Classes for Lani

“Growth means change and change involves risk, stepping from the known to the unknown.”

-George Shinn

When one moves to a new place, there are many things to learn and discover. I am a big fan of this initial time in places because I love meeting people and I love learning how they live.

The people of Libertad have opened their homes and hearts to me in a way that makes me incredibly grateful. Libertad is a town in the area of San Onofre, in the state of Sucre, in the country of Colombia. It is an AfroColombian community that has historically proven itself resistant and resilient in front of the violence that has affected the country. When most people come to Libertad they leave saying that it is a place filled with happy people. This is where I will be living for the next two years.

All the signs point to me not belonging here: I am white, I am a foreigner, I come from the suburbs, I don’t know how to drive a motorcycle, I’m better with a Frisbee than a soccer ball, I don’t dance, I cook with gas…

But the people here have embraced me. And every day I am learning something new.

Class 1: Stoop Sitting

I am a fairly active person so this first lesson has been a struggle for me, but I am improving (at first I could only last about ten minutes, but on Christmas I stoop sat for almost five hours!). Libertad is fairly small (I’ve heard estimates between 6,000 to 8,000 people) and due to the closure of the shrimp farm there is not a lot of work available. Plus we are in fiestas right now. A big part of the day is spent on the stoop. Luckily for me, the house that I am living in currently is on the corner of an intersection and there are a lot of passersby. We sit, some in rocking chairs, some in plastic chairs, and talk with people who come by; some stay and chat before continuing on their way, and others come specifically to stoop sit with us. Another aspect of stoop sitting is observing what is going on in town. One can observe quite a lot from the stoop. It’s a good way for me to learn about the town both through watching and listening.

Class 2: Bracelet Making

On one of my first days in Libertad, a neighbor showed me his stash of homemade bracelets that he sells in Cartagena and Barranquilla in order to earn some money. I asked him to teach me his trade, so one afternoon I escaped the stoop and went over to his house (the same place where the señora made me chicharrones on Christmas). He showed me how he weaves string to make his art and I successfully made this bracelet:

Of course, the jewelry he makes is much more intricate and beautiful, but I had to start somewhere, right?

Class 3: Frying Plantains

I am a little disappointed in my fruit selection in this town. While the coast is known for fruits and fruit juices, it is difficult and expensive to get those fruits here. The fruit we do have plenty of access to is the plantain. And boy do we eat plantain!

Fried.

Always.

So, I had my host mother teach me how to cook tajadas. This is the easiest of all types of fried plantain because you just cut up the plantain, put it in hot oil, and take it out. I’m hoping she gets a little more faith in me and teaches me something a little more difficult next time. A new challenge for me is cooking over an open flame. It really gives a new meaning to putting the stove on high or low.

Class 4: Champeta

Most people know that I am not much of a dancer. I enjoy a good meringue or a salsa, but even that mostly depends on how well my partner leads me.

Dance is a major part of the culture here. In the first week of my stay in Libertad, I was taking out to the cantina to dance twice, and to two picos (the word for big stereo systems set up to dance and enjoy music at full volume). Mostly the music that they play is champeta.

There are a lot of mixed feelings about champeta. It tends to have very sensual lyrics and dance moves. People in Libertad embrace champeta as part of their culture and identity. I endorse that idea and I am happy to learn about it. However, when it comes to dancing it, there are few moves that I will actually do. The men here are realizing that and respect it. After refusing a dance with one partner, the same song came on again and he said, “Ah, this is the song with the move you will only do with your boyfriend.” Exactly right my friend.

The most popular song right now is “Dame tu mano” (“Give me your hand”). It is pretty much on repeat on every corner. Since it’s played so often, I have learned the words. During the learning process I was verifying a word with my eight year old host sister. I couldn’t understand what she was saying and I was completely entertained when I figured out that she was shouting “SEXO” at me while we were sitting on the stoop. (I've recently learned that he is not even saying "sexo" but "esto."  Easy mistake.)


I’m still lacking in many areas of survival here and I have been promised motorcycle driving lessons, fishing lessons, and woodworking lessons, among others. I have lots to learn!