Colombian Culture, Colombia Adoption and Raising Colombian Kids

Here is a typical dish that you will find in Risaralda. It is called Fried Green Plantain Soup in English or, in Spanish: Sopa de Patacones Ingredients 2 green plantains, made into patacones -- see a former recipe I posted here http://raisingcolombiankids.blogspot.com/2009/09/my-cunadas-recipe-for-patacones.html 1 quart (or a liter) of broth 1 medium onion 3 cloves garlic -- mashed or blended in food processor 2 large potatoes peeled and chopped into cubes 1/2 cup green peas (optional and not included in all recipes) 1 chopped carrot (optional and not included in all recipes 1/2 pound of beef (preferably flank steak) Cilantro (finely chopped) to taste Salt and Pepper to taste Different recipes use different spices including -- oregano, thyme, or bay leaf or a combination of two or three of the above. I recommend trying the soup first without the spices and then adding in what you like and giving it a try. INSTRUCTIONS: Cook the meat, peas (if fresh and not frozen), onion and garlic i...

In the department of Risaralda, in the city of Pereira, there is a story of a Ghost that forms the basis for today's Myth for Monday. It is called El Espanto de la Calle del Miadero. According to this Legend, a ghost walks the streets of the Calle (street) called el Miadero also known as the Calle Real in Pereira. This ghost appears to be a long black shadow. With it's long ghostly arms, he beckons you to come closer. As you approach, you will see that he has an unusual face -- a white mask that looks like a skull. As soon as the ghost scares you, he will disappear. So, if you are heading for Pereira, beware.

Today's recipe comes from the department of Quindio. It is a great dessert: Toasted Bananas Ingredients 8 Tablespoons Butter, melted 1 Tablespoon Lime Zest 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice 3 Tablespoons Sugar 8 Bananas Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350° F. 2. Mix the first 4 ingredients and poor half of it on the bottom of a sprayed, Pyrex pan. 3. Peel the bananas and cover them with the other half of the sugar mixture -- you may want to use a brush. 4. Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until the Bananas turn a light brown. 5. Serve them hot with cold milk or ice cream. I found an alternative recipe for Bananas Calados here: http://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/fried-bananas-bananos-calados

In Antioquia, and the Eje Cafetero (the Coffee Growing Region) Caldas, Risaralda and Quindio (today's department) there is a myth about an old woman with big knees. Here it is: La Rodillona (The Woman with Big Knees) In this area lives a old, wrinkled woman. She has a long, hooked nose, grey hair, and bright, red eyes. Her most recognizable feature are her very large knees. Sometimes, she can be seen on the side of the road holding her head in her lap. She walks the country roads looking to scare people, particularly lovers. It is said that her laugh is terrifying and devilish. When she is not out scaring people, she helps them lose their way on dark nights. Your only protection against the Rodillona is to have a screaming baby -- apparently this is the only thing more scary than she is. :)

Today's myth is common in the Department of Antioquia. It is the Madre del Río (Mother of the River). It is associated with the rivers in Antioquia. The Madre del Río is a beautiful young woman. Her gaze is hypnotic and her beauty nymph-like. Her only unusual quality is that her feet face backward so that anyone who might try to follow her will go in the wrong direction. As the legend goes, she was once the beautiful, young daughter of a wealthy, Spanish family. She had golden hair and big, blue eyes. She fell in love with a local Indian. Together, they had a son. When the girl's father became aware of the relationship and the child, he became enraged. He killed the man and threw the baby into the river. In desperation, the girl jumped into the river and drown. However, this act changed her into a River God -- the Madre del Río. Once changed into the Madre del Río, she became embittered and vengeful. She began to pursue children, calling them with a sweet voice....

One of the highlights of our trip to the Parque del Café was the cultural dance presentation. The favorite dance of our family was a dance of the coffee growing region that includes "fighting" with machetes. I have done some research about this dance, and thought you might be interested. The dance originated in the early 1900's as a game of sword fighting, with machetes, used to impress the available women in the area. The game was played at festivals and on Sundays throughout the area, but was particularly famous in Puerto Espejo. The best player was named El Tuerto Felipe (One eyed Felipe). He knew all 32 moves that could be fairly made with the machete during the fight. The moves have names like 'the half moon', 'the flight of the angel,' and 'the cross.' Based on this tradition, the group FUNDANZA developed the dance that you can now see in the park. Here is a sample of the dance.

