The dumb, ignorant, funny questions you've been asked about Colombia

ACBlessing says on Dec 14, 2004, 20:03:

Ooops, correct web address here. http://www.acblessing.com/Colombia.htm#Q&A


Alex Blessing, Spokane, WA, USA
alex at acblessing.com,MSN Messenger
www.acblessing.com

Just plain poor

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kernow62 says on Dec 14, 2004, 20:05:

How about asking if they have phones or cell phones in Bogotá.

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seattlejames says on Dec 14, 2004, 20:19:

dude You are from Spokane..........What the hell did you think...Spokane..that is one 'hick' city........It is as bad as any city for being 'red neck'. I have a question, how was it being raised in Spokane?

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Sam Salmon says on Dec 14, 2004, 20:30:

One of my dope smoking friends asked me if I saw any Marijuana plants growing anywhere.




' a la orden!'

' a la orden!'

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seattlejames says on Dec 14, 2004, 20:40:

ups, lo siento actually, the dumbest questions about Colombia have come from me.....Please disregard last post..But, do you think food from Mexico is more, delicious than Colombian food?

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Lionheart says on Dec 14, 2004, 20:58:

out of range - rofl When I was exchange student in 74 from Germany for 6 months in USA from Germany I was asked in high school: Do you have color TV in Germany?

Color TV was invented in Germany and PAL is still superior.

These ignorant questions go for any country ... telling friends I am going to Colombia covers the full range covered in all the threads. One redneck friend offered me a shotgun to take along off of the rack from his pickup ....

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ColombianoX says on Dec 14, 2004, 20:59:

"But, do you think food from Mexico is more, delicious than Colombian food?"

HELL NO!!!!


CX

P.S. Check out my image gallery.

ColombianoX 'Defensor de la Colombianidad'

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Chuck says on Dec 14, 2004, 21:32:

Yes...we do speak mexican after years of reruns of EL CHAPULIN COLORAO.

Do you know that Doroteo Arango (Pancho Villa) was born at Envigado? ...and he wasn't good cooking arepas so he ended up cooking tortillas. That's how tortillas were introduced to Mexico!

No contaban con mi astucia! Continua para que platiquemos y entremos en onda, vamos a algún antro y me decís si andás de novio.

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Lionheart says on Dec 14, 2004, 21:48:

CX Thank you for the pix

Now I know what city in the world is closet to Medellin: Stuttgart Germany, my birthtown.

Same setting, major ciry surrounded by mountains with smog and fog problems.

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ACBlessing says on Dec 15, 2004, 03:11:

Hey Seattle... Seattlejames,
I was living in Bellevue, a long time ago, from Sarasota, FL. I earned my M.Ss at UW and am one thesis away from my Ph.D, probably before you moved here so don't even begin to give me your B.S. as I paid my dues while you were still in diapers, twerp. Oh, and I wasn't raised here, idiot; I moved here on purpose and I'm paying a lot less than you are to own property, if you even care about owning property to begin with. Don't even begin to preach to me about Seattle as that is the pot calling the kettle black.

I moved here to care for my grandmother before she died. I bought a house here because I refuse to pay $300,000 for an apartment in Seattle...I have been through that. As for the rest of you deserving folks...if you have any answers for the questions I'm asking for, I'd sure like to hear them!
Kernow, you know many people have cellular in Bogota.


Alex Blessing, Spokane, WA, USA
alex at acblessing.com,MSN Messenger
www.acblessing.com

Just plain poor

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ACBlessing says on Dec 15, 2004, 03:15:

ColombiaX Do you really think Mexican food is better??? Por favor dime que no!!!

Aelx Blessing, Spokane, WA, USA
alex at acblessing.com,MSN Messenger
www.acblessing.com

Just plain poor

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ACBlessing says on Dec 15, 2004, 03:16:

Lionheart... So what do you thing?

Alex Blessing, Spokane, WA, USA
alex at acblessing.com,MSN Messenger
www.acblessing.com

Just plain poor

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ACBlessing says on Dec 15, 2004, 03:41:

Correction... Seattle, I never earned an M.Ss as I wouldn't even know what that means; an M.S. yes. For Sam, thank you. For ColombiaX and Lionheart, you guys have been there too long! Just kidding. To tell you the truth, I've been buying Breakfast Jacks at Jack-in-the-Box rather than my usual Taco Bell run...

