If you're winning by 10...

I've been playing soccer since I was 5 years old. The teams I've been on have ranged from the good, the bad, and the ugly. My Sunday night team plays in a C league that's a little too good for us (this is an ugly). We consistently lose by 5 or more goals and have decided it would be in our best interest to move down a league. Which is great for next season....but does not help our current situation.

My advice - you're an awesome team and you know it (because you're winning by at least 6 in the first half). It is not necessary to show boat. Especially at 10:10pm on Sunday night when I need to go into work early the next morning. So, if you're the goalie and you take the ball yourself in the 2nd half when you're winning by 10 and have the audacity to swagger up to me like a tool...do not be surprised when my leg makes contact with your in step. Intentionally. Also, you'll know you're a dog if the referee overlooks my obvious foul. Even he knows you're a prat. As well as your team mates....

In conclusion, if you're winning by 10, show some class. It's a somewhat lost art - but if you're that good, you should get some.

~K

An interesting start and Back from Bogota

Like Thumper said, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all".

This may be why I didn't write anything for close to a year in this blog. Or possibly because I forgot. Either way, writing a blog, take 2.


I have just recently returned back to Seattle from a week long trip to Bogota', Colombia. The Spanish architecture combined with the beautiful countryside made it an amazing adventure with a lot to see and take in. Getting past the obvious stereotypes - i.e, I wasn't kidnapped, I didn't bring home any coke, the chocolate covered coffee beans were awesome - Bogota is still somewhat recovering from an awful past painted with drugs and violence. However, they are trying (with a lot of success) to overcome this image and bring in tourism. The people in Bogota were wonderful and very helpful. My boyfriend is 100% Colombian and speaks no Spanish and I look like a Pilgram and speak beginner Spanish. So attempting to put 5000 pesos of minutes on our cell phone turned into quite the challenge at the corner market. It did end well with a whole lot of Spanish being spoken around us, but the effort strangers put in to aid in our obvious distress...well, there's something to be said for that.

We also had the pleasure of having 2 contacts down there - without the added benefit of knowing someone, I believe the trip may have been harder. Kent and I were staying in the historical district the entire time (La Candaleria). At night, this is not the nicest place to be (stay in Zona Rosa) - but our new friends came from their part of town to go out with us and even took us out to see Garavita.

As a person who's travelled to a few places over the years, I know what it's like to hit a new country (or continent) and wish you knew just a few things prior to going. So, before entering Colombia (Bogota, specifically), please know:
1. Never, under any circumstance, order a soup called Mondongo...trust me
2. If you can, bring salad dressing. They seldom have salad, but if they do, it's dry.
3. Aguarcaliente (sounds like aguariente) takes like Sambuca, tastes like Uso - it is tradition, however, so you may as well enjoy - even if you don't like the taste of black liquorice.
4. Go to all the major attractions (Salt Cathedral, Monseratte, Gold Muesum) on the weekdays. They're much less crowded and you get more time to walk around.
5. A guided tour of Bogota is a great way to see things - try to get Claudia through Diversitours. She may drive extremely crazy, but she is very knowledgeable and extremely helpful.
6. Speaking of crazy driving, I thought New York/Seattle was bad. The congestion is sickening, the roads have huge pot holes (or has eroded away on a slant!), and people go in and out of traffic like the lines don't exist. Plus, the honking.....ugh. Please note, we were told by our Colombian friend's that drivers in India are worse.
7. If you can do more of the country - do it. Bogota would have been good for 3 days, with 2 days in a B&B outside the city and then off to the coast for 3 days. We had a wonderful time and plan to go back - but with much more of the country in mind.

Take Care,
Kendal