Albatross has written 34 posts
Colombian Department Store Wage
I'm curious to know what one of the girls working in the aisles, re-stocking doing inventory, ect., in a department store in Colombia would make per month ? Would having worked there for a few years make much difference ? ...
Engagement Rock
Anyone have an idea of what is customary for an engagement ring ? In other words, what sort of ring would an ordinary Colombian buy for his novia and about how much would he spend ? I do not want to look like I'm attempting to buy this girl by throwing an expensive ring on her finger, nor do I want to make any of her family or friends look poor by comparison... I also don't want to make her a target. Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, Silver, Platinum, 1/2 carat, 1 carat, $100, $500, $1,000... ?? ...
Bringing my novia to the U.S.
I've checked out Visa Journey, but I've still got a few questions: 1) I assume the very first step is to get her a passport... can this only be done in person in Bogota (she lives in Cali) ? 2) I would prefer to get maried in Colombia, but the Spousal Visa requires evidence of a "bonafide marriage", for example: a. Documentation showing joint ownership or property; or b. A lease showing joint tenancy of a common residence; or c. Documentation showing co-mingling of fina ...
Medellin Feria de las Flores 2008
Does anyone know when the Feria de las Flores is this year in Medellin ? I haven't been able to find anything for 2008 on the net.
Avianca Fare Sale... leave on/before March 12.
Avianca is having a sale for flights to Colombia departing on or before March 12. I'm not sure which departing cities are included, but it covers NYC Airports. I just picked-up round-trip tickets from JFK for $580. ...
Spanish Verb Form Questions
Indicative 1) Present - I am speaking - hablo 2) Future - I will speak - hablaré 3) Imperfect - I was speaking - hablaba 4) Pretérit - I spoke - hablé 5) Conditional - I would speak - hablarÃa 6) Presente Perfect - I have spoken - he hablado 7) Future Perfect - I will have spoken - habré hablado 8) Plus Perfect - I had spoken - habÃa hablado 9) Pretérit Anterior - I had spoken - hube hablado 10) Conditional Perfect - I would have spoken ...
Encantado
I just returned from visiting a Caleña I met last summer. I’ve been cautiously optimistic about our chances until reading some of the posts here lately. Dan in his “A Number" thread looks like he met the devil herself and Igpaa in “HELP!!!" doesn’t seem much better off. Unfortunately, none of us here at PBH know the full story, maybe the girls had their reasons or were honestly not players at first, but got twisted up by our great American "society" and "family values", but with all thi ...
Feria De Cali Band / Venue Listings
FYI - The following is the official music schedule for the Feria de Cali: Any comment on the bands, the venues or anything else regarding the Feria ? *** VENUE - EL RUMBÓDROMO *** 26 DEC GRAN COMBO GILBERTO SANTA ROSA GRUPO NICHE CANO ESTREMERA LUISITO CARRIÓN 27 DEC AVENTURA REY RUIZ EDDY HERRERA JEAN CARLOS CENTINO 28 DEC GILBERTO SANTA ROSA JORGE CELEDÓN MAELO RUIZ JEAN CARLOS CENTINO 29 DEC GRAN COMBO EDDY HERRERA MAELO RUIZ SON DE CALI 30 DEC JORGE CE ...
Peter... PBH and the P.C. Police
Peter, if this is the new P.C. PBH, then you may as well delete my account. I particularly distain situations where people are allowed to make sexist, racist or other antagonistic remarks while others are not allowed a defense. Supposedly, PBH encourages intelligent debate, but recently, a comment of mine was deleted that was a simple rebuttal to stupid, sexist definition of “Manhood" by one of your female posters. I don’t know who deleted my comment, nor do I care, but I take gender-base ...
What’s so great about Tourism ?
I grew up in a small, quaint sea-side village about an hour outside of New York City. The town was a really cool place to live until it was “discovered". Wealthy New Yorkers began to move in and buy property, driving up real estate prices. And within a few years, the town became clogged with Tourists. The final nail in the coffin was when it was voted the “Best Small Town in America" two or three years in a row… then people poured in from all over the country. The only locals who liked any ...
Overland Travel: Cali - Medellin - Buenaventura
Just curious what the present security situation is overland from Cali to Medellin... also the Cali - Buenaventura route.
Colombian Trade Unions
By Harold Meyerson,
From The American Prospect:
Over the past 15 years, the trade agreements that the United States has entered into with other nations have been, when it comes to ensuring the rights of workers in those nations, merely outrageous and inadequate. Now the administration is about to send up to Capitol Hill a new accord that takes our trade agreements to a whole new level. The proposed agreement is with the government of Colombia, and it's ridiculous.
