"Us in a Bowl"

Today, through will and coffee, I toured UNITEC and the Fulbright Commission. UNITEC is similar to the really good community colleges in the states in that it focuses more on hands-on skills to make students ready for the workforce. They offer four year degrees as well. Students can study engineering, hospitality, finance, film and television, and gastronomy and sommelier.

We got a very up close look at two of the most popular areas of study- film and television and gastronomy and sommelier.

We were able to view a short film that dealt with the harsh realities of farming families in the time when guerrillas and foreign companies forced and terrorized families to give up their land. The instructor shared with us the importance of giving students the chance to express traumatic experiences that they faced growing up as well as sharing with younger generations of students events of the past. We had a discussion about the importance of film in helping in the healing process, encouraging government change, sharing stories of the past, and encouraging more ethical behavior.

Our next experience at UNITEC was a visit from Nicolas Prieto, the chef and instructor in gastronomy and sommelier. His passion for food is palpable. His passion and for the learning of his students is inspirational. I had been told that I MUST try ajiaco by Senor Salazar and Senora Chelsoi at my school. This experience was amazing. Senor Prieto broke down each ingredient in this amazing cultural dish and told us that his ajiaco could only be made with guasca. It is a common local weed that he passed around and encouraged us to touch and smell and taste before the meal. He did the same with banana passion fruit. He called ajiaco "us in a bowl." I thought that was a beautiful way stating the cultural importance of food.

We then visited the Fulbright Commission for a presentation by the Executive Director, Dr. Adriana Gaviria Duque. She shared with us the progress that is being made in encourage cross-cultural connections with Colombia and the United States. I encourage you to find out more by following @FulbrightCol, #exchangeourworld, #befulbright.