danronian has left 63 comments

danronian comments on changing "Hogar" on my conjugal visa???

"They have never hired a foriegn teacher before but are extreemly excited to have me there next year." Then it is smart for you to do all of the research. Good luck!

danronian comments on **Current** Info Requested for One-way Travel from US to Colombia

I easily bought a one way ticket to Colombia with LAN. They are pretty much the cheapest from my research also, and a hell of a lot nicer than the AA planes I've been on. They didnt care that I didnt have a copy of my return ticket both times I arrived in BOG. I even got a tourist visa extension twice by saying I will buy the return ticket soon. I don´t think it's a big deal unless when you come into the country, you are nearing the end of your visa stay time.

danronian comments on Spanish learning tips???

I agree. Speaking is the best. I've been in Colombia for about 5 months total and I can now pickup what just about every conversation is about, but my lack of verb knowledge leaves me lacking in being able to speak. I think it's best to start yourself out with scripted questioins and answers, and then you should learn more and more from using those scripted quetions and answers. As a language teacher (though English), the best thing, by far, is to be exposed int he language and use it! There is no other tricks really.

danronian comments on changing "Hogar" on my conjugal visa???

I was told my documents had to be apostilized as according to the Hague Convention to be legal in Colombia and to be used for to get a work Visa here. For me, I was told this had to be done in my home country and if I brought the papers here, I would have to have them sent back to the US to have them be official. Good luck.

danronian comments on changing "Hogar" on my conjugal visa???

I see you are in Bucaramanga, I'm also here, and was trying to find a job, but found it impossible for the time being. The school should do the work for you in finding out what you need to change your visa into a work one, but from what I was told where I applied here, you need a notarized then apostilized copy of your diploma and a criminal record search (fbi one). From what I read, they need to be apostilized in the state they were issued in, but I think you can get around that. If you don't mind me asking, where will you be working here in Bucara? I

danronian comments on Authenticating a diploma/transcript from the USA

Sorry, I posted the comment from my girlfriends account (ana-ant-eater). But for both places I was looking to find work here at (two different schools here in Bucaramanga), they told me I needed to do this. It is also a requirement for the Work Visa here in Colombia.

danronian comments on nicadj

Hi Tony, This is Dan. I met you on Christmas here in Bucaramanga at the family party. I´ve heard through the family and on here that you are getting married here soon (or maybe it happened already...). I'm glad to hear that and I think you will get to like Bucaramanga as a place to live. I like it here and was planning on working here this year, but those plans have fell through. Next year I will again apply to work here, and my guess is that I should be arriving in Bucaramanga around August. We'll have to get together sometime in the future to talk about our experiences here in Bucaramanga. My girlfriend here is applying for her US tourist VISA in a week, so we are hoping that will work out. I think her father's information, along with how she is studying at a university here, should help her get the VISA, so I'm not worrying about it too much. But for me I will be leaving for PA for a while since I am low on money, and need to build up my bank account before working here next August. I wish the best for you with your marriage and your move. -Dan

danronian comments on A Bucaramanga English-Speaking Cafe!

I'm pretty sure the place is called "Tempo" or at least something very close to that. It's the only cafe on that street I believe, so it should be pretty easy to find. It's a very small place, but I haven´t been there yet. I'll report on the prices after I visit the place.

danronian comments on Mozzerella Cheese discussion....found some real m.c.!

Glad you found the stuff you were looking for!

danronian comments on Had a close one/ Casi Muerto

That's terrible no one cared to ask if you were alright. I personally did experience a lot of this attitude in Bogota, but here in Bucaramanga, and in the other smaller cities I've visited, it seems to be not as much of a problem. To me this attitude is comparable to the contrast most NYC dwellers have in this same situation compared to that of someone living in a small town....though I agree, it seems to be more extreme here in Colombia.

danronian comments on Great trip stories II...Was I being set up for a robbery?

Sounds to me like to were a target. As a gringo in Colombia, with very little Spanish skills, this type of situation is something I am constantly trying to avoid. Good job on getting yourself out of it.

danronian comments on Great trip stories II...Was I being set up for a robbery?

