Buenos Dias, Colombia (Not S Carolina!) (3)
74 Horse and Rider. The Botero piece on the 26th Avenue near the old cemeteries is a marvel for the city to be proud of(It is.). Why can't it be moved 20 or 30 meters so that it will be safely inside the park(which closes late at night). Aren't we taking a big risk with it still and majestic there outside the park fences? Isn't it irreplaceable, not to mention priceless? 75 We have to have a free society so the person who works on weekends should be doing so by choice. Obligation, however, is another ballgame. If heads of families are obliged to work on Saturdays, the message is that work is the most important activity in life(a la Japan?) and not doing things as a family. The Catholic Church tells us the family is second to God, not the factory. Is it serious? The country will progress faster when all thieves are forced to return all monies stolen from the public, not just because the little guys work on Saturdays. 76 I know the world is busy and each countrys citizens have their own problems, but whats gonna happen hereto us? There are 7 million people in this city. Weve already had one rocket-bomb incident(August 07). Is the world gonna help us? Were already harmed by the countries who cannot decrease their own drug consumption and the outlaws here who cannot resist the breadEthey get from selling the stuff. Cant we receive a helping hand from a group of nations and not just one? Must we wait until 50,000 of us are anihilatedan incident that will dwarf the number of WTC or Armero victims? 77 Linda and her family went to the Amazon River. They hired an English-speaking guide before travelling. Upon their return, L said there were lots of good/nice guides available in Leticia(Colombias port on the River) and that it would be cheaper to hire one thereon site. She further said the trip was well worth it and that shed love to make another one one day. 78 The government of this country has some TV ads concerning respect, for and on the part of the citizenry. Its good to do that but the various governmental employees(local, departmental, and national) must also play their parts by being prime examples. Do as you see me doing,Eand not do as I sayEis actually the only true way to teach and/or influence. Jesus Christ taught us this. 79 Concerning things international, I was a semi-ignorant Georgia boy when I first came to this country(some would say still!). I hadnt given capital punishment enough serious thought. I daresay Protestants are more prone to approving death sentences than are Catholics, and Georgia is 97 or 98 percent Protestant(that should keep criminals out, but...)! Today I strongly hate death sentences and feel this country can be proud to be one of those countries which doesnt use capital punishment. For some reason God said we should not kill one another without adding any ifs, ands, buts, or unlesses. For some reason. We are playing God when we execute a criminal or murder a fellow citizen. What if Hes angry about that and we dont even take it into account? 80 How things change. Now we have to go to 2 different governmental entities to get pieces of paper that say, basically, that we should not be in jail at the moment. That we are crime-free as individuals. Used to be(Time Was...I love that song.) if you were out walking the streets, highways and byways, it was cause you were more or less law-abiding. Whatever happened to the benefit of the doubt? It went the way of frying pork sausage at breakfast, thats what happened to it. 81 Great news! A tourist station/stand/kiosk(Bogots first) is being inaugurated this week. Its located near the historic district downtown and will be staffed by bilingual and/or multilingual personnel. You see, were improving day by day. Cheers to the new kiosk. 82 There are many, many needy people, especially children, in this land. Their only recourse is often to beg, steal or work. Several years ago there was a big to-do about child labor and multinationals, etc. I realice working is one thing and exploiting minors is another, but what solution have those who were heavy critics to offer? Id rather see a kid selling a newspaper on the streets(a la Clement Stone as a kid in Chicago) or pens and pencils on a bus than begging or stealing. Kids born in desperate circumstances must realize that only by working are they exempt from the whims of the contributor and/or certain regulations. Only by working can they have a bit of control(and only a bit) over their own lives. I would tend to think multinational exploitation a bit gentler for these victims of poverty than the dwellers in their own backyards(from experience and narrations). 