Every year in June, the town of Calarcá, Quindío, hosts the annual YIPAO parade and festival. The term Yipao is actually derived from the English word for JEEP, as the festival pays homeage to the American made Jeep Willys that have become a symbol of the coffee growing region. In the mid 1940's, the first jeeps began to arrive in the region. Originally, they were imported by the Colombian Ministry of Defense, but soon the farmers in the coffee growing region began to purchase them because of the ease with which they traversed the difficult roads in the area. Soon, they were the main source of transportation for all sorts of agricultural products. The festival last for 5 days and culminates in a parade of Willys and a competition. The parade has beeen listed in Guinness as the longest Jeep parade. The competition has several categories and prizes are awarded for: 1. The best transporation of agricultural products. In this category you will see Jeeps loaded with such items as coffe...

We finally made it to the Eje Cafetero (the Coffee Axis). The Coffee growing region known as the Eje Cafetero consists of the departments of Caldas (Manizales), Risaralda (Pereira) and Quindio (Armenia). On a bright sunny morning, we were off to Quindio to go to the National Coffee Park. This park is truly on the list of PLACES NOT TO MISS !!! It is part museum, part botanical garden, part Disneyland. Unlike many of the other places we visited, the Coffee Park was a little pricey, however, I would recommend that you purchase the Pasaporte Multiple that currently is $49, 500 pesos (about $25 US). This allows you to see all of the attractions and ride any ride over and over. The 7 Aventuras costs less, but you can only do 7 things -- which means if you visit the museum you can only go on 6 rides -- this includes the chair lift to get you to and from the bottom of the park. If you use the lift, you are left with 4 things to do one of which absolutely needs to be the SHOW DEL CAFE. Do not ...

True confession! When I was a kid, I loved watching the Muppet Movie . I think I had the whole thing memorized. For those of you who don't remember it as well as I do, here is a little plot reminder. Kermit leaves the swamp to seek after his dream of making millions of people happy. On his quest, he is spotted by Doc Hopper the owner of a chain of fast food stores that sell french fried frog legs. Doc Hopper wants Kermit to star in the commercials for his store. Kermit says no way and hooks up with the comedian Fozzie Bear. Then the two of them start a cross country odyssey to Hollywood, where they plan to break into show business. On the way, they run into Gonzo the Great. At some point Gonzo tells Fozzie and Kermit that his dream is to go to Bombay India and become a movie star. Fozzie responds, "You don't go to Bombay to become a movie star, you go where we're going -- Hollywood." Gonzo responds, "Sure if you want to do it the easy way." Okay, okay...

Are you interested in gourmet Colombian food? Well, I have some options for you! Last month, the Premios (Awards) La Barra, were handed out for the best restaurants in Colombia. Four restaurants from different regions of the country were recipients of the awards -- they include: Platillos Voladores -- in Cali, Valle del Cauca What to order? Chorizos picantes cocinados en guarapo con calamares fritos -- Chorizo with fried squid Address: calle 14 norte No. 9 - 32, en el famoso barrio Granada El Mezón Español -- in Pereira, Risalda What to order? Paella -- Spanish rice and seafood dish Address: calle 14 con carrera 26 La Provincia -- Medellín, Antioquia What to order? Gallina rellena con arroz de yerbas -- Chicken stuffed with herbed rice. Address: la Milla de Oro, calle 4 sur No. 48ª-179, barrio El Poblado. Londeros Sur -- Cúcuta, Norte Santander What to order? Carne a la parilla -- Colombian BBQ chicken Address: la Avenida Libertadores, sobre el malecón que da al río Pamplonita M...

