Movie Friday

I had not heard much about Match Point before I saw the film. It is magnificent, one of the best films I have seen in quite some time. From the title, I assumed it had something to do with tennis. This film has almost nothing to do with tennis. I regret I did not see it sooner.

Woody Allen directed the film, but he did not star in it. Having seen some of his more recent forays into acting, it was a wise choice for him to stay under the radar. The cast of this film is superb. I have seen Scarlett Johansson in several films previous to Match Point, but never found her acting or characters particularly memorable or unique. As Nola Rice in this film, she explodes onto the screen. She is sensual, delicate, complex, and haunting, oozing sexuality in every frame of film. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is every bit her equal as a man who allows his obsessions to get the better of him. I also thought that Emily Mortimer turned in a wonderful performance as Chloe. She was adorably cute, sympathetic, and thoroughly believable. American English lacks the pleasurable tones found in British English, especially in witty dialogue. (Compare the exchanges found in Pulp Fiction to this film if you do not agree.) Match Point combines this sort of dialogue with gorgeous wonderful sets and a beautiful score of opera music that plays throughout the film.

This is definitely a film that many people have missed, do not make the same mistake! Add it to your NetFlix list today. You will not be sorry.

Have a good week all. Cuidate.

I'm back...and with Photos!

I arrived back in San Francisco Monday night with slightly scrunched legs (thanks to Delta Airlines and the nasty woman in front of me who kept her seat back for 5 plus hours for making that happen). It is always nice to come home and sleep in your own bed.

Anyhow, here are the pics from my trip if you are interested. I realize I did not take a huge amount this time, but they give you a good look at what Colombia looks like. Hope you enjoy.

www.flickr.com/photos/silentbobsf/sets

Click on Colombia.

Cuidate.

The Capital City

So Wednesday night, I left Medellin and flew to Bogota on Avianca. I only flew round trip from Bogota to Medellin on Avianca, but was impressed both times. I flew on an MD-83 both times, but the aircraft looked brand new on the interior and the cabin crew were all very professional. They do an abbreviated service as the flight is about 35 minutes, serving coffee, water, or juice boxes. It is the sort of thing Hawaiian and Aloha should consider. At the start of Ted (United's low cost carrier), we were doing lemonade and water between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. It makes the most sense to not do a service on such a short flight. Vegas to L.A. is usually about 45 minutes or less and is usually turbulent at one end or the other due to the heat of Vegas. After a month or so, they went back to making us attempt a full service which does not get done much of the time with all of the idiots wanting double rounds of drinks in the 45 minutes they are in the air. Why would you want to pay five bucks for a beer anyway? Come on now.

Bogota is at a higher altitude and is colder at night (similar to San Francisco). You do not want to be out and about without some light jacket of some kind. It is also a city built amongst mountains and it is very beautiful. It definitely has a more cosmopolitan feel to it. The Zona Rosa area is where most of the nightlife takes place and the higher end restaurants and shopping malls are. There a fairly large gay scene located in the same area as well. Whereas Medellin has a Metro train system, Bogota started a large system of high occupancy buses a few years ago. These buses have stations similar to train stations and 4 dedicated lanes in the center of large streets. The whole boarding process is slightly chaotic and you could study the chart on the wall for five minutes and still not have a real idea of which bus you are catching. I end up hopping on a bus heading in the direction I am heading and most times it works out. I have only had to backtrack once thus far (knock on wood). Your other option on getting around the city is to take a taxi. The dollar goes a long way here, so the most you end up paying for a taxi is about five dollars. Still, the driving here is enough to make the average gringo have heart failure a few times before reaching your destination. Several factors contribute to this. 1.) Most streets in Colombia have a maximum of two lanes heading in one direction. The majority are one lane. These roads accommodate the traffic flow that would take 3 to 4 lanes in the U.S. However, you are not only sharing the busy streets with cars, but large amounts of people on motorcycles, scooters, in horse drawn carts, and on foot. People drive excruciatingly close to one another here. I am a pretty easy going guy, but I am mostly terrified every time I enter a taxi here. I have seen a few accidents since I have been here, but I am very surprised there are not hundreds of accidents an hour. 2.) Red lights are at best a suggestion. If a driver does not see traffic coming, he or she barrels through the light at 40 mph. 3.) There is no official taxi standard or exam here. If you are able to purchase a car and paint it yellow, you are now a taxi driver. The traffic in Medellin is not quite as congested nor as aggressive as the drivers are here in Bogota. All in all, I am a big fan of the bus system in Bogota because I feel like the bus will be able to take out anything it hits for the most part in an accident.

