Gary Parkosewich | American Journalist in Colombia

"¡Ave María Pués!" – My Return to Medellín

2009-09-09T11:03:00.026-05:00

My return to Medellín, of course, was inevitable. After all, it was the first city I ever visited in Colombia and the one city that inspired me to ultimately change my entire life; and for that, I will always carry Medellín in a special place in my heart.

Although my home now is Bogotá, I will always feel a stronger connection to Medellín for those reasons. People even say I speak Spanish as if I learned it in Medellín. Apparently it's is an odd combination of gringo and paisa. I guess it's because I've always found the paisa (Medellín) accent easier to imitate than a rolo (Bogotá) accent, even though rolos insist they speak the better Spanish. Paisas however couldn't disagree less.

I arrived to the "City of Eternal Spring" on August 5 to cover the Fería de las Flores (Flower Fair) running around like a chicken with its head cut off – making stories, writing scripts on my BlackBerry, tracking them, locating the RCN satellite truck to send it back to Bogotá, and of course fighting heavy holiday traffic.

Once the stuff was sent, I had to call my producers and instruct them how I wanted the story to be done, hoping they would understand me with loud salsa music booming in the background of Parque Norte.

It was all a rush but I felt very proud I was able to accomplish this, and I wouldn't mind doing it at all again.

On my trip, I met Medellín Mayor Alonso Salaso and climbed to the top of the Mayor's Office, getting a perfect 360° view of the city. I also visited Medellín's usual tourist sites including Pueblito Paisa where I sang "Ay Hombe" by vallenato singer Jorge Celedón in front of a large crowd. I don't have the "Factor X" however.

Once I was done with my stories around at 8:00 PM, I could do whatever I wanted, so I ended-up taking a long taxi ride over to the northwest part of the city to visit some friends. It was the first time I had seen them in seven months so we were both all happy to see each other again.

My best experience covering the feria was the ever famous "Silletero" parade, the main event of the Feria de las Flores where enormous flower displays – called silletas – are carried through the streets. Army helicopters flew over the parade, dropping bushels of flower petals onto the crowd, as if it were raining petals from the sky.

After making my stand-ups for my package, my cameraman and I walked through the parade itself. It shocked me how many people recognized me as the "RCN gringo." Several asked for my picture or autograph while people who didn't know me soon learned who I was.

It's such an amazing feeling when you walk through miles and miles of people and have them all cheer for you. Not just small cheers but loud, roaring cheers, booming through the parade as if I were a soccer player running onto a field. One person who spoke English came up to me telling me what an amazing impact I was having on Colombia.

Nothing felt better than knowing I captivated the hearts and minds of the Paisas; and I can't thank them enough for always renewing my love for Colombia and reminding me why their country is truly great. As my Medellín friends – my parceros – say, "Medellín es una chimba!"

The Travelin' Man

2009-07-05T22:34:00.042-05:00

It’s been a while, hasn’t it?

I’ve been spending the last month traveling around Colombia, getting to know even more of this beautiful country. Cumaral, Meta; Paipa, Boyacá; Nemocón, Cogua, and Fusagasuga, Cundinamarca, and El Espinal, Tolima, just to name a few. I worked for 33 days without one day of rest, which was exhausting but I love my job and do my work with all heart and dedication.

One thing I will say about Colombia is I have yet to find a city or town that is ugly. Every region in this country has its own unique appearance and all of them beautiful in their own way. I also notice that every one of these municipalities has a strong sense of pride in itself. Anytime I visit a place with the RCN crew, the mayor and townspeople always makes sure we’re having a good time and enjoying their home.

In my travels I've also had the pleasure of meeting more Colombian celebrities. Los Gigantes del Vallenato, Nelson Velásquez, Peter Manjarres, just the name a few. All three, of course, are an honored part of my vallenato collection.

More and more people are starting to recognize me on the street as "that gringo from RCN" and ask for my picture or autograph. My name, however, is still too complicated for many Colombians to pronounce but I know they'll get there someday.

Moving on, the first trip in my long list of recent travels was CUMARAL, META. Meta is always a treat because of the hot weather; a great escape from the generally mild climate of Bogotá. Mamona, a favorite dish of the Llanos region, is by far the juiciest, freshest, most delectable meat you’ll ever sample, while the sound of joropo music always puts you in a deep, pensive mood. It’s the perfect “driving music” when traveling from one point of Colombia to another.

My second trip was to COGUA and NEMOCÓN, CUNDINAMARCA, both cooler than the capital city in terms of climate, but the incredible, surrounding green mountains make up for what the towns lack in warm weather.

The salt mine in Nemocón, Cundinamarca is one of the most amazing spots you’ll ever see above or below ground. When you first think of salt, nothing special comes to mind except for the stuff you sprinkle on French fries. But when you’re at its source, 60-80 meters beneath the Earth, you immerse yourself among a collection of the world’s most underappreciated gems.

Dispersed throughout the tunnels are arrays of multicolored lights and decorations. Put these and immense walls of salt together and you will discover nature’s abstract masterpiece: vaults of enormous, chiseled blocks of vivid, colorfully psychedelic crystals. It all looks like candy but lick the sides and you’ll realize it’s still pure salt.

The mine’s little lakes and streams in one of caverns create reflections of the ceiling so sharp, so pristine, you initially think you’re staring down a cliff meters below your feet. (check out the picture on the left) I didn’t realize the truth until my tour guide, Orlando, told me I was really staring at super saturated salt water. It’s nature’s most amazing optical illusion and the reason why Nemoconenses call it, “the magic room.”

I don’t think I’ll ever look at a saltshaker the same again.

PAIPA, BOYACÁ was another small town but nevertheless memorable. The Sochagota Lake (seen in the above picture) was an amazing site because not only can you look at the water but also the super green mountains in the background.

The highlight of Paipa of course was the aguas termales – a spa built around a boiling pond of water believed to be heated by an underground volcano.

There were six parts to the spa including a heated pool, Jacuzzis, saunas, and thermal mud. It was one of the very few instances a television reporter could present shirtless and have a beautiful woman rub mud on his body. I remember thinking as I was making the special, “Am I really getting paid to do this?” By my final presentation, I was so relaxed my mind felt numb and I could hardly move my mouth.

And now that leaves us with my most recent trip, EL ESPINAL, TOLIMA a place much warmer than Cundinamarca and Boyacá but not nearly as hot as Barrancabermeja, Santander.

I was there covering the Festivo de San Pedro, a big holiday celebrated all around Colombia. The department of Tolima, however, has the biggest festivities. I got a chance to see yet another beauty pageant, this time the Reinado del San Pedro. Lucky for me, I met several of the beauty queens. I know, I have a tough life sometimes. ;)

It was here in El Espinal I witnessed my first bullfight and one of the more interesting stories I’ve reported for RCN.

For starters, the stadium was a series of closed rooms built entirely of wood and bamboo. You had to climb a ladder in order to reach another level.

The food vendors, on the other hand, had to maneuver around the stadium clinging onto the outside ledges. One false move, and they could fall at least three meters to the ground. You can find the story here.

As for the bullfight itself, it was brutal as expected but interesting nevertheless. It was sometimes difficult watching the bulls wincing in excruciating pain but I also admired the skill and courage it takes to do one of these dangerous spectacles.

