Bogota, Colombia: First Impressions

It is cold and alternately misting or sunny. The view on my street in the afternoons is intermittent sunshine on the hills, with rain starting and stopping as it pleases. The roads are quiet, abandoned except during rush hour.

The corn sold here is somewhat similar to the type sold by Mexican maiz street vendors. I still remember the corn seller passing by the Mexican house I lived in shouting mai-mai-mai. It is warm, salty, buttered cardboard.

Communication is formal, polite, humble. Everyone is “Señor” or Señora“. It is not diminutive like Chilean Spanish, nor immediately friendly like Dominican Spanish. It is not fast or shrill. I’ve started a list of Colombianismos, and hope to have a full page by the end of the week. It’s slow going; so far everything is cloro. If you’re feeling really fancy/polite, you can say su merced instead of Señora. I am not quite there yet – it still feels overly formal, too punctilious.

Did I mention it’s cold? Seattle weather all around, all around.