Fighting like Cats and Dogs

Throughout my year in Venezuela, I felt like I was up against something a lot of times . At times, it seemed like it was me against the world (yes, I realize that this is an exaggeration, but it was quite easy to get caught up in it). In fact, there were even moments when I felt like a cat in the middle of a room of dogs. The phrase "fighting like cats and dogs" came to mind more than once while watching the news or seeing arguments in the street between political enemies. However, I learned that those differences do not have mean that you can't get along... take Nala and Pochi, for example.

Nala the dog and Pochi the cat

Wouldn't it be nice to set aside our differences, if only for a moment, and make an effort to achieve something greater?

Last week I was moved by the way that so many of my friends from all over the world and from all walks of life were posting updates about the Chilean miners' rescue. I heard on the radio about how this was finally a situation where everyone would win, not like a sporting event or competition where one side has to lose. I hope that my Venezuelan amigos can find their own ways to bridge the divide so that the cats and dogs finally stop fighting and unite to share in the simple joy of breathing in fresh air every day.

Life in Slow Motion

I returned to Ohio at the end of last week, but plan to keep writing in this blog to reflect on other aspects of my year in Venezuela, considering that even though the experience is over, I haven't stopped learning from it.

Since I've been back, I have had time to reflect on how Venezuela has affected every aspect of my person. One of the most striking differences I have noted in my personality is my level of patience. In Caracas, patience is a necessary quality, given the time one spends carrying out various and sundry (often mundane) tasks throughout the day. For example, it wasn't out of the ordinary to spend the entire morning waiting in line at the bank to make a deposit, nor letting four overflowing trains pass by before being able to squeeze into the subway.

On my way home from a job interview, I was slightly delayed because of rush hour traffic. I was surprised at how little it affected me. A year ago, I would've been extremely stressed in that bumper-to-bumper situation and it would've tired me much more. However, I became used to the traffic jams in Caracas at all hours of the day and night and Cleveland's rush hour pales in comparison. On the other hand, when traffic was flowing smoothly, I felt that I always had plenty of room and time to change lanes and maneuver safely and efficiently through traffic. It almost felt like the rest of the world was moving in slow motion.

Living in Caracas, in spite of its ups and downs, has made me a better person. One of the hardest parts of my reincorporation into American society will be to focus on those positive changes and try to learn from the difficult, more frustrating moments I lived through while there.

Radio Interview- Listen here!

I wrote awhile back about my radio interview for Propaz here in Caracas. Now, thanks to technological advances, you can listen to it in its entirety here. Happy listening!