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Quiet leavings
We’re currently on a minibus from Santa Marta to Cartagena, which while having WiFi and air conditioning, has seen us nearly witness or be involved in a humungous number of head-on collisions. Defensive driving isn’t really a thing in Colombia, and that doesn’t make for the most relaxing of rides. Moments ago, we stopped at…
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No Dill
(13-Jul-15) Well here I am, back in vertical Germany, and finally starting to catch up on my Russia posts. Needless to say, they’re completely out of order—but what are you going to do about it?! Staying with Naz reminded me of all the little details about life in Russia. She and her Belorussian bf live in an…
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Colombiana Blanca
I received one of the greatest compliments of my life the other week. It was, naturally, at the hands (voicebox?) of a Colombian. I’ve said before how much I love Colombians [eg here and here; Colombia blog posts]. I admire them for so many reasons: their friendliness, their hospitality, their passion, their overwhelming loveliness. I feel like,…
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Не привыкайте никогда and squishy hearts.
“I used to be like you,” said my friend Louise, with the involuntary condescension common to happily married couples everywhere. “Then I fell in love, and my heart got squishy.” “Louise,” I replied, turning to her, “I only just barely stopped myself from pushing you down the stairs. Don’t even!” Louise laughed and thanked me…
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Magical Realism
“Guys, is it very important that you understand what the fuck has been happening here the last sixty years,” said our tour guide. I was on the free walking tour in Medellin, and our guide Pablo was about to explain Colombia’s history in a nut-shell. Not, might I add, an easy thing to do. When I told…