My Exchange at Universidad de Los Andes
I arrived in Bogotá sunburnt, jetlagged and confused. Having spent an incredibly hot and sleep depriving weekend in Santiago de Chile on my way there, my hair was a mess, my body clock even more and I had just landed in a country where I knew absolutely no one. I pulled away from the airport in the only legally licensed taxis in the country (and the ones all the tour guides and embassies tell you not to take). I prepared to pull out my very best B2 level Spanish to make my first Colombian friend when I found myself awestruck by the city that lay before me. Between Anden peaks, la sabana de Bogotá stretches from north to south. The low-rise industrial communities that dominate the western side giving way to skyscrapers that rise resolutely onwards. Beyond this centre, the eastern hills are dominated by a spectrum of houses bringing a rainbow reflection to the verdant hills upon which they sit. It was with a nervous fervour that I looked around, taking in my surroundings, driven not only by a want to see and to know, but a need. If this was to be my home, then I would have to learn to know it.
Universidad de los Andes lies at the foot of the cerro de Monserrate, the iconic hill that overlooks the capital. Like many universities, it is a space of exclusivity. A slice of privilege segmented from those who lack the tens of millions of pesos that must be handed over for tuition. It is a space demarcated by metal barriers and an army of security guards, batons on hip and chains in hand to secure the bomb sniffing Labradors and watchful rottweilers with whom they have been partnered.
Once inside, however, the University is jaw dropping. My small classes forced me to talk, to beat back the shyness of being the new kid with the weird accent and the grammatical missteps, to answer questions and engage in debates. To study in Colombia was to see the world through a different lens, to ground myself in a place that was new and to see how the knowledges that go without saying in Aotearoa change on the other side of the Pacific.
Uni semesters would move as uni semesters do. Ebbing and flowing, building to chaotic crescendo and then settling down again. In between however, in the moments of calm that presented themselves, we would create our own chaos, pouring over maps in futile endeavors to reach every corner of this country. Come weekends, particularly those accentuated by Colombia’s liberal helping of public holidays I would find myself packed into a bus with a vague idea of a town in which I was aiming to disembark and an arrival time which every passenger knew would pass long before we came in sight of our destination. In this way I made my way around the country, scaling coconut trees in Parque Tayrona, dancing myself into a tropical confusion in the basement clubs of Cali, crying with joy at the sight of sea turtle hatchlings and humpback whale calves on the Pacific coast, absorbing the heat of the sunbaked stones in myriad plazas mayores, riding horses and climbing mountains, getting lost and being found.
It is always interesting to be the new kid. Especially the new kid from the country that no one has heard of far far away at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Slowly, however, you cease to be so odd. People ask and you answer. You tell them that we aren’t so different, sharing as we do this great Pacific Ocean, that we might look different and yet we could be so easily united by something as simple as football. Football became as necessary language as Spanish in many of my interactions, providing a common thread which we could identify in the tapestries of each other’s lives. Communication and connection made my time in Colombia. The country is beautiful, but all the more so for the Colombian people who showed it to me.
It is impossible to spend time in a place like Colombia without encountering pain. It is a country in which armed conflict has coloured its recent memory and the formative years of my friends and colleagues. There is, however, a tentative hope, the long-fought peace that has been evolving since 2016 is controversial and problematic, it is complex, and it is often emotional, but it is something. It is through peace that all things become possible, and it is through Colombia’s struggle that I take solace that more of our world will one day follow. Learning about conflict and peace in Colombia is not easy, but it is valuable and informative in a way that even the best classes in New Zealand cannot be.
There is no way to condense such a year into words, to live and breathe a life so different from my own was the ultimate privilege. To be welcomed into classrooms and into families as a friend, to sing with a choir in full voice on a stage that had been graced by some of the great names of Latin American music, to lose football games (and occasionally even win), to know over time where the best empanadas were and where the tourists would be ripped off, to see beauty and pain and love and sorrow sit side by side in a humanity so different and yet so alike my own was a gift that I will take with me for the rest of my life. I will not miss Claro, my awful cellular provider; nor the endless bureaucracy and dead end systems, but I will miss the mountains and the oceans, the fluidity of the language and the rhythms to which we danced and lived. Most of all, however, I will miss my friends and all that they taught me about their country and their lives. Colombia, ya tienes mi corazón.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
Presenting an exhibition at Museo Nacional de Colombia for a class on a Peace Construction was pretty amazing. It was the culmination of a lot of work and definitely a real moment of pride for me to be able to reflect on how far I had come from the shock of arriving.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
Similarly, to come to Colombia without at least attempting to dance salsa would be a mistake. While I never managed to overcome my two left feet and gringo rhythm, watching and dancing salsa was one of the best ways that I was able to connect with my host community. In places like Cali, salsa is in the water and in the air. In Bogotá, despite the reputation that Rolos have in the rest of Colombia, the dancing will still blow you away.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
- Be adventurous but don’t be stupid. The best parts of Colombia are the small towns that you unexpectedly find yourself in, go explore and find them. This is, however, a country still suffering from armed conflict so be sensible, ask locals where they recommend and don’t show off your money or fancy things.
- Other international students are a lot more confident in themselves than Kiwis usually are. Don’t be put off if they tell you how good their Spanish is and you aren’t feeling too confident. The proof is in the pudding and you are going to be just fine.
- Talk to strangers. To classmates, taxi drivers, the people sitting next to you on the flight over. Colombians are famously hospitable and talking to anyone and everyone will help your Spanish in ways that no teacher or class ever could. Making these connections will also help you to feel at home in your new city and they will almost certainly come in handy when you need a local at some point.
How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?
The Colombian Peso is volatile so be careful about when, where and how much you transfer. Setting up a Colombian Bank account is difficult, but once you have your national ID card it is fairly straight forward. I used BBVA but ask your friends what they recommend.
In terms of budget, I was lucky to receive scholarships which covered most of my costs but I would recommend having additional money so that you can go do stupid fun stuff and not worry about being able cover rent or buy groceries.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
Reflecting on my exchange I am still blown away by the friends that I made and how well we were able to connect despite all the differences between us. We still talk regularly and I am sure we will all catch up again soon. Ultimately, wherever you are, your exchange will be made by the people you will meet along the way.
Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?
Final Comments
The university systems in Colombia and NZ are very different. The most difficult part of my exchange was trying to get all my courses recognized in NZ. Remember:
- Colombian semesters are 16 weeks, not 12. Take this into account when working out how many courses to take.
- visas are slow, try and get confirmation of enrolment from host uni asap because I only got my visa 2 days before I left.
- Don’t let the bureaucracy get you down. It is a headache, but it is all worth it.
Each person who goes from UoA to Colombia will smooth those processes out and make it easier for the next. I hope it is easier for you but also that the experience doesn’t lose any of the sparkle that makes it special.