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Matt and I spread our cultural wings and attended our first concert in Colombia. A very popular salsa group from Puerto Rico, that has been playing for over 50 years, was performing along with four other popular salsa acts. We attended the concert with a few friends/co-workers of Matt's and my Spanish teacher/friend, Alice. We were given basic information and expectations:

- the concert begins at 8:00 pm , however do not expect to see a live performance until after 10

- even though the concert will begin late, one must show up on time as there is not assigned seats... it's a first come, first serve mentality

- the concert could last until 3 or 4 am

- there will likely not be any seats, expect to sit on the ground

- wear something comfortable, including flats, and put your hair up... it will be very hot

We arrived at the venue and I realized it was an outdoor concert. We proceeded through security, which included purse checks and full pat downs. After security part 1, an employee took our tickets, removed a lighter from his pocket, and placed the flame to the underside of the ticket. Then this happened:

Apparently this is how they tell if a ticket is counterfeit. The underside will not leave a mark, just the top.

We entered the venue and immediately I realized there were tables and chairs... which made me very happy. We sat down and our table was approached by a man offering drinks; rum, scotch, or aquadente. That's all. No beer. No wine. Just liquor. I wasn't prepared for that, but when you are going to be at a concert for the next 8 hours, one in which you will not understand a spoken word or lyric, a few stiff drinks is in your best interest. 

The first act came on between 10:00 and 10:30 pm... right on time.

The first performer was from Cartagena and a crowd pleaser. It was quite fun to people watch, as the group was quite eclectic, people of all ages. But the one thing they share is their love of dance.  When they feel the beat, they are not afraid to stand up and move their hips. It took Matt and I a little bit more rum to move our hips.

{Spanish Teacher Alice}

Theire were two more acts before the main Puerto Rican Salsa group took the stage. Including one who may or may not have been under the influence of some kind of substance and refused to leave the stage. Train wreck. This ended with security approaching the stage and speaking to him asking him to leave... but not before he free styled a song about why he didn't want to leave.  

Finally at about 3:00 am, the act we/they had all been waiting for made it to the stage. I believe Matt and I lasted through 3 songs. At 3:45 am, after over 7 hours, we decided we were salsa-ed out.

Another Colombian Adventure conquered...

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Friday Randomness....

This weekend is a holiday. Which means Matt doesn't have to return to work until Tuesday.
Yay! Happy San Pedro y San Pablo!

My parents hooked us up. They have quite the collection of magazine subscriptions and were kind enough to share their info, so we can get them on our iPads. I now have quite the collection of fashion, design, cooking, and wine literature. And {drumroll please} People. Thrilled.
Doubly thrilled when I spotted him in the most recent issue:

I found this on Pinterest.

truer words have never been spoken written

Today I went to the home of my friend and Spanish teacher, Alicia, for a mani/pedi date. A woman came to her home, gave us each a manicure followed by a pedicure. The total cost: 12,000 COP. That's about $6 USD. And she was shocked when I gave her a tip.
We followed that up with a little bit of wine and cheese...

Pretty great start to a holiday weekend!

Happy Friday!

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Av. San Martin a noche

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Sarah "Dishes" McQuinn has been feeling a little under the weather...

so we turned to a trusted source for dinner tonight.

Bella the Business Boxer

she's a pretty big deal...



{at least she thinks so}

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Today was an overcast day in Cartagena

which is a nice break from all that sunshine.
And a perfect opportunity for some organizing...
This spot in the guest bedroom has been driving me bonkers since I returned...
it has become somewhat of a catch all spot for all those things that don't have homes
{or seem to have lost them while I was gone}

but with a little bit of time and the company of a 'This American Life' podcast
most things found a home

I got to cross something off the to-do list
and breathe a sign of organized relief.

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one of the best things we brought back from the US...
{besides a 4 lb bag of dried cranberries and many pairs of shoes}

plastic ice cubes.
When we took the time to think about the fact that we don't drink the water out of our faucet or fridge hook up, but we were using the ice, we realized that was a problem.
And plastic ice cubes were the solution.
Plus, they make drinking water even more fun.

In other happenings, Matt got to go on a field trip of sorts on Saturday. He traveled to Turbaco, a city 30 minutes south east of Cartagena. He was on a mission to look at some equipment for site. While there he also saw this:

Just a nice outdoor meat stand in the 90 degree heat with a great selection, including stomach.

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{quite possibly the most difficult coffee cup to drink out of}

{ever}

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Dining out is sort of our thing here in Cartagena.
No musicals.
No parties.
No neighborhood gatherings.
No bars. {we've tried that.. and let's face it... we're thirty}

Dining out is what we do for fun

... so Saturday we had double the fun.

Mexican for lunch.

The Corona's were necessary following Matt's second attempt at getting a new line added to our account for his iPhone. After another hour spent trying to communicate and a quick run to the apartamento to get a bank statement {???} he earned that Corona con limon.

Italian for Dinner.

An old favorite that we ate at within the first week of living in Cartagena and haven't been to in some time. It's also the site of the infamous 'sarah's blackberry is lost and one table of 10 consumed over 20 bottles of vino' night. You can read about that here.

