Feb 20, 2023 3 min read

What is Colombia like? Part 1: Generalizations

I find it difficult to describe Colombia as a country. I only know a slice of life in a city of 4 million. What generalizations can I make? Perhaps I'll just respond to the question I can answer.

Outrageous generalizations

“The Midwest Is Obsessed with Eating Chili and Cinnamon Rolls Together” Say what? In their full article, Better Homes and Garden reported quotes from a historian specifying exactly where this food combo shows up, but whoever wrote the headline and Instagram post failed (or succeeded?) by overgeneralizing, which sparked robust refutations and debate.

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Generalizations – broad comparisons between groups – can be useful. They can help us see patterns and think through more reasons for why people do things differently. A good generalization is backed by lots of information, held lightly, and constantly updated. With a really good generalization, even people for whom it isn’t specifically true, will nod their head and comment, “Yeah, that fits.” Humans are pattern seekers, story tellers. We see generalizations both where they are and where they aren’t.

Naming a generalization (ex. Midwesterns eat cinnamon rolls and chili) can lead to more information gathering, testing the pattern, whether it is confirmed or not (ex. 455 comments and counting). It can also lead to uproar, frustration, and pain when generalizations are assumed true for every individual or become harmful stereotypes. And, unfortunately, it is much easier to spot other people’s errors than our own. Rebutting the “Midwest obsession with chili and cinnamon rolls” is easy. Spotting our own assumptions is a lifelong journey.

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If I (a Midwesterner) dare to make a food generalization about the Midwest, I might say – almost any combination of ingredients can be called a salad! Think jello salad with fruit, shredded carrots, and marshmallows (this also appears in places in the South). My favorite potluck dish claiming to be a salad (and thus served with as a side dish, NOT dessert) is the Snickers salad. Hailing from the Upper Midwest, this consists of whipped cream, apples, and Snickers candy bars.

What is Colombia like?

“What is Colombia like?” is a difficult question to answer. At face value, it calls for country-level generalizations that I can’t really know given my 3 months living in the city of Medellín as a foreigner. I think I can safely say a staple Colombian food is arepas with fresh cheese, which is now part of my daily diet. There are lots of varieties of arepas. I like chocolos best, which are like a fresh cornbread pancake.

Arepa warming on the stove. Served with cheese, egg, and papaya. Yum!

Perhaps people asking about Colombia aren’t expecting me to make a nuanced comparison of how Colombia is distinct from other countries in the Americas. They may just want to know what my life is like. To that question I can say:

I’ve met some really nice people in Medellín.
The Spanish here has been fairly easy to understand.
I love that I get to use the Spanish “vos” (informal singular “you” not vosotros, which is different) that I learned in Nicaragua.
I like the food.
Eating out is dominated by meat dishes, though there are enough places catering to tourists that vegetarian restaurants do exist.
There’s an “expat” (economically privileged migrant) community here, though it is also easy to live in a non-touristy area and only run into foreigners if you try.
The list goes on!

So, feel free to keep asking me about Colombia – and I’ll keep telling you about my little slice of experience!

Written Feb 20, 2023. Posted March 17, 2023.