Responses for Norway Students From KCP Students

Que cosa te gusta más de tú país?

- Lo que más me gusta de mi país es la gente que lo habita. Me parece que la energía que se siente es incomparable a la de los demás.

- Lo que más me gusta de mi país es la alegría que se siente siempre en todo momento.- Lo que más me gusta de mi país es que la gente siempre sin conocerte te recibe con los brazos

abiertos. Además, las personas son muy alegres y humildes.

Cuantos idiomas hablas?(estas son respuestas de varios estudiantes:)

- Dos, español e inglés.- Español, inglés e italiano.- Dos, español e inglés.- Español, ingles y frances.- Hablo tres idiomas; español, ingles y frances.- Español, inglés y alemán.

Que es tu asignatura favorita?(estas son respuestas de varios estudiantes:)

- Art.- Pre cálculo y art- Mi asignatura favorita es ingles.- Pre Cálculo y Química.- Mi asignatura favorita es arte.- Mi asignatura favorita es Modelo de Naciones Unidas.

Que haces en tu tiempo libre?(estas son respuestas de varios estudiantes:)

- Me gusta ver películas y series en Netflix.- Estoy en el equipo femenino de softball (práctico tres o cuatro veces a la semana), aveces voy al

gimnasio con una entrenadora, aunque lo que más me gusta es ver películas/series y escuchar música.- Salgo a comer con mis amigas y familia pero al mismo tiempo me gusta mirar series o películas.- En mi mi tiempo libre me gusta dormir, ver netflix y cocinar brownies.- En mi tiempo libre me gusta hacer deporte, como tenis y golf.- A mi me gusta ir a Modelos de Naciones Unidas.- En mi tiempo libre me gusta ir al gimnasio.- En mi tiempo libre me gusta ir a cine con mi familia.- En mi tiempo libre hago diferentes actividades como ver series en Netflix y jugar deportes.

Como es una día normal para usted en Colombia?(estas son respuestas de varios estudiantes:)

- Un dia normal para mi es asistir al colegio, quedarme en extracurriculares. Después, usualmente voy mi casa comer y salgo a hacer deporte. Luego, suelo estudiar y hacer tareas hasta que sea el momento para irme a dormir hasta el dia siguiente. .

- Me levanto a las 6:00 am, voy al colegio hasta las 2:30, doy clases de SAT y después voy al gimnasio

- En un dia normal, hay muchas cosas que hacer para el colegio y generalmente hay muchas tareas.- Cuando llegamos a la casa, almorzamos y hacemos cualquier actividad hasta que nos acostemos tarde

en la noche.

What do you want to work with when you grow up?

- Musician- Interior design- Architecture firm or interior design.- I have not decided yet, but I am very interested in psychology and art.- I want to be a psychologist.- I want to be a doctor.- I would like to get a degree in liberal arts.

What is your favourite food?

- Sancocho mondongo, las arepas ,narcobollo and mañanero chorizo paisa, which are all food that make up part of the culture.

- I love to eat sushi rolls.- Natu chips (a kind of chips like Doritos or lays) with suero (a type of sauce)- My favorite food is pan de bonos (a colombian pastry).- I love arepas and eating hamburgers from a restaurant here called Groso Food Truck.- I usually like to eat and order in restaurants pasta and pizza- There is this Food Truck that delivers the best Tacos in the city, called Taquero Mucho Truck.

How many years is a normal education?

More or less 15 years. In our school, there are.- 3 years in preschool- 5 years in elementary- 3 years in middle school- 4 years in high school

How do you see your life in ten years?

- Successfully working in the field I want to study.- Working as a psychologist here in Colombia, starting to build a family.- Having a job I feel passionate about with the family I will start.

What`s a normal hobby for a Colombian teenager?

- Sports, especially soccer for boys.- Playing sports- Sleeping in the afternoons, taking long naps.- Watching netflix with my friends or alone.- Hanging out with friends, going out to eat, which is what people usually do here.

Do you have any goals for your future?

- Being successful with my career in the field I choose to study in, having a family and be happy in general.

What is your biggest fear?

- Insects, mostly butterflies- Having cancer- Being buried alive- Being alone, as in losing all of my friends and having no one to talk to.- Being kidnapped.- Dying.- My biggest fear is loneliness.- Getting killed by a snake’s poison.

How many hours do spend at school each day?

- Normally, we spend 7 hours at school each day but if we have extra curriculars like MUN or sports mainly it is 8 to 9 hours per day. Our schedule is from 7:30-2:35 and after school are the extracurriculars.

