Abs' Aberrations

Medellín!

2010-02-09T03:03:00.003+05:30

Medellín. For most around the world, the name of this city would draw a blank. For many others it would bring forth images of cocaine, drug cartels, violence and Pablo Escobar. The latter is an inseparable part of Medellín's history. Spoken of as one of the most dangerous cities in the world until a decade ago, Medellín has since begun a process of breakneck development & reform. The paísas, as the local people of Antioqueña province are known seem to have decided that the only way to wash their incredibly beautiful land off the sins and violence of the cocaine trade is to look to the future and strive for prosperity. And it seems to be working. I looked forward to my visit to Medellín with mixed emotions. My primary reason for going was a combination of fascination to walk around in what was once the HQ of the world's cocaine trade, a city with a history of intense conflict and violence and also to visit C, who had very kindly invited me to stay at her house with her husband and son. By now I knew that Colombian hospitality was not something to be refused and so I booked my tickets to Medellín or the "City of Eternal Spring" as its known in Colombia.

I landed in the airport that services Medellín at 9 AM on Saturday. The airport is about 55 kms outside the city (whinging Bangaloreans please note) and C and her son were meant to pick me up at the airport. Sure enough, I was warmly greeted and as we got into C's car she said, "Well...we have an action packed day ahead of us so I hope you are ready". And boy was she right.

We started off by driving through the small pueblos or little towns that surround Medellín instead of taking the direct freeway into the city. Immediately, I was struck by the sheer natural beauty that envelops this part of the country. Antioquia is in the valleys of the Andes with hills and mountains all around. The scenery is unimaginably lush and reminiscent of Wayanad and Coorg in the monsoons when the green all around you is that much more greener, the air that much more crisp. After spending a few minutes in one of the picturesque towns, we stopped of at a nature park outside the city. I assumed it was only for sight seeing purposes but I didn't yet know C well enough! After the customary photos, I was taken to the bar and welcomed with a double shot of Aguardiente! As the refreshing and warm liquid went down I noticed that it was 9:50 A.M. A good way to start the weekend!

Following the 60 ml of pure aniseed liquor, we proceeded into the city and again the drive into Medellín is one of unparalleled beauty because you descend from the mountains into a steep valley and the views of the city as you descend are breathtaking. Much of the first half of the day was spent visiting popular sights like the Pueblito Paisa which is a restored Antioquian township set atop a hill with great views of the city, the city centre which is a bit seedy and full of noise and colour, the University area with breezy open squares, live music, happy families and couples everywhere. Lunch was at "Casa Grande" or the big house meaning C's family home where the entire family meets on Saturdays for Frijoles and paisa food. This comprises beans, fried pork, fried beef, fried sweet bananas, fried unripe bananas and arequipe sweets. Again, I met with an entire Colombian family of about 15 people who more or less adopted me by the end of the meal! This is the 3rd time this is happening and I cannot but feel that Colombians and especially the Paisas are among the warmest people in the world. After lunch, a bit of joking around and family chat, a quick "tinto" or black Colombian coffee later we were off again. This time we had left C's son back at the family home and I soon knew why. We were going to North Medellín. Zona Rosa or the Red Zone as it was/is known.

In Medellín, the city is highly stratified. The South is where Poblado is. Full of high rises, glitzy shopping malls, spic and span streets, orderly traffic and a very European feel. The centre is more representative of Colombia with noise, colour, shady areas, commerce everywhere and cheap, good eats. The hills to the south is the unofficial red zone. Until a decade ago, it would have been very foolish to do what we were about to do: i.e. visit this part of the city. The most unfortunate decades in Medellín's history, when Pablo Escobar almost singlehandedly brought La Violencia here, this part of the city was his HQ. The HQ of the world's cocaine trade.

In order to get to this area, we rode the metro up to the edge of the zone and then there were a series of cable cars that serviced the remaining portion of the city. This was done because the entire south comprises a series of steep hillocks where a metro rail would be impossible. The ingenuous engineers conceived a way to link cable cars to the metro to enable the populace living in this very rough part of the city to access the jobs that were available in the centre and north. The cable cars were built only in 2003. Before that this was a no go. We got off the final cable car stop and C went straight up to the security guy to have a chat. I admit I was a bit unsettled with the substance of the conversation: she basically asked him if it was safe to visit the library that now serves as a huge development centre for the neighbourhood. The security guy assured us that if we walked straight up to the library (about 500 metres) and straight back, we would be OK. Just don't go wandering around the bylanes. Note that this was at 4 PM. Hmmm. As we got out of the station and onto the road, I was immediately struck by that feeling when the hairs on the back of your neck are tickled gently. I don't know if you have ever felt this way but I have. You know you're in a place where there is trouble around and you keep your head down, act normal and hope trouble doesn't find you. Those who have walked around in Rotterdam at night will identify. But this was much more raw, I felt it was much more volatile.

As we made our way to the library, 3 kids aged 12 - 16 latched on to us. C had worked on a huge development project here and she was recognized. Immediately, I was being given a history of the neighbourhood, the violence, what was being done to change things. The oldest of the kids around 16 asked me if I was a Gringo in pretty decent English. C then gave them a few pesos to get a snack and they wandered off, letting me know that if I had any more questions they were available for a chat. This was an extremely moving and educational experience. These were the kids, without programs to keep them busy and active, who would be drawn by the remaining gangs who still existed in Medellín. This way they spray painted walls but with messages to end the drug trade, end oppression of women and promote education. The library itself was another manifestation. In C's words, "this is what can happen when there is cooperation between the people and government and there is no corruption". The library has been the subject of many TV programs as much for what it has done for this community as for its stunning architecture. The library serves as the heart of community development here: computer labs, children's play areas, adult education programs and a vast array of books to boot. The project was conceptualised by local civil society like C to bring about a sense of dignity to the people in this neighbourhood, as much to remove the stigma of being seen as gangsters as to bring about a change in their life styles. As we walked back to the cable car, C pointed out the different banks, women's cooperative movements and entrepreneurship development centres that have set up shop here. All this she said was unthinkable even a few years ago. The visit to this part of the city was one of the most intense and educative experiences I've ever had. There was no way I could have set foot here on my own. Even now, there has been an increase in gang violence. C says that there are new fears among people in the city that old ways are creeping back but civil society hopes to turn the tide.

