caulfield2 has written 45 posts
Columbiche, need your help
I was just thinking about this non-profit tutoring program that I will be starting in August and I wanted to get some feedback from you and paisa29 and others whose opinions I respect.
I have some (what I think are valid) concerns about getting more Colombian involvement in the project. I don´t want it to be another ¨white males coming to save Colombia¨ type of thing.
Of course, as with any non-profit endeavor, the biggest obstacles are fundraising and building ...
A dumb question, but perhaps you can help
If someone is calling my cell phone from China, what number would they have to dial?
Is it 0057-315-###-#####
I never have anyone call me directly, I just e-mail them or talk through IM or Internet voice ...
Anyone know anything about assault-domestic violence?
My ex, who is living in Kansas City, was physically attacked for the second time this past week by her crazy roommate.
She wants to move out, but she has been told that she needs to pay for her share of the lease, which is $375 per month, all the way through December. That's 6 more months, and she doesn't have anything close to $2,000.
Both their names are on the lease, unfortunately.
Her roommate has a son, has sleep apnea, has a number of borderlin ...
Does anyone know anything about Tulua?
I'm supposed to go there tonight to see my ex-girlfriend (she's from Cali) dance with a group at a club or discoteca called Fenes or something very similar to that.
Anyone ever heard of it? Supposedly it's a very big club, something like 1,000 people...I am sure the taxista will get me there, just a little uncertain about going to a city I've just passed through but never actually visited. ...
Anyone care to help with our non-profit volunteer project in COL?
Case Statement for Colombia
One of the main goals of our Books and Dreams Colombia project is to raise the level of the poorest kids in Colombia to that of their classmates. Along with those students who attend public schools from the most marginalized segments of society, we are also creating programs for students who are on the streets and haven’t even had the opportunity to have a teacher or a desk in a traditional classroom.
The students we work with have ha ...
Any certified English teachers out there? (through US State Education Depts.)
Interested in teaching in Colombia?
Salary rnnge, $20-24,000 USD
added a couple of pictures to image gallery
for those machu picchu fans out there....it really is a beautiful place, and well worth the effort to get there
Colombiche, need some help....(survey question for counseling class)
After reading through the Colombian marriage thread, I had a thought. That it would be interesting to see what ¨real¨ Colombian women in an average city (Armenia) think about a subject that is often discussed here.
What is more important, to be beautiful or to be intelligent? If you could be only one, what would you choose?
Is it better to be independent, or to have a husband and family? What is more important to you, having a family or a successful career? (B ...
A good story of lost cell phone in a taxi
I just lost my cell phone here in Armenia. I was in the taxi with three of my students (not, DON´T go there!) and somehow my phone must have slipped out of my pocket. 95% of the time, one assumes it´s gone for good.
What is it with those seats? You incline back, and if you have ¨short¨ pockets, things can easily fall out, especially change.
Amazingly, we called the taxi company (one of my students remembered the number of the taxi), and, wooolah, 15 minutes l ...
Strategies for dating "good" Colombianas
By the way, despite the title of my post, I think most people, Colombian or not, are basically good....they can just get into "bad" situations in life, sometimes through no fault of their own.
Over the last 2-3 months here, I've started to realize...well, maybe it was the entire time and I just didn't want to acknowledge it...that I wasn't meeting the right kind of woman here.
Yeah, they were usually intelligent and university educated, but they were lacking somethi ...
Opening myself up...a little bit
Since elmodo is sharing his photos today, I thought I would get into the act.
And no, I'm not giving anyone the contact info for my wife, lol. She lives in the US with my dog, but that is as much information as anyone is getting.
I guess I can start the competition with morphus to see if I can measure up to his manly standards, lol.
Anyone under 20, PLEASE don't reply! ...
Looking for armenia's bufalo (no, not in a Dances With Wolves sense)
Hey, I have been living here since August and thought it would be cool to meet.
This is the first time I have been without a girlfriend/amiga/novia during my time in Colombia, so I thought JUST MAYBE I should widen my circle of acquaintances, lol.
I've also had the thought that JUST MAYBE I should date someone older than 28 (no, not 18 Morphus)...we will have to see how disciplined I can be with this new plan.
Send me an e-mail, I can give you my ce ...
A thread for discussion and not locking, hopefully
I am currently in Cusco, Peru, so I missed out on participating in the enlightening thread yesterday, lol.
While I certainly understand what the poster was talking about...and I think there was another dude in Bucaramanga who mentioned he got 2-3 phone numbers per day...there´s much more to life in Colombia.
After you get over the temporary ego elevation, reality sinks in. You realize that 80% of these girls are only interested in your money or citizenship and tha ...
What Strato are you and your wife-gf-amiga con derechos?
I thought this would be an interesting question to pose to both Colombians (married to other Colombians) as well as those involved in international relationships.
My students, who are Strato 6, say they would never date anyone below Strato 4. Are there any examples that you know about (on and off the board) where there has been a difference of more than 3 or even 4 levels and the marriage or relationship worked out long-term?
Secondly, I was curious what Strato gri ...
Prettiest view in Colombia
This is a slight variation of the UTOPIA thread, although it´s more about the scenery-view-landscape than an idyllic place to live, although I imagine it COULD be the same thing.
My nomination, looking out to the west over the cordilleras to valle from La Guaca restaurant in Sevilla, which is about 15-20 minutes away from Caicedonia.
I could easily imagine buying a little finca or hacienda there to have as a vacation spot or investment...but not to live or retire t ...
Has anyone ever been to Arauca?
Besides an oil pipeline, bordering on Venezuela, guerrilas and a strong military presence in the Llanos, what is it known for?
I met a really nice young woman from there and was interested in finding out more...but there is not a lot of information.
The students in my class said to stay away from women from that area of Colombia...my friend told me that the women there were known to be much more conservative, Catholic, traditional. That quite a few were even virgi ...
Macchu Pichu?
What's the Inca Trail like?
Does it rain much in mid-April (Semana Santa week)?
Did you stay in hotels? Hostels? Tents?
Do you recommend any agencies or guides?
If we stay the night of the 7th in Lima, get to Cusco on the morning of the 8th and return to Lima on the 14th and finally back to Colombia on the 15th, do we have enough time to do everything?
Anything cool to do, places to stay or visit, restaurants in Lima, C ...
For women, non-profits and general skeptics
The goal of the Justice Center for Women (El Centro de Justicia para Mujeres or CJM) is a collaborative effort to bring professionals from the Colombian legal and philanthropic communities together in order to increase law students’ awareness of public interest law, the lack of adequate legal services available for poor women (those that are classified as Strato 1, 2 or 3 in Colombia, defined at the top level as those earning less than $2 per hour), and, most importantly, for law students and ...
Okay Poco, here's another idea for Colombia
I have been thinking about what some of my students as well as the posters here have said about tourism.
So I came up with a different idea, and something anyone can help with, whether they are in the US, Colombia or another country.
I want to open up opportunities for more Colombia students to study abroad, specifically, undergraduate and graduate students to attend university in the US.
There are lots of scholarships out there for Hispanic students, ...
How many posters are in Colombia and run a business?
Just curious...and what type of business?
Internet cafe?
Tourism related?
Restaurant?
If you had it to do over again, would you have started or bought the business you currently are operating? Why-why not?
I would like to share my marketing plan for Quindio Tourism (it involves promoting Colombia to foreign tourists, a discoteca, hotels-fincas and an Eje Cafetero version of the Aguila Girls, lol)...I am debating whether ...
Does anyone know what the biggest foreign travel agencies are that serve COL?
After reading NY Times and Wash. Post articles on the area where I live, I thought of an interesting class project to help promote tourism here in Quindio.
It would not be for profit, with all the monies we earn going to ninos desplazados in Colombia.
GOALS...
To communicate with travel agencies (in the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Japan and Latin America) about the many positives that Colombia has to offer, in essence, marketing and public relations. ...
Are Colombian students more disrespectful to foreign teachers?
Note...I realize this type of title would typically belong in the ¨teaching¨ area, but I thought that more people who have lived in Colombia and wouldn´t look at those threads might have some insight.
We have seven foreign teachers at our school (two are from Egypt and Syria, one from Peru and the rest of us are from the US).
We have been trying to understand why the students here are tougher to deal with for the foreigners...some theories are as follows.
...
TLC?
From the point of view of a Colombian coffee farmer or industrialist (or just as average labororer or worker with just a high school education), what are the pros and cons of this?
