ICFES Beard

In Colombia, instead of SATs they have the ICFES. For my 11^th graders, their ICFES scores are the biggest decider of whether or not they continue their education at a university or enter the workforce after colegio. The test scores are also important for the school, as it is how their progress is judged in the eyes of foundations, the sole funding source of Barbacoas, where I teach. Last year, the national average for the English Section of the ICFES was around 60%.

The average for Barbacoas students was around 30%.

To motivate my students this year, I made a deal that whoever received the highest scores on the English section of the ICFES exam could shave my beard in class. To the displeasure of my wife, I let it grow for 2 months and endured a multitude of jeers from students in other grades (“Teacher, te ves como Osama Bin Laden”, “Tu barba es maluco!”).

Well the scores finally arrived late in October, with an average of about 42%! Still below the national average, but a huge improvement from last year. Former volunteers deserve a huge amount of credit, but I want to congratulate my students for their hard work.

Here is their reward:

Micah's October Update

A couple weeks ago was Semana de San Francisco de Asissi, the patron saint of the school, which consisted of a weeklong celebration. For a project, my students decided to set up a restaurant specializing in the traditional foods from each Colombian region. They cooked all the food themselves, wrote speeches about the regions and dialogues between customers and waiters, all in English. They worked extremely hard and the finished product was great! Its times like these that make the whole year worth it and remind me of the difference we are making.

Last weekend was my 29^th birthday (feliz cumpleaños a mi!) and our friend, Joellyn, was in town from SLC. We decided to take her on a bit of an adventure and hopped on a bus for 4 bumpy hours down the coast through some serious jungle and tiny dirt “roads” to a little town called Tolú. It turned out to be a nice relaxing break after a strenuous week. We took bicycle taxis all around, ate some fresh seafood, had a little beach time and lots of lounging in hammocks. Jo’s visit really helped us re-appreciate Colombia.

We also received the first round of pen pal letters back from Steph’s old high school in CT. My kids have been asking me about them every day since we sent ours. They are great and most of the kids wrote in both English and Spanish and seem genuinely interested in life in Santa Ana. Next my students will write their first letters all in English. It will be great practice since I am not always able to challenge this extremely bright group as much as I would like in class.

In other news:

- Our house was struck by lightning the other day. It was electrifying.

- I had a lower-respiratory infection, Steph had an upper-respiratory infection, she always has to one-up me!

- I turned 29! I now have 3 grey hairs in my beard.

-We found a 6-inch long grasshopper outside our room. No ants for dinner tonight!

Colombia in the News

Peaceful Evening in Santa Ana

We have been fortunate this year to come to know a beautiful, vibrant, peaceful Colombia but as many of you know this is also a country that has been ravaged by violence and civil conflict for decades. Therefore, we're grateful to share news about a series of peace talks have recently begun in Oslo between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) and we are hoping for progress. Check out the latest news from the BBC:

Colombia Begins Peace Negotiations 

Peace Talks Q&A (BBC)

Exciting New Project!

11th grade boys in front of the school flag

Buenas! All is well on Isla Baru. Can you believe it's already been 8 1/2 months? We've been busy finishing up the third academic quarter and completing law school applications. But we have an exciting new project in the works that we want to share with everyone. We hope that it will bring a fun, cultural learning experience to students in Santa Ana as well as students at Thomaston High School (where Steph graduated 10 years ago)!

This week some of our Colombian students began writing letters to their soon-to-be new pen pals in Connecticut. We were fortunate to find this small group of great students that love learning and are anxious not only to discover new people but to also see where we come from. We spent some time this morning taking photos and planning with the group and honestly, we're not sure who is more excited.

Of course the two schools are very different and we are looking forward to helping the students learn about each other and a different life beyond their own little worlds- but we also believe they have more in common than they might think!

We look forward to updating you soon. Hopefully we can all learn something new from this project.

Steph & the very first project members (11th grade)

Greetings from 3rd Grade!

Check out this video of some of Steph's 3rd graders showing off their English skills!

Summer Break in Pictures

Buenos Dias! We've recently returned from an amazing opportunity while our students were on a 3-week summer break -- traveling to Peru, Ecuador and The Galapagos Islands! This was an extra special trip because our good friend (and former neighbor), Meki from Salt Lake City was able to meet us in Lima and join us and 3 other Baru volunteers for the adventure. 