After that fantastic city tour, we drove back to C's house pretty exhausted. We just sat in the backyard of their wonderful house and C's husband opened the customary bottle of Aguardiente to be drank with Uchuva fruit. We then proceeded to finish the better part of a bottle of Aguardiente with Uchuva. As it turned out C's husband too was a big fan of Juanes and we put on some of his best, listening to Juanes, sipping Aguardiente and C's husband explaining the lyrics and their local significance to me...Juanes being from Medellín. A deliciously heady combination! While we relaxed plans were being hatched for the night. Around 9 PM, we left for what C promised was a very good Salsa & Tango bar. Again, I was about to find out just how good. Not much can be said about this Salsa bar other than that Salsa bars are something to experience and not read about. Let's get some facts straight: Colombians are born salseros. In this bar, the moment the band struck up the music, the dance floor was flooded with a crush of bodies. Every single person and I mean every single person, young old, thin fat, tall short, hot not hot, they all could salsa like Gods. It was one of the most incredible sights I have seen. I was asked immediately to dance but I declined as I usually do when asked to dance. I was at a table with 4 other Colombians who were all C's family. I figured they understood and would leave me alone. In any case I was too overwhelmed, my ego too lacerated by the scenes in front of me to attempt to dance here. Are you crazy? no way! A bottle of chilled Aguardiente appeared on the table and C's husband and I ensured we steadily made progress on that. It took about 3 drinks. On filling my little shot glass for the 4th time C's husband said to me "OK this is your last drink. Now you dance". That's it. Before I knew it C's husband's daughter had grabbed my hand and I was learning to Salsa. She is a trained ballerina and tours the world performing. Horror! I did my best to plod and follow the steps. But after a few more glasses of aguardiente I don't think I did too badly! The bonhomie, cheer, fun, enjoyment and general sense of happiness was overwhelming in that salsa bar. When we left at 2 AM, people were still getting in. I think of Bangalore with this prism and I can only think that we are a backward people or as Tharoor says we are a people in an advanced state of decay. Anyway, the highlight of the day was yet to come!

All 3 of us had had our share of Aguardiente and the taxista or driver was singing softly to tango tunes as we drove home. C remarked that he sang pretty well (which he did). Immediately the taxista said that he loved Tango and Salsa and folk and more than anything he loved karaoke! And before we knew it, he had inserted a Karaoke CD of salsa hits into the music player and proceeded to sing 4 successive songs Karaoke style all the way home. If ever there was a way to capture the essence of this city, it's people and who they are this was it! What a day. What a city. What people. 17 hours in Medellín but easily one of the most memorable in recent memory. Medellín te quiero!

Pictures on Facebook and Flickr.

PS - Yes, both the taxi driver on my ride back to my hotel in Bogotá and C's husband asked me what I thought of women in Colombia and why I did not yet have one as a girlfriend.

No traffic day!

2010-02-04T19:17:00.000+05:30

My hotel room is on the 1st floor overlooking a small but extremely rowdy thoroughfare and crossroads here in Bogotá. By now I am used to the sounds of the odd traffic snarl, wailing ambulance siren or 3 AM motorbike whine. I usually wake up by about 6:30 AM here but even if I wanted to, I couldn't sleep beyond 7. Come 7 AM Monday to Friday and my room is swept away in a cacophony of honking, rumbling of buses and ambulance or police sirens. This morning however, as I rushed to get dressed for an 8 AM meeting, things were surprisingly tranquil downstairs. CNN's inane yammering in my room meant I didn't appreciate how quite things really were. When I walked out of the hotel to cross the street I noticed there were no traffic pile ups. It usually takes me about 5 minutes to cross the road because of the volume of traffic. Cars here, like in Bangalore don't stop for pedestrians.

As I entered the office I overheard some conversation about how "Thank God there are no traffic jams today". I brushed that off as a statement made in most big cities in the world. But it's only when I went into my meeting with the big boss did he mention that today was no traffic day! I find this pretty incredible and another testimony to how far ahead Colombians are in many ways to us in India. Civic sense and an appreciation of an active life has somehow really filtered down into the populace here.

Today February 4th, all private vehicles are off the roads. As I look out my office window onto the street, there are only taxis, buses and a few bicycles going about. The silence is a bit eerie really! Everyone who drives a car uses public transport today and I guess the city is much the better for it. Just as I typed this a courier guy on a motorbike had a bad fall right outside. But he seems to be OK. This evening, I definitely intend to walk around camera in hand and see what the city does on this day. Bogotá has a really uncanny way of sneaking up on you and surprising you ever so pleasantly with all sorts of strange and fun loving things. My words really don't do justice to the sense of enjoyment that grips this city during the day when people are out. Photos will follow on Flickr and Facebook.

Music

2010-02-02T01:11:00.002+05:30

Over the last month, barring a few epic moments at the Back Fence, my music listening had taken a sharp downward spiral. Today, after 3 weeks in Bogotá, I was in a bit of a rut or funk. I put on my earphones, lined up the best of "The Who" and almost magically, to the strains of some good ole original rock n roll, my mind magically cleared and I managed to set some clear goals for myself for the next month here.

Music does have some serious therapeutic qualities...much like reading and writing. Catharsis of another sort really.

Another first

2010-02-01T07:28:00.002+05:30

First family member, my first cousin studying at Georgia Tech is now an AIESEC'er! Albeit in the US but nonetheless! I'm thrilled! I hope she stays on for at least a couple of years. She's already talking about some regional conference...and so it begins.

Vocational Training in Bogotá

2010-01-30T01:31:00.000+05:30

As part of my stay here, I am attempting to understand the education methodology being used in vocational training by the university I am working with here. I attended my first classes today. But to get there I had to catch a taxi. I had fairly good directions so when I read them off to the taxi driver who seemed a fairly amiable sort, he straight up asked me where I was from. Clearly my accent gave me away as an extranjero. Over the next 15 minutes of the drive, we spoke about everything from Colombian food to the languages in India and everything in between. The driver was curious about my opinions on Colombian food, the weather and how it contrasts to India, whether women in India wear veils (!), where I learned Spanish and of course, what I thought of Colombian women! Every single guy whom I've had a conversation with in Bogotá has not failed to ask me this question! So anyway the taxi ride was entertaining and every conversation here helps me improve my language skills.