Yes, I think the average Colombian food is better than our daily choices...really! Don't you think?

No matter, Im just asking for the strangest questions you've been asked...

-Alex


Alex Blessing, Spokane, WA, USA
alex at acblessing.com,MSN Messenger
www.acblessing.com

Just plain poor

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ACBlessing says on Dec 15, 2004, 04:10:

Oh and Seattle... Dude, you can criticize Skopkane all you want because I do too...just don't criticize me personally.

Alex Blessing, Spokane, WA, USA
alex at acblessing.com,MSN Messenger
www.acblessing.com

Just plain poor

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ACBlessing says on Dec 15, 2004, 04:18:

Mexican food ...is waaaay to common here. I prefer Colombiana, of course!!!

Alex Blessing, Spokane, WA, USA
alex at acblessing.com,MSN Messenger
www.acblessing.com

Just plain poor

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ACBlessing says on Dec 15, 2004, 04:19:

Dammit Okay, you can see from my Freudian slip what I'd love to eat most however, given the circumstances I must only admint to preferring Colombian "food." ;-)

Alex Blessing, Spokane, WA, USA
alex at acblessing.com,MSN Messenger
www.acblessing.com

Just plain poor

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lozza says on Dec 15, 2004, 04:32:

ACBlessing - you seem to be having a conversation with yourself on this post, are you mad!?!

Funny question i get "ahh, so you've been in Colombia, do you speak Colombian?"

Also......"I bet EVERYONE'S bang on the charly in Colombia" and that's from Londoners where everyone IS bang on it.

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ACBlessing says on Dec 15, 2004, 04:45:

? No entiendo... Yes, I seem to be much like zagarise right now because I am totally lit up and I'm talking to myself in giberish...don't have to work tomorrow. However, I would like to say that I remember el Chapulin Colorado and Ultraman from when I grew up in Panama. Dude, as far as I'm concerned...I am Ultraman right now! I am going to run down the street naked and fold my arms that certain way and electrify my enemies! This only creates a visual if you've seen Ultraman of course...

Alex Blessing, Spokane, WA, USA
alex at acblessing.com,MSN Messenger
www.acblessing.com

Just plain poor

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kernow62 says on Dec 15, 2004, 05:21:

Alex, of course I know they have cell phones, that was a question posted on this very list yesterday.

I thought it was "dumb" enough to be on your site.

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ACBlessing says on Dec 15, 2004, 06:04:

Que? Okay, Lozza, I totally don't know what you're saying and Kernow...what do you mean about my site?

Alex Blessing, Spokane, WA, USA
alex at acblessing.com,MSN Messenger
www.acblessing.com

Just plain poor

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lozza says on Dec 15, 2004, 07:40:

Sorry, i think my english slang may have threw you a bit. I was just saying that everyone here seems to think that they will go to Colombia and everyone's taking Cocaine. The fact that i get offered more on 1 night out in London than i do in a couple of years in Colombia seems to throw them a bit!!

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greg says on Dec 15, 2004, 08:58:

The mall I live in a small town of around 12,000 people with a small mall. When my wife first came here from Bogota several people made remarks that she must be happy to be here where we have malls so she can shop!

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toneloc24 says on Dec 15, 2004, 09:53:

Sounds simple, but they are stupid enough Or maybe just ignorant Americans.....

- Do you want to die? (as if, somehow I never will)
- Aren't you afraid of being kidnapped?
- Are you going there for coke? (and not by US customs)
- Does everybody do coke there? (wish I could make this stuff up)
- Did you brush up on your Portuguese? (don't ask)
- Do they live in huts there? (phew!!!)
- Did you go to Pablo's grave? (apparently, he's buried in COLOMBIA, the whole country)

There are more...

"Don't tase me, bro!!!!"

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adrimm says on Dec 15, 2004, 09:55:

Not a question but When I mentioned I'd be going to colombia at an eye exam, the opthalmologist suggested that I consider hard lense contacts... When I asked why he said that South America didn't have soft contact lenses. My cousins (all soft contact lense wearers) nearly fell out of their chairs with laughter as I later told them the story.

