A Little Angry.....

asmith says on Mar 28, 2004, 15:51:

Shane: A Little Angry; Dear Sir: When some one ask where my wife is from and I reply, Colombia, most of the time young people make a comment about cocaine, most people are very stupid. She has never seen cocaine. One of the reasons cocaine is not as popular as it was twenty years ago is that Northamericans buy cheap drugs--- Speed. Northamericans buy cheap everything, that is the number one reason we gave up the manufacturing of quality products, we want more, and more, so we buy cheap, example, Asian goods at Wal-Mart, yep, we buy cheap. Are we the people of quality? Not anymore.

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saint says on Mar 28, 2004, 16:59:

The world is full of ignorant people..... You can't let ignorant people that don't know any better make you upset. If you get all angry about it you're not much better than them. The best thing you can do to help the incorrect sterotypes is to explain to them the beauty of the country, the people and the way of life there.

I learned a long time ago the world is full of idiots. Rather than get upset by every little ignorant thing I go about my own business. I've found that you can't change the world but if you can change people's thinking one by one it's a start. Good luck.

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Mr. Hollywood says on Mar 28, 2004, 17:42:

I got the same treatment Hey Shane,

That's just part of Colombia's public image cross to bear. Personally, I've seen a LOT more cocaine in Mexico than any other place on earth, but Pablo Escobar really made his mark on the public consciousness in a way that won't seem to fade. And the truth is that Colombia is home to the world's largest cocaine trade. But think of it as a good bozo filter. Ignorant people will almost inevitably lead with a comment about cocaine. More sophisticated friends and aquaintances will have something more intelligent to say. It's a good way of separating the wheat from the chaff.

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Skippy says on Mar 28, 2004, 19:00:

Good point Yes, you are all correct. I will take a chill pill.

What is the name of the national drink in Colombia ?

Yup

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Gator says on Mar 28, 2004, 19:59:

Soft or Hard? Hard I would have to say aguardiente. It's not a sipping drink. You get a table and a bottle and sit there until it's gone,hopefully with a friend. Soft? That becomes a Ford-Chevy type of question-depends upon the person. Pony Malta and la Colombiana are good Postobon makes a ton of stuff and the new "Coffee Cola"is not too bad.

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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arturo says on Mar 28, 2004, 22:26:

I hear you shane.

If you can read french :
http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2003/08/GONZALEZ_RODRIGUEZ/10315

& tell your dear pupils how cool it is to be a woman in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Maybe they have forgotten ex-president salinas' brother drug traffic & political murder activities. And the mexican drugs' cartel who furnish widely the us market. They've their guerilla too, haven't they?

Mexico doesnt seem that better than colombia & they should find enough crap to say about their loving country.

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TioCharlie says on Mar 28, 2004, 22:36:

When I think of Colombia two things come to mind:
1. Good People - the average Colombian is very friendly

2. Bad Government - nuf said there

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ColombianoX says on Mar 28, 2004, 23:26:

VIVA COLOMBIAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shane,

Tell your students that you want to go to Colombia because you want to hear some real cumbia, and not some cheap imitation. Tell them you want to go to Colombia because you want to hear the best spanish in latin america being spoken. Tell them you want to see where latin america's greatest author was born. Tell them you want to go to Colombia because you want to taste the best coffee in the world. Tell them you want to go to Colombia because you want to see the best and most original telenovelas in the spanish-speaking world and not novelas that can't get past the same old stories about the poor girl who falls in love with the rich guy. Tell your students that you want to visit a beautiful tropical country that has emerald-green mountains, rain forests, deserts, volcanos, snow-capped mountains, and amazon jungles and not some country that is half desert-like. Tell them you want to go to a country where the people actually know how to dance their salsa and don't dance by hopping around like idiots as they do the 'quebradita'. And finally, so they will really undersTand you, tell them you just want to go to a country that is more 'chido' and not full of so many 'nacos cometacos'!!

