The minister for first impressions

This photo was taken in 2007 at a dry-cleaners in La Candelaria district of Bogota, Colombia. The dog, whose name I’ve long since forgotten, was ‘the minister for first impressions.’ In other words, he was the first staff member to greet each customer. What joy!

La Candelaria is a fascinating part of a city that blends the old and new. It is a living biography of a city that, over the years, has witnessed the best and worst of human behaviour in a country that has witnessed the best and worst of human behaviour. It is up to you to do some research— if you want to.

Colombia boasts raising one of the most famous writers of the twentieth century: Gabriel García Márquez. For the older students, here’s a book you may wish to find out more about: Cien Años de Soledad (100 years of Solitude). It is considered a classic, and one of the most important pieces of literature of its time.  

If you are from Colombia, ‘Bienvenidos.’  Please excuse my street Spanish: ‘Me gusta mucho Colombia.’ 

Whether or not you are from Colombia, do have a story about a dog or a person and their shadow in a street?