Of course as is almost the norm here, I was welcomed and treated like royalty at the Centre. I sat in on an entire basic English class which was much fun. The teacher was of course Colombian but had spent time in England. It's times when I sit in on such classes, whether here or back in India, I feel a real urge to get up there and teach! Maybe one day I will. But coming back to the class, the topic was putting down all the info that comprises passports of different nationalities. None of the students present had managed to find this info and I volunteered to show a soft copy of my passport which was on my portatil (laptop). Much fun ensued with them trying to ignore the Hindi script and read the English script. Many questions followed on India, my passport, my city (aah how I miss you), food and religion in India.

I then took a peek into the university's digital learning classrooms. They have a fairly good computer-aided digital learning facility where students supplement classroom learning with exercises and practice in English, I.T, graphic design, MS office and other verticals.

I was quite excited as I feel I have now found one tangible area where I can contribute positively. I am going to propose working with the English faculty here to share activities, ice breakers and work sheet formats similar to those that have been developed by QUEST Alliance in Bangalore. I feel these guys can benefit enormously from these tools. Much credit to the team back in Bangalore for the design and thought gone into the curriculum there.

This weekend I have a couple of engagements to sample the nightlife and visit handicraft markets in Bogotá. I also intend taking a cable car to a famous church Monserrate that sits perched atop the mountains that line the East of the city. Pictures will follow.

Food in Bogotá

2010-01-26T01:02:00.001+05:30

It's been almost 2 weeks since I landed in Bogotá and this has been enough time for one such as me to explore the food options here. I love food. Anyone who has spent any time with me will tell you that. All sorts of food. I especially love the complexities with which they are prepared.

I had heard much about the food in Colombia before getting here and initially things were a bit of a let down. However, after some exploring Bogotá is a city where you can really sample the local fare at very cheap prices once you know what to ask for in cafés. Here are some of the food options you will encounter if ever you visit Bogotá:

- The ubiquitous empanada and pastille:
Empanada literally means wrapped in pan or bread. This is the Colombian version of the venerable Samosa. A deep fried, crusty outer shell with the inside filled with beef, chicken, pork or / and cheese. It is rare that you will find empanadas only of queso or cheese but you will find them. Sorry no vegetarian ones I have seen thus far. This is a common trend in Colombia. People don't understand the concept of being vegetarian! Unthinkable really. The pastille is almost an exact version of the Indian puff or patties. Folks in the south will easily understand what a puff means. Most often, these puffs are chicken puffs. I haven't found anything else. Pastille de pollo or chicken puffs and empanadas are the standard savoury snacks found here.

Colombian Doughnuts:
Doughnuts and indigenous versions of the same are highly popular as a sweet snack. You will find many varieties including apple, arequipe, raisin, strawberry, sugar and of course chocolate versions.

Tinto / Pintado/Café con leche:
Bogotanos love their coffee. A tinto or straight up black brewed coffee is the all time favourite here. People consume copious quantities of tinto. I must admit although I am a born bred south Indian filter kaapi lover, the tinto does go down very smoothly albeit leaving a strong after taste. I prefer the pintado or coffee painted with a little milk or con leche, meaning lots of milk with some coffee in it. The coffee is good but surprisingly not great. Lonely Planet tells me most of Colombia's best coffee is exported. That may be true as the coffee I have drunk so far comes nowhere close to the heady aromas of Baba Budan or Coorg beans.

Frijolo and Bandeja Paisa
OK so what do Bogotanos eat for lunch and dinner? At home they may have a docile combination of some rice, some meat, some salad and some postre or dessert BUT when it comes to a meal outside, they sure love their meat. It is fairly common in cafés, food courts and little hole in the wall restaurants to find people tucking in to enormous plates filled with a side of beans and rice topped with french fries with most of the plate taken up by a huge slab of roast or friend beef with pepper sauce. The traditional version of this meal is served with fried bananas, arepas (a kind of idli to be honest) and avocado. People here love their avocado. Chicken is at times substituted for the beef but rarely. It is more common to find the plate I just described also coming with a generous portion of fried pork! This is a normal meal people.

One thing that has struck me here is the absolute lack of international food. Bogotá is yet to discover the joys of good Chinese, Thai, Indian, Turkish, Japanese or Middle Eastern food. It seems like the only international food items to have made their way are of course the hamburger, the doughnut, the sandwich but little else. More surprisingly, pizza and pasta too are fairly uncommon except for in upscale restaurants. All of this is understandable in a way because food choices expand when there is diversity in local population. Immigrants bring their own food with them and set up shop. However, there is still a lack of knowledge or appreciation of other cuisines here.

My food:
As a result of not being close to the coast and limited cuisine options close to where I stay, I have been limiting myself to the supermarket for my meals. I now have a fairly good larder in my hotel room comprising mustard, Heinz chilli sauce, Nesquik milk mix, a fruit box which is replenished with great peaches, nectarines, apples, mangosteens and kiwi fruit as well as some minor snack items like nuts and raisins. I buy bread and cheese when needed and must say although it's not like eating a real hot meal, it's better than subjecting myself to the nearby cafés. Now don't get me wrong: if you were here for a week or two, by all means go nuts with the food. However for a longish period of time, I am afraid it gets a bit much. All the vegetables and food are cooked in a ton of oil. All the snacks are either deep fried or sugary sweet. If you don't want to get out of Bogotá to enter the Sumo wrestling championships, then it's best advised to go easy. Although it's a long way away, I intend running a 50 K in November this year for which the hard yards begin now.

But coming back to the food.

Things that are unique and incredibly delicious in Bogotá:

- Salpicon
The Salpicon is a mixture of pineapple, passion fruit, papaya and other fruit juices with generous quantities of diced fruits added to it. Salpicon is sold on every other street corner in their standard see-through plastic containers. 1 thousand pesos or 50 cents will get you a glass of Salpicon. It's by far the most refreshing thing I have had in Bogotá so far!

Pan Yucca:
buns or bread baked with starch of cassava and cheese. Super rico...delicious and a must try.

Chocolate Completo:
I've already talked about this before: hot chocolate, a slab of cheese, pan de yuca. What's not to like?!

This is what I've seen so far. As I travel I am sure there will be more interesting things. I am especially looking forward to my trip to the Caribbean Coast with its abundance of seafood. Hasta luego!

