A tinto?

I am a lover of short and unexpected conversations that can occur with known or unknown people. When I live in Bogotá, my hometown. I used to have many unplanned short conversations throughout the day with people around my city, Bogotá.  These conversations made me feel that I was on a break between my daily responsibilities, at my job, in the neighborhood, and in public spaces. Since I arrived in Chicago, I haven’t had the same breaks to interact with people, because people here are less talkative than in my country, and my lack of confidence in English is a barrier. Having casual meetings is complicated in a city where everything needs to be planned.

Colombian coffee is more than part of our economy and tradition. It is an excuse to interact. When I worked in Colombia, I used to drink three or four tintos during the day. Tinto is a very small cup of coffee that Colombians drink on breaks to interact with others for a few minutes during the working day and then go back to work. The street vendors sell tinto everywhere. It's cheap, common, and very easy to find in universities, workplaces, cafeterias, and there are even people on the street who sell it from thermoses. Frequently, people at work would offer to treat others to a tinto and had a brief conversation to relax from daily tasks. Even though there are many cafes in Chicago, street vendors are not common. In the stores, there are many types, varieties, sizes, and ingredients that can be added. That confused me at first because I just want a simple small cup of coffee, my tinto.

In addition, in Chicago, it has been difficult for me to meet friends casually. I have some American friends in Chicago, but if I want to see them, I need to plan in advance. It seems too formal to just have a conversation with friends. Moreover, in Colombia I had uncomplicated conversations with my neighbors. While I went to the store that is on my block or when I got home, I would find out about their lives. I could come home from work and talk to my neighbor in front of the house and share about how our days were going or problems in the neighborhood and then continue with my routine. I also miss informal interactions with my friends in the neighborhood. If I met them on the street, it was normal to ask them over. We talked, laughed, and enjoyed life for a moment, without having to be on someone’s agenda. It was just a natural meeting to relax.

Furthermore, people in Colombia are talkative. Some Colombians used to talk to people in line at the supermarket, on the bus, and even if they don't know someone. People are friendly, curious, or maybe gossipy and they talk about their life, but that has never bothered me. It just always seemed funny to me. There are people who told me humorous things and I had fun for a moment. Others who complained about something and with whom I also complained. In Chicago, there is not much small talk in the lines at the supermarket or on the bus. Some people prefer silence and not being disturbed. When they speak to someone, their conversation is very short. People here are polite, but I don't talk to them in order to not bother them.

Since I left Colombia, having casual meetings is unusual. Planning is part of life in Chicago, and everyone knows in advance when they will meet friends. They even know what the weather will be like for the week. I didn’t worry about that in my country, because in Colombia we don’t have seasons.  Now I think it is necessary to plan every insignificant thing. I recognize that there are advantages to doing it. I admire the Americans and their way of thinking in many scenarios, but that does not mean that I do not miss drinking tinto, being invited to a house, or talking to strangers spontaneously, just enjoy the breaks that I had in my life in Colombia. Maybe I can teach some Americans to drink tinto to have short and unplanned conversations
. I hope that in the future, I can find activities here that make me feel that I have breaks during the day.