I am exhausted after our first full day back in Bogota; I think our travels have finally caught up to me. Today was the first time, too, that I felt a twinge of, "Okay, I'm ready to go back home." (Don't get me wrong: I have missed my family the entire time, but I have wanted them here with me rather than wanting to go back home.) I think these feelings were also a little exacerbated by not feeling super well. I felt fine this morning and was actually quite hungry. I had a pancake as well as some cantaloupe and cheese for breakfast, and then my stomach starting hurting something fierce; like, it felt like sharp pangs and cramps. It was not good. But, I attended our morning debriefing session and stayed as focused as I could, given my intense discomfort. It was a great session, and I think the highlight was hearing from Yanilis and her students, JP and Karen. As I mentioned before, Yanilis is a TEA (Teaching Excellence and Achievement) alum, and this panel portion of our session discussed ways in which we as (soon-to-be) alumni can continue the connections and collaborative efforts that we started during this International Field Experience. Yanilis said, "Everything changed in my heart and my mindset when I came back from the United States in 2009." She knew she needed to push forward with everything she learned while abroad, but she also knew she needed to start small. For instance, Yanilis began with a virtual exchange with a school in Reno, Nevada; she established contact with the high school via a TGC alum, and then the students started exchanging letters, connecting via social media, etc. After a while, they discussed the possibility of an in-person exchange, and Yanilis and her students met with the embassy, the mayor, the governor, etc. to secure visas, insurance, and other travel necessities. The students practiced their English, they connected with host families in Nevada, and then they traveled -- they spent two weeks in Reno and participated in every aspect of school and community culture, including an assembly that showcased their dancing, volunteer opportunities, extracurricular activities (like color guard), full class schedules, etc. The students said they learned so much -- they obviously improved their English, but they also gained new perspectives and new friends and family. Their faces lit up when they talked about their time with their hosts. And Yanilis said, "Having my students able to see the world with new eyes -- this has been my greatest accomplishment as a teacher." While I'm sure she appreciates them, she doesn't care about the awards she has won or the opportunities she has been given (such as the five grants she has been awarded through IREX alone); she cares about the doors she can open for her students. If that's not a true teacher, I don't know what is. Yanilis also mentioned that she has hosted many teachers in her school and in her community. (She discussed how her connections do not only stay at her school because "I'm not only an English teacher for Antonia Santos school; I'm an English teacher for the world." She wants to benefit everyone in her community and in her country, not just those fortunate enough to be in her building.) Have I mentioned how much I adore Yanilis? Because I do. A lot. In addition to the panel discussion, we also began debriefing our research questions. We each put our question on a piece of poster paper, and then we "answered" each other's questions via Post-It notes that we then stuck onto the poster board. Essentially, we wanted to get as wide a range of knowledge -- from each of the communities that we visited -- for each question as possible. After we individually responded, we then collaboratively discussed the trends in small groups. That activity -- plus some smaller individual reflections -- took us until just past noon, which meant it was lunch time (even though we had just been offered a large "snack" that many of us called "second breakfast"). IREX treated us to lunch at the hotel, and it was quite good (and made my stomach feel a bit better): pot stickers, fried rice, and a cheesecake/fruit tart. After lunch, a few of us opted to wander around the city for a bit. While we intended to find a grocery store so that one of us could purchase coffee, we ended up just walking around and enjoying the fresh air for quite a while -- before eventually stopping in a couple of markets. (I bought more coffee and some awesome Colombian treats to share with my family back home.) Then, we hopped in the bus and headed to Museo Botero. It's a really beautiful museum: And the artwork is not too shabby either: Botero is from Medellin, and while he lives in Europe now (France and Italy), he donated his entire collection to galleries in Medellin and Bogota. In addition to Botero at this museum "campus," there were many, many other artists featured in different galleries: Monet, Picasso, Degas, Matisse, Chagall, Dali, etc. In addition to looking at pretty art, we did our fair share of being silly. Then it was time to head back "home" to the hotel. We were on our own for dinner, so two of my new friends/family members -- Caitlin and Sia -- and I headed back to the Bogota Beer Company. It's close by and super delicious, and we wanted to get out of the hotel for a hot minute. I didn't take a picture of my food (believe it or not), but I had the same thing that I did last time, essentially a shrimp sandwich with French fries. It was delicious yet again.
Now, it's time to reorganize all of my luggage -- specifically all of the gifts I've purchased (eek) -- and head to bed. We have what is sure to be a busy (and emotional) last day together. Peace, friends.