El Ritmo

2010-01-20T21:39:00.001+05:30

Whether at work, in my hotel, at a café or just walking the streets in Bogotá, it is impossible to escape the rhythm that abounds everywhere. Salsa is part of the Colombian soul and in every single conversation I have had so far, Salsa has dutifully made its appearance. By Salsa I not only mean the more popular and well traveled dance form as much the music and musicians who make this sort of music. Alejandro in the room where I sit in this office hesitantly asks me if I like music. Of course when asked this sort of a question by any person in Latin America there is only one possible answer. The truth is also that I got hooked onto Latin groove, Latin pop and rock a long time ago. Cuban music and Buena Vista too have ensured there aren't many people in the English speaking world who don't nod away to this sort of music. I assured Alejandro that not only did I like Salsa music but that if he wished he could play it on his computer and it wouldn't bother my work. He seemed relieved and let on that he was accustomed to having music in the background while working. :-) We are all the same aren't we.

It's an infectious vibe. When I sleep at night in my hotel room I doze off to the sounds of Latin groove from the tiny bar located below my room window. On Sundays when ciclovia kicks in, many street food stalls have speakers blaring Salsa music. The music somehow grabs your insides and makes you want to move. It doesn't matter if you can't dance but there are no inhibitions in this music. No restraint. No formality. A casual, cool Latin ease permeates through these sounds and you can see why a combination of this music, Aguardiente or rum and their dance can be one of the most intoxicating cocktails anywhere. I think it is a sign of my growing years (?) that for me not much can beat the sounds of Hindustani Classical but that said, I will be much the poorer if I don't leave Colombia with a serious collection of Salsa music.

First Sunday & first meeting

2010-01-20T04:31:00.001+05:30

Over the weekend I walked around most parts of Bogotá. On Saturday with Sergio and his girlfriend Joanna and on Sunday by myself. With escort, I visited the arty part of Bogotá as well as the chic part. There is much development here but it is still a strangely reluctant and hesitant development. There are sky scrapers but it seems like people aren't sure why they exist. There are malls but and food courts which are packed but at the same time there is a sense of newness to all this. I am not sure if I am missing the pulse altogether but it seems to me that there is still a coexistence of sorts between disorder, crime and the new Bogotá.

Sunday is the day when almost all of downtown and central Bogotá are shut to traffic. Thousands of citizens are out on their bicycles or jogging and walking with their families. It is almost like the entire city is one big carnival. It was fantastic to walk around the main streets without a care in the world, stopping for a Salpicon here (a fruity drink which is fantastic) or for a pack of Bananas Fritas there. I also visited the backpacker area where I had originally planned to stay and came away having made up my mind to venture there as little as possible. Seedy would be an understatement and I could see why muggings were common here in the nights. No way did I want to be walking back to a room with my laptop in that neighbourhood!

Food is proving to be a big challenge for me here. Sadly, Colombians don't seem to have discovered a lot of the spices that are common place in India or in the Western world. Much of the food is seasoned only with salt. All the meat and veggies are served with a pepper sauce or salted. The amount of meat eaten is also serious. Big sides of beef and pork are the norm here eaten with thickly cut french fries and peas. Beans too are common but again sadly completely unseasoned and to my Indian palate fairly unappetizing. I am surviving on the many fruits that are sold here and packs of yogurt drinks and bread. Unlike Shanghai, there are absolutely no small, affordable western food restaurants here that will serve you a decent salad, a soup or a pasta dish. Seems like hamburgers are the only western fad that has caught on. Pastas, pizzas, Arabic food and Oriental food is very rare. I have seen one Israeli restaurant in the backpacker quarter and one suspect Chinese place calling itself Señor Wok! Not having access to a kitchen is really hitting home now but hey I can't complain. I am in Colombia after all!

I had my first real meeting today, entirely in Spanish of course. I more or less got about 80% of our conversation which revolved around vocational training programs being conducted by the organisation I am with here. Very interesting, very inspiring and very similar to many NGOs in India. I am yet to finalise on some deliverables but patience I must have. The person I met with Señor Carlos had many questions on life in India and my Spanish kept breaking down trying to explain things like why India is a peaceful country, why there is so much development in India and why English is spoken in many places and how there isn't a single language like Spanish. Phew.

For now I have finalised on continuing to stay at the hotel which is in the city centre. Its convenient but like I said no kitchen. I intend to explore the city more over the next weekend. Snaps of Bicycle Sunday too will come soon. Hasta luego!

¡Que Chévere!

2010-01-19T04:14:00.000+05:30

Bueno, entonces es muy importante que yo me recordo todas de mis experencias de hoy y pienso que si yo no tengo cuidado este blog post estara sólo en español!

Today was an incredible day. It was one of those days when I wished multiple times that I was actually living in a movie and I could hit the pause button every few minutes as much to soak in the culture, laughter and people as to completely understand all the jokes, the jibes and the questions flying around.

But let me begin from the beginning. Today was the annual planning meeting of the organisation I am with here in Bogotá. (www.unipanamericana.edu). It started off with reporting at the office at 7 AM where a fleet of buses waited to ferry us to the destination. Immediately, my day began when Camilo, who is the HR head took me under his wings and we chatted through the entire bus journey of about forty minutes. When I say chatted I mean he spoke about himself, about his life, about his work, he asked me several questions about the same and I tried my best to respond in a comprehensible fashion. But as we drove on out of the city, I began to see how beautiful Colombia really is. Bogotá itself is nestled in the Andes and there is always a chill in the air and something more I feel but I’ll come to that later. All around Bogotá are green, lush green mountains with the city in the middle.

Its only when we got to the venue of the meeting that I began to grasp how big this organisation really is. There were about 150 people from different departments present. What I noticed straight away was that everyone from the big boss Andrés to the señoras that give us coffee were there and were equally part of all the sessions and activities. For me that is one clear indicator of the kind of leadership that exists in any organisation and the kind of culture that has been fostered within.

The first half of the event comprised a brilliant visioning presentation which talked about how FUP can play a role in the development of Colombia. This included things like learning from technologically advanced countries, countries that have revolutionized the use of green energy and education. This was followed by quite a compelling talk by Andrés where he spoke about how each of the people present play a role in this vision. It was then that he also introduced me and I had to stand up (blushing I admit) to much applause. I missed part of what he said in his introduction but was later told that an intercultural exchange was one of the key paths to development of Bogotá. Much of the first half was presentations and the powerpoints. I must admit here that a lot of things were beyond me but I managed to grasp a fair amount and not be completely clueless.

