Pod Machine

Yes… I finally bought a pod machine as I wished for. The irony was finally solved during a Juan Valdez visit to Andino about a week ago. For about a year, Juan Valdez sold pods to the general public, despite the fact that there are no pod machines available to buy anywhere in Colombia. Screwed up, eh?

Oh, in case anyone is wondering, pod machines are those coffee machines that you see lately in many hotel rooms where you can simply put in this circular filter paper covered ground coffee into a machine and you get a cup of fresh coffee on the go. A mimic version of the coffee machines used by baristas.

Anyhow, I payed 99000 pesos (roughly 60 USD) for the machine, but they also gave me three boxes (a dozen pods in each box) of different pods; mild, balanced, and strong flavor. I think it was a great deal.

Anyone want to come to my house sometime? I’ll become your barista and brew you the best Colombian coffee! Just come visit me! (Yes… end of senior year = boredom)

Politics

I’m normally not a big fan of politics. In fact, I really couldn’t care much as long as my daily life isn’t interrupted by it.
However, for the first time ever, I decided to make an opinion about the foreign relations of Colombia.

The story goes like this:
Colombia’s military manages to catch a famous (I don’t know what exactly this part is about) guerilla member named Raul something on Saturday March 1. The only problem is that this military activity takes place in Ecuador. There’s not only a well planned silent catching/killing of this guerilla member, but there is open fire. Simply put, Colombian military went to Ecuatorian lands and started firing in potentially civillian-filled zone.
The Colombian government finds a laptop with the Raul guy. In the computer resides many important guerilla information dating back to more than 3 decades.
Ecuatorian officials are furious about the incident on Saturday and declares no more diplomatic activities with Colombia. They send their troops to their border with Colombia.
The supposed important information is (supposedly) leaked. The information claims that Chavez helped funding the farc.
Chavez gets mad at this type of mocking from Colombia and also closes all relations with Colombia and sending their troops to the borders.

My Comment:
It pisses me off to see the Colombians here not really making much of an effort to make things better. A lot of people in school are like: “We open fired in Ecuador, but we caught the guerilla. They weren’t collaborating so we did the job ourselves, so what?” well… the “so what” is that you normally get permission from the other country or plan something together.
It’s screwed up, if you ask me, as to how the only “leaked” information is about Chavez and his background from his coup d’estat (funded by farc according to the info) to how he funds them in return now. As is all “leaked” information from the government. It was probably done purposely. I find this utterly disturbing, as the action was anything but diplomatic. Yes, I do acknowledge Chavez being crazy and all, but the Colombian government to simply say that “Chavez did so and such,” then the only daily press in Bogota (El Tiempo) pretty much naming him a guerilla is very undiplomatic. Couldn’t the Colombian government wait more than simple 3 days to just (indirectly) announce everything?
The funny thing is that all the Colombians think nothing of this mysteriously leaked information and blaims Chavez for everything.
However, wasn’t Chavez who, after all, saved the kidnapped people about a month ago?
Speaking of this saving incident, there’s another comment that I would like to make.
Firstly, I don’t understand why Uribe believes in not paying the guerilla. “B/C they will kidnap more to get more money!” Yes, fine. Then why not tradeoffs? The government refuses… Even when you’re at war, the two opposing sides to trade offs. Technically speaking, aren’t we at war against the leftists?
So yeah, Chavez. I mean… Why couldn’t Uribe simply wait a few more days when Chavez said that he was going to rescue them? Did it hurt his pride so much to sit there and wait while a neighboring country rescued their citizens? Did it hurt his pride enough to make open speeches as to how ”Chavez is a liar” and a fool? Open aggression is not the best way, Uribe.
My writing may seem a little pro-chavez right now. I’m not; I really am not. I’m pissed off, though, as to how the Colombians and the Colombian government are anything but giving thought to others. The Colombian government, in my view, did a good job brainwashing the people to see one side of the same coin and use blind hatred without reasons to…. well.. hate and offend. It’s stupid and hurting themselves.

Another question in mind is… what happened to Sarkozy? First off, it pisses me off how the Colombians talk about Chavez and how they hate them and have no clue about even who Sarkozy is. Afterall, even without his scandals of divorce and new marriage and the new wife’s ads in some Italian car company, Sarkozy is a strange character indeed; especially to a Colombian’s eyes (should be, anyway).
Am I really the only one in the whole entire school who knows that Sarkozy got all excited to come down here in the borders between Colombia and Venezuela and wanted to rescue “Betancourt” himself? Sarkozy claims how Betancourt has French roots and therefore will need French aid. He did, anyway. Now, his news is completely buried by all the things happening here around, but how come no one that i’ve met even knows who Sarkozy is? Ignorant, brainwashed people, are the only people I met, I guess; way too many though.