Bucaramanga is a city of about one million people. It is not a big tourist destination, so there are not a lot of foreign people that live here. For this reason, the majority of the culture is very Santanderiano or Santanderean. The department (or as we call it in the U.S., a 'state') that Bucaramanga is in is called Santander (pronounced Sahn-tahn-dehr). Santanderians are known for "yelling" when they talk or seeming angry when they say normal things. They are also known to be very strong-willed people! Although these are stereotypes, all of my friends that live here like being known for these traits. This approach works well for me because I also speak very loudly and can come across as overwhelming sometimes. So in this aspect, I have fit right in!
Some ways that I have integrated into the community here have been through having a "YES!" attitude. What I mean by that is whenever someone asks me to do something, even if I am a bit nervous because it is new, I say YES! In what ways do you have a YES! attitude in your life and at school?
Some things that I have said YES! to have been hiking difficult hikes. I have made a lot of friends here through that, and it is something very popular because there are so many beautiful trails here. I have also said YES!
