One Year in Country

One Year In Country

The other week marked one year in Colombia and we were all DTF (Down to Fiesta).  After the great weekend festivities I could hardly believe I have been on the coast for a year now.  I still vividly remember meeting Taylor on the bus ride from the airport to the hotel in Miami and meeting Mike D, my roommate for the first night in the hotel room.    

 The days can go by slowly, but they months always move quickly.  I can’t even believe it is almost November which marks Carnival in Cartagena and before I know it, it is going to be the last day of classes December 8th.  So after a year on the Coast of Colombia I put together a survival dictionary of some Costeñol (because what they speak here is hardly Spanish) words that I have accumulated here thus far.  Some letters I still don’t have words for, but I will fill them in as I learn new phrases in the next year!  One great year down and I can’t wait to see what the next year brings.   

Areap- fried dough with anything from egg to cheese inside 

Bulla- Noise 

Champeta- music with african roots that is really popular in La Boquilla

Del Carajo- really cool

Eche- A derogatory interjection 

Filo- hungry 

Guerro- liquor 

Huepaje- a yell of joy; often heard while dancing (well)

Inmundo- something horrible 

Junta Comunal- a group that plans events in the community

K 

Liso- Very friendly person and can be quite touchy as well 

Marimonda- a typical costume for carnival 

Nojoda- directly translating to don’t F***, but it is used more like “are you kidding?”

Ñapa- Ask for this when getting fruit and they throw in a couple extra    

Oiste- really meaning did you hear, but here it is used as “O.K?” 

Pillas- hurry up

Qué mas- What’s up?

Raspa’o-  Snow cone  

Sapo- a know it all in class

Tinto- coffee

U

Vaina- thing
Wera- Usually spoken at parties when someone does something strange

X

Y

Zapote- one of my favorite fruits that is amazing as a blended juice with milk