Day 100, Cartagena: Some insights and funny observations about the Colombian life.

Or certainly not only but at least. Day 100 of my Caribbean travels and the 58th day in Colombia, wow, time flies by! I think I have been long enough now in Colombia to call myself a true insider and to share with you some facts about the everyday life here in Cartagena, and among the Colombians. ;)

As always when moving to a new country, there are small, simple things that are different. Things that surprise, annoy, and at times drive one crazy. But that is what makes each country special, and living abroad such an enriching experience. What is funny is that with time you get used to almost anything. Even if I could still think of many many things that are beyond my comprehension in France compared to Finland, I now feel so at home in Paris that they don't bother me (that much) anymore. The same would probably happen in Colombia as well if I lived here for longer (or not, ask my boss N, who has been here for some 15 years!) but right now I'm enjoying life as a foreigner and trying to just laugh about it when something gets complicated. Here comes a non-exhaustive list of my first learnings and observations:

1. Shopping, grocery stores and food:

• Almost every time I want to pay something with my French bank card I have to: give my passport number, show my ID, enter my pin-code AND sign the receipt. Control-freaks? Or just wasting time...
• Also, each time when paying by card they ask in how many parts, “cuantas cuotas?” I want to pay, as if I would not pay for all my grocery shopping, for example, at once.
• Cash or card payment, in all possible places they always want to identify each client by asking their “cédula”, which is an ID or passport number. I wonder what they do with that... Also, I sometimes hear them say “celular” and I think that they want my phone number. And then they laugh at me.
• In grocery stores there is always an employee who packs your purchases. That is cool but what I hate is that they pack them in million separate small plastic bags and that they twist and knot the bags so tight that I don’t know how to carry them.
• The cashiers are even slower than in France....
• So far it has been very challenging/impossible for me to find: fresh lettuce (like mache, batavia, roquette or anything to put in salads), spinach leaves, lemons, good yogurt, good chocolate, good cheese, nail polish remover, aloe vera gel. However, the fruit selection is so impressive that it compensates for almost anything (except for nail polish remover and aloe vera gel).
• There are million different kinds of arepas (small breads made of corn) and they sell them on the street like crêpes in France. I loved all the arepas I tried in Bogota but I hate those they sell here in Cartagena, especially those with cheese.
• Coconut rice and patacons are served with every traditional Colombian meal. And I’ve had enough.

2. Client service and work life:

• Whenever you are being served (shop, restaurant, taxi, anything) or you have asked for help and you say thank you, the Colombians reply “A la orden”, which means something like “Happy to serve you”. Very polite, or pretending to be.
• Even if people in general are very friendly, the service in restaurants is usually rude and veeery slow.
• When you pay the bill they ask you if you want to pay the service fee (la propina), that has already been added. Even if the service has been bad (or inexistent) I never dare to say no so I obediently pay the tip.
• Talking on the phone or listening others do so (at work for example) is hilarious. A phone call nearly always starts with a mutual question “Con quien hablo?”, like if both parties wanted to be sure that they are talking with the person they intended to reach.
• At work our kitchen staff serve us food and bring us morning and afternoon coffee/tea. If I try to get a coffee by myself or bring my plate back to the kitchen after lunch they look surprised, amused and somewhat annoyed. So maybe I should just let them do their work.
• There is one thing that annoys me about collaborating with Colombians. When we have meetings we always agree on everything and there are never any problems. Then when I let the people go and do their job, they do exactly what they want, which is often the exact opposite of what we agreed on. And then we have to start over again. And when I ask if everything is correct they always say yes. And later I find out that it’s not. Pff...
• It also annoys me at work that it is totally normal not to be able to connect to Internet for a whole day or two. Then there is not much I can do except for spending time with the kids.

