Dear M.I.O. Riders, You Suck.

I like to think that I generally keep things pretty positive on here; true, I may complain here and there, but overall I try to see the bright side of things.  That's not gonna happen in this post.

The M.I.O. is the city sponsored system public buses here, and while I don't really have any qualms with the entity as a whole I certainly do have some issues with the passengers.  Now, if you are one of the M.I.O. riders that is capable of acting civil and like a decent human being, then congratulations, you are in the small minority of people that does not get an eye roll or huff from me at the station.  We have have actually at one time or another shared a frustrated glance, thanks for being awesome.  Unfortunately, such people waiting for the bus are few and far between.  In fact, they sometimes seem nonexistent.  Here's the problem: everyone wants to be the first person to get on the bus they are waiting for which, in turn, causes not only a mad dash for the doors when said bus arrives, but it brings people to clustering around the doors that approximately 2.5 people can fit through at any one time.  That means, even if a person sees that the approaching bus is not the one they desire, they will hold their ground firmly in front of the sliding glass doors so that when their bus does come, they can get on first.  News flash people: THIS DOESN'T WORK.  Really what you are doing is causing mass chaos and more importantly, irritating the hell out of me.  Hi, I'm the one kindly waiting at the back of the crowd until I see the T31 coming from down the block.  And guess what?  I always manage to get on the bus.  Although, sometimes its a close call after I have to push my way through the crowd serving as a blockade for the door.  Sure, I may not always get a seat, but its really not a big deal.  I come from the land of L trains and CTA buses where getting a seat isn't always likely, and sometimes standing is the better choice anyway. 

Then there are those who are fond of the psych out.  The "I have been standing here in front of you and now as a bus that you need comes I am going to move toward the door like this is also the bus I am waiting for, but then stop dead in my tracks so that you have to re-route around me and almost miss the bus you waited 20 minutes for.  I was actually just trying to get closer to the door."  Thanks.  I get it people.  You are worried about getting on the bus and getting a seat, and I understand why.  I sometimes worry too when I see the 4:00pm crowd waiting for the E21 and E31, but you are only making it worse. When you crowd the door, it makes other people nervous too, so they crowd the door and then people have to push through 30 people deep just to get the gosh darn T31!  See?  Its a positive feedback loop, not much different than this one:

So if everyone just waited for their bus to come before stampeding toward the door, then we wouldn't have this ridiculous problem, and everyone could get on the bus peacefully.  But it won't just happen, be the change people.

Oh and don't even get me started on the guy who gets on the bus and stops approximately 8 inches in from the door.  Hi, sir.  Do you realize I can't get passed you and the door is now shutting on me and the 20 others trying to get on the bus?  Thanks for caring.

El Lorax: En Busca de la Trúfula Perdida

Given my love for all things Dr. Suess and animated, seeing the Lorax was something I have been looking forward to, especially since Horton Hear a Who was so great.  Yes, I have seen all of the Madagascars, Ice Ages, Shreks and as well as most of the rest of the animated "kids" films released in the last 10 years, and I love them.  I even own quite a few.  They're the type of movie I can watch again and again and they still get a laugh out of me;  I have easily seen Monsters Inc. 10+ times.  When The Lorax finally came out here in Cali, I knew there was a good chance it would only be in the theatres in Spanish since it is easier to dub animated films and kids movies usually come in Spanish.  And so it was.  Last weekend I finally decided to go see El Lorax: En Busca de la Trúfula Perdida, and even recruited Jess to go with me.  I accepted the fact that I may end up lost in a Spanish movie, but thought since the intended audience was children under the age of 12, I might be able to pick up on a few things.  To my surprise, I understood just about everything that was being said, outside of the some of the songs.  Now, yes, I probably could have watched it in silence and picked up on the storyline, but the point is that I actually was able to follow the dialogue, which is pretty awesome. 

