Chevere33 has left 76 comments

Chevere33 comments on Cost of food in Espinal

Well, then if Tolima is one of the biggest producers, it would seem that, as I thought, for ten bucks one could get a HUGE bag of rice there.

Chevere33 comments on Cost of food in Espinal

Can you take a bag of rice with you? ;) Seriously, but would the 20,000 be enough for at least a few days?

Chevere33 comments on What is the worst TV show you have seen in Latin America?

I can't stand "Locuras y Mas Locuras". Really, it scares me. They take the jokes WAY too far. I think that if this show were in the US, they would have gotten sued a ton of times. I've seen it maybe half a dozen times, and the final straw was when they had a young woman in an elevator that had a "missing person" poster. They forced the elevator down to the basement, and then it wouldn't go back up for her. When she went to look around, she came upon a body, hung in a noose. She ran screaming to the elevator, and the poor thing was so frightened that she was huddled on the floor, rocking herself, sobbing and screaming. To make matters worse, they left her there for a few moments, then helped the guy down off the noose, and he followed her to the elevator and scared her some more. Someone older might have had a heart attack. That wasn't funny, it was cruel, and too many of their pranks are like that.

Chevere33 comments on The Best Schools in Colombia

I got to this thread late, but I went to Colegio Hispanoamericano de Cali in the early 80s. I hardly remember any of my classmates' names! Um, William Abad, Juan Carlos Barona, Solange Obsit (Absit?), Eunice somethingorother, um . . . that's pitiful, huh?

Chevere33 comments on Pastuso accent online

That's a good idea. I've told some people around here about the Pastuso accent, and I think I do a fair imitation, but I just want them to hear the real thing. That's a good idea to do the ecuadorian accent---never knew they were similar.

Chevere33 comments on Pastuso accent online

O, y el "monpirri" viene de Pedro el escamoso . . . o que? ;)

Chevere33 comments on Pastuso accent online

Naci en Michigan, Monpirri, pero vivia en Cali y estuve en Pasto por ahi en 1981. :)

Chevere33 comments on interesting ways to make a buck in Colombia

Thanks, Webmanco. You are right, that was the movie I saw (bought---wish I'd've rented it). The cuy betting looks pretty interesting. I am guessing you choose which bowl you think he'll enter? Do you have any details, like betting amounts, etc.? And the ones at the bottom---statues? Do they move? What do they do, exactly?

Chevere33 comments on Okay Finally Found a Bank that absorbs all Currency Exchange Fees.....

How does PayPal work on the receiving end in Colombia? I already have an account that I use here in the US for eBay and stuff . . . but how would I use it to send someone in Colombia money? Meaning, how would she get it?

Chevere33 comments on How bad is USPS/ regular mail?

I would just use Servientrega. You could send it to the company using media mail to save a few bucks, then on to the destination in Colombia. Costs less than DHL, not much more than regular mail except for the taxes, and always gets there quickly.

Chevere33 comments on shipping times to colombia

I'd try to use Servientrega No matter what I purchased, I'd try to send it through Servientrega. Gets there fast and secure. Maybe you could have the Amazon seller send it to them, and you pay the extra it would cost for them to send it to you. I guess it depends upon how quickly you need it, but I have found them to be fast and much cheaper than DHL.

Chevere33 comments on De Cali a Lima o Cuzco

vuelos de Cali a Lima A mi tambien me gustaria saber de vuelos desde Cali a Lima. La unica compania que conozco es la Avianca. Cuales otras hay, y piensan que puedo conseguir algo menos de cuatrocientos dolares?

Gracias,
Constancia

Chevere33 comments on Cali to Peru

OK, what about this? Funny, I just asked about the safety of going from Cali to Peru a few weeks ago, and got no answers (unless I missed something). From what's been written here, I'm thinking it would be better to fly. From the info I've gotten, it'll be close to $500 to go round trip from Cali to Lima. Can anyone recommend a site where you can get something cheaper, or is that what I should expect to pay? Our trip is in a month, so I'd have to get the tickets like NOW, or financially the bus will be the only choice.

Thanks,
Constancia

Chevere33 comments on Customs

You poor thing Sending via the post office is not at all reliable. I have had things that arrived after five months, and letters that never got there. The last several times, I used Servientrega and my things got there in about a week. They are in Florida. If you look elsewhere on this site or on the web, you can probably get their phone number. It's like $1.80 a pound plus 28% tax on the declared value.