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Caitlin and I woke up fairly early on Sunday morning -- likely because we had gone to bed super early -- and enjoyed our last breakfast on the rooftop of the Dann Carlton. After, we finished packing and doing some last-minute work while we had WiFi, and then we hit an ATM. One thing we have realized is that ATMs -- at least those that work with our cards -- are difficult to find in Colombia. Therefore, we wanted to take advantage of the one we knew to work while we still could (and ensure we had enough dinero for the rest of our time in Bogota). Unfortunately, we did not see Diana before we left, so Caitlin and I called a taxi from the hotel and headed to the airport. We had some beautiful, last-minute views of the city as we drove. (I almost wish we could've stopped to take a photo of the whole city on our way up the mountain. It sprawls out on a mesa and is incredibly beautiful.) At the airport, we quickly made it through check-in and security (wayyyyyyy easier than in the United States) and met up with the Bucaramanga Boys. Unfortunately, our flight to Bogota was quite turbulent, and they put the two worst fliers (at least in regard to motion sickness) in the same row. I told Bryan that at one point I nearly grabbed his arm. It was that bad. But alas, we made it. At the airport, we reconnected with the groups who traveled to Cartago and Cartagena (Armenia flew in later so met us at the hotel), and then we headed straight to Museo del Oro -- the Gold Museum. Sunday was "free day" at the Gold Museum, so it was packed. It looked super interesting inside, but I made it to the second room of the exhibit and then went outside. It was just too jam-packed; I couldn't see anything and was getting a little claustrophobic, so I opted out. But, I'm kind of glad I did. There were several street artisans set up just outside of the museum -- it actually reminded me a little of the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe -- and there were several souvenir shops as well. I needed to pick up some more gifts (and wanted to peruse to see if there was anything I "needed" as well), so it worked out great. My favorite artisan was a Rastafarian jeweler named Carlos. I was looking at his pieces (and watching him do his work), and he was talking about everything in such great detail: where he found the stones, what they mean, ancestral ties, etc. (All of this was en español, mind you.) I thanked him for the conversation and then continued looking. Not even two minutes later, though, I went back and purchased a singular earring. I just had to. I loved it, I wanted to try to rock it, and Carlos was just the best. I ran into Sarah, our IREX correspondent, and I thought she was going to be upset that I ignored all of the Embassy's safety briefings and was by myself on the street. Instead, she said that we had been in the country long enough and knew how to take care of ourselves. When she went into the museum, I went to what I thought was a store across the street. Instead, it was essentially an indoor artisan/souvenir market. I also ran into four of my fellow fellows (see what I did there) at one of the stands, so that was nice. One of the women noticed my earring, so I took the group back to Carlos, where two others purchased his pieces. When we reconvened with the rest of the group, another fellow wanted to see his stuff. I brought Carlos all of the business yesterday. When we said adios, he asked how long we were in town and if I was a Rastafarian. I told him that while mi corazon may be Rasta, I was not. We headed to the hotel -- our first Colombian home -- and re-checked into the hotel. While I was really hoping for my same room (I don't like change), I'm pretty okay with my new one. A different view, perspective, is always good. A few of us met for a cocktail after we reorganized our lives, and then we all went to Criterion, which is supposedly the second best restaurant in the country. We had a prix-fixe menu from which to choose. While I don't remember exactly what my meal was called, it was delicious: steak, risotto, yuca, and some dots of something. Then, the server poured a red-wine reduction over the plate (after I had already started eating -- I was starving). Oh, and everything was served in Le Creuset cast-iron skillets. Incredible. The dessert presentation, though, was fire. Just check this out: There were 15 of us at the table, and there were three of these mats of deliciousness to devour. I don't think we quite "cleaned our plates," but dang, it was incredible.
Over our meal, we compared experiences in our respective communities. Caitlin and I discovered -- which we kind of already knew -- that our experience differed quite a bit from our peers', so it was nice to finally be able to talk about that. We certainly did not have a bad experience; our host was super thoughtful and showed us incredibly beautiful parts of Colombia, places that we may never have even known existed. But, we definitely were not in the schools or as exposed to the educational system as much as our friends, which was basically the purpose of the program. Having our more formal debriefing sessions today and tomorrow will definitely be helpful. But first, breakfast! Adios, amigos! Yesterday (Friday), Diana took the day off of work to take me, Caitlin, and her friend to Refugio La Roca, an ecological reserve. It is billed as a "climbing hostel," which is certainly true, but I would also describe it as a one-love-hippie-commune-type place. But let's start from the very beginning. Prior to even leaving Bucaramanga, Diana took us to San Francisco, a neighborhood of the city that is lined with shoe stores; Bucaramanga, after all, is known for its shoes. There were probably 50 different shoe stores -- at least -- and I am not even exaggerating. Some sold sandals, some sold tennis shoes, some sold stilettos, some sold all of the above. It was incredible. Also, hormigas culonas stands lined the street. After all, we were in Santander. Caitlin and I each bought some shoes, and I bought a small gift as well, and then we headed out of town. I'm not even sure as to where we stopped first -- or why we stopped there. I believe it was another hotel/resort, and I think we were maybe trying to find a vegetarian restaurant? (Caitlin is vegetarian, and while she is totally fine eating anywhere and can find options galore regardless of where we eat, Diana continuously -- and thoughtfully -- tried to find places that specialized in vegetarian fare.) Caitlin and I hung out on the giant porch swing while Diana and her friend wandered the premises. (I took the bottom right photo from the swing. It was so comfortable, and the light rain made it even more picturesque. I only wish I had brought a book -- and could have stayed longer.) Next, we headed to another stop for another unknown reason. It was a market that had meat hanging from one of the stands, several stray dogs, and a load of pineapples. (Pineapples are another Santanderean specialty.) I loved seeing this couple on a scooter. The man was waiting on the bike while the woman carried this humongous flower arrangement out of one of the stands. She then put it backwards on the scooter and hopped on behind it. Scooters are rampant in Colombia, as it is a quick and efficient way to maneuver around traffic, especially in bigger cities like Bogota and Bucaramanga. And we have seen people carrying everything -- from groceries to mini refrigerators -- on the backs of scooters. Finally, we arrived at Refugio La Roca. As I mentioned before, there was a zen, hippie feel to the area -- a lot of Rastafarian images, reggae music, etc. We also had to sign a waiver when we arrived that stated La Roca could not be held liable for any accidents that occurred and that we were aware that the resort bordered the edge of the Chicamocha Canyon. We didn't realize just how close we were to the cliff until we went on a tour. We visited the communal yoga room and TV room (complete with hammocks) -- no shoes allowed in either, the bar and "restaurant" (a variety of seating options), the rock wall and outdoor "gym," and several different lodging venues. Then, Caitlin and I received our bungalow. We were literally hanging off the side of the cliff. After we tossed our belongings in our room (and took numerous photographs), we headed back to the communal area for lunch and a couple of drinks, and we were joined by some furry friends. And then it started to pour. Water was coming through the ceiling -- so much so, in fact, that buckets covered the bar area in order to catch the water. (It's a super "green" refuge, and they use rain water for everything. For that reason, we were advised not to drink the water from the faucets, and Caitlin and I even brushed our teeth with bottled water that we had brought from Bucaramanga. Also, like many places in Colombia, we had to dispose of our toilet paper in a trash can. Caitlin and I grabbed a beer and then (carefully -- the rocks were slippery) ran to our cottage. We hung out for a bit and listened to the rain, and then we both took quick naps. When we woke up, the rain had cleared, Diana and her friend were nowhere to be found, and it was going to be getting dark in the next hour or two, so Caitlin and I put on our tennis shoes and attempted a hike. We followed a horrible map that was hanging in the restaurant and tried to find the trailhead -- which required us to walk down the rural road. While we got some great photos (I especially like the one on the far left -- with the mountains peaking up over the clouds), we were ultimately unsuccessful in finding the trekking trail. So, we turned around and opted to explore the refuge some more. When the sun set, Caitlin and I headed to the restaurant area and shared a bottle of wine, a veggie burger, and some soup -- while we played an improvised game of cribbage. (We only had 50 cards and no cribbage board, but we made it work.) We also talked and laughed a lot. Once again, I was reminded how amazing a job IREX did in matching us as partners; I really don't know how I could've done this week without her. We're already planning trips to visit one another in the future. Finally, it was time for bed. Unfortunately, the beds were not super comfy, and neither of us slept incredibly well. So, we woke up bright and early, ready to hit the ground running -- almost literally. We started with several cups of coffee as well as some incredible breakfast. The food at La Roca was phenomenal. Then, we found Diana and her friend, and we also located the trailhead within the refuge itself, so the three of us girls -- Diana, Caitlin, and I -- headed out on a trek down to the bottom of the Chicamocha Canyon. That was a big climb! And in retrospect, we maybe should've carried water with us. I promise, though, that despite Diana not being pictured, she did, in fact, make it to the top with us. Caitlin and I chilled for a bit on our porch -- and chugged giant bottles of water -- and then we each took a shower, checked out of our room, and wandered the campus a little more. (And Caitlin, taking after our little monkey friend who'd been following us all around the resort, expended even more energy on the rock-climbing wall.) We explored a little artisan store next to the refuge, which was amazing; I bought four things there (I can't tell you what yet since most are gifts), but I seriously could have bought the entire store. I loved all of it. After a lot of waiting, waiting, and even more waiting, we hopped in the car and headed back to Bucaramanga. Caitlin and I (finally) hit up the gorgeous pool at our hotel for a little bit and then showered and got ready for dinner. We went to Barrio Central again, a small restaurant with a great patio near our hotel. We went there a few days ago -- but only for beverages -- and the food looked incredible. Perhaps it was because we hadn't eaten since breakfast and had done a lot of trekking, but the food was quite possibly one of the best meals we have had in a long time. And we both demolished our dinners -- within a way-too-short time span. After dinner, we came back to the hotel, finished packing, watched some Netflix while pretending to blog, and then (actually) blogged. And now, friends, it's time for bed. We have a flight to catch tomorrow.
"See" you in Bogota! Today was interesting. We didn't have anything on the agenda until 2:00, and we have felt like we haven't really gotten a true taste of "school" at ENSB, so Caitlin and I asked Diana if we could observe classes in the morning. She said of course, so we planned on doing so. We were waiting to hear from Diana about what time to arrive (thinking it would be around 10:00), but when we hadn't heard by 10:40, we opted to go to the school ourselves since she said she would be in the auditorium decorating at 11:00. Unfortunately, we could not find her (we later discovered that she had had a busy morning elsewhere), so we opted to go to a bookstore (that ended up being an "everything" store) that we had been wanting to see. Because we were still waiting to hear from Diana and did not have WiFi in order to do so, we then walked back to the hotel where we discussed our action plan and waited to hear from Diana. We arrived back to school shortly after 1:00 and saw the students hard at work on the assembly. They did such a beautiful job of combining two different countries, two distinct cultures. I also loved how they included the items we brought: yearbooks from our schools, "swag" from Park Center, American flags, etc. It was really cool and completely student-run. Then it was time for the assembly to start. The first act was an incredible music group that performed Camila Cabello's Havana. The instruments were on point, and the singer was amazing. Then it was time for Caitlin to present about her family and Montana. After, a student did a cover of Sam Smith's Stay With Me, which interestingly, was the same song a student at a school in Bogota sang to me. Then we had another soloist, a young woman who sang Adiós Amor, a song that is clearly popular in Colombia, as the entire audience joined in with her. The video is super cute because you can't even hear the singer -- just the audience. I downloaded the song immediately when I got back to the hotel. Then it was my turn to talk all about my family and Minnesota. Next was a hip-hop dance routine from Valeria and her friend. They were AMAZING, and I just kept thinking, kids are kids everywhere. This is a routine I could've easily seen at Park Center, at Roosevelt, etc. Then we took a break in the entertainment for a wonderful and informative presentation about Colombian culture, flora and fauna, etc., as well as background about Escuela Normal Superior Bucaramanga. They had a script that they were working with prior to the assembly, but when they got on stage, they had it memorized; they did the entire presentation without notes, which was super impressive. The other students were a little talkative during this presentation -- and the little kids who were playing outside were also quite noisy -- so it was unfortunately a little hard to hear. I'm hoping we can receive a copy of the information they prepared. After, the principal came to the stage and presented me and Caitlin with "diplomas," certificates of our time at ENSB. In the folders, Diana also included blown-up glossy photos of us with her classes (and the USA and Colombian flags) -- with all of the students' signatures on the back. It was so sweet. After formalities, we had the chance to see an amazing piece of Colombian culture: a traditional dance. (You'll have to head over to Instagram -- @msbollinger4 -- to see the videos.) All of these photos were taken right before our nightmare occurred: the two dancers -- Sofía and Camilo -- pulled Caitlin and I out in front of 400 tenth graders to dance with them. It was terrifying, but also really fun. Our last presentation of the day was the dance/cheer team, a squad that is so good that they traveled to Orlando to compete in a tournament. As a former cheer coach, I can totally see why: they were incredible! When the assembly ended, it felt like the paparazzi descended on us. I took more photos (and more selfies) than ever before. My face hurt from smiling so much, but I just couldn't help it -- the kids were so excited and so amazingly awesome. It was so much fun. The party was over, and students headed back to class. Caitlin and I waited around for a bit and then finally headed back to the hotel. We relaxed for about 30 minutes, and then we found a fun restaurant. We opted to walk around the city a little bit -- and really didn't have much of a choice since we couldn't find the restaurant on our first try. It's crazy how much I rely on Google Maps (and how much I take WiFi and "free" data for granted). But it was a cool-ish evening and a lovely walk. And I'm glad we held off and persevered in finding the restaurant, because it was amazing. This was Penelope Casa Gastronomica, and it was remarkable. I highly recommend it.
