bkelly has left 68 comments

bkelly comments on In my opinion

not that my opinion matters... I have been living in Colombia for more than 5 years, mostly in Bucaramanaga. Granted, you don't see too many foreigners in the Buc, but there are some. I have never personally encountered the "gold digger" type of woman that hasa come up on occasion. I have dated girls in strats 2-6, ages 18-30, and honestly can say I have never met a girl like this. Maybe things are different here in Santander. Just thought I would share.

--bkelly

bkelly comments on How long can a U.S. Citizen live in Colombia?

The fine is steep the longer you stay The best bet is to try a get a VISA. Depending on where you work or what type of VISA it is, you can stay from one to three years (although the official maximum time for a VISA is one year). The last time I renewed my VISA they gave me three years because my contract was for that amount of time. Now that I have been in Colombia for 5 years I have resident status and do not have to renew.

--bkelly

bkelly comments on No need for advice but a thought

Que porqueria! Colombiche, tiene toda la razon...no vale la pena a leer la basura aqui en las paginas de PBH. Esta no es una pagina sobre elpais mas lindo en el mundo, esta es una pagina para que los hombres pueden venir y exagerar sobre sus cuentas de Colombianas. Naci en California pero soy Colombiano tambien y a mi me da pena con todas las colombianas por las cosas que algunos miembros han dicho.

--bkelly

bkelly comments on Mortgage Advice

Thought so This is what I thought. Thanks.

--bkelly

bkelly comments on gringos, tenga cuidado!

Nicely said I also agree. I left for awhile because I grew tired of such negative comments. I am only one-quarter Colombian, but since I live here it does irritate me.

--bkelly

bkelly comments on Moving to colombia

congrats
and what will you be doing on the coast?

--bkelly

bkelly comments on Dress Code for Colombia

Shorts Ditto on the shorts comments. Although I disagree that you will be thought of as gay, you will look like a tourist. In Bucaramanga, only young kids wear shorts...it is rare to see an adult male wearing shorts except on the tennis courts or at the club:)

--bkelly

bkelly comments on SHAKIRA nominated again...

The Last Word? You people are too sensitive. SInce when am I ever determined to have the last word. Obviously you don't know me. This may be the last post I ever make to this site.

To clear up my statement...Juanes and Vives are here in Colombia. They are physically present and do benefits for the poor. They are on-site at various places in Colombia. Juanes is on-tour now and his tour is all about his sangre or roots in Colombia. I am not diminishing was Shakira is doing financially for Colombia, but sending money and being here are two different things.

Also, I never said Shakira was finished or lacked talent. Perhaps you just want to hear your own opinion?

And please, no more bullshit about the last word.

--bkelly

bkelly comments on Awful....rumor, right?

Unfortunately this happens to Colombians too. We lost a father from our school last year. He was shot at the ATM. He had three kids...they are still enrolled in our school.

--bkelly

bkelly comments on Any info RE: Bucaramanga

working in the Buc If you only speak English and want to work in the Buc, I might be able to use you at the English Institue in our school. Let me know.

--bkelly

bkelly comments on Airlines in Bogota

Try... Avianca, AeroRepublica or Taca

American Airlines also flys there from Bogota, I believe, but I am not sure on that one.


--bkelly

bkelly comments on What are the general things to know about life in Bogota?

I agree Turkish delight indeed.

--bkelly

bkelly comments on Colegio Abraham Lincoln

Where is it? The best bilingual schools are the SACS schools and British schools.

Colegio Abraham Lincoln is not a SACS school. I could find out some info on the school if you tell me where it is located. I am a high school principal and have several contacts in schools throughout the country.



--bkelly

bkelly comments on Being called "Doctor" in Colombia ?

I prefer the salutation Don Most of the time they call me Doctor, but I like it when they say Don Brian...it sounds so much more gangsterish.

--bkelly

bkelly comments on SHAKIRA nominated again...

Actually...your wrong greenday Juanes was offered a huge sum of money to do a crossover CD and he said no.


--bkelly
"Wife who put husband in doghouse soon find him in cat house."

bkelly comments on SHAKIRA nominated again...

Miguel I get what you said, but reread my comment...I meant to express that Juanes and Vives give more than just cash. They give blood, sweat and tears for their country.


--bkelly
"Wife who put husband in doghouse soon find him in cat house."

bkelly comments on when in Rome

To jmb1 The SF Bay area is not the real world my friend. It is one of the most materialistic societies on the entire planet. Now, I live a very comfortable life here in Colombia thanks to the crazy Real Estate market there, but the people are extremely centered on the almighty dollar. Obviously you cannot crucify a whole area for a portion of the population, but the Rat Race is very real in the Bay Area.






"Wife who put husband in doghouse soon find him in cat house."

bkelly comments on Rosario Tijeras

The scene with the egg It was stomach turning, yet artistically impressive.

bkelly comments on SHAKIRA nominated again...

