Here and There

Though I feel like I’ve been in a time warp of perpetual summer, it’s somehow the middle of December. Christmas is in a week. That just doesn’t seem right, since I went to the beach this week. And I’m sweating under a fan right now. But anyway, December is in full swing.

The highlight of the month has definitely been a visit from my parents. We packed a lot into the eight days they were here, spending a few days each in Barranquilla, Santa Marta, and Cartagena.
Here’s my top 5 list from their week here:
• Showing off the many beautiful places Colombia has to offer.
• Introducing them to my friends.
• Being able to have meaningful conversations with zero language or culture barriers.
• Relaxing on the tranquil beach in Taganga.
• Exploring the enchanting streets of Cartagena.



Now that Mom and Dad are back home, I’m gearing up for my next adventure. I’ll be in Bogotá for 10 days, spending Christmas with my cousin Emily. On December 31st, along with my friend Eileen, I head to Argentina! Somewhat of a spontaneous plan, the two of us will be attending Argentina’s national Campus Crusade for Christ conference, followed by a couple of weeks in Buenos Aires. I'm expectant and excited about this trip--God has worked so many things together to allow me to go!

So though this December and Christmas will be a little different--it's the first one in my life away from home--I'm sure it will be filled with new and unforgettable experiences. But most importantly, the reason for celebrating is the same:

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6

El Camino

Sometimes, I feel like my mind doesn’t have a “play” button—only “fast forward.” When I ought to be delving into the present moment, I’m consumed by the thought, “But what’s next?”

Though I’m not even half-way through my time in Colombia, I’m easily preoccupied by questions regarding the future. Forgetting that God has faithfully led me into each consecutive stage of my life, I worry that I’ll miss out on his will for me.

On a recent hike, as I relied on a guide to show me the way to the destination—to tell me where to step, to hold my hand as I climbed up rocks, even to carry me across a rushing river—I was impacted by the thought of what a great Guide we have in Jesus. The book of Hebrews reveals Jesus as a better sacrifice and a better high priest—superior to his human counterparts. In the same way, he’s a better guide. I was impressed by our guide’s knowledge of the path, by his strength and seemingly endless energy. But he’s a human being, and his wisdom and strength are finite. God, on the other hand, created the paths, he created us, and he leads us perfectly on the paths he has laid out for each one of us.

So the challenge is to listen carefully to his guiding voice, to hold tightly to his firm hand, and to trustingly and confidently walk on this present path, leaving the future up to him.

This is what the LORD says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the LORD your God,
who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go.” (Isaiah 48:17)

Reflections from a novice language teacher

Here’s another “language” blog entry—and a long one at that. So I won’t hold it against you if you have zero interest in reading it. But I process through writing, and having just finished my first semester as an official English teacher, I have a lot to reflect on!

To start with, I’m posting a little “manifesto” that I wrote several months ago, shortly before embarking on this Colombia adventure:

The Weight of Teaching Language
One month away from beginning my first job as a teacher of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), I’m overwhelmed by the responsibility that lies ahead. As a recent college graduate, feeling unqualified for my first “real world” job is to be expected. However, I believe that language teachers possess an even greater burden than the typical pressures of a new job. So here's my personal attempt to put into words what I believe are the unique responsibilities and privileges of a foreign language teacher.

We all know that communication is the key to relationships. As I consider my own relationships with other English-speakers, I realize that no amount of shared interests, nods or smiles can account for their success. Nor would we have much of a relationship if our language was limited to introductions and requests for food or lodging. No, the depth my relationships can be accounted for by unhindered communication. Whether discussing the mundane, sharing inside jokes, or having a heart-to-heart conversation, my ability to use the full gamut of the English language makes it possible for me to enjoy meaningful relationships.

I believe that depth is possible even in cross-cultural friendships, but once again, language is key. Language can be the greatest includer, and the lack of it the greatest ostracizer, for our ability to communicate in the language of our host country is the definitive factor in the measure of our relationships.

So as I prepare for my move to Colombia, I’m faced with two quandaries. First, is my Spanish sufficient to break the invisible barrier that divides acquaintance and meaningful friendship? Second, how will I teach English in such a way to prepare my students for deep relationships?
..........................

