edgzun has left 12 comments

edgzun comments on COLOMBIA: Would you take the risk?

Gringoinbogota, I hadn't read your comment. I wasn't debating. I think all of us here agree that Colombia should be spelled with an "O." :) oh, and this video was good, really good.

edgzun comments on COLOMBIA: Would you take the risk?

Desi: I had never seen that video and I thought it was great. It's educational and shows just how many misconceptions there are about ColOmbia. I will forward it to some people. So, about ColOmbia... I admit it-- it bothers me when people spell Colombia with a "u" because it's not spelled correctly that way. Oh, and what eywed's daughter's teacher needs to realize is that it's not that Colombia is how we spell it in Spanish it's also how it's supposed to be spelled in English. For instance, Brasil is spelled with a "z" in English that's what the dictionaries say. That's fine... Brasil em lingua portuguesa and Brazil in English. BUT in ColOmbia's case- Colombia is spelled with an "O" in Spanish... ok... big deal BUT Colombia is also spelled with an "O" in English, according to Merriam-Webster and Oxford. So tell your daughter's teacher to be a little more open-minded and look at a world atlas sometime. If she's not willing to learn a little geography she shouldn't be qualified to teach.

edgzun comments on Are Colombian Accents that Recognizable?

Thanks for the comments. Every country has its own unique vocabulary, pronunciation and sometimes grammar. I think Argentina has definitely been influenced a lot by the non-Spanish European influences. The country received a huge wave of Italian immigrants and that affected the accent and intonation as well as vocabulary. Argentina also received waves of immigrants from many other European countries. I think this is true especially of Porteño Spanish (Buenos Aires Spanish.) The immigrants stayed there mostly and created their own dialect called lunfardo. Just an example, LABURO means "trabajo" or "job" and comes from the italian "laboro."

edgzun comments on Returning to Colombia - Advise

Ari: You should totally go back to Colombia--at least to visit. You owe it to yourself. Y volverá a mejorar su español! Colombia has become a lot safer and it's really not more dangerous than Israel. Israel has its bomb scares and Colombia has more kidnappings but the kidnappings have gone down dramatically. Petty crime is a problem, though probably more than in Israel from what I hear. I haven't been there but I know it's a "safe" country if you don't include all the bombings. Anyway, Colombia is the best and this is a great time for you to go. Many Jews have returned to Colombia as well and the Jewish community is thriving. You said you're from Bogotá. As you probably already know, there are synagogues, a Jewish community center, school, places to buy Kosher and even an Israeli restaurant that I know of. Go back and visit at least--you'll love it! Visite Colombia! !!! מזל טוב בקולומביה

edgzun comments on Are Colombian Accents that Recognizable?

Well, to Colombians the accents generally are recognizable. Other Latin Americans have a harder time with it confusing us with Venezuelans or others. I was born in the U.S., my parents are Colombian and I grew up hearing all kinds of Spanish. I can easily distinguish the bogotano/rolo accent, the paisa accent, the caleño accent, the santandereano accent. the costeño accent sounds quite similar to the Venezuelan accent to me personally. I can tell them apart but it's a little hard sometimes. People from Pasto and that area sound similar to Ecuadorians. I also agree that many Costa Ricans sound like Colombians... they sound like some kind of neutral Bogota-type accent...they definitely don't sound paisa or costeño but it's weird--the Ticos definitely sound somewhat Colombian and they use the same -tico endings like we do... i.e. tintico, gatico, etc. I can easily recognize the Argentine accent and some of its varieties. They of course use the "vos." he porteño accent is unique and the most recognizable accent. The Mendoza accent is somewhat softer. more sing-song, similar to the Chilean accent. The accent from Córdoba is unique and it is kind of an erratic,fund, kind of drunken-sounding version of Argentine Spanish--I love it though. Uruguayans sound very similar, they use the "vos" but they'll use "tú" sometimes... after hearing an Uruguayan for a little bit I can tell they're not from Argentina. Mexicans accent are also quite recognizable to most people. The D.F./Chilango/Mexico City accent is quite distinct, especially because of its vocabulary. The Norteño accent is a little bit more sung and the people from the southern part of Mexico sound similar to Guatemalans. Oftentimes, in Latin Americans think all Spaniards sound the same. I'd say the Andalusians have a distinct accent, cutting their "s" and sounding somewhat more "Caribbean" than the clearly-pronounced Madrid variety. The Madrid accent and Barcelona accent are more similar but you can catch the Catalan in the Barcelona pronunciation at times. I speak Català and I can usually tell the difference from a Madrid or Barcelona accent. The Galicians and Asturians have different accents as well and well the country has at least four official languages. Cubans, Puerto Ricans, and Dominicans sound somewhat similar cutting off tons of letters but I can tell them apart--many people can. Their vocabulary is different and their intonation is different although they all have the same Caribbean characteristics. Many of them even say "ave maría" à la paisa. Salvadoreans have a unique accent that sounds Central American and somewhat Carribean with some use of "vos." Nicaraguans usually use "vos" as well. Other than that I'm very bad at picking up Central-American accents--I guess I haven't had as much exposure. I can tell Salvadoreans, Nicaraguans, Costa Ricans and Guatemalans maybe... Panamians and Hondurans get lost in the mix for me. Peruvians sound very distinct, they have their own vocabulary and pronounce in a more flat-sounding and somewhat "elongated" pronunciation of Spanish. It's not as "round" as Colombian Spanish but not quite like Argentine Spanish with its Italian influences. I really can't tell the Ecuadorian or Paraguayan accents most of the time. Chileans have a unique accent, very singy-song, cutting