Bob Dylan sings like a goat too Hey, I am not a music critic and I never claimed to be. I think Shakira has talent, and I even think some of her songs are good, especially the older stuff. BUT...she does have a "goaty" voice. I agree that Dylan sings a goat, and he can be annoying.

I agree with you Miguel. But I am proud of guys like Juanes that truly give back to their country. Shakira is seen as a sell out by many. That does not diminish her popularity or make her a bad person though.

bkelly comments on Any colombians in South Carolina

I mean... I was at a conference at the University of South Carolina and it was culturally shocking to me.

It was more or less an ignorant comment slamming the intellect of people from the south. Que pena.

bkelly comments on what sports in Colombia?

49ers and Cardinals The first NFL regular season game in Mexico will be played this Sunday I believe...in Mexico City.


The which sport is better argument is stupid...whether you like Fútbol or American Football doesn't matter. They are both great sports.

bkelly comments on Any colombians in South Carolina

Don-t do it! South Carolina is a scary place!

bkelly comments on when in Rome

YES The United States will poison just about anyone after a while.

bkelly comments on Have job, fiancé, friends, but no spanish!

There are tons of options You will not have a problem learning Spanish. I have like 10 Colombian buddies that are Spanish teachers at Nueva Granada and they charge 20,000 per hour for private lessons.

bkelly comments on Help me! Need advice on how to deal with f.....g latin NOVELAS, I can't stand it

Run for the hills When my g/f is watching her novelas, I go work out. It is SENSELESS television...but no more senseless than the OC or crap like that.

bkelly comments on SHAKIRA nominated again...

There is nothing wrong with... her booty. I agree with that and I also agree she sings like a goat. It is just sad that she is the face of Colombia (more or less) in the eyes of the pop world. Juanes or Carlos Vives are sooooo much more talented.

bkelly comments on SHAKIRA nominated again...

shakira... is a sell out.

bkelly comments on How do you call your honey?

she calls me... gordo, papi, mi vida, mi cielo,

y

bobo, odioso, ordinario

bkelly comments on First Time to Barranquilla (Meet Future Wife)

te entiendo I understand your comments...no te preocupes.

bkelly comments on race in Colombia

NASCAR, cheap beer and pussy...you must be from the South.

bkelly comments on What are the general things to know about life in Bogota?

cool Bogota is great. It is a little cool, but a super city. There is much to do and you will enjoy the experience. I have often thought of moving there.

bkelly comments on Rosario Tijeras

oops Didn't realize it was already discussed. My humble apologies.

bkelly comments on what sports in Colombia?

sports galore Aside from fútbol, there is tennis, basketball, baseball (on the coast mostly), squash, vollyball, bolos, skiing, and parapente. Como se dice parapente en ingles? Para Gliding I imagine.

Squash is played pretty much everywhere...or at least in all major cities.

bkelly comments on First Time to Barranquilla (Meet Future Wife)

MyWave...some advice First of all, don't listen to the negative people on this site. (And before you all start sending me hate mail, I am not implying that everyone is negative, just a select few).

I am 33 years old and my girlfriend is 21. I live in Colombia. Did I seek out a 20 year old girl, no. The fact is that single girls, without children in their 30s are hard to come by. I like to dance and the clubs are full of young girls...what can I say.

Now, the age difference is not a big deal if you are okay with it. The best thing you can do is meet the girl and enjoy yourself. You heart will tell you whether or not the relationship is right.

The one piece of "formative" advice I would offer is be careful what you say about the Colombian males. There is nothing wrong with Colombian males and the perception that Colombian women are dying to meet North American men is something that introduction agencies try to sell their clients. Yes, men are unfaithful here just as they are in the USA. Yes machismo exists here, yet it is a cultural norm and in MOST cases it is not so bad.

I hope this helps.

BK

bkelly comments on Hello! New member saying Hi

Hello I´m also from the UK, although my mom's side is from Cali. I live in Bucaramanga now.

bkelly comments on If Pablo were King…

Pablo Let's not forget that Pablo Escobar has his folk status for more than just the criminal activity he was involved in. The man, like it or not, did a lot in shaping Medellin. I suppose you can overlook the bad things when your neighborhood is being rebuilt.

bkelly comments on Exchange program in colombia

SACS schools in Colombia If you are considering an exchange program in Colombia the best bet is a SACS accredited school, meaning it is an American school that gives both an American diploma and a Colombian one.

Colegio Nueva Granada--Bogota
Colegio Karl Parrish--Barranquilla
Colegio Panamericano--Bucaramanga
Colegio Bolivar--Cali
Colegio Albania--La Guajira
The Columbus School--Medellin
Colegio Jorge Washington--Cartagena
Gimnasio Ingles--Armenia
Colegio Granadino--Manizales

These are all the "American" schools in Colombia. Now, there are other bilingual schools and English schools, but generally speaking, Americans in Colombia attend the SACS schools.

