Cursing While Smiling

Being in Bogota and not yet being fluent in Spanish lends itself to moments of confusion. Questions are raised but answers can only be guessed at. Why have i taken 9 weeks to buy a vacuum cleaner? Exactly how does the intercom work? Why is milk sold in plastic bags? Why can't Colombian children walk in single file? Why is there an 8ft cow handing out flyers for the dentist? And why did i strip down to my pants at the side of the auto pista this afternoon?

Actually, i can answer that last one.

Rainy season is upon us, and to continue my cycling commute & combat the afternoon downpours, i carry an old t-shirt & shorts to wear while cycling home. As the grey clouds gather at hometime, my take on 'smart attire' is folded into a waterproof bag and i pedal into the rain. I enjoy the feeling of embracing the weather while everyone is hiding from it. Resting perilously on puddles, safe in the knowledge i'll be taking a hot shower within 20mins. Today was different. The clouds came, waiting and threatening. But no rain. I set off to buy a vacuum cleaner. Upon completion of that modest mission, the rains had came. I managed 5 blocks before retiring under the awning of Davivienda Bank. There, after what seemed like an hour of watching pedestrians disappear, traffic slow up and the road turn to a river, i stripped down and into the old t-shirt & shorts, and cycled. Juggling an Electrolux box & my bag, finding potholes buried in small lakes, and cursing while smiling all the way home.

Foreigners do the funniest things.

It's nearly the half-term holidays. I blame tired minds for all the confusion. T-minus 2 days till the Caribbean coast, backpacking and slacking. Such is my commitment to throwing out a timetable and going with the flow, i'll depart with my own hammock and without reservations.

While i break my hammock in and practice my exit maneuver, here are some other things that blow my mind and raise an eyebrow or question mark...

How does my intermittent wi-fi find me?

Just where is Juan Valdez and his trusty mule?

Who decided AM is for talking and FM is for rocking?

Skype.

Just where is the record player i ordered from Amazon 4 weeks ago?

Bermuda - which came first, the shorts or the triangle?

Good night/morning,

- Glenn x