After dinner, we took a leisurely walk back to the hotel -- and I promptly fell asleep at 9:30. Tomorrow (which is now today), we head out of town on yet another adventure. I can't wait to tell you all about it! :) Adios, amigos! Wednesday, July 25th, was a teacher strike throughout Colombia. We have learned throughout our travels that corruption is a major issue in the country -- as it is many places in the world -- and that this is particularly true in regard to education. For instance, our host teacher received her masters degree, but in order to receive masters pay, she has to go through a process with the government. Because the government is the entity that pays her, they are unlikely to promote her through this process, which means she shelled out money for her degree for no increase in pay. Because of the strike, many of the TGC fellows went on excursions. (We were instructed to STAY AWAY from any protests.) Diana (and our driver, Alberto) took us to Barichara, a Spanish colonial town founded in 1705. Barichara is fondly referred to as the "prettiest town in Colombia," and it will remain preserved as such since it was made a national monument in 1978. (Interesting side note: about 90 minutes outside of Bucaramanga, we stopped at a small road-side restaurant to use el baño. Diana and I walked inside while Caitlin stretched her legs outside, and Diana said, "Those are your friends?" I thought she just meant that I make friends everywhere I go, that Colombian people are super nice and friendly (all of which is true), but that is not, in fact, what she meant. She saw our TGC friends -- Dave, Bryan, and Pope -- eating breakfast with their host family! We are staying less than two blocks away from each other in Bucaramanga, but we haven't seen each other since we left the airport. We have to drive far out of the city to randomly run into each other! This is such a small world. But I digress. Back to Barichara: the streets are all cobblestone, and the buildings are white-washed with red tile roofs. I don't know how they do it, but even the sky feels like a more vibrant blue in Barichara. I will let the photos do the majority of the talking for this post. The church is the first place we went: We then wandered around the town, stopping in little stores to purchase gifts and browse artisanal work. None of these photos have been filtered, which blows my mind; they were all taken with an iPhone 7. Outside of town was a tremendous view of the canyon: The pictures really don't do it justice; I don't think you can see the vast elevation differences or the absolute enormity and expansiveness of these mountains and this canyon. It's incredible, especially to this prairie girl. After the most delicious lunch at a little cafe in town (I had mixto ceviche -- essentially, it was mango, shrimp, red onion, coriander, and other amazingness), we drove to the cemetery. The gravestones were incredibly ornate, and we noticed that religious figurines in glass cases (in the middle of headstones) were quite popular. We also loved the beer bottles adorning one of the markers in the columbarium (see the first picture in the third row). We were also floored that many of the graves were quite recent; one was even so new that it didn't even have a marker yet. For a town that is over 300 years old, we thought the graves would be that old, too. Of course, we had to have some photoshoots in such a stunning place, too. Oh, I also finally tried hormigas culonas -- big-ass ants. This is a "regional delicacy" and a "source of local pride" in Santander, and I felt that I needed to give it a go. After all, I always say that I'll try anything once. And, now I'm good: I don't believe I'll be trying them again. (Insert laugh-cry emoji here.)
After Barichara, we drove 5 kilometers down the road to Guane, where there is an archaeological and paleontological museum that is supposed to have incredible artifacts from the indigenous Guane as well as fossils that are millions of years old. Unfortunately, the museum was closed on Wednesday. On our drive back into Barichara -- and then the entire way back to Bucaramanga, which was over three hours -- I was incredibly carsick. We were winding up and down mountains in stop-go-stop-go-stop-go traffic, swerving around curves with tires squealing, and passing vehicles in Fast and Furious style. My tummy and head just couldn't handle it. So, when we got home around 8:30 p.m., I took a super fast shower and crashed in my bed, trying to get rid of the nausea and throbbing headache. I eventually woke up from my "nap" around 12:45 a.m., ate some plantain chips, and knocked out again until 7:00 this morning. My head is still swimming a little, but I'll survive. Let's just say that Colombian traffic/driving is no joke. Happy Thursday, friends! I'm off to Escuela Normal Superior Bucaramanga! Note: I am publishing this post late. We hung out and chatted instead of doing work on Tuesday night (we had been so busy and just needed an hour or two of nothing), and I was unable to finish the post before we went to Barichara yesterday. I was super car sick on the way home from Barichara, so instead of doing any work at all last night, I took a shower and then crashed around 9:00. So, it's Thursday morning now, and here's my Tuesday blog. :) Our day started bright and early -- so early, in fact, that we missed breakfast at the hotel. Good thing I follow the sage advice of my mama and pack granola bars wherever I go. Caitlin and I grabbed some coffee at the convenience store across the street (it was far cheaper and far better than any gas station coffee I've ever had), and we met Diana to head to a different campus, the one for Programa de Formación Complementaria (PFC). This is the two-year program that Escuela Normal Superior Bucaramanga offers for students after they graduate; it provides them methodology courses and practicum experience to become bilingual educators. I just love the open-air aspect to all of the Colombian schools we have visited thus far. The "hallways" are all outside, there is ample green space and open courtyards, and there are rarely screens on windows: everything is open and airy and beautiful. I also loved how PFC labeled each room: This was the insignia for the Freire room; he is my pedagogical boyfriend, so I took a pic of him. Other rooms included Vygotsky, Piaget, Montessori, and more. We started our time at PFC by observing Martha Prada, the leader of the bilingual program for Escuela Normal Superior Bucaramanga. She was teaching first-year students (essentially students who are 18 and 19 years old) methods of teaching. Interestingly, the class had 28 students, and all but one were young women. She structures the class so that the first part of it is a brief introduction and/or review, and the second part is a demonstration class with an analysis component; after the demonstration class, students prepare their own lessons using the same methodology to then teach to primary students. The class started with a welcome sing-a-long, much like we heard yesterday in the second-grade classrooms. (It is likely similar because the PFC professor also taught the primary educator.) Then, students worked with the calendar, identifying today's date and then writing the days of the week in the appropriate blank. Keep in mind that these are college students doing elementary activities, all in English -- with the purpose that they will then use these strategies to teach the