Sounds to me like to were a target. As a gringo in Colombia, with very little Spanish skills, this type of situation is something I am constantly trying to avoid. Good job on getting yourself out of it.

danronian comments on Harley-Davidson event in Colombia

This past weekend there was a large bike gathering at the stadium here in Bucaramanga. Can't say I have any pictures of it though.

danronian comments on How hard is it to find work in Colombia?

I agree that it would be very hard to find a job. I know personally enough people here with college degrees who can't find work. In fact I know one IT person here, with a degree from a good school in Bogota, and he gets paid poorly, the hours are terrible, and it's all he could find in Bogota. He's actually planning a move out of the country. I would still try it though. Might as well send your resume to some big companies in cities where you would like to live.

danronian comments on

After looking at the crime statistics they had in a little magazine at the DAS office, I see this as no surprise.

danronian comments on DAS Office in Bucaramanga?

Just wanted to update on how this experience went-down. My girlfriend first called DAS for me, and they told us we only needed to get the receipt from Ban Cafe (sp) after paying the about 60 000 pesos, and to bring along my passport. At first I saw lines all around the DAS office, so I thought, oh great, standing in the sun all day, waiting in a line is giong to be fun. So we went there, with this stuff, and then were told the stuff we have is all wrong. (though the guy who did the paperwork for me was VERY nice) I ended up needing multiple copies of the visas in my passport, and of the first two pages of it. Also I was told I needed a ticket showing I was leaving (copies too, or course). And I also needed copies of the form I filled out when I got to the DAS office. Thankfully, we didnt get there too late, and we went to the copy place across the street to get these copies. My problem at this point though, was that I have no exit ticket yet. Thankfully, the guy didn't care after my pretty Colombian girlfriend talked with him. (I must say though, this was the nicest government employee I have EVER dealt with the whole time I have been in Colombia. They are generally over-worked looking, and very rushy and rude. My novia explained that this guy is probably so nice since there are very few foriegners in Bucara, making his job slow.) The exit-ticket was then crossed out on the requirement paper, and all was good. After that, he looked at my passport lots of times, stamped my hands, and all of my fingers with ink (yum), and gave me my 30 day stamp. I was given the option to get a 60 day stamp at that time also, but I figured I won't get it until I'm sure I need it. But overall, I would recommend the Bucaramanga DAS office to anyone. The line was short, it only took abot 30 minutes, and the guy who does the stamping is very kind. He knows very little English, but he seemed to be eager to try out his English with me, so with limited Spanish, you would probably be fine at that office too.

danronian comments on Cheap plane tickets to the US

Damn, after searching on travelocity (and kayak, though the only thing that searches is travelocity), going through the airlines will be a LOT cheaper. The cheapest I could find from BOG to Miami to Philly was around $500-600. Searching on the airline sites the other day I found some that were $220 to Miami, and then some $70 flights to Philly. I'm probably going to just through the airlines, and hopefully with LAN for going to Miami since their new planes are so nice compared to AA.

danronian comments on Cheap plane tickets to the US

Thanks everybody. I'm going from Bogota to Philadelphia, but to keep the price to a minumum I'll be going from Bogota to Miami to Philly.

danronian comments on Moving to Colombia? &c.

Good luck on your move here. Before moving here, I would first take a visit, personally investigate the schools here, and submit your resume to the schools you are interested in teaching at. Chances are, you will get a job offer, and they will want to get your paperwork by at the latest February, so that they can start on processing your Work visa (since some papers the school might need to hire another foriegn hire can take months to arrive). Being here as a complete outsider (I came from rural PA), I see the racism here as ingrained in a person's mind. They do not call someone a racial name as an insult, but it is ingrained in their minds what they see fit and normal for a person of a particular race to do and how they would act. In Colombia I also think the use of gringo isn't at all offensive, unless accompanied with an expletive. People also use things like negro or negra to refer to close friends here, so that is also something you have to take into consideration I believe. I guess some could use the case that "spic" is not an acceptable way to refer to a person in the US. But I think that has a different connotation than gringo does here in Colombia. This is probably a word that rings differently for each person living in Colombia, so I am merely sharing my opinoin on the topic. As for being profiled as a gringo....it will happen. It may not if you speak a little spanish with the taxi driver, and if you dress like a normal Colombian person, but the thing that usually gets me the gringo treatment is hearing me speaking in English with my Colombian girlfriend. I have been charged too much for many things because of this. Good luck with your trip!

