Day 108, airport time: My life in Cartagena is starting to look like a happy routine, so it is time to go for a little adventure - in Brazil!

See you later, Cartagena.

I haven’t been blogging for a while, I know. But thanks for all the page views and (Facebook) likes every time I post, it makes me happy!
 
After Semana Santa my life in Cartagena has fallen back into it’s routines and it feels like if I had been living here for a lot longer than two months. However, now it is time to take a turn and explore a new country. And not just any country, but Brazil! I’m writing this post at the airport in Bogota, and soon I’ll be boarding the plane to Sao Paulo. From there I will travel to Rio de Janeiro and reunite with two dear friends of mine, M and M: The Spanish M who you already know from this blog, and also Australian M, whom I haven’t seen since December, when she came to Finland for my graduation. I’m so looking forward to this trip and I can guarantee that with these two girls it will be fun!

A word about my already routine-like everyday life in Cartagena. Work is sometimes frustrating (when internet doesn’t work, when I don’t get it why people do what they do, and so on) but overall I like it and I’m learning a lot because it really is a different world. I like a lot my colleagues and I love every minute I spend with the kids. I have been teaching a lot again lately, and I still have mixed feelings about it. Sometimes I hate it, I don’t have enough patience with the kids and I feel like I’m the worst teacher ever. And other days when the kids behave, show some interest in my classes and actually learn something new, I am so happy and proud of them. Those days, even if I’m exhausted after 4 hours of classes, I feel glad because I know that the kids understand why they must learn English and because I know that I’m doing a valuable job teaching them. But what is a fact every day, is that I’m getting attached, way too attached, to them. 

Fun with my segundos, as always.

Here’s a short video that you can watch if you want to know more about the English class program we use and if you haven't yet, don't forget to like Fundación La Vecina's Facebook page, here.

Apart from working, chilling on the beach (or at S’s pool every Sunday) and walking around, I go running on Monday evenings and I started surfing again on Fridays (I always forget to take pictures!) And Tuesday evening means yoga and sushi with S. Last weekend we went out dancing with S and two guys from my surf school, to a bar called Bazurto. It was so much fun! I loved the music (mostly reaggeton and champeta) and dancing, and of course a French apéro that we had with S on her balcony before going out. Oh and we also went to a hotel opening cocktail party because S got invitations from her job. That was fun as well! We’ve been drinking a little bit too much wine lately but as a proverb S texted me this morning says: "Tu ne peux pas acheter le bonheur, mais tu peux acheter un peu de vin. Et c'est presque la même chose."

At Kokoa Sushi Wok, after yoga

Like in France, only the weather and the view are better!

Rooftop party in Getsemani

Super good red wine they served!

And running on the beach to compensate for all the wine.

I love spending time at the airports. With the exception of course when there are problems with flights and I have no idea of how long I will have to stay there for. But in normal conditions, I like walking around, peeking into shops and watching people. I usually feel excited about either traveling to a new place, or about going home. Also, it is somehow relaxing to know that since I have to be there anyway and wait, it is ok to just wander around, sip a Chai Tea Latte (from Juan Valdez Café this time and no it’s not as good as the one from Starbucks), try on perfumes, admire designer hand bags, or whatever there is to do at an airport. I’ve seen quite a many airports in my life (this time already 11 since I left Paris) and I must say that my favorite is Dubai, mostly because there is a stand where they give world’s best 15-minute head and shoulder-massages. I swear it’s pure heaven, last time I was there I decided that when flying to that direction I will always choose a flight with a stopover in Dubai.
 
This International section of Bogota airport is cozy and they play very good music. This time I’m flying with Avianca and so far everything has gone million times more smoothly than last time when I flew to Bogota. The service at the check-in counter was outstanding and they even changed my ticket to an earlier flight so that I would have more time here in Bogota before my connection. So instead of 5 hours I spent maybe 15 minutes at the CTG airport before boarding the plane. And the plane was huge, like for long-haul flights, with comfortable seats and even personal screens. All this for a one-hour flight, no point really but still it was cool and I hope it is as exquisite for the second flight.
 
I am super tired because I have spent the last two nights on the phone sorting out some things in France (office hours from 9 to 12, come on...) I really hope I will get some sleep on the plane. Anyway, now we will board, I’ll keep you posted from Brazil!
​
xx Emi

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