< ...
Enough Plastic Surgery
The guys been a member for a couple of weeks and is hell bent on dredging up every antiquated thread trolling for customers...
Express Kidnapping ****
At the risk of emulating GIB, I happened upon the movie “Sequestro Express� last night. The movie depicts a late-night kidnapping of a couple in Caracas. The film is shot in a fast-paced, realistic psuedo-documentary style and follows the couple as they are taken round to ATM’s and as ransom is demanded from their family.
Apparently these “blitzkrieg� kidnappings for only a few hours are becoming more common; and while not explicitly about Colombia, the movie does an ex ...
China and Latin America
After a series of high-level Chinese visits to the Latin countries last year, China has pledged almost half of its direct foreign investment to Latin America, with the expectation that it will reach $200 billion within the next five years in steel, transport, energy and military exchanges. But what has been little attended to is the fact that the "Chinese model" is becoming the new model for Latin America.
In one of the few articles to grasp this stunning reality, BBC corresponden ...
Puppies Used As Drug Couriers
NEW YORK - Colombian smugglers turned puppies into drug mules by surgically implanting them with packets of liquid heroin, authorities said.
Investigators believe the ring used the dogs, as well as people who swallowed the drugs, to conceal millions of dollars of heroin on commercial flights into New York for distribution on the East Coast.
Ten puppies, including Labrador retrievers, were rescued during a 2005 raid on a farm in Colombia, the U.S. Drug Enforcement ...
"Long live coca, death to the gringos"
LA PAZ, Bolivia (Reuters) - Leftist coca grower leader Evo Morales was sworn in on Sunday as the first indigenous president of Bolivia with ambitious plans to overhaul South America's poorest nation and reverse five centuries of discrimination against the Indian majority.
Bolivians hope the handover will bring stability to one of Latin America's most volatile nations in recent years. Street protests toppled the two previous presidents and dozens died in clashes with security force ...
Weapons for Self Defense
Guns
Knives
Pepper Spray
I'm thinking about arming myself for my upcoming trip.
I know that simply being aware of your surroundings and avoiding dangerous situations is the best defense. But the next time someone decides to fuck with me, I'd like to ruin their day.
Does anyone know what the laws are concerning tourists and weapons ?
Is it difficult for a tourist to buy a gun ?
Also, has anyone ever sucessf ...
Robbed at knifepoint in the Dominican Rep.
I wish I had been a little smarter so that I would not have this story to tell.
About two hours ago, I got into a cab outside the Intercontinental Hotel in Santo Domingo (in broad daylight) to go to the bus station. I got into the front seat and about ten minutes later, the driver pulled onto a quite side street and stopped the cab. I knew what was up and reached for the doorhandle, but it was broken, and by then the guy had a knife to my throat. So I lost a couple of hundred doll ...
Dominican Republic to Colombia (or Venezuela)
My Christmas plans just got screwed up so it looks like I'll be spending the next couple of weeks in the D.R. I'm thinking about hopping over to Cartegena or Barranquilla for a few days. Other than Copa and Avianca, does anyone know of any other airlines or websites ?
Also, how does Venezuela (Caracas, Maracaibo) compare to Colombia ? Are the people as friendly ? ...
Christmas in Colombia
It time for me to make plans for Christmas. I've never been in Colombia during the Holidays and I don't want to arrive only to discover that everything is shut down and everyone is chillin' with their families for the week. Does anybody have any ideas as to places that might be especially interesting at that time ?
I'm mostly interested in Medellin, Cali, Santa Marta and Barranquilla. ...
GoodBye Hillary
In her last post (which is now locked), this gringa attempted to lay the blame for all of the problems of Colombia on male tourists. Normally, I would just laugh this off as just another pathetic attempt to blame men for everything, but she is just soooo far in left field that I decided to respond.
First of all she mentions that most prostitutes don’t really like their jobs… yeah, so what ? Do men really look forward to going to work in a coal mine or a steel mill or digging d ...
Would it be possible for the good people of the country of Colombia to stop calling themselves “Colombians�
The reason I’m asking is that this is demeaning to the proud citizens of Columbia, South Carolina. (Of course the spelling is slightly different, but it sounds the same in conversation.) Lately it seems that the these poor people have had little more to worry about other than the thought that the big bad country south of the equator has usurped their name (and perhaps their very soul). Imagine their misery when they travel abroad and in response to the common question “Where are you from ?†...
Don't Leave Colombia If...
If you have no interest in culture.
If you have a Britney Spears perspective on the world.
