…Just thought I would post a quick update on matters here in Colombia.
No news yet on the negotiations with the Government on the plight of us cafetros. There is still talk of a possible ‘paro’ but nothing definite as yet. It is difficult not to get the idea that the government and the Federación like to keep us coffee growers just above or at subsistence level. I think they worry that if we do too well we might become too demanding and expect to make a reasonable return even when commodity prices are down … which is of course, exactly what they do. We are the only ones who miss out.
On the home front, the pussies are getting acclimatised, treading warily around each other with regular but reasonably undramatic demarcation altercations. Pispirispis thinks she runs the place, Torsalino is trying constantly to attract Mafeluchis’ attention and inveigle her into a chat, which she ignores, and Checho and Zsa Zsa can’t figure out why these furry little things are allowed in the kitchen and they are not.
Torsalino putting Mafeluchis on a pedestal…
This website and I were mentioned in another review of “Was Gabo An Irishman” the other week so who knows who might be dropping in. At least now Ridley Scott will know how to get in touch about possible projects. Maybe a blockbuster entitled “Cafetero” starring Russell Crowe?
Adriano is still at the farm attending to a few things at the moment, so I have been watching some television and, as usual, enjoying the Graham Norton Show on BBCHD. The other night, one of his guests was Arnold Schwarzenegger, whom Clive James once memorably described as looking like a ‘brown condom full of walnuts’. (He also said that Elizabeth Taylor walking brought to mind two small boys wrestling under a mink blanket.)
Another guest was Cara Delevingne, who was saying how it was difficult to be taken seriously as an actor as she was so well known, and typecast, as a model. Arnie said that when he started out he was told quite categorically that he would not / could not be an actor, as his body was too big, and he couldn’t speak English well enough. His advice to Cara was to ignore them, be confident about what you can do, and just go and do it.
This chimed with something I wrote recently for the Interference Channel, a website based here in Bogotá. I think I am the only contributor who writes in English, and probably the only one who is not writing serious stuff about politics, art, architecture, philosophy and other intellectual pursuits.
I called my piece ‘On being different’, and if you want to see it the link is here.
It was inspired originally by our dentist’s concern for his son, who goes to a smart school here in Bogotá and who is under pressure to conform and be a ‘gomelo’ … generally a spoilt rich kid who shares and wears all the badges that indicate their status: phone, clothes, hair gel, address, family connections, foreign holidays, transport, and access to all those places not open to the public.
Nelson, our dentist, hoped his son would have the confidence to be his own person, and my musings consider this and the positive role we can play in helping them play to their strengths rather than to give in to their weaknesses.
After all, quite a few ‘gomelos’ have grown up to become President, which might explain a lot.
Love from him and me.
