Willamette World News

It is time to say goodbye, and I would like to start this piece of writing by saying that I did not consider the United States as my first option to have an experience abroad, but now that I reflect about it, this is the perfect place to have a multicultural experience. I used to […]

One of the most representative Colombian features is its cuisine. The richness of our food makes Colombians very proud. Every region of the country has its own traditions and customs regarding food and cooking habits. This is also related to the types of food that grows in each region.  If you travel around the country, […]

“Why are you leaving Colombia?” Someone asked me thisat the airport of Bogotá just before taking the plane to the United States. It took me a few moments to come up with an honest answer that would sufficiently express the reasons why I was leaving my beloved country. I replied to the question after some […]

Art has always been presented as an essential element in the development and evolution of man. It is through art that any selfless vision is able to be expressed using resources that can be plastic, sound, or linguistic. It is well known that the study of fine arts from an early age helps man to […]

Hello everybody. My name is Luisa Fernanda Grajales and I’m the new Spanish language teaching assistant here at Willamette. I’m Colombian, born and raised in Medellín.I’m a Fulbright scholar and I will be here for a whole year. I really hope to share some of my culture, my customs, and my knowledge of the Spanish […]

I’m so glad that in my first post for World News I thanked in advance those people who would transform my life. At the end, many did it and in a great way. Here in the quiet Salem, I got to know a chunk of what the world is like because of them.

The city I am from is getting more touristic every day. So, on my way to university it is not unusual to find people wearing these safari looks in the middle of what seems to  be a normally dressed crowd. Beige outfits, shorts, sandals. They just pop out: Hi, dear misinformed foreigners! 🙂

In Colombia, food equals variety. As I told you on one of the previous issues, Colombian food is very rich and you can find an endless list of dishes in each region. Also, you should know our cuisine does not have much to do with the world renown Mexican or Spanish ones. Most of our […]

Oh, how distant we used to think we are from each other (I mean, people in Colombia and the US), but how similar we behave.  That’s what I thought when, in the middle of October, I heard this peal of bells on the radio. Then I realized I was not that far, you also had […]

Thinking of 10 specific things I want to tell Willamette about my country seemed an easy task at first. But now, hands on the keyboard, trying to come up with a list that makes sense doesn’t seem that easy. Also, I’ve been thinking that even when our reality is constantly permeated by sad or violent […]

Social life in Colombia is not very different from the way it is here. I mean, most of the activities I do back home with my friends and family are pretty much the same I can do here except for a couple of things. Among other differences, I would say the schedules for the food […]

Did you know that while Colombia has only 0.8% of the planet’s terrestrial surface, yet it is still the country with the third greatest biodiversity in the world? That’s right! So, when thinking of Colombia, make sure you always picture a geographically and natural privileged territory, full of contrast.

If I ask who is ‘America’s sweetheart’, I know I would probably hear Marilyn Monroe, Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock, or even Monica Lewinsky! You have had many women under this title, over 2,000, did you know? So today, I want to introduce you to our Colombian male version, and not exactly of a sweetheart, but […]

Hi Willamette! My name is Catalina Vélez and I happen to be one of the two Spanish language assistants for this year. You should know this is my first time living abroad, and it is challenging but also exciting. I come from Medellín, and I started to teach English after getting my BA in translation […]

It is always difficult to say goodbye, especially when you find amazing people. This has been undoubtedly one of the most enriching experiences in my professional and personal life.

Language is in constant movement and it changes according to the user’s needs or context. There are different factors that influence language including internet, television and the possibility to access many sources of information in a short amount of time has made language a subject of change and something that responds and adapts to various […]

It is difficult to write about Colombian food and not to feel hungry, every video I see or every recipe I read brings memories and flavors, not many people know about our food and when people are asked, they generally affirmed that food in South America must be the same as the Mexican food. This […]

One of the most significant changes in Colombia was the election of the new president, Juan Manuel Santos; after 8 years in power Alvaro Uribe finished his presidential period with a different country in terms of security and foreign investment.

Popular Colombian Music. Music in Colombia can be divided into three main categories: traditional, modern, and commercial. Talking about the first category, it is more common to find music full of rhymes, instruments and dancing which represents the culture and the color of the region.

Traditionally in Colombia there have been two political parties, the conservative and liberal; however, lately some other political groups have got the presidential and some other important leadership positions, so nowadays, it is common to find at least 6 different political parties. One important and different aspect is that any person could run for the […]

Halloween in Colombia is generally celebrated just as in the rest of the world, people wear costumes and they have parties in discos, where they get prizes if they have the most original or the most crazy costume.

Hello everyone. My name is Jairo Galeano Casanova, I am 26 years old and I’m from Colombia, a beautiful country in the north part of South America. My home city is called Pasto and is located in the south part of the country and I really love living there.

What is the most memorable moment you have had in the USA? That is a difficult question. I could start describing breathtaking landscapes from Oregon like Crater Lake; astounding buildings from New York that made me feel like I was in a movie; the charming diversity of San Francisco that made me fall in love […]

Biodiversity is one of the best words to describe my country Colombia. Despite that it is relatively small; Colombia is the second most biologically diverse country on Earth, home to about 10% of the world’s species. This biodiversity results from Colombia’s varied ecosystems—from the rich tropical rain forest to the dry arid desert. In order […]

It is difficult to write about Colombian cuisine because it is very diverse and varies depending on the different regions. In some areas you will find specialties like roasted ants or blood pudding while in other areas Colombians wouldn’t even touch these dishes. On this post, I am not going to talk about the specialties, […]