danronian comments on Dumb Criminals

That's great.

danronian comments on ATM's not a 'sure-thing'

I have no problem getting money with my ATM other than with Ban Cafe (sp) and Banco Popular (sp) machines. Everything else always has worked for me and I have a mastercard ATM from a very small bank.

danronian comments on Paisas in Movie theatres

My experience in Bucaramanga was about the same as back in the states in regards to the talking during the movie. But actually here, when someone answered their cellphone during the movie, most everyone else in the theatre yelled at the person, instead of just mumble like in the US. Funny and very Colombian I thought.

danronian comments on Bringing DVDs/cds/game discs into U.S. from Colombia?

I used a cd holder last time b/c illegally copied items are something I'm sure wouldnt be allowed, but if they can't see them, I doubt they would care.

danronian comments on Shipping items to Colombia from any place in the world - NEVER USE DHL

I had a great experience with a 3 day shipment of papers I needed from PA in the US to Bucaramanga here. I've had bad experiences in the US with every carrier when i was selling things on ebay. In PA I've never heard of the Servientrega option. Do they go under a different company name int he US?

danronian comments on Bucaramanga

I had my girlfriend contact UIS about two months ago for me, and from what they told me, they had very little interest in their Spanish program, so if I were to sign up for a course with the, there would be two people in the course, but it would cost around $350-400. It would be good to have such a small group for a course, but too bad for me, I need to secure a job before I can dish out that kind of money here. I have heard from asking around in the city, that is the only real option for Spanish courses in Bucaramanga.

danronian comments on Can you reenter Colombia with a pensionado visa ,cedula and no return trip ticket?

I booked a flight to Colombia with American Airlines to Miami, and then LAN to Colombia. They never said anything about requiring a return ticket. I would try booking with LAN...cheap and very good airline from my experience with them.

danronian comments on Medellin, Colombia Trip Report...

Great post and great story. I'd like to take a bus to visit Mendellin sometime soon, it sounds nice from all of the stories I've heard about it.

danronian comments on Food Question....

I agree that all of the mozzarella I have bought here has the same strange taste. But the best purchased cheese I've tasted, with the least strange taste was Alpina brand. Though I think if you are talking about food that is pre-cooked, I think they probably use a combination of cheeses.

danronian comments on One way v Return ticket

When arriving here both in December and July, they never asked me for a return ticket to get in the country. In December I had purchased a return ticket, but they never asked for it. And in July, I came here on a one-way ticket. I just got my Visa extension from DAS in Bucaramanga, and apparently, they have a requirement that you need a copy of it to get your extension. Thankfully a smile from my girlfriend made the requirement not matter.

danronian comments on

I did hear a rumor from a Colombian friend of mine in Bucarmanga saying there are army recruiters making sure every "of age" male on the bus is not a "draft dodger." I don't know if there is truth to this, but I just heard it last week. If they are starting to look for these men, maybe they're starting like this...who knows.

danronian comments on

I can´t believe this earthquake warning thing scared people like it did. With a few seconds of online research, anyone could be sure that they can´t be predicted...

danronian comments on FAVORITE COLOMBIAN FOOD, THE BEST AND THE WORST

Don't like...Chorizo, Hormingas Colonas, Plain White Santander Arepa (but I do like most of the other varieties), Black Sausage with Rice inside Like...Tipical Bogota Lunches, All soups, Aguardiente, Cheap Colombian beers, Colombian Sodas

danronian comments on Power Outage?