Chevere33 comments on Nanny from Colombia

I sent you a PM So check your inbox!

Chevere33 comments on Canciones Cristianas más conocidas

la pregunta de Billy Ud. hizo una pregunta sobre Maometto y creo que la pregunta se refiere al verso en el cual Juan Bautista dice en Mateo capitulo 3 (y otros lugares tambien), "Yo los bautizo a ustedes con agua para que se arrepientan. Pero el que viene después de mí es más poderoso que yo, y ni siquiera merezco llevarle las sandalias. Él los bautizará con el Espíritu Santo y con fuego." En este verso, JB esta hablando de Jesus. La unica vez que Jesus dice que va a mandar a "otro" es en el libro de Juan. Primero, "--Yo soy el camino, la verdad y la vida --le contestó Jesús--. Nadie llega al Padre sino por mí." Luego en el v. 16 dice "Y yo le pediré al Padre, y él les dará otro Consolador para que los acompañe siempre: el Espíritu de verdad, a quien el mundo no puede aceptar porque no lo ve ni lo conoce. Pero ustedes sí lo conocen, porque vive con ustedes y estará en ustedes." Este verso dice que aquel que va a mandar no es un ser humano, sino un ESPIRITU que nos puede acompanar siempre. Este espiritu es el espiritu santo.

No se si esto le conteste la pregunta o no.

Chevere33 comments on Canciones Cristianas más conocidas

Adela, Platano Adela, consegui ese CD por Amazon. Me encanta! Los niños andan cantandolo todo el dia.

Platano, gracias por su lista, y por sus comentarios...waitaminit, creo que eso fue en el otro forum, en cuanto a las pentecostesas (?) que te enseñaron a bailar (de hecho, esa discusion sobre el racismo se ha vuelto tan fea que ni modo, no voy a comentar mas.)

Ciaito!

Chevere33 comments on LATIN AMERICA: AFRO-DESCENDANTS MARGINALISED AND IGNORED

Rona, Colombiche, Jags Rona said: "In Colombia, within families, everybody rejoices and celebrates when a newborn child is born blanquito(a) . . . I never hear that when they are negrito(a) . . . and God forbid you bring home anything darker than panela because immediately you will be warned not to have children because they will be too dark."

There IS hope in the world. In the US, possibly because of the "black is beautiful" thing from the 60s, I don't hear many of these comments anymore. Darker skin is really starting to be prized, whether it's white folks trying to get a tan, or dark models being prized for their beauty. When I was in Cali, one of my classmates said she wanted to go to the US for a year, "para volverme BIEN blanquita." And this was a white girl! I don't think I will EVER live to see the day where a Caucasian person in the US says that---they are always trying to get a tan. I have seen some chicks around here so over-tanned that they actually look *bad*.

Colombiche: I had never heard "mejorar la raza" or its English equivalent, but I have heard, "OOooh (drooling), he/she light-skinned." I haven't heard it recently, but used to hear it a lot as a kid growing up in the 60s, 70s. I also heard the "good hair/bad hair" thing, but there are now even books for little kids that teach them to be proud of their hair. There are also more people sporting afros dreads, braids, natural curls, etc.

What the heck is BEMBA? Did I live a sheltered life? Never heard of it.

Jags, I actually agree with some of what you said. Reverse racism is not the solution. And I can't say that I can think of a majority Black city that is doing well (maybe some suburb somewhere, but I personally haven't seen it). My opinion, though, is that it is a function of religion or spirituality, not race. If you think of it, places that have mega problems (Africa as a continent, India, Iraq, Iran, Haiti) also are into ancestral worship, animism, etc. Looking at today's world, most of the countries that are doing well have had Christianity as a base. I think the crime, neglect of buildings, tearing one's own house down, drug abuse, absent fathers, on and on, is a direct result of a Godless society passed down through the generations. From what I can see, Christian families (or countries, cities, whatever) of ANY race, or for that matter ANY entity (Christian or not) which passes on the values of honesty, integrity, education, frugality, self-control, cleanliness, helping others and the like is going to beget folks who are well-behaved, philanthropic, orderly, and who continue that cycle.

