Ana, con "E" de "oso": Day 21

Recent Bests: Touring the city with Dad and N, ajiaco, Crepes & Waffles with D, Dad, Marv & Judy last night, "Superbowl" party with 20+ North Americans here in Marv and Judy's living room, and first day at the Hogar de Paz/ the Foundation yesterday, learning to make arepas, guanábana juice, and pollo desmechado with MM and her daughter I (a first grader) today.

Recent Worsts: Confusion after saying goodbye to Dad, bit of a lack of understanding how the 4th grade lunch time works (for all I've known is high maintenance 1st), finishing my dessert at Crepes with a last arequipe-y spoonful.
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What a busy time!

It was lovely having my father here, to show him the part of Bogotá that I know, and the lovely folks God's blessed me with the privilege of meeting. On Friday night he arrived, on Saturday we toured the city with N--we saw the house of Simon Bolivar and its beautiful gardens, the mountaintop church Monserrate and its incredible views, and the old Spanish architecture style neighborhood of La Candelaria. It was a perfect weather day to accomplish all this. In the evening, we joined forces with Mr. and Mrs. A and NG (fellow teacher's aide) to enjoy the juice and food of Mr. A's brother's restaurant--Cafe & Crepes. Fantastico.

Sunday, I took Dad to church at Comunidad Cristiana Puerta Abierta, which I now consider my church home while in Bogotá. :) The service was longer and differently structured than usual, but all the same it was lovely, welcoming, and the sermon was challenging. All in Spanish of course, so I thought I'd take my sermon notes in English so Dad could follow along the jist of things. I was super happy. After the service, I was able to introduce him to various cool folks I know at the church, and then we were whisked away by the C family--D and his mom and dad--to lunch at a delicious typical Colombian food restaurant. MMMMMM. I got ajiaco, Dad got trucha (trout), D got a mixed meats plate, Mr. C got another fish, and Mrs. C got some other tasty thing that escapes me. Oooooh, boy, tasty stuff! And lovely to be the translator for everything--I really have fun doing that. Igual, all the same, the C family has a pretty good grasp on the understanding of English! They started teaching Dad important or useful Spanish words...it was fun. :)
Very full of a tasty lunch, we headed to the car and they took Dad and I to the apartment. I don't live very far from the C's or from church, which is nice. D stayed the afternoon with us at Marv & Judy's, and we watched the Superbowl commercials online and got ready for the whole big group coming to fiesta. It was chill and really nice.
Then came the North Americans, and the dysfunctional wi-fi that didn't allow the watching of the game. Bummer, but I wasn't too put out. It was the fun people time that I liked best!

On Monday, we all went to ECA in the morning, bright and early. Although, actually not that bright, because it was the first day of Bogotá rain Dad got to see. In fact, the only. We had marvelous weather the whole time he was here. Anyway, the day was spent at school, where I worked in 1st and 2nd, and he got tours and chilled in the library (with the gorgeous view). Dad got to meet my first graders! They all told him their names, and then asked if he spoke any Spanish. No, kids, he doesn't! BUT, when he left, he said "Chau!" All of them were in uproarious shouts of "HE DOES SPEAK SPANISH!" :)   When the schoolday was over, we caught a ride with SI (the school nurse) and family towards the Foundation. There, I waited upstairs expectantly for some minutes, while they got the kids in some sort of order.

Then, not having prepared anything in particular, I went down the stairs with a prayer and walked into their main room. I saw eight familiar faces, out of the twenty-something I had met in June 2011. I didn't exactly remember all their names, but I knew I'd seen them before. Also, there were several new faces, which was fun. Anyhow...
I approached the kids, and started trying to arrange us into a circle. I quickly saw--with an instantaneous and truly resounding "HURRAH, THANK YOU GOD" inside--that my two special amiguitos from the last few days of the mission trip, where they were my two buddies to keep track of. As I can clearly recall, the very moment after the two of them hugged and kissed me goodbye on the last day in Bogotá last time, I immediately got a sharp pain in the back of my head. It was as if my own being were protesting this separation.
Now, here we were, in the same country, city, neighborhood, building, and room once again.

And, momentarily, within the same beautiful embrace.

Yes, Cristian remembered me right away. Even with longer hair, different clothes, different context--right away. Then, he started reminding Jesus David of me, and those few 14 days we'd ever spent in the same vicinity in our entire lives. They proceeded to recount all, even the smallest of, details of those tourism days that our team spent with the Foundation kids--what we had for snack, the names of each place we went, where we took the photos of us jumping off of benches and things, when I let the boys take photos on my camera for a while in the bus, the time when we walked up all the steps to the lagoon holding hands together...

My heart was full to the brim with complete and utter joy. One by one, the two other boys and four girls I'd recognized started to remember. Then they all started asking about how were the others--particularly "George" of the jungle and his girlfriend--and why I had come back, and how often I would come see them. Then, we played some riveting games of NINJA till their parents came.
Dad and I rode home with Mr. A, and enjoyed hearing his funny stories and opinions on life. We went to the mall, Dad and I, to meet up at Crepes & Waffles for a farewell dinner. I had crepes rimini (goat cheese, tomato, basil, and salad with balsamic vinaigrette), Dad had shrimp curry crepes. I don't remember all the others. ALL SCRUMPTIOUS. Then for dessert, Judy had coffee toffee ice cream delights, Daddy a waffle with chantilly cream and choco chips, Marv a lovely coffee, and D and I a vanilla ice cream with arequipe, bananas, chantilly cream, and general fantasticness.
Then it was time to prep for Dad's departure. It's strange--last night and today, there wasn't a moment when I wanted to be going back to Chicago along with him. BUT, what I wanted was for my family to come here, to meet Bogotános, to see the sights, to eat good food, and to enjoy this wonderful place with me. I think that was what made the morning today a bit tough. Also the under-six-hours-of-sleep thing.

Either way, today was very nice. I said goodbye to Dad at the portería (front gate), and then got ready for/headed to school. Worked with the first graders, then helped with fourth grade a bit, and then worked with the first graders the rest of the afternoon. After school, I took a teacher van home and met a student's mom at the mall to go wellington boots shopping. This is a super cool mom who is an engineer (she does the work on the transmi stops), and teaches cultural dances to school students, and comes in to run math activities on Fridays. Über cool. So, our boots mission was somewhat successful--we discovered that I am  a pequeña gigante so it's hard to find my size. We'll keep looking.
After the mall, we went to her house for dinner. I MADE AREPAS! I learned so much tonight, and I so loved meeting the family of IM, the student. We made dinner, chatted, and then said goodnight.

I am loving the growing, learning, and fun that is going on here.
Plus the food and the friends, and the upcoming weekend!!! PRADO and ISLA DEL SOL.

Enjoy your snow and frigidity up north! xox