The bulls used in the fight I was covering, however, were Brahman bulls; much less aggressive than your typical bullfighting breeds. After a few stabs in the back by the banderilleros, the bulls would either give-up and run back into their stadium quarters or sit down, refusing to move.

Spectators were welcome to join-in on the fun too with these relatively “tame” Brahmans. It was crazier watching this huge group of people attack the bull than the crowds at soccer stadiums. The people would surround it, swat-it, lasso-it, grab its tail and once in a while get a well-deserved trampling. You can see it all in my story here.

My favorite part of El Espinal, however, was a place called “La Caimanera,” a nice little getaway next to the Magdalena River. You can swim in Colombia’s most famous body of water, then have a picnic, eating freshly caught fish. Afterward, you grab a few drinks and dance in a huge hut, overlooking the beautiful scenery.

La Caimanera was quiet, relaxing and fun. The late afternoon sun gave the mountains and the waters of the Magdalena a crisp, golden hue as if it really were made of the precious metal itself. Plus, now that I've bathed in the Magdalena River, I think I've officially been baptized as a Colombian.

Although I was relieved to finally relax after working and traveling for so long, I have absolutely no regrets. I love my job and I love my life here in Colombia, and the more I get to know this beautiful country, the deeper I fall in love with it.

¡Parranda en Barrancabermeja!

2009-04-29T13:03:00.016-05:00

For English, click here

BARRANCABERMEJA – Un Nombre tan largo que ellos mismos lo ponen como “B/Bermeja” en las matriculas de los autos, separada en dos – Barranca Bermeja – o simplemente decir Barranca.

Mi experiencia en Barranca fue en gran medida la mejor experiencia que he tenido en Colombia desde que visité este hermoso país por primera vez en Medellín hace dos años. Barranca es una ciudad llena de vida, felicidad, calor y un gran orgullo. Su calor y su alta humedad convierten a su gente en la más amable que allá conocido en Colombia. Te saludan como si fueses un viejo amigo o un pariente perdido lejano al que no solo reciben con los brazos abiertos sino que literalmente te arrastran a sus casas para ofrecerte comida y bebidas para refrescarse del calor.

La historia de Barranca es una de tantas que Colombia tiene para compartir. Barranca es la capital petrolera del país y no es únicamente la espina dorsal de la economía sino también su orgullo y alegría. Por años grupos armados como las FARC y Paramilitares se esforzaron por alcanzar el control de la población persiguiendo el codicioso petróleo.

Hoy, ninguno de ustedes sabría que tal historia pudiese ocurrir en un lugar tan maravilloso, su cara a cambiado completamente de una lucha desesperada a una cara de triunfo, paz y esperanza. La violencia ha quedado en el pasado y su renacer esta más que lista para salir a la luz del mundo.

Oliver Diglesias, nuestro camarógrafo Juan y yo viajamos para cubrir las festividades de la ciudad en su 87 aniversario. Barranca fue apenas habitada desde el descubrimiento del petróleo y hoy es una de las ciudades más pobladas con más de 200.000 habitantes.

Llegamos el viernes alrededor de las 12:30 pm, quede fascinado en cuanto a cómo era el verde del paisaje, mirado desde nuestros minúsculos aviones Fokker 50 de Avianca. ¡Aún más, no podría creer el calor cuando bajamos! Barranca es la región más caliente de Colombia, con las temperaturas más altas extendiéndose a partir de los 90° a mas de 100°F (32°to 40° C) con humedad alta y casi ningún viento para refrescarte.

Sude cada minuto durante todo el día al menos tuve que tomar dos o tres duchas! Pero me encantó. Proveniente desde Connecticut en U.S., donde me congelaba el trasero durante el invierno no existía para mi tal cosa que yo sintiera realmente como calor.

Al primer lugar que fuimos fue el museo del Petróleo, el único en América latina y el segundo museo más importante de Petróleo en el mundo. Hice mi primer show allí y era educado en cuanto a cómo el petróleo era perforado de la tierra. El equipo y yo estábamos con un grupo de estudiantes que tomaron fotos conmigo.

Después de acomodarnos en nuestro hotel, tomamos en la tarde un viaje al río Magdalena, donde comimos en un restaurante con vista al rio. Fue una visión absolutamente impresionante con la puesta del sol reflejando los colores más hermosos en el río. Intenté probar Bagre frito por primera vez fresco atrapado del río Magdalena y no pude creer lo delicioso que fue. No tengo gusto por el pescado, pero Colombia ha encontrado la forma de sorprenderme de nuevo.

Luego dimos un paseo en bote por el rio magdalena donde hice mi segundo show, navegamos alrededor de la refinería de petróleos de Ecopetrol y pasamos brevemente en inmediaciones del departamento de Antioquia donde hice mi closing al frente de los vendedores de pescados.

Esa noche conocimos al alcalde Carlos Alberto Contreras, que reflejó grandemente el calor y la hospitalidad de la gente de Barranca. Carlos es orgulloso y apasionado sobre su ciudad y no pude evitar en ver cómo relucían sus ojos mientras que hablaba de ella con esa gran sonrisa. Puso su corazón y alma para cerciorarse de que todos nosotros tuviéramos un gran rato y que gozáramos de la ciudad, y realmente lo hicimos. Honestamente me olvide que estaba en esta ciudad para trabajar.

La noche sin embargo seguía siendo joven, encontramos la manera de ir a un concierto de vallenato. Luifer Cuello, cantante de éxitos tales como “A Chillar A Otra Parte” fue el primer concierto hecho por parte de la alcaldía, he hice mi siguiente show basado en él. En algún punto de mi presentación Luifer caminó hacia mi mientras cantaba, sorprendido entonces baile vallenato al lado de él y al frente de centenares de personas, no fue la mejor presentación de mi vida sin embargo me dijeron que baile mejor que cualquier gringo que los hubiese visitado antes.

Con los acontecimientos directos encendiéndose por el aniversario de la ciudad, éramos afortunados en conseguir cuatro horas de sueño por noche; pero valió totalmente la pena. Conseguí disfrutar de cada minuto en Barrancabermeja en absoluto, Hacíamos algo interesante cada minuto y nuestros cuatro días allí se sintieron como si fuesen más bien dos semanas.

Al día siguiente tuve el placer de conocer a la Señorita Santander Maria Alejandra Sampayo. Alejandra se fue con nosotros por el resto del viaje, así que tuve la oportunidad de familiarizarme con ella muy bien. No sólo es ella absolutamente imponente físicamente sino que también es muy inteligente y aun - más importante - muy humilde. Cada hombre que pasaba por su lado la silbaba y quería una foto con ella pero nunca se le subió a su cabeza, ella habló con todos como si no tuviese ningún título de belleza, y la admiro grandemente por eso, ella es una persona muy especial.

El resto del viaje continuó siendo diversión pura. Intenté esquí náutico por primera vez con poco éxito. Siempre que intentaba levantarme me caía completamente de cara, teniendo el agua por encima de mi nariz. Después, fuimos a un barrio en donde el alcalde habló en un pequeño festival de la calle. El alcalde pidió que hablara delante de la gente para mostrar la perspectiva de un extranjero de la ciudad. Varias señoras mayores en vestido tradicional me pidieron bailar con ellas en el medio de la calle. ¡Nunca en mi vida había recibido tanta atención!