Another reason we I like dining out...

Sarah "Dishes" McQuinn gets the night off.

{remember... no dishwasher, hence my new nickname}

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It's afternoons like these...

...that I appreciate my Latin American lifestyle.

Happy Friday.

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...Today was my first day back at pilates. After class a few of the women began asking me questions about my trip and my recent return. Unfortunately I didn't understand a thing. I dug deep into my self and was able to appropriately, in Spanish, tell them that I had sadly forgotten all my Spanish. Then proceeded to have a conversation with broken Spanish and big, but necessary hand gestures.

...Today I received this in an email

Pretty girl is ready for Independence Day!

Notice her patriotic manicure
{it's only a mani, her back paws/pedi was not included}
Apparently the groomer is testing out a new nail product for a company. Bella was painted and then posed for some shots to send to the company. Rumor is, they may end up in a magazine.
I miss that little model.

...At the tender age of twenty-nine, little purchases like this

can make my day.
I hope that never changes.

...Today I had my first Colombian popsicle.
Surprise! It comes on a plastic stick.

...Matt and I recently joined a gym.
This is how I roll to said gym

That's right...
Best part about it.
Matt purchased it.

Happy Hump Day.

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I've got a new morning routine.

coffee, breakfast, and Rosetta Stone on the patio.

{...we'll see how long this one lasts...}

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Remember those errands we ran?
Well, here are the big purchases!

Our master bedroom is finally decorated in a way that doesn't make me cringe every time I walk into the room.
{to see the before, click here}

We ended up with some throw pillows that had a price that didn't make me want to throw up. For some reason, throw pillows tend to be pretty expensive here so I held off for a long time on purchasing. Thankfully these lovelies came in a set of two, were a good price, and were a color I could go along with.
Next came the lovely NYC Twin Towers canvas that was on sale for $12.00 and is truly a piece of art compared to what hung on our wall for the last year. Plus it made our door guys very happy that they were able to identify 'Nueva York', when we walked in with the work of art.
Lastly we bought some new lamps. The lamps that were supplied to us gave off little to no light and therefore were never utilized. We found a set of two that were simple enough to go in the room and the price tag didn't make us feel like we needed to bring them to the States with us when we return.

It may be a few simple things, but it made a world of difference to us. Each time we walked into the room for the next 24 hours one of us made a comment about how much better the room looks.
It feels more like us.
And we like that.

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Sunday tradition of breakfast at Isabellas...

it's nice to be back

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Today I remembered what it's like to live in Cartagena.
The water looked gorgeous outside my patio and the beach was full of people celebrating this holiday weekend...
and
Matt and I ran errands to the cell phone provider and the mall.
During my absence in Cartagena, my cell phone mysteriously disappeared. While in the US, Matt and I made the leap from BlackBerry users to iPhones. We brought our iPhones to Colombia and with a sim card are able to use them here.
I just wish it was that simple. Earlier this week I went to Comcel, the cell phone provider with my friend and Spanish teacher, Alice. We attempted to get the iPhone set up and our plan changed. But that didn't happen. Since Matt's name was on the account I was unable to make any changes to the account and in order to do so would need a notarized letter written by Matt giving me permission.
Which brought us to Saturday. Comcel closes at 1:00 pm, Matt rolled in from work at 12:45 pm. Thankfully it is located not even a block away. After our number was called to meet with a representative the language barrier became apparent. It was a struggle. A lot of 'mas despacio' which translates to slower. A lot of running upstairs to make payments for things and back downstairs to meet with our representative. But thankfully, after an hour, and two fried brains, we had one working iPhone. Matt was unable to connect his since he would be starting a new account {before he used only his work cell phone} and they needed to see his Visa and other identification, rather than the Colombian issued cedula.
After lunch we decided to head to the mall to take care of some things on our to-do list. Sarah needed visa pictures taken and Matt needed a hair cut. We also made some purchases for things around the house {more on that later}.
One thing I have learned about the Latin American culture is how they differ from American's in space/contact. We Americans like our space, we don't like to be crowded, and we tend to be uncomfortable with PDA. Latin Americans are very touchy feely, you always greet someone with a cheek kiss, and PDA is everywhere. This cultural phenomenon also shows itself while in line at the store. It took me a long time to get used to this... in fact I'm not used to it and especially after being in America for so long where everyone has respect for each others invisible bubble of space. I ran into a store to pick something up while Matt stayed with our cart of items from another store.  I only had two items, but there were only three check out lanes open and the lines were horrendous. So I stood for 25 minutes, in line, sweating, while the woman behind me continually bumped me and found it appropriate to breath down my neck. It's times like these when I am thankful that there is a language barrier, because at about minute 18, non confrontational Sarah was ready to get confrontational. It took me a few moments to calm myself down and gently remind myself that this is all part of the experience. I quickly adjusted to American lifestyle while on my latest rendezvous, so it may take some time to get back in the Latin American flow, but thankfully, time is something I have plenty of...

