It was a long day of travel in order to get here in Barranquilla, Colombia, but so far it has been worth it. Before I left, I was nervous and afraid because the most important rule for our group here in Colombia is that while we are in Colombia, we are going to speak only Spanish. It is difficult but very possible. My host can speak English and can help me if it is necessary. Today marks one week of having been here in Colombia. It was a very fun week.
While here, I am taking a class in Latin American culture, Latin American literature after 1900, and Spanish conversation, but the most important were the experiences outside of class. For example, me and my housemates live very close to a mall much larger than any that I have seen in the United States, and at a different mall I went to a Starbucks and, for the first time, I got a compliment from a barista written on my cup of coffee. It said “Qué genial tu cabello” which in English is basically “You’re hair is cool.” Also, after our classes on Tuesday and Thursday morning, we got to meet some Colombian students and some of them went to a dance club with us on Friday. They tried to teach us how to dance like Colombians. It was very fun, especially after a few drinks! On Wednesday, we went to a small museum called Mapuka. It was a museum about pre-Columbian civilizations.
Something really interesting here is the food. Hamburgers are really popular here in Barranquilla. For our first dinner here we went to an award-winning hamburger restaurant. The next day we ate a traditional Colombian lunch called Mojarra Frita (a whole fish fried) with coconut rice. It was delicious.
So far, I have had a very good time. I have already learned a lot and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me here in Barranquilla!