ColombianoX

PROUD AS HELL COLOMBIAN

ColombianoX 'Defensor de la Colombianidad'

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karina says on Mar 29, 2004, 00:00:

Happens all the time Shane, unfortunately that sort of thing happens all the time. Ignorant comments will always be made by narrow-minded people who have never travelled and therefore know very little about the world. I used to get really upset whenever anyone made a stupid comment like that but it's really not worth it. The best thing you can do is tell them about your positive experience and hope that this will get through.

Karina

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Dolfi says on Mar 29, 2004, 02:42:

I have to disagree a bit I have been to Mexico and to Colombia and I like both countries very much, in fact they are my two favourite countries in Latinamerica.

In Mexico food is better, in Colombia women are nicer. In Colombia Coffee is much better, in Mexico beer is more to my taste. Landscape is great in both countries, Mexico isn´t at all pure desert. Music is better inc Colombia (for my taste), but Colombia has nothing to compare to the Aztec and Maya ruins in Mexico. People are friendly and open in both countries. Is García Marquez greater than Octavio Paz, Juán Rulfo or Carlos Fuentes? Wouldn´t decide.

In fact I am thinking right now where my next trip will go to...Mexico or Colombia, that much is sure.

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Mr. Hollywood says on Mar 29, 2004, 06:43:

With you on that, Dolfi I completely agree with Dolfi on that. Mexico is a wonderful country with lots of its own problems, much like Colombia or the USA. Pissing matches about whose country is better are just stupid.

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MigueElCosteno says on Mar 29, 2004, 07:45:

100% Colombiano and Proud as Hell I love my country...!
when people ask me where i am from.. i tell them Colombia...
right away they say "ohh so you are a drug dealer"?
i start laughing at them, becuase they just don't know what
Colombia is really about. I am thankful to God that i was born there and not somewhere else.!
One huge reason why people think so poorly of colombia is becuase of the news. in the news all they talk about is tha bad things that are going on in colombia.
I have a trip to cartagena, where i was born, in june..
and i invited two of my friends.
one of them knows more about colombia than the other, so he was never worried, but the other was worried..
i had to explain to him many things that people here in the u.s don't know about colombia.. it's a shame that the u.s portrays colombia in such a negative way.!
I LOVE MY COUNTRY and will never DENY IT!!!

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Mr. Hollywood says on Mar 29, 2004, 11:19:

It's not the US portraying Colombia poorly Not quite fair to blame the US for Colombia's poor image abroad. All those problems of violence and drugs are very real. If you don't believe it, just read El Tiempo every day. Colombia has done a poor job of presenting a positive image of the great things about the country to the outside world. And the perception of Colombia is every bit as bad in Europe as it is in the US.

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SlmieBall says on Mar 29, 2004, 12:21:

Got that right.

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sebasenbogotá says on Mar 29, 2004, 13:03:

Recommended site Hey Shane why you don't check this.

http://www.backpackingforlife.com/southamerica/where/where.html

Don't forget to check the pictures they are amazing.

Bye

Suerte ! Sebas

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vladimiro says on Mar 29, 2004, 15:12:

WORLD ARROGANCE Eventually another drug, for which Colombia is not so well situated to produce, will displace cocain and Colombia's narcotics business will die out along with its notorious image.

Maybe then Colombia will be known more for some if its remarkable achievements like having one of the world's oldest and most stable democracies; or its economic legacy of low inflation and steady economic growth; or the fact that Colombia not only has never defaulted on its debt, but has never even had to restructure it. Achievements that are in stark contrast to its neighbors.

The US/European portrayal of Colombia should not be taken seriously. These are countries that look down on the entire world except for US/Europe and which I think of as the nations of World Arrogance. They even look down on countries that were once world superpowers, are thousands of years old, and have contributed most of the literary, artistic, and scientific achievements of human civilization.

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ColombianoX says on Mar 29, 2004, 21:14:

Colombia: WE LOVE YOU!! Mr Hollywood: Don't worry, Colombia isn't alone. The perception of the USA around the world is now also pretty bad, especially after the war in Iraq. No one denies that the problems of drugs and violence in Colombia are real, but the great things about Colombia are also very real, yet they seem to be disregarded by the rest of the world.