Our culture has decayed a lot in the past 200 years, but I don't think all hope is lost. Educating children (and teaching them how to spell, as well!!!!!), elevating morals and ethos, making people responsible for themselves, and teaching them about a God they can believe in and follow---all that will go a long way towards fixing race problems. It's also a solution that crosses borders, races, and cultures.

Chevere33 comments on LATIN AMERICA: AFRO-DESCENDANTS MARGINALISED AND IGNORED

Good read, Platano. Thanks for posting it!

Chevere33 comments on Children's shoe size

Not sure, but... knowing the child's age might help. 13 1/2 almost sounds like a US size. To give you an idea, I bought some shoes last year for a child who was 5, and I think the size was 26. Here it was like 2 or thereabouts. If you go to a department store and look inside the shoe, it gives US and UK or European measurements. The ones generally used in Colombia are the UK measurements.

I'd check and see if the number she gave you was for there, or here.

Chevere33 comments on Black in Colombia?

I'd have to agree with ToneLoc... ...in regards to his comment that I'd rather be Black in the U.S. than in Colombia. This does not mean that either culture is better, that one is superior, that one has more fun, or whatever you could think of. In fact, I'm sure many Colombians who have been to both places would rather be black in Colombia. What I agree with are his comments, and DWMTE's, that the opportunities for advancement are greater in the US. Hatred exists in both countries, but with federal grants, minority scholarships, academic scholarships, EEOC, fair hiring practices in general, affirmative action, Fair Housing Commission, and the like, I think US minorities are more likely to get a fair shake, and unfair treatment is more likely to be handled in some way. None of the aforementioned programs are perfect, but they have gone a long way towards helping curb discrimination. Of course I have to add that things are different in different parts of the country, so I am speaking of my own experience.

I would also agree with Rubiazo, who said it was also a cultural and social thing, not just racial. I once sat down and had a discussion with some folks from Colombia (trigueños from Bogota), and their view was that classism was deeply ingrained in the Colombian culture, to the point where even one's LAST NAME was scrutinized---if your name looked European (Spanish or otherwise), you would be more likely to get into a university, a social club, or whatever. Is it true? I have no proof but I wouldn't be surprised.

My mother is Black and Native American, and my father white (if you want an idea of my type, think Halle Berry, Alicia Keys, etc). I never really experienced any problems growing up in the Detroit area in the 60s and 70s, or in the suburbs either, but when I lived in Cali, I would get ignored/passed over a lot. It was like the invisible man syndrome. In stores, at the bank, clubs, wherever, others would get helped/chosen first even when it was clear that I was there ahead of them. Could it have been my age? Perhaps. Could have been any number of things, but I don't think so. Popayan was even worse. I also noticed that this sort of thing did NOT happen in Bogota. Another thing was that I got less attention from males in Cali. In the US, I was constantly approaced and guys would bump into things looking at me, while in Cali they were not as impressed. Who knows, maybe the competition was tougher there, LOL.

Anyway, the original poster asked a question and got an even greater education than he probably anticipated. My answer is YES, come to Colombia. Have a great time. I do not think you will be beaten up because you are Black. You might get pickpocketed, like anyone else. A peach from a street vendor will cost you twice as much if they know you are a Gringo. You might get robbed because they think you have money, not because of your skin color. I think that to suffer any degree of discrimination, you would actually have to live here and sink into society. As a tourist, you are probably safe. Let us know how your trip went, if you go.

Chevere33 comments on Need some songs

I'm not sure . . . ...if the songs I loved were truly great (that is, would others love them), or are they just reminiscent of greast times? Dunno, but here's a partial list:

These are older:
Mr. Sandman
Summertime
Cool Jerk
Tequila (instrumental)
Say A Little Prayer (Aretha Franklin)

70s (I could have put 100 more on this list):
Hitchin' A Ride, Vanity Fair (I still love the guitar in this one)
Brandy (You're A Fine Girl), Looking Glass
American Pie, Don McLean
Let's Stay Together, Al Green
Let's Get It On, Marvin Gaye
Bennie And The Jets, Elton John (I still wail this one when I hear it!)
Hooked On A Feeling, Blue Swede (my kids love this one)
You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, Leo Sayer
Signs, Five Man Electrical Band (someone redid this one; I prefer the old one but my daughter loves the new one)
Chick-a-boom, Daddy Dewdrop
If You Could Read My Mind, Gordon Lightfoot
Half Breed, Cher
Time In A Bottle, Jim Croce (great pickin', great love song)

