This trip to Colombia was really like a once-in-a-lifetime trip. I was quite nervous about travelling and being there because of all the unknowns and the reputation Colombia has in the world. However, after spending a month there, I developed a great appreciation not only for the culture but for the people we interacted with. There have been many learning experiences, takeaways and highlights from this trip, but here are a few of the most significant.
I was blown away by the resilience of the students and their willingness to participate. We met students from Contempo Pacifico based in Buenaventura and Universidad del Valle who come from various backgrounds involving violence, crime, resistance and dangerous environments and yet, they were always giving their full energy to the tasks laid out before them. There was an enthusiastic eagerness to learn new things and a willingness to participate in all activities even if there was uncertainty around it. With the language barrier there was certainly moments of confusion, however, these students seemed to just go along with it and try everything. This inspired me to then always try my best in the workshops and to give everything a go even if I am unsure about anything. We quickly formed close relationships with a lot of these students and really enjoyed connecting with people from the other side of the Pacific. It was eye-opening and humbling to hear about their experiences and connection to the Moana (ocean) and then share what mine was and see the differences and many similarities.
Another highlight and takeaway was witnessing and experiencing how embedded dance and in particular, Salsa is imbedded into the Calieńo and Colombian culture. We experienced salsa in a class setting at Uni del Valle, in a salsa bar, at a popular cabaret, and on the streets. Everyone seemingly lived and breathed salsa and were not shy to ask someone to dance or just start dancing. This was such an exciting experience because dance is embedded within my everyday life too and I would love for it to be part of the culture in Aotearoa too. We learnt a lot about the specific techniques of salsa in Cali but also learnt that dancing salsa should be fun and no pressure. Dancing with a stranger in a partner hold was also quite strange for me but made me think about why it felt a bit strange and had me thinking about what would make it feel less strange. Another thing that I found to be such a life-changing experience was the community dance gatherings that happened every Thursday in a Park. The Indigenous community and other Calieńos gather for a few hours to do their Indigenous dances!! It was such a great experience and had me thinking about whether this could be possible in Aotearoa. For it to happen every Thursday just reinforced how big and important dance is in their lives.
Learning espańol along the way and attempting to communicate with people in Colombia was one of the greatest learning experiences. While I did have Duolingo on my phone and could use Google Translate, I loved being able to learn espańol as I went with the help of Carlos and Victor. I wanted to be able to speak to people in their language rather than having them accommodate me. It was very challenging and I messed up so much but I became so proud of how many words and phrases I could use in order to communicate.
Overall it was a beautiful experience with everyone on the trip and I cannot sing the praises of Colombia enough. Thank you for the opportunity!