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A life in Colombia
Colombians: The Pursuit of Hygiene
The other day I was in the cinema, watching a British movie, when the camera showed a close-up of an actress dropping a pill into a glass of water. She stirred it with her finger until it dissolved and everyone, everyone, around me groaned in disgust. Colombians, you see, are very particular about hygiene. Let […]
2013: Maybe the Mayans were right after all?
April 22, 2013
I like historical, nerd-type things because I have a vivid imagination. That also means I loathe horror movies, hearing about horror movies and er, contemplating anything to do with horror movies. But historical stuff is fine. I like standing on the wall in Cartagena and watching the pirate ships on the horizon. I like wandering […]
You need looking after? Buy a dog.
April 16, 2013
Okay, so I’m a fan of promises and new starts and new projects; all the fresh fun bits that come before the hard work and fear kicks in. That’s why I make promises all the time, including that promise I made to stop hiding in Bogotá and actually do something with my life. When the […]
Lost in the city’s fabric: Can we really have too much freedom?
April 3, 2013
I don’t know a single expat who hasn’t been asked why they live abroad or, indeed, why they live in Bogotá. Equally, I’ve never found a single person who has a decent answer to those questions and, I’m ashamed to say, I am no different. “Bogotá is lovely,” I stutter. Then I change the subject. Technically, […]
Your invite: Banana Skin Flip Flops’ 3rd Birthday Party
April 1, 2013
Banana Skin Flip Flops may not be the New York Times but because Bogotá, especially among our little corner of English speakers, is more of a village than a city, I do meet people who’ve read it. Sometimes they’ll write to me after our meeting and say: “You never said you were that Banana Girl,” […]
Love, life and why idealism is everything
March 28, 2013
Sometimes Colombians ask me what my dream is, which I love because I don’t think that is a question people in England really ask. I guess we are too busy worrying about keeping our jobs, paying our mortgages and looking over our shoulders at a Europe that is slowly collapsing. Of course, I tell the […]
Bogotá Parkour: Free running with Les Chats
March 27, 2013
There are many reasons to love Bogotá but it’s entirely possible the city’s chaotic, frequently cracked and somewhat clumsy streets are not one of them. I think the biggest problems are the random obstacles – you know, the discarded bricks and paving slabs, the unexpectedly open manholes, even the desolately skinny trees surrounded by sleeping […]
May 6, 2013
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