Last year, in the week proceeding Mother's Day, I did a special on famous women of Colombia. This year, I am adding a few more names to the list. You can read about all of the women I have highlighted by clicking on the WOMEN label to the left. For today, the spotlight falls on a heroine from Antioquia -- Ana María Martínez de Nisser . Ana María was born in Sonsón , Antioquia , on December 6, 1812. Her father was a teacher in Sanson. Her early years were spent in school where she was an excellent student. Those who knew her have written that she was very bright and quick, and was able to speak fluent French as well as English. She was married in 1831 to a man from Sweden -- Pedro Nisser . Nisser was a gold dealer and businessman. Events in Colombia from 1839-1841 were not pleasant, the country experienced the first on many civil wars. This war was know as the Guerra de los Supremos (or Guerra de los Conventos ). Here is a brief explanation: The war started over, what else...

The myth of the Madremonte (Mother Mountain), and I do say myth though many campesinos in Colombia believe in her today, has it's roots in the indigenous cultures of Colombia and is known throughout much of Colombia including Antioquia, Caldas, Arauca, Caqueta, Amazonas, Guainia, and perhaps more departments. The Madremonte looks like a large woman. She has large, bony hands, large teeth and Betty Davis Eyes -- which on closer examination glow. Her body is covered in leaves and moss. Her hair is a tangled mess of plants and moss which often covers her face. She lives in the mountains and jungles, (in Antioquia and Caldas she lives in swamps where streams are born. People who claim to have seen her, usually report to have done so near thickets and bushes in jungle like areas. Others report having heard her bloodcurdling screams and groans on stormy nights. She rules the winds, the rains, and all the vegetation, and her role is to protect nature. She punishes those who invad...

Families that are in Medellín pickin gup their children will have a special treat this week. They will be joined by hundreds of athletes, coaches, and journalists from all ove South America as Medellín hosts the 2010 South American Games (Juegos Suramericanos). The games start tomorrow (March 19th) and will run through the 30th. I can imagine that hotels will be full and the town will be hopping. There will be athletes from 15 different countries participating in 42 different events (31 different sports). The picture is of the park that will host the games. Here is a little bit of interesting trivia. Like in the Olympics, the game sports an official flame. However, this flame doesn't come from Athens. Nope! It was lit by indigenous priests in Bolivia at the Puerta del Sol (Door of the Sun) in Tiwanaku. The flame then travelled to the airport in La Paz and on to Medellín. Over the past 2 weeks the flame has travelled to different neighborhoods in Medellín and today can be found foll...

The Feria de Manizales features a Trova contest (the 2nd most important Trova competition in Colombia) -- but what exactly is a Trova ? A trova is a simple rhyming song that is used to express personal experiences that are often considered a subtle form of political or cultural commentary. Where did the Trova come from? Originally, the trovas were songs sung by jugglers in the Middle Ages. The concept arrived in Spain from France and then in Latin America via Spain. And while Trovas are sung in other parts of Latin America -- Cuba, Mexico, Peru. Colombia, and in particular the Paisas of Antioquia and the Coffee growing region, have made it a cultural competition. What is a Trova competition? In order to take this art form to the "next level," Pasias have made the trova an improvisational competition. The participants -- trovadores -- must seamlessly link one singer's idea to the next singer's idea while rhyming (typically a, b, b, a or a, b, a, b) and often playing th...

What Colombian Feria would be complete without a beauty contest??? NONE!!! So, the Feria of Manizales hosts the International Coffee Queen Competition. The pageant began in 1957 and hosts beauties from many different coffee growing countries. Winners have come from Colombia (of course), as well as Brasil, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Costa Rica, amongst others. There are also special invitations for non coffee growing countries, this year Poland and Canada sent contestants. In the past, Germany has sent a contestant and she even won the competition. Here is a link to this year's competition info and winner pictures: http://www.feriademanizales.gov.co/pages/reinadoaldia.aspx Also a link to a News report of the event (in Spanish): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c7e20E1i0g Clip art: http://classroomclipart.com/cgi-bin/kids/imageFolio.cgi?search=crown&img=12&cat=&bool=phrase