primary students at ENSB. After, students were divided into three teams in order to review concepts from the previous semester. (The second semester just started, so the professor wanted to gauge their prior knowledge.) One student from each team went to the front of the room to answer a question posed by the teacher. If they answered correctly, they moved their team's fish (an image on the board) a certain number of spaces. After the review activity, the teacher posted images of food on the board; she described different items and had students guess the one she was describing. She the gave a picture to different students and asked a simple question: "Do you like _____?" The student responded, "Yes, I do like _____" or, "No, I do not like _____." The teacher then asked the class, "Does she like _____?" And the class responded accordingly. This call-and-response occurred for each food item, so students heard lots of repetition. The class then moved onto a different activity: The professor put an image of Shrek on the board and marked two columns: one with a checkmark for food he likes and one with an X for food that he doesn't like. She had students call out responses for each category and then drew the images accordingly. (Right now there is eye soup, insects, and cake in the "like" column and ice cream and salad in the "dislike" column.) She then had students create their own monsters with what they think their creature would like and dislike. Finally, she had them talk to a partner and listen to what the partner's monster likes/dislikes -- and they had to draw the items their partner stated on a new monster template. Essentially, they were working on vocabulary -- particularly vocabulary related to food -- as well as verb conjugation. However, none of this was shared with the students; rather, the college students would not share this with their primary students. Instead, the teacher would simply give the lesson, and students would learn based on context. Following the demonstration portion of class, students analyzed the lesson, particularly in regard to standards. This was the first glimpse I had into Colombian standards, and I greatly appreciated seeing such solid vertical alignment, all the way from first through eleventh grade. All of this information is also available online, so it'll be interesting to peruse it when I have more time to translate as well. I really liked the professor's emphasis on standards, as while I think there are certainly some concerns, I strongly believe that standards-referenced assessment is the way to go. The professor had students analyze the standards assessed, and then she had them work in groups to unscramble her lesson plan: Students did quite a good job. After observing this class, I am really excited to hear how these young teachers-to-be do in actual classroom environments. When the class concluded, the professor, Diana, Caitlin, and I had breakfast with German Chapeta, the coordinator of PFC. He had eggs with onion and pepper, arepas, and hot chocolate awaiting us, and it was so greatly appreciated as, like I mentioned before, we had to leave prior to breakfast being served. Finally, our last session at PFC was spent delivering a presentation to soon-to-be teachers. This was the lesson that we were informed of yesterday, and it actually went quite well. We briefly discussed the educational system in the United States, talked about backward design and differentiated instruction, touched on classroom management and positive rapport, and concluded with international study and teaching opportunities. There were many blank faces in the audience (Diana said we talked too fast, but we felt like we were speaking extra s...l...o...w...l...y. However, several students asked us questions, and I ran out of business cards because so many students wanted our contact information. So, I guess that was a success? We ended up wrapping up our morning session at 9:30, and Caitlin and I headed back to the school. We spent about 30-45 minutes finalizing our afternoon session, and then we went our separate ways for a while. (I unpacked my entire suitcase and repacked it in a much more organized fashion, so that felt amazing.) Then, we headed to ENSB at 2:00. Caitlin and I did not have much guidance as to what we were to teach to students, and we had only observed one class prior to conducting a lesson, so we felt a little like fish out of water. But we are both good teachers, and we went with the flow and adapted as we needed to -- both before and during the presentation. We opted to teach poetry. At first we were a little overzealous and thought we could teach both Where I'm From and Still I Rise to focus on identity, and we quickly realized that we could barely get through Where I'm From in an hour so scrapped Still I Rise before the lesson even started. Oh well, though: it's much better to be over-prepared than under-prepared. We attempted to start our presentation with a video, but since the sound didn't work well and I'm losing my voice (thanks, Extreme Swing), Caitlin read it aloud while the video played in the background. We then asked students questions about the poem and had them discuss with the people around them. We amended our lesson halfway through the first class, as we realized the vocabulary -- in both the poem and the questions -- was too difficult. We instead had them focus on one question: "Is where you're from important? Does where you're from impact you? Why or why not? After answering questions, we then had students create their own Where I'm From poems using a brainstorming guide and a template we created. While we didn't quite finish the activity entirely, it went really well overall. The second time around, we took out the video completely; even though it was an awesome video and will be great to use in my classes, it just didn't work here because it went too quickly language-wise and was too quiet. Instead, we went through the presentation we created that had images alongside tough vocabulary words. We read through it a couple of times and then went straight to the aforementioned question, brainstorming activity, and poem-writing. I really impressed myself today with my ability to speak in Spanish. Granted, I wasn't using complete sentences, nor was I super fast in my responses, but I was able to communicate with students and answer questions about the poem and the assignment en español. This is not something I could have done even a week ago. After each lesson, we took a beautiful group photo with the students: These are just the greatest students: hard-working, spirited, silly, smart, kind, welcoming, funny, generous, and more. After we were finished teaching the second class, another student entered the room and told us that the class had a surprise for us: they were throwing us a pizza party, complete with soda and candies! The boy was so sweet; he said, "We know it's not much, but we each contributed some money, and we hope you like it." He almost brought tears to my eyes! We loved it! And as if that wasn't enough, they also bought us a gift: beautiful hats! Class ended, and Caitlin and I headed back to the hotel. We explored the neighborhood for a bit, namely looking for something to drink, a supermarket, and an ATM. We then came back to the hotel for a super chill night in; while we both had plenty of work to do, we ended up just talking, laughing, and watching YouTube videos instead. And that was almost as important.
