The End of an Era

Ya, se acaba mi viaje. Thus it is finished. Six months in Colombia, working hard and playing harder (when there was time) ... this is it. I'll be in San Francisco tomorrow night, happy to be home but sad to be leaving behind such a beautiful and fascinating country.

I've not got much time between the going away party and a pinch of shopping (haven't had much time for that lately), but I thought I'd mention that I got the coolest going away gift today. We presented the preliminary results of our study at the University Externado, where I taught last semester, and had been hoping against hope that people would actually come. And what do you know, they did!

All my sketchy statistical analysis and Margot's great qualitative work this morning paid off in front of representatives of various government institutions (including Forein Affairs!), the university, and the Spanish consulate. It's an amazing feeling to have people responding to and commenting on something you've worked so hard on for six months. And to be respected as a researcher. They want a publication, they want our database, they want our final results ASAP, and they want to invite us back when it's all done to present our final conclusions to the university (of course, it's Colombia so we'll see if that actually happens). Yeah, so I'm bragging a bit, but it's just damn cool to have this kind of response so I thought I'd share it with you all. It's not quite as intense as the Tin Circus CD release party 10 years ago, nonetheless, for a graduate student, it's on a similar level.

See you all soon.

Got my tickets

It's official: I'll be back in California the night of Friday, January 26.

And I'll be leaving for Paris at 11am on February 10, to arrive the morning of Sunday, February 11.

See you all soon, wherever you may be!

Update: panda cubs vs. babies

Remember CNN's poll about which is cuter, panda cubs or babies? Well, cubs are still out in front. I think a TV show like Pandas vs. Babies: Natural Born Enemies or whatever, something similar to Fox's award-winning(?) When Animals Attack would be much more entertaining than a boring poll.

Holiday travels 3

It begins ...

A bit of background: this is part of the traditional Festival de Blancos y Negros, which originally started way back when the Spaniards still ran the show and had slaves. The masters would paint their faces black the first day, while the slaves painted their faces white the next. Somehow this became two days of total insanity and wars with various colors of paint, flour, talcum powder, and foam. See below.

My attacker. Actually much nicer than this picture would suggest. He smiled a second later but he is now part of the history book that is the internet as a sullen bastard covered in paint. Oooooo!
There was no escaping it. Walking through the crowd without being constantly attacked was impossible.

More attackers. Fortunately, in the middle of a civil war.

Me and the mayor!

New friends, or something. They were really drunk and excited to see foreigners at the party.

Really nice people we actually know. A huge mess.

Holiday travels 2

Back to Cali: the horses! And enormous ... tracts of land ...


It degenerated quickly, with Olivier ending the night with a traditional Greek dance around a cigarette.
The lovely beach near the house.
My last day, soaking up a few rays on the dock before catching the boat back to Buenaventura. The local population is 99% black along the Pacific coast where we were, and, coincidentally, is one of the poorest parts of Colombia despite having a major port. Up until recently though it's been pretty dangerous to travel through this part of Colombia. It barely registers in the 2006 Lonely Planet.

On to Puerres, Nariño, one of the communities we've been studying. We know half the village by now and they insisted on dressing us up and putting us in their parade to celebrate the festival de blancos y negros. Very peasant-like, no?

Even the pesticide guy gets a place in the parade. Did I mention that Puerres is a peasant village?

This is so Colombia. Military dudes everywhere, just chillin'.
This is just bizarre. Can anyone tell me why this would be on sale in Southern Colombia? A friend actually bought one of these to protect his head from egg attacks. Photos of this later.

Cute!
The famous hamsters. Well, guinea pigs actually, but hamster is easier to spell. Mmmmm ...

Holiday travels

During my Christmas visit to Cali. reminds me a bit of San Francisco.

Olivier and I with Darrio's daughter and a friend of hers on Christmas Day. There's a big horse parade through Cali all afternoon, but it's really just an excuse to drink. December 26 was awful.
The excellent Colombian security technology that is just about ready to export around the world.Tropical paradise. A view during the boatride to amazing beaches.
The view off the front lawn where we were staying.

More beach shots, with shots of paint, foam, and flour wars during carnival on the way soon.

I love this guy

Check this out. On CNN's front page tonight: Pat Robertson: God told me of 'mass killing' in 2007.

Choice quotes:

Evangelical broadcaster Pat Robertson said Tuesday that God has told him that a terrorist attack on the United States would cause a "mass killing" late in 2007.

"I'm not necessarily saying it's going to be nuclear," he said during his news-and-talk television show "The 700 Club" on the Christian Broadcasting Network.

"The Lord didn't say nuclear. But I do believe it will be something like that."

Robertson said God told him about the impending tragedy during a recent prayer retreat.

God also said, he claims, that major cities and possibly millions of people will be affected by the attack, which should take place sometime after September.

And then CNN goes on to list other predictions and say whether they came true or not, such as on the Bush re-election, Social Security reform [of course, if god really gave a shit about SS, he'd lightning-bolt all Republican congresspeople, not whisper in P.R.'s ear.], and conservative federal judge nominations.

It's like they actually kind of take him seriously.

In May, Robertson said God told him that storms and possibly a tsunami were to crash into America's coastline in 2006.

Even though the U.S. was not hit with a tsunami, Robertson on Tuesday cited last spring's heavy rains and flooding in New England as partly fulfilling the prediction.

Thank you for that, CNN.

A trip down memory lane

Me at 18 years old, courtesy of Sabrina, the pictured prom date and still good friend despite my cheesy smile (it was the informal shot, don't worry) and stupid hair. One commentor has mentioned Brandon Walsh as a possible inspiration.