williams)
Right now at work I’m developing the methodology for a qualitative research project conducted by EPM (Empresas Publicas de Medellín) - the countries biggest public utility service company - on the effectiveness of their services in poor, rural communities around Antioquia. It’s been interesting to collaborate with others on this project and to experience office life in Colombia. People are so laid back and friendly and it’s not unusual for someone to bring in chocolates or pastries to share - often right at the fortuitous moment in the afternoon when my energy is fading. In the mornings and after lunch break folks take a few minutes to catch up with each other over coffee. Sure, the chatty, relaxed environment might (read:does) take away from efficiency and productivity, but it sure makes for a warmer and more pleasant work environment. I’ve been also working part-time for the last 7 months on translating my boss’s doctorate thesis, and though I’ve learned a lot and developed certain skills in the process, more than anything its helped me realize that I do not see a future for myself in translation! On the school front, classes are going well though I can hardly believe I’m approaching the end of my program. On Saturday I'm slipping away to meet 3 friends - all living or working in Latin America - in Cuba for a 2 week cultural and spiritual journey of a country I’ve been dreaming of exploring for so many years. It’s cheaper and easier to fly from Colombia and when my friend Liza proposed the reunion several months ago, I couldn’t resist the opportunity.
Speaking of culture and spirit: Joe Arroyo, the legendary Salsa icon and symbol of Colombia's rhythmic bounty died last week, leaving behind a nostalgic population and a legacy of some of the world's most beautiful music.
One of my favorite songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opsRqv9GBIo