Okay, so this is yet another late post, but think of all you have to look forward to next January! You could actually make plans to go to Manizales and experience first hand the Feria. In 1951, after the 400th anniversary of the founding of the city, a parade of antique handcarts and several bullfights were organized. It became a popular annual event. Then in 1954, after having seen the Feria in Seville, Spain, Osacar Hoyos Botero decided to try to create something similar in his hometown of Manizales. So, in 1955, the Feria de Manizales as a city sponsored activity was organized. It main feature was and is the the traditional Bullfights. Maestro Bullfighters come from all over America and Spain to participate. There is also a large horse parade (Cabalgata), a traditional Manola, folkloric dancing, fireworks, musical presentations, a trova competition, and of course, a beauty contest. The Feria de Manizales in the 2nd largest celebration in Colombia -- behind the Carnaval de Baranquil...

The festival is also known as the Carnaval del Diablo (the Devil's Carnival). It takes place in what today is known as Rio Sucio (Caldas). Originally the area that is now known as Río Sucio was divided into 2 communities -- La Montaña & Quiebralomo. The two communities were strong rivals. They each had their own park, church and priests. The priests were tired of the constant fighting between the two groups and formulated a plan to get the people to be more united. They announced that the Devil would punish anyone who did not join together in unity. Then, they had a large party on Three Kings Day (Reyes Magos). The people did join together and the party proved to be a great success. In time (by 1915), the city adopted the symbol of the Devil as the focus of the festival. The Devil is used to remind the people of the threats made by the priests if community union is broken.

Fernando Botero, originally from Medellin, is perhaps the most famous Colombian artist. In fact, he calls himself the " most Colombian of Colombian artists." He started out as a painter and has become famous not only for his paintings, but also his sculptures. His art was originally recognized in 1952, when he won the Ninth "Salon de Artistas Colombianos". Then, he left for Europe. Studying art for a time in Spain and then in Italy. He struggled to find his voice, so to speak, for several years and eventually ended up in New York in 1960. There his art was recognized and awarded the Guggenheim National Prize for Colombia. He then began to develop his technique of exaggerating proportions -- making things fat. The first recognized painting in this style is entitled "La Familia Pinzon". In the early 1970's he began to develop as a sculptor. Today, he is a very prolific painter and sculptor. He has donated many of his works to Colombian parks and museums....

The famous Colombian poet -- Rafael Pombo -- once wrote: “Para conjurar el tedio de este vivir , tan maluco , Dios me depare un bambuco y al punto , santo remedio ” which means In order to avert tedium in this life, so awful. God has sent me a bambuco and with it, a holy remedy. Most musicians, anthropologists, and historians claim that Bambuco has its roots in African mixed with Indigenous culture -- with some Spanish thrown in for good measure. Whatever its roots, however, Bambuco is a uniquely Colombian genre that has spread to other parts of South and Central America. Bambuco is most commonly associated with the following Departments of Colombia: Nariño , Cauca , Valle del Cauca , Tolima , Huila , Antioquia , Risaralda , Quindío , Cundinamarca , both Santanders , and Boyacá . While there are modern singers of Bambuco ( Conjunto Villa María , Trío Palo Santo , and Cuarto Palos ), it is typically considered to be folkloric music. It is based on 3/4 or 6/8 time, ...

Francisco José de Caldas was a Colombian naturalist and geographer. Born in Popayán in 1771, he showed impressive intellectual skill from his early childhood. He eventually graduated with a degree in law from the Colegio del Rosario. However, despite his legal studies, his real love was math, science and nature. He made so many discoveries that he earned the nickname "El Sabio" (the Wise man). He participated in many scientific nature expeditions and was part Celestino Mutis and Alexander Von Humbodlt's expeditions. He classified plants and created a large herbarium. He measured mountains and waterfalls, and created several maps. He made observations of the weather. In 1805, Mutis assigned Caldas to be the first director of the Astronomical Observatory in Bogotá. From 1805 -1810, Caldas spent his time equipping the Observatory, performing scientific experiments and writing papers and reports including: "El estado de la geografía del virreinato con relación a la ...