Lunch saw me sitting at the “head table” so to say with Andrés and what I figured were some of the heavy hitters in the organisation. Conversation was pleasant interrupted only by my “perdoname” or “mas despacio” which means please repeat and speak slowly! It was then that it began to sink in…the people. Everyone I had met through the day had many questions, good things to say about my Spanish and in general were so damn welcoming! For a few moments I believe I was caught off guard but at lunch I began to understand that this is how people are here! Friendly, fun loving, full of jokes and laughter and ready to become serious or share a joke at the drop of a hat.

After lunch is when the fun started. We had a half hour break before the next session and everyone was lounging on the lawns. I kept getting called by different people and groups I had met earlier in the day, all wanting to know more about me. Some were trying to introduce me to girls, others were asking me to be careful of the girls! I had to “Entonces, yo me presento…” many many times over, introducing who I am, why in the world I am in Bogotá, what I think of the country, the people, the food, the women, the music, the alcohol…it was …kind of overwhelming really.

The post lunch session was a series of team building and reflection exercises much like we had in AIESEC. I think these guys had some AIESEC help for sure because the facilitation was really good! It was during these team building activities that I got talking with Segio. Sergio is 24, works a floor above where I sit, has recently visited the US and speaks very passable English. He is a friend to keep. He began translating difficult instructions for me and basically then took me in tow. Introduced me to the entire gang of young people at FUP and again the questions and laughter was incessant. The girls wanted to know what I thought of Colombian women and the guys were refusing to believe that in Bangalore, they actually make India’s most famous cerveza many foreigners really like.

We returned back from the meeting venue and by this time, this group had more or less adopted me. Sergio more or less made my day. He has already fixed for me to meet him and his girl friend tomorrow and check out Bogotá because in his words, ” I know how it can be when you are new in a country, especially where no one speaks your language.” Straight out of an AIESEC reception guide!

Observations:

- I was told several times that my pronunciation is much better than others who visit especially Americans. Its too soon to tell but I sensed in a few conversations a certain ambivalence towards their northern neighbours
- Almost everyone responds here with a “que chévere” when I am introduced. I like that
- Cocaine is not a taboo subject but from speaking to Camilo who I take as a more serious type, it was clear what he felt about it. His logic was simple and kind of hard to argue sitting where we were: they consume over there he said…so why blame this country? Why can’t they just stop consuming the stuff? Of course the problem isn’t as simple and far more intransigent but there is a school of thought that feels this way
- Things happen in Colombia. A very opaque statement I know but it is like this. When I needed to find an Avianca office to buy tickets, I found it…by just walking around randomly in the city centre in under 10 minutes. When I was worrying about how I will see the city and get around and where I will stay, I am meeting Sergio tomorrow to do all of that. When I was worrying about how I will adapt to FUP, I already feel at home in this office. Make what you will of it…maybe it’s the altitude maybe its something else but I am beginning to feel that there is something more in this land and this people than the eye can see

For now here are some pictures of the day. I have some videos too which will give you a sense of how fast these guys talk, but bandwidth doesn’t allow me to upload as of now.

A small step

2010-01-19T04:13:00.000+05:30

One small step today was buying air tickets to two cities in Colombia from Bogotá. I walked around the commercial centre with no particular idea of its layout seeking an Avianca booking office and bingo I found one.

I had to practice the lines in my head a few times. I went to the counter and immediately said what is now becoming an oft used line for me, ” primero lo siento pero yo soy extranjero y mi español es un poquito mal” or something along those lines. The attendant put me at ease with a smile and “tranquila”. I managed to convey date preferences, time of flights et al which truth be told any one with a 10 hour Spanish course under their belt can do. But it was still something.

First day at FUP - Reality Check

2010-01-19T04:12:00.000+05:30

The first day at the FUP office yesterday was a whirlwind. I first met with the big boss of the organisation. He was extremely welcoming and set some clear expectations on what I could do. He also voiced his concern that everything was in Spanish and he wasn’t sure how much I could accomplish. I wholly agree with him now. But he was also kind enough to say that this was a valuable life experience for me, much like when he first went to the US do get a graduate degree. I am allowed flexible work hours so long as I get tasks done.

Nothing could have prepared me for what followed. Cesar, my main help here and Adriana, another assistant began introducing me to what seemed like the entire organisation. All of them insisted on exchanging a few words on what I was doing here and how things were so far. I stumbled, mumbled and embarrassed my way through the first couple of hours. It was definitely the most intense Spanish lesson I have ever had and the magnitude of the occasion began dawning on me more clearly. Of course I was prepared for difficulty in understanding accents but what is difficult here is not the accent but the sheer pace and rapidity of the speech. Before I have understood the first sentence there are 4 more that have followed it. Of course people have been very kind saying my Spanish is very decent etc but that I think is Bogotanos trying to make this extranjero feel at home and welcome. The other thing that has in fact blind sided me is that nobody and I mean nobody in the entire office speaks a word of English. I didn’t count on that…I assumed that at least a few people would speak or understand some English but nada.

I’ve been referring the dictionary for several hours already and have been pouring over my verb book as well. It would be quite fair to say I am apprehensive about what I will accomplish whilst I am here. However, taking the long view I can say that this is what I wanted to experience and I’ve been thrown in the deep end. I should be meeting a couple of program heads today to understand a couple of the programs. I hope I can absorb some of the conversations. I intend recording these conversations to hear later as well so that might help. For now, it’s all still a bit of a whirl!

Arrived in Bogotá!

2010-01-19T04:11:00.001+05:30

It feels a bit unreal but I am right now sitting in a hotel room in the capital of Colombia. Who would have thought? The flight from Newark was uneventful, customs and immigration at Bogotá were silky smooth and I even managed to change money at the casa de cambio in Spanish. But wait…before that I just wanted to record that as I stepped off the airplane (no jetway) and took the first breath of air in Bogotá I felt a sensation I experience only in Bangalore! Cool, clean crisp air no matter what time of year…recalled the ooru with fondness.
Right outside the airport was Cesar, a young admin guy who works at the University where I’ll be spending my time over the next 8 weeks. Instantly I experienced sensations of excitement, deflation and fear all at once. I found him jabbering away in Spanish and me fumbling my sentences, searching for words, mixing up my tenses and genders and basically leaving no doubt that I was an extranjero to be looked after. He told me about 3 times in the taxi that I shouldn’t venture out on the streets after nightfall!

At the end of the taxi ride he left me with the advice of watching a lot of TV and speaking to him often to improve my Spanish…an offer I will definitely take up. But all told, I could pass muster for a bumbling but acceptable extranjero.