Lima was beautiful and so much fun. We were so grateful to experience a different side of South America (and it was so different from Cartagena). Our only regret was that we only had a couple days there. Mainland Ecuador was a perfect place for recuperation before our Galapagos adventure. The Galapagos Islands were overwhelmingly beautiful. The Darwin Research Center, the Puerto Ayora community, the Giant Tortoises, swimming in the open ocean with sea lions and hammer head sharks - it was all simply, and sometimes literally, breathtaking. 

In just 10 days we did so many amazing, once-in-a-lifetime things on the trip, we thought it would just be more fun to just show you:

With Meki in Lima, Peru

Beautiful Lima

Micah's Chicken Foot Soup (Lima)

A Little R&R in Guayaquil, Ecuador

We're in the GALAPAGOS!!

Micah & the Infamous Mr. Darwin

Swimming at Las Grietas, Santa Cruz, Galapagos

Snorkel Trip - Galapagos Islands

Sea Lion Reserve

Where we snorkeled with hammer head sharks!

Giant Tortoise Reserve

Longest Underground Lava Tunnel, Isla Santa Cruz, Galapagos

Black Iguana, Santa Cruz, Galapagos

The fact that we were able to have this amazing opportunity, while living in rural Colombia for a year is not lost on us. We are eternally grateful for this eye-opening experience and to all of you back home for your support, encouragement and wisdom!

Steph's Birthday Reflections

My 28th Birthday

As my 28th birthday and the halfway point of our year in Colombia simultaneously approached I was flooded with an array of mixed feelings and anxieties. Have I made the right choices in my 20s? Did we make the best decision to give up our jobs and put our lives on hold to move to rural Colombia for a year, as volunteers? I couldn't help but think about my friends back home with careers, mortgages and babies...

I woke up on the 22nd of June to find the running water was out, the kitchen was invaded with ants and my Skype session with my mom, grandma and nephew back home was cut short due to the always choppy internet. These are normal occurrences in Santa Ana, but on my birthday they left me on the verge of tears as I walked to school in the midday heat on my day off. One of my co-teachers had asked me to meet her at 11am but was no where to be found so I spent some time playing and talking to students in my poor Spanish and their very basic English. They asked me a million very important questions (in Spanish), such as “Why did you paint your toenails clear?”, “What is your mother's name?" and "How do you say maquina in English?". They begged me to take their photos over and over again, demonstrating their best red carpet poses (they may not have much in Santa Ana, but one can always find a neighbor with satellite TV). My favorite part was when they decided to play "Teacher", taking turns doing their best impersonations of me. "How do you say Septiembre in English? How do you say noventa in English?", they'd say in their best teacher voices followed by an enthusiastic thumbs up or thumbs down. We laughed and laughed as I began to realize they might actually have been listening after all! And just when I was starting to think I was being stood up, my co-teacher arrived and surprised me with cake and ice cream. How she transported a pint of ice cream to Santa Ana from Cartagena I may never know. As I was leaving she said in her own broken English "You are muy cariña. To me, very special". 

As I walked back to the villa, I felt a new sense of clarity. I might not have a house, or a long-term career, or even reliable access to running water...but I do have so many other valuable things in my life. I’m gaining a new appreciation for things I once took for granted and Micah and I get to experience new things together all the time. I realized that we’re not putting our lives on hold. We’re very much living every single day.

Meet the Students: Part 1

It’s been awhile since our last update for various reasons. Primarily, we have had a lack of regular Internet access for numerous Colombianesque reasons (you know, wind, rain, sun, power lines held up by branches, or just because).

But here we are, five months in…

We are learning how to teach in Santa Ana, a task in itself. Our classes are improving, one day at a time. We are getting to know our students and their lives’ here on the island. And because they are the reason we are here, we would like to introduce a few of them to you:

 

Oliberta is in 10^th grade at Barbacoas (private) and has a very bright future. She maintains some of the highest grades in her class, she volunteers after school with a local ecological organization and she is currently competing in an English singing competition, with a top prize of a scholarship to the best English language institute in the country. Oliberta lives with her mother, father, 2 sisters and a brother in a 3-bedroom house in Santa Ana. Her mother works at a local tienda and her father works in Cartagena. When she graduates, she would like to become a gospel music singer because she “wants to share her faith through music”. Oliberta is a funny, intelligent, enthusiastic student who has an obvious desire to learn all she can and share that knowledge with others.