I spent the first few nights in the Candelaria district which is near the historical center of the city. There are a lot of government buildings, old cathedrals, and cobblestone streets. It is a nice area, but a bit run down and there are not a lot of white people here. (Nor are there many Asians here on a side note.) Thus yours truly sticks out like a sore thumb. I never was afraid of anyone because I am a good 6 inches or more taller than most of the men here. Still people will yell out stuff at you for no obvious reason ie. "Hey Gringo!" I did have one slightly disgruntled young Colombian guy curse me out on the street for no apparent reason. The basic part I got was "(something something) son of a bitch fucking (something something something)." It is not like they cover these choice phrases in Berlitz Spanish for Travellers. Still, I feel Colombia is as safe a country as anywhere else.

Today, I relocated over to the Zona Rosa for the last couple of days before I head home. I have made a few friends here and we are going out for sushi tonight. (I have been craving some good Asian food and have yet to find some. My friends swear this place has good Asian food. We shall see.) I am headed back to San Francisco via Atlanta on Monday. I have had a great couple of weeks here and I have learned a decent amount of Spanish, thanks to my Spanish book, chatting with people, and my makeshift flashcards that I have created along the way. (Another interesting side note, who knew that index cards were an American thing? I have not been able to find any since arriving here.)

Hope everyone is having a great weekend and Bay Area folk, I will be seeing you all soon. Tomorrow is my dad's birthday, he is 72 and going strong. Happy Birthday Dad!

Cuidate.

On to Bogota In a Few

So I am halfway through my Colombian adventure. Things have not gone as originally planned, but what ever does?

So I arrived in Medellin last Saturday night and explored the town a bit. The area where my hotel was for the first couple of days was a more affluent suburb called El Poblado. Medellin is literally built into the sides of mountains and in a valley between said mountains. It is a very pretty city with a temperate cooler climate due to its altitude. Locals (nicknamed paisas) and visitors alike have crowned Medellin The City of Everlasting Spring. The people here are very friendly, amiable, and proud of their city. They are quick to tell you that Medellin is the best city in Colombia, if not South America hands down.

Sunday, I spent more time exploring the area on foot. I quickly learned that the social centers of Medellin are its shopping malls. Most malls have a grocery store of some kind, coffee shops, fast food restaurants, sit down restaurants, stores for almost everything from clothing to plumbing supplies to housewares, banking institutions, and more. If you are going to meet someone, the meeting point will be the mall. If you are giving someone directions to an address, the directions are usually from the nearest mall (or centro commercial as they are called). I met someone at a mall last week and bumped into a large aerobics class going on inside the mall. It seemed out of place, but as a community center I suppose it makes sense. El Poblado is one of the most upscale suburbs in Medellin and it is built on hills that make San Francisco's hills look small by comparison. There is a huge construction boom going on in Medellin right now and large towers of luxury style condominiums are being built wherever you look. The main streets of El Poblado are all torn up as new plumbing and water mains are being put in. There is a palpable hum to the city. After many years of being locked in a violent struggle between the government, the people, and drug lords, Colombia is shining its tarnished image and looking to emerge as an economic powerhouse in the new economies of South America. There is a very visible security presence in the streets, in the train stations, and around large buildings and centers. Military personnel, police, armed private security guards, and bomb sniffing dogs are everywhere. It is a scene that may become familiar in the United States one day if violence from other parts of the world finds its way across the pond.