83 I dont think that I could ever agree with what Lori did in Peru or the 3 Irishmen who came here(probably strictly for the dough) to do God knows what. I know I criticize. I also try to praise. But act, no. I think thats for ones own country. People like Lori give out the message that even though their own country isnt quite a paradise(mine is and isnt), theyre gonna try and help another one become so. So I talk and believe in talking but if I want action, Id best go home and start helping someone needy on my own neighborhood block. And believe me, weve got plenty of needy people, contrary to what many of the poor in other countries believe. Things just arent easy, are they? As for you, Lori, I wish only peace. Especially the interior kind. Even if youd tell me to go to hell. 84 C.C. is a new teacher. Shes very young and just graduated last December. Shes teaching in lower primary and has about 24 contact hours(the norm here, more or less). As teaching is exhausting, she ends up quite tired each day. Cs earning the equivalent of $300 per month for 40-plus-hour weeks. Shes got about 255 students(8 groups X 32 students in each, roughly). Shes earning more than double the minimum wage. Its the equivalent of $120 a month. I guess you readers are saying no wonder they got that war. 85 We are for sale. All over the city and in the countryside are many, many properties for sale. There are no quick ones, though, so hold your horses if youre like my neighbor, whos also trying to sell. If youve got some extra bucks, nows the time to pick up a good bargain. Maybe Mr Turner could tell some of his cronies and they could come and check us out. Have you seen Cartagena? Its one of the most protected places we have. Maybe it should be the capital city. But the heat! 86 This is a troubled country. Some might even say we are a failed society" but these seem to be a dime a dozen nowadays. We hope we are not beyond recovery. Question: How many of us in this precious land have actually gotten on our knees and prayed for a change of heart in one of the leaders of the insurgent groups? (Im afraid the elfin size of the number of prayers would amaze us.) We say we believe, but do we act the part? I have not prayed for any of those leaders either, but I plan to. Starting today. I wish others would join me. Can it hurt? 87 Soap operas are BIG deals in this land of One Hundred Years of Solitude" and we have had some very good ones lately. Much of the credit goes to Fernando Gaitn who has written the best ones like Caf and Ugly BettyEor, in Spanish, Betty, la fea.E Once he came to visit at our school and gave a talk on writing, etc. It was a real treat and we felt especially privileged all day long. 88 A delicious tropical fruit salad consists of chunks of papaya, mango, cantaloup, strawberries, bananas, and kiwiall fresh, mixed, and topped with light whipped cream. Irresistible. 89 Speaking of food, this country should export its traditional, fantastic wedding cakes. They, too, are irresistible. The cake is dark with raisins, prunes, nuts, and wine and the icing is a thick white coat. Any orders? 90 Everytime I have passed the Suwannee River it is dark and beautiful. Here the great Magdalena is muddy and clay-colored. Also any other river I have asked about. Maybe its the size. I think I was told the Mississippi, too, is muddy. Who wants to look very long at muddy rivers? 91 At home we dont realize the Herculean efforts people abroad often have to make just to get ahead or provide decently for their families. And study. At home a person can get by all right(more or less) without a college education. Dont think its that way in emerging countries cause it isnt. If salaries are low for college grads, can you imagine what old John or Jane Doe have to live on? Take C. Shes married and has 3 children and a day maid who has a key. (!) Her husband works. Shes a chemical engineer. Recently she started a masters degree program on a Friday and Saturday plan that will take at least 18 months, as at home, basically. Then I learn shes in a consulting position which is pressuring her to learn English. So now shes taking English classes on top of everything else. Of course, I say, when is she going to have time actually to study English? At least she doesnt cook. Says she doesnt like it and wont do it. Thats good, I think. Any suggestions for this woman who races about so? 92 How we are snobs about our respective countries! I was standing in line in the Queen Sophia hospital and the woman in front of me looked different, I noticed(foreign, in other words). So I said what people sometimes say to me, Youre not from here, are you?E Im Italian,E she answered. It was all I needed cause I love Italian food and the opera and have seen gorgeous pictures of that country. Who can say their language isnt as beautiful as it is musical? I said I would love to visit Italy some day. She said how nice. That shed been living in this country 30 years. I said how nice, too, and that Id been here only about half that time. Her short but polite answers amused me. When I remarked that her country was without a doubt quite fantastic, she replied in three wordsIts breathtaking. 