Family Life in Dosquebradas

utopiacowboy says on Oct 20, 2006, 09:03:

You're right. US families need to hire more maids to make sure someone is there to cook a nice home-cooked meal. We also need to make sure that more of our women stay home.

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.

simplicia says on Oct 20, 2006, 09:25:

simplicia
Not exactly what I simplicia
Not exactly what I meant. What I am trying to say is that family values for children is higher and the family unit is closer than here.

simplicia

colombian111 says on Oct 20, 2006, 10:57:

utopia...It depends... try to tell a gringa she needs to stay home......
she'll eat your huevos for lunch!

simplicia says on Oct 20, 2006, 11:09:

Yo soy gringa hombre! Can someone please give me a real comment, por favor?

simplicia

utopiacowboy says on Oct 20, 2006, 12:35:

You're right. I see a lot more incestuous relationships in Colombia than I do here. The families are definitely closer. I know a guy who is married to his own aunt - he's her husband and her nephew!

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.

Desideria (Moderator) says on Oct 20, 2006, 12:46:

simplicia I think you need to change your handle if you want to get serious comments to your post. These guys here are bunch of jokers.

Cheers,
Desi


«Sé que los seres humanos y los peces podrán coexistir en paz». ( George W. Bush, Saginaw 29-09-00)

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

Peter Miami says on Oct 20, 2006, 13:06:

More Expensive in U.S. You are right but then how would we pay for everything. If you have not notice everything is way more expensive in the U.S.

Peter Miami

jnlondon says on Oct 26, 2006, 00:48:

I stayed in dos quebradas for 3 months. The families are close. Not to say they don't love each other, but I do think the hard economic situation tends to make families stay together under 1 roof, and they lack money for groceries at time, let alone vacation finkas away from the rest of the family. Unemployment for women 30+ is high, so yea, women are in the house alot. Some are depressed and yell at their kids all day from what I saw.

On another note, concerning that town, there has been a few murders recently there. There were like 5 I heard of in a couple of weeks. My sister in law and one of her 3 sons witnessed a man gunned down last month by another guy, a young man maybe 20 anos, who followed him from the atm to his doorstep. He demanded the money but the other man refused. He was immediately shot dead on the curb while his own mother watched from her balcony.

jnlondon says on Oct 26, 2006, 00:55:

I forget about something. We were taking a taxi down one of the main avenues in dosquebradas. I couldn't believe it. In the oncoming lane we saw two dead men lying in the road, and a car and motorcycle all bent up. There was blood all over them. Naturally, I immediately went for my video camcorder. Other cars were blocking my view, so the taxista tried to pull out in the intersection so I could get some good shots of the scene. Then we saw a sign that advertised it was a dramatization of the dangers of speeding, and the dead people were just actors. I was like - CRAP - and blurted out one of the few spanish phrases I know - que pesar. The taxista laughed. It was a good time.

litost says on Oct 26, 2006, 03:17:

Damn I'm surprised anyone who lived in Dosquebradas can actually hold it in such a high regard... Pereira is a cool city and Santa Rosa de Cabal is a wonderful town, but DOSQUEBRADAS!!!??? Nothing but traffic and pollution, no parks, dodgy neighborhoods... there's not even a town center (only case in Colombia I think). Only upside is the Colegio Salesiano where I graduated, and that jobs are relatively plentiful thanks to all the industry located there. Oh well, I'm glad anyways you were able to see past the uninspiring surface and appreciated the human element. I guess I'm too much of an aesthetic.

As for the issue of family ties, I think that overall family is much closer in Colombia for cultural reasons, BUT I also think economic reasons have a lot to do with it too. Yes, it's great having someone always around at home and fresh cooked meals... but what about the lives of these women, are they truely happy or just have no other alternative in life?

mikecolombia says on Oct 26, 2006, 09:10:

dosquebradas I lived in dosquebradas for almost a year. There are few nice parks and a few nice neighborhoods, but not many. I had alot of good times there with my wife and baby, but I wouldn't advise anybody to live there. There are alot of great places to live in Colombia, but I wouldn't want to live en Dosquebradas on a permanent basis. It is somewhat a suburb of Pereira. I would compare it to cuba en Pereira. It can be dangerous for an outsider. For some reason there has been alot of colombians visiting home from spain that have been murdered there lately. Personally I have lost a few friends in this city. There were 7 homocides in Dosquebradas this past satuday. they average over 300 murders a year mostly from gangs and narcotrafickers. there are good people there, and you can have a good time; but I would be extremely careful on who you get aquainted with. It has gotten alot more dangerous the last few years mainly due to the economic growth of Pereira which in turn caused a huge rise in the population. Gangs are pretty bad in this area now so be careful on who you chose as a friend. My brother-in-law was shot just for knowing the wrong person. My best friend was beeten and robbed by gunpoint in his own house, and threatend to kill my wife's nieces who were there if they didn't give them the money and valuables that his wife brought from Spain. They were followed from the airport. But I don't want that to deter you from returning, you have to be just a little more careful in Dosquebradas than Pereira.


Take care, mikecolombia

Mr. Hollywood says on Oct 26, 2006, 09:28:

Dunno I can't speak about Dosquebradas but I don't buy the stuff about Colombian families being "closer". The poor people are closer out of necessity, with multiple generations under one roof and, given the unemployment, a lot of people around doing domestic tasks. But working middle and upper class Colombians are JUST as seperated from their kids as any gringos and, in fact, I'd argue that many rich Colombians just outsource the care and upbringing of their kids to the empleadas.

I was shocked when an affluent but not super rico friend of mind had a baby in Colombia. They had a night nurse, a day nurse, a nanny for the older kid and a maid. The mom was back at work in a couple weeks and just kinda checked in with the kids at the end of the day. I'm sure that happens in the US, too, but it's hardly an advertisement for the closeness of Colombian families.

elmodefoque says on Oct 26, 2006, 09:44:

Hey UC, talk about being your own nephew, how about being your own Grandpa?
Download this song “I’m my own Grandpa� by Grampa Jones.
How do I share songs with you guys?

over 5 million colombianos in USA and only 27 barranquilleros, i'm one.Curramba, el mejor vividero del mundo!

Tinto (Moderator) says on Oct 26, 2006, 09:56:

No wet nurse? ;-)

Desideria (Moderator) says on Oct 26, 2006, 10:31:

no, but I had a live-in pediatric nurse and two maids when my babies were small:)

Cheers,
Desi

«Sé que los seres humanos y los peces podrán coexistir en paz». ( George W. Bush, Saginaw 29-09-00)

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush