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Jons Journal 14

I like this city. Its actually a bit smaller than I thought. You can walk from one end to the other but this takes an hour or so and only if you take the high road that avoids any major altitude change. This road is called Avenida Santander and follows the top of the major ridge running east to west and cutting the city in half. The elevation quickly drops on either side on the eastern half and this section is pretty posh, similar to Ventura Blvd in, but then, as it begins to curve to south the ridge top spreads out and this is where the downdtown area is located. Downtown is more typical of what you would expect, lacking the shiny people and signs. Its hustle bustle, dotted with little cafes where older people sip coffee, possibly laced with something intoxicating, over long periods time. Theres a couple of Tango bars I've yet to peek into. All the usual suspects foodwise-overpriced chicken fast food joints, an occasional chinesey looking chinese resturant, surprisingly few 3500 mil almurerzo serving traditional restrurants, more tiny empanada stalls than you could ever wish for, bakeries, little markets, a few supermarkets, and a disgusting downtown meat market under a gigantic gazebo where the corpses(cows, pigs etc only I trust) hang from meat hooks in varying stages of disembowelment. The Butcher vendors desparately vie for the chance to use their huge cutting instruments for(on?) potential meat eaters who pass by. I actually regularly took lunch in the Pereira meat market at a friendly little resturant there, but the Manizales central market is bit hardcore for me. Its the rotten core of an already iffy neighborhood located to the west of downtown, the otherside of the tracks(Carrera 18 to be exact), writhing with frenetic mercantile activity - jeeps line the streets for the renting, fruit spill from overladen crates for the bargaining, and an overabundance of flop house style residencias overlooking all with smoking, shirtless men hanging and looking out the upperstory windows with unkown purpose. Manizales is so clean, so sano, with its well swept streets, well dressed types and university types that the poverty seemed to build up pressure where it wasnt permitted to find its outlet west of 18th street to expand and expode.

In contrast to Pereira, I'm exporing on foot a great deal of the city as it seems safer and is such eye candy to walk through. I'm trying to figure out which neigborhood to live in and as I do, I also wonder how I'm ever going to acquire all the tiny little things one needs in apartment. They dont generally come furnished and I dont want to live in someone elses house so its a bit of a conundrum. The place Im staying in is fine for now, but eventually I will want some privacy and more sense of territory. For the first time in while, it seems the world is full of international foriegn travelers as they all seem to gravitate to Mountain House here in Manizales. It really seemed like I was the only foreigner in Pereria, that I had it all to myself. Not here. Not only because I'm staying in a youth hostel type environment but Manizales I think attracts more visitors. Anyway, itll be nice for a while to come home to a conversation with someone dutch, australian, san diegan, etc.

Heres the latest on the job hunt. Theres three universities here that would like to hire me if I could legally work here. And all three are going to wait a week or so before they let me know whether they are willing to sponser me for the work visa. I was offered a job at a small, private instituto which Im in the process of accepting, having observed a few classes. This would only be temporary as there has been no talk of work visas. They also did an annoying thing by offering 10 mil an hour and then changing their minds, saying full time would be 7. I held my ground and said that I would just do one class at 10/hr. Maybe theyll flip flop again or I will find some private students. Centro Colombo gave me a cold reception but maybe just require a little nudging. If the real job doesnt materialize, it will be plan B, which I havent thought too much about.

By Jon on Apr 22, 2005, 19:06 in Friendly Talkzone.

platano says on Apr 22, 2005, 19:11:

Jon, I understand there are seven universities in Manizales so check out the other four.
Are there any other language institutes or bilingual schools like a Colegio Britancio or Colegio Aleman? Post a sign at the Colombo if you have a place where someone can contact you. I wish you luck!

Platano
Oxigeno Verde

plátano

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gregshav says on Apr 22, 2005, 19:20:

Keep the journal coming I love to read your reports!

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Jon says on Apr 23, 2005, 07:54:

My understanding is that only Univ. de Manizales, U. Autonoma, and Las Caldas and Catolica have language programs. Centro Colombo doesnt want signs posted on their walls advertising private classes. There may be several bilingual colegios but I would prefer to teach a variety of types of students, not just rich adolenscents. I did talk to a director lawyer type at Grenadino, a very prestigious bilingual school, where they hire 20 percent native speakers with teaching credentials. I left my resume on a whim with him and, for 700 mil pesos, he would manage the visa application process if another school wanted to hire me but didnt understand the process. Needless to say, a purchace I wouldnt be quick to make.

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