Category: Stories to tell

A bounty of treats

A Scary Colombian Halloween

October 31, 2012

Today is Halloween, which is celebrated here in Colombia.

When mi novio and I went to buy lollies there were lots of little kids fully decked out in costumes looking cute, but my experience at giving out the lollies was far scarier than 3 year olds in bee costumes.

I was excited when the first kids came our front gate and so went out into the street to give them some lollies. Suddenly I was swamped by a group of about 20 kids, mostly obnoxious boys not wearing any costume or mask. They all put their hands out at me and shouted at me to give them lollies. I was overwhelmed, and told them there was enough for everyone but they had to wait their turn.

This seemed to rile them and they pushed and shoved and bullied and shouted and grabbed. I had my camera in one hand because I wanted to take a photo of the costumed kids but as the situation got more and more out of control, I called to mi novio and handed him the camera over the fence. As I did this, one kid started tickling my decidedly sweaty armpit to make me drop something and others tried to snatch the bag of lollies.

Feeling beaten, I retreated back behind the fence and started castigating the kids about being so disgustingly rude and disrespectful. It seems my Spanish is up to the task as they words flowed from me. Still they yelled and bullied with their hands between the rails and I had to give them lollies to go away.

Trick or treaters in the street
Cute little trick or treaters!

That was not how I imagined my Halloween experience. I had envisioned small groups of children who I could brainwash with environmental messages “Don’t throw the wrapper on the ground, put it in the bin”, but instead it got out of hand beyond all control and I was beaten by a group of kids.

Rubbing salt into my wounds, the kids then went to the house across the street (which is less than 2m from our gate) and they lined up like angels to get a lolly. It seems I have a lot to learn about kids and just have to thank my lucky stars that mi novio‘s son respects me and what I say.

Anyways, my evening was made a little better when the neighbour’s tiny kids came to trick or treat. They were so cute and now I want a little smurf!

Making a long distance relationship work

June 5, 2012

Every relationship is different because every person is different in their hopes and dreams and in their personalities.

Whilst I’m not sure what a definition of a successful long distance relationship is (is it when you stop being long distance and have a relationship in person?) I thought I’d share some of the things that have worked for mi novio and I.

1. Commitment
We are both committed to having a relationship. We want to be with each other with the exclusion of all others.

2. An end date
Sunday 10 June, 2012. We are working towards the day when we’ll be together again and for always. The day after which there is no more long distance and we are both living in the same place. Without a definite date, or month, I think I would go crazy. It’s like anything unpleasant, it makes it easier to get there when you have a finish time, such as when that time on the exercise bike just got really hard, but you only have 3 minutes to go, so you dig deep into your energy reserves and do it.

3. Plans for the future
We have so many plans together involving travel, setting up a home, starting a business and having a family. When the going gets rough for a time, we can always seek refuge in these plans to get us through the time we are spending apart.

4. Honesty
All relationships require honesty, but a long distance relationship lives and dies on honesty. It is so easy to misconstrue something when you are not there in the situation. And it’s best not to hide things, even those things that can be taken the wrong way or cause pangs of jealousy. Being open helps mi novio to remember that I trust him and that he can trust me because I’m telling him everything I’m doing.

5. Remember it’s hard for them too
Sometimes I forget that mi novio is going through the same things as me. I wonder what he’s up to, who he’s spending time with and what little things are going on in his life beyond the computer screen. It’s actually worse for him because he has never been here in Australia so it is much more difficult for him to imagine what I’m doing on a day-to-day basis, whereas I can picture him going to work and spending time with his family.

6. Good communication
Long distance relationships are built on the memory of chemistry and clad with good communication. Even if mi novio’s day is the same everyday, I want to hear about it. I want to know all about what he’s doing because I’m not there to do it with him. A long distance relationship really gives you the ability to polish your communication skills and improve your story-telling abilities, your story is far more elaborate than I woke up, went to work and came home.

7. Make an effort
Relationships aren’t a one-way street. Both partners should make the effort to contact each other as they both have the responsibility to look after the relationship. It is much more convenient and cost-effective for us if I’m the one to call mi novio, but he will still email or send text messages so not one person is left driving the communication in the relationship. When I’ve felt as though I’ve been the one in control of the relationship contact and it starts to frustrate me, I ask him to send me a love note via email and this makes my concerns melt away.

