EXPAT ASSIGN'T IN MEDELLIN: TO GO OR NOT TO GO?

Mr. Hollywood says on Sep 22, 2004, 21:47:

Go for it Elgie, you are in for the best surprise of your life. I wrote a similar post about 8 months ago about taking a job in Bogota. Expat life in this country is really great and nothing like the armored car/bunker lifestyle you might imagine. You just need good common sense and street smarts, but it's really no different than living in Chicago or New York. I'm not familiar with Medellin but everyone says it's even more beautiful than Bogota.

My only advice is to get busy studying Spanish, because language is the biggest factor to having a really rich experience.

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Sam Salmon says on Sep 22, 2004, 22:14:

Listen to Hollywood-Just Go!! Listen to Hollywood-Just Go!!!.
Medellin is a jewel of a city-as modern as anywhere on the globe and better place to live than 99% of what I've seen travelling for decades-if I was younger I'd move there m'self.

' a la orden!'

' a la orden!'

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jelsaad says on Sep 22, 2004, 22:30:

Medellin is one of the most modern, efficient, clean and altogether beautifully pleasant cities in Latin America.Great pics are available at http://www.paisas.us/album/categories.php?cat_id=1&sessionid=9773bb242b142151a2463f9c90f6d678 Its health care system is excellent (of comparable quality to the US), it has a thorough and well-organized transporation infrastructure, superb European-style cafe life,as well as sultry Latin discos. Internet, cell phones, etc., are all widely available and utilized. The malls are often better/more modern than most US malls, and you can find almost anything you could want or need.

The city is dramatically located in a lush, green valley, surrounded on all sides by majestic hills. The temperature is agreeable and spring-like year-round, thus earning it the title of "City of Eternal Spring". Medellin will likely remind you a bit of Los Angeles in terms of weather, palm trees, flowers, and mountains.

Spanish is essential in Medellin, although most people speak at least a little English. You will feel safer and generally enjoy your experience much more if you attempt to learn at least some basic Spanish prior to arrival. It is not a difficlut language, and the time investment is well worth it.

Security is an obvious concern,a nd while claims of Medellin's violence are often grossly exaggerated, it is nevertheless not the safest place, either. You will NOT need armored vehicles, personal security, etc. -- You WILL need common sense, street smarts and a little vigilance. AVoid sketchy neighborhoods, leave valuables at home, try not to seem like a lost/distracted foreigner,etc. Generally, keep your wits about you,a nd you should be fine. I cannot stress, however, how important it is for you to speak at least a little Spanish before arriving.

In short, Medellin is a fabulous,magnetic, enchanting and modern metroplis which most people fall in love with.

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ColombiaBoard says on Sep 23, 2004, 09:12:

What else can I say? The other guys here have just said everything about Medellin, I might add though that your company surely will assign you a personal driver for a while but once you get used to the city you can drive from home by yourself.
They´ll surely assign you a home or apartment at El Poblado, the posh neighborhood, it´s posh alright but it´s getting overcrowded, traffic is becoming a nightmare in that area. Other good areas are Laureles and Conquistadores.
Ask other people in your company who have worked in Medellin about the place. Or try to get in touch with executives from the following multinational companies that have operations in the city:
- Carrefour
- Casino
- Renault
- Procter & Gamble
- Mitsubishi

And several others. Be sure you won´t be the only one.

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elgie says on Sep 23, 2004, 15:49:

Thanks, guys - what you tell me is, indeed, quite different from the image I had in my mind. Maybe it's not so bad, after all...

Somebody here mentioned that there is a bunch of multinationals in Medellin. Do you have any idea if they have any kind of club/chamber of commerce/things of that sort? If yes - maybe you even know a website or an e-mail of such organization(s)?

One more technical question: how LOW and how HIGH can temperatures fluctuate during the year?

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jelsaad says on Sep 23, 2004, 17:05:

Elgie, did you visit the link I posted earlier? You shoukd really check out those pictures and that site, in general, as it will help you form a clearer perspective on Medellin.

Like I also mentioned, the city has an agreeable climate YEAR ROUND. Average daily highs are 77-82 F and lows 58-64F. In essence, warm(but not humid) days and cool nights. Lots of sunshine,as well as frequent afternoon rain-showers. Inclement weather is a rarity.

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Gator says on Sep 23, 2004, 20:02:

Great City Best climate(nickname Orchid City and City of Eternal Spring), great metro system, safe if you take normal precautions(gee, just like Chicago, Miami, NYC or LA) Great people, city itself tends towords air polution as traffic picks up in the daytime(Medellin sits in a "bowl" , the Aburrá Valley, between the mountains). If the wife was not hell bent for Santa Marta I would be back in Medellin. There is an expact group that meets once a month at the InterContinental Hotel in Las Palmas. Or it used to but you can check.

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

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utopiacowboy says on Sep 23, 2004, 22:05:

Excellent comments. The only one which is dubious in my experience is the comment that most people speak at least a little English. If you consider "Hello" and "Thank You" a little English, then I guess this is correct. I have never been anywhere where fewer people spoke any English. Even at the airport, even with my "certified" English-Spanish translator, I had to speak Spanish. I am not complaining - it's just a fact. In Bogota you can find people who speak a passable English - I have never encountered anyone like this in Medellin.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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Gator says on Sep 24, 2004, 05:50:

I Forgot to Include and to echo Utopiacowboy comment/advice concerning English. If you have "0" Spanish skills you will, in all probability, have problems. Medellin. et.al., is one of the Colombian cities where, IMHO, you must be far past the "Una mas cerveza," ?Dónde está el baño? and Por favor, señale la palabra en el libro" stage to be comfortable. It's not a lot of fun when you are constantly asking, "¿Hay alquien aquí que hable inglés?"

a la orden,

Gator

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

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elgie says on Sep 24, 2004, 07:03:

Further questioning So, I guess I need to get into Spanish studies really quickly...

Thanks all. I think I'll come up with more questions in a little while...

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bjorn says on Sep 25, 2004, 04:32:

Medellin is great I lived a year in Medellin (in 2003), took some course at the unis EAFIT and UDEA. Medellin is a absolutely fantastic city to live in. There are crime, sure, but by not "dar papaya" you are unlikely to get any problem. I am a norwegian and have a typically nordic look. Couldn't hide that fact. Still, yet no problems. The people of Colombia and especially the paisas are superfriendly and very welcoming to foreigners. Of the more than 40 countries I have been to around the world, Colombia is my absolute favourite.


A little Spanish is absolutely necessary. Very few people in Medellin speak English

Bjorn

Bjorn

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Hunter says on Oct 1, 2004, 09:40:

elgie Go, no point me adding to the above, apart from I have lived there for 1.5 years and it is my favourite City of all Cities that I have visted around the World.

I wish I was there now, but stuck in London for two weeks.

Hunter

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