Esa noche fuimos en Chiva, un autobús colombiano tradicional de fiestas y tuvimos un rato impresionante. Música a todo volumen, bailamos y agitamos a toda la gente en la calle, que se divirtió con nosotros detrás. La Chiva nos llevó a un juego de fútbol donde el equipo nacional jugó contra un compilado de todas las estrellas de la televisión Colombiana. También tuve la oportunidad de conocer a la leyenda del fútbol colombiano Carlos el “Pibe” Valderrama.

Después del juego comimos en un restaurante hamburguesas de búfalo, que gocé plenamente al ser el gringo cheeseburger-cariñoso que soy. Entonces recordé todas esas cosas locas que había hecho para alcanzar mi sueño, sintiéndome feliz de que Dios me concediera una vida tan maravillosa. Me Sentí tan contento en ese momento que comencé a sentir que mi pecho latía.

Para nuestro ultimo día en Barranca, ya había completado 5 shows los últimos que faltaban fueron hechos por Oliver. Fuimos a un barrio donde prepararon una “cocada” gigante un postre tradicional hecho para el aniversario de la ciudad.

Oliver hizo un pedazo de cocada para su segmento “cocinando con Diglesias” que aparecerá en nuestro noticiero hecho para Avianca: Guillermo Aka “Guilligan” otro de los periodistas de RCN que fue con nosotros hizo algunos segmentos y entrevistas para el programa estilo RCN. Aprovechando reunió a todos los cocineros para decir “¡Esta cocada es Estilo RCN!” Luego, el equipo y yo fuimos con los niños, desfilamos en el centro de la ciudad, donde Oliver terminó su trabajo para la edición del fin de semana.

Oliver, la Srta. Santander, junto con algunos de nuestros nuevos amigos y yo fuimos recompensados por Barranca por el trabajo realizado yendo al Aquaparque de la ciudad a refrescarnos y complacernos en lo que ellos pudieren hacerlo. Había piscinas, toboganes gigantes y tejo, un juego colombiano popular donde tienes que intentar lanzar un minúsculo objeto de diferente peso con el objetivo de meterlo sobre un triángulo blanco de mechas en el medio de un cuadrado hecho de arcilla.

Me sentí muy triste dejando Barranca pero al día siguiente recuerdo sentirme feliz de lo que pude experimentar en un lugar tan maravilloso. Es de las grandes ciudades como Barranca que prueban que Colombia es un pequeño pedazo de cielo en la tierra.

Barranca tendrá siempre un lugar especial en mi corazón y miro adelante el día en el cual tenga la oportunidad de volver a tan gran ciudad. Sr. alcalde, usted ha encontrado un Barranqueño de corazón. ¡Muchas Gracias Barrancabermeja por darme algunas de las mejores memorias de mi vida! Usted tiene no sólo una de las mejores ciudades en Colombia sino una de las mejores en el mundo.

¡Parranda en Barrancabermeja!

2009-04-29T10:17:00.046-05:00

Para español, haga clic aquí

BARRANCABERMEJA – A name so long they shorten it to “B/Bermeja” on the license plates, separate it into two words – Barranca Bermeja – or simply just say, “Barranca.”

My experience in Barranca was by far the best experience I’ve had in Colombia since I visited this beautiful country for the first time in Medellín two years ago. Barranca is a city full of life, happiness, warmth and great pride. With its hot weather and high humidity comes the warmest and most friendly people you’ll ever meet in Colombia. They’ll greet you like an old friend or a long-lost relative, and not only welcome you with open arms but also literally drag you into their homes to offer you food and a refreshment to cool off.

The story of Barranca is one that several cities in Colombia share. Barranca is the oil capital of Colombia and is not only the backbone of the city’s economy but also its pride and joy. For years, guerrilla groups such as the FARC and the paramilitaries strived to seize control of the city, lusting for a piece of the oil wealth.

Today, you never would’ve known such a story existed in this wonderful place. The face has completely changed from one of desperate struggle to one of triumph, peace and hope. The violence is all past and with its rebirth is more than ready to show itself to the world.

Oliver Diglesias, our cameraman Juan and I traveled to Barrancabermeja to cover the festivities for the city’s 87th anniversary. Barranca was hardly inhabited until the town struck oil. Now it's a large city with over 200,000 people.

We arrived there on Friday at around 12:30 p.m. I was wowed as to how green the landscape was, looking from our tiny Avianca Fokker 50 aircraft. Even more, I couldn’t believe the heat when we got off! Barranca is the hottest region in Colombia, with temperatures ranging from 90° to over 100° F (32°to 40° C) with high humidity and almost no wind to cool you off.

I was sweating every minute of the day and would have to take at least two or three showers but I loved it. Coming from Connecticut in the U.S., where I froze my butt off during the winter, there’s no such thing for me as too much heat

The first place we went to was the oil museum, the only one in Latin America and the second-most important oil museum in the world. I did my first news show there and was educated as to how oil was drilled from the ground. The crew and I were with a group of students who kept wanting to take pictures with me.

After settling into our hotel we took a trip to the Magdalena River that evening and ate at a restaurant overlooking the water. It was an absolutely breathtaking view with the sunset reflecting the most beautiful colors on the river. I tried fried catfish for the first time (called “bagre” in Spanish), caught fresh from the Magdalena River and I couldn’t believe how delicious it was. I don’t like the taste of fish, but Colombia has managed to surprise me once again.

We then took a boat tour of the Magdalena River, which became my second news show. We sailed past the EcoPetrol oil refinery, and took a peek at the department of Antioquia. After that I did my closing in front of fish vendors.

That night we met Mayor Carlos Alberto Contreras, who greatly reflected the warmth and hospitality of Barranca’s people. Carlos was proud and passionate about his city and I couldn’t help but notice how his eyes glistened as he talked about it with a smile. He put his heart and soul into making sure all of us were having a great time and enjoying the city, and we sure did. I honestly kept forgetting I was here in this city to work.

The night however was still young and we made our way to a vallenato concert. Luifer Cuello, singer of hits such as A Chillar a Otra Parte was the first major act, and I made my next news show based around it. At one point I went onstage to do a presentation and Luifer himself walked up to me while singing. Surprised, I then danced vallenato next to him in front of the screaming hundreds of people in the crowd. It wasn’t the best performance on my part but I was told, however, I dance better than any gringo they’ve seen dance it before.

With the nonstop events going on for the city’s anniversary, we were lucky to get four hours of sleep per night; but it was all well worth it. I got to enjoy every minute of Barrancabermeja to the absolute fullest. We were doing something interesting every minute and our four days there felt more like two weeks.

The next day I was given the pleasure to meet Señorita Santander Maria Alejandra Sampayo. Alejandra stuck with us for the rest of the trip, so I got the chance to get to know her very well. Not only is she absolutely stunning physically but she is also very intelligent and – most importantly – very humble. Every man she walked by gawked, whistled and asked for a picture with her, but it never got to her head at all. She talked to everybody at her level as if she didn’t hold a beauty queen title at all, and I admire her greatly for that. She’s a very rare and very special person.

The rest of the trip continued to be pure fun. I tried waterskiing for the first time with little success. Whenever I tried to stand up I would fall flat on my face, having water shoot up my nose. Later on, we went to a neighborhood where the mayor spoke at a little street festival. The mayor asked me to speak in front of the people to show them a foreigner’s perspective of the city. I was then asked by several old ladies in traditional dress to dance with them in the middle of the street. Never in my life have I received so much attention!