Caitlin and I have asked each other several times this week, "How did IREX know?!" We had no say in our partner at all and were instead matched up by the IREX powers that be. I think I can speak for both of us when I say that this we are a perfect combination. We complement each other well in so many ways. And, we have had so. much. fun. Stay tuned for a beautiful day in Barichara tomorrow! Today was our first day of "real" work -- in that it was our first day at our host-community school, Escuela Normal Superior Bucaramanga (ENSB). While we did not have to be at the school until 10 a.m., Caitlin and I woke up early and went down to breakfast at 7:30 a.m. so that we would have ample time to work on upcoming presentations, calm our nerves, and prepare for our first day. Diana picked us up for school shortly before 10:00, and we were off! After signing in with security at the gate to the school (passport number and everything), we entered the grounds and saw a lovely campus. We learned, however, that the school used to be surrounded by a forest -- their "green heart." Unfortunately, the government wanted to raze the forest in order to build. The school protested and protested, though (students, families, and administration); one student even climbed a tree and tied himself to it, refusing to eat or drink for days. This protest worked for five years, but unfortunately, one day the police came, and the government destroyed the forest -- more than 250 trees. Our first session of the day was a meeting with the principal, two coordinators (similar to assistant principals or deans), and the head of the bilingual (English) program at ENSB. We learned the context of the school; essentially, it was founded on and is run by a humanist approach to pedagogy, and there is a huge emphasis on shaping the teachers of tomorrow. Upper-grade students have the opportunity to work as teaching assistants in younger classrooms, and there is also a pedagogical college on campus to further students' teaching experience. Caitlin and I found out in this meeting that we would be tasked with presenting to the aforementioned college students tomorrow morning -- at 6:30 a.m. -- about lesson planning, classroom management, and international opportunities. I'm not going to lie: this stressed us out. While we knew we may have to present about the U.S. educational system (in addition to giving a presentation about our community and culture as well as teaching a lesson), this was not on our radar at all, and we had a full day of agenda with very little downtime. But, we would make it work; we always do. After that initial meeting, Diana took us on a small tour of the school. ENSB has been around since 1875 -- which means it is 143 years old! It originally started off as an all girls' school, but it is now coed. It was also originally run completely by the church, and while it still has Catholic symbols all over and students take a religion course, it is a public school. I love that the mission, vision, school song, and explanation of insignia were on the walls for all to see. (Also, you can see the "green heart" at the bottom of the first photo. Additionally, there are some huge floor-to-ceiling English signs hung up in a prominent corner of the courtyard: These beautiful wall hangings show the film studies the students have done for the past eight years, motivational quotes, rationale for being multi-lingual, projects and performances, pedagogical strategies, and more. It's a stunning display of a department's efforts. My favorite part of the tour, though, was definitely seeing the students. Following the tour, Caitlin and I headed back to the hotel for a quick bite to eat and to work on our pending presentation(s). Thankfully, we were able to get a good start on tomorrow's session. By 1:30, it was time to head back to ENSB for classroom observations. We were supposed to observe an inclusion classroom (for deaf and hard-of-hearing students), but plans changed, and we observed an English class for second graders instead. It was one of the highlights of my visit thus far. Please head over to Instagram to see these beautiful babies and their truly phenomenal English teacher in action; she employed Total Physical Response (TPR) like nothing I had seen before. These kids knew the numbers, they knew all about the weather, they knew how to say full greetings, and more. It was absolutely incredible, and I totally wish I could have learned language this way. I also really appreciated the "shake break" that the teacher gave the students; she clearly understood the need for educational interrupters and some kinesthetic activity to keep students -- especially young students -- engaged in the material. I loved seeing all of the heads turn and the sneaky little waves and smiles that Caitlin and I received throughout the lesson. I left about halfway through, though, to grab some of the pencils and stickers we brought to give to the students. The look on their faces and their little voices chattering gracias and thank you and nice to meet you was just priceless. I would love to observe those kiddos again. After, we headed over to Diana's classroom -- tenth-grade English -- where she was co-teaching with her partner, Melissa. First, Diana and Melissa gave us their lesson plan. Essentially, this was a two-paged, typed description of what they would be doing. They have to do this for every lesson, although sometimes they opt to do so weekly. (I am so grateful that none of my principals have required this.) Diana started the lesson by asking students for the date (in English) and writing it on the board. She then outlined the day's objective and an abbreviated agenda. (I loved seeing this, as it's an expectation that we have these posted as well.) Next, Diana took the students through an anticipatory set: she projected zoomed-in images of different objects (i.e. the dial on the side of a watch) and had students guess the invention. They were super engaged in this activity, and their interest was definitely peaked. After, Diana posted various questions on the board (about inventions and discoveries), read them aloud, and had students write down their answer on paper. They each checked their own answers upon completion of the "quiz." During the review, Diana explained that this was passive voice. I loved how she did a huge portion of the activity before even telling students what they were learning; I feel like they are much more likely to comprehend and retain the information when it is presented in such a smooth, contextual manner. Side note: I noticed five interesting things during this class:
After reviewing the answers, students received Ziploc bags (that Melissa and Diana had assembled moments before) of cut-apart sentences (again, about inventions and discoveries). Students had to work in self-selected groups of four to unscramble the sentences and ensure they were using passive voice. Students were also fully engaged in this activity, and although I saw one phone out, it was just a momentary occurrence before it went back in the pocket. The next activity was a game of Jeopardy. Students competed in the same groups of four, and each team came up with a name -- but it had to be something to do with inventions or discoveries. Melissa took them through the game, and she marked an X for when students answered incorrectly and a check mark for the correct answer. Interestingly, students did not seem to care whether or not each group had equal opportunity to answer questions, nor did they mind that they were not receiving the points (i.e. 10, 20, etc.) attributed to the question but rather a simple check mark. My students would have raised hell if I didn't give them the "correct" point value. While the objective of the day was passive voice, students only earned points if the answer was correct. For instance, if the question was "Who discovered the Theory of Relativity?" and student said, "The Theory of Relativity was discovered by Newton," they would not receive points -- even though passive voice was used correctly. It made me wonder how many times I am not, in fact, evaluating what I am intending to assess. Another thing I noticed was that most -- if not all -- of the examples in the Jeopardy game were from Europeans. Colombians such as Fernando Botero did not make the list, nor did Gabriel Garcia Marquez. People of color such as George Washington Carver or Frida Kahlo were also absent, but Thomas Edison and Leonardo DaVinci were front and center. After Jeopardy, students stayed in their groups, received a person or piece of art to highlight, and created a short presentation about the person or piece of art on their paper. Their instructions were to write a dialogue, using passive voice. They spent about 15 minutes developing the presentation, and then the class formed a circle to share their creations. It was awesome. Pictured, clockwise from top left, are Michelangelo's David, Botero's painting, The Scream, and Mona Lisa. After presentations, Caitlin and I had the chance to introduce ourselves, and the students asked us questions (or commented on how much they love our hair). Classical music started playing, which signified the end of class, and immediately students flocked to the back of the room to talk to me and Caitlin. It was really fun, and the kids are absolutely amazing. I love any and all opportunities to chat with them, and I'm looking forward to seeing them tomorrow. Finally, it was time for us to leave. It was already after 5:00, and we were going to be picked up at 7:00 to have dinner with a student and her family. After non-stop go-go-go-go-go all day (and the knowledge/stress of preparing a brand-new presentation for first thing in the morning), we were pooped. But, we were also super excited and honored to be invited to Andrea Juliana's house, and we rallied. And boy, oh boy, are we glad we did. Andrea Juliana's madre prepared the most amazingly delicious food ever: caldo huevo santandereano, arepas, y chocolate caliente con queso. I already looked up the recipe for the soup because I NEED to make this when I get home; it was by far one of the best soups I have ever eaten and one of the best Colombian meals I have had yet. Also, Andrea Juliana and her parents have mascotas -- dos gatas (Frida y Favorite) y una perra (Paca). I bet you can imagine just how excited we were. As you can also imagine, I let 100% of my crazy out as soon as I got to snuggle some kitties. (Also, I use the term snuggle quite loosely, as Favorite wanted nothing to do with me, and Frida barely let me pet her. But, it was enough of a kitty-fix to tide me over.) It was such a wonderful evening -- I absolutely adore Andrea Juliana (our Colombian sister) and her mama, and we are so incredibly grateful for their welcoming hospitality.