I now get my sight tested elsewhere.

I've been asked if they have cars in Colombia (by a 14 yr old).

Someone also once asked my mother (when an aunt was coming to visit) if she (my aunt) was destitute. Isn't it common sense that someone who can take a 1 month vacation and a pay for a ticket 1/3 around the world may not be destitute??

Yes I've been asked if they speak mexican in Colombia too.

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Lauthra says on Dec 15, 2004, 09:56:

ALEX! What the feck are you smoking? You seem seriously disturbed! Or it it just too much coffee? I get like that after two cups, just brewed, Hmmmm.
Well, when Barry and I started talking he tought we spoke English cos my english was so good, my response was "How dare YOU???"
Sometimes when you tell people you're from Colombia they ask you if you coke or weed with you.... Oh dear...

Nato
www.theburrow.co.uk

Nato (='.'=)

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sebasenbogotá says on Dec 15, 2004, 11:55:

More The do you speak Mexican or Colombian? one is a must
Are your cars pulled by horses there?
Do you have universities down there?
How are things in Brazil ?

Colombia , oh, you mean BC? where is Colombia then?



Suerte !

Sebas

Suerte ! Sebas

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Dec 15, 2004, 12:25:

many stupid questions..and not all of them funny "Where in Africa is Colombia?"
"Are there cars and roads there?"
"Are there dentists in Colombia?"
"Is there electricity there?"
"Why do you want to go there..I'd pay for not having to go."
"Is your husband's family in the drug business?"
"How did you manage to escape from there?"
Cheers,
Desi

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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ACBlessing says on Dec 15, 2004, 13:12:

Oh my God You guys are great! I can't believe some of the questions you've been asked! Hmm, I think I'm going to have to create a seperate page for all this. It's just funny as hell (and sad) that some people here think Colombia is in Africa and that people live in huts! Lol. Keep em coming folks...this is great! I'll be listing these questions on my site! ;-)

Oh, I have another one...my mother is from Ecuador and once, she was asked how she liked running water here... you could have heard a pin drop.


Alex Blessing, Spokane, WA, USA
alex at acblessing.com,MSN Messenger
www.acblessing.com

Just plain poor

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kernow62 says on Dec 15, 2004, 15:06:

I said, "I thought it was "dumb" enough to be on your site."

You replied, "Okay, Lozza, I totally don't know what you're saying and Kernow...what do you mean about my site"

Ja, ja, ja, I see what you mean now, it looked as though I was putting your site down. Sorry nothing could be further from the truth. You seem a little confused that's all. I was under the impression that you want dumb questions to add to your website, so I posted one for you.

OK now the light bulb is on.

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Thededalus says on Dec 15, 2004, 18:13:

How about what Colombians ask? I was asked by the tia of my then-girlfriend if Pokeman was Satanic...

And if we only eat canned goods...which in my case isn't far from the truth.

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ColombiaBoard says on Dec 15, 2004, 18:28:

one more I´m sorry I missed this one when there weren´t so many postings but here´s a little one.
When I was a teenager I had some penfriends (remember...when you had to write on a paper and then mail it...) in Europe and once a great looking dutch girl asked me if it was true that you could buy cocaine in colombian supermarkets because a male friend of hers told her so...I politely said that it was absolutely false and then asked her if it was true that most dutch men were fags...

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Lionheart says on Dec 15, 2004, 18:49:

at first I laughed I once told a woman I freeze the food I cook in portions for a meal or two, like spaghetti sauce, chilli, etc. She was totally shocked that I would freeze my food, it was like eating out of cans. I asked her if she didn't have a freezer. Yes, but they only use it for raw meat when they buy in large quantities.

This experience happen a couple times, so I started to ask why not. Simple answer ... why would I want to eat frozen foods or from a can when I can eat fresh? In their eyes it was disgusting.

