Compañeros y Duke...
Just Another Sunday in Colombia...
Julie
My Family Rocks...
Alexa
Una Mañana con Familia en Medellín
Cesar
C: Buenos dias,
¿usted como se llama?
D: Clara Margarita Mejia Vargas.
C: Doña Clara, ¿esta area como se llama y hace cuanto vive aqui?
D: Esta
area se llama Carlos E. Restrepo y vivo hace…primero vive de soltera…vive diez
años,
como de ’71 a ’81, cierto. Estuve viviendo en el exterior y volvi en el…en el
’86. Volvi en el ’86 aca y…a ver y que mas…pero, por cuestiones de trabajo me
fui para Bogota en el 2002 y estuve en Bogota ocho años. Estoy aqui hace un año,
por hay.
C: Doña Clara, ¿nos puede contar sobre su experiencia con el programa y
como le ha ido, incluyendo este año?
D: No he tenido ningun problema, ha sido facil con las
personas que he hospedado en esta casa, que serian Gideon y…no tengo problemas.
La relacion es facil, es fluida, nos entendemos.
C: Y, ¿me puede contar por que decidio hacer este programa y
las razones porque queria hacer esto?
D: Gloria Ortiz me invito a participar en el programa y
me conto, entonces me intereso.
C: Doña Clara, ¿que piensa usted de el trabajo que nosotros hacemos?
D: Me parece interesante…la cuestion de cambiarle la
imagen a Colombia de que sea solo droga y problemas, de que las autoridades
trabajan por mejorar la situacion de la gente menos favorecida…a mi me parece interesante.
C: Y Doña Clara, ¿hay un mensaje o algo que nos quiere decir a los
estudiantes que estamos haciendo el programa?
D: Si, que no se quede solo en fotos. Que de pronto
traten de llevar, como, mensajes a la gente de los barrios, que les sirvan para
la vida…que tengan conciencia de que uno es un bendecido y que uno tiene que
devolverle a la sociedad parte lo que le da en pro de los que no tienen nada.
Eso les diria yo, me parece que no hay que perder de vista la cuestion
social…siempre.
C: Bueno Doña Clara, muchas gracias por la entrevista.
C: Good morning, what is your name?
D: Clara Margarita Mejia Vargas.
C: Mrs. Clara, what is the name of this area and how long
have you lived here?
D: This area is named Carlos E. Restrepo and I’ve lived here
since…first I lived here when I was single…I lived here ten years, from about
’71 to ’81. I was living in the exterior [of Medellin] and I returned in…in
’86. I returned here in ’86 and…let’s see, what else…but due to employment
issues, I moved to Bogota in 2002 and I was there for eight years. I’ve been
here [in Carlos E. Restrepo] about a year.
C: Mrs. Clara, can you tell us about your experience with
the program and how it has come along, including this year?
D: I haven’t had any problems, it has been easy with
the people I have hosted in the home, whom are Gideon and…I haven’t had any
problems. The relationship has been easy, fluid, we understand each other.
C: And can you tell me why you decided to do this
program and reasons why you decided to do it?
D: Gloria Ortiz told me about the program and invited
me to participate, so that caught my interest.
C: Mrs. Clara, what do you think of the work that we
are doing?
D: I find it interesting…the issue of changing the
image of Colombia, which is all about drugs and problems; that the authorities
work to remedy the situation of the disadvantaged population…I think it’s
interesting.
C: And Mrs. Clara, is there a message that or something
that you would like to tell the students who are doing this program?
D: Yes, that it does not only stay in photos. Try to
take messages to the people of the neighborhoods, [messages] that will serve
them in life…be aware that one is blessed and one must give back to society
what one receives from it, to the benefit of those who have nothing. That’s
what I would tell you all, I believe we must never lose sight of social
[responsibility]…always.
What my host mom has shown
me is what many people say is typical to Colombia- showing love through food.
Every day my host mom makes me a delicious breakfast, usually consisting of a
buttered and salted arepa topped with cheese and an over-medium egg. There’s
also a different home-made juice that accompanies my meals ever day even though
juice making can be a time consuming processes. It doesn’t matter if I’m waking
up before 6 am or well past 10, breakfast is ready for me when I rise.
For
dinner my host mother prepares amazing and authentic costena food. It’s
clear that she loves sharing her culture with me and surprising me with new
meals every night. Without a doubt, these dinners have been some of the most
delicious I’ve eaten in Colombia and long before. Our favorite dinner
conversation is about the Costena restaurant my host mom says she’ll
start at Duke. According to her, I alone would make her business profitable! We
may joke about it but I would love some of her cooking when I return to school.
Dani
My host mother is a warm, lovely person who has shown me a
compassion that I never anticipated.
She wakes up early in the morning to prepare me a hot breakfast before
going out into the field and upon my return in the late afternoon, listens to
me ramble on about all the day’s adventures. She knocks on my door every night
to ask about my plans for the next day and always wishes me a wonderful night’s
rest in the most genuine, heartwarming of ways.
I asked her one afternoon if she minded writing a short
little something about how she feels having a foreigner living with her for the
Duke Engage blog. She wanted to write it together, but when I returned home
later that night, she led me to the kitchen table and showed me her neat
scribbles. In a pink swirly hand, she wrote this and read it out loud-each word
one at a time:
“La experiencia de tener en mi hogar una persona de otro
país es muy bonita. Admiro mucho en Dani su capacidad de adaptación al clima,
la comida, y a las personas… su estabilidad emocional y trata calida.”
It’s short. But it’s sincere. And I know that she truly cares about me.
Regardless, I am a homebody. And as much as I love Colombia,
I still miss being “home.” From the minute I wake up till the minute I fall
asleep, my mind is far from being at ease. I’m always trying to navigate a
language barrier, cultural differences, and how to show my boundless gratitude
for everything my host mother does to help me feel welcome in her home.
At times, I literally feel “lost in translation.” I’m a
talker. A conversationalist. Words are my medium. The number of hours I spend
attacking a keyboard writing or reading with my nose in a book is quite up
there- immeasurable even? So to not be able to say absolutely everything that
pops through my mind is nothing short of extremely frustrating.
But am I really “lost in translation?”
One night, the group got together to cook a homemade dinner
to celebrate Jota’s birthday. As we were nearing the end of the marathon
cooking-cleaning Duke Engage Colombia escapades, I stepped out of the kitchen
to take a breather and unexpectedly starting chatting with two of the host
mothers. I had been looking through this coffee table book on “beauty through
the decades” and was showing them a picture of my favorite actress and cultural
icon, Audrey Hepburn.
They invited me to sit down on the couch, in the middle,
sandwiched between the two of them and we just started talking, talking, and
talking. And before long, I found myself pouring out my soul, in Spanish. I
told them about my fear of being misunderstood. That I’m an observer, always
listening with my eyes. I’m more serious, an older soul. Less carefree, a
little more guarded. I felt as if I was sitting next to my mother, my best
friend (in the most non-cliché way).
I felt comfortable and at ease. And I felt an overabundance of love, of
warmth, of compassion. For the first time, I said that I was a writer. That
writing was my way of understanding the world. I’ve never called myself a
writer before…
So how could I possibly be “lost in translation?”
Because I’m not lost- I’m understood. I’m loved. It’s not my
“home,” but it’s a home. One that I
will forever carry in my heart.
