Meet WhereNext’s Intern Elisabeth Tops

Elizabeth gives us the lowdown on her experiences working with our storytelling agency team in Bogota, Colombia.

Who are you?

I am Elisabeth, a 20-year-old Dutch International Business student, and I am currently doing my work placement at WhereNext. I was born in a little town in The Netherlands and grew up with my Dutch father, Chinese mother, and brother. As the daughter of an Asian mother, I was raised in a multicultural home; I think that contributed to my interest in other cultures. Consequently, at the age of eighteen, I went to Australia for a few months, where I discovered my passion for traveling and experiencing different cultures. That is probably also one of the main reasons why I decided to study International Business and came to Bogotá for my internship. I have always been fascinated by the Latin American culture, and what better way to experience and discover it than actually living in it for several months?

What is your role at WhereNext?

As an intern, my main responsibilities currently include assisting Sandra and Bibi with their work within the production team and helping the finance team by implementing budgets on Monday, a digital platform, to create a more precise financial overview of completed projects. Within the production department, Sandra is teaching me a lot about video and film analysis and providing me with assignments to improve on these skills, super interesting! Additionally, I - only when I am not busy, of course - like hanging out and chatting with my colleagues, who are always here for me, and helping me increase my vocabulary with the latest Colombian slang.

How did you first find out about WhereNext, and what made you want to work with us?

I first found out about WhereNext when I was searching for an internship specifically focused on the production services industry in Latin America. I simply Googled ‘Production Services Industry in Latin America,’ and WhereNext popped up on the first page. Subsequently, I visited the website and was intrigued by the substantial amount of exciting and entertaining videos and blogs on the website. As I researched the company in further detail, I fell in love with the company’s history, vision, and it’s compelling focus on outdoor activity video content – which, although it was entirely out of my comfort zone, grabbed my attention. So I texted Gregg, who redirected me to his previous intern, Bibi, who happened to be Dutch as well. I Skyped with both Bibi and Sandra and sent them my CV… And here I am: spending my days in beautiful Bogotá while working in a great company surrounded by amazing colleagues and not to mention the fantastic WhereNext chef Nohemy.

Here are some Colombian slang words my WhereNext coworkers taught me:

• Aspero: means “extraordinary cool”

• Que gonorrea: people use this for everything. Sometimes a good word and sometimes a bad one!

• Guevón: friend, egghead, partner

• Parche: a group of friends 

• ¡Que lindoooo!: (Pepper is) soooo cute

• Papi chulo: a handsome man (Love the song)

• Enfarré: party hard

A word from our last intern, Bibi: “My Internship Experience at a Visual Storytelling Agency”

What were you and your family’s perceptions of Colombia before you came here?

They were frightened. Like, absolutely terrified. Since none of us had ever visited any Latin American country before, they had a somewhat distorted picture of Colombia. Drugs and Narcos were the keywords my family associated with Colombia and Bogotá. As time passed by and after conducting more research on the country and arranging a nice place for me to live, they eventually found a way to accept and become – more or less – reassured that I would be fine as long as I was sensible. So, that’s basically what I promised my mother, and since there’s nothing worse than breaking a promise to your mother, I’ll be just fine.

What were your first impressions of Bogota when you arrived?

‘Wow, the people here are so tiny. Qué lindo!’ That was one of the first things that caught my attention when I left the airport and was met by a local taxi driver; this man could’ve fit into my suitcase! As well, I was surprised by how chaotic the traffic is here; people cross the street like headless chickens and ‘give way’ is non-existent here. Additionally, I was shocked when I went to Theatron – an insanely big club in Bogotá – for the first time and witnessed people dancing, but like actually dancing! It’s so entertaining watching people loosening their hips to the latest reggaeton. Finally, the weather surprised me as I had been told that it’d be rainy every single day, but I spent my first weeks absorbing tons of Vitamin D. Turns out January was one of the best months, which I learned the hard way as I took many ‘natural showers’ last week. Time to buy an umbrella.

How have you settled into life in Colombia & WhereNext?

I surprisingly settled into both Colombia and WhereNext life very quickly. Way faster than I initially thought or expected. Colombians are so friendly and outgoing, and I felt welcome here almost instantly. And not to brag (or maybe a little bit), but I could not have wished for a better work placement company. Every day is different, my tasks are diverse – so I never get bored - and again, my colleagues are so much fun to both work and hang out with. I consider myself very lucky. Of course, I miss my family and friends, but this experience outweighs feelings of homesickness. It is not for nothing that my colleague Chris told me that “the hardest part will be leaving.”

Did anything surprise you about working for us?

When I arrived on Thursday, Bibi asked me to join for lunch on Friday. Not to start working, but just to get a glimpse and feel for the atmosphere, people, and the office space. What surprised me the most was how nervous I initially was and really shouldn’t have been. As soon as I walked into the office, I was overwhelmed by people introducing themselves and asking me how I was doing, bombarding me with the typical Colombian ‘Cómo vas?’. After a few years of Spanish classes, I had no idea what they were saying, as I only learned the standard ‘Qué tal?’ and ‘Cómo estás?’ in school. So embarrassing.

Anyway, my point is that I was surprised about the amount of slang they use here in the office. Also, I was fascinated by the laid-back vibe and friendliness prevailing at the office, with the fantastic outside patio only strengthening that feeling. As well, although I still hardly understand anything my colleagues chat about during lunch – everybody cross-talks and speaks so insanely fast – I love how they don’t get into highly charged topics. Discussions are generally about whether to eat cookies or brownies on “Fat Friday,” chats on how many kilometers the hardcore bikers cycled during the weekend compared to (currently still) amateur Danito, or how Julian warns Santi and Pipe when he is about to break wind.

What are you looking forward to doing with the rest of your time in Colombia?

While in Colombia, I - of course - want to travel and experience the country as much as possible. Cartagena, Medellín, Santa Marta, and Cali are already on the bucket list. Still, I’d also love to visit some hidden spots, far away from the standard tourist attractions, and encounter the more local culture and indigenous parts of the country. Additionally, I want to improve my Spanish. And become fluent. Or at least fluent enough that I can participate during lunch conversations, and chit-chat with a Colombian friend I recently met without having to pull faces because we don’t understand each other. Last but not least, I want to soak up so much reggaeton that I’ll be fed up with it as soon as I leave the country, given the fact that I am a hardcore reggaeton lover.

Interested in an internship with WhereNext? Get in touch with our Storytelling Agency Team here.