I hope this helps. I am the high school principal at the school in Bucaramanga, so let me know if you need anymore advice.

bkelly comments on Pereira or Bucaramanga

Bucaramanga is cool too I agree that Pereira is probably the way to go, but come to the BUC next time. San Gil and Barichara are close by, and there are things to here as well.

Have fun in Pereira.

bkelly comments on Drinking and clubbing age?

Not judging Quinceanera,

I am a high school principal in Colombian bilingual school. I am also relatively young (30 years old). I do my fair share of partying and on many occasions I have ran into my students in clubs and bars. As a general rule, I leave the bar when this happens...it's an integrity thing. I don't call their parents because if I did, the parents would respond with a "And so what?" The point is kids underage drink, whether it is right or wrong is up for debate, but it is a reality. You just need to be careful, as you said you would be.

I don't think people are judging you here, they are concerned about your well being. The fact is that I have personally seen many young girls fall in to bad situations at clubs and bars. Everyone here just wants to give you some advice...that's it.

bkelly comments on Colombia pushes international tourism

SoCal Dude I am assuming the Eurosnob comment was directed towards me. Thanks for proving me right.

bkelly comments on Colombia pushes international tourism

ColombianoX My grandmother was Colombian, actually. AND, I live in Colombia so the local economy very much interests me.

Having the Americans invade, and that is what they would do is invade, such cities as Cartagena, Santa Marta and San Andres would be a disaster. The dollars that they spend would have a short-term positive effect on the Colombian Economy. What probably would happen is American companies coming in and buying up resorts and hotels. If you don't believe me, see Costa Rica.

I come from an interesting background. My grandfather married a Colombian. They lived in Northern Ireland. My father's side of the family is British. My parents live in the USA, but the rest of my familiy lives in Ireland and England/Scotland (except for me in Colombia). My opinion on Americans is shared by many, many people. Not all Americans are horrible travelers, but the overwhelming majority are terrible.

bkelly comments on Interest in starting a business in Colombia?

Vic has a point... If you really want to make money, you need to set up a business where you are bringing in American dollars and not Colombian pesos. For example, a buddy of mine exports pulp like guanabana, maracuya etc. He exports to the US and lives in Colombia. He makes an excellent wage because he is buying his product in pesos and selling in dollars. Another friend exports cake toppings, yes, cake toppings. They are these hand-made edible toppings for cakes. She makes them for 500 pesos and they sell in the USA for $5.99.

bkelly comments on Colombia pushes international tourism

God I hope not! I really don't want Colombia to be "discovered" by the gringos. Americans are the worst travelers in the world and they would undoubtedly ruin Colombia.

bkelly comments on Going to Manizales Columbia for two week vacation....Need Advice

My first piece of advice would be... spell Colombia correctly :)

Seriously, you will love Manizales. It is one of my most favorite cities in Colombia. The people are super nice and the weather is excellent. Good luck.

bkelly comments on Canadian Debit Card & Carrying Passport Rule

Passport To repeat what others have said, leave the passport at the hotel or the place you are staying. I have a photocopy that I bring with me when I travel within Colombia, but I have never ever needed it in the day to day travelings within my city. I think I have only been asked for my ID once in 5+ years of living here.

bkelly comments on Moving to Colombia

You will do fine phil Phil, you will be fine in Colombia. I have found that all Colombians are generally very accepting of foreigners. Colombians, in my humble opinion, are the nicest people on the planet. You will enjoy living here very much. Take it day by day and try not to let the little differences annoy you (ie. tardiness, paying bills, waiting in lines). Congrats!

bkelly comments on Great news!! Mexico, NOT Colombia, is now the TOP SUPPLIER of U.S. Drugs!!

Rubiazo is right... Some of the comments in this thread have been extremely offensive and obviously and intentionally malicious. With that said, many of the comments shared in this thread are exactly why I never want to move back to the United States. North America, the US and Canada in particular have fallen so far it is incredible. I went home to visit my family a month ago. I was shocked at the changes I saw. Americans and Canadians have lost WORLD perspective.

The whole point of this thread was for someone to share their point of view on an article they read, but all too many of you jumped on his butt for no reason than to be a pain. If you disagree, fine, but do it respectfully.

bkelly comments on

Human Nature It is human nature to bitch, I believe. But I would sure hope if I won 77 million pounds that I would stop my complaining. 77 million pounds is a heck of a lot of pesos.

bkelly comments on TEFL in Colombia

Are you certified? If you are a certified teacher you have many, many options open to you. If not, things are slightly more difficult. Language institutes are probably the best way to go if you have no certification.

bkelly comments on How much lugagge weight are you allowed to take to Colombia?

Remember... These rules are firm and you CANNOT pay for overages. I have seen many a person unpacking things in Miami and leaving them at the airport.