The Beginning

The adventure begins. I arrived in Manizales on Sunday afternoon after two very long days of traveling, during which I was stuck in Bogotá while the Manizales airport was closed because of bad weather. (Potential visitors beware: the Manizales airport closes often. Though the Bogotá airport does have very nice benches to sleep on.) When I finally did make it, I couldn't believe what I saw. The city sits dispersed among lush green mountains and low hanging clouds. It is cloudy and rains almost every day, but the weather almost adds to the mountainous beauty. On a very occasional cloudless day, you can see snow-capped mountains (Los Nevados) in the distance.

I'm currently living with a guy named Juan Sebastian - a student and fellow member of AIESEC. What is AIESEC you ask? Let me explain. AIESEC is an international student-run organization founded in 1948 by students in France and Germany for the purpose of bettering relations between young adults from different backgrounds and countries. AIESEC now exists in over 100 countries, and its main goal is cultural exchange. Students work with companies, schools, organizations, etc. in their local cities to set up internships and jobs so that students from other countries can then work abroad, experience a new culture, make friends in other countries, and so on. When I decided I wanted to teach in Colombia for a year, I went onto the AIESEC database and found a teaching job. Now that I'm here, I have one AIESEC member hosting me for the next week or so, another in charge of my contract, another handling the visa and green card process, another helping me to find my own apartment, and plenty more to act as my new friends. It is quite the ideal situation. Juan Sebas has a nice apartment with great views, as you can see by the pictures I've posted - these were all taken outside of my bedroom window. He's been a great roommate - very friendly and helpful. He lives in an area called El Cable, and I'll be staying in this area when I find my own place. El Cable is filled with bars, cafes, shops, a movie theater, and anything else that you would want within a 5-block walking radius of your apartment.

The school where I'll be teaching is part of a national chain of Catholic, Opus Dei single-sex schools in Colombia. For purposes of protecting the school and myself, I am going to leave out the actual name of the school. My orientation began on Monday, and so far most of my impressions have been positive. The other teachers are very friendly and welcoming, and the coordinator of the English department has been incredibly helpful. I will be teaching Language Arts to 8th, 10th and 11th graders, and 11th grade is split into a more and less advanced group. One of the hardest aspects of this job will be accepting the differences between the Colombian and American education systems and pedagogy. A few weeks ago the English coordinator sent me an email with a list of the books I would be teaching, and I was amazed by the students' advanced level of literature. Well, I shouldn't have gotten too excited. The 11th graders do not actually read Pride and Prejudice; they read an abridged, 80-page version of the story. So here is the question I proposed: If the 11th graders are at an 8th grade English reading level, wouldn't it be better for them to read 8th-grade level books in their original version instead of more advanced books in their abridged, non-literary version? The teacher's explanation: the girls get too impatient with the length of books in their original form. Then I skimmed through a sheet with a teacher's notes regarding the books that were read in previous years. One of her comments: The abridged Heart of Darkness was too metaphorical for the 7th graders. My thoughts: What an atrocity to abridge such a beautiful piece of literature, essential in its poetic form, and how can you possibly expect 13-year-olds to conceptualize its profound significance? Later Monday night I learned from Juan Sebas that basically all Colombian schools use abridged English books; it's simply something that I'll have to accept. I proposed using short stories and short novels in their original versions as an alternative for the most advanced group; the English coordinator received this suggestion positively.

This year will be challenging in a positive way. I have moved to a country to which I have never been before, and I've entered a culture without any study abroad program orientation that explains all the rules and details of the cultural norms. I am starting a new job in a place where Mass and the Rosary are planned events in the orientation schedule, and I am the only teacher who neither speaks native Spanish nor makes the sign of the cross before every meal. I have a lot of responsibilities and a lot to learn, but I'm excited for all of it. Colombians have proven to be incredibly friendly thus far. My work space is accepting and comfortable, and I have a ready-made social network for my fun time. I'm only on day four, and although I haven't yet had a chance to explore the city, I have already made a few friends who will be showing me around this weekend. Each day I become less overwhelmed and more enthused for what lies ahead. Hasta pronto.