Its starting to look a lot like Christmas....

.....Well actually that’s kind of a lie.... for a few reasons.... first of all because stores have been filled with Christmas decorations and they have started putting up decorations around the city since SEPTEMBER! Also, I am on the equator, the days are still exactly 12 hours long, temperatures still average around 20-27 degrees Celsius and very little has changed in terms of the weather, except now its almost always cloudy (which sucks, I miss the sun and I'm losing my tan) and it rains everyday, sometimes it monsoons, this is what they call the rainy season.  Regardless, this does not feel like Christmastime. Except that Paisas are pretty much Christmas crazy. No joke. As I said decorations have been around since SEPTEMBER! Furthermore, every Paisa asked me if I will be here in December and then precedes to tell me how great and amazing Christmas is. I knew about the elaborate lights over the river that light this Saturday I think and how everyone goes out and sees them and takes pictures and that December 7th and 8th were crazy party days in celebration of the Virgin Mary and they light many candles in honor. I also knew that all of December is filled with Christmas parties and Chivas. However, yesterday I learned about a new event and so far its my favorite as it is the only one I have experienced and because I think its hilarious. On November 30th, people fill the streets and bars of the city and especially of the smaller municipios of Envigado and Sabaneta to party and celebrate... what are they celebrating you ask? The beginning of December. My students explained this celebration to me in my conversation class and when I asked why the response was that people wait all year long for December to arrive, so they party, set off fireworks and celebrate on December Eve. All evening long it sounded like the city was at war with the sounds of fireworks going off, but at Midnight things really went crazy. Unfortunately, the night kind of failed us or we failed the night because we couldn't really get straight answers as to where the best place would be to go to watch the fireworks and enjoy the party. We ended up in Parque Envigado which was chalked full of people drinking and playing music, but no one was setting off fireworks right there. Furthermore, people just set off bottle rocket type fireworks so there wasn't too much too see... but we heard it all... Afterwards we tried to find a bar or club to hit up in Envigado, but apparently on Wednesday nights most bars close early. So we never had success in truly partying it up like the Paisas were, and perhaps we got to Envigado too late as we rolled up at 11:30. But either way Medellín is happier today, now all the radio stations pretty much solely play Christmas music, on the way to work this morning I had to laugh when a song with the lyrics "viene la alegría bienvenida Navidad" (Here comes the happiness, Welcome Christmas), there are also frequently heard shouts both on the radio and on the streets "Estamos en Diciembre!!!". 

Arriving at Parque Envigado wednesday night, lots of decorations everywhere 

The Christmas Tree in the park right outside the church, pretty groovy....

The way Christmas stories and traditions vary around the world is very interesting to me and today I learned many of the Colombian (or Medellín) Christmas Traditions and stories. I successfully got my students to actually TALK and have conversation today in my Conversation Class. I was proud and impressed by them. Here in Colombia they do not have the Santa Claus belief or story. Instead gifts are brought by Niño Jesus (Baby Jesus) or Dios Jesus (Jesus God). I asked them how he arrives, and each student's family had a different story. He walks, he flies, he becomes a white dove and files into the home.... They also play a game where they hide figurines of Niño Jesus and the children search for him and win candy... reminded me of an Easter Egg hunt. Furthermore, they celebrate what is called La Novena, I believe it runs from the 16th-24th and its basically one week of praying and family celebrations filled with music, dancing, stories of Niño Jesus and the whole history of Jesus' birth and good food. Colombia has many traditional Christmas desserts, Natilla for example is some sort of corn pudding, sounds bizarre but at the same time I think I'm gonna like it (and its gluten free!!). They also eat lots of buñelos which are basically fried breaded cheese balls (which might also be corn based), ohuelo (also gluten free) and empanadas (also gluten free). I told my students about some American Christmas customs and traditions and of course shared my love for Christmas music and told them all about the Elk Christmas Sing-a-long and while I was telling them all these things and about what my family does, I got really sad. My body filled with that familiar feeling of Christmastime and I got sad that I wasn't going to experience it at home in Elk. However, I'm sure the Peña family in Cuenca will celebrate it in good Ecuadorian style!

Despite the many ways that it does not feel like Christmas, my apartment building is now seriously decked out in holiday flair with icicle lights hanging from every balcony, wreaths in the lobby and a flashing (fake) christmas tree. As pathetic as fake christmas trees seem to me, they also have a lot of benefits for example think about how much money you save only buying a christmas tree ONE TIME.. those things are kinda expensive... Also, its so much better for the environment and the world. No wasting of trees! :) However, there is something to be said for the tradition of going out and picking your tree either at the store or in the forest, bringing it home and the wonderful smell that fills your living room... definitely a classic smell of christmas. 

The building across the street, adding flair to Transversal 37!

Firenze Apartments! My home and where the dog house exists.

Last Saturday I was in a Salsa Performance (actually it was a chachacha rhythm) at my Dance Academy. It was so much fun! I danced with my Caleño instructor Norman and there were two other couples dancing in the same piece, Chloe ( an english teacher from England) and Daniela (a colombian student who happens to literally be my neighbor!), and Sheva (a girl from Sacramento who just happened to be travelling through Medellín) and Sergio (another salsa instructor at the school). The whole evening was super fun, there were a ton of people there watching and there was lots of time for free dancing as well as many presentations. I wish I had more pictures but since I was dancing it was hard to take the pictures. I have a video that a friend took for me, but Blogspot is not letting me upload the video, so we will see what we can do about that... I was able to upload it to facebook, so for those of you who have facebook or access to it you can check it out on my profile or under my videos.

While we entered, before we danced!!

one of my favorite moves, sliding between the guys legs! 

Sheva me and Chole after the dance... looking fly!

In other news I have about one more day of work left!!! Halleluja!!! We head to Bogotá early Sunday morning for a four day Fulbright conference, although the conference will probably be deathly boring I am excited to see all the other Fulbrighters after having had 4 months of similar but different experiences! We've had quite a few visitors to Paisa land this past week and its been so great seeing everyone and showing them our city! 

Me in my classroom during conversation class. Picture taken for my presentation I have to give about my experience teaching in Bogotá next week!

Well this is just Part I of the Colombia (and Ecuador) Christmas Chronicles (check out that alliteration!) so please stay tuned for what is more to come! Happy December everyone! Lots of love....