Now, after having spent four months immersed in Colombia, I’m more convinced than ever how crucial communication is. As I’ve mentioned before, there are so many times I feel completely frustrated by my level of Spanish. Sometimes my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth and I can’t suéltalo (get it out). Sometimes I make stupid mistakes I should have left behind in Spanish 101. Sometimes I know that word is in the recesses of my brain but I can’t access it. Those times are frustrating. But there are other times when something clicks and I can converse without struggling. There have been little victories like being told my Spanish is noticeably better than when I first arrived, or when I make the conscious effort to adopt the Colombian intonation and inflection [and you know what’s interesting? Just swapping English muletillas (fillers) like “uhhhh” “um” for Spanish ones like “eehhh” “o sea” make a big difference in how “gringo” one sounds!].

Other victories are when I see noticeable improvement in my students’ English: when they use idioms I taught them, when they self-correct their mistakes…or most flattering of all, when they use some of my activities to teach their own classes!

Two factors help me avoid discouragement regarding language learning. One is that I’ve come to the conclusion that it is not a linear process. Yes, there’s a natural order (linguist Stephen Krashen writes on this), but a student’s progress is full of little ups and downs; two steps forward, one step back. I’ve seen that in my experience and in my students’. So there’s no reason to give up hope when it’s hard to see progress, or even with apparent regression. The other factor is that success in second language acquisition does not rest on perfection. Of course we should set our standards high and never be complacent, but on the other side is the risk of arrogant perfectionism. The goal is communication and connection—using the gift of language to break through cultural barriers.

Looking back on my first semester of teaching, I’m truly grateful! Teaching at a public Colombian university has been an amazing experience with its unique set of victories and challenges. Looking forward to the next semester…but first: vacation!

Pictures are worth a thousand words...

…right?

Because I’m lacking the ganas or chef (Spanish and Romanian work better than English here!) to write blogs, but I’m determined not to abandon the effort! So here’s a little summary in pictures of recent happenings:

In mid-October, I finally made it to Santa Marta, a beautiful area of the Caribbean coast. It's the oldest settlement in Colombia as well as a little taste of paradise! I went with Maureen (my co-Fulbrighter) and some of her friends. It was adventure that included spending the night in a hammock on the beach, eating freshly caught fish, and snorkeling.





At the end of October, I joined the leaders of VPU (Vida Para la Universidad, the Colombia chapter of Campus Crusade) on a retreat in Armenia (in the beautiful "Eje Cafetero", or coffee-growing region). It was a wonderful weekend: refreshing, challenging, inspiring, and a great time to connect with the other leaders. Oh, experiencing fall-ish weather was a nice break, too.


(Andrey, Jean Carlos, Pochi, and Melissa--excited to ride a plane for the first time!)


(The landscape from our conference center)



(We had a little midnight adventure in Cali on the way back!)


(My church hosted another medical brigade...)



(...I translated--and lent a hand with wound cleaning...)



(...but the best part is that several of my English students volunteered to translate!)

Well, there's a few of the most blog-worthy pictures for ya!

Junior…¡Tu Papá!

This weekend I completed two more items on my Barranquilla bucket list: going to the zoo and attending a Junior game (Junior is B/quilla’s soccer team). For the past couple months, Granfield (my fellow English professor and “tutor,” or mentor, that UA assigned to me) has been telling me that he wanted to take me to a Junior game, and the opportunity finally came. Since I don’t own a jersey, I wore a red t-shirt to show my support. Granfield and his wife and son did the same. Big mistake. Turns out, at home games Junior fans (Junioristas) wear either the striped jersey or a white t-shirt. Especially when the opposing team is América, the rival from Cali, whose color is red. Junior games are infamous for getting rowdy, meaning you probably don’t want to be mistaken for a fan of the rival team. Fortunately (I guess), Junior was just eliminated from the tournament, which means there wasn’t much of a turnout at the stadium. And América won, 2-0. So although the game might have been lacking the normal hype and hysteria, the bright side is that there wasn’t utter mayhem. Well, actually a fight began to brew when América scored its second point, and a group of América hinchas (fans) behind us cheered, provoking the Junioristas. At this point Granfield grabbed me by the arm and pulled me a safe distance away. The police took their time sauntering over to break it up and kick the América fans out of the stadium. We decided to split about 10 minutes before the end of the game so as not to be the target of the Junioristas disappointment. And sure enough, on the way out, we got asked, “Hey, are you América fans?!” Lesson learned: wear a Junior jersey to the next game!







(I think he wins the prize for most passionate fan. Check out the shark (the mascot) attached to his hat!)