Luckily, there were less than 25 people in the entire 2:20 showing, as my tolerance for children in movies is low, so there were few interruptions to our viewing.  We were both quite happy with the movie and found ourselves laughing louder than anyone else in the theatre on multiple occasions.  And while I do think I understood at least 85-90% of the movie, I do want to watch it again, in English, just to check my understanding, and because it was a great movie.  Not to mention Pipsqueak, the most adorable little creature in the movie.   How could you not love him?

Even better, given the message of taking care of the environment, I have every intention of showing some all of this in my class next year during our Human Impacts unit.

Celebrating Earth Week

In honor of Earth Day/Week, the Middle School decided to get our kids out and enjoying the world around them for 1 hour everyday.  While this meant shorter class periods and trying to get 11-14 year olds to class on time with no bells. it also meant (hopefully) getting the students to see and understand some things that they might miss on a normal day.  There were several activities planned for the week, such as: a water walk to represent how far some people have to walk for fresh water, garbage and recycled art, yoga and meditation, Frisbee golf and a nature scavenger hunt.  I decided to sign up to help make and chaperon the nature scavenger hunt, and a good decision it was; as it turns out, our students really like to complain about walking and touching garbage, so some activities didn't go over as well as intended.  It took some time to get groups engaged in deciphering the clues and wandering ALL over campus to find the nature objects, but in the end we had two teams get all 21 of the clues and several others come pretty close.  On the second day we had students complete the hunt, I was wandering myself to make sure students weren't slacking off, and I decided to capture the images for the clues too.  Here's what I found:

1. Never say you can't, just find a tree with a hanging plant.

2. Near the place you learn the ABCs, you'll find fern-covered palm trees.

3. Don't give excuses starting with but, do your best to find a giant hut.

4. Look for flowers that appear just like the sun, but don't be fooled it must be a real one.

5. A place you can go to sit and eat too, here you will find trees waiting to greet you.

6. Follow the path to walls made of stone, the green coverings offer a cool natural tone.

7. Finding a palm tree will fulfill this stop, but in order to succeed you must leap, jump or hop.

8. I normally hang high in the trees, but it is possible that I have fallen to the ground.  No matter which way, I am a tasty treat for animals all around.

 9. A natural looking door is what you should look for

10. We’re easy to find, we crawl, we fly, and we can even sting.  Of one of us a small image you should bring .

Do you see what I see?

11. Look for me near the base of a tree.  I am often poisonous, so make sure you don't eat me! 

12. I am the color of t-shirts, shoes, backpacks and sometimes even ink. Combine the red and white and you get the color______. Go find something this color and take a great shot. Just make sure it´s grown and not bought!

13. Look for me, I’m everywhere among the other colors in the ground; Over there in deep violet pigments I am around.

14. You can find me in all those places where the Gods bled;
And stained Mother Nature with this beautiful color instead.
The blood painted pieces in the puzzle of creation;
You will find on the Bolivar Campus and across the nation.

15. Parts and pieces painted with drops of sunlight are found in flowers and TREES where they shine so bright!

16. Near the soccer field, the water tumbles clean and free.  Snap a photo of this and be sure to capture the palm tree.

17. Near a great waterfall you will have a good vantage, take a picture of your team in the middle of this bridge.

18. A scary plant that grows out of the dirt, it is best to not touch it, for you just might get hurt.

19.  Near a place where Bolivar is feared, you will find some trees that wear a long beard.

20. A typical palm tree this is NOT, it is shaped in the form of something we use when we´re hot.

21. Although it has no organs and has no feathers, find this bright bird all grouped together.

OK so I may have had an unfair advantage considering I made the scavenger hunt with Jeff and our principal, but you will notice that technically I didn't fulfill some of them since I couldn't be in the pictures, like the jump shot in front of a palm tree (because I was the photographer).  I also snapped this of a baby chucha, which is kind of like an oppossom, that the had to catch from the boys bathroom.  Super cute as a baby, not so cute as an adult, especially when it runs across the science building balcony (or in some cases into classrooms) while you are trying to teach.

Bonus points?

