brano has left 7 comments

brano comments on ENglish teaching course info (TKT)

hey, TKT is a simple test for those who have at least some teaching backround and doesnt need to be taught in a course lasting 100hrs. you can just simply buy a book, self-study for a weekend and you'll be good to go. the last time i checked there is no CELTA in medellin and you have to do it in bogota. i agree with borat, take CELTA as it will prepare you for teaching better than TKT. remember, TKT is just a test that measures your knowledge about teaching, it doesnt say that you CAN actually teach. Good luck! Brano

brano comments on How difficult is it to open a small restaurant/bar in medellin?

hey guys! thanx for the feedback. im sure you know what u r talking about as you've been in colombia for quite some time and im sure most of you have been thinking about some business that would make decent living. vicshere...so u had a restaurant but didnt do very well? what was the main problem if i can ask? well, it was just an idea as i missed some variety in medellin the last time i was there. i guess i would have to come up with something different then. thanx anyways!

brano comments on How difficult is it to open a small restaurant/bar in medellin?

yeah, i guess you are right. it might be hard to compete with the locals esp. when its about 4-8.000COP almuerzos. my idea was different though. have a really nice tiny little place(ok 20-30 dishes is way too much) with maybe like 10 dishes. i can make them all by myself, cooking is easy, finding what you need to make it perfect is not. but then again, i can make my traditional food even here in taiwan although it took me a while to find all the things i need. and i also completely agree with the idea to make it both for foreigners and for the locals. that means if its mexican you can have a choice of flaming hot salsa or extra mild for the colombians. another thing is that restaurant business is funny. you have plenty of customers one day and next day you are empty. so you cant really rely just on this idea unless you are already set up and you have your clientele. do you think that paisas are open to trying food from different countries are is it too exotic for them and they would stick to their chicharrones? does anyone know how much would a rent be in stratus 3-4(definitely not lleras) for a small place like this? thanx!

brano comments on dwmte7

hi, just saw your post about llano grande EAFIT campus. im going back to medellin in september(MY 3RD TIME!), before i used to work for a private institute and my second time i kindda worked for some 'friends' that turned out to screw me over for money. anyways, wanted to ask you for advice. i would like to set up a volunteer(NGO) organization in medellin. im interested in teaching english to poor children in schools where they cant afford an english teacher. i did it before in thailand but most of my life i taught in taiwan where i am at the moment. i know theres is one org called GLOBATEER but they are charging ridiculous amount of money if you want to volunteer(something like 600USD/week). my idea would be to start teaching english for these kids and also start a project where i could get people from all over the world coming to medellin and volunteering without paying so much. other than that im also interested in volunteering with street dogs. i dont even know if you can help me somehow with this so sorry to bother you with this msg. but if you had any ideas or recommendations please let me know. thanks a lot! Brano

brano comments on bradenmiami

hey brad, i worked for ULA(universal language academy) and later as a teacher trainer for ISSO. both of them were ok. im in taiwan now(my 6th year with some breaks in between). what institutes can you recommend? as far as i now making 20.000COP/hour is the top. or am i wrong? thanx, Brano

brano comments on jonas

hey jonas, well, im not in taiwan and i wonder what would be the process of getting E.U. plus cedula before entering colombia. im going back in september, first go home(slovakia), the nearest consulate is in austria. i dont have a company in slovakia but i would love to get one year visa of some sorts before i enter colombia. is it possible? what are my options? thanks a lot! Brano

brano comments on Paperwork for business registering in Colombia

well, im thinking of doing import-export business and also online business on www.mercadolibre.com.co. im currently working in taiwan but will be in colombia in september and as teaching doesnt really pay well in medellin i gotta think of other things to make money. my other question is what is the best and the easiest way to get cedula. i had a student cedula before and it was a nightmare to get it. actually, i didnt really have the real cedula just that piece of green paper that didnt really serve for anything. i couldnt even open a bank account with it. and by the way, whos ATTY? and thanx guys for all the feedback. highly appreciated... Brano