Military Talk at Breakfast

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  Medellin, Colombia
Wednesday, October 5, 2011

I easily awoke this morning and felt very relaxed with how much time I had to spare. I finished my novel, "Rules of Civility", which was so wonderfu! It takes place in the same era of "Gatsby" but I enjoyed it much more than F. Scott Fitzgerald's story. The glamours days of living in New York City in the thirties and forties intrigued me and Amor Towles language was captivating, I highly recommend it! I was satisfied with the ending and made my way to the kitchen considering Katey Kontent's life. I prepared a luxurious parfait and took my sweet time. When I looked at the clock in living room, I was already late. I threw my breakfast into a portable container and ran out the door. When I reached my stop, class had already started. I booked it to "Aula 005" only to find it looked and dark. A perfect day to be late. I had no idea where my class could have gone and I went back to the entrance to the library to see if anyone had seen them. I asked the security guard if he had seen Profe Carlos, he replied that his doesn't have a class until ten. Of course this was familiar information to me, I go to the class every day. The guard indicated to the "reloj" (clock) on the "pared" (wall) and explained to me that the little hand was on the nine. I was an hour early. I looked at my own watch for the fiftieth time that day and indeed I had been misreading the time. I felt so incredibly dumb. 
With an hour to spare I wandered over to the outdoor cafeteria and figured I would spend my time studying for my French Exam. Searching for an empty table, I heard my name being called. Camilo and my German pal, whose name I can't remember, were waving me down. They had just sat down to have their first introductory tutor session. They insisted I join them for some breakfast and conversation. It was the perfect way to spend the spare hour that I had unintentionally given myself. In all English (the German only being able to understand "gato", "por favor", and "agua") we mostly discussed the social aspects of Colombia. What you need to know is that there are six "stratus", one being the lowest. The only part in all of Medellin with level six status is the neighborhood "Pablado". Belen (where I live) is a five. I was surprised to hear that being as there are still homeless couples making out on the sidewalk and broken windows every few blocks. When we visited "Parque Arvi" in my first week I saw some level one and two zones; they are truly devastated areas. The government compensates for their low income by charging them less for water, groceries, and electricity where as higher stratus pay more. Another example of government involvement is with the "Military Card". Most level four thru six male citizens pay the fee to purchase the card in place of serving for the military. Lower status citizens are required to give at least a year service to receive the card. If you wish to enroll in school, buy a home, or get married you must have this card. In the same way that the cost of living increases per "strata", the price of the card also increases. When I asked Mami what she paid for her son's Military Card she told me 1.5 million pesos, landing the Quintero Family in a high five strata (no pun intended). She also told me it was worth every cent because the military is brutal and a huge interruption in one's studies. Camilo agrees and said that he has heard the food is awful and they treat you like dirt. You are expected to respect without being respected and deal with harsh reprimands. Stories like riding in the back of a truck with pigs and chickens through the mountains for hours are common, and when soldiers arrive they are regarded as a number and nothing more. 
In Germany things are different. They used to require all citizens to either enroll in the military or social services. Young adults would do a year of service in a hospital, children's school, retirement community, school for the disabled, or other similar infrastructures. In the past year they have made "servitudes" and "militars" optional. It is cheaper for the government not to have to pay for the citizen's participation, but my German friend thinks it is too bad for those who don't have the experience. He learned a lot in his year in the hospital and wants all citizens to pursue the opportunity. The military doesn't seem to attract as many people as social services, but it could still fulfill the required assistance to the government. Now without the mandatory service, the government plans to have more money and suffer less from the global recession. 
With all this new information I had one of the most informative breakfasts of my life. When I went to class today I had a new perspective on two different cultures. Little did I know I was about to see a little Chinese man explode with frustration. After several attempts to explain his question to Carlos Bailing turned to me for help, and as hard as I focused I just couldn't not understand what he wanted to know. He started rambling off in Chinese and it was a bit frightening. I don't think he was actually mad, but Mandarin always makes it seem like your yelling. Eventually he was able to communicate what he needed to know and was able to smile soon after. I know the frustration of not being able to express yourself with the language barrier, but when you finally can it is very encouraging. One of my biggest mile-markers in my Spanish journey is being able to understand the rapid talk of gossiping women, and slowly I am making progress! Today when I accompanied Mami to the fabric store I was able to understand nearly all of the small talk and most of the dirty details. It was fascinating. 
At dinner time I am gradually starting to do more talking than listening. Tati, Mami, and I have glorious discussions about all the things I'm going to show Tati in America and all the people I can't wait to introduce her to! It's a wonderful thing to think about as I lay in bed, about to fall asleep. 

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