I would assume the person just didnt get ahold of your lately. I haven't heard anything regarding a long-term power outage anywhere here. There was a tornado reported in Bogota, maybe it knocked out the power to some houses specifically?

danronian comments on Cell Phone Surprise

With at&t, I had no service in Bogota at all. I guess it's a good thing considering the bill I would have got.

danronian comments on IPHONE has been Unlocked and Verified by a AP Reporter who used his T-Mobile Simchip and used the phone

I havent been with my phone to Mendellin yet, but I went all over Bogota trying to get it converted with Comcel. What they've been telling me is the v3xx is still too new for them to have a software method to convert it. One place had it apart thinking they could stick a little part in it, like the normal razrs, but when i got back an hour later, they said it looked completely different inside, and couldnt fix it at all....that was the place that converted the look-alike to mine I saw someone using on the street here a few weeks ago. I'm going to start looking on the internet for a fix...maybe there is a software unlock program I can get for it.

danronian comments on An american woman found dead in Puerto Colombia

Did anyone hear any updates on this story?

danronian comments on Best cell phone from U.S. that works in Medellin?

I think the v3 razr is a great phone to have here. I have the cingular one (at&t now) and it works perfect here after getting the software unlocked for about $3 in Bogota. Though the best version of the razr, v3xx, I have had NO luck getting it unlocked in Bogota or Bucaramanga as of yet...though I think there is a version of the phone that does work here since I have seen one person with it on the street once. (This is the gunmetal colored razr that is a little bigger than the original razr...though with about the same exact features at the slivr)

danronian comments on IPHONE has been Unlocked and Verified by a AP Reporter who used his T-Mobile Simchip and used the phone

Has anyone had luck unlocking the v3xx Razr here? I tried everywhere, and no luck....

danronian comments on How much to charge for English tutoring?

Thanks for the advice everyone. I had a feeling getting them to pay after would be a bad idea. This isn't really my solution as work here, but it will be a transition job until I get my steady job. (That is if I do...otherwise, I'll be moving back to the states in three months in order to secure a contract from there if this deal I'm working on falls through...)

danronian comments on PRESENT FOR A MAN?

Nice bottle of liquor never hurts. It depends on what he likes really. Some would want alcohol, some games, some a good book. You must have some idea.

danronian comments on Twisted thinking

I had no idea about the good fake currency here. Last I checked in my travel book (which was published early last year), it said most of the fake currency is easy to spot here. I guess I'd better start looking more closely.

danronian comments on need fried ants

I remember seeing some being sold in the bus terminal in Bogota... I tried them here in Bucara, and I agree, they still taste like bugs...yuck. I would instead have them try some arequipe, or one of the many other Colombian candies that are specific to the country, but will go over much better than the ants.

danronian comments on Debit/Credit Cards Clonning

I use the ATM a lot here in Bucara...hopefully that isnt common here. I'm glad to hear you easily got your money back!

danronian comments on Stamping of U.S. passport

The only thing they asked me the first time I got mine stamped, was the address and names of people I would be staying with. Of course, I had no clue, so eventually, the guy thought about it a little and gave me the 60 day stamp.

danronian comments on

My experience with American compared to Avianca Airlines is that the Avianca plane was much cleaner, newer in every way, and was a lot cheaper ticket to get to Bogota from Miami with. I would recommend Avianca to anyone. My best flight ever by a long stretch...and probably the cheapest.

danronian comments on Work and Volunteer in Colombia

Yup. City?

danronian comments on DO ANY OF YOU KNOW OF A LAW THAT DETERMINES WHEN THE BANKS CHANGE THE EXCHANGE RATE (TRM) FOR THE NEXT DAY?

Funny stuff. But yeah, from my dealings so far with the country, I agree with the respones.

danronian comments on DAS Office in Bucaramanga?

I tried PMing you about some stuff I didnt want to make public, but I got a "does not recieve PMs message." If you could, PM me your email, and I'd like to run the situation through with you to make sure it sounds good.

danronian comments on Colombia is not safe , but I like it

I don´t agree. I am very much a gringo, with no Spanish skills yet, and I have had no problem here even when walking down the dark streets and visiting some of the countryside. There are sections that shouldnt be visited, but that is common to any country. The only difference with being here, and being in the US, is that here you need to be more alert and keep up on the news in certains areas to keep yourself safe.

danronian comments on

Personally, I really enjoy hearing the outsiders story of Colombia since we really do experience different things, and weren´t born into this country like the others.