"There's no place like home."

Caroline, Craig and Julia welcomed Alexandra Robin
to the family on November 4th, at FANA in Bogota, Colombia.

Alexandra Robin Postons

Born: August 26, 2003

Weight: 5 lbs., 2 oz. (now 10lbs.) Length: 47 cm. (now 51 cm)

Caroline, Craig and Julia are thrilled to welcome Alexandra Robin Postons to our family! We first received the news at the FANA Halloween Party in Buffalo on October 18, 2003...

Journal

Monday, December 8, 2003

Hola! We are home…

At long last I can sit down and update the website with our news since we left Bogota on Friday morning. Thanks to all of you for your ‘welcome home’ e-mails to ask how we’re doing.

First, I’m not sure how accustomed I’ll be to writing in the serenity of my office vs. the ‘coziness’ of Betty’s TV room! I’m much more used to writing in NOISE not silence. It’s Monday morning, and as I stare outside my office window here at home there is a blanket of about six inches of snow covering rural Melrose, Ontario. Christmas carols are playing softly on the radio, Julia is back at school, and Alexandra is sleeping in her snuggly chair at my feet while Caroline is out doing an endless list of errands. I could get used to this.

For these reasons – and in many ways – Bogota feels far away this morning, but we know it is certainly not. Our memories are still so vivid in our minds, and we think today of the Family Surace as they head home (we will be “with” them all the way, in spirit if not in person) and of the Cummings and Jones families as they start another week in Colombia.

Our own trip home was long but relatively uneventful. Jorge Rico was true to his word – 11 pieces of luggage WILL fit into the Green Hornet, along with 4 people, despite my doubts. The check-in at Bogota was painless and we were enjoying a cappuccino about an hour after we got there. Alexandra was a breeze on the flight to Atlanta – slept and ate, what was different from her normal day??!! Jules took a gravol before we took off and that sent her off for a nice nap of an hour or so, but when she woke up she was captivated by the movie Santa Clause 2 that was playing. Apart from spilling her yogurt all over herself – and having to spend the remainder of the flight wrapped in a blanket while her pants dried – there were no other problems!

We are glad we had three hours for our connection in Atlanta. Between retrieving our luggage and getting it all on the re-connect conveyor belt, plus clearing customs (an hour-long exercise due to me once again picking the WRONG line!) and finally taking the subway to the other terminal for our flight to Toronto, we actually didn’t have much time to spare. Or actually we did, because once we got to our gate we learned of the vicious snowstorm that was wreaking havoc with the northeast and also impacting a lot of flights out of Atlanta. We feared the worst, and were actually starting to sort through a few ‘doomsday’ scenarios in our minds (i.e. exactly how much formula DO we have in our carry-ons to get us through if we end up spending the night in Atlanta?) But this was all unnecessary – our flight to Toronto was only an hour late and we were home by 9pm.

Ah, the lights of Toronto as we descended… they brought back fond memories of four years ago when we made that memorable trip home with Julia from Guatemala. “There is no place like home.” And that was surely confirmed for us a few minutes later after clearing customs and making a short stop in Immigration to ensure that all of Alexandra’s papers were in order… the doors from security opened and Julia let out an ear-piercing scream, “Aunt Leslie!!!!” Boom. After that it was a bit of a blur… hugs with Leslie and Grandpa, and an unexpected reunion with our very good friends Hoda, Fiasal and Dani Hassan who were also there to greet us. Very special, all of it. To see those friendly, welcoming faces to greet us was indescribable.

The next jolt was that crisp, clear cold air that blasted us as soon as we got outside the terminal. “Toto, we’re not in Bogota anymore.” Thankfully Les and Dad brought the vehicles around, suitably warmed up, and Fiasal and I loaded all of the luggage in. We said goodbye to the Hassans and then it was non-stop talk on the way home – Dad and I in one (with Jules out ‘cold’ in more ways than one in the backseat), Les and Caroline and Alex in the other. Safely home by just before midnight, we unloaded the bags, dropped everything, and basically headed to bed instantly! The house, we did notice, was decked out in various posters, welcome home messages, plants, and ‘comfort food’ – all from the Postons and Overmars families who think of everything! (Marilyn, thanks for the collage… that will go with Alexandra to her wedding day…. Anna, the cookies were delicious! Jenn…. thanks for the supplies, including the obligatory red wine! Dick and Judy… thanks for all that you did!)

Did we move overnight? I don’t think so… we believe we all woke up in exactly the same position as we retired! Even Jules, usually an early riser, slept in. Alexandra was the slowpoke – it was at least 8am when she finally stirred.

First things first. The phone rings. Aunt Betty from Bogota sounding like she was calling from next door. Did we get home all right? How were the girls? How thoughtful to call… but it also made us ache for the house again, even though we were thrilled to be home. That phone call is one of just many reasons that we will never forget Betty.