The receptionist at the small hotel I am staying in veered between laughter and frustration at being able to spell my name in the hotel register and writing down my Bangalore address (even call centres in Gurgaon are defeated by “malleshwaram”).

No first impressions of Bogotá just yet…just a smooth taxi ride across empty roads to the hotel. More soon…I am already in dread about my vocabulary and God help all the Bogotanos who have to deal with me. Buenas Noches a todos!

2010 filling up...

2010-01-12T00:18:00.003+05:30

2010 is already filling up! NYC, Colombia, possible visits to D.C and Boston, Goa in April and big big wedding right after, Sunfeast World 10 K run in May, Bangalore Ultra marathon in November, preparation for Mumbai Marathon 2011 will begin mid year onwards, D.E.L.E (Spanish diploma as a foreign language) exam for intermediate level possibly in May or August. And this is outside of work! Phew....loving it.

F Train

2010-01-11T08:43:00.004+05:30

So as a prologue to my Bogotá trip, the 10 day stay in Park Slope, Brooklyn proved to be fairly epic. V Rao was the kind host and an agenda to be admired had been lined up by him. The pictures really tell the true story because words are nearly never enough for the kind of people, sights and fun met with over the last 10 days.

A random assembly of words and phrases would be better suited to describe these last few days:

JFK, F Train, Enzo's, Onion Bagels, Upper east side, the triangle below the canal, Rima & Anya, Saravanna's, Macy's, Rockefeller Center, Madison Square Garden, hot pies, Praveen, East river, the Back Fence, Kaati Roll company, Mamouns Falafel, Good, SHABU SHABU!, Dallas Cowboys, Sack himmmm!!!!, Van Gogh, Monet, Chola art, Brooklyn Brewery, Blue Moon, Blue point toasted, Two Boots, West Village, Sam Adams, Skinny Vanilla Latte Tall, Sigma Nu, IPAs, Jaggi Rao, McSorley's!, Cricket highlights, Jersey & Family, Cold!, Pong, 440 15th St, Nirish, Bob, Chipotle, the Plaza, Black & White new year's eve party ...and of course the Khobba!

Getting there...

2009-11-05T10:21:00.003+05:30

Tickets: check.
Invite letter: check.
Proof of Employment: check.
Approval for travel agent to apply for visa on stamp paper: check.
Travel Insurance: check.
Vaccine: check.
Validate vaccine taking by authorized hospital on yellow fever card: check.
Visa: pending.

Cricket...as I never knew it

2009-10-09T14:43:00.004+05:30

After a (too) long hiatus, I have resolved (again) to write more frequently. As most great revolutions started with one single act of injustice against one individual or a group (Gandhi, Rosa Parks etc) thus a single act of incomprehensible savagery has triggered my return here. Not that I am laying any claim to triggering a revolution or anything even remotely momentous.

This event I talk about is my 2nd real T 20 cricket experience "live" in 2 years. Or rather the first time really in a T20 cricket match that I tried to watch the 3 hours as a purely cricketing event. It is hard to express what I felt then and what still lingers strongly. I walked into a stadium which had screaming, kicking fans...all 50 thousand of them. But something was wrong...where there should have been teams warming up and fans eagerly looking through binoculars seeking out their heroes or where little kids were encouraged to shout out players' names hence attracting time for a quick photo op, there was Jamelia, Shaggy and Chaka Khan along with a few shaolin monks and dancers all doing their bit with much gusto. Even for a cricketing opening ceremony saying this was unprecedented is an understatement.

But that's not what got my attention...I was at IPL 1 and saw the opening and appreciated the efforts to bring some glamour to the game. This time as I looked around my enclosure and neighbouring spectator stands what slowly but surely dawned on me was that it was in fact THIS, the singers, dancers pyrotechnics, laser shows, shaolin monks, scantily clad cheerleaders, pulsating music and (if you were rich enough or had the right connections) the free flowing Scotch and food that were the actual reasons for most people to be present here. There were no children wandering the boundary in search of that autograph, there were no big screens with player stats, win loss records, clips from previous games being shown, no player profiles whatsoever, there was not one and I mean one single pair of binoculars in the entire section where I sat. That was astounding to me! Was this the same enclosure, the same cricket stadium that I had sat in a few years ago and seen the birth of one of Cricket's greatest sons when Michael Clarke scored a flawless hundred on debut? Was this the same ground where I had witnessed what is easily my most intense sporting experience when India beat Pakistan in a world cup quarter final? Were these the same people with whom I had discussed so many aspects of the game with although we were perfect strangers a few hours before? And that was where the answer lay...they weren't the same people. Cricket had moved on...as I looked around me again with more understanding I realised the change in the demographic that had happened almost overnight:

There were no boys sitting next to their parents where Dad was exhorting the talents of this or that player...there were no groups of youngish kids huddled together pointing "look that's Duminy! What a shot he hit that day!" or "There's Steyn warming up...shit what speed!"...there were no cricket girls! When I mean cricket girls I mean the spunky, flag waving, face painted laughing knowledgeable or semi knowledgeable girl who tolerated cricket, had at least 1 major cricket crush (usually the most unusual of players like Dan Vettori) and would never miss a live cricket match in Bangalore...screaming her lungs out everytime she got a glimpse of Dan. Gone. Poof...just like that. Replaced instead by sleek things who'd stepped of the escalator that churns out sleek mink things everywhere. No shouting and cheering and face painting for these girls. Hmph.

No future Sachins in the crowd...no cricket girls either.

As I sat there and the opening ceremony finished...a most bizarre thing happened. I had walked in late and just about managed to find a seat in my enclosure...not a very good seat too. I thought to myself damn...now I'm stuck here because its T20 and there isn't a break either when people will wander away for beers or lunch or dinner. But yet again I overestimated the reasons for which people now come to cricket matches: as soon as Shaggy completed his traipsing on the Chinnaswamy turf and the monks somersaulted their way out and the umpires slowly, tentatively began walking towards the pitch...the people in my stand started walking out! Admittedly I was in a fairly posh-ish stand but surely didn't people see that these were the best seats in the house? And that they were soon going to see the likes of Dale Steyn and JP Duminy and LRPL Taylor slug it out? Nope. The stand was half empty and remained like that for the rest of the match.