93 Solution needed. Heres the problem: You cant have iron sewer covers here cause they get stolen in a minute for the scrap value or whatever. Okay. So, we make cement sewer covers which have iron rims only(to encase the cement). Theyre still getting stolen and the rate is alarmingnot to mention the danger posed to vehicles and pedestrians. Can you imagine walking with your tot and it runs ahead of you then disappears suddenlythe victim of a missing sewer cover? Well, it has happened and will happen more. I think one solution might be restricted vehicular traffic from, say, midnight or 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. We know much evil is done in those wee pre-dawn hours in any country. A measure of this sort wouldnt affect cars as much as it would trucks. You need a truck to load more than a few sewer covers, or to bring heavy ammunition into the city. Dont you? 94 Now we have electronic lotteries as do richer countries. Some have said the chances are slimmer than with the traditional(and folkloric) lottery vendors. I disagree. We know all it takes is the one number that is IT, but thats not my beef. I stopped trusting traditional vendors many years ago after reading news reports that they didnt always turn in the tickets. (!) Can you imagine? At home thinking the gods might finally smile on you when all the while the guy tossed your ticket into some trash bin? Horror. Give me the electronic lotto that is broadcast on TV any day. 95 I find everyone remarkably calm this week despite the dangers we face here. Is it just me? 96 We took a group from school camping overnight at the Neusa reservoir which is about an hour from the city. The big lake is surrounded by grassy hills and pine and eucalyptus trees. This was a good chance for city kids to cook their own meals, wash dishes, etc. We hiked around and saw other campers. When night came we built a campfire and around it the kids joked and swapped stories and jives. After a while the wind got so icy(literally, it seemed) that some of us decided to hit the sack early. You have to have lived in the mountains to know how capricious the weather can be. It was a lot of fun. If you havent smelled the eucalyptus youve missed something great. 97 Bullfighting, it seems, is a dying sport here. The fans I have met or know about are anything but young. Some university students Ive asked said they didnt know any true fans. Anyway, the season for this event is from December to February in case anyone is interested. 98 Everyone should own a Colombian-wool ruana(poncho) for curling up and watching TV on those cold, winter nights. They come in different colors and several lengths. Midis are fantastic and can double as blankets. Order one today by calling the nice folks at Artesan}s Maku Fax no. 620-7475 or telephone 620-8573. You wont be sorry one second. P.S. They also have hammocks in color combinations you wont believe. 99 Weenie watching. M got some fine new binoculars in Europe so she could spot weenies, it seems. Men here(some men) pee on the streets by leaning against trees or brick walls, etc. Actually, for them its normal cause they learned that as tiny tots and if you learn it then, it always seems normal. M lives on the 12th floor so she has many trees within view. Ive heard that men pee outside in Japan, too. It saves water, thats for sure! So, we have girl-watching, people-watching, and weenie-watching in this world. 100 What happened to F(a fellow citizen) has never been funny. She was a lovely wife and mom of many children. Most of them had grown up by the time she came to live here for a few years with her scientist husband. Eventually he fell in love with their maid and he and F split. After 2 or 3 years of joyriding,Ehe died(probably his heart. Louise Hay can tell us about that.). By that time shed gone back brokenhearted to the States(I guess brokenhearted, but am not totally sure.). So, she had to come back over here to tie up loose ends. She had some very good house parties before things turned sour and was immensely kind to each and every. One of those people you never forget. 