Friday morning we had our weekly team meeting at the University. We all meet and plan our activities with our groups for the next week, as well as a go over the schedule of planned events (*planned events here in Colombia is a questionable term).
A new kid, Solomon, arrived from Atlanta, Georgia today. I was talking to him and he said he grew up in Albemarle, NC! I asked if he had ever eating at The Hub (my grandparent’s restaurant in the area), and he said that yes, he had. Sometimes it is just SUCH a small world. I asked for a picture to show my grandmother (who reads this blog everyday), and he gave me a funny face instead.
It was also Fourth of July back home, and I took a picture of this graffiti to share with you in celebration of the glorious day. (Honestly though, the graffiti here is really impressive).
We took a group picture with everyone’s flags, too, because this week is when the first wave of people start to leave. I know I’m posing behind a Canada flag, but I did have two American flags stuck behind my ears. I just forgot they wouldn’t really be that visible through photograph.
Afterwards I went and hung out with my host family to watch the Colombia game (a valiant effort and we’re proud!) and then I left to go meet everyone so we could head to Global Village. Beatrice, John, and I stopped beforehand to get burgers (they are so delicious and such a reminder of all of the food I miss from home ((aka fattening stuff I don’t need))). It also seemed fitting on the 4th that I have some remotely “American” food (I know that’s an ironic statement).
So then we piled into vans and headed on a 45 minute drive through Colombian countryside until we arrived at a large, open, sprawling house.
The water wasn’t working, so this was the flush mechanism…
And, while we waited for the Colombians to arrive, Ben and I explored. We had great fun with a massive wooden spoon we found. Below we’re imitating narwhals and unicorns.
Meanwhile, some smart soul had decided to bring along a bag of water.
Anyway, for those of you who don’t know, a “Global Village” is an event often hosted by internationally-oriented organizations, and is a time where every member brings a bottle of alcohol that represents their country. It begins as organized chaos and usually just ends in a drunken stupor of pure chaos.
This is the beginning picture:
Then the Colombians and the DJ arrived, so our shenanigans with the wooden spoon came to an end. Plus I found these signs amusing.
So typically at the Global Villages I’ve attended before, the alcohol is all set out at once and everyone helps themselves. Here, they all had it under lock and key and distributed it at various intervals, one bottle at a time, throughout the night. Actually- coming from someone who observes organizational and leadership practice in every situation -this was rather intelligent.
It meant more waiting for us, though, so we sat around playing “spin the bottle” with a cucumber and dares instead of kisses. (We were clearly bored and forgot to bring toys).
Then Ben broke the cucumber.
So we returned to playing with the spoon, knighting fellow AIESEC-ers into Sir Spoondom.
This is Ricci and Paola.
At this point I stopped taking pictures because I have a theory that no one deserves incriminating pictures unknowingly (or knowingly) on the internet. In summary: fun times.
Until tomorrow! (I’m going to a lake in Prado).
Traveler at the Edge 