Arnold is a classmate of Oliberta and a bit of a class clown. He enjoys making others laugh, even at his own expense. Despite his antics, he is consistently at the top of his class and speaks English well. Arnold lives with his mother, father and 2 brothers. His father is a moto-taxi driver and his mother is “an artisan of necklaces”, likely sold on Playa Blanca. Arnold’s older sister moved to Cartagena a few years ago to pursue a career in hospitality, the same career Arnold is hoping to explore after he graduates. When asked if he enjoys living in Santa Ana, he replied "Mas o menos porque me gusta los deportes que hacen", or "More or less, I like the sports we play". Arnold is a selfless, bright individual who does not take himself too seriously and always finds time to crack a joke between acing tests.

Camilo, 10th grade, is a bit of a trouble maker, though I suspect that it has more to do with him being bored with normal classwork than him being a troubled kid. He is one of the best English speaker in the school and receives very high marks in his other subjects as well. Camilo lives with his grandmother in Santa Ana. He has 3 older brothers that live in Monteria, a 6-hour bus ride South of Cartagena. After school he works on a boat at Playa Blanca, ferrying tourists to and from Cartagena. After graduating from Barbacoas, Camilo hopes to be a professional soccer player.

Maria Angelica, age 7, is a third grader at the public school. She is playful, friendly, always smiling and is at the top of her English class. Her favorite color is yellow, like most of her classmates, and she loves to play muñecas, or dolls. She doesn’t go to the beach much, but loves to go to Cartagena with her parents and little brother. Her mother is an ama de casa, or housewife. Her father works at the large resort on the island, The Decameron.

Maria Angelica & Diana

Diana is 9-years-old and in fourth grade at the public school. She is sweet and very smart and is always eager to help her classmates. Her favorite colors are blue and red and she also loves playing with muñecas. She lives with her mother, who is also an ama de casa, and her little brother.

 

Michel (pronounced Mee-shell) is 12-years-old and is in the same fourth grade class as Diana. She is quiet and keeps to herself but she is excelling in English. Her favorite color is purple and fútbol is her favorite game to play. She lives with her father, who works for a nearby labor company, her mother, her brother and her grandmother, who cooks and sells typical Colombian fried food on the beach.

:

Carlos Andres is 13 and is one of the top English students in the public school’s 4^th grade – he even asks for more homework! He wants to be a math teacher when he grows up but right now he loves to play fútbol and his favorite color is blue. Carlos lives with his parents and his 4-year-old brother. His father works at a vegetable finca, or farm, in Santa Ana and his mother works on the beach.

Semana Santa, Holy Week

Travel Log:

Monday, April 2^nd ~

Transportation from Santa Ana to Santa Marta went a little something like this: motorcycle+canoe+citybus+taxi+intercitybus+taxi = total time 6 hours, no more than 100 miles.

Checked-in at Irish-owned Aluna Casa & Café – a nice hostel less than 5 minutes walking distance from the Historic District. Had an amazing, romantic, gourmet dinner at El Bistro Restaurante and mojitos at [Bob] Marley’s Café. On our walk back to our hostel we came across a random adult league soccer game complete with spectators - at 11pm.

Jugo Natural

Tuesday, April 3^rd ~

Our day dedicated to food!  Breakfast at Lulo was delicious—start with an arepa, add beans, cheese, and a fried egg, throw a few strips of crispy bacon across and top with fresh avacado and hot sauce. Jugo Natural de Maracuya was the best fresh juice we’ve had so far. Lunch at Marisol (just a few doors down) also amazing—Pineapple/Ginger and Mango/Blackberry juices. More sightseeing followed by appetizers at Agave Azul Mexican Restaurante (we’ve been craving Mexican). Finally, dinner at the #1 rated Ouzo (according to TripAdvisor). We had a chicken, bacon, pesto pizza (another thing we crave in Santa Ana) and it was perfection. We also tried a michelada, hot sauce, lime juice, pilsner in a salt-rimmed glass – would turn even a Budweiser into a good tasting beer, maybe.