By the time the umpires got onto the field, I began to notice other incredulous goings on: there were WWE style strobe lights around the stadium which began flashing and an M C of sorts who was wired up to speakers right around the ground began with a reverberating "LET US WELCOME THE UMPIRES"...I was bemused...when did we start welcoming umpires? But this was just the start of the most recent corrosive influence...the M C continued this insanity by naming each player on either side. That's when another folly occurred...each time the name of the opposing team from South Africa was called out there was a loud round of boos that resounded around the stadium...I was appalled. What had happened to my mild mannered, appreciative Bangalore cricket fan? The M C made it a point to completely ruin any viewing experience by even making announcements IN BETWEEN THE OVER! Now if you have ever watched cricket you will know that there's a lot of things that go on between overs but while those 6 balls are being bowled the music stays off, there are no announcements and the crowd is glued to the action or is getting themselves beer outside. But the brains behind t 20 feel this is not enough. The MC announced every boundary and six that was hit with "OH WHAT A FOUR!...CAN WE CLAP FOR THAT?!" and so on and so forth...I was deflated.

Adding to this sacking of the game, everytime a wicket fell or a boundary was hit, the speakers were put on full blast...you could barely get yourself to think let alone discuss the four or share views on the wicket with your neighbour. Alas that's when I realised fully that this sport was either for those who didn't think too much anyway or the administrators are now trying to get you to think less with the beer and scantily clad cheerleaders and bombastic M Cs.

Owing to all these factors, I could barely follow and enjoy the sheer beauty of JP Duminy's 99 not out that took his team home. It was a savage assault on bowlers but still a thing of terrible beauty not to be ignored by purists and commoners alike.

All in all, I am staggered by what a few people, big companies and lots of TV money have managed to make of cricket. How do I describe the feeling, as a 15 year old, of seeing Steve Waugh practice in the nets, of seeing Azhar playing those trade mark flicks, of Michael Clarke and Mark Waugh...of Sachin Sachin and more Sachin. All in whites...sometimes in coloured clothing. But always it was about the cricket. And only the cricket. From almost the first day that I began watching and playing this game there was a saying that was bandied about "no one is greater than the game"...it seems now that a few people have figured out how to finally defeat the game itself. Simply stop playing it and it will go away. I was always undecided on whether t 20 and all that goes with it would be positive or negative. Now I believe that if this is the road then I will probably walk backwards...keeping this new entity in sight until I can but always moving farther away from it. Cricket has been one of the purest things I've ever known and I won't let a bunch of corporations, agents, brands and hustlers make me buy, in it's place, something which really is a vial of processed, genetically modified, chemically enhanced sludge just because it has a bright label with instructions on how I can mainline it easily.

Goodnight and God bless.

Back and off

2009-08-21T10:01:00.003+05:30

OK it is definitely time to resume the catharsis. Right now, the mind is as usual proving harder to master than even the mighty winds. How easily I quote from the Gita. A sign of the frivolity of us young people some might say but I may turn back and say I am not so young anymore either!

I digress.

Driving to work this morning, listening to the Phish Camden recording for the nth time, I was thinking how Phish is once again becoming central to my musical leanings. I come to office and the first thing I see on my Facebook update is a message about Radiohead's latest song which they are giving away for free download. And now as I listen to "These are my twisted words", the Universe seems whole again. Reason and meaning is gushing like a cheerful gurgling spring back into life.

What's more I am off to Ladakh tonight. Until then keep on keepin' on.

I am...

2009-07-03T12:57:00.000+05:30

A description of me so apt I had to put it up here:

"YOU...you, my friend, you're a standard liberal. A nice, center-left leaning, unoffending, politically correct internationalist silly liberal"

No prizes for guessing who came up with this description.

26 years on...

2009-06-12T16:34:00.004+05:30

Confession time: I don't cry often. Not much moves me to cry. But I've come close a few times. And I've cried a few times. One I clearly remember till this day is when I was not selected for my state Under- 13's cricket team. Another time was Rock Werchter 2008 ...certainly a time when my eyes were moist...when Neil Young walked on stage. I will remember that till the day I die.

Strangely enough, the Phish show that didn't happen...Camden N.J 2009/06/07 for which VJ had me a ticket...I downloaded the whole show and I have been listening to it over the last 2 days. Phish came together in 1983...I was 2 years old then. And now in 2009, they are still as fresh and sweet and incredible as they have ever been. This is something that I am a part of, a journey I have been on for the last 5 odd years and its something I cherish in a way I cannot describe. I've come close to having moist eyes several times as I listen to these 4 guys do their thing. I feel privileged. When they play "Silent in the morning" on this show...I came close to just letting go.

Lotus Born

2009-06-04T14:35:00.003+05:30

I am not sure whether it is my excitement regarding my trip to Ladakh in August or me reading two books which trace Tibetan buddhism and its richness or...something else. But I feel more and more drawn to the Dalai Lama lately...more so than I have ever felt. Is there a more complex explanation to this? Why do some things begin to pique your curiousity when they do? Hmmm...

What I do know is I must read more of the Dalai Lama's writings.

Tweet tweet twee...oops.

2009-06-03T11:26:00.004+05:30

I find it truly absurd that censorship in its form continues in China. Ahead of the Tiananmen Square protest anniversary, the last Commie outpost seems to have pulled out all the stops to curb discussion, conversation and dissent. We truly live in an absurd world where the power of money has resulted in the free world pretending to be friends and sleeping with a regime which is as bad, if not worse than those in Burma, North Korea and some of those despicable regimes in Africa that China patronizes. 4 years ago living in Shanghai I was increasingly frustrated at the lack of any stimuli or news from the outside world other than meaningless American baseball reports and a few side clips on tennis. Politics was mostly rubbish and business news was propoganda about how the Chinese behemoth was advancing.

4 years hence things seem to have gotten worse. Tibet has been crushed in a systematic way...cultural genocide at it's best. Free speech is almost impossible and money and a better standard of life is being offered with one hand and liberty, freedom and self-discovery has been brutally snatched with the other. Nothing suggests that this trend will change soon, if ever. But then no one imagined the collapse of Communism in Europe in the spectacular fashion it did happen so one can only hope that sooner rather than later, the Chinese people will take matters into their own hands. But nothing right now suggests that to be so. Till then, I will continue reading about Tibetan culture and spirituality and hope one day I can discuss these things with Tibetans in Tibet. In my lifetime...? Perhaps...perhaps not.

