E phatlaladitšwe: 02.01.2024
Friends and friends (as Mr. Chancellor would say). Sorry for my absence. I'm currently in Calima, a small village 2 hours away from Cali, where my family has rented a finca. The finca is really big, with a pool and sauna that don't work and even a small disco. From the 23rd to the 29th, I was in Pereira with my aunt and on the 29th we arrived here in the evening. We are 26 people and a little half human. Sometimes these stereotypes are somewhat true. I have an aunt and an uncle in Germany. I feel like I have 40 aunts and uncles here. Anyone who is remotely part of your family becomes your uncle or aunt. And they are all called tío or tía. That somehow creates a nice closeness, even though sometimes you're not related at all. I never saw myself as a big family man, but this is really nice. Maybe because family circumstances are different in Germany. At least that's how it is in my family, but I assume most people are like that. I think in Germany many people build this relationship with friends. Here, this strong family bond is really part of the culture. This is also cared for very carefully in most families. Of course there are also feuding or dysfunctional families, but in general family cohesion is much stronger here than in Germany, I have observed. Of course, all of this has its advantages and disadvantages. In itself, this “through thick and thin” is something beautiful. You're somehow tied to these people simply because of your relationship and it's not that easy to get out of there. You then often learn to accept people despite differences of opinion or their flaws. Through thick and thin. Unconditionally. At the same time, there are people who suffer from this family bond, who have to pretend in front of their family or who even experience abuse or discrimination within their family. That's the beauty of a so-called chosen family. You choose who you call family and who you surround yourself with on a daily basis. And this love can be even stronger because it is so voluntary and natural. If you think about it, you don't owe unconditional love to any family member just because they happen to be blood relatives. But sometimes you give up on friendships too quickly when they change. Relationships change and someone who used to be one of the most important people in my life is no longer a part of it. You won't be able to get rid of your family that quickly and that can be a nice thing. What I wanted to get at is that I find the family bond that I perceive in this/my family here to be incredibly beautiful, but it also had to be said that it is not always beautiful for everyone. So, that was my December 1st in Colombia. And it ended wonderfully. Yesterday we danced and drank a lot and today we had to laze around. And just throw up the 7 liters of beer and aguardiente from yesterday. We are here for another 3 days and leave on January 4th. on to Cali, where I will spend a few days with friends. That's it from my side, kisses