"Things are looking up in Colombia."

The difference between New York in DC.

You're meeting a friend for lunch and enjoying a nice salad of wilted spinach, goat cheese, roasted tomatoes, and pine nuts tossed in herbed olive oil.

DC: The salad costs $7.99.
NY: The salad costs $10.99.

You notice someone famous at the opposite side of the restaurant sitting with a companion.

DC: The famous person is the former Assistant Secretary of the Defense and the dining companion is a lawyer friend.
NY: The famous person is a movie actor and the dining companion is his Broadway producer friend.

My caveat is that some details have been embellished to make a point. I once saw Ken Bacon, former Assistant Secretary of Defense, at lunch in DC (he had to be pointed out to me). The salad is merely what I would like to be eating right now for lunch if I had the money to blow. And let's face it, chances are my NY celebrity sighting would be a failed reality television star.

This ties in a very roundabout way to my next point. J-Wo, who was my dining companion when we spotted Ken Bacon, has come up with this idea of group blogging on a common subject. For some reason known only to her, she has chosen the topic tourism in Colombia -- as in Bogata, not the District of -- and their push for more international visitors.

Now the only incentive of visiting Colombia I can think of is that my salad would cost $1.99. However, the tradeoff would be a constant fear of violence and/or kidnapping due to drug cartel activity and a 40 year old guerilla war. Nothing says fun and relaxation like riding in a caravan protected with assault rifle toting men.

Hooray! I can't wait to book my ticket.