august has left 676 comments

august comments on COLOMBIAN Hugo Rodallega dominates as Wigan beats Burnley 3-1

Don't get me wrong, I'm a Rodellega fan, but a goal off an open net and another from a ricochet off the post aren't exactly the things of dreams.

august comments on Announcer Cracks 'Taco' Joke at Juan Montoya

Ah, so this didn't have to do with a traffic jam then did it?

august comments on Sheer Poetry and Musical Talent from Chocó and the Pacific Coast

Oh man, if you can't appreciate Chocquibtown, I'm afraid you're behind on the Colombian music times. They make music of the Americas from Colombia. It's as simple as that. They don't hide their admiration for dancehall and hip hop and why should they? Would that be more "authentic?"

august comments on Would anyone like to rent or sell us a stroller in Medellin?

Good tips, all! Thank you for the help and insight!

august comments on Medellin Mayor to speak in Juarez about taking control of Juarez

To the commenter above, I don't think 2001-2003 was the peak of Medellin's violence. That was several years earlier from what I understand.

august comments on Legalize Child Abandonment in Colombia

I wonder what the Colombian orphanage system is like...

august comments on Calle ..... (De Grieff)....Good Grief

Yeah, that is pretty cool. This city needs more of that. I was feeling pretty good for helping my brother-in-law get a job to support his daughter, but this was well done. And you're right, it's disgusting how obvious it is what's going down in that sector, yet the authorities seem to do nothing. One look at the clientele there too and it certainly throws a helluva lot of water on any suggestions that prostitution in Colombia is to be blamed on exclusively foreign tourists. I'd say it's time for Colombians to wake up, but then again, it's not like this sort of thing isn't going on in the US, for example. Man.

august comments on Please Help! My dream came true and DAS is dying, but now I need a visa extension!

Good to hear. Oh how I do miss dear Fanny.

august comments on

The city should start seriously giving out traffic tickets if it needs to raise revenue for security expenses. On the other hand, that money could probably be better used in support of scholarships. Either way, I predict change begins with making life less miserable for the peatones.

august comments on colombian displaced rises 25%

Thanks for the tip makopp. You really have some great ideas there. And some deep insight into the armed conflict. I'm here in Colombia raising my son thanks.

august comments on colombian displaced rises 25%

Nothing, makopp5, I know absolutely nothing about the place. Can you tell me about it?

august comments on colombian displaced rises 25%

This will go on and on until there's no one left in the countryside as long as the government of Colombia continues to think its only objective should be military offenses against the FARC. That's a noble goal, but not enough for what Colombia's facing.

august comments on Hoja de Vida de Alvaro Uribe

I don't understand how people overlook the fact that Uribe was born into power to a family of Spanish descendents with a proverbial silver spoon in his mouth, while Chavez was born in mud hut to an Afro-Amerindian family. I don't like either of their styles, but if both have become presidents of comparable countries, which is more impressive?

august comments on Mace in Medellin

If you can manage it, you're best bet is probably bringing it down by hand. We looked into it as well and it just doesn't seem nearly as prevalent in Colombia. On the other hand, it's all over the Internet for cheap in the US. Perhaps there's a business opp there for an entrepreneuring soul.

august comments on BUYERS FROM GRUPO MONARCA IN SABANETA

Ah, the challenges of being poor but happy.

august comments on Highly Recommended: Visit Someone You Know While They're Serving in the Military in Colombia

Llanos de Cuiba, Northernish Antioquia. It was an experience, not necessarily a categorically good one though. Miserable really.

august comments on Question regarding Childbirth in Medellin

dwmte7, unfortunately we were going to go for Clinica Prado in the first place and that's where we first learned about this policy of not allowing dads to participate. We were told that under no conditions are dads allowed to participate there. freddy, thanks for the tips. I'm still trying to figure out the maze of insurance down here, which seems to affect which clinics we can go to. My fiancee has Coomeva EPS. Although it's not a tops plan, supposedly we can squeeze our way into Clinica Las Vegas. I wonder if it'd be the same with Clinica El Rosario El Tesoro. We'll have to check.

august comments on

Really, what would happen if the US pulled out of Colombia completely at this point?

august comments on Estadounidense vs. Norteamericano

viajero, I don't know about "americanos" - that would not be an ideal word to use either - I'm pushing for "estadounidense." Tis true though that English sadly lacks an "estadounidense" equivalent. kat1, Centro America is usually considered everything South of Mexico and North of Colombia. See: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/América_Central

august comments on Can a Colombian with a U.S. Green Card Travel to Third Countries as a U.S. Citizen Would?

Quality info there folks - much appreciated!

august comments on Scholarships for Colombians in Asia.

"These opportunities are out there for Colombians" As long as you've already got a bachelor's degree right? This is for a master's program. There's lot's of similar program for master's level study (e.g. the IDB has one), but a lot of Colombians don't have any university degrees yet.

august comments on SPIRIT Airlines sucks!!!!

They did just cancel my flight in October though and rescheduled it without asking for one day earlier. Something odd about that.

august comments on COLOMBIAN FARC Video Rocks Ecuador and Venezuela

What does this post have to do with a FARC video?

august comments on 1 Colombians POV about Immigration rights in the U.S.

flatline and miguel, that's my point. No one has the right to this land currently called the US. Humans migrate. We are animals. If someone wants to move somewhere because they can make more doing honest work, let it be, I say. How exactly did native-born (US) Americans "earn" the right to be here?

august comments on Oakland California first city to tax marijuana.

Hey man, respect the Bay. This whole movement is about making the entire procurement process safer for everyone. The haters would rather we left it to the street dealers/narcotraffickers/GAI, but not in the Town. It's a daylight sort of thing around here.

august comments on Wrong way to peace?

Wrong. The defense contractors and politicians tied to repression-based strategies. I've lived in Colombia. The in-laws sembrar the hojas in Choco because that's the most profitable thing they can do for themselves. A repression-based strategy is a losing battle for Colombians. It would be much more efficient to pull the carpet out from under the traffickers/GAI by moving towards legalization-based strategies. Imagine if all the damn money blown by the Colombian and US gov'ts on arms was spent on education. Hmmm. I suppose education and jobs can come later? I recognize it takes security too, but there are diminishing returns on security expenditures that policymakers are not heeding.

august comments on Apt in Taganga

That's too far to take a taxi. Get on a bus man.

august comments on 1 Colombians POV about Immigration rights in the U.S.

"And yes,most of them came from somewhere else,but they did so LEGALLY." I'm sorry but visas/USCIS, these things did not exist when my forefathers came here. They got on a boat, left the miserable winters of Northern Europe, got off the boat, and settled on land in California which the US government had already stolen from Mexico/Spain/Native Americans. There was no paperwork. There was no bureaucracy. There was no waiting for indefinite periods for word from some asshole behind a desk who can't be bothered to take a look at your visa application paperwork. They wanted to improve their lot, the US offered that, and that was enough. I see no difference between that and what thousands of immigrants are trying to do in 2009. And yes, Papassito, members of my family fought in the Civil War, WWI, WWII and Korea. That doesn't mean that I earned a damn thing.

august comments on Oakland California first city to tax marijuana.

The Town!

august comments on Wrong way to peace?

Eitherway the US should really stop blowing its taxpayers' money on garbage like military bases and vehicles in South America. Who's benefiting from this?

august comments on Apt in Taganga

Taganga for 4 MONTHS?? Shoot me in the face. I'll bet you could just walk up the hill away from the beach and find some place to live, but jesus, don't stay for 4 months. That beach is not that sweet. Have you visited?

august comments on 1 Colombians POV about Immigration rights in the U.S.

Swinn, I like opening up the dialog here. More broadly, just because someone happens to have been born north of the Rio Grande, is it somehow fair that they should get the benefits of a life in the US, when someone who was born south of the river does not? The sense of entitlement that so-called "hardliners" in the immigration discourse display makes me nauseas. It's as if U.S.-born U.S. citizens somehow earned their rights ("All those illegal immigrants are just trying to take the easy route!") based on the geographic location of the uterus they popped out of. In the words of Ronald Reagan, "Tear down this wall!"

august comments on Bello

My sense is that the safety factor depends very much on which part of Bello you're in. As DavidSLC says, Niquia is a pretty decent part of town. Or at least I've never felt any tension there. Can walk around the neighborhoods there, get some decent pizza, nice breezes. Other parts of the town are probably different though. I say find someone you can trust who lives there and ask them about it; maybe have them show you around. Alternatively you could just take the metro to the Bello and Niquia stops during the day and take a (cautious, observant) stroll.

august comments on SnowBoarding in Colombia? In all seriousness

"Yeah thanks for that August. Please don't reply to anymore of my posts since you obviously aren't here to help anyone. Just make fun of them." CrazyGringo, no need to take it so personally. That level of patience ain't going to get you very far in Colombia in general. Look, you're from Florida. What are you doing snowboarding? Do you surf? Colombia would be a better place to explore that sort of thing. See - helpful!

august comments on SnowBoarding in Colombia? In all seriousness

Alternatively, it may be more entertaining to tell him to bring the board just in case. When's the last time you saw a CrazyGringo carrying a snowboard on the Transmilenio at rush hour? That sounds like a fine sight to brighten a long day, dude.

august comments on Furnished apartment recommendations in Prado Centro (Medellin)?

