How Life is Different in Bogotá, Colombia

Written by Sandra Petrovic

As I am now halfway into my IDDIP placement, I believe it is a good time to reflect upon my internship at UNDP Colombia and my experience living here in Bogotá. Living in a new country and starting a new job has certainly spurred various lifestyle changes in my daily routine, from replacing the music of Drake with that of J Balvin and other reggaeton artists, to eating too many arepas and buñuelos on my way to work. While I have definitely been enjoying my time here, it is evident that living in Bogotá does differ significantly from living in my hometown of Toronto. I will describe below some aspects of my life in Bogotá that stand out most when compared to my life back at home.

1)     Work culture: Kisses and “Colombian Time.”

Work culture in Bogotá is considerably different to that of Toronto. In Toronto, handshakes are the norm, and people tend to rush through the city to avoid being even one minute late for their meetings. In Bogotá, meetings rarely start on time, but when they do, kisses on the cheek are exchanged between each member present, making the start time even later. However, this rule is not set in stone, and while sometimes important meetings start an hour late, in other circumstances employees seem to know when to show up early. The same social intuition applies for when kisses are not appropriate, and when it is better to shake hands. Having been in Bogotá three months, I have still not mastered these social cues. Unlike my coworkers, I have trouble gauging when an event will really start, and am oftentimes the victim of waiting out the difference between “Canadian Time” and “Colombian Time.” For this reason, I continue to hold the title of “Most Punctual” and remain a little awkward with every new meeting, consistently torn between offering my hand or my cheek.

2)     Reassuring my family about my placement…and Colombians, about my family.

Having previously traveled in Colombia before starting my placement, my parents were supportive of me returning to Bogotá for a work placement. However, since the country has a long standing reputation for violence (which has improved tremendously since the notorious days of Pablo Escobar), Colombians often ask me how my parents feel about my working here. Aware of their negative reputation abroad, they are overjoyed when I tell them of my family’s upcoming visit for Christmas. With many North Americans receiving their only information about Colombia through shows like Narcos, I strongly believe that visiting the country is a must in order to break outdated stereotypes. With such a biodiverse landscape and such welcoming people, I truly believe that Colombia will soon be an up-and-coming tourist destination, and am looking forward to the day when no one is surprised to see a foreigner.

3)     Viewing everything in terms of the Sustainable Development Goals.

At UNDP Colombia, I work quite extensively on one project that seeks to make the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) a mainstream concept in Congress. In this project, one of my responsibilities is reading every bill introduced to Congress since the new legislature in July 2018 and analyzing which SDGs these bills address, if any. This translates into many, many hours reading documents through a strictly SDG lens, which has eventually led to using this lens in my personal life here in Colombia. Now, for example, when I bring my reusable bag to the grocery store, I think “oh look at me, I’m helping achieve SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water) …”. The list goes on.

4)     Discovering new places, as often as I can.

As I mentioned before, Colombia is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries. The opportunities for travel are endless, and every new place I travel to is more beautiful than the last. Colombia is a country full of beaches, mountains, deserts, valleys, forests, rivers, and jungles. That’s without mentioning its fascinating cities, including Medellín, Cali, and Cartagena. Living in Bogotá, I try to travel at least once every few weeks to take advantage of living in such a beautiful country, filling my weekends with adventures I would not have otherwise experienced in Toronto.

5)     Living in what must be one of the world’s friendliest countries.

While Canada has the reputation for its friendly people, in my opinion, it is Colombia that should hold that title. Having lived in three Canadian provinces as well as in Spain, I have never felt so welcomed to a new city as I have in Bogotá. Here, coworkers don’t just tell you to “have a nice weekend,” and then leave, patting themselves on the back for their politeness – instead, they ask you about your plans and, if you don’t have any, invite you to theirs. The people that I've met in Bogotá have really gone out of their way to make sure I have a positive experience, and I could not be more thankful to UNA Canada for giving me the opportunity to live here in Bogotá and to work at UNDP Colombia.