We also met up with several other World Teach volunteers placed in other parts of the country, whom we haven’t seen since orientation. It was great to reconnect and share stories.

World Teach Cali, Bogota, Cartagena, Monteria & Baru!

In a nutshell, Santa Marta is like a mini-Cartagena. More intimate, great restaurants, more ex-patriots (English speakers), less hassle, easier to navigate. In general, great 2-day getaway, but not necessarily for its beaches.

Santa Marta

Wednesday, April 4^th ~

Quick breakfast at Aluna’s Café, which was pretty standard but good. Then we started our adventure to Minca, a tiny village in the Sierra Nevadas. We were told there was a collectivo station, or a place to catch shared taxis not far from our hostel. [disclaimer: moms, you may not want to read further :) ]

We arrived at the address and found your typical Colombian corner tienda with benches and several people, who appeared to be waiting for a ride. About 20 minutes later an early-90s blue Mazda pulled up and the driver motioned for us to put our bags in the trunk.  One of the doors was jammed shut, so we all had to crawl in through the same side. As soon as we got out of the city limits, the car started sputtering, the driver started cursing in Spanish and sure enough we were stranded on the side of a dusty road in the Sierra Nevada foothills with no gas. It gets better. 

So then, while we’re standing on the side of the road because it was scorching hot in the car. The driver makes a call, which we assumed was to get us another ride. 20 minutes later another taxi arrived and we thought we were in the clear. Only, now the drivers are tying up the two cars using beat up old ropes. They told the other couple we were sharing the ride with to get in the taxi to distribute the weight more evenly and Micah and I got back in the collectivo and off we went another 20 minutes uphill to the nearest gas station, where we were all re-loaded into the collectivo and made our way the rest of the 45 minutes up the mountain to Minca. 

Just another day in Colombia...

After finally making it, our next adventure was finding our hostel, Casa Loma, or Hill House. We started seeing signs as soon as we got to Minca, which led us gradually up hill behind the Institución Educativa de Minca. From there we followed more signs, until we realized we were literally in the woods, hiking straight up a mountain, which was exhausting with our backpacks. When we finally reached the little bohemian oasis, we were relieved to see numerous colorful hammocks and an amazing view over the Minca Valley and Santa Marta in the distance. We stayed in a tree house; similar (but not as cool) to the one we stayed in when we got married in St. John.

View from Casa Loma

Thursday, April 5^th ~ Hiked 2 hours up a mountain road to a coffee finca, built in 1892 and barely changed since. We don’t get fresh coffee in Santa Ana, so we were elated to have some that was fresh roasted, organic, and fair trade!

La Victoria Finca

Minca was an awesome experience. It was great to be up in the mountains, with slightly cooler temperatures, less people, and we saw some spectacular sunsets and toucans!

HIGH: Thursday night sunset with fresh Maracuya LOW: Not making it to the “Lost Waterfall”, next time!

Sunset over Minca

3 MONTHS IN...

Celebrating Juli's Birthday, Barú-style!

It’s been just about 3 months (or ¼ of the way) since we first stepped foot in South America and although there have definitely been challenges amidst the adventure; we’re learning to appreciate all that Colombia has to offer. So our Español is still far from fluent (okay it’s more like Spanglish, but the Costeño accent is hard!) and teaching English here is much more difficult than we imagined, still…life is good.

We’ve blogged about the bugs and the lack of clean water, the power outages and the heat. But with all of the challenges, we are extremely fortunate to have some pretty great perks living on Isla de Barú.

Sunset on Playa Blanca

This past weekend we celebrated another volunteer’s birthday with a fiesta on Playa Blanca, where we camped overnight in cabanas. We were treated to a spectacular sunset over the Caribbean, followed by delicious food, music and of course, dancing. Later that night, we were walking along the beach, looking up at the stars, feeling grateful for everything we were experiencing – it was one of those moments in life where we wished we could bottle it all up and save it forever.

Beach Cabanas 

The next morning we awoke to a perfectly beautiful day on the beach. We spent the day relaxing in the sun and enjoying the warm, turquoise waters, wishing the weekend didn’t have to end.

A pretty decent trade off for the difficulties of living in Santa Ana, if you ask us.