Recent (within the past few years) favorites:
Power of Your Love, Darlene Zschech
You Are My King, Newsboys
Open the Eyes of My Heart
Jesus, Lover of My Soul, Darlene Zschech
The Potter's Hand, Darlene Zschech
Things I Prayer for, Eli
Who Am I, Casting Crowns
Hands and Feet, Audio Adrenaline
Smooth, Santana
Spoken for, Mercy Me
El Dia Que Me Quieras, Luis Miguel
All Consuming Fire, Jennifer Knapp
Let My Words Be Few, Phillips, Craig and Dean
Kiss Me, Sixpence None the Richer
Bachata Rosa, Juan Luis Guerra
You Are God Alone, Phillips, Craig and Dean

There you have songs from my childhood, teens and last decade---I missed a few decades in between, and I could have put loads more on that last list. I only included ones that you could find online.

You might get some more interesting lists by telling what genres you like, and what decades. I could have put a lot of Colombian and other ones from the 70s, but do you really want to hear about Camilo Sesto?

Constancia

Chevere33 comments on Why do Colombian guys use ridiculous piropos?

Neither... I would crack up laughing . . . but it wouldn't earn you any points!

Chevere33 comments on Employment/sponsorship track?

LOL Sorry for the vague pronounery ;) The "she" I was referring to is the nanny!

Chevere33 comments on Canciones Cristianas más conocidas

Gracias, Adela Esta lista es exactamente lo que buscaba. Gracias.

En algun sentido, si hay "hit parade" de canciones de Dios. De hecho, en una de las emisoras Cristianas que escuchamos, todos los sabados tocan las 20 canciones mas populares---o sea, el "hit parade". Pa'que veas: http://www.billboard.com/bb/charts/airplay/christiantracks.jsp

Constancia

Chevere33 comments on Employment/sponsorship track?

Gator... when you say "unless there are children under seven", what do you mean? I do have 5 children, one of whom is under 7 (she also has one).

Thanks!

Chevere33 comments on Canciones Cristianas más conocidas

Yo, ¡sí!

...por si acaso no se lo adivinaste por el post.

Gracias, Adela, por tu respuesta. Ahora te pregunto, esas son sus favoritas personales, o es que todo el mundo las conoce?

Chevere33 comments on Canciones Cristianas más conocidas

:) Yo entiendo, kat. A mi tambien me parecian aburridas, pero despues de escucharlas con mas frecuencia, uno empieza a fijarse en las palabras y le da como una ternura al oirlas. Igual que cualquier tipo de musica, uno se va primero acostumbrandose, y luego te gusta, y si sigues escuchandolo, pronto te encantará. Ademas si uno esta como buscandole al Señor, pues esto lo aumenta todo.

Pero, bueno, sobre todo me gustaria tener una lista de canciones contemporaneas, que al oido joven les suene lindo desde un principio, como las que ahora se cantan en algunas iglesias.

Constancia

Chevere33 comments on Import tax on packages?

Yes, it happens When I used DHL, the recipient had to pay. Now that I use Servientrega, I pay it all up front, and it's much less.

Constancia

Chevere33 comments on The latest scam. Don't get caught out.

I get these, too, and... ...it's usually someone claiming to either be rich and unable to get their inheritance without putting it in my bank account, or a long lost relative with the same last name.

Funny, EVERY time, I write them back and say that I am broke, too, and to just put the money into my PayPal account where it will be safe.

I'm still WAAAAiiiting!

Constancia

Chevere33 comments on Spanish Movies

Nueba Yol I finally got to see this movie. It's wonderful, and something you could probably watch with the whole family (there are a few cuss words---sh! at ---in the English subtitles, but I didn't see all the subtitles, so caveat emptor...but I thought the Spanish was fairly tame). It's about a Dominican guy who finally gets to come to "Nueba Yol" and finds out it's not all it's cracked up to be. Very heartwarming film.