8. Don’t be afraid to argue
It’s not all “I love you, I miss you” lovey dovey chat. All relationships have tension at times, and it’s easy to dismiss these feelings because of the distance and think you have to be nice to your partner. One time I had this funny desire to pick a fight with mi novio. I had no good reason for arguing, but I was feeling so numb with all the I miss yous that I just wanted to feel something different, something more passionate. And then it happened. I got grumpy, behaved childishly and then we talked about it. A lot. As we continued to talk through the issue I felt myself relax completely and feel a wave of love wash over me. Now I know why I picked the fight. I wanted that glorious feeling. However if you’re going to fight, you have to make up, and it’s best done straight away. Relationships seem to sour quicker over distance if a conversation is left on a bad note.

Mi novio is going to be here with me very soon, although the days seem to be ticking by slowly. As I think about our long distance relationship changing into an in-person relationship, I also think about those that are still in the land of long distance or who are just embarking on a relationship in different places. I wish for them strength, persistence and faith in love.

What else do you think makes a long distance relationship work?

He’s coming!

May 8, 2012

I can’t remember being this excited for a long time.

Not since I got into my university course of preference, or maybe it was getting the job with the huge promotion, or maybe when I got a Sportsgirl t-shirt for Christmas when I was 12. Today is right up there with them!

I woke up at 5:55am and lay there, thinking about my stressful day ahead. Finally I decided I would get up and get to it early, but not until after I’d checked my Facebook account. It was then I got a Skype call from mi novio. Still in a sleepy headspace it took me a few moments to understand what he was saying.

“Amor, tengo una visa para ir a Australia.”

Suddenly, all the talk about him visiting me in Australia was a reality. The major hurdle of getting a tourist visa was overcome! Now we are sprinting towards the finish line, full of adrenaline and excitement until we get to that day, in one month’s time, when we have an ‘airport moment’.

All the stress, worry and tension about the visa situation has evaporated. I’m so happy! I get to show mi novio my part of the world and he gets to meet my family and friends before I take off to the other side of the world, to a whole other life, to be with him.

When I finished the call, all I could think about was Paulo Coelho’s quote from The Alchemist.

“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

My heart beats with love and happiness.

A long distance love affair

May 6, 2012

I last saw mi novio in person five months ago.

I jumped on a plane leaving my heart in his hands in Colombia. I didn’t have an exact date as to when I would next see the love of my life, but every confidence that it would happen and we would overcome any challenges that distance imposes on a new relationship. We had made plans to be together, and I knew returning to Australia was just a short-term pain for a long-term gain.

I had spent the last couple of weeks we had together in an emotional frenzy. All at once I was glad to be with him and yet missing him already for the time we would spend apart. I feel like I cried more times in those weeks than I had in my entire life. (And still he wanted to be with me!) Our last day together was strange and stressful as the cable guys arrived to install internet access to his house so we could Skype each other, a blessing that cannot be underestimated in a long distance relationship of any sort.

I look back on the past five months with the satisfaction of knowing there is only one more month to go until we are together again in person. It has been like the five-day trek to Ciudad Perdida where we met, only elongated. There have been tough climbs to reach the top, exhausted with the effort, but happy that once reached, the terrain would change again to be easier. You marvel at the magnificent scenery and pause to take in the incredible views. Then unexpectedly, the difficult and treacherous passages would appear again and require delicate maneuvering to pass the obstacles. Heavy rains would come and make the path even more treacherous, making it slippery and muddy so you had to step with care so as not to go sliding down the mountain. But the jewel, the reason for the hike is reached, and it is beautiful and rewarding and a very happy moment. I’m looking forward to that jewel moment in just one more month. I’m nearly there!

I commented to a work colleague that one of the unsettling things about being in a long distance relationship is that you don’t know how you are going to feel about the situation at any given time. One morning I could waltz into work, happy for having spoken to mi novio and feeling comfortable in our situation and then by lunchtime I could be feeling an ache in my heart because he’s not physically present and I can’t go home to a normal life, just to a Skype screen. There is no rhyme or reason for this see-sawing. There’s nothing he’s doing or saying that causes me grief or irritation, it’s just a giant Wheel of Fortune spinner whirring away bringing the good and bad feelings at random.

In a moment of clear headspace I had an insightful conversation with myself. It went something like this.

Inner Voice: So Camille, where do you really want to be?

“In Colombia with mi novio.”

IV: Then why aren’t you there now?

“Because I didn’t have the money to go back straight away after my commitments back here.”