What is your greatest accomplishment so far, and what do you want to accomplish in life?

- I want to be a successful entrepreneur that people look up to. At the same time, I would like to have a family and be surrounded by people who support me and what I have decided to do with my life.

What are your thoughts on school and education?

- The education we receive in this school is above average, it's excellent, but it could also improve. Sometimes, we have too much homework and students tend to feel overwhelmed. Many classes are very easy to pass and get a good grade without much effort but the blended learning makes it hard sometimes to learn without any hands on approach to certain subjects -including physics, chemistry and calculus.

Can you say one positive and one negative thing about the politics in Colombia?

- One of the more positive aspects of Colombian politics is the lack of party loyalty. People don’t vote for a definite party every single time, but rather vote for the candidates they think are most capable, regardless of alignment. It definitely is better than the American system in which there are just two parties to choose from. On the negative side of things, we tend to have a centralist system, which results in a bias towards the capital at the expense of nearly everyone else. It’s actually the reason why we have an armed conflict.

Do you like to go skiing?

- Yes, but we off course have to travel to another country to be able to do it.

How important is family in Colombian culture?

- Family is very important part of our lives in Colombia. It also can be overwhelming when you have about three-hundred cousins you don’t know exist or people who you know but were not aware you are related to them.

If you could change something about your school day, what would it be?

- I would change the food that is sold in school, some that might be more appealing for all students. Also the time we have to arrive to school is too early, it should be later.

How would you describe an ordinary day for you?

- An ordinary day for me is to go to school and play volleyball or go to the gym. Sometimes I take tutoring classes for precalculus afterwards.

- An ordinary day for me would be going to school, then during the afternoon going to the gym and returning home to study and do homework. When I finish, I watch Netflix until I feel tired (around 10pm) and drift off to sleep.

Is it normal to do community service or contribute to society in any other way?

- Here in our school we do a lot of community service to the people in need. Each grade from elementary and secondary school are responsible for an organization in need. Last year, we were in charge of TECHO, an organization that builds temporary homes for people in need for free. The year before we helped a school called “Cisneros” which was very poor and helped them build a playground. Some students even go after school to teach english classes in poor schools. The amount of love and support you receive from the people in need after they have been helped is amazing and so gratifying in many different ways.

What does Colombian youth do to inspire change?

- Community Service is promoted in every aspect of society. From school, to church, to words spread during social gatherings.

What makes you happy?

- My friends are what I value most and make my life joyful.- Being around the people I love, and eating.- My family which helps me and encourages me to do the best I can possibly do in life.

What do you usually eat?

- I usually eat pastas and pizza.- It depends on the taste of the person.- I like to eat Everything and try new things, even though my favorite food would be meat.

What do you do for fun?

- I play volleyball, listen to music and watch movies for fun.- Play volleyball and softball.- Go to the movies or shopping.- I like to go to the gym.- I watch Netflix.- I like to go out with my friends.

Do you have much spare time to do what you want?

- Not as much, with all the school work and extracurriculars it is hard to make time for anything that we want to do.

What is your favourite sport?

- My favorite sport is volleyball.- Playing: Volleyball, Watching: American Football

- Soccer and softball and volleyball and swimming.- Softball.

If you could make one wish come true, what would it be?

- End world hunger.

Do you play soccer/football?

- Yes, I even consider it as the most important sport in the country.- Yes, I like it a lot and also look forward to play in the school team.

How is the Colombian music scene?

- In the Colombian music scene there is a lot of reggaeton and salsa and merengue.

Does any of your friends play sports?

- Yes my friends play sports, half of my classmates play one or more than one sport.

How would you describe Colombia?

- An awesome cocaine-less country- A country full of energetic and charismatic people, making progress throughout the years.- A country full of culture and great gastronomy

What is the most popular profession in Colombia?

- Business Administration I think.

What do you think about the political system in Colombia?

- I think the political system in Colombia is very messed up. Everyday there are new conflicts and disagreements. Besides, officials here are many times characterized by being corrupt.

What are your dreams?

- My dreams are to be happy and successful so I can achieve everything I want. I also dream to be a doctor and have a family.

What does the society expect from you?

- No one expects anything from no one, it is the opposite, society is waiting for somebody to fail.- Society expects us to go to school, have a family and people we love.- Society in Barranquilla (the city we live in), society is very stressful since there is the saying, which is

true, that everybody knows everything. If you screw up, everybody knowns.