It makes me so excited for the rest of the week. Before you read this post, please keep in mind that while it looks like we are having fun (we are) and exploring the world (we are), we are also in Colombia for work -- and that work starts tomorrow in Bucaramanga when we visit Diana's school (Escuela Normal Superior de Bucaramanga) first thing in the morning. Today, though, was Sunday, which means it was still the weekend and thus a day of rest/fun. In order to explore Santander, the department in which Bucaramanga is located, a little bit more, Diana took us to Parque Nacional de Chicamocha. First, though, Alberto (our driver) stopped at a lookout point to give us a preview of the incredible views that awaited us at the park. I kept repeating over and over how this did not even look real -- that's how beautiful it was. Colombia's landscape, flora, and fauna are astonishing, y'all. After that quick photoshoot and a not-without-charge bathroom visit, we hopped back in the car and headed to the national park. I didn't really know what to expect, despite reading about the park and seeing pictures of it via the link that Diana sent. What I did know to expect, though, was that it was going to be stunning -- and I was not disappointed. Instead of taking the long and winding road (quite literally), we opted to board a cable car across the canyon. We started on one side, went all the way down to the bottom, and began our ascent to the other side. It was super cool (aside from the semi-scary two minutes when we completely stopped for an unknown reason), and we got to see the canyon from a totally different perspective. For instance, we had an aerial view of some goats out for a stroll, of a man leading a pack mule, of various houses and other structures, of a school, of water wells. It was fascinating. When we got to the side of the canyon with the majority of the park, we immediately started hiking up to the highest-most point and encountered some cool things along the way. This is a monument that depicts the commoners' revolution against the conquistadors. There are 36 separate sculptures designed by Luís Guillermo Vallejo, and it is stunning. I would love to read up more on this historical event. We hiked a little further and found the most terrifying thing known to man: Diana and Caitlin were all about it. Andrea Juliana and I, on the other hand, were terrified. We told them that we wanted to see them go first, so they signed their waivers and were getting strapped in. Diana told me to fill out the form, and I told her that I wanted to watch her first, that I wasn't sure I wanted to do it. But she had already paid for all four of us! There was no backing out now. I told Andrea Juliana -- one of Diana's English students -- that she was about to learn all of the bad words en ingles. You'll have to head over to Instagram (@msbollinger4) to see the video of me and Andrea Juliana; it's pretty great. I am so proud of us for doing this. We were absolutely terrified, but we faced those fears head on, and it was an incredible experience. All four of us talked about it nonstop the rest of the day. After the Extreme Swing, we continued up the mountain (my quads are going to be sore) to the 360-degree view, where we enjoyed agua y jugos. Then it was time to turn around and hike all the way back down, which, as you can imagine, was much easier than the way up. And, there was a water park waiting at the bottom. Caitlin and Andrea Juliana went down the water slides, and we all went around the lazy river a couple of times. It ended up being much chillier than we anticipated (we were so hot from hiking), so we didn't spend too much time there. Finally, it was time for lunch. I had the parrillada menzuly, which was an assortment of meat (chicken, steak, goat, chorizo), potatoes, yuca, and rice (with tripe, peas, etc.). I also had a mint lemonade that was incredible. I need to find this again. Also, cats were everywhere in this park -- especially around the restaurants -- so I was in heaven. I learned that cats are cats everywhere: they rub up on your legs while you're eating, they meow incessantly for food, and they are so stinking cute. It was time to find the cable car again and head home. We bid adieu to Diana and Andrea Juliana, and Caitlin and I took showers and relaxed for a little while before heading out to dinner. Caitlin found a restaurant that we attempted to go to, but since we don't have WiFi and therefore Google Maps outside of the hotel, we didn't know exactly where we were going and ended up somewhere else instead: Hamburguesas el Garaje. It was a pretty cool little joint -- clearly trying to be "American," which was interesting to see. When we were seated, we could see the servers arguing over who had to deal with the gringas, but I thought we did a pretty good job overall with ordering, with answering questions, etc. Our server was not at all accommodating with our language barrier, but we made it work. I ordered the Santander Rock Burger, thinking that it was the most "authentic" to the region that I was visiting. Um, excuse me?!