That night we went on a chiva, a traditional Colombian party bus and had an awesome time. We blasted music, danced and waved to all the people on the street, who would then wave back. The chiva took us to a soccer game where we the former Colombian national team played a team compiled of all the television stars of Colombia. I also got a chance to meet Colombian soccer legend Carlos “El Pibe” Valderrama.

After the game we ate dinner at a buffalo burger restaurant, which I highly enjoyed being the cheeseburger-loving gringo that I am. I then reflected on the crazy things I had gone through in order to achieve my dream, feeling so happy God was so kind to grant me such a wonderful life. I felt so content at that moment that I began to feel my chest tingle.

By our last full day in Barranca I had already completed five news shows. The only ones left where the ones Oliver had to finish his stories. We went to a neighborhood where they were making a giant cocada – a traditional dessert – for the city’s anniversary.

Oliver made a piece on the cocada for his “Dining with Diglesias” segment, which will appear on our Avianca newscast. Guillermo aka “Gilligan” – one of the other RCN journalists with us – conducted some interviews for Estilo RCN. He made the whole group of cooks get together and say, “¡Esta cocada es Estilo RCN!” Afterwards, the crew and I went to the Children’s Rights parade in the downtown area, where Oliver completed his work doing a weekend edition newscast.

Oliver, Miss Santander, along with some of our other new Barranca friends and I rewarded our hard work by going to the city’s waterpark to cool off and indulge in it as much as we could. There were pools, giant waterslides and tejo, a popular Colombian game where you have to try to throw tiny weight onto an exploding white triangle in the middle of a clay square.

It was sad leaving Barranca the next day but I remember feeling so happy I was able to experience such a wonderful place. It’s the great cities like Barranca that prove Colombia is a little piece of heaven on Earth. Barranca will always have a special place in my heart and I look forward to the day I have the opportunity to return to such a great city. Mr. Mayor, you have found a Barranqueño de corazón. Thank you so much Barrancabermeja for giving me some of the best memories of my life! You have not only one of the best cities in Colombia but one of the best in the world.

Viviendo Villavo!

2009-04-06T16:04:00.029-05:00

Crazy weekend in Villavicencio but a great one nevertheless. Brian sent Oliver and I on assignment there to cover the Señorita Meta pageant. We went on a bus full of RCN journalists, including famous Colombian gossip journalist, La Negra Candela. (this time doing a piece for her RCN show El Lavadero) I was asked to do as many reports as possible but we didn't arrive in Villavo until dark, so I couldn't do anything.

As a journalist, it's my job to report the news. It's rare for journalists, however, to be the news, but that's what exactly happened to me. At the Señorita Meta pageant, one of the judges didn't show up, so the officals then asked me to be the replacement. You can easily guess what my answer was.

So for one night I felt like a celebrity. They announced my name over the loudspeaker and I stood up in the spotlight, waving to a screaming crowd. There were several intermissions throughout the contest and lots of young ladies came up to me, asking for a picture. I even signed my first autograph. Wild stuff!

Judging the ladies of course was a very nice experience. Colombian women, as you know, are among the most beautiful in the world, and here I was, judging the best of the best from the department of Meta. There were also some gorgeous waitresses giving me free aguardiente and rum, which only made the women look better of course. ;-)

When you're a foreigner working in television, you often come across some interesting people without knowing who they are. One of the judges I sat next to was a very pretty lady. She spoke English and was a very nice person, and we had some funny conversations throughout the competition.

Eventually I asked her what she did for a living. Turns out she was Anna Beatriz Osorio, a famous Venezuelan actress working here in Colombia. She works mainly for Caracol (the other major Colombian television network), acting in novelas; but she's also starred in shows on Telemundo; some shows I actually used to watch long before coming to Colombia. It's funny how I meet these famous people not knowing who they are.

The competition ended at 2 a.m. and Oliver and I had to wake up at 6 a.m. that morning to do some more reports. All of the RCN journalists and I went to Bioparque Los Ocarros, a little zoo with 150 species of animals. I dedicated an entire show to just the park and Oliver was featured in a portion of it as well. There was also a place where you could practice shooting ''poison darts.'' I of course gave it a shot. (pun intended)

After our taping, it was time to go back to Bogotá. One thing I will say is that the road between Bogotá and Villavicencio is absolutely gorgeous. You just see one giant green mountain after another and it's absolutely breathtaking. At the same time it's also a little sad to look at because in between mindboggles me, however, is that some of these people are still able to afford DirecTV satellites. It makes me chuckle seeing a rusty old shack with a modern, polished piece of technology standing at the top. I honestly think the satellites cost more than the houses.

I couldn't help but think of the stark contrast Colombia has with the United States. In the U.S., the small towns are traditionally more rich while most of the poor population tend to live in the cities. In Colombia, however, it's the exact opposite. All of your small towns are very poor while the cities are more rich and generally much more developed. At the same time, it's funny because there's very few cars in the towns between but once you hit the cities, you're smacked with your usual bumper-to-bumper traffic. One moment, you're free; the next moment, you've teleported to a different world.

On my way to Villavicencio and back, I got to see Ciudad Bolívar for the first time. Ciudad Bolívar is one of the southernmost localities of Bogotá and is also by far the most poor and from what I've been told the most dangerous. Ciudad Bolívar is one gigantic slum; well-hidden from view from the main area of Bogotá, and so isolated that it's considered to be a city within a city. You see layers and layers of poorly constructed brick shanties stretch for miles and miles over the landscape and onto the sides of the mountains. Some of the houses don't have roofs and from what I've been told, some don't have running-water either. Apparently, some people keep a barrel to collect rainwater, using that to drink, bathe and wash their clothes. I couldn't help but gawk in amazement not only as to how poor Ciudad Bolívar was but as to how enormous this slum area was. I really couldn't believe this place was still considered a part of Bogotá.

When I finally arrived back to the station - tired as I was - I had to work on all of my reports. I could hardly stay awake around 8 PM., since I was running on four hours of sleep, but everything got done; and, Farandula - the entertainment portion of Noticias RCN (the Spanish RCN newscast) - featured a little tidbit on me in Chismes, Chismes (Gossip, Gossip). They basically talked about how I was the judge at Señorita Meta and showed a clip of me doing my standup and waving to the camera. I looked like such an elegant celebrity. Who would've thought? Hahaha!

April Fools? Not this Year...

2009-04-01T12:04:00.006-05:00

For those familiar with the U.S., you all know that April 1 there is April Fool's Day. It's a day where many people love to pull pranks on each other, and since I'm a very gullible person, I'm an easy target.

I woke up this morning with a phone call from Brian Andrews, and he tells me I need to come to the studio right away. Muy Buenos Dias, which is the Today Show of Colombia, wanted Brian and I to appear... in one hour!

I jumped out of my bed and ran into the shower. This was my big break... I was going to appear on Colombian national television and I needed to get ready fast!

As I was shaving, I told my roomates' mother I had to appear on Muy Buenos Dias soon.

''But it's April Fool's Day in the U.S.,'' she says. ''Brian is just pulling your leg.''

I thought about it for a minute and then got worried. I sent Brian a text message asking him if this was an April Fool's joke. ''No,'' Brian replied. ''This is the real deal.''

Still a littke skeptical, I finished washing-up and threw on my clothes. I skipped breakfast and literally ran out the door to catch a cab. I was getting a little nervous because there were some traffic jams but I arrived at RCN in 15 minutes.

