Life from Canada to Latin America, one word at a time.
For half my life, I believed that women should not speak from a pulpit. Of course we were equal to men, but we were also different. Different in a way that meant we probably should seek other avenues for influence. We were more a reflection of God’s beauty and a little less his [God was
One of my favourite things in Colombia was feeling like I had a superpower to make people talk to me every time I walked down the street. I would say hi to every person I passed, old or young, and they would respond back, socially obligated to return the greeting. In reality, it was less
Every lunch and dinner at the conference last month included a giant bowl of iceberg lettuce. There were different dressings and toppings for the lettuce at each meal. If that had been the only vegetable option, it would have been a little sad. Instead, there were generally at least two other veggie choices and I
The Caribbean coast is my first Colombian love. Beaches, sun, costeños, tropical air, coconuts fresh from the tree. Yet if the coast is vibrant and loud, Boyaca, the department to the east of Bogotá, is soft rolling farmland and ten thousands shades of green. I am learning to love Boyaca and you should too! All
I never felt like I fit in on the coast. My very DNA lacked the rhythm flowing through everyone´s blood, be it champeta, vallenato or the Holy Spirit. When I gazed into the mirror held up by my community I saw and became a pale, quiet Canadian, a sweaty, imination version of something I was
My name is Anna and I am a cultural consumer. I collect experiences and artesania like other people fill books with stamps. My dream: a (big) home filled with things from around the world. I envision myself greeting guests and then storytelling them around my home, my style and self represented through everything made by
Espanol Bogota is different. Instead of chickens and pigs roaming the streets as I walk to work, I avoid beautifully groomed dogs and their equally beautiful owners. Instead of stepping over ditches of grey water and greeting all of my neighbours by name, I try to be careful not to get run over by giant
About twelve years ago, to counter the temptation to fall back into my highschool self, I invented a second personality, not so affectionately named Betsy. Betsy was on the mousy side- shy, soft-spoken, and gentle. She was an all-around nice person, but did have a bit of a stutter, especially when encountering new people. While
So, one of the things I do in Mampuján that was not part of my job description is serve as official photographer for all birthday parties. Besides taking all of the photos, I sometimes also make the cake, or at least try to teach people how to make their own cake. I am now an
It has been an unexpected delight to discover the writing and work of Wade Davis this year. He is an enthobotanist and anthropologist, whose writings about culture serves as a helpful lens through which to view my own experiences. Through his travels in Colombia, Peru, Canada’s Arctic, Tibet, Kenya, Haiti and many more, Davis explores
Anna L. Vogt 