The parade that opened the Ibero-American Theatre festival was colourful and cheerful. Hundreds of clowns and other fanciful and fantastic characters joking, hopping, twirling and dancing by, but the funniest dance of all, was the tango of the police and the bystanders.
There was just no way to make people go back and make room for the parade. Every step backwards made by the first row, was seen as an opportunity by the second row to get closer to the spectacle. Squashed between the eager second row and the cops, a police baton gently pressed against my belly, cheek to cheek with the tender aged, desperate looking young guard, I wasn’t sure if my situation was funny, scary, annoying or cosy.
That was yesterday, our day of diversion and excursions in the city, after a week of tough learning through practical and theoretical workshops. We learned about the different sub-teams of the project, state structure of Colombia, gender and diversity issues and made a trip to the market to be senibilized about the purchasing power of a single mum, minimum wage household with three children.
Living in the house of the Peace Brigade International Bogotá team teaches us a lot about PBI life: clients coming by, tight coordination with the sub-teams in the field, ongoing meetings during lunch breaks, stomach problems and friendships for life, people leaving and new people arriving, cravings for home foods and homelands, and the sweet taste of local foods and local parties.
About local parties. Yesterday night’s outing was playing ‘Tejo’, a lovely Colombian experience. We had to cross the Santa Fé barrio, a place where you don’t want to be by yourself after 8 pm, and even during the day you best avoid it. Me and Jenny were told of earlier that day by a taxi driver for being there (in general he was right, but at that time it was still light, and full of people coming to the parade).
Inside the Tejo hall however it was a different world. The atmosphere was something in between that of a small town cantina and a sheep stable. Beer came in crates and the beer opener was a piece of wood with a screw in it. It was populated by working class Colombians playing this (literally) earthy and farcical game.The comical part is that your main purpose is to cause a small explosion in a box of mud, throwing a leaden disc from a 10 mtrs. distance. Well, the comical part is basically the whole game.
Today is lazy Sunday. The others are all recovering from yesteday’s party. I wisely kept it quiet and went for a drink in a very cosy bar called Hibrido, and came home early. I had a little flu on Friday and didn’t want to push my luck. Tonight we go to La Calera to have diner. La Calera is a higher part of town with a beautiful view on the city lights. Looking forward to that and hoping to make some nice pictures to share. For now I hope you enjoy the Tejo and parade pictures that will be up soon.