I ran into the studio and met with Alejo, one of the RCN marketing guys. No, this wasn't an April Fool's joke. This was really happening!

Alejo rushed me into makeup, and within 15 more minutes, Brian and I were sitting on the Muy Buenos Dias couch. This was my third interview in Spanish and I was very excited.

So there you have it... just one hour after I woke up, I was on live national television with Brian, Laura Acuña, Jessica Cediel and Jota Mario Valencia. Absolutely crazy! I was full of adrenaline from rushing out of bed, getting here, and now here I was on one of Colombia's most popular shows.

They started out with simple questions like where I was from and stuff like that. But Brian and I ended-up stealing the show, not even following the intinerary Jota Mario had for us. We talked about all sorts of crazy things like imitating the TransMilenio voice to making chicken noises. They also cracked up when I called Colombian drivers, ''brutos.'' We both showed a lot of personality and I think we did great!

Our interview only lasted 10 minutes but it went by super fast! It still hasn't totally hit me yet that I was just on national Colombian televison but I'm very excited for the things to come. It may have been April Fools Day in the United States but this was definitely no prank. This was another step in introducing myself to Colombia!

Enamorado de Colombia

2009-03-28T22:04:00.018-05:00

Oh, how I love this country! It's been almost a month since I've returned to ''mi nueva tierra'' and I love every minute of it. It is so difficult to describe in words just as to how happy I feel here. I just remember for the first few nights, feeling a rush of boiling energy swirling around my chest like a whitewater river. I also remember slowly filling my chest with the Bogotá air; feeling like I could float to the top of Monserrate. It was almost the same sensation you feel when you fall in love with a new woman.

Never in my life had I felt so happy, so accomplished; I sometimes ask myself what I did to deserve so much euphoria? Only in Colombia have I ever felt this way. I must be one of the luckiest men in the world right now. Wow, I never thought I would ever say that.

There's a stretch of road in Bogotá the taxi drives through every morning. It's a bridge where I get the most picturesque view of Colombia's capital city. I see the tall, rolling green mountains from the downtown area of Bogotá staring down upon me like a guardian; dwarfing Torre Colpatria, the tallest building in all of Colombia. The view lasts maybe 15 seconds before it's blocked by a stretch of stores, but it's the one thing I look forward to most on my commute to work.

Colombia has had a terrible reputation for a long time. There are still several out there thinking that Colombians constantly live in a war zone; that Colombia is only a place filled with drugs, violence, and sadness. I've had friends even ask me if people drive cars in Colombia. We all of course know better than that. Colombia may look like an old, scary haunted house on the outside due to its history, but if your mind is open enough to walk through the front door, you will find a beautifully decorated home full of warmth, comfort and happiness.

I sometimes wonder if I was a Colombian in a previous life. Ever since I could remember, I had always been looking for a place where the people were genuinly nice, where the weather was fine, where I would have not one but several close friends, and where the women were beautiful.

I found that place in Colombia. I honestly felt like I came not just home but to heaven and I really cannot imagine myself anywhere else in the world at this moment. I just can't wait until I have the opportunity to share this wonderful country with my family back in the United States. The only thing I'm missing in my life at the moment is a girlfriend, which I think can wait.

So far RCN has been abolutely fantastic. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better job nor a better place to work. RCN may be Colombia's largest television network covering the entire country but everybody is so relaxed, so polite, so content and so genuinly nice. You never see people slamming down phones or running around in a temper-tantrum rage. It's the big studio that's like a little family. Everybody is a friend here.

I don't consider myself a Colombian celebrity yet but I've already had my share of features and interivews already. Brian Andrews and I were interviewed by Estilo, which is like the Enterntainment Tonight of Colombia. It was my very first interview in Spanish but I basically told everybody my story as to how I fell in love with this country and how happy I feel here. I was very nervous but I think I pulled it off very well. To my knowledge, the interviews haven't aired yet but should be coming soon.

My second interview in Spanish was with the famous 'La Negra Candela,' a well-known gossip journalist here in Bogotá. Oliver Diglesias and I appeared on her radio show Picantísimo (See Part 1 and Part 2), and it was good thing Oliver came along, since I could't understand everything she said. Oliver, however, loves to talk a lot I noticed, but I think I said enough. You can see a link to the interviews in the right column.

I was curious one day and typed my name in Google and was surprised to find the website Farándula Criolla had featured an article on me. I couldn't help but smile and feel satisfied when it called me, ''El gringo más colombiano...'' (The most Colombian ''gringo'') Keep in mind that gringo, a nickname for Americans, does not have a derogatory meaning here in Colombia, as it does in some countries. Perhaps I really was a Colombian in a previous life, afterall. The same article was also printed in a Cartagena newspaper.

So there you have it, folks. I'm in love with this country and I don't plan on leaving for a while. Only in Colombia can you find a culture so rich, a land so beautiful, and a people so genuine. Oh yes, and how could I forget the food? Only the best you'll ever taste. Colombia: never, ever change, please. You have so much to be proud of. ¡Qué bonita es está vida!

Back in Bogotá!

2009-03-20T21:38:00.030-05:00

Well folks, for those who pay attention to this blog, you were probably wondering what happened to me since I disappeared from the RCN News scene a while ago.

Before I start, I'm overly-joyed to say I'm back in Bogotá, and this time for good. I now have a contract with RCN Television, along with my Colombian work visa, so I'll happily be bringing Colombia to the world with Brian Andrews and the rest of the RCN News in English team.

So here's my story... Back in November, Brian sent me on special assignment in Nuquí, Chocó on Colombia's Pacific Coast. I stayed there for five days, made eight reports before the camera broke down from the extreme weather conditions, and then came back to Bogotá.

Upon arriving back, complications arose at RCN, and the News in English could no longer have contributors. So that meant none of my special reports from Chocó could air, and for a good two weeks, it didn't look like I was going to get my dream job. RCN would not even allow me to enter the building again until I was officially hired.

Brian began aggressively pushing for my contract. By the end of the month, it appeared that I was going to be approved very quickly... but little did I know the long waiting process Brian once had to go through was just about to begin for me.

On the day RCN was supposed to make the final approval, a dispute broke out between RCN, Caracol and the Colombian government over licensing fees. So, just by my luck, all new hires were put on freeze until negotiations started on January 1.

After the dispute ended, RCN began to start my paperwork process. In order to hire a foreigner in Colombia, RCN had to petition the government to hire me, so I had to wait for approval from the Ministry of Labor. That too took a while... I prayed and prayed every single night for the papers to come as quickly as they could. Sometimes it felt like I was fighting a negative force trying to stop me from achieving my dream.

During that time, knowing I had a while to wait for my contract, I spent my time freely enjoying Colombia. I made several new friends, met some girls and dramatically improved my Spanish. I even came into contact with some old Medellín friends and spent time there in my favorite Colombian city for Christmas and New Years. I also explored the nearby municipalities of Copacabana, Sabaneta, Envigado and Bello. It was my first Christmas in Colombia and by far the best one I've ever had. To be honest, I thought Christmas wouldn't be fun anymore after learning the truth about Santa Claus but I'm happy to say Colombia has proven me wrong once again.

It was also during this time I was given an answer to several personal questions deeply troubling me for over a year. Not all of them were answered; the ones that were, however, were ones I had expected but not ones I wanted. God works in mysterious ways and the reason why He made me so negligent in my possessions is so I could get an answer, due to an indirect cause of my tendency to break things. I will not go into full details but the one thing I will say is sometimes your personal flaws can end up saving your life.

