A Paisa Woman in Bogota
SUMMARY: I spent most of a day with The Mick and a little young paisa woman. We spent most of the day together playing golf and having lunch, and now I see why all the fuss about women from Medellin.
Alternate Title: My 1st Paisita and Now I Understand the Fuss about Medellin Women
After months of reluctance, I agreed to practice golf with The Mick. It’s a great way, if not necessity, to make friends and sales in Bogota (sales for our new English language business). The Mick had scheduled to play golf as a class with a student of his, Maribel from Medellin.
Maribel was a tiny little dandy with short hair that stood and hung. She wore big lens sunglasses that faded at the bottom. She also wore black aerobics tights to show off her shapely legs. The tights were the cotton type with straps underneath the foot inside the shoe to keep the cotton tight, not the shiny tights. After Maribel and I did an airkiss greeting, she warmed her legs up by stretching her quadriceps with a foot in her hand. She bounced around and twisted her legs up and about as if warming up for a run. It was a little hard not to get caught looking. … Read more
My Juanes Post
SUMMARY: I live in Colombia, and I blog, so I must blog about Juanes. Just this once.
Juanes is a Colombian musician who’s sold over ten million albums and won a record 17 Latin Grammy awards. He’s widely considered the most successful Latin musician of his generation. For his personal philanthropy, Juanes campaigns against anti-personnel mines, which are a serious issue in Colombia. Juanes was selected by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in 2005. … Read more
My First Paisa in Colombia
SUMMARY: I get drunk and go to Plaza Lourdes to get high. I meet my first paisa, a pseudo-ethnic subculture in Colombia.
Alternate Title: My First Run-In with Cocaine in Colombia
I met my first paisa last week. I’d heard about the paisas before. The guy who worked the graveyard shift at my Candelaria hotel was from Medellin, as are the paisas. He told me they’re the crazy culture in Colombia. The street-smart, hot-headed people. Somewhat involved in crime. Quick to pull guns. In other words, they’re the niggaz of Colombia. The black Colombians don’t have that reputation here; the paisas do.
The most famous paisas include Pablo Escobar (of Medellin Cartel fame) and, ironically, the current president Alvaro Uribe, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush last year. Others include Juanes and painter Fernando Botero. The paisas aren’t necessarily of a different ethnic lineage. The Medellin region is their distinction. They’re associated with the coffee industry, and cocaine too. In fact, the textbook stereotype of a paisa is Juan Valdez, the face figure of the Juan Valdez coffee brand. Juan Valdez is the Starbucks of Colombia, a chain of coffee shops modeled after Starbucks.
So I was drinking rum in Plaza Lourdes on a Thursday night. … Read more
Colombian Food: 1st Impressions
SUMMARY: Descriptions of three of my favorite Colombian plates: bandeja paisa, changua, and fruit salads. With pictures.
Colombian food is not as good as Peruvian. Peru has spoiled me. I met a Peruvian here in Bogota who says that Colombian food is good if you are willing to spend. That’s my problem (I’m broke). In Peru, you don’t have to spend a lot to eat well.
Most of the Colombian lunches include a piece of meat, rice and fries. Colombian arroz con pollo is yellow, and its nice of them to cut the chicken off the bone, but it’s not as flavorful as Peruvian arroz con pollo. I miss Peruvian food.
It’s worth mentioning the obvious: Colombian coffee kicks ass. Even in a company office where I teach a class, they serve (office) coffee in tiny three-ounce cups because it’s so strong.
These are three awesome Colombian plates: Bandeja Paisa, Changua, and Fruit Salad. … Read more