IV: But you’ve already met those commitments, so what are you still doing here?

“It’s really important for me that mi novio comes here to meet my family and friends and find out where I’m from before I move to Colombia indefinitely.”

IV: So?

“Money is a factor, you know how much the airfares are. And I need to have money to buy things for my new home in Colombia.”

IV: When has money ever really stopped you before?

“Yes but it also takes time for mi novio to get a tourist visa, so I’m working in a temporary job and dealing with the time apart from him so I can have it all.”

IV: Okay then, appreciate the journey because you will get there. Stop feeling hard done by, because this is your choice.

My inner voice is right of course. I need to enjoy the journey, enjoy the time I get to spend with just me before it is the two of us and appreciate that distance is making our relationship stronger.

Are you in, or have been in, a long distance relationship? How are you coping or did you cope with the distance?

Getting in a routine

August 31, 2011

So here I am, back in Bogotá studying Spanish at International House.

After I arrived in Colombia I discovered a couple of things about my ability to communicate in Spanish:

  1. I´m not really very good at speaking Spanish, but at least I can get my message across, mas o menos.
  2. I cannot for the life of me understand Colombians. They are supposed to have one of the clearest accents, but instead I find myself staring at them as though they´d just said something to me in Russian.
  3. I don´t like not being able to participate in a conversation.
  4. I HAVE to get better.

I do love speaking in Spanish. I love the novelty of being an Australian who can speak another language. I love being in Latin America.

Now that I´m in Bogotá for a couple of weeks, I´m taking this opportunity to get into a little routine, something I craved by the end of my roadtrip.

So I go to my classes in the morning, then at 1pm I go to a restaurant called Mele that has quickly become my favourite for the daily special and then either go to the after school activities or come back to the hostel to do my homework and study a little more on my own. I´m trying to avoid speaking English wherever possible, because that doesn´t help my fluency in Spanish.

I like that I´m the only foreigner at the restaurant amongst a sea of Colombian students and business people. I also like that today three of the staff of the restaurant recognised me and had a little chat with me. I want to be a regular!!

I’m just a girl

June 8, 2011

Today’s blonde moment occurred early in the day.

While checking under Esmeralda’s bonnet at her coolant levels, I noticed another reservoir looking rather empty. I tried to unscrew the lid to get a better look, but it wouldn’t budge. I tried shining the flashlight app on my phone at it to better detect the levels. I tried wiggling it to hear a liquid slosh. My diagnosis was that it was empty.

Consulting the Volvo handbook I learned that this was the brake fluid reservoir, and I started to feel slightly anxious and sick in the stomach that Esmeralda and I were going to be stranded in the mountainous Colorado. I didn’t actually think anything more negative like “oh my gosh, Esmeralda’s brakes are going to fail and we’re going to go over a railing and into a deep valley, never to be seen again” because I’m not a pessimist.

So I drove to JiffyLube to get them to check it only to be told “we don’t do brakes”. I asked for a suggestion of where I should go and they suggested three tyre places. So I drove to Big O and asked if they could check it only to be told “we don’t do engine fluids”. Thankfully, my femaleness and accent was enough for them to say they would at least check to see if I did need brake fluid.

I pulled into the bay and the mechanic came over, unscrewed the cap and lo and behold, there was a full reservoir of a pinkish fluid. I felt like such a ditz. He didn’t even need to put any elbow grease in to get the cap to come off, the only logical explanation was that I must have loosened it for him.

Esmeralda’s brake fluid levels are just fine, it’s just my pride that’s a little depleted.

Absinthe

May 12, 2011

After watching Moulin Rouge recently, it was most apt to go see Absinthe while in Las Vegas.

Showing at Caesar’s Palace, the best way to describe it is naughty vaudeville with circus performers. Others have said a more R rated Cirque du Soleil, but since I’ve never seen Cirque du Soleil, I can’t be sure.

While you wait to go in the Spiegeltent, there is a whole host of activities to play. Sack tossing, a type of bocce crossed with air hockey, a bar and other installations made up the garden area. It was fun.

Inside, the setting was intimate with uncomfortable wooden chairs packed in a tight circle and up close to the stage in the centre of the tent. I could see the sparkly shoes of a performer right up in the middle of the tent roof so I was waiting for the moment when she was to descend to start the show.