After New Years, my paisa friends and I went to Arboletes, Antioquia and Coveñas, Sucre – two beautiful towns on the Caribbean coast. I bathed in Arboletes' famous Volcán de Lodo (the mud volcano), tanned in the hot sun, and swam in the gorgeous waters of the Caribbean. Guaro flowed like water, and we all stayed-up throughout the entire night. It was a blast but little did I know my joy was about to come to a quick crash.

I was told Tuesday the 13th's are considered the unluckiest days for Colombians (in the U.S. it's Friday the 13th). The day after returning from the Caribbean – Tuesday, January 13 – I discovered somebody had cloned my debit card and stole $682 U.S. from my American savings account (the equivalent of $1.5 million Colombian pesos at the time). I called my bank but could not freeze the account because it was the only account I had; plus I didn't own a credit card... In other words, if I froze the account, then I wouldn't have any available money to buy a return ticket to the United States or to Bogotá for that matter.

Acting quickly, I flew to Bogotá the next day, withdrawing the maximum amount of money from my account daily. It was the only option I had to prevent the criminal from stealing any more. Since my papers still were not ready and because of this identity theft situation, I had no choice: I had to leave Colombia.

Within a few days, I flew back to the United States and canceled my debit card. The bank, thankfully, returned the lost money and now I can only hope the criminal who did this will be caught, if not already.

Nobody was happier about my return, of course, than my parents. We bought a pizza on my night back and spent as much time as we could together onwards. We had a Nintendo Wii in the house and my dad and I would play Mario Kart against each other almost every night.

It was very difficult adjusting to the harsh Connecticut winter. Just a week before, I was walking around shirtless on Colombia's Caribbean coast; and now it seemed like I couldn't find enough clothes to keep warm. My body was so accustomed to the Colombian climate that even Bogotá felt cold for me; when in reality it feels like a Connecticut spring or early summer everyday.

I used my seemingly endless amount of free time at home saying hello and goodbye to my friends and relatives. I knew it was only a matter of time before I had to return to Bogotá.

My mother is a middle school Spanish teacher and I made a big presentation on Colombia for all of her classes. I showed her students pictures from all of my experiences – from Bogotá, Medellín, Nuquí, Chocó to Copacabana, Arboletes and Coveñas. I also played vallenato and showed video clips from Medellín's soccer games and enormous Christmas lights. By the end of the presentation, every student wanted to visit Colombia. I felt so proud I was able to convince a tiny part of the world that Colombia was "cool." I couldn't wait, however, to finally do it as a profession.

Impatience is my biggest weakness, so the wait was a terrible experience. For four months the only news I would receive from RCN was I either had to wait "two more weeks" or "at least a month" for my papers. My biggest fear was receiving a call saying I could no longer be hired, and I prayed every night this would not happen. My Colombian friends, however, constantly reassured me how long things took to get done in Colombia. All I had to do was relax and be patient.

Finally, over a month after returning to the U.S., Brian called me from Bogotá with the best news: my papers were done and were going to be sent out that day.

So there you have it... Four months and four days after I made my debut as an RCN News contributor, I took a train to New York City and received my work visa at the Colombian Consulate... and – lucky for me – got it within an hour. That night I bought my return ticket to Bogotá for a Sunday flight.

The day before my arrival into Bogotá my family held a goodbye pizza party for me at my cousin's place. That night my dad and I watched 'The Dark Knight' – our favorite movie – on our new HDTV. My mother jokingly kept asking me, "Are you sure you want to go back to Colombia when you have this great TV here?"

After watching, my dad came into my room to say goodnight. I couldn't help but notice his eyes watering, and it was very difficult to look into them. My dad has always been my best friend, so it always pains me to see him when he's sad. As much as I love him, however, I had to leave for this job. When my dad was 23 years old he moved to Puerto Rico and lived there for over two years. Now, here I am, also 23 years old and – like my father – moving to a Latin American country for an undetermined period of time.

My father brought me to the airport the next day and just before I went through security, I looked at him from across the room, knowing it was going to be one last time before I would see him in person for a while. I could feel his pain project itself inside of me. At the same time, I think he understood the place where I was going since he had a very similar experience himself in Puerto Rico.

There was no turning back, however. I got my contract and my work visa and I was now going to work for Colombia's largest TV network. How many recent college broadcast journalism graduates can say they achieved this sort of thing? Not many. I think the reason why I was such an unlucky person for the majority of my life was because God was saving all that luck for this year.

So here we are... After almost two years of dreaming; ten months after graduating from the University of Connecticut; and four months after taking my plunge into Colombia, I'm back in Bogotá living my life's dream and am now a proud Colombian. God bless this wonderful country!

My New Life in Colombia

2008-11-09T23:25:00.006-05:00

Five years ago, when I first entered college, if somebody were to tell me I was going to be a television news reporter in Bogotá, Colombia, I would say, “What the hell are you talking about?” It’s absolutely amazing where life takes you. All of the changes that have occurred this year have been so dramatic. I’m going to nickname 2008 the “year of surprises,” because I have literally received a surprise (both good and bad) every single week of the year.

And, wow! What a dramatic turn of events it’s already been in Colombia! I honestly wish I could write everything that has occurred since I’ve arrived in Colombia two and a half weeks ago, but everyday has been such an adventure that I cannot possibly write everything down. If anything, I’ll have to reserve those memories for my pictures.

The reason why I haven’t been able to write anything is because I am now working as a contributor for RCN News in English. For those who aren’t familiar with Colombia, RCN is Colombia’s largest television network. Thanks to the efforts of top Miami television journalist Brian Andrews, RCN now has its own newscast in English, and I am happy to say that I now work with Brian as a contributing reporter, anchor and producer for the news in English.

Because this opportunity worked out so quickly for me, this radically my original plans (in a good way, of course!). I have to now remain in Bogotá to work at my dream job, while Jorge had to leave for Medellín to pursue his own plans, meaning that Jorge will no longer be writing in this blog.

The first city we saw in Colombia from our flight from Miami was Barranquilla. From no sleep, I was feeling very exhausted, so my excitement at arriving to Colombia wasn’t as strong as I thought it would be. It had me reflect, however, as to how much work I had spent on preparing this trip. All the research, all the learning, all the emotional distress of telling your family that you’re going to a foreign country, not sure when you’ll return; when you want to follow your heart, you have to prepare yourself for the critical beatings that are to come. Even your own head will call yourself crazy. But instead of fighting with yourself, you need to have your head work with your heart to find a way to make your heart’s desire possible.

I stared at the lush landscape for a few minutes more, so happy I finally was able to see Colombia again. Even though my outside excitement was contained by my exhaustion, I was, however, so content and so relieved I was finally in this country. Colombia was a long-lost love I never thought I would see again. I had done so much to plan my trip, and now here I was, in this beautiful country that has treated me so well.

After my opportunity worked out at RCN, it was a somewhat difficult decision to stay in Bogotá. For one, I had no idea RCN would work out so quickly, so rapidly. Second, I had been dying to return to Medellín, the city that had me fall in love with Colombia so passionately. I did, however, come here to start a new life, and a new career, and the moment Brian Andrews put me on his newscast, I stayed, doing the one thing I love in the one country I love so dearly. Medellín can most definitely wait.

