A life in Colombia
Journalism
You know you’re in Colombia when…
I’ll admit it. I was feeling a bit guilty when our plane skidded to a halt at Bogota airport. It’s not that I like to take advantage of the average Colombian customs’ official and his weakness for women. But I’ve been through customs a few times in Colombia now and this time I actually wanted […]
MoreAn indecent proposal (II)
Okay, I’ll admit it. I spend most of my morning wondering where to eat lunch. I was on the bus when I made a firm decision. It was a sunny day. I had cash in my pocket. I felt like a treat. I decided to dine at Crepes and Waffles. My phone rang. Unknown number. […]
MoreBogotá Budget Food Awards 2010
I scrabbled through my bottom drawer. I scattered my passport, several tickets, my cuddly giant tortoise and three ear plugs onto the floor and, eventually, I found what I wanted. I returned to the living room and triumphantly threw three battered bars of chocolate onto our dining room table. Caroline, my French-Colombian housemate and Andres, […]
MoreMy first Latin football match
The police officer, wearing a fluorescent yellow coat, pointed to a wall of bodies blocking the top of the staircase. “You’re up there,” she barked. Great. We didn’t have seat numbers and we could hear that the match, Colombia versus Peru, had already started. “You sure about this?” I asked Julian, our token Colombian. He […]
MoreRich kids sniff, poor kids suffer
I have always been friends with loads of lawyers. I have no idea why I am attracted to these people – perhaps it’s their natural charm and quick wittedness, or simply the fact they argue about bloody anything. Colombia is no different and last week, after a dinner party, I was left drinking and debating […]
MoreAn indecent proposal
When I met Mauricio three months ago, I filed him away as a tall, smiley lawyer with a skinny dog in tow. We swapped numbers then, but only spoke for the first time last Tuesday, when he called me during lunch. I was stuffing my face and struggling with Spanish. “Hey Vicki, how are you?” […]
MoreCall that a knife?
I’ve lived in Latin America for six months now. I was about due an armed robbery. I mean that with no prejudice – loads of my friends have been robbed in London – but here, I’m in the minority with my blonde hair and blue eyes. If anyone in this city, country or continent is […]
MoreLife, lectures and terrible hair
“What do you call it in English?” “A tin opener. I’m sorry, what is the Spanish word again?” “Abrelatas,” “And if I want to drink wine?” “You’re going to need el sacacorcho.” “Gracias. Now, do we have abrelatas?” “No, but I can open that can for you with a knife.” Oh, how I love living […]
MoreI am alone and destitute
Today was a seriously shitty day. Okay, so not that shitty in the context of the world’s real problems; merely shitty within my own personal spectrum. I had to pay 600,000 pesos in tuition fees to the university which, unhelpfully, is my daily withdrawal limit. I was completely out of cash – it is two […]
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Banana Skin Flip Flops 