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So I thought id write this blog about an average day for me in Colombia. In a few months it is likely to change once I have completed language school so then I will do another day in the life of…me!
So my day starts at 5.30am when I wake up and I either engage in some yoga or some weights/ sit ups etc. I then head downstairs and you'll be pleased to hear, I have a shower. Once dressed I sit at the table and have my coffee or hot chocolate and breakfast bought to me :-p! (eggs scrambled/ fried or omelette style, or arepas or bread with cheese, and always fruit of some kind). I then head back upstairs to have some prayer time before heading out of the house at roughly 6.50am. It gets light here about 6ish so isn't so bad waking up so early.
I then walk the 5 minutes to the Transmilenio station I need to take me to school. I'm going to stop there for a tad and explain the Transmilenio to you all. So, it's like the tube but overground and not as long- more like trams is has it's own road. Now most of you will know what the tube is like at rush hour, and how people will push and shove a bit to get on the tube. I reckon in Colombia it is worse. The doors of the transmilenio engulf people as they cling onto something to pull them into the carriage, and they use the doors for precisely this. I am now accustomed to just pushing in and hoping for the best. The other day as the tram moved away I saw a lady with her leg sticking out of the door- it was eventually sucked in! Anyway it can stay that busy for quite sometime. One thing I do like and have a lot of respect for is that if an elderly person, a pregnant women or anyone with a child gets on, someone will give up their seat, or someone who is standing will point out said person to someone sitting and they will give their seat away. I am yet to see that in England on a regular basis. I have been here not even 2 weeks and I have seen it occur at least 5 times.
Anyway the Transmilenio system isn't the easiest to figure out, but there is a free App for the smart phone which I have. So all you need to do is type in the station you are at, and where you want to go and voila…it gives you the options. Perfect!
So my journey on the Transmilenio takes anything between 15-30 minutes depending on the bus I take. I get there so early so that I can get on a bus and be on time. The transmilenio costs about 50p a journey so pretty good if you're going a long distance. You can chop and change buses without leaving the station so you can literally travel all across Bogota for 50p!
I normally arrive at school early, so I revise things or just doss about on Facebook using the Wifi at school. My school is called Neuvo luenga (new language) and I'm really happy there. My first lesson starts at 8am because I am doing the intensive programme, and ends at 8.55am. We normally do little things like pronouns and connecting words etc. We have a quick break after this before starting again for the next lesson at 9am, which runs until 10.45am. In this lesson we look at verbs, verbs, verbs and more verbs! We have been doing the preterite past tense and now the imperfect. We do writing examples, as well as speaking practice. The final lesson is 11am -12pm where we sometimes look at the future tense and practice speaking in the future tense. The whole 4 hours is in Spanish arrggghhhh!! My dictionary has sadly become a very good friend and I don't go anywhere without it!
Okay so after 12 well sometimes I'll head home where my lunch is ready for me and do my homework then take a run on the treadmill and then just chill out. Or the school have excursions, I'm yet to do one, but I did do the dance class (salsa and meringue) on Thursday which was fun so I had lunch with some school friends and then did the dancing. Each day is slightly different. This Friday I'm going to play the national sport of Colombia with the school so I'll let you all know how it goes!
In the evenings not a lot happens so it's just chill out, which is nice because my brain is normally fried by the evening of having only Spanish and having to constantly think. I'm normally in bed for 9.30 and like to switch lights off at 10pm ready for my 5.30am alarm the next day. It gets dark here about 7ish and then it's recommended that you take a taxi to places rather than the buses, so I'm happy to be in the house in the evenings for now. They do however; have a great app called Tappsi. If you ring a taxi you get a photo of the driver and a map so you can see where you should go. Also if someone else orders you a taxi they can see where you are on the map to ensure you are safe! Genius!
I've only had two weekends here and they are quite chilled. No alarm is set for Saturday and it's a very relaxed day. Saturday just gone I went to a beautiful lagoon with some friends from the school so it was a long day, but I'll explain about that at some other time. Saturday just gone, in the evening my Colombia parents had some friends over so we had some pizza and did some dancing for a little bit. It was fun but I was tired and didn't really get the conversation, but it was good to be involved.
Sunday is always church, then the family take it in turns to cook so the afternoons are food and either a game or film, which I love.
I'm sure as my time here increases I'll be busier in the evenings, as I make friends etc, but it is nice to relax at night for now.
I still love this place and literally today was just in my element as I confidently got on and off the Transmilenio. I'm starting to recognise places now and am becoming more confident in my Spanish as each day passes. I struggle a bit with asking questions but in time it'll come more naturally. I'm learning those 'time wasting' words, such as 'like' (as we say in England), which I reckon in Spanish are 'entonces' and 'pues'. I love learning and even though there are many occasions where I haven't the foggiest what's going on, I'm very good at just smiling through it or looking very puzzled. What I'm finding is that now I'm more confident in speaking people forget I still don't understand a lot when I hear it and so they speak normally which is very fast! I have to remind them to speak 'mas despacio' (more slowly). I look forward to the day where they do and I tell them that I'm not stupid :-D!
Anyway essay over,
hasta luego,
xxx
- comments
vicki champion Lovely to read this my love it all sounds like a very packed day though an interesting one. Also a very EARLY day! How lovely food is prepared for you and you just have to eat it - bliss. Take care, enjoy everything and feel at peace.
Patsy This makes fascinating reading - already you sound like a local! VERY impressed with the early start and great that meals are set before you! Looking forward to the next installment about playing the national sport....and soon you'll be gabbling in Spanish like the best of them! xx
Katie Brooks I feel tired just reading about your average day! Good on ya champs. Keep enjoying it xxxxx
Non Fester it sounds like you're having an amazing time! Very proud of you, can't wait to hear you getting your Spanish on! I bet you sound like a saucy señorita! LOVE YOU xx