Bogotá, of course, is very beautiful in itself. I already love the city and am already proud to call this place my home. And, just like Medellín, I have already met several genuinely nice people you can only meet in Colombia. I’ve made several friends already and right here, in Colombia, I feel like I’m becoming somebody… I feel like I can accomplish a lot, and now my life, along with my job now has a lot of meaning. I also have a feeling that I can meet the love of my life here because it is only here in Colombia where you can meet a woman who is not only beautiful on the outside but beautiful on the inside as well.

Yes, when you see the beautiful women that Colombia has to offer, you get into a very romantic mindset. But like every other human being, I’ve had my heart broken several times, so this time I’m going to be very careful in my choosing. My father always told me that you know when you meet your soul mate. The feeling is so strong and so obvious. I suppose then, it will be a very similar feeling to the one that told me to go to Colombia. It was so strong that I knew it was God’s calling for me.

Like I said before, follow your heart, but let your head guide you in the most difficult of decisions. Your heart knows what’s best for you but your head can help you survive the most difficult of situations.

I'm not expecting myself to be famous nor to have a lot of money. In fact, I really don't want any of those because those are only added bonuses. I learned that best through meeting some poor people last year in Medellín; they were the happiest people I had ever met –– and that’s exactly what I want. The only thing I want to be in my life right now is happy, and I feel that now by living in the beautiful country that is Colombia.

In the meantime, I’ve been enjoying everything that Bogotá has to offer. I did all the “tourist” things my first couple weeks here. I visited La Candelaria, a gorgeous historic section of the city, and I took a peak at the gorgeous landscape from Torre Colpatria –– the tallest building in Colombia –– and, of course climbed Monserrate. Ok, maybe I didn’t climb it, but I did walk down, which was tiring enough with the steep stairs and thin air.

The air of Colombia has a very unique smell. Every morning, when I walk out the door, I always take a deep breath of air, and a sudden surge of satisfaction rushes through my veins and my heart. I go into a taxi, and listen to vallenato play from the driver’s radio, and I then smile as I look at the beautiful yellow, blue and red flag of Colombia, and peek at the giant green mountains in the distance. I relax and feel so happy and so satisfied to be here.

COLOMBIA: My Life's Dream

2008-10-14T12:34:00.030-05:00

By Gary Parkosewich
Para español, haga clic aquí

For those looking for a little slice of heaven on Earth, look no further than the little-known country of Colombia.

My name is Gary Parkosewich and I recently graduated in journalism –– specializing in broadcasting –– from the University of Connecticut. I’m a big dreamer and I always follow my heart, and right now my heart is in Colombia

The story as to how I fell in love with Colombia started last year. I was given the opportunity to travel to Medellín in May for two weeks, and since I had heard some great things about Colombia – especially as to how safe it had become – I decided to take it.

But even though I had heard so many good things about Colombia, I was just like the average gringo and still a little skeptical about it. I knew I would still enjoy myself down in Medellín but I had absolutely no idea that I would fall in love with it the way that I did.

When I first arrived in Medellín, I had realized that Colombia was the one place in my life I had been always searching for, from its breathtaking landscape, to the warm weather, to the delicious food, and to – of course – the beautiful women. Most importantly though was the genuine, warm compassion I received from Colombia’s admiringly humble people that is unlike anything I have experienced in my life, and since then, not one day has not passed where I have not stopped thinking of Colombia. The effect that the country had on me had changed me so much that it inspired me to move to this country and begin a new life here.

When I returned to the United States after those two wonderful weeks in Medellín, I remember feeling happy of the fact that I had discovered the most wonderful place in the world yet sad at the fact that I had left it. Either way, I had become obsessed with Colombia, constantly dreaming of returning. Anytime I listened to music, I no longer listened to my collection of rock music. Instead, I began listening only to vallenato, salsa and reggaeton.

And then, the worst thing that happens to almost every human being had happened to me, and for many months, I did not think that I would be able to visit Colombia again. I would spend at least a half hour every night before going to bed staring at a panoramic picture I had taken of Medellín, pretending that I was standing in that same spot again, feeling the warm air wrap itself around my body while admiring every little green curve and dent of the mountains.

It was during this time I also tried to give-up my dream of returning to Colombia. I tried to stop listening to vallenatos, and I even considered dropping my intermediate Spanish II course, since I did not see the point of trying to study the language of a country I was no longer going to see.

And then, the strangest things started to happen: signs began appearing; doors began opening; and something in my heart began to tell me to not forget about Colombia just yet; to keep studying Spanish, to always keep Colombia in my mind, for an opportunity to return will come; just be patient. I even began seeing patterns of yellow, red and blue –– the pattern of the Colombian flag –– pop up in the most oddest of places.

Eventually, through my roommates, I began to meet friends who were friends of many latino people, some of them Colombian. Through these friends I began to bring Colombia back into my life to the fullest extent.

It was during this time period that I met my best friend, and travel companion to Colombia, Jorge Aguilar. Jorge grew up in Medellín and moved to the U.S. with his family when he was 13.

Jorge visited Medellín again for many months last year, and not only was he there at the same time I was, but he was also staying very close to the barrio (neighborhood) I had been staying in and even walked through the same little park that I used to walk through almost every morning to get breakfast. I wouldn’t be surprised if we had crossed each other’s paths during my two weeks in Medellín.

I have learned more about Spanish and Colombian culture more from Jorge than I have from any other person. Our thoughts, views and values on life are very much the same; the only major difference being is that he’s an Independiente Medellín soccer fan while I like Atlético Nacional, the cross-town rival.

But much thanks to Jorge, it wasn’t until a few days before my college graduation where I had begun to seriously consider the idea of returning to Colombia; this time with him and another good Colombian friend of mine, Randy (who is also a broadcast journalist like me, and an excellent one too) but things unfortunately didn’t work out with Randy, so it then became just me and Jorge.

There were times I began to question returning there but I began to notice that every time I had hit a brick wall, another door would suddenly open for me. I do not know exactly what is waiting for me down in Colombia, but I do know that it is something special; something that will impact my life in the most positive way.

Our itinerary goes as follows: Jorge and I will arrive in Bogotá on Oct. 16 and we’ll stay there for about a week (maybe more, maybe less; it all depends on what’s going on). Since I haven’t visited Bogotá yet, I would love to take in some of the sights, not to mention meet some new friends I have already made there. Then, once we’re done with Colombia’s capital, we’ll head to Medellín where we’ll stay for the remainder of the trip.

Once we're in Medellín, we may travel to nearby towns such as Manizales, Pereira, Montería, Guatapé, Santa Fe de Antioquia, etc. All we know is that we have lots of options and lots of adventures to look forward to. Most of our time, however, will be spent in Medellín, and I could not have asked for a better guide than Jorge who knows the city street-by-street.

Since I graduated in journalism, specializing in broadcasting, I will be making some video news stories for my demo tape, which all will be posted here in this blog. In the meantime, I’ll also be pursuing some journalism opportunities there. My dream job, right now, would be to work as a broadcast journalist in Colombia.

My goal in life is to be happy, and from what I’ve already seen in Colombia, I already know that I can live a very happy life there. Money, to me, isn’t as important, and that’s the way it is for many Colombians. I remember one good man say to me in Medellín, “Soy pobre pero soy feliz en mi corazón” (I’m poor but I’m happy in my heart), and to me, that’s the way life should be lived.