I think our students got at least something out of the activity and I might dare say that some even enjoyed it.  Hopefully they can appreciate the amazing campus we have with such diverse natural beauty that we can see almost on a daily basis. 

The New Normal

Now that I have been here in Cali for more than 7 months (crazy, right?) I have been looking back on some of those things that really threw me for a loop when I first got here.  I still don't think I ever really had culture shock, but there are definitely some things that caught my attention my first few weeks.  These are now things that I see or experience quite often, and usually don't think twice about, except for maybe a laugh or two.

• Being in a cab with the tank reading E and/or having to stop for gas
• Seeing a family of 4 riding on a moto
• Knowing its OK to cross the street only when the street performers and jugglers entertain waiting traffic
• Ridiculously enhanced breasts and butts
• Not having Internet and/or power at school in the morning.  OK, so the power thing has only happened twice after rainy nights, but I've learned to embrace it and have an energy free alternative just in case.
• Our cab driver watching music videos on a portable player, normal right?
• Motos that drive on the sidewalk to avoid traffic
• A horse or mule drawn wagon on the road with cars, trucks and motos
• Brand representatives at the stores trying to sell me things (e.g., toothpaste, laundry detergent, chicken seasoning, etc.)

There is however, one thing that I would like to add that I don't think I will ever get used to that still makes me awkward/uncomfortable/anxious: that would be the workers in clothing stores that attack me upon entering and continue to follow me around the store.  They are kind of like that servant in Adam Sandler's "Mr. Deeds" who is "very, very sneaky".

I specifically learned to say "solo mirando" to help them understand that I don't want a shopping partner and that I am just browsing; unfortunately, few actually get the message.  This leads me to move swiftly through stores in attempts to avoid and dodge the workers and in some cases not even enter stores where the worker to customer ratio is not in my favor (really anything over 1:1 is dangerous and scary).  Needless to say, I haven't shopped a whole lot here in Cali.


I'm sure there is plenty more to add to the list, and it will likely continue to grow.  I will keep you updated on all of the quirky things I witness on a daily basis here in Cali.

Pinterest, I Think I Love You

I know a lot of people have a lot of complaints about this new social media, but I don't care.  I have tried so many new things in the last few weeks and I have loved every minute of it.  Here are some things I have made from recipes I found on Pinterest:

Sugar Free Homemade Apple Sauce

http://whippedtheblog.com/2009/10/25/applesauce-simple-homemade-sugar-free/

I made this one mostly for baking, but its a great snack too.  Its nice to keep a store of it in the fridge so when I need it as an oil replacement I don't have to make a new batch every time.

Easy Mac & Cheese

http://www.macaroniandcheesecake.com/2011/09/revolutionary-mac-cheese.html

Not to be confused with "Easy Mac", gross.  I came home from work and saw this recipe pop up, realized I had everything I needed and immediately made my way to the kitchen to whip it up for dinner.  The trick is cooking your noodles in milk.  You don't have to drain it and the milk serves as the base for the cheese sauce.  Genius.  This does require serious pot baby sitting and the milk will boil over if you aren't careful.  And if you don't learn our lesson the first time it will boil over 2-3 more times.  Oops. 

I used Monterrey Jack cheese because it was what he had already.  After cooking the noodles, I put it in a pan and topped it with some freshly sliced tomatoes and baked it for about 10-15 minutes.  While the blog suggests it as a side dish, I enjoy Mac & Cheese all on its own, and I definitely don't think this made 4 servings, so next time I'll be making more.  Also, its great leftover. 

Spicy Crab Stuffed Cucumbers

http://domesticfits.blog.com/2011/07/07/cucumber-cups-stuffed-with-spicy-crab/

I made this when we had people over for David's birthday.  I wasn't in love, but everyone seemed to really enjoy them.  While Colombia has a wide variety of canned fish (squid, salmon, oysters, cuttlefish among others) crab isn't one of them.  I used frozen crab sticks.  I think I would have enjoyed them more.  Still call this one a success though.