Downstairs, chaos. Caroline took one look at all of the unopened bags, did the fast math on the laundry, and made the only decision possible – kick Jules and I out of the house so that she could get some real work done. I like doing the packing, and Caroline likes undoing it, so it works out perfectly. Cast outside into the frigid air, Jules and I did what any self-respecting Canadians would do after being out of the country for five weeks – head to Timmy’s for a double-double, a chocolate milk and a doughnut. I know we were officially back in the country when we passed through Immigration on Friday night, but the real stamp of approval came when we walked through the doors at Tim’s on a Saturday morning and lined up for coffee. On the way out, Jules thanked a lady who held the door for her by saying, “gracias” and got an unexpected “da nada” in return! That made her day and she was talking about it for hours.

It’s nice to know that some things don’t change the world over. Instead of fighting traffic on Carrera 15 in Bogota on Saturday we fought traffic in the malls and grocery stores at home – the only difference being that the road rage quotient is definitely higher in Canada than Colombia? Why is that? In Bogota, with all of its traffic problems, we never once saw anyone flash the bird to another driver, but on Saturday morning alone I probably saw it half a dozen times in the mall parking lot! Ah, Christmas time.

The rest of the weekend was a steady stream of visits and calls with all of our family – from Mom and Dad in London (for Saturday dinner) to most of the Overmars family (Sunday afternoon) and calls to points west (Essex) and East (Beeton), we gradually got re-acquainted with our families whom we’re sure had begun to forget what we looked and sounded like. Not surprisingly, Alexandra was the star of the occasions, with Jules a close second. Caroline and I just blended in with the furniture.

This morning it’s back to normal, as normal as that can be. We’re still sorting through five weeks of mail (mostly bills), finishing up laundry and getting our heads re-adjusted to new (or old?) routines, new rules of the house (Jules!) and all of that jazz. But all in all being back is definitely a 10 out of 10. This afternoon Caroline and I will put up the Christmas decorations outside before Julia gets off the bus from school. As with prior years we will wear our Santa caps while doing so… we discovered several years ago that it’s very difficult to get mad at one another when you’re wearing a Santa cap!

While we do that we will be thinking of some of our best memories of Colombia:

THE BEST PEOPLE
• Our house-mates – the Suraces, Berras, Henrichs, Cummings and Jones – from the peak days at the beginning to the quieter ones at the end, it was a genuine blast, all of it! See all of you soon!
• Our support group – Betty, Carmen, Okenis, Alicia, Jorge Rico, Guillermo – every detail attended to, without fail!
• The genuine courtesy of all people we met – from the service of Miriam, the sweater lady (who stayed up all night the night before we left and came to the house at 5am to deliver the final sweater) to the average person on the street in Bogota who wouldn’t think of starting a conversation without first saying, “Buenos dias. Como estad?”) We can learn a lot from that courtesy.
• And of course – all of the people at FANA – Mercedes, Flor, Elizabeth, Maria Teresa, Cecilia, Elena, Maria Lucia. No other words necessary.

THE BEST SITES
• The unforgettable views from atop Montserrate
• The old town charm of La Candelaria
• The memorable market in Villa de Leyva, with locals decked out in traditional ponchos and wool blankets
• The Andes lining the entire east side of Bogota from the very south to the very north – and filled with the most lush vegetation you can imagine – that might be out most lasting impression of the city
• That drive to FANA in Suba – yes, up “smog hill” but also through the narrow streets by the quant plaza and the beautiful school
• The drive north from Bogota – with the rolling countryside, the small towns, the cow at every house, the horses grazing in the fields, the crops bursting at the seams

THE BEST EXPERIENCES
• Julia’s absolute awe and delight in meeting Alexandra for the first time on Nov. 4, 2003
• Yes, signing our sentencia – and seeing the judge for Barb Surace’s court genuinely celebrate the occasion!
• Matthew Surace’s first birthday party at FANA - unbelievable
• Golf in the Andes – where else can I get 20 more yards on my drives without cheating??!!
• Julia, Sarina Berra and Francesca Surace re-enacting their FANA presentations – priceless!
• Louie, The Kissing Bandit – enough said!
• The traffic in Bogota – in a weird way, we will miss it
• Thanksgiving dinner (our first US-style) at Betty’s Place
• Entertainment at street corners – from the sellers of anything and everything, to entertainers doing gymnastics, cartwheels and juggling fire sticks!
• Buying blankets and traditional hats in Cajica, the colonial town near Bogota
• Haggling for leather deals in Bogota
• The party at the British Ambassador’s residence

Those are just a few that come to mind.

More than anything we will remember the special gift, Alexandra Robin Postons, and the beautiful country in which she is born. We all know that Colombia suffers from a bad reputation in some circles – and we sincerely believe that it is not deserved. For the people who are willing to open their eyes and ears and truly appreciate Colombia, they will find a country of vibrant personality and exquisite beauty.

We will be back…

Look at past journal entries

Click here to sign and view our guestbook

Click here to see the photo album

Email address  : craig@pathwaycommunications.ca;carolinep@odyssey.on.ca

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