I loved the show for its comedy, the insane acrobatics and the general naughtiness. It was lots of fun. I have to say that my favourite acts were the rollerskating duo who skated on a 2.5m diameter stage with him flinging her in the air as he sped in circles, the parody of a Cirque du Soleil act which took a lot of inspiration from Borat, the guys who threw one of their crew in the air and caught him in a standing position after a gold medal diving performance, and the sock puppet show.

I hadn’t been planning on seeing a show, but I’m so glad someone suggested we go and that we picked this show.

Hitting the strip

May 11, 2011

I thought seriously about what shoes I was going to wear out tonight.

I was weighing up the pros and cons of my only pair of heels (red patent leather) and a pair of coral flats. Eventually the heels won out as I’d figured we’d be sitting in a magic show and then walk to the nightclub for a night of dancing. They could hold up for that kind of activity.

However, the free magic show tickets we thought we were getting were all gone, so Dustin from Hostel Cat took us on a tour of the Strip instead. If you’ve been to Vegas before, you’ll know that the Strip is not as small as the word implies. Roaming the Strip to check out the casinos and the free shows requires stamina, and a pair of comfortable shoes. I’m not suggesting that you’d want to run up and down in your sneakers, that wouldn’t fit the picture, but a nice pair of flats will keep you on the go more than a pair of sexy heels.

We saw the Mirage volcano erupt in fire and fireworks, we saw the Treasure Island sirens enchant the sailors, we saw the Bellagio lake burst into dancing fountains and watched gondoliers sing to passengers at the Venetian. In amongst these highlights were food stops, chats with impersonators, drink stops, finding ways into others’ photos and a zillion photo stops, but all the while moving quickly up and down the Strip having a great time with new friends from the hostel.

At one stop for a photo in front of the waterfall in the Palazzo or whichever hotel/casino has the ceiling painted to look like daytime (they all kind of ran together into one) Stunt Joel grabbed a fistful of coins that had been thrown in by people making wishes and while I was posing for a photo he threw the wet coins down the back of my top. I think this was because he blamed me for splashing him with water in a wet-tshirt-competition type of way. So my top got wet and suddenly all these people’s wishes had been relocated to me. I was careful to make sure I threw them all back in the water with a sorry, but it wasn’t until I got back to the hostel and went to the toilet that I found a penny had hitchhiked a ride in my undies. All those penny sayings like “find a penny pick it up, all day long have good luck” and “then the penny dropped” and then most crucially “spend a penny” all just kind of came true in that moment.

So when in Vegas, do make sure you roam the Strip. Preferably with a bunch of people in the mood for hijinks (and a pair of flat shoes).

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Inspiration for life

May 4, 2011

I’m a bit of a fan of inspirational quotes, and I love sticking them up around me.

My friends know this so I have a wall of cards with great quotes and little inspirational boards in front of my desk.

Poking around the Arclight gift shop, I found myself drawn in by the quotable cards and magnets (as per usual) and had to buy myself a card that really spoke to me right now. It said:

find life experiences
and swallow them
whole. travel.
meet many people.
go down some
dead ends and
explore dark alleys.
try everything.
exhaust yourself
in the glorious
pursuit of life.

lawrence k. fish

This  quotable card really resonates with me right now because I’ve decided to move on from Los Angeles and get travelling. After three months I’ve found that this isn’t where I’m supposed to be right now. The road has been calling me, and I think that’s where my wellspring of creativity lies.

Birthday mail & celebrations already

May 1, 2011
Birthday cards
Early well wishing birthday cards

I was so excited to find birthday mail even though it’s still a week away.

Given that not many people back home actually have my address, it was so lovely to receive a card from my aunt. That at least balanced out the two birthday postcards I have received from companies I’m a customer of being New Look Skin Center and Farmers Insurance Group. At least the New Look Skin Center included a $10 discount voucher.

I was also extremely surprised when J and I went around to Ricardo, Astra and Jolena’s place for dinner and all of a sudden Jolena turned all the lights out and then Astra came out of the kitchen with a cake and candles. The fact that the fan blew the candles out before it made it to the table and there was a short break in the proceedings as the fan was turned off and they were relit didn’t take anything away from that magical moment.

I can’t remember the last time I sat in a darkened room with just the candles on the cake in front of me for light and having soft lit shining faces sing happy birthday to me. That was really special and I was so touched by the gesture from these lovely new friends of mine in LA. That and the chocolate caked baked especially for me by Jolena was the perfect birthday gift to a person who continually escapes her birthday celebrations.