What kind of music do you like?

Andres cepeda, john mayer, frank ocean, fonseca, juanes, carlos vives, coldplay, maná, jarabe de palo, alejandro sanz, reik, diego torres, bacilos, the xx, david bowie, santana, bomba estereo, bon jovi, pink floyd, lil yacht, chance the rapper, drake, tory lanez, j. Cole, the kooks, two door cinema club, phoenix, twenty one pilots, ed sheeran, tame impala, led zep, james blunt, bruno mars, jack johnson, jason mraz, nirvana, pearl jam, the killers, chiddy bang,blur, zella day, lost frequencies, journey, kings of leon, vance joy, capital cities,

a$ap rocky, lukas graham, manuel medrano, kygo, enrique iglesias, j balvin, green day, kanye west, matt simons, jet, queen, eric clapton, maroon 5, the rolling stones, seal, soda estereo, dire straits, jimi hendrix, ACDC, guns n roses, bloc party, bb king, martin elias, mek official

Catfish and the Bottlemen, Arctic Monkeys, JAWS, Bob Marley, Paramore, Yellowcard, Sleeping with Sirens, ACDC, Aerosmith, All Time Low, All American Rejects, Cage the Elephant, A Day To Remember, Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Green Day, Lit, Neck Deep, Oasis, The Killers, Pixies, Rise Against, Led Zep

Cryn- opiFRANK OCEANThe killers, gotye, tame impala

Nine Inch Nails, Placebo, The Kooks, Diiv, Basement, Suuns, Silversun Pickups, Arcane Roots, Turnover, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins. In general I enjoy dream pop (example), indie, and alternative. I can listen to almost anything but i don’t really like reggaeton (which is funny because it’s a very popular genre here in Colombia.)AdeleFonseca

Do you ever go out with your friends for shopping, or to hang out at a café?

- No, we usually go to someone’s house to watch movies/tv series and talk. If we go out, we go out to eat. Or we go out and have fun in other people’s house.

Do you have a lot of homework?

- Definitely depends on the day. Now with the new schedule system we don’t have that much homework than before since we miss one class every day. But there are some days in which we have homework for every class!

Is it common for students to have jobs at the same time as they are studying? If so, what kind of jobs?

- It is not common but it really should be.- No one in my grade has a job- In Colombia, teenagers cannot work because that would be considered exploitation. If you are over 18,

you can get a job. I would prefer to be able to get a job now.

What do you think about school in Colombia?

- The public schools are not so good, they depending in the zone you live, they need to improve, but they already have s improved very much with Alex Char, the mayor of Barranquilla. There are also many great school in the private sector like ours.

Are there more girls or boys in your school?

- In school the amount of boys and girls is sort of equal but in my grade there are more boys than girls.

Do you experience bullying in Colombian high schools? If so, could you give some examples?

- No I haven’t because my school is very united, specialy my class since we have been together since stem.

- Yes, in a lot of cases bullying is very common but we are working hard to make it better since

everyone should be treated with respect.

What places would you recommend visiting in Colombia?

- Eje cafetero.- Cartagena- Medellín- Barranquilla- Santa Marta

How many subjects do you have in school?

- We have 8 subjects: English, Philosophy, Physics, Pre-Calculus, Chemistry, Spanish, Business or an elective that might be between music, art, photography, and model united nations.

What is most important to you?

- My family, friends, happiness, health, peace, food.- My family, God, the people I hang out with everyday, happiness, peace.

What do you like and dislike about the city/area you live in?

- I like about my area that everything is close, you don't have to travel long distances in order to get to other places. At the same time, I do dislike that there is a lot of traffic around the place.

If you could change the world, what would you do?

- End world hunger and make sure that every human being has a home they can go to.

What is your favourite colour and animal?

- My favorite color is blue and my favourite animal is the dog.- My favorite color is burgundy and animal is the lion, king of the jungle.- My favorite color is yellow and my favorite animal are cats.

Do you celebrate Christmas? If so, how do you celebrate Christmas? Are there any traditions specific to Colombia?

- Yes, the 24th during Christmas Eve, my family and I go and gather in my grandparent’s house and exchange presents and have dinner with all my relatives. It is a very nice holiday and you can definitely feel the giving spirit.

What is your favourite holiday?

- My favorite holiday is Christmas Eve because it's a time when you gather with your family and spend a good time together.

- Halloween since we get to dress up and it is fun.- Easter since it also turns out to be my birthday.