I’m young, I’m single, I have no commitments, nor a job (yet), so for me, right now is the only opportunity I have in life to take this chance. My heart has never felt so strongly about making a decision this big before. For me, if you think of a crazy idea from the heart, then you should follow it, for the heart always knows something a little more than the head. The head can think but it cannot feel the future, and from what I know from my heart, my future is in Colombia.

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COLOMBIA: El Sueño de Mi Vida
Por Gary Parkosewich
For English, click here

Para aquellos que buscan un pedacito del paraíso terrenal, no busquen más allá de un país poco conocido llamado Colombia.

Mi nombre es Gary Parkosewich y recientemente me gradué de periodismo de la Universidad de Connecticut, especializándome en difusión televisiva. Soy un gran soñador que siempre sigue lo que dice su corazón, y mi corazón en estos momentos está en Colombia.

La historia de cómo me enamoré de Colombia, comienza el año pasado. Tuve la oportunidad de viajar a Medellín en mayo, por dos semanas, y como ya había oído muchas cosas de Colombia – especialmente lo segura que se había vuelto – decidí tomarla.

Pero aún después de haber oído tantas cosas sobre Colombia, yo aún era el gringo promedio y me mostraba escéptico ante el viaje. Sabía que ir a Medellín, sería divertido, pero no tenía ni idea que me terminaría enamorándome así.

Cuando llegué a Medellín, me di cuenta que Colombia era el lugar había estado buscando toda mi vida por sus fascinantes paisajes, su clima cálido, su comida deliciosa y sí – por supuesto – sus hermosas mujeres. Lo más importante, sin embargo, fue el caluroso afecto que recibí de la gente humilde de Colombia; algo que nunca me había ocurrido en mi vida. Desde entonces no hago más que pensar en Colombia y no ha pasado un día en que no lo haga. El efecto que tuvo ese país en mi me ha cambiado para siempre, inspirándome a mudarme allí para empezar una nueva vida.

De regreso en los Estados Unidos y luego de esas maravillosas dos semanas en Medellín, recordé lo feliz que fui al sentir que había descubierto el lugar más maravilloso del planeta y me embargaba la tristeza al saber que ya no estaba allí. El daño estaba hecho. Me había obsesionado con Colombia y constantemente soñaba con volver. Ahora al escuchar música, ya no buscaba mi colección de rock, sino que aprendía las letras de vallenatos, salsa y reggaeton.

Y luego, me ocurrió una de las peores cosas que le pueden pasar a un ser humano; por muchos meses, pensé que nunca más tendría oportunidad de visitar Colombia. Todas las noches, pasaba casi media hora, justo antes de irme a dormir, contemplando una panorámica que había tomado de Medellín. Pretendía estar parado en el mismo punto, sintiendo el aire cálido que me envolvía el cuerpo, mientras admiraba cada verdor, cada curva de aquellas colosales montañas.

Fue por estos tiempos que intenté abandonar mi sueño de volver a Colombia. Traté de dejar de escuchar vallenatos y hasta consideré salirme de mi clase de español intermedio de segundo nivel, al considerar que ya no me haría falta pues nunca más habría de volver.

Fue así, que una serie de cosas extrañas comenzaron a ocurrir: señales empezaban a aparecer, puertas que parecían abrirse y algo en mi corazón comenzaba a decirme que no me olvidara todavía de Colombia, que siguiera estudiando español. Debía mantener a Colombia en mi mente, pues una oportunidad para volver me estaría esperando, era sólo cuestión de paciencia. Comencé a ver patrones de amarillo, azul y rojo – los colores de la bandera colombiana – en los lugares más inusuales.

Eventualmente, a través de mis compañeros, comencé a conocer bastantes amigo latinos, algunos de ellos colombianos. A través mis nuevos amigos, me aseguré de traer a Colombia de nuevo a mi vida al máximo.

Fue por estas fechas que conocí a mi mejor amigo y compañero de viaje, Jorge Aguilar. Jorge nació en Medellín y se mudó a los Estados Unidos con su familia a los 13 años.

El año pasado, Jorge estuvo en Medellín por varios meses. De hecho, ambos estuvimos allí por las mismas fechas. Jorge se quedó en un barrio cercano al que yo me quedé y hasta caminaba por el mismo parque por el que yo caminaba cada mañana para comprar mi desayuno. No me sorprendería en lo más mínimo saber que ambos nos cruzamos durante mi estadía de dos semanas en Medellín.

He aprendido mucho más español y cultura colombiana con Jorge, con cualquier otra persona. Nuestros pensamientos, nuestros puntos de vista y nuestros valores en la vida son casi iguales; la única diferencia insalvable es que él es hincha del Independiente Medellín, mientras yo soy hincha del Atlético Nacional, rivales en el fútbol medellinense.

Pero gracias a Jorge, a escasos días de graduarme, comencé a considerar seriamente la idea de volver a Colombia. Esta vez con él y otro gran amigo colombiano llamado Randy (quién también es graduado en periodismo televisivo como yo y que posee un gran talento dicho sea de paso). Desafortunadamente las cosas con Randy no salieron, así que seríamos sólo Jorge y yo.

Hubo momentos en los que comencé a cuestionar el viaje, pero fue entonces que comencé a notar que cada vez que me encontraba frente a un muro sin salida, una puerta nueva se abría frente a mí. Aún no sé exactamente que me espera en Colombia, pero sé que ha de ser algo especial, algo que tendrá un impacto positivo en mi vida.

Nuestro itinerario será el siguiente: Jorge y yo llegaremos a Bogotá en octubre 16 y allí estaremos una semana (quizás más, quizás menos, dependiendo de lo que pase). Como aún no he visitado Bogotá, me gustaría recorrer sus puntos de interés y encontrarme con algunas amistades que he hecho allí. Una vez acabemos con la capital, proseguiremos a Medellín, donde nos quedaremos por el resto del viaje.

Una vez en Medellín, viajaremos a algunas ciudades y pueblos cercanos como Manizales, Pereira, Montería, Guatapé, Santa Fe de Antioquia, etc. Todo lo que sé, es que tenemos muchas opciones y un montón de aventuras frente a nosotros. La mayor parte del tiempo la pasaremos en Medellín y no podía pedir mejor guía que Jorge, quien conoce la ciudad palmo a palmo.

Como me gradué hace poco en periodismo televisivo, estaré haciendo video reportajes noticiosos para mi video de muestra, los cuales subiré a este blog. De igual forma, estaré buscando oportunidades laborales allí. Sueño con poder trabajar como periodista televisivo en Colombia.

Mi meta en la vida es ser feliz y por lo que he visto en Colombia, Sé que allí podré ser feliz plenamente. Para mi el dinero no es tan importante y tampoco lo es para muchos colombiano. Recuerdo a un buen colombiano que alguna vez me dijo «Soy pobre pero soy feliz en mi corazón» y es así como se debe vivir la vida.

Soy joven, soltero y no tengo compromisos, ni trabajo (todavía), así que para mí, es la única oportunidad y debo tomar esta oportunidad. Mi corazón nunca se ha sentido tan decidido al tomar una decisión tan trascendental como esta. Pienso que cuando uno tiene una idea loca que viene del corazón, entonces se debe seguirla, pues el corazón siempre sabe algo más que la cabeza no sabe. La cabeza piensa, sí, pero no siente el futuro y desde mi corazón sé que mi futuro es Colombia.