What I Learned about Colombia from Talking with Denise - K.J.

Skyping With Denise



Today, we skyped with Denise, Blake’s wife. She is from Cartagena, Colombia. When she first came to the U.S., she was surprised to see squirrels everywhere. She said that in Colombia there are only red squirrels in the country. She doesn’t like hot dogs or hamburgers too much and she likes hanging out with her friends.



She has a diploma in philosophy and is a philosopher. After high school, you have to choose your career and that is what you will go to college for. She mostly thinks about society. She thinks about questions most people wouldn’t ever think about. She likes the idea of equality and social justice. She doesn’t really agree with any of the rebel groups or the government. Both of them are causing violence. The government is “stopping” the violence by killing people. They invest mostly in the army which in turn creates more war. Taking care of the community is not a top priority for the government. The rebel groups, right now, aren’t a threat to the government. There is no violence in her neighborhood. Most of the violence is in remote areas outside the cities. She said that when you hear stories about violence, there are multiple sides. You never know who to believe. One of the things she hates the most is when people think she likes tortillas and tacos because she is from South America. She said that in every South American country, there are different foods. She said you shouldn’t assume that she is Mexican because only Mexicans are Mexican. She is Colombian.