Christmas Is All Around

As much as I love fall - the colors, the sweatshirt weather (at least in Minnesota), the pumpkins, the food, the flavors... I love me some Christmas time. Kelsi and I kicked things off this year right away on December 1 with a self-imposed roommate viewing of Love Actually accompanied by gingerbread coffee (thanks mom!) and Christmas tree decorating! 

The tree turned out pretty awesome thanks to Kelsi's hidden talents as a tree whisperer of sorts. She put those fake branches in their places, hung the ornaments with love and in the end, the tree doesn't look quite so Charlie Brown-esque as it did coming out of the box. We even hosted a tree trimming & cookie decorating party later that week. Our friends came over to help make ornaments for the tree and decorate Christmas sugar cookies. Thanks to a delicious recipe from my mom and grandma, the cookies were a hit at both the party and as gifts for our bosses/secretaries.

Oh Christmas tree.

After the tree trimming party we headed out to the Alumbrada here in Cali. This annual lights display is set up along the river in Cali and always has a unique theme. The first year I was here in Cali the theme was the history of dance, which was super informative and interesting for me coming from the Midwest where the history of dance in much more limited... This year the theme was Myths & Legends, which was just as cool in how the lights looked, but I don't think I got quite as much out of it since I am unfamiliar with almost all the myths and legends in Colombia. However, it was still a fun night to spend with friends strolling along the river.

We walked along the Alumbrada on the night of December 7, which is known as Noche de Las Velitas (night of the little candles), which is the eve of the Immaculate Conception and marks the official beginning of the Christmas season in Colombia. (And also meant we had the next day off school! Thanks Mary.)

 Giant purple light up balls? Yes please. Can I have one of my own?

Maybe this is the Colombian myth version of Peter Pan? Or was that a crocodile? 

Kelsi and I enjoying the lights! 

Out enjoying the lights along the river! 

El Duende (gnome) and me! 

Noche de las Velitas is also celebrated at my school, on the first Friday in December, beginning at about sundown, families gather in the field in front of our school library to light small candles in rows of wood planks. During my first year in Colombia I attended this night and loved the coming together of so many families in our school community. Unfortunately, last year the event was cancelled due to rain, so I was very happy to have it back this year! I only stayed for a short while, but I was able to see some students and light candles.

My friend Daniel and me lighting candles. 

Awesome candles photo (thanks to my friend Samantha for the awesome pictures!). 

Dia de las Velitas at school!

How are you kicking off the holiday season this year???

Revisiting My Classroom (with mom!)

Having visitors to a place where you live (or work!) always brings a feeling of "new-ness" to somewhere that you have gotten used to over time. While for me, my school has become a place where I go to work everyday, for anyone who visits me, it is a tropical paradise of exotic plants, animals (casual iguanas anyone?), and lots of open air spaces. This was the exact case when my mom visited over Thanksgiving. Not surprisingly, she loved the school and my students, so much so that she came back for a second day! Here are a few pictures she snapped on that day.... While it is hard to understand just how big my pre-K to 12 campus is, this gives you an idea of how it looks from a visitors eye! Plus, her pictures are much better than the ones I took when I first got to Colombia.

On the window to my classroom! Welcome to K1.

Work hard, play hard.

 My students just completed a project where they wrote their own creative stories to follow the rising and falling slopes of lines. Here are some of the best ones hung up in the back of my classroom!

 Essentials, obvio.

 Giant tree in the courtyard right outside my classroom door. The building in the distance houses the tiny, little people known as 6th graders.

Primary gymnasium - covered but generally outdoors. 

Sunflowers visible from the entrance of my school. Each flower represents a different community within the school - parents, students, teachers, etc.

Welcome to my school!  

Looking down the hill from the main entrance towards the auditorium. 

Walking past the auditorium, down to K block, where my classroom is located! 

In the courtyard outside the 7th and 8th grade classrooms.

I'm sure at some point in my future when I find myself in rush hour traffic in the middle of a Midwestern winter I will be looking back on these pictures, taken at the end of November, with fondness....and jealousy. In the mean time, I hope it gives you some perspective on what my day-to-day life is like here in Cali!

Sun, Sand & Jump Shots: Thanksgiving on San Andres Island

After getting my fill of turkey at not one, but TWO Thanksgiving celebrations, I was ready to celebrate the actual turkey day with less turkey, more Caribbean vacation! Ever since my mom saw the pictures from my first Thanksgiving in San Andres, in November 2009, she said "I want to go there!" And that we did :) 

San Andres Island upon our arrival. Later we took a boat out to that small island in the lower left corner and walked along that sand bar to the right of it!

My mom arrived on Monday, in time to see my school for two days, attend the faculty Thanksgiving party, and do some shopping in Cali. Then on Thursday morning we headed to the Cali airport for our flight to San Andres Island. While geographically located off the coast of Nicaragua, San Andres is owned by Colombia, thus making it very easy to travel there from the mainland of Colombia! We arrived by 2:00 PM and we were sitting on the dock in swimsuits by 3 PM. Now this is Thanksgiving vacation.

The rest of the time in San Andres was a delightful blend of the following:

Partaking in the 24 hour bar located on the dock of our Decameron all-inclusive hotel. 

Relaxing on the dock. 

Enjoying time with my mom! Sadly, this was probably the most consistent amount of time we have spent together since I graduated college and it was fabulous!

Roommate jump shots!

Solo jump shots!

Dinners out and about on the island!

Watching a random reggae band playing at our hotel. We joined in an impromptu group of dancers during several longs and later my mom/Kelsi participated in the conga line throughout the bar!

Looking out from my beach chair to the beautiful dock and ocean!

Enjoying the view!!! Minnesota doesn't look like this in November...

Hanging out with my fabulous roommate.

Handstands on sand bars! Hey Caribbean Sea - what what.

Mother - Daughter bonding. 

Spending time with friends who also happened to spend their Thanksgiving at the beach!

Sand bar pyramids for 7? Okay :)

Boat ride out to Acuario island.

Celebrating Thanksgiving in the sand!

Kayaking nearby our hotel.

Needless to say I was nowhere near ready to leave when Sunday afternoon rolled around, and going to school on Monday felt a bit rough when compared to waking up just to put a swimsuit on, grab my book, and head to the beach. Alas all good things come to an end...

Hope you had an equally wonderful holiday however you celebrated!