Quinoa Pizza Bites

http://www.soveryblessed.com/2012/02/quinoa-pizza-bites.html

I didn't use any onions, but did throw in a couple dashes of onion powder.  No fresh basil either.  I made some with pepperoni and some with mushroom, both delicious.  I didn't have mini muffin pans so I used regular sized ones; they fell apart a bit more, so I would highly recommend the mini pans if you have them.

And last, but certainly not least...

Personal Sized Baked Oatmeal

http://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/personal-sized-baked-oatmeal-with-individual-toppings-gluten-free-diabetic-friendly/

These are a new favorite in our apartment.  I have made them 3 or 4 times now and David even offered to make them this weekend because he wanted them so bad!  This is also the original reason I made that homemade applesauce.  I've probably made the most edits to this recipe, so here's what I used:

 

2 eggs

2 cups sugar free applesauce

5 cups rolled oats

1 over ripened banana, mashed

2 cups milk

1 tsp honey

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

You know that 1 or 2 bananas that always gets left uneaten at the end of the week and starts to turn gross and brown?  Instead of throwing it out, put it in the freezer.  These bananas are great for baking and if you have enough you can make some yummy banana bread too.  I used less milk because mine just seemed a bit too moist.  As for the flaxseed in the original recipe?  Yeah right, like I'm going to go on the hunt for that here.  I just left it out and it seems to work just fine.  I also learned my lesson the first two times with the cupcake liners: NOT worth it.  It's a waste of liners and they stick to the oatmeal; we've eaten a lot of paper with our oatmeal. 

I usually make a 3-4 different varieties with each batch.  Some include: banana and peanut butter for David, banana topped with a bit of brown sugar, apple cinnamon, strawberry and chocolate chip.  We keep them in the fridge and can grab 1 or 2 for a breakfast on the way to school, or a small snack when we need something to tie us over.  If you like oatmeal, you HAVE to try these.  Huge success.

Congested in Colombia

In case you have been wondering why I sound so nasally, here's why.  I just took a little trip to the grocery store down the street in search of some cold medicine to combat this ridiculous congestion that overcame me yesterday.  There was plenty to choose from in various forms.  Luckily I happened to check the label of one product quickly and noticed it had fenilefrina, or phenylephrine, in it as the active ingredient for decongestion.  Unfortunately, I found out the hard way in college that I have seriously unpleasant reactions to this drug in the form of continuous vomiting for about 2-3 hours after taking whatever medication its in.  TMI?  Sorry.  Needless to say I quickly put this back on the shelf and grabbed another.  And then another.  And then another.  Ultimately realizing that they ALL had fenilefrina in them.  Off to the pharmacy counter I go.  I successfully informed the man behind the counter of my allergy and asked if he had something else without phenylephrine, but with the same cold-fighting benefits.  Drawer after drawer of search and he found that everything he had also contained the drug.  I checked the OTC aisle one more time and finally accepted I would be stuffed up for the rest of the night, and grabbed some extra Vitamin C tablets instead.

On the walk home, I realized I could check with the pharmacy at the hospital tomorrow after I have my appointment to check on the status of my knee.  Hopefully this cold wouldn't get too much worse before then.  When I got home I decided to do a little research, like how to say psuedoephrine in Spanish, as this is the decongestant I normally take.  In the US, this has to be purchased from the pharmacy directly since its used in large doses to make meth.  Somehow in my search I came across this article http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/CMS-5824648 outlining how psuedoephrine sales have been banned in Colombia for the same reasons that you need to get it from the pharmacist in the US.  I wasn't going to get decongested anytime soon.

This then led to a search of "natural home remedies for nasal congestion" because this its just too miserable to not try to fight.  Looks like I have 10 or more jumping jacks to do and some hot sauce or mint gum and maybe some gin soaked golden raisins (what!?) tonight.  Or maybe I'll keep the tissue close at hand. 

If you're coming to Colombia, PLEASE smuggle down some Sudafed with psuedoephrine, but keep in mind, I bare no responsibility if you are detained or accused of making meth.  That's a rick you'll have to be willing to make.