Under the Colombian Microscope: Views from the Petri Dish of an Expat

I remember first impressions were abundantly underwhelming. It was small and shriveled, no bigger than the palm of my hand, unexpectedly pale, surely due to the combination of being dead and the preservatives it was pumped with, and just wholly unimpressive. But with that first botched incision of mine, the fascination and morbid curiosity of the blood and guts took over and I went on to dissect the hell out of that frog.

Bells are to Christmas as Vuvuzelas are to the World Cup

Most people wouldn’t consider the World Cup a holiday, but in Colombia, it’s basically Christmas.  Cars, homes and businesses are decorated with the country’s flag, and ornaments with the flag’s colors adorn every surface capable of holding them:  roofs, windows, walls, gates, doors, you name it!

No Regina, Butter is Not a Carb, but Pan de Queso Is

If someone were to have told me a year ago when I made my first post on Coffee n Carbs that even now I would still be eagerly searching for superior coffee joints, I would have said, “yeah, that sounds about right.”  Because I still love coffee and I sure as hell still love my carbs. 

Government is Inefficient and Should be Dissolved

A bag of Colombia’s finest artisanal coffee to the first person that can tell me where exactly I pulled that title.

My Dad, an Appreciation Post on Father’s Day (disponible en Español)

The Sounds of Parque Fundadores

The view of Parque Fundadores from my balcony

The barrio, or neighborhood, I called home for almost nine months was Parque Fundadores.  It was both a pleasure and a pain to live in this very bustling and lively part of Armenia.

What a Pity

*Whack* “Ay, qué pena!” I had just gotten smacked in the face by a man on the sidewalk waving his arms trying to direct a car into a garage. Obviously I knew he didn’t mean to hit me, but I kind of expected an apology. As it turns out, that was the apology.

The Birth of Coffee n Carbs

This blog is the namesake of the now near-daily outings affectionately dubbed by a couple of my friends and I when we want to get together to sit and sip coffee and eat all different kinds of pan, or bread. Giving credit where it’s due, my friend Nicole is the mastermind behind the name.