Is it going to be just as damaging as the agreements with the Bush Administration in the late 80´s and early 90´s that ended up driving down coffee prices here in Eje Cafetero-Quindio-Armenia? ...
Can someone explain the MIRA political movement?
One of my students was trying to explain this to me this morning...he just said it was bad, lol...and something about it being connected to Christian churches, but I was not 100% sure what he was getting at.
Is it all over Central and South America?
What is the goal? Why would it be considered dangerous?
Just curious. ...
Cali Food Bank contact information?
Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.
a new ¨viewpoint¨
I fail to understand why a foreign person would travel thousands of miles to a foreign country in which he speaks a different language to seek out a prostitute for sex when he could have the same in his own home country without all the inconvience.
The quality women are the easiest to meet as you are surrounded by them from the time you exit the airplane after landing in Colombia until you re=board the airplane to leave Colombia.
Finding a postitute by a foreign pe ...
What is the deal with deleted threads?
In the future, it would be nice to get a message from the moderators explaining why a thread was deleted. Isn´t there a way to lock a thread so nobody else can post, but keep the thread intact?
I really used to like posting here, but I feel as if my time might be better spent elsewhere.
There are not huge amounts of posters that are currently living down here right now...the thread that was started last night (about prostitution and college students) might not hav ...
Soup kitchens in Colombia?
I posted a long thread but I do not know where it has disappeared to...
In brief, why arent there any (or very many) in the smaller cities and towns (I live in Armenia)?
What programs does the government, churches or non-profits have to help the poor in cities under 500,000 people?
What is the biggest health crisis today in Colombia? What do you anticipate will be the biggest in the future? ...
Five months in Armenia (and counting)
I used to post here quite a bit before I arrived in Colombia, but the irony is that I have not posted since then.
I just wanted to summarize a few of my experiences and maybe there will be some questions about specific topics, lol.
I have been teaching 11th and 12th graders at Gimnasio Ingles (a private, SACS accredited school) in Armenia, Colombia, since the beginning of August. I will also begin teaching a university class (about 15 students) beginning next Monda ...
For native Spanish speakers...what novel has impacted you the most?
What book, written in English (as original language), has had the most impact on your life?
The reason I ask is that I will be teaching in two weeks (in Colombia), and I'm trying to find short (but engaging) works in English, such as "The Outsiders" or Steinbeck (Of Mice and Men or The Pearl)...
I'm considering Bless Me Ultima, Don Quixote, The House on Mango Street and Things Fall Apart, as well as 100 Years of Solitude...but I need to find books that would keep th ...
What church (Catholic) should I attend in Armenia?
Just wanted some insight, I know there are plenty of possibilities. Since I will be teaching in a private (meaning higher tuition) academy, is there an expectation I should attend the same type of school as the parents/families of my students or am I thinking too much about this?
I would like to attend an "influential" church, just because I have some ideas and resources that I would like to contribute...but I am sure there are needs in all of the parishes/churches. ...
Who's the next Sofia Vergara?
Since my "intelligent women under 35" thread seemed to have received a little interest, I thought I would try another one, and an more interested in hearing the perspective of those that live (or have lived) in the country in terms of which "stars/models/tv personalities" have credibility and intelligence and which ones are viewed as "airheads" or "silicone dolls." Which one of these women is seen by her countrymen as the most intelligent and the one they are most proud of (for instance, when I ...
Who is the smartest woman in Colombia, under age 35?
I was just surfing through some Latin American web-sites and the thought came to me, there's so much discussion of beauty, of plastic surgery, of the various attributes of the women from each of the various Colombian cities, but it doesn't seem like the younger generation has much of a voice. Maybe I am wrong. Or maybe the Internet, by and large, is still more of a male domain to some extent.
Who are potential female presidents or simply leaders in the country that are younger a ...
Recommendations for hotel in Pereira
Just wanted to know if there were any nice yet affordable motels/hotels in Pereira?
Second, how much does it cost to take a taxi from Pereira to Armenia?
I'm not going there for mujeres calientes, so we don't need to start the whole battle about the women there again!!! ...
Good and bad about my Colombia trip
The bad things...
