Host Club...FINALLY

I think I need to mention some big news that I failed to report about a month and a half ago, pardon me, the first four months here have been a whirlwind of activity, but I lassoed that tornado and have been riding it like Pecos Bill ever since (kind of wish my Dad would have called me that growing up). Anyway, sometime in mid-October I went to my first Rotary meeting with the club that is my host club for the rest of my time here, which also means it is the same club of my host counselor. Her name is Laura Beatriz Pena, a lawyer who has recently become a member of Rotary-I had the pleasure of seeing her receive her official acceptance at our meeting last week.  Laura is a gentle and extremely intelligent individual, whose capacity to probe and ask questions is unmatched. There are times when I think her inquisitiveness resembles that of a young child's mind, constantly sifting through the clutter of information to try and find the basic truth, without even realizing it. Guess that is why she is such a boss lawyer. She prepares some mean fajitas too. A few weeks ago she invited me over to her house for dinner with her son and mother who also live there. I'm not joking, these were the best fajitas I've had in a long time. However, all that considered, I would have to say I feel thankful to have such a pro-active and genuine host counselor like Laura.

But...back to the the first meeting at my club of Medellin-Nutibara. This club is more to my liking, seeing that they have about 20 members, which in my eyes is a more manageable group. The first club I visited here had like 100 members-way too big. This group of Nutibara is great because they come from all facets of life: medecine, law, engineering, academia, entrepreneurs, etc. Not to mention, they have a nice spot reserved for meetings; a nice little country club tucked up in eastern hills of Medellin with a great view of the city, especially at night. From the balconies, looking out, it seems like a bunch of stars fell from the heavens and landed all over the Valley of Aburra(valley in which Medellin lies). So, as commanded by Rotary International's central command, I introduced myself to the club and gave my 15 minute powerpoint presentation on who I am, where I come from, why I came to Medellin, and how this club and my club back home in Allison Park, PA can work together to carry out an international project. After that, I sat down to share a nice chicken dinner with the rest of the club(winner winner chicken dinner, one of the many perks of being an ambassadorial scholar).

After dinner, it was time for some prime time publicity. The photo shoot was quick and painless, not awkward at all, well, except for when the one Rotarian couldn't figure out the zoom button. When all was said and done, I could honestly say that this club felt right for me in my gut...or maybe it was just the feeling of contentedness that comes from being full after a nice meal. Hopefully, it was both.

Check out the pic below!: