bogjudge has left 27 comments

bogjudge comments on Eat As Much As You Want In Colombia And Lose Weight

The secret is out, alas! This rumor is being bandied about by Walmart who wants to establish and sell in Colombia the same clothing worn by the hoards of grotesquely morbidly obese women that swarm into Walmart stores in the USA 24/7. Therein lies the problem - almost no such people are to be found in Colombia. Colombianas take pride in themselves. They generally eat sensibly. They have not succumbed to the subtle allure of fatuous rationalizations for overeating and morbid obesity - " I am depressed" " I have a broken thyroid" " It runs in my genes" " My cat has cancer". Give me a break people - if one eats more calories than ones body can burn, one gains weight. Duh. By the way, the world is flat.

bogjudge comments on How to move to…(insert any small city)?

Locate the neighborhood you like and start walking. Here in Manizales there are rentals to be found everywhere.

bogjudge comments on

What does speaking English have to do with it? The word "gringo" is the operative sound that sets the process in motion.

bogjudge comments on Jiu Jitsu

Check out the karate club and school next to Estadio Palogrande. You will find what you seek there.

bogjudge comments on Is the procedure for applying for pensianado visa the same as last year?

I did it in November. Nothing changed. There are several posts here - check out Arthur Brode's post recently on this issue. I followed it to the letter and it was perfect. Took me less than a day to get the visa.

bogjudge comments on Where to stay in Manizales, climate?

The hot water offerings in the hotels here in Manizales will vary from gas fired water heaters that kick in when the water is turned on to what I like to call a "suicide shower" or ducha which is a device connected to the spout and is wired to house current. Oftentimes these wires are dangerously exposed - thus "suicide shower". These will cease functioning if the water is turned on too hard. They will deliver a nice hot shower. The night temps here get chilly at times so bring a jacket or sweater. You will not need to bundle up.

bogjudge comments on Piedad Córdoba denounces death threats from an unnamed government official

She is not credible. Why pay any attention to her outlandish rantings.

bogjudge comments on Mountain House Hostel in Manizales

Back on topic - Mountain House in Manizales. I live here in Manizales. In fact I live within 3 blocks of the Mountain House which is located in a good part of this nice small city. That is the primary attraction I suppose. It is exactly what it advertises - a small inexpensive hostel. I see young backpackers from all over Europe and North America gathered there almost daily. If you want a cheap warm place to stay, this is it. If you want frills,including English speaking service, go somewhere else.

bogjudge comments on Bancolombia

To get my cédula I had to deposit pesos into the DAS account with Banco Sudameris. I tried to tell DAS that the PBH expert had vetoed this process, but they insisted I follow the law. I also have the option of paying some of my utility bills in the same fashion. Perhaps the resident PBH legal expert is rethinking his recent opinion. You get what you pay for and his offering was gratuitous - but it was a valiant effort! Good show lad.

bogjudge comments on Piedad Cordoba, The Negotiator

She through her recent actions has disgraced herself and has betrayed her president. It matters little what one individually thinks of Uribe - he at least has conducted himself nobly in this affair. And as for the Pilsbury Doughboy, it is said here in Colombia that every village has its "bobo" or fool - some might call them idiots. No matter, Armenia has the unique distinction of being home to its resident expatriate Estadounidense bobo.

bogjudge comments on 1984 Documents Suggest Drug Link To Uribe Family

Well thanks for the tip on the ignore feature and I will just do that in the future. I find most posts in PBH provocative and worthy of consideration.

bogjudge comments on 1984 Documents Suggest Drug Link To Uribe Family

I have a question, probably way off topic. Previously in this post appears a comment that the Nueva Heraldo puts out sophomoric crap, followed by a rather astonishing comment that the author masturbates in front of his teacher. I have to wonder if this, uh.."member" does not consider the act of public masturbation at least arguably sophomoric in itself? Just curious dude.

bogjudge comments on Colombian Red Tape / Strange Obsession with fingerprints

Lemmings also allow their government to (1) conduct body searches at airports (2) read their email and listen into their private phone conversations without judicial supervision (ie: warrants) anymore (3) allow congresspeople and senators to receive millions upon millions of dollars from special interest groups and not call it graft or corruption (4) torture terrorist "suspects" in secret overseas prisons (5) build a giant wall ostensibly to keep others out (but that also serves the dual púrpose of keeping its citizens in) (6) effectively deny health insurance to its middle class due to intense pressure from health care providers and HMOs (7) and on and on and on....ad infinitum. I think that is one reason I am now living happily in Colombia and not the nation ruled by the above referenced Oligarchy..er..I mean..government.

bogjudge comments on Here is the little guy that is driving all colombianas crazy

Absurd. The kid has been all on Colombian tube and he can sing. Wait until his voice changes. But maybe he can go the eunuch route and stay sweet voiced.

bogjudge comments on Panama colombian consulate for work visa - anyone got any experience? Urgent!!

I tried to get my pensionado in Panama in August while I was still living there. After 4 days and a lot of frustration over apostilles and the like I said screw it, got on this board and got wonderful advice which I parlayed into a trip to Bogota where I had my visa in hand in less than 24 hours after arrival. The people at the MRE in Bogota were efficient and helpful. I saw at least 15 other foreigners of all ilk (students, teachers, business people etc) and from what I witnessed all got the same treatment and left with their visas.

bogjudge comments on The Colombian Pensionado Visa - Update

This is a fine post and gave me all of the information that the young man at the Colombian consulate in Panama City was unable to provide. I arrived in Manizales August 31 and plan to be in Bogota at the US embassy September 4 before 2:00 PM to get this started

bogjudge comments on Anyone ever heard of a chupacabre?

Yeah I was married to one for 25 years also. The good news about the situation is that a fix is available right here in Colombia. My beautiful Manizalena is taking care of it as I tecla.

bogjudge comments on arthur brode

Thanks for the tip. I am trying to get my pensionado. I am a US citizen and am living in Panama as a resident with a pensionado visa. The process is nearly identical to Colombia's, save the fact that I used the same type of SS (translated into Spanish by the embassy) from the embassy in Panama and no one sqwaked about it. It went smoothly. So you suggest I go to the US embassy in Bogota and get a 'certification letter' in spanish. Can I then get my visa there in Bogota or do I have to continue to jump through hoops and go to the US etc etc. The guy at the colombian consulate in Panama City implied that I should go to the Colombian embassy in Houston and get the letter apostilled there. It made absolutely no sense to me, but then this is America Latina. Thanks for you assistance. By the way, I intend to live in Manizales.

bogjudge comments on I have a question, why do these men have to go to other country for a woman

Why? Why not?

bogjudge comments on Cali to Cartagena

I went Ciudad Juarez to Panama City on the bus. Took the best buses available. An agonizingly long and brutal journey that this man will never repeat - ever!! Cali to Cartagena is not dooable in one stretch. You must change in Medellin. Buy one of those donut hole pillows because your butt is going to need all of the TLC you can provide.

bogjudge comments on Cost of living and the current exchange rate

Just returned to Boquete Panama from three months in Manizales. I have lived here two years. In the three short months I was in Manizales my $1,500 per month expenses rose to about $1,650 per month. Now of course this includes the cost of living off an ATM and paying the concommitant fees. But I am here to say that I live more cheaply in Panama. First, name-brand medicines were about 30% higher in Colombia than in Panama. I bought generics wherever available and they are really cheap if you can find the right ones. . Second, electrodomestics, unless manufactured in Colombia, were much more costly. Food costs were about equal except for anything imported. My housing costs were quite reasonable in Manizales. Panama benefits from a very cozy trade relationship with China and you see it everywhere. Panama's economy is dollarized. Hence no fluctuating exchange rate to deal with. And I found that grocery stores in Manizales, for the most part, were not nearly as well stocked as those in Panama City and David (a mid-sized city in western Panama). Of course, Colombia is a much more complex nation than is Panama. But the area where there is simply no competition is the girls - Colombia hands down every single time. I will keep going back to Manizales irrespective of the Peso/Dollar thing. Too good to be missed.

bogjudge comments on Getting frustrated with my spanish

One word: immersion

bogjudge comments on US Social Security Payments

I have just researched this issue. I am assuming the widow is a Colombian citizen. She is positively not elegible for benefits if she did not live continuously in the United States for a period of five (5) years prior to her husband's death. And you can also get this answered by going to the Social Security Administration website and asking the question there to customer service. Try: http://www.ssa.gov/

bogjudge comments on Manizales Trip

Manizales I just spent 3 months there. A wonderful small city. Try the Hotel Regines for economy and comfort. There is a Mountain House, several other decent hotels and a fellow by the name of Richard Dickerman also has apartments for rent in one of the best areas of the city. He runs a small dating agency called colombiacupido. Unfortunately you will not find much with a Google search and Manizales is well off the beaten path. I saw no more than a half dozen gringos while I was there. You can reach Dickerman at dickerman at une.net.co. He is a good source for information about Manizales as he has lived there for nearly four years. Have a great time. I did.

bogjudge comments on Quick translation help...

REGISTER NOW? ANOTHER OPINION TRY:

INSCRIBASE AHORA or INSCRIBENSE AHORA THE VERB IS "INSCRIBIR" AND IS REGULAR CONJUGATION

What Lies Over Yonder Horizon?

bogjudge comments on Prescription Medications

PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS ALL BRAND NAMES ARE FAIRLY EXPENSIVE IN COMPARISON TO OTHER LATIN AMERICAN NATIONS (SAVE MEXICO). I LIVE IN BOQUETE PANAMA AND HAVE FOUND THAT THE MEDS I NEED HERE IN MANIZALES ARE ABOUT 35% MORE THAN IN PANAMA. ALWAYS INQUIRE ABOUT GENERIC AVAILABILILTY.COLOMBIA MANUFACTURES SOME GENERICS UNDER THE LA SANTE AND MX BRANDS.

