Finally Realizing the Appeal

As a kid I never understood what all the fuss was about with matchbox cars, fire trucks, and bulldozers.  However, after last weeks work on the grant project, I must admit I now get it. 

With less than a month to go now and one more project to finish, things have been getting quite busy out here in La Boquilla.  I am really starting to spend that grant money and in doing so find myself on the phone calling up community members and bargaining more than ever. "What is the absolut lowest you can go for a school project that is endorsed by a nun?"  I call that one the religious appeal.  I almost feel like a business man, not that I would know what that feels like though.

After FINALLY filling the donated plot of land with dirt/rubble the next step was to level all of it.  Now this is a big project and with only a limited time, I was not confident that a group of five high schoolers could complete such a task in less than a weeks time.  So my counterpart and I had to start brainstorming about alternatives.  As we were doing said task while simultaneously walking around town looking for the head of the local government, we saw a random bulldozer.  Now after two years this is the first bulldozer I have seen in town.  I then pushed my counterpart into the path of the oncoming machinery to get the attention of the texting driver.  JK we just waved him down and agreed on a good price on behalf of the nun.

That bulldozer completed the job in less than 30 minutes and was just crushing everything in its path; Pretty amazing really.  My life's only mission quickly turned into, "How can get to drive that thing."  And those who ask shall receive, so I sat in the drivers seat with the strange man and together we went a few inches.  Childhood dream I never had, completed!

   

Holiday Season Top 10

With the holiday season comes numerous best “........” lists: albums, sports highlights, books--you get the point.  So now that the holidays have come and gone here are my 10 favorite things about Costeño Christmas/New years.

10.  The Flags come out

Every year in December, the folks in La Boquilla start to drape little flags around town.  I will now forever associate these with costeño "winter."

9. Concerts

December and January seem to be the months where the most famous artists come to town.  This year 's lineup included: Tego Calderón, Carlos Vives, Marc Anthony, and Summerland (electronic music festival)

8. The burning of año viejo 

Starting in early december you can find these scarecrow type guys sitting around town.  At midnight on NYE they are burned to represent the start of a fresh new year.

7. Yellow Underwear:  It is said that by wearing yellow underwear on NYE you will have good luck in the upcoming year.  Couldn't really get a picture of this, you will just have to trust me on this one.

6. This racially insensitive Black friday advert (technically seen in november) 

Definitions of racial insensitivity in Colombia and the United States may be a bit different

5. New paint jobs: Every holiday season Boquilleros dust off their paint cans and brushes and repaint their homes.  This means lots of bright pink, orange, blue, and yellow in town.  

4.  Baseball season

Colombia's professional baseball season starts every "winter" and the Cartagena Tigres games are quite the bargain: $3.00 fist deck seats

3. Fireworks: Every NYE in the centro there is a spectacular fireworks display that attracts over 1,000 

people.

  

2.  Recycled Christmas trees

No evergreens here on the coast so the trees here are made with 2 liter bottles and plastic bags 

1.  The Breeze:  I can't believe I am about to say this, but with the breeze in December, January, and February I can walk around somewhat comfortable.