101 At least H is very religious bcause itll help him to understand these things. He was walking home with 2 take-out chickens for the family when 2 youths sneaked up, grabbed the pleasant-smelling fowls and ran like hell. Free dinner. I dont know if H went back and bought 2 more chickens. I suspect he didnt. What would I do in that case? Be mad all evening, probably, and open a few cans of something. 102 It seems the city could better exploit tourism by placing a large lit-up Ferris wheel atop Monserrate(the citys mountain). What a view of the city it would afford day or night! Of course, there is a shrine/sanctuary on top of the mountain but there are also a fine restaurant and other commercial enterprises. The church is sacred within its walls, thats for sure. The outside property is a different matter. Its not as if Christ Himself walked around on the grounds or anything. 103 The Popstars auditions(on TV) have shown us all fresh talent, ambition, and, even better, love and support from members of the contestantsEfamilies. Its great news and grand to see such a thing in action. 104 D died happy, I think, and quick, the lucky bastard! G had gone to the UK to live and met and married D, who worked in accounting. As is not uncommon, they came here to live as a couple. (G said she could take no more of those quaint but utterly dead UK villages.) G, I seem to remember, was highly attached to her mother. Anyway, the 3 lived happily ever after for a while. A fusion of capital enabled all 3 to leave a centrally-located neighborhood and buy a place in the citys posh north. After a year or two, D left us suddenly. That left G and her mom in the posh dwelling. I think there was a pet or two. Anyway, D didnt die alone. He was quite fussed over, Im sure. Seems many Latin moms quite like English or English-type sons-in-law. 105 Gonzalo Ariza painted the most spectacular and bewitching landscapes, among other themes. He was from this city. He studied for a time in Japan at the Koto Kogel Gakko in Tokyo. He also did some ceramic work and some murals. His works are on exhibit in various prestigious locations throughout the capital. He exhibited in our country in the 1960s. What an honor it would be to own one of his works(Dreams are free.) 106 M lived so long! Maybe 90 years. Her mind deteriorated faster than did her body, so, she was like a disoriented child those last few years. M was born in Austria. She and her husband, F, had emigrated to this country while it was still possible to escape Hitlers clutches. It was a pleasure to visit and chat with M before she became unable to. Shed had no children. She and her husband had loved the arts. She allowed no TV in her house; instead, it was filled with plants, books, LP records(pre-CD), and maybe a bird and cat or two. She used to tell me how bad her English was, but actually, she managed fairly well. We spoke English and Spanish in our garden chats(her garden). She proudly displayed a framed, autographed photo of Marian Anderson in her studio. Thats going way, way back, isnt it? 107 My father-in-law had the custom of giving the tenants little boy downstairs a coin or a cookie whenever he visited upstairs(occasionally). This practice had been going on 4 months or so. One day the elderly man asked the boy customarily if he wanted the coin or the cookie. The child responded that for this time only, both, if the seorEdidnt mind. 108 A small group of us were in Flandes, a tropical town across the Magdalena River from Girardot, happily eating just-caught fish at one of the typical restaurants. Two kids off to the side were signaling to me. M said they wanted whatever I left on my plate when I finished. I stopped eating a moment and swallowed. Though Id always seen poor people in Georgia(Daddy made sure we saw how very poor people lived.), it wasnt quite like this. I guessed Id better get used to scenes of this type. (Actually, I returned to Flandes only once more, but it had nothing to do with the restaurant scene. Today, of course, it is very risky to travel in the country by land.) 109 Nicols was his name and he lived in a rural area in Western Colombiathe coffee region. Hed been out walking or playing in a field when suddenly he fell down a well which had been uncovered and without walls. The whole nation soon learned of his plight and agonized. Day and night we kept abreast of each piece of news. Rescue workers with the latest equipment came from PanamEand other places. Prayers were said. In the end, men and women alike wept on buses and in stores and offices when it was announced that he was not rescued in time. I guess today hed be about 23 years old. In these cases there are no walled estates, no nationsEborders, no religious differences, no hatred or rivalryonly human hearts bleeding universally in unison.
Copyright © 2002 Randall Barfield |