Newbies!!!

This past week marked another milestone for me in my Peace Corps service.  I had the pleasure of traveling to Barranquilla to meet and greet the 30 new Peace Corps Volunteers who will be beginning their training and then two years of service.  This years group came a little bit early, but you know what that means?!?  It means I've almost been here a year already and am officially the one who (kinda) knows what the hell is going on!  Cool trick, huh?

After a lifetime of preparation for the Peace Corps, I remember how it felt as the plane landed here in Colombia: the mixture of excitement, anxiousness and nervousness.  Even more nerve-racking: there wasn't a full group of volunteers yet in the country to show us the ropes and help us out!  (Although we had some amazing response volunteers who helped us when they could!)

Not many of the Volunteers from Cartagena and Santa Marta were able to make it to Barranquilla to meet the Newbies.  I felt drawn towards doing so.  I was feeling nostalgic about my own arrival here in Colombia and just wanted to be a friendly, reassuring face to those getting off the plane: whether they were super excited, or scared out of their pants!  Plus Jonathan lives in Barranquilla, so any trip to Barranquilla has an extra incentive ;)

The few extra hours we waited at the airport after several delays gave us plenty of time to take some pictures and have a really fantastic, silly time together.  I would gladly have waited several more hours with this fantastic group of fellow volunteers and Peace Corps Colombia staff!

We also had plenty of time to practice a few amazing parodies that the Barranquilla volunteers wrote for the new Volunteers.  One of the songs was written to the tune of 'Call Me Maybe' by I have no idea who. Carlie something, right?  Most of the current volunteers here in Colombia were at a distinct disadvantage having gleaned from our ever decreasing ties to US pop culture that this was a popular song but not really knowing the tune!  I had only ever heard the song once (when I was back home last June).  But despite this, it was very well received!  Check out the youtube video here:  Call Me Maybe Parody by Peace Corps Colombia

And the clever lyrics.  I'll highlight my favorites for you!

We sent our apps with a wish

and said goodbye with a kiss

we were looking for this

yeah now we're here to stay

Turns out it's hotter than hell

we're here til we ring that bell

Yeah now you're here to stay

Bridge:
Many young minds we're moldin'

some ac and we'd be golden

wish that tasty wind was blowin

Think that class is canceled, maybe?

Chorus:
Hey we just met you

And this is crazy

Welcome to Peace Corps

PC Trainee
It's hard to leave home

Some call it crazy

But here's our numbers

Call us maybe?!

Most people walk at a crawl

Buses aren't built for the tall

But we're still having a ball

Just gotta find your own way

From the sun your face peels

We're all gringos and that's real

24/7 you feel

Everyone stares your way

Bridge, Chorus

And all the men will

give piroooopos

Don't give your number

But call us Maybe

Welcome to the coast we're sweating so bad

We're sweating so bad

we're sweating so so bad

Chorus

Welcome to the coast

Cause we're so glad

You finally made it

We'll call you Trainee!! 

So, the new volunteers arrived on Wednesday and we were told in no uncertain terms that we were NOT allowed to take them out that night.  So we waited until Friday :) Every Friday in Barranquilla there is a fun football game organized by some of the volunteers at Shakira's school: Pies Descalzos.  Most of the new volunteers were able to make it to either play or watch!

By the time everyone got cleaned up after the game, we were ready to go out around 11pm.  Which is a pretty perfect time to start the evening on the coast!  However, due to tiredness and not wanting to rock the boat on the third day in country, we only had three of the new volunteers willing to go out with us!  We thought for their first outing we would take them to the most famous Salsa club in Barranquilla: La Troja.

La Troja

Normally I'm not a big fan of La Troja, it's just so crowded and loud...but this night was one of the most fun I've had in Colombia!  We had a really great mix of Colombians and Americans...and just enough aguardiente ;)  I'll leave you with some of the evidence of our fun in hopes it will entice you all to come down to Colombia and join in!

That really is how much you sweat here...just gotta embrace it!

In case you can't salsa, just teach the Colombians obnoxious American dance moves!  

Showin' em how its done!  Apparently I'm the only one taking this seriously!!

Miss you all so much.  Can't believe it's almost been a year.  Hope some of you can make it down here for a quick vacation <3  Love you and keep in touch!