1) Pobreza
2) The taxistas in Cartagena, always trying to take advantage to squeeze out another $1-3 mil (it's the little things that count, and while 50 cents here or a dollar there aren't much, the principle is what gets you mad)....I wish they were all metered like Cali...and they all drive like Montoya, but not as bad as in Russia, where they create lanes that don't even exist
3) The climate in Cartagena if you don't have A/C< ...
Las Cabanas (Bocagrande---Cartagena)
Does anyone know anything about this place?
Is it a club, bar, disco or restaraunt?
Is it worth checking out? Or is it too touristy?
I want to be a little off the beaten path without heading into "elmodo" territory and ending up in the infirmary. ...
Flying to Cartagena tomorrow (first trip)
Well, I am getting excited...except getting up at 5:00 a.m. to catch a 7:00 a.m. flight in Kansas City.
From there, flying to Atlanta, Miami, Bogota and finally Cartagena.
I will try to keep this thread filled in a journal or diary type of discussion.
Unfortunately for some lurkers, lol, I'm not going to be cataloging my exploits with 50 different women but I will be writing from a tourist's perspective on Cartagena, my Spanish classes and volunteer p ...
Anyone going to be in Cartagena June 10th through the end of June?
It would be nice to hang out with some gringos, if any are around.
I'm going to be doing a "homestay" through a Spanish and Volunteering program at Nueva Lengua language institute.
I'm pretty psyched, as I will be staying with a family instead of a dorm or hotel and I will also be coaching a soccer team somewhere in the rural areas south or outside of the city as my "volunteer" assignment.
I've read quite a bit about Babar, Mr. Babilla and Tu Candela. ...
Best places to visit in Colombia/South America
I'm going to be living in Colombia for at least two years, and possibly more, so I drew up a list of places I would like to visit. Just wanted to get some comments from those who have visited about the following spots I've put together in my "list" of things to do while I'm down there.
Things like ease of access, costs, lodging/food, overall worthwhileness (is that a word?) of going...
1) Angel Falls, Venezuela
2) Galapagos Islands
3) Iguazu Falls< ...
Dealing with Col. consulates, specifically NYC and Chicago
1) Do you have to set up an appointment ahead of time to get a work visa?
2) Do you have to line up at 7-8 a.m. in the morning, since they are only open from
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. most days?
3) Should I leave a message on their voice mail system?
4) Do you HAVE to go the Consulate assigned for your region, or would I be able to go to the NYC consulate when I'm there the 18th-22nd?
Normally I would go to the Chicago Consulate. ...
Anyone need an English and/or History tutor in Cartagena? Also looking for Spanish tutor...
Hello, I will be in Cartagena from roughly the 10th of June through the end of the month, and I was looking for opportunities to teach (any age) English and/or History while I was down there. Perhaps I can also find someone to help tutor me in Spanish as well, and serve as a sort of "tour guide" for me?
I was going to stay at the "dorm" of the language institute I was going to study at, but now I'm not so sure that's the route I want to take anymore.
I also coach a ...
Colombian Embassies in U.S. and getting my dog into Colombia
In the next couple of months, I will have to go to one of the Colombian Embassies in the U.S. to get my work documents and visa processed.
Is the Chicago, New York or Washington, D.C., Embassy the easiest to work with?
Does anyone know anything about getting a dog (Black Lab, 75 pounds) into the country? I'm sure I will need her immunization and health records, but what else?
I know that you can only take one dog and one cat (for the entire passenger list) o ...
Any experts on beisbol and non-profit work in Colombia?
I am going to Colombia this summer (to attempt to
“master� Spanish in Cartagena) and then returning
again in late July to teach English in Armenia,
Colombia, for two years. After accepting this
assignment, I started thinking of some ideas for
projects and programs I would like to put in place.
After doing further research I came across “Team
Renteria� and ended up speaking with Edgar Renteria’s
brother about collaborating on a pr ...
Going to teach English in Armenia. Any advice?
Hello, I am going to be teaching English (11th and 12th graders) at Gimnasio Ingles in Armenia. I found this job at the Univ. of Northern Iowa Overseas Job Fair in early February, for those interested in working abroad, it's one of the largest fairs in the country. I also looked at Cartegena, Manizales and Barranquilla but received this offer and couldn't pass it up. I was reading in another thread about an American school in Medellin or Bogota, and was wondering if the kids were different in Ar ...
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