Who do you look up to, and why?

- My parents, specially my mom since she always supports my decisions and loves me.

Who is your favorite athlete?

- James Rodriguez, a colombian soccer player who is in the Real Madrid Team.

How far do you have to travel to school?

- I normally ride in the car for about 10 minutes when there is not a lot of traffic. Depends on where you live mostly but about 10-30 minutes for every student in the school.

What do you think about the Colombian infrastructure?

- It is very well but at the same time it could improve. If it would, it would definitely boost tourism.

How old are usually people in Colombia when they begin to work?

- It depends on their social and economical status. If needed, as soon they are done with school and the underprivileged unfortunately don’t end school if it is needed from them to work. Others from the upper class of society usually wait until they finish university and are well prepared for a good job.

How many siblings do you have?

- I have 3 sisters.- I have one sister.- 2 brothers and 1 sister.- I have one brother- 1 brother and 1 sister- 1 sister- 1 older sister- 1 little brother- 1 sister and 1 brother- I have 4 siblings, 2 brothers and 2 sisters.

Do you like to travel?

- Yes, I love traveling

How are your classrooms?

- They are big, with about 30 desks each.- This is our Advanced Placement English Language and Composition class.

Do you travel with public transportation a lot?

- Even though most people in our school do not use public transportation it has become widespread throughout the country. At the same time, even though most have individual transportation Uber is very common in situations where your parents can’t drive you.

Is your family important to you?

- Yes, family is very important to us.

What holiday breaks do your school have?

- Colombia is the second country with most holidays in the world after India. We have many days off school.

- The holiday breaks we have include: Christmas, Thanksgiving, Carnival Days, Holy Week, Uribe Week, and many more.

Is culture important to you?

- Yes, it is important to always remember culture and cherish it.

Do you normally go on vacations? If yes, where?

- Yes, mostly to the United States and Europe. I really enjoy traveling with my family because we get to share experiences that we will never forget and looking at other cultures and architecture is amazing.

What kind of instruments are most popular in Colombian music culture?

- La guira, los timbales, el accordion.

Do you have any kind of music lessons?

- Intro to guitar and music theory, as well as music editing with sound and imaging in school. Also, the school recently started to provide classes to learn how to play violin. Many people do take classes outside of school like piano and violin.

What is your favourite part about Colombia history?

- I really like how mestizaje(miscegenation) is a great part in our history, because most of our culture is a mixture of different cultures in the past to make a whole new rich one. This is especially shown in the celebration of Carnaval de Barranquilla, which shows many different costumes and music genres that come from mixes of different cultures (native, afro, spanish). El Carnaval de Barranquilla embraces our culture and past through dances and tradition.

What role does music play in your daily lives?

- Music is one of the most important things in our culture, there is always music wherever you go, and all types: Reggaeton, Champeta, and Salsa which are the most listened and danced to and are from our culture, but I enjoy american songs more (like pop and house party).

Dear Colombians, do you like cycling? I like Nairo Quintana, do you?

- Some people do go cycling, mostly on free times and weekends. People that are into sports do support him. Actually, my father is a big fan of him.

Hello! How do you feel about your president getting the Nobel peace prize, and how do you think the peace agreement will affect your country?

- I feel like it wasn’t so well deserved because he didn’t actually make peace, he’s only attempting it. I feel like the peace treaty, if done right, will be good for the country so it can progress. But it’s not the only thing that has to be done in order to make Colombia better.

- He did not deserve it, since I feel he acts as one person to the country yet he is worse than he portraits.

- In my opinion, he did a great job trying to bring peace to the country and it was outstanding from his part that he decided to donate all the money he received to the victims of the conflict in Colombia.

- I believe that even though he tried his best and did everything he could to achieve peace, he didn’t deserve the Nobel prize because he did not finally achieve peace. Currently, the situation in Colombia is just like it was several years ago, as the peace treaties were denied by the people on a nationwide plebiscite. Upon this denial by the people, the effects of the peace treaty will be nullified and there will be no further effect on the country unless negotiations continue in the future and political parties come to an agreement.

Greetings Colombia. How does your political view affect your daily life, and how does politics affect the Colombian school system?

- Out political views only generate discussions in our daily life. These are things to talk about generally. Politics affect the school system because they set requirements for private schools (like KCP). However, the Colombian public school system is detrimental. At the same time, we do have many debates during class to cast out our points of view and discuss them to enrich our knowledge.