If you have no tolerance for the eccentricities of other cultures.
If you’re racist, feminist or Republican.
If you are cheap.
If you want to take advantage of the generosity of others.
If your vocabulary doesn't include the words "thank you".
If you prefer to mock a culture rather than learn about it.
If you have no interest in learning the languag ...
Tourism and Poverty
In the 1960's, it became fashionable to think of tourism as a solution to the world's most intractable problems: poverty and inter-cultural misunderstanding. Tourism could create economic opportunity in backward destinations with comparatively little investment, since the stock-in-trade would be that very backwardness - primitive culture and pristine nature. According to this optimistic scenario, tourism would bring jobs and a market for handicrafts. Economic independence would lead to cultural ...
Wanderlust
I wrote most of this as a reply to one of our “quick to take offense� posters, but decided to modify and post it here also. My point is that as a “stranger in a strange land�, much of the “why� of interaction will remain a mystery. It’s easy to get frustrated from time to time, but it’s better to simply enjoy the ride and just be thankful when things don’t get totally screwed up. Save the “outrage� for when you’re kidnapped at gunpoint by the FARC…
If yo ...
In Defense of Free Speech...
The current uproar against “Trolls� has hit a nerve with me. This site is supposed to be (I assume) a forum for people with an interest in either traveling to, living in or just about anything else to do with Colombia. Given the fact that Colombia is one of the most dangerous countries in the world right now, a genuine interest in this country seems to imply a rather adventurous, open-minded and fearless spirit. Colombia’s notoriety for drugs, crime and poverty does not generally attract p ...
Gringo Bobos ?
“No matter how much they love you - a Colombian will view a gringo as 'stupid' or 'slow'…� – Pink Lotus, from the “Americans and Colombians� thread.
I know three Colombianas that work in a coffee shop here in the U.S. that all married the first guy that asked them just to avoid deportation. They’re all fairly smart Paisas, but the guys they married were, in my opinion, “sub-par�… I figured that they could have done a lot better. In any case, although they seem ...
Maria full of grace out on VHS / DVD
I'm sure this is stating the obvious but the movie "Maria llena eres de gracias" ("Maria full of grace")is out on VHS / DVD. Great movie...
"What kind of man would marry someone he doesn't love and who doesn't love him ?" – Maria ...
I Smell A Rat
Being a single male travelling to Cali in six weeks, I've read with great interest and amusement Calipro's impassioned defense of the "Gringos Dating Caleñas Phenomenon". So I decided to check out a web site he recommended in the "This board is geting too partisan" thread (www.allcolombiangirls.com). Well I can't say that I really expected much, but I think it's fair to say that something is rotten in the state of Cali. To even get a phone number you've got to cough up $150.00 and of course the ...
Una pregunta acerca novias para Colombianas
¿Asumo que pocos Colombianas realmente leerá jamás este poste, pero tengo una pregunta no obstante: cuán importante es un hombre’la edad de s para una relación grave? Yo que habla acerca de una mujer en ella los años veinte tempranos con un hombre 15-20 años más viejos. Yo’ve gastó mucho tiempo en La Republica Dominica y Cuba (y Europa Oriental) y buena suerte tenida con mujeres más jóvenes, pero con yo’ve oyó que Colombia es sorprendentemente envejece-consciente para un PaÃs ...
Una pregunta para Colombianas
I assume few Colombianas will actually ever read this post, but I have a question nevertheless: How important is a man’s age for a serious relationship ? I’m talking about a woman in her early twenties with a man 15-20 years older. I’ve spent a lot of time in La Republica Dominica and Cuba (and Eastern Europe) and had good luck with younger women, but I’ve heard that Colombia is surprisingly age-conscious for a comparatively poor Latin American Country. Of course, any decent-looking old ...
La Musica de Colombia
Yo voy a ir a Cali y Medellin en Marzo. Hace cualquiera saber donde esta el mas major lugar para la musica en vivo ? Deseo ver especialemente "El Grupo Niche"... hace cualquiera saber si ellos serán alrededor ?
Yo se del sabor en la música (como en belleza) es muy personal, pero si cualquiera puede recomendar otras buenas grupas colombianos de salsa (o de dondequiera), estarÃa eternamente agradecido. ...
La Musica de Colombia
I'm going to Cali and Medellin in early March. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where to go for the best live music ? I'm especially hoping to see "El Grupo Niche"... does anyone know if they'll be around ?
I realize taste in music (as in beauty) is highly personal, but if anyone can recommend any other top notch Colombian salsa bands (or from anywhere), I'd be eternally grateful. ...
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