- People
ask me why I don't have a second last name. In Latin cultures (including Spain)
having a second last name is very normal, as you will get the first last name
of your dad and then the first last name of your mom. This was sadly only the
males last names are given further.
the packed bus experience |
- In public
toilets there is not always toilet paper inside of the cabin but outside where
you wash your hands (the first times I didn't figure so I had to go out and get
some haha)
- In the
bus people let the seat "cool down" from the last person who sat
down. (I actually never understood why people don't sit down properly but leave
around 20cm between their butt and the seat for around 10 seconds until they
sit down.)
real or not?? |
- Traffic
in Bogotá can be insane and therefore when the bus is very packed around night
rush hour, people voluntarily take your backpack, bags or anything bigger you
carry for making every bodies life easier (less bags in their faces, better way
for you to hold on to something).
people waiting for "alimentadores" which are supplementary busses to neibourhoods further from the transmilenio station - when I gt back from work around 6/7 pm it is super packed |
- Speaking
of traffic, if you every go by car, bus, scooter, motociclye or anything
comparable within Bogotá or Colombia, I can tell you hold tight onto something.
Going around by public transport is especially intense at times, as traffic
here does not know many rules. Most of the times it works underneath the
principle of the stronger (bigger) the car, the faster you’ll get somewhere.
Honestly I always thought that there were no consequences to their rather “fightful”
driving style but now once in a while I saw some minor car crashes of cars kind
of “kissing” each other.
- After
living and working here for three months I also figured that communication is
especially different from the German directness I grew up with. For example in
emails or texts in Colombia you first ask how the person is doing, how their
day was or how their family is doing … (you get the point). Then AFTER the
person answered (when sending texts) you *finally* get to the question you
wanted to ask in the first place. A real patience exercise for myself.
- Lesson
for self: don’t be too direct here
- In the
office I sometimes encountered that if I have a “Bitch resting face” (super
relaxed face) people mistake it a lot for being sad or angry as everybody in
Colombia just eat happiness for breakfast every morning *grumpy German
speaking*. No honestly people here make a lot out of their lives and almost
never have a negative attitude, even though life here in Colombia can be truly
tough.
- Everyone
here is professional when it comes to what fruit to eat depending on your
stomachs mood. This has saved my life multiple times. I can tell you eating one
WHOLE Pitaya (also known as dragon fruit, but the yellow and more yummy
version) is NOT a good idea :D In general try to ask locals about the “effect”
of different fruits as you’ll think you have an infection or bad reaction on
something you ate even though it is “normal”.
Muchos Besos,
Leonie
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