What Lies Over Yonder Horizon?

bogjudge comments on Avoiding prepagos and meeting only "real" colombianas

LOTS OF ADVICE - HERE'S SOME MORE I AM 58 YEARS OLD. I AM IN MANIZALES. CAME TO LOOK, WILL STAY TO LIVE. THE WOMEN ARE JUST SO LOVELY. MY SPANISH IS FLUENT, I AM NOT FAT AND FLABBY. MY LOOKS ARE GOOD FOR MY AGE. I HAVE HAD ZERO PROBLEMS MEETING NINAS HERE. ZERO. MY ADVICE? LEAVE YOUR PRECONCEPTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS AT HOME. TRY TALKING - ANYTHING WILL DO, EVEN YOUR PIGEON BROKEN SPANISH, OR NONE AT ALL - TO THE CHICAS IN THE MALLS, SUPERMARKETS, RESTAURANTS AND STORES. THEY LOVE YOUR EFFORTS. THEY WILL SMILE AND THEY WILL LIKE YOU FOR MAKING THE EFFORT. DO NOT EXPECT TO GET LAID RIGHT OFF THE BAT. IT WILL HAPPEN SO UNEXPECTEDLY YOU WILL NEVER SEE IT COMING. TREAT THEM WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT. OPEN DOORS, PULL OUT CHAIRS, BE AT ALL TIMES COURTEOUS. MEET HER FAMILY, OR AT LEAST OFFER TO DO SO. DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT FORCE ANYTHING. THEY LIKE US BECAUSE WE ARE NOT LATIN MEN, BECAUSE WE ARE DIFFERENT. RUMOR HAS IT THAT WE TREAT THEM BETTER AND WITH MORE RESPECT, TENDERNESS AND SO FORTH. MAYBE THIS IS TRUE. I HAVE HEARD IT FROM THE MOUTHS OF THE GALS THEMSELVES. IF THEY START BY ASKING FOR MONEY, GET OUT. IT AIN'T WORTH IT AND SO MANY MORE JUST WANT TO MEET A GRINGO WITH NO OTHER STRINGS ATTACHED. HOW STRANGE COMING FROM OUR CULTURE (USA), TO MEET YOUNGER WOMEN WHO ARE ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN US FOR OUR SAKES. BESIDES, YOU CAN ALWAYS GIVE HER SOME LATER. WHAT WORKS FOR ME IS BUYING HER SOME CLOTHING INSTEAD OF MONEY. I ESPECIALLY LIKE TO BUY A NICE BIKINI OR SOME CLASSY UNDERWEAR. MOST OF THESE GALS ARE PRETTY POOR AND HAVE NONE OF THIS STUFF TO SPEAK OF. IF YOU ARE LUCKY, SHE WILL OFFER TO MODEL IT FOR YOU. THESE LATINAS LIKE TO SHOW OFF THEIR BODIES. THEY ARE EXTREMELY FEMININE, BUT DEFINITELY (THANK YOU DEAR LORD IN HEAVEN) NOT FEMINIST. SMALL GIFTS ARE APPRECIATED. IF SHE HAS A CELL PHONE, GIVE HER A CARD WITH SOME REAL MINUTES ON IT. ASK HER TO SPEND A FEW OF THOSE MINUTES ON YOU. SHE WILL APPRECIATE IT. AND THE $10 INVESTMENT WILL PAY OFF WHEN SHE CALLS. CANDY, ESPECIALLY GOOD CHOCOLATES, ARE A KEY TO HER HEART, AND TO HER MOTHER'S ALSO. YES THEY HAVE MOMS AND THEY ARE USUALLY DEVOTED TO MOM. BE PERSISTENT. THE FUN IS IN THE CHASE. AND IF YOU ARE TURNED OFF BY A JEALOUS WOMAN, GO BACK TO THE USA, ONCE ONE OF THESE LOVELIES BAGS YOU, SHE WILL BE EXAMINING YOUR SHIRTS FOR STRAY (AND FOREIGN, SAY BLONDE OR OTHER) HAIRS. SHE WILL CHECK YOUR CELL PHONE FOR CALLS MADE AND RECEIVED, LIPSTICK ON COLLARS AND SO FORTH. BUT MOST OF ALL, HAVE FUN AND DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED. WITH PERSISTENCE, COURTESY AND COMMON SENSE YOU WILL SURELY MEET MANY NINAS AS YOU TRUDGE THIS ROAD TO HAPPY DESTINY. HAPPY SAILING!!