high stakes acceptance test

Here’s a story of challenging your adaptivity (SHOW YOU KNOW), confidence, time + tests = trust.

“Twinkles we’ve been here for a while. We got the Medellin thing down.” Dad-verdad.

“So it’s time to see if the job skills we developed are transferrable.” My cute is forever transferrable. “De verdad tiny one.”

“We are going to the most beautiful beach area in all of Colombia, Santa Marta.” Yeah, Twinkle super la gusta la playa.

“Ten cuidado, this place belongs exclusively to ‘LA GENTE.’ We’ll be the only gringo there. It’s a prueba, a test of our ability to demonstrate that WE BELONG, understand not just the language but culture as well. Have to build a network from scratch, quick. Kinda like starting a new job, in a new place.”

Now look over there by those rocks. We’ve seen the movie Blow a bunch of times, well just out yonder is where Boston George got the snot knocked out of him. George never understood the culture. Paid the price. We have to conform, behave, make ourselves likeable.

SHOW WE KNOW NOW.

As we head for the beach, the two Gringo freaks stood out. But Dad and I gained not just attention but curiousity. Look like gringos act like locals.

On day four, as we put beach towel down I could smell the Final Exam. 

Colombianos walk over to us, grins from ear to ear, Gringos join us in our beach tent. We looked at each other … this could be either really good or really bad. Con confia Padre.

Los Colombianos poured a liquid that smelled like lighter fluid La Gente and Dad held the cups high “Salud.” About two hours later, bottle of Aguadiente (fire water) was drained we folded the tent, new friends, a great time.

Took some time, passed tests, gained trust.

Dad shivered when he drank his first Aguadiente, he Did Something He Didn’t Want to Do. But it helped to advance our status as Hombres de Gente (People of the People.)

“We got the acceptance thing done in 4 days.”

Nope it took two years.