P.S.
Opening a bottle of red with a handy dandy American wine opener is recommended after a culture shocking afternoon

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while I do miss my daily barre3 workouts at the studio with the gorgeous view of the Smokey Mountains...

I have to admit

the view isn't too bad here either

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my down time with Ms. Stewart at the Houston airport inspired tonights dinner

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I'm baaaccckkk!

I spent the day reacquainting myself with apartmento...

Stocking the fridge at the local mercado...
{P.S. My spanish is gonzo. Seriously. Feel like I'm back to square one. Let's just say I was really proud of myself for getting home in a cab from the grocery store.}

and unpacking...

lots of unpacking.

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Wow.
I'm just going to go ahead and start this post with wow.
Because that is how my day started out.
A 6:05 AM flight out of Des Moines International airport.
No big deal. Right?
And yes, I am saying/writing International in a slightly mocking tone because usually when we arrive an hour before our flight at DSM International we still spend more than 45 minutes sitting at the gate.
But not today.
After checking our 4 full bags, each one at nearly 49.5 lbs. and Matt's golf clubs, we set off for security.
Except we didn't get very far.
Because the security line started downstairs.
Those of you familiar with DSM International Airport, go ahead and read that line again.
For those of you not familiar with DSM International, let me explain that security is located upstairs, by way of escalator and is never an issue.
Until today.
The line snaked around the lobby of the airport, looking somewhat similar to a line at Disney World, with people being allowed to go upstairs to security a dozen at a time by an airport employee. Several people nudged by with mumbles of a 6:00AM flight they were trying to make, while my anxiety rose with thoughts of missing our flight and spending the day in some strange city attempting to get to Houston in time for our international flight.
They began making announcements of a final boarding call for a 6:00AM flight while we were still downstairs. Moments later, we were able to move from the downstairs security line to the upstairs security line. At that time they started making final boarding calls for another flight scheduled at the same time as ours. That's when Mr. McQuinn made the decision that we too were going to 'nudge & budget' and head to the front of the security line to get our passports checked and attempt to make our flight. He lead the pack claiming our names had been called for our flight {white lie} while I followed him, mumbling things like, "Excuse us" and "Sorry". At one point he passed a woman that appeared to be mean mugging him and responded, "Oh, don't look so appalled." I followed up with a simple, "Excuse us". We eventually made it to the front of the line, in and out of security, running down the hall with belts and other accessories in our hands to our flight, which was preparing to close the door.
We made it.
With a lot of drama for 6:00 A.M.
When we arrived in Houston, I was hungry and exhausted, with hopes that a Texas favorite, Shipley's would calm my nerves.

My kolache was a little burnt and I ended up spilling the coffee all over.
We spent a good part of our morning in the food court of the Houston airport, chatting, reading, and each making individual stops to the book store to purchase additional publications.
Matt: Fantasy Football & MacWorld
Sarah: Martha Stewart Living & Self

For lunch we headed to Chili's for our last great American fried meal accompanied by a Bud Light.
After 6 hours in Houston, we were ready to leave this great nation and head to Panama followed by Cartagena.

It was a long day of traveling, but I have to say, it was nice to be together.

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Last Day in North America included:
- a trip to the dentist {boo.}
- Bed Bath & Beyond to buy plastic ice cubes

  {when I realized I wouldn't drink the unfiltered Colombian water from the fridge, but I use the ice I needed some kind of solution}

- Best Buy

- Scheel's

- Golf Galaxy

- Jade Garden

- Target {tear}

- Verizon {to go back to our basic American phones. double tear}

- Casey's Taco Pizza, Diet Coke out of a can, and red wine

- Wonderful dinner and conversation with the McQuinn Family

- a feeling of being grateful, for the time spent, people seen, and memories made

Thank You.

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The day after a 50th birthday celebration on a party bus..

... this is all I want to do.

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My day started out with this beautiful group of people.

Misty's brother Andy, his wife Julie, and sweet Emma Bear were visiting Iowa for the week. The Lynch family was kind enough to let a few of us barge in on their brunch for some quality time and most importantly to finally meet Miss Emma, who we hear so much about.

She is a sweetheart, just like her Aunt Minnie said.
We also got to spend some time with the most handsome boy, Quentin.


{i realized something this weekend after taking pictures with both Trevyn & Quentin... when people try to get a baby to smile by saying sweet things and shaking toys... I give a bigger reaction than the baby. Tragic.}


Then my day got a little hectic.
Because, you see, we couldn't simply let my father's 50th birthday pass with just a dinner and some cake.
So we went with a surprise party... on a party bus.
Tim's closest friends and family gathered to surprise him, traveling from both near and far.
We met in a parking lot to board a party bus and traveled to a quaint bar in Elkhart for the big reveal.
{note: our original location of meeting at a winery got scratched about 30 minutes before party time.. a last minute change and a whole lotta stress is what you get when you throw a surprise party, right?}
I think it is safe to say he was quite surprised, which lead to a special evening filled with laughter, friends, and celebration.
My biggest regret, not getting a picture of the entire crew. But we have plenty of memories...






Happy Birthday {again} Dad
and
a big THANK YOU to everyone who shared in the celebration!