July 27th, 2008 at 02:51
(Haiti)
After a wonderful and very hot week in New York with nights out, having fun and celebrating Liz birthday (in New York it is no problem to celebrate it earlier, they are not as supersticious as we are and don’t think it brings bad luck), I am now back in Belgium. I arrived last Tuesday and was happy to see all my friends and family again who all gathered together that afternoon in my living room. It feels good to be home again, but at the same time it is a strange feeling to think that last week at the same time I still was dancing on a party in New York. Its so different, but every place has its advantages. I love it everywere as long as I have friends there or make new friends.
Now I am struggling with a bad jet lag. I cannot sleep before 3-4 in the morning and never wake up before 12 the next day. I will try to cope with it next week. I also changed my plans and will not leave to England that soon. I’ll have to check on some things and than probably leave the first wednesday in August for a week or so… will see…
My trip was the best I ever had. I learned so many things, I met the most amazing people, I caught up with old friends, made new ones, … I got much more self-confidence, independency and very strong opinions about religion, politics and life in general. It was all worth it and I would do everything again the same way.
Life is beautiful!!
Thanks to all the people who support me with their thoughts or financially. Thanks to my best friends who are always there for me even if they haven’t seen me for a long time. Thanks to the great people who gave me a place to sleep on my trip (I didn’t sleep in hotels or hostels at all). Thanks to anybody who teaches me a little bit about the world. Thanks to those who take me the way I am. Thanks to the persons who make me smile.
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July 16th, 2008 at 07:46
(Haiti)
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July 16th, 2008 at 07:42
(Haiti)
Quimbaya
Quimbaya
coffee making
Salento: handcrafting a picture of jesus. most colombians are christians.
Balzaje River
Balzaje River
Modern life: Bogota, the busses are always overcrowded
Poverty is still a big problem in Colombia
Bogota
Bogota
Bogota: Storyteller
Bogota: Indigenous people live in poverty
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July 16th, 2008 at 07:37
(Haiti)
Diana
Diana, Laura, Juan Jose
Diana and me in Bogota
Bogota
Bogota: center of nuns for women raped by members of the FARC or the paramilitar
My beauty
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July 14th, 2008 at 06:08
(Haiti)
Being in Colombia makes me realize how bad the situation in Haiti really is. Colombia is a developing country as well with many problems, but it’s nothing compared to Haiti. Here is a lot of poverty, but you don’t notice it that much when you are in the big cities. The poor people live apart. In Haiti, no matter where you are you feel and see the poverty, the chaos, the dirt,…
The only things you here about Colombia are the criminality, the FARC and the problems. But despite all this it is a very fascinating and beautiful country and I love it so much that I could stay for a very long time. It is one of the countries with the biggest diversity of fruits and flowers. The fruits are so delicious that I eat as many in one day as I usually do in 2-4 weeks. The people I have met are so open-minded, welcoming and nice, it’s awesome. Dianas parents told me that I could always come back and stay as long as I wanted to. I’m sure I will do that after London!
I am now in Medellin since one week and my Spanish-lessons are doing well. I have 4h a day for 6 days and the teacher is going really fast. What I see in 4h is usually material for 8h. I love the language so much and I have so much motivation that I am learning very quick.
I will try to put some new pictures from Colombia online soon.
3 Comments
July 3rd, 2008 at 02:45
(Haiti)
Today is a great day for Colombia. The Colombian government have rescued Ingrid Betancourt, the French-Colombian politician held by Farc rebels for more than six years, and 14 other hostages, all freed without bloodshed. On all TV-channels you see Ingrid Betancourt talking about her release.. I would like to speak Spanish already properly so that I could understand what she is saying. I am getting on Dianas nervs, abusing her as my translator 
For me it is also a great day! I participated on the Inge Morath Award (for photographers under the age of 30 from Magnum) and got the great news: I am not the winner, but one of the two finalists. To be honest, I was doubting to apply because I though I had no chance.. that makes me even more happy!!!! http://www.ingemorath.org/foundation/news_dtl.asp?keyID=29
Tomorrow Diana and I will have full-program. In the morning we will do rafting, than we will climb down a waterfall and than we will crawl in some caves with mud… In the evening we will take the bus to Santa Marta where we will have diving classes at the weekend… EVERYTHING IS GREAT!!!!!
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July 1st, 2008 at 16:55
(Haiti)
Fernando Botero Angulo is a Colombian neo-figurative artist.
His paintings and sculptures are, on first examination, noted for their exaggerated proportions and the corpulence of the human figures and animal figures.The “fat people” is what they are often called by critics. Botero explains his use of obese figures and forms as such: “An artist is attracted to certain kinds of form without knowing why. You adopt a position intuitively; only later do you attempt to rationalize or even justify it.”
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Botero)
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July 1st, 2008 at 16:28
(Haiti)
Bogota is such a beautiful city.. its a shame that its so cold here (12degree all year round..). The city has so much charater and flair, it reminds me a bit of Paris. On Sunday we had a really cultural day hehe, we went to the city center (there was a concert), than we went to the museum of currencies, than to the biggest library of whole Southamerica, than to the museum of Botero (a great Colombian painter, I love his paintings) and than eating in a little artquarter. In the evenings there are many storytellers in the streets that tell stories about angels and fairies, … and many people surround them to listen.. Bogotas colours are amazing and.. I just love the city as you can hear…
Yesterday I understood a conversation in Spanish for the first time. Diana is teaching me every day new vocabulary and childrensongs and I have a basic Spanish book for little children 
and the more and more words I understand the more of the conversations I understand. I dont know much of the grammar yet, but that I will study when I am back in Medellin… And I am also planing to continue my Spanish lessons when I am back in Belgium and in London next year.. Juhu, soon I speak 4 languages…
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