(I believe this qualifies as corroncho--Colombian redneck)

When a dictionary is not enough...

In comparing languages, there are countless examples of instances when two groups of people have different words for the same concept. English: word; Spanish: palabra. English: to travel; Spanish: viajar. The list is infinite. But what intrigues me is that two cultures can have distinct concepts for the same thing (or rather, for the same word, though translated correctly). Here are a few examples I’ve picked up on here in Barranquilla.

1. “on time”: In the U.S. being on time means you arrive no later than 9:00 for a 9:00 appointment. Though running late is, unfortunately, becoming the norm, we still consider anything after the set time to be “late.” Here, however, nobody arrives on the hour. Once I was invited to an event that started at 5:00. As I was walking there, I was sweating a little because I realized I would be 5 or 10 minutes late. When I arrived at 5:10, however, my friend told me, “Oh, Iris, you’re early!” And sure enough, things didn’t get started till 6:00, even though it was programmed for 5.

2. “a week/two weeks”: Here in Colombia (and in many Spanish-speaking countries), a week is referred to as ocho días (eight days) and two weeks as quince días (fifteen days). When I first heard someone say that something occurred eight days ago, I took them literally. But they really mean a week. Seven days. As I was leaving an appointment at the dermatologist one Monday, the doctor told me should like me to come again in ocho días. So I repeated that to the secretary, who signed me up for the following Monday. It’s interesting that when Spanish speakers learn English, they rarely pick up on this conceptual difference and use “eight days” interchangeably with “one week,” and the same thing with “fifteen days” and “two weeks.”

3. “blond”: Though English speakers admit that there is a wide range of blond (dirty blond, strawberry blond, etc.), rubio (or mono, as they say here in Colombia) has an even broader definition. To me, my hair is obviously brown. Not even light brown. I’d say it’s a solid medium brown. My driver’s license even says so. But here, I’m blond. Not only because my hair isn’t black, but because I have light skin and blue eyes.

4. “winter”: Here in Barranquilla, temperatures are in the 90s all year round with very little difference. Well, everyone says that in December, a cool breeze make it much more refreshing. But oddly enough, it’s not the “cool” December that is referred to as winter; it’s the hottest, wettest season. I can’t get over reading about the current invierno (winter) in Barranquilla as the scorching sun beats down on me!

Since I'm a nerd and I love fun facts about language and culture, I find this stuff fascinating! For those of you who agree, I’ll try to add to the list over the next few months :)

Life Is Good

I realize my blog posts are becoming fewer and farther between, and I suppose that´s because life has mostly settled into a routine and I´m lacking new and interesting things to recount.

I´ve been in Colombia just over two months now, which is hard to believe! On the one hand, so much has happened since my plane touched down on July 28th that it seems like that must have been at least six months ago: I´ve moved to a new country, become a college professor, (somewhat) learned my way around this chaotic city, met a ton of great people, and adapted to the weather, speech and customs of life on Colombia´s Caribbean coast (or at least I can say I´m off to a solid start). But on the other hand, these last two months make up 20% of my 10-month stint here. When I think of it that way, I´m saddened by how fast time is flying!

Overall, things are going great here. Of course, there are the little ups and downs of life, just as there are wherever you live. There are days when my lessons go better than expected and I feel like a successful teacher; other days, technology fails, I forget some important material, or for some other reason the lesson bombs. Some days I notice the progress in my Spanish and the language flows; other days I just can´t get out what I´m trying to say. Some days I successfully navigate life in Barranquilla, both culturally and regarding transportation. Other days I feel overwhelmed and long for the familiarity of my stomping grounds and culture. Some days I thoroughly enjoy time spent with my new friends here; however, there are plenty of times I dearly miss my family and friends spread all over the world: North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Turkey, Italy, Indonesia, Korea, Romania.

But at the end of the day, I really can´t complain. I´m living the experience I´ve worked towards for years: living in Latin America, immersed in Spanish, teaching English. In addition to that, I have a God who walks with me through all these ups and downs, and I don´t say that lightly; He is faithful and he never fails. He provides for me daily in countless ways, and every good thing in my life is thanks to Him (James 1:17).

Contentment is a choice. Though I have many reasons to be content in the circumstances of my life here in Colombia, when I´m firmly convinced of God´s goodness and control, I can be content in all occasions (Philippians 4:12)