​3. Transports:

• In Cartagena there are very few bus stops, but you can hail a bus like a taxi and it will stop. You can also hop off wherever you want, by pressing a button or by shouting “parada!”
• You can never be sure where the bus goes...
• There are no bus tickets, each passenger pays the fee when they come in. I’m always afraid that we will crash into something when the driver takes his time looking for change and doesn’t pay attention to the road.
• Recently the fee changed from 1800 COP to 2000 but it was not announced anywhere so everyone got confused. I hopped on the bus, gave the driver a 2000 COP note and stayed there waiting for my change. When he didn’t give it I asked for my cambio and he just replied no. I thought he was trying to trick me so I told him very clearly that I was not a tourist and that the price was 1800 COP, as always. He looked at me like he wanted to kill me and told me again no. I let go and went to sit with a colleague of mine who happened to be at the same bus. I asked him how much he had paid and he told me that apparently the fee had changed and was now 2000 COP. Oops...
• An exception to all this trouble is a modern “Trans Caribe” line but I haven’t tried it out yet.
• When a bus ride to another city is said to be for example 5 hours it is definitely at least 7.
• A taxi to anywhere within the central areas of Cartagena costs less than 2 euros and there are taxis everywhere. I love it. The taxis don’t have meters but they should charge either 6000 or 7000, I still haven’t figured out on what that depends. If I have exactly 6000 I give that and they are happy, if not I pay 7000. Sometimes the driver asks me how much I want to pay (6000 of course, what a question, or why not 5000 now that you asked!). What is frustrating, is that the drivers never have change and that they usually don’t know any addresses (it is better to come up with a landmark where they will drop you off if you don't want to peek out from the window trying to follow where you are going). I try to be polite and keep my mouth shut, and not to start my speech “You know, if I was a taxi driver...”
• The Cartagena airport is in the city center and it takes me 10 minutes (3 euros) by taxi to get home from there. Luxury.

4. Weather:

• I never check the weather forecast because I know it is warm and sunny every day.
• It still hasn't rained since I got here. Result: there is not much green areas in Cartagena.
• In the evening it is crazy windy. If I wear I dress I have to hold on the hem when I walk.
• Our apartment is always full of sand because we live so close to the beach and because it is windy.
• Even windows open and fens on it is too hot to sleep.
• The locals wear jeans and long sleeve shirts in the heat...
• Despite everything, I enjoy every minute I get to spend in the sun!

5. Other random things: 

• You can never throw any kind of paper in the toilet.
• I have not yet been able to enjoy a hot shower (it would be nice sometimes, even if it’s warm).
• The day starts very early, like the earliest classes at our foundation start at 7.30 (and I know that there are schools which start at 6.30!). Luckily I don’t have to get to work at that time.
• When there is a football match and the Colombian team is playing, everyone leaves what they are doing to watch it.
• The Colombians get furious if you make a mistake and write their country with a u, Columbia. Apparently it really causes them physical and mental discomfort and pain. Haha, poor Colombians.
• The Colombians always seem to be happy and relaxed and live in the moment. Except for the often very unpleasant client service, people in general are super sweet. On the street they stop to talk with tourists and go out of their way to help them find what they are looking for. Life here may be complicated but whichever problem I have, I always get help. 
• There are hammocks everywhere.

6. Speaking Colombian: 

• Everything is Chévere. Chévere (emphasis on the first e) is an adjective that can be used to describe anything that is great, cool, awesome, wonderful and so on. “Que chévere!” is an appropriate comment when asked your opinion on basically anything.
• Colombians also comment “En serio?” (= Really?) to everything and use the word “listo” instead of saying “ok”.
• The accurate formal greeting is “Buenos dias” in the morning and after 12pm “Hola, buenas”. When leaving they simply say “Chao”.
• When meeting a new person, you always say “Mucho gusto”, never “Encantado/a”.
• When there is a lot of something they say “Un montón de...”, like “un montón de cosas” meaning a bunch of things. And they say it all the time...
• They never say diferente, always distinto and no one is ever bonita or bella, always hermosa or linda (or hermoso/lindo in masculin).
• For taking a bus, a taxi, or other transportation the verb to use is coger, not tomar. But I’ve heard that this is very Colombian and that coger is a vulgar word that should not be used in other countries. Great, it’s one of the words I use the most...
• A “tinto” is not red wine but black coffee (that Colombians drink a lot, and me too now).

And what about me after 100 days spent in the Caribbean? Well, I’m tanned, I speak Spanish and I’m having fun. So I’m surviving ok. :)
 
xx Emi

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