I've said this before and I'll say it again, I think that the international media has always been biased against Colombia. For example, how much are you hearing right now in your countries media about the Iberoamerican Theater festival taking place in Bogotá, which has about 185 theater groups from around the world performing? How much do you hear about the Carnaval de Barranquilla in the internaional media? Or about la Feria de Cali? Or about Medellin's Feria de Flores? When do you ever see CNN or the Discovery channel profile Colombia's beautiful cities and breathtaking scenery, her vibrant culture, or her abundant fauna and flora? Perhaps if Colombia were a caucasian country it would get more of this kind of attention. I know one day Colombia will get the respect she deserves. Viva mi Colombia querida!!!

ColombianoX

PROUD AS HELL COLOMBIAN

ColombianoX 'Defensor de la Colombianidad'

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fearless7 says on Mar 30, 2004, 00:20:

Born Again Colombian Let me first of all tell everyone a little bit about myself. I came to California when I was two years old from Bogota. My parents tried as much as possible to expose us to our culture, but due to "assimilating" to American culture and being surrounded by other cultures, my siblings and I took in little of our culture or else ignored it entirely because of the negative image the media and movies potrayed us to be. Furthermore, because of the long distance from here to Colombia and the high cost of traveling there, our parents could not afford to send us there like many of my Mexican friends who went to their parent's families' towns in Mexico. It was only until I went to College that I hungered for some piece of my past. My journey first took me to reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez and then to others poets and writers from Colombia. I'm 25 now and will be graduating this year. My goal is to go to Bogota next year and hopefully stay there a while and bring back a piece of my culture i would like to share with others. This site has opened up greater opportunties to learn more about my culture through intelligent, cultured people. Thanks again Peter.

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Mr. Hollywood says on Mar 30, 2004, 07:35:

To Colombianox Mr Hollywood: Don't worry, Colombia isn't alone. The perception of the USA around the world is now also pretty bad, especially after the war in Iraq.

Like I said before, pissing matches about whose country is better are really stupid.

You're preaching to the choir,ColombianoX, when you talk about what a lovely country Colombia is. Estoy de acuerdo. I love the country, the people, the culture, all of that.

But what I said before still stands, nobody in the international media is fabricating these stories about violence, bloodshed, kidnapping and drug production in Colombia. Likewise, if you actually pay attention to global coverage of Colombia you'll see a lot of articles about the Baranquilla carnival, the beauty of Villa de Leyva, hiking trips in the mountains, etc. However, until Colombia actually gets a handle on its curse of violence, it's only fair to expect that the international community will be more interested in massacres than flower festivals.

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mafalda.edna says on Apr 13, 2004, 08:13:

feel sorry for Mexico I will be the first to admit that we do have problems in Colombia, we didn’t get a bad image for being a peaceful country, or for having honest politicians, or for not growing coca. But I will also tell you that Colombia is more than violence, corrupt politicians and drugs. If were to judge every country for their problems then I think USA would be one of the worse ones. I whish every body could look beyond that and see what a wonderful country Colombia is.

Now when it comes to Mexicans what can you expect? Do they really think they are that much better? They have the exact same problems we do so I actually feel sorry for them because they have everything against them starting with being Mexican.

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isaactraveler says on Apr 13, 2004, 08:23:

you perpetuate the same racist sentiments by constantly comparing other countries and generalizing. There is nothing inherently wrong with Mexico, it has people just like Colombia and every other country.

Just like you do not like people spreading bad rumors about Colombia, lets try and refrain from doing the same about other countries. I have now been to both and each has qualities to be appreciated ( right now, I just happen to be in love with Colombia).

I think that we should make a solid effort to post as many interesting and beautiful pictures of the country and its' people, and the world will realize what a treasure Colombia is. As for me, I have started by inviting 2 gringo friends on the last trip I went, and another will come with me the next time I go.

It all starts with one person (you)and positive thoughts, si?

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mafalda.edna says on Apr 13, 2004, 09:27:

I'm sorry I am probably perpetuate the same racist sentiments and I'm sorry I just don't like hearing things like this about my country and that is all people have to say about it. The idea I have about Mexicans is because all the countries in Latinamerica are compared or expected to be exactly like Mexico so mexicans think they are the only good thing in Latinamerica that upsets me.

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