Monday morning, I awoke early and headed over to the Language Center at EAFIT University. I took a placement test and rated a level 4 out of 9. I am still surprised with this result as I have never formally studied Spanish and totally bs'd my way through several parts of the placement test. Yes, I can communicate fine with people, but conjugating various verb tenses in a language of which I have zero formal knowledge is a very different story. Claudia, the language school representative, informed me that they need to have a minimum of two students per course in order to start a new section. There was no one else looking for an intensive course at my level. Greeaaat. She cheerfully informed me that they have students looking for courses all the time and likely I would be able to start my language studies later on in the week. Yeah...that did not happen. The main reason I had selected Medellin to visit was the language program at EAFIT. So this was the large wrench in my plans, so to speak. Claudia was able to hook me up with a good lead on an apartment though, so not all was for naught. I made contact later on that day with Alberto, a 45 year old architect who has a large apartment that he shares with language students from EAFIT. He is a very nice guy and he does not speak much English, so this definitely helped force me to communicate more in Spanish.

Luckily I had brought with me a couple of Spanish textbooks and their accompanying cd's. I have been studying 2 + hours a day in the hopes of this trip not being a total wash in my effort to improve my language skills. I have also been making a concerted effort to not read English media or watch English television programming if I can help it. I have made some friends here and thus far, things are going pretty well. Colombian Spanish is so clear and beautiful, it is an excellent place to learn how to speak properly.

Originally, I had expected to spend two weeks here in Medellin taking classes and then spending my last weekend in Bogota. Due to my lack of formal coursework, I will be flying to Bogota on Wednesday and spending the rest my time in Colombia there. Bogota, being the larger city, has more museums and more things to see. I am looking forward to exploring a new place and I am looking forward to returning home next Monday. It is always nice to get away and it is always even nicer to come home.

That is a little bit about what I have been up to. I am checking e-mail if you guys want to gab.

Cuidate.

This made me spit up...

I was catching up on some blog reading and came across this conversation between a blogger and his mother. I literally choked on my iced tea and lost some of it.

(Conversation with Mom, about an upcoming trip I'm taking)

Me:...and when I'm there I can say 'hi' to _______ (affluent ex-boyfriend).

Mom: I thought you weren't talking to _____ anymore.

Me: We still talk, I just didn't want to move to Massachusetts and marry him. It pissed him off.

Mom: Oh.

Me: But we're friends.

Mom: You should be "friends with benefits."

Me: MOTHER.

Mom: What? It's the new thing, I saw it on TV.

Me: "Friends with benefits" has been around for a long time, Mom.

Mom: Then you should be friends with him, and I can get the benefits when you buy me presents with his money.

(pause)

Me: Do you know what the "benefits" really are?

Mom: Yes, Danny.

Me: Just checking.

Thanks for making me cackle and wet myself Dan.

Viva Colombia!

So early Saturday morning, I took off out of the fog and headed east. After two connections, customs, passport checks, and mas, I arrived in Medellin, Colombia. The city is built into several mountains in a valley. The major airport is on the other side of the mountain, so you get into a vehicle and then start this long trek up a hill for several miles before emerging into a large sea of lights from all sides of the valley.

I have spent the last two days registering for a Spanish class and getting acclimated to the city. It definitely takes some getting used to. The area of the city where I am staying is undergoing a huge amount of construction and there are cabs, buses, motor scooters, vendors, and people everywhere. It all makes for one big exciting mess. Also similar to San Francisco, even if a street appears to be a direct shot to where you are headed on a map, it does not take into account the hill in the way.

The Colombian people are quite friendly, incredibly good looking, and speak this beautiful amazing Spanish that is close to perfection. When I am speaking with my Mexican friends, I usually understand between 50-70% of what they are saying. With Colombians, that number jumps to at least 80% if not more. The weather here is gorgeous as well. Thus far, I am having a terrific time and the dollar goes a long way here. The food is amazing too; I had a cornmeal pancake type thing this morning hot off the grill and slathered in butter from a street vendor. It was almost the best thing I have ever tasted. It must have had 1000 calories in it, but who really cares? With a cafe con leche to top it off, I was raring to go.

That is the end of my first report from Colombia. I promise a bunch of pictures and future updates soon.

Cuidate.