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sandra_pas says on Dec 15, 2004, 20:12:

i was in class in fl, and teacher asked something like have you ever felt alone and i answered like oh yes cause im not from here and it was hard to leave all my friends behind and all, and he asked me where im from and as soon as i said colombia he just made this stupid face all ignorants do and he asked, are you some kind of a drug dealer?that was sad and stupid i mean it was a teacher
i also got something like: is colombia on the map?
and" do you built roofs in the huts u live?
"is it your first time in a real city?"
i also got the cellphone queston, the food question, the cars question, the horse question, men, high school kids are really stupid..... sorry if hurt anyone here....
sandraPAS

sandraPAS

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adrimm says on Dec 15, 2004, 23:05:

One more Even latin american people can be less culurally aware than you might think.

A few years back i was chatting with some Mexican exchange students at my uni. All Bilingual and all very clearly well-to-do kids.

Eventually it came up that I spoke Spanish, they asked why and I answered becuase my mom is from Colombia.

"Oh is she a drug dealer?" was the following question. I wasn't amused.

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Roncita says on Dec 16, 2004, 14:07:

I think the milk one has to be the best "Do they have milk in Colombia?"
"Can you bring back some cocaine?"
"Do they have Coca Cola in Colombia?"
"Your [Colombian] husband is a doctor - what sort of "drugs" can he get me?!"
"Do they have cinemas in Colombia?"
"Do you get shot at the whole time?"
"Colombia is one big jungle - if you don't take malaria tablets, you'll die"

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Roncita says on Dec 16, 2004, 14:18:

vice-versa? After living in Colombia for over 2 years and having a Colombian husband, yes, of course I'm sick to death of all the "funny" remarks I get every time I talk about Colombia back in Britain, and the ignorance I meet. However, how about the other way round? Colombians can be ignorant/biased about foreigners too...here are a couple of examples I've encountered while I've been here:

Woman in a hairdresser asks me: "So whereabouts in the States are you from?"
Me: I'm not from the States, I'm from England.
Woman: Oh, it's the same thing!

My husband's cousin (to my husband, in front of me): Does she take sugar in her coffee?
My husband: No.
Cousin: Does she like arepa?
My husband: Yes, she does. Why don't you ask her yourself instead of asking me all the time?
Cousin: Hombre, she's European, so she's complicated. I don't want to ask her.
(He would hardly look at me the whole weekend - and we flew/drove across country from Medellin to La Dorada to see him specially.)

Mind you having said that these people are in the minority. Most Colombians I've met aren't so ignorant/bitter.

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adrimm says on Dec 16, 2004, 14:36:

Keeps unwanted visitors away When they think that all of Canada is the land of snow and ice, all year.

Hilariously my mother does nothing to dissuade this and even adds her stories of wading through snowdrifts in - 15 C weather. Of course she conveniently forgets to add that the snowdrift stories happened *nowhere near* where she lives.

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lozza says on Dec 17, 2004, 03:53:

different places - same sillybollox questions, i've had Colombians asking me if you can drive to England from Colombia or "oh, you're from England, isn't that the capital of Paris?", i've had Yanks telling me about the horse and carts, top hats and cobbled streets of London and amazingly "do you have cows in England?" And i've had the english asking me if i've met the guerillas and what are the top mafia men like to meet!?!?!?

It's all ignorance, we all do it, sometimes funny, sometimes annoying but all you can do is educate and enlighten.

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SHBLatin says on Dec 17, 2004, 05:36:

Pepsi in America? I was chatting online with my novia one day and I was drinking a Pepsi. My novia (she lives in Bogota) and I were using webcams and she asked what I was drinking. I told her I was drinking a Pepsi. She asked "How did you get that?". And I said "at the store." and she said "They sell Pespi there in America!?!?"
How cutie is that???
I did explain to her that Pepsi is an American corporation.

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santiBOG says on Dec 19, 2004, 05:11:

SHBLatin... your gf needs to get out more. She'll be really surprised when you tell her you drive a Chevy. :)

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skyblue says on Dec 19, 2004, 05:59:

pop culture I'm a gringo that got strange comments while living in Colombia from Colombians. When I answered that I would prefer to live in Colombia because of the warmth of their culture, the looks of shock on their faces along with comments like "I know that New York is a friendly place, because I saw it on the telivision program Friends.". I knew then that I was no compitition for the media machine from the states. Maybe Colombians visiting home shoud do more to dispel the illusions about life in the rest of the world that run rampent there.