Constancia

Chevere33 comments on Read very good things about Popoyan

Popayan I spent like a week there. Unless things have changed, the thing that most impressed me was the cleanliness. I remember white buildings (houses), no grass, and the most impeccably clean streets you've ever seen.

Constancia

Chevere33 comments on Re: Spanish translation post from a couple days ago.

Is Direct TV available there? (satellite) If it is, perhaps you can get the all-Spanish package, which has Caracol TV (from Colombia). I'm lovin' it!

Constancia

Chevere33 comments on Sending a package to Colombia

Servientrega info I had the same trouble with their website; it looks like it's for people who are living in Colombia. I used them a little while ago and was more than satisfied.

The US telephone number is (305) 594-9555. For 1-6 pounds, you pay a flat rate of $15. If it's over 6 lbs., it's $1.80 per pound. You will need to enclose an itemized list with what's in the package and wach item's value, and then do a total. Additionally, you send them 28% of that total for the taxes. If you want insurance it's an extra 5%. If you can't figure out all this, they will help you, but you still have to send the itemized list.

Ship the package to them (2509 NW 72nd Ave., Miami FL 33122) and either enclose a check for the shipment to Colombia, or mail it separately, or you can do it over the phone using a credit card.

Having said all that, I do NOT work for Servientrega, so "prices are subject to change". These are the prices that were given to me a few months ago when I used them. Your best bet would be to call them.

Constancia

Chevere33 comments on sancocho receta, por favor

valluno, vallenato Singing, food, it's all good. Gracias!

Chevere33 comments on Au pair agencies, especially Cali

Adela She doesn't have any other language skills; if she did, I don't think it would be as difficult for her to find a job. She has a certificate in diseño de moda and something else. She graduated from high school, too. She is 44 and has one child.

Thanks for the tip about Canada; maybe we will try that. I do have a friend that lives in Canada that could use some help.


Constancia

Chevere33 comments on Au pair agencies, especially Cali

"Here" . . . is the US. LOL. I guess I could've mentioned that! If "here" were Oz, we could probably bring her in via a bump on the noggin, the yellow brick road, hot air baloon, or perhaps three clicks of the heel.

Sorry I forgot to mention where we live!

Constancia . . . don't know how those travel agency posts got in here!

Chevere33 comments on Darien Gap

Read "The Cloud Garden" Someone else asked your same question, and another person suggested they read "The Cloud Garden" first. Out of curiousity, I got it from the library, and am now 75% of the way through. My take is that you'd pretty much have to have a death wish to attempt crossing through there, or else do it in total ignorance of how dangerous the area is. The paramilitaries and guerillas there apparently can see YOU, but you can't see THEM.

Constancia . . . who hopes your mother won't let you go! :)

Chevere33 comments on K-1, enrolling children in U.S. school

what ws244 said I concur with ws244. There are plenty of kids here illegally that are enrolled in school. If there is a migrant law/legal center in your area, they should be able to help you, and it's free---call them! PM me if you can't find one and I'll help you; I'm in touch with the one near us.

Constancia

Chevere33 comments on shoe sizes in Colombia...help!

shoe sizes I send shoes to Colombia; whatever size she tells me, it's the European size that most of the "good" brands have on them, inside the tongue.

Also, FWIW, I try to get like Reeboks or Nikes or something that will last. I am not a name brand sort of person, but after 4 boys I have learned that those last quite a while. If you go to Kohl's when there is a sale, you can get them for less than 20 bucks.

Constancia

Chevere33 comments on Sending small packages to Colombia?

DHL Actually, fzrdan, I have used DHL twice and both times the package got there within a week. I don't know if they have DHLs there in Colombia or if they contract out, though, so maybe you are right that that can make the difference.

The thing is, though, that you will pay THROUGH THE NOSE with this company. The only reason I used them is because I had a friend who worked for them and she was able to use her employee discount. The packages were about as big as two oversized shoe boxes, more or less, and I paid like $25 with her discount, but it would've been somewhere between $150 and $200 without. AND GET THIS, cuz here's the stinger: they tell you that the recipient needs money to receive the package, so you have to send your friend or family like 30% of the value for them to be able to receive the package. The last package I sent was valued at $150, so I sent her $60 just to be safe, and it wasn't enough!!!! Grrrr...

So if you're rich , DHL, in my experience, will get it there very quickly and safely. For the average person, it's just too much. I think even with my friend's DHL discount, Servientrega will be much better bacause there are no fees to reclaim the package.

Constancia

Chevere33 comments on Sending small packages to Colombia?

on Adrimm's comment I'd agree with you that some stuff, probably once tampered with, doesn't arrive, but I DISAGREE that registered things eventually arrive. I gave up after the second registered, airmail package never got there. And I mean NEVER. I have been chuckling about folks that said things were 2 weeks, a month late. I have stuff that hasn't arrived and it's been YEARS! I also have sent money orders that never arrived, even though a year later they had never been cashed. I finally gave up checking and threw the receipts out.

Forget the USPS---it's a crap shoot, at best.


Constancia

Chevere33 comments on New Photos

white at weddings I lived in Colombia for quite some time but never went to a wedding there! I saw in your pictures that lots of folks were wearing white. If you follow traditions in the US, it's a faux pas for anyone except the bride to wear it (unless it's a man's white shirt with a tie and dark pants). Is it customary for the Colombian wedding guests to wear white? If so, does it depend upon whether the wedding is formal or not?

Constancia

Chevere33 comments on Spanglish, any good?

I haven't seen it, but has anyone seen Nueba Yol? I wanted to know if it was aprropriate for the whole family (including little kids) to watch----not worried about if they'd sit still, cuz popcorn helps with that, but wondering how it fares on the "cussability" scale.


Constancia

Chevere33 comments on Have any of the people who write text on this page , ever been to colombia?

Somehow criticism... ...always sounds worse when it's coming from an "outsider". You know, you can talk about your own family, but don't let someone else do it. This applies to individuals, families, cultures, races, countries. No one wants to hear it from someone else.

Yes, I've lived in Colombia. Don't have too much bad to say about it. I'm living in the US, and have negative things to say about it, but still feel the good far outweighs the bad. Personally, I try not to do too much complaining, about individuals or otherwise, unless I have a plan to pitch in and somehow improve the thing I am complaining about.

No country is perfect, no country is all bad. If people complain about you, yourself, or your country, take a good look inward and ask yourself if it is true and if you are part of the problem. If not, good---keep your nose pointed forward and press on to your goal, whatever it is, hopefully giving someone else a hand along the way. If you are part of the problem, then do something about it and give no one an occasion to complain. This is how I live my life, and what I teach my children.


Constancia

Chevere33 comments on Colombian names for baby girl (save my marriage)

What about Ameyali? Not exactly Colombian (it's Nahuatl), but I think it's beautiful.


Constancia

Chevere33 comments on Colombian names for baby girl (save my marriage)

Names... Of the ones suggested, I like Viviana and Hannah.

(Buckethead is ridiculous. Now, we know you wouldn't name your child that! I have a more believeable scheme for you. Read on . . .)

One name I know that got repeated hisses, boos, and negative vibes in general was Eusebia. So insist, for weeks, that you want to name the baby Eusebia Jezabel. After a month or so, any Colombian name (along with stuff like Caitlyn, Helga, Min, Shaniqua, Marie-Claire) will sound much more appealing to your wife.


Constancia . . . who is stuck with a name that is considered beautiful in the US, but raises eyebrows in Colombia.

Chevere33 comments on Call Colombia for Free

Western Union Gold Card They sent me one of these because of having used them to send money. Turns out every time I use the card, they put five minutes of phone time on it. I think it's like 5 or 6 cents a minute from Indiana to Cali, and I just use my credit card to load more money onto it. The only caveat is that you have to load at least 15 dollars on it at a time. One thing I like is that I have their phone number and the PIN memorized, so I can pretty much call at any time, without heading to the store for a call. The quality is excellent and I don't get the disconnects or poor connections that I got with some of the ones I've purchased in the past. I've been using it for about a year now and love it.

Anything seems better than the $2+ I used to pay years ago!

I am going to try that stsprepaid.com, though.


Constancia

P.S. Feliz dia del amor y amistad!

Chevere33 comments on The day is finally here...going back to Cali

I N V U Please post lots of pics from your trip to Cali!


Constancia, who wishes she were going with you.

Chevere33 comments on Sending money cheaply/through bank

ikobo...now that sounds like a good idea. Headed to their website right now.

Thanks for all the good tips, and looking forward to more.

Constancia