Belief

2009-06-03T09:50:00.002+05:30

I was thinking to myself after the 10 K run on Sunday...well thinking is the wrong word. I think the word is reflecting. Yes as I was reflecting in a very unstructured manner, all kinds of past events flitted through my mind. I was again told by someone close that I have self discipline and that's what got me reflecting. I've always seen myself as somewhat lazy, unwilling to go the extra mile and I've always felt I am content too easily. Having said that, over the last 6 years I've lived in 2 different countries, reinvented myself completely, changed career tracks...twice, ran a marathon. So maybe I am not that much of a wimp after all. I will immediately add also that I harbour no pride or even a sense of accomplishment...I keep telling people some of the things I've done anyone can do. But the key really lies in believing. I think if you really believe you can and really want it bad, it comes together. Events conspire to make things happen in your favour. I am not enlightened enough to articulate this further, besides it's already been spoken about by countless people in the past. If you want something, really believe and try to make it happen, most times it really will happen.

OST

2009-05-27T02:22:00.000+05:30

On a Kingfisher flight to Delhi and now in my room at the guest house here, I’ve been watching the first part of the Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ documentary called Runnin down a dream. What is amazing as I continue to watch their story is how deeply they have touched my life. One of my dreams has been to watch Tom Petty live in concert and while I probably think I won’t now, considering how little they tour, despite that I don’t think any musician or band has influenced me and reached out to me as much as they have. Even more incredible is the way they connect with who I am and my hopes and dreams. Here’s a band that came together in 1974 in Gainseville, Florida. Tom Petty was born in 1950. And here’s an Indian boy from Bangalore who feels closer to Tom Petty’s songwriting than with almost any other expression of art, music, books or popular culture, in his own country or otherwise. Surely there is a cosmic explanation to this which I cannot fathom at this point in time.

I began hearing Tom Petty at almost the perfect time in life…when you are unsure of the world, when you feel at your most vulnerable, when you experiment with life, when there only seem to be questions and a cloudy horizon.

The story behind Tom Petty’s rise as a musical genius only adds to the feeling of comfort I feel when listening to his lyrics. His music has become such a comfortable companion to me over the last 10 years that I hardly even stop to really listen anymore. Its like those friends you meet at the local café or bar: they’re always there and all they require in acknowledgement is a friendly nod, smile and you sit down at the table. The warmth and camaraderie needn’t be reinforced. It’s simply there, ever present but never overwhelming.

Right from “American Girl” to Damn the Torpedoes, Southern Accents, Into the great wide open to Wildflowers…I’ve never really stopped to consider the breadth of his music and how I resonate with those songs: from Pecos to Starters, from Vikhroli to Rotterdam, lonely, lost nights in Shunde, train rides and plane rides, bus rides and long waits, long drives and now that feeling when “learning to fly” kicks in when I’m on the 18th Km, no single person has kept me company, made me laugh, found me smiling in understanding or nodding in hope than Tom Petty. Its taken me a long time to realize this but listening to him talk, seeing the method behind the music has suddenly thrown into stark relief what I always knew. Its eerie at some level to think that a lot of the soundtrack to your life was written before you were born and since then has kept pace with how you grew up. Sure there’s no element of rage or angst here but that’s why this music is so great. You don’t have to be in a certain mood to feel close to it, I can just be me and still feel like this is an OST to the life I’m living now.

Thank you.

Tas!

2009-05-21T14:42:00.005+05:30

I danced till 2 AM last night. If you live in Bangalore, this is an almost inconceivable possibility! However, us Bangaloreans are resilient, in a tenuous and convoluted way I guess. When we get an opportunity to rebel against moral policing, we do it with much fervour provided we are not offending any strident right wing group or the cops. We're softies that way. Wait...did I just contradict myself...? I told you we were tenuous....moving on.

Anyway I danced till 2 AM last night. Because Tas got married. And if that in itself wasn't another unimaginable possibility (only because I still think of Tas walking around campus in SJCC abusing lecturers), there were also Van, Akhila, Ash and yours truly present at the wedding! 5 of the original 9 members of AIESEC Blore EB 2000-2001 still happy to meet, drink and party together after 10 years. Again, another rare but wholly satisfying occurrence. (Kala, Bob, Ronald, Kunal I'd be lying if I said we missed you....ha ha just kidding!)

I guess this is one of those reminiscent rambling posts...10 years have gone by but we are still the same. The same reasons I loved these guys 10 years ago are still what brings me back and keeps me laughing and joking with them. They haven't changed despite the changes in their lives. Friendship is a fairly ambigious term but this surely is one manifestation of that term. It was almost like being back at June National Conference in the year 2000 (only Ron was missing from the bushes). I'll stop. Congrats Tas & Rahul. Tas: we love you. And I'm so happy we were able to share this day with you. I'm also happy Ron wasn't around to fall into the bushes.

Mostly sweet & a bit bitter

2009-05-17T18:36:00.005+05:30

Now that the dust has settled and the picture clearer, I feel vindicated following my earlier post a day before I cast my vote in Bangalore. The only party who could morally lay claim to govern India has been chosen by an incredible & unexpected majority of voters right across the country. My delight is obvious and I can only hope now that the likes of Milind Deora, Sachin Pilot, Shashi Tharoor & P. Chidambaram provide strong leadership and accellerate reforms in this country. I am especially excited at seeing the likes of these gentlemen representing India at home & abroad. Like our cricket team, our politics too seems to be approaching a period of renaissance and I can only feel optimistic about the future.

An unsurprising outcome though which has left a bitter aftertaste for me are the results in my state of Karnataka and especially in my city of Bangalore. All 3 seats contested in Urban Bangalore have been won by the BJP and Karnataka saw the BJP record its best performance among any states in the country! When did my home become saffron? I have no idea. Despite recent events where Hindu fascist groups were on the rampage, the people in Bangalore felt it better to side with a militant ideology. Of course, the Congress did no favours to itself here by putting together a shockingly shoddy and disorganised campaign. However, I am still disappointed and feel some of the more liberal reforms this city needs (longer hours for bars, restaurants etc, abolishing ridiculous bans on creative expression, lowering atrociously high excise duties on foreign products etc etc) will not now happen. It seems like the citizens of Bangalore are leaning increasingly to the Right and that more than anything is the worrying bit. For now, I'll comfort myself with the numerous images of our Prime Minister waving the V sign with "Singh is King" playing in the background! :-)