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antonioguerra says on Dec 19, 2004, 18:29:

DUMB QUESTIONS A teacher in Long Island asked my sisters "You're from Colombia? How come you're wearing shoes?"

Antonio Guerra Burgos

Antonio Guerra Burgos

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ACBlessing says on Dec 19, 2004, 18:59:

OH man... These are all great comments, some of them very funny and some pathetically sad. I'm not sure how I'll approach putting them in my site but I thank everyone for posting.

Alex Blessing, Spokane, WA, USA
alex at acblessing.com,MSN Messenger
www.acblessing.com

Just plain poor

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adrimm says on Dec 19, 2004, 19:06:

In the line of antonio... When my aunt came to visit us for 3 weeks, on vacation, a lady at my mother's church asked :

"is she destitute?"

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santiBOG says on Dec 19, 2004, 19:50:

Great topic ACB ...it's interesting because we've all been there on the receiving end of all these misconceptions about Colombia.

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suzannyo says on Dec 19, 2004, 21:45:

Electric donkeys... I work with a Colombian guy...when he was in the States one time everyone was asking him all the ridiculous questions you've all listed above. He was getting tired of it, when they finally asked him if there are cars in Colombia...without missing a beat he said, "Nope, we only have electric donkeys."

The moron believed him...we are, as a whole, not the brightest country in the world... :(

I've also gotten some cute questions about the US from kids I work with in Colombia...
"How do you say my name in English?" this is one of their favs
"What time is it in Michigan right now?" (still hadn't caught on to that one after 3 months...)
"Is it true that you only eat pizza, hamburgers and hotdogs?"
"Does your family speak English? (I'm a caucasian American...yep!)
"Do even little kids speak English in the US?" Still haven't grasped the concept that we learn English from the moment we're born here in the US, just like they learn Spanish from the moment they're born in Colombia... :)
"Don't you ever get tired of speaking English (like I sometimes do from speaking Spanish)?"

The list could go on, but I'll stop there...




Suzanne

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yorch says on Jan 31, 2005, 22:51:

What!!! Do you really mean it, or is just a joke?

Doroteo Arango (Pancho Villa) from Envigado... tortillas itroduced by him to Mexio?

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yorch says on Jan 31, 2005, 23:06:

Coca-Cola and Burros While in vacations in Cancun, México, some Usa-people, ask me if in Mexico we know coca-cola, i told them that Mexico is the second most important market for Coca-cola.

Other Usa-people in college ask me if I ever was in a car before, and if I had a horse or a burro back home.

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ARMacleod says on Jan 31, 2005, 23:15:

What?? You should be OK there. It's still a British colony isn't it?


(is it?)

Being of unsound mind and dubious disposition, I cannot be held legally liable for any indiscretions."¡El diablo me hizo hacerlo!" But don't worry, be happy.

The brain is like a parachute, it only functions correctly when it is open. Pax vobiscum.

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pappasito says on Feb 6, 2005, 06:19:

Pancho Villa is Mexican.... Pancho Villa was born in Durango,Mexico.. I sincerely doubt if he would have had the following that he indeed had if he were not truly Mexican.... Alex,I understand totally what you mean about being originally from Spokane,which,by the way,is a nice place... When I tell people I live in Texas,of course I get the "hick" & "redneck" comments... Then if I inform them I`m originally from Lafayette,Louisiana,& am Cajun,it usually goes downhill from there,jajaja... I`ve been to Seattle many times & is a beautiful city,but give me the Olympic penninsula & Lake Quinalt anyday!!!

Pappa

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jack73534 says on Feb 6, 2005, 10:18:

its funny Its funny how those enlighten people always look down on those from those more remote or precived to be remote area. I live in Oklahoma some questions I get from people back east are: Do you have cars? Do people still wear guns? Are the streets paved? Do Indians still wear feathers? Have you ever killed a Indian? Have you ever seen someone get scalped? Do you have real stores or do you order everything at Sears.

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swedish_girl says on Feb 6, 2005, 15:34:

when i went back to sweden from colombia, i was asked by a friend of mine, if i danced a lot of samba, with the cariocas!!! in rio de janeiro!!! he probably think all of south america is brazil!! LOL

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