I took off the onion strings, ate half the burger, and called it good. :) After, we headed home and crashed. It was an amazing -- and exhausting -- day. Tomorrow (which is now today) is our first school visit! Wish us luck! It's hard to believe, but we already finished Part I of our International Field Experience and started Part II this morning. Caitlin, Dave, Bryan, Pope, and I headed to the airport around 8:30 this morning to catch a 10:30 a.m. flight. Fun facts:
Nevertheless, we arrived at our destination -- the beautiful City of Parks, Bucaramanga -- safe and sound. We said adios to our friends at the airport and then said hola to our new friends, Diana (our host teacher), Valeria (her student), and Alberto (our driver). (Don't be like the American dude we met while checking in at the hotel and call us "bougie" -- we are forbidden to take cabs in Colombia due to safety issues, and many people hire drivers for transportation.) We had a lovely chat -- and saw some amazing views -- on our way to the hotel. Upon arriving to our hotel (the "bougie" Dann Carlton), a second student -- Juliana -- met us with the most beautiful welcome baskets I have ever seen. They were filled with several Colombian trinkets and local snacks and sweets for our next eight days in Bucaramanga. It was so incredibly thoughtful. We bid Diana, Valeria, and Juliana adieu, checked into our rooms, and headed upstairs to unpack and decompress. During this time, I had to majorly practice my Spanish and request the hotel to fix a lock on my door. While I know I didn't translate perfectly and still communicated via scrambled English and Spanish, I got the job done. (I'm sure the iPhone photo helped a little, too.) Caitlin and I also went to the top floor, our rooftop pool and restaurant/bar, for lunch -- and I guarantee that won't be the last time we eat there. I've noticed that Colombian cuisine is awfully light on the vegetables. Like, there are little to no vegetables in every meal. My tummy has been feeling super bloated as a result, and I just needed some lettuce. And some Metamucil. We went back to our rooms and settled in a little more, and then Diana and Juliana returned to take us on a little excursion. First, we went on a walk around where we're staying, particularly to the guys' hotel so that we know where they are (and how close we are to them -- literally two blocks, max). We also discovered why Bucaramanga is called the City of Parks and why Fernando Botero is such a famous artist. We then called a driver to take us to Girón, a quaint village surrounded by Bucaramanga. Girón has been around for approximately 400 years, and the rest of the city simply grew around it. The streets are the original stones, and the storefronts and churches are the same as well. The churches in the area -- particularly the Basilica Menor -- were also beautiful. After a walk around the town, we opted to sample some pineapple, as piña is one of the most well-known items in Santander (Bucaramanga's department). We waited in quite a long time for some special pineapple snacks, and we could understand why when we got up to the front of this teeny, tiny shop. Caitlin took this photo with her arms literally through the wrought iron on the door. It is the smallest little place I've ever seen, and one -- one -- señora was going to the back to make everyone's snack by hand prior to coming back to the register. Let me tell you: the wait did not matter at all. I think I -- along with most other people on the street -- would tell you that the wait is worth it. It may appear to just be chopped up pineapple stuffed back into a pineapple, but if that would have been your guess without having tasted it, you would've been wrong. It was so much more than that. So. Much. More. It's layered with coconut ice cream -- that you may be able to see seeping down my hands, my arms, all over my dress, etc. But who cares? That's how good it was. I loved hanging out with Diana and Juliana. What a wonderful surprise to have a student along for the ride. It was truly great.
When we returned to the hotel, Caitlin and I headed to the convenience store that is just across the street and stocked up on water and salty snacks -- since lord knows we were all sorts of sugared up today. Now, I'm headed to bed. We have an early wake-up in order to make it to Parque Nacional del Chicamocha. Expect an action-packed blog -- coming soon. :) Yesterday, Yanalis gave us a wonderfully informative presentation about the history and culture of Colombia. It was so great, in fact, that I wanted to write everything down; I was taking pictures of the slides in order to do so, and I was always at least one slide behind everything she was talking about because I didn't want to miss a thing. But that plan got the best of me, and I missed a whole heck of a lot in trying to get caught up to the group. I did, however, gain tons of knowledge, and I'm anxious to do further research and reading on my own. Here are some interesting and important facts about Colombia: 1. Colombia is one of the most-populated Spanish-speaking countries in the world. Its population is 49 million, which makes it among the 30 most populous countries in the world. 2. With over 54,000 species, is one of the 17 mega-diverse countries in the world. A mega-diverse country is one that harbors the majority of Earth's species, and these 17 countries together account for 70% of the world's biodiversity; Colombia itself has 10%. 3. Colombia consists of 799,389 square miles and is twice the size of Texas and three times the size of California. It is the only country in South America with access to both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. 4. Colombia is divided into five regions and 32 departments (similar to states). 5. Colombia is the oldest democracy in Latin America. The current president of Colombia is Juan Manuel Santos, the man that won the Nobel Peace Prize for signing the peace agreement. In August, Ivan Duque will be inaugurated as president. 6. Pre-Colombia, inhabitants of the land lived in hunter-gatherer societies who traded among themselves. They operated under cacicazgo, a pyramidal power structure headed by a cacique. The two largest indigenous groups were the Tayronas, who inhabited the Caribbean region, and the Muisca, who lived in the highlands near modern-day Bogota. 7. In 1499, Alonso de Ojeda (a Spanish conquistador) was the first European to set foot in what is modern-day Colombia. The first European settlement was Santa Marta (in 1525). 8. Colombia was once part of Gran Colombia, a large state that encompassed much of Central and South America, including parts of Panama, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. John Quincy Adams named it one of the most powerful nations on the planet. 9. Simón Bolivar was the leader of the pro-independence forces and led his army over the Andes to capture New Granada. Colombia gained independence on July 20, 1810, but the last battle was not until the Battle of Boyaca on August 7th, 1819. 10. Colombia has diverse racial groups and differ depending on the race of the parents:
11. Guerrilla groups started off good; they were social activists who wanted things to be fair. However, then it turned to drugs and money. Some of the largest groups include the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), National Liberation Army, and 19th of April Movement (M19). While things have certainly improved since the peace agreement was put into effect, there are still zones that are at a greater risk for guerrilla activity. 12. Colombia's 50 years of war officially ended when President Santos signed the peace agreement in 2017. The biggest problem now is corruption. 13. Below is an image of a more modern historical timeline. This is about the time I was playing mad catch-up with previous slides, so unfortunately, I don't have much written down about any of these things; I just know I have a lot more to research. 14. Colombia's primary language is Spanish, but there are also over 80 amerindian languages spoken. Ninety-five percent of Colombians are Christian (and 90% of Christians in Colombia are Catholic). Other religions represented at approximately 1% each are indigenous, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism. 15. Colombia's main trade partners are the United States, Venezuela, and China. Their main exports are nickel, emeralds (70-90% of the world's market), flowers (second highest exporter in the world and 70% of the U.S. market), bananas, cars, food and beverages, textiles and clothing (they are the leader in the world regarding women's underwear, of all things). VIVA, COLOMBIA!
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