How is one Colombian, you wonder? It's not an easy process I assure you, but one everyone is dying to know. (Or not?) Being Colombian is not as simple as it seems one must analyze all aspects of your life from food to clothing to the vapor rub your abuela (grandmother) makes you put on your chest every night.
Food
First step to being Colombian is of course: the food. There is nothing more important to a Colombian (or any hispanic, now that I think about it) than filling your tummy with the best of your country's cuisine, even when not in your own country.
Believe it or not, there are a number of Colombian restaurants and grocery stores called "bodegas" scattered around our very own New Jersey state. Not all places are equal in there taste, however, and finding the best fit is up to the seeker. We are all humans of differet shapes, sizes and taste buds.
A full course meal must, MUST, include the following at all times: rice and beans, or frijoles. No lunch or dinner, somtimes even breakfast, is complete without these two essential ingredients. The rice and beans are normally accompanied by some type of polstry. Steak, chicken, fish, or even eggs whatever your heart so desires. And don't you dare worry about carbs, you're Colombian now, what's life witout a little fat?
If you're looking for something lighter, the rice and beans are not required. I suggest a freshly made arepa or the famous empananda. If you're not familiar with such delicious names let me explain. The empanada, more commonly known in the U.S., is described as a meat pie. Shaped as a half moon, and stuffed with meat or cheese, nothing beats the taste of an empanada in the morning. Arepa is a little different, in that it's flat and plain, but fantastic with anything you'd like it with. Butter, steak, eggs, cheese the arepa is a flexible snack.
Do not eat sparingly.
Parties/Celebrations
Parties will be your favorite part about being Colombian. True they are typically with your family, but what teenager doesn't love a party beginning at 7 PM and ending whenever the last person leaves (normally 6 AM, the earliest). When attending parties it is imperative that you dance to no less than every song they play not including slow dances. If you are caught sitting at any point of the night I guarantee you will be dragged back out to the dance floor if necessary. It's a sad day when the adults are bigger partiers than that children, but this is what normally happens at a Colombian party.
The most common celebration you will attend is the annual Colombian festivals in the month of July. If you miss the Colombian festival, don't panic there will most likely be another the next weekend. Suprisingly there is no requirement of being Colombian when you attend these festivals, really you just need to be wear you're favorite Colombian colors: gold, blue and red and POOF, you're invited to the Colombian festival. Dancing is also not a requirement, although you will be eating about a hundred pounds of the best food you've ever encountered. You will also get the opportunity to buy various Colombian flags, shirts, bracelets, necklaces, CDs, ponchos, underwear, bathing suits, EVERYTHING. You will also enjoy the performances of small children dancing traditional Colombain dances. Awww...
Family
Language is said to be the cornerstone of culture, but family is the cornerstone of Colombian culture. Thousands of miles away, but your cousins are still your siblings, your siblings are still your bestfriend, your aunts and uncles have the right to smack you upside the head and your parents have sole control of your life. And still you wouldn't have it any other way.
When visiting your family, which you will be seeing your family frequently (as I said before, family= LIFE) there is one rule to keep in mind: there is no such thing as over eating. In fact, if you DON'T eat, you're prone to hearing the endless nag of your mother, aunts, and grandmothers of how skinny or how unhealthy you are. I suggest you arrive with a three-day empty stomach, because as soon as your abuela knows your coming she will be cooking for hours prier to your arrival. It's time to embrace the lovehandles.
Pride
Ah, national pride. Once you are a Colombain, your new favorite color IS gold,blue, and red. Never blue, never red, heaven FORBID your favorite color is green! (akk) This will be the color scheme of your life. From now on your clothes will be gold, blue and red to match your purse (or wallet, boys), to match your earrings, to match your necklace. The walls in your room? Gold, blue and red, your jewelry, your birthday cake, your car, your whole life!
The Colombian flag should be everwhere, have at least three or one really big one in your room (or for special occasions like a cousins's graduation or a festival). For your car there are various little trinkets available at your local Bergen line. Some examples are: a gold, blue, and red CD, a small bag, a mini flag or even a bandana. As mentioned before your clothing must show some sort of Colombian pride. This can be expressed with buttons, patches, T-shirts, necklaces, but most popular are bracelets as these can be used by both women AND men.
There so much to consider when bieng Colombian, keeping up can be a difficult task. But don't you worry, with time, it'll be as simple as riding a bike. Good luck with your journey fellow Colombian.
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4 comments:
Haha, I like how much pride you put into being a Columbian. It almost makes ME want to be a Columbian with all that food and partying. But excessive use of colors its a bit crazy for me. O.o
A word of advice - spell check and proof read. Although the descriptive was very good, there were many spelling and grammar errors. Some in which made it difficult to understand what you were saying without having to re-read the sentence.
wow. i really liked this piece. although i really couldnt relate to it cause im not columbian, you almost made me feel like i was columbian. awesome job.
i especially liked the whole part about how close family is.
the whole thing was really good. !
I think your commenters missed the ColOmbian part! Great use of vivid imagery and detail to show your pride in your heritage. As Bran-man mentioned, proofread. Too many errors detract from the great story.
I love being married Colombian! The food (banuelos), the drinks (aguardiente), the tradition, the parties, the excessive devotion to each other! youre right, add the colors and instant acceptance!
Viva Colombia!
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