Ah papiChulo, if only it were that easy. My son's being born in September see. This would not be just any recreational jaunt down to Medellin. His mom's in the middle of a visa application process that should be wrapping up about the time he is able to fly up here. rhyde, they are difficult to come by indeed. We're probably just going to opt for a non-furnished spot and buy what we don't already have. You can get refrigerators from pawn shops for cheap and then sell them back for a bit less when you're done. Works pretty well if you're only looking at a few months. Not sure how big 100 m2 is, but we're looking at an unfurnished place with 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom for 500k by the Clinica del Prado.

august comments on Can you recommend a cheap, family-oriented (?) hotel in Bogota?

Appreciate the tips there everyone. Radz, I don't necessarily have a preference for location. I won't be on my own - this will be my first, uh, family, trip - so a moderately safe environment (say on par with Prado in Medellin) would be ideal. I think I really only have to be at the embassy for 1 of the 10 or so days, so being near there isn't crucial.

august comments on Help!Could i do a cheap but nice travel from Medellin to pasific coast?

nategator, I'm not sure how extensive your experience has been in Colombia, but I get a sense that it'd be good to tell you to think carefully about your decision here. The Pacific Coast is not going to be anything like the Caribbean - especially in terms of security. I'm not trying to talk you out of it, but think it through. And for future reference, it's guerrilla not Gorilla.

august comments on "No me jodas" native speaker help

eelena, a popular paisa variation of the "que te vayas", which you might have picked up already, would be a good stern "vaya pues" (accent on the "pues"). Then you could follow up with a "no me diga nada [insert you fav insulting noun]." Or if things have already gotten physical, you gotta go with the "sueltame."

august comments on Gotten mugged in Medellín

I don't like the blaming the victim thing, much less stating the obvious, but wandering around with headphones on in El Hueco when one is so unfamiliar with the area they need a map - that's not a good call man. You gotta move quickly through that place, especially if solo. Then the next issue, cell phones are meant to be stolen. I get the sense this was not a 30k peso special - anything fancier is just crazy. In fact, anything you wear on you in the Centro should be steal-able. Just expect it, to avoid disappointment. Damn learning the hard way.

august comments on Pacific Coast

Man, you've probably already thought of this, but you should spend some time in Capurgana before making any moves. It's alright for a minute, and it's not too bad at all, but it's a bit of a tourist trap - emphasis on the trap. I suppose if you live there you grow your own produce, cuz the stuff in the shops all seems to be imported from Turbo, complete with poor quality and prices. Other than that, only boats (long ride for sure) and airplanes to get around. That said, the Bahia spot looks nice and well made.

august comments on Looking for a place in Medellin from May 17th through the 23rd, 2009 - Need A/C ...

Why would you need A/C anyways? stilldrifting, you're going to be perfectly comfortable temperature-wise. Don't worry.

august comments on Club Colombia

johnny, when you're saying all these beers are South African, you're really trying to just say they're owned by a South African conglomerate (SAB) right? I mean all of these beers were started in their "home" countries, it's just that SAB swallowed up their management as far as I know. That's somewhat different from being "from" South Africa in my book. That said, I feel brews (no pun intended) from South Africa aren't half terrible. Hansa Pilsner? Castle Milk Stout?

august comments on What jobs are expats in Colombia doing for work other than ESL and backpacker Inns?

durito2, true enough. Also important would be the inclusion of figures for those who aren't earning a sufficient wage or aren't able to work a sufficient number of hours. Those numbers have to be high in Colombia.

august comments on Santa Marta Musica Electronica - Comodoro

Not to hijack this thread, but why does everyone's name say newbie (even if they aren't)?

august comments on San Andres island girls learning the tourists to dance

ellbee2, that'd be Red Plastic Bag's "Ragga Ragga." He's from Barbados. Very old school. To add to the debate, while the line between calypso and soca is not all together clear, that's calpyso. That said, to argue about whether one cultural element found in the Caribbean basin belongs to one specific country seems nearly futile. The histories, people and cultures - especially music - of that entire part of the world are way too intermeshed to make any distinctions like that in my opinion. Champeta, for example, is usually credited with being "Colombian," but how different is it really from soca, which is usually credited with being "Trini?" Reggaeton is usually seen as "Puertorican" or "Dominican," but it couldn't have existed without early 90s "Jamaican" dancehall. But anyways.

august comments on Track the Gripa Porcina in Colombia!

Johnny, are you saying the lower estrato folks are more likely to wear them? I would have thought it'd be the opposite, that the wealthier people would be more likely to wear them.

august comments on Vallenato festival in Valledupar, Daddy Yankee

Damn, who's that Brian Andrews character? That was brutal. Makes an Estadounidense want to quit trying learn Spanish immediately.

august comments on Track the Gripa Porcina in Colombia!

For some reason the link above stopped working. This works though: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=p&msa=0&msid=106484775090296685271.0004681a37b713f6b5950&ll=32.639375,-110.390625&spn=15.738151,25.488281&z=5

august comments on Track the Gripa Porcina in Colombia!

Hey man, this wasn't intended to be simply a post about the simple fact of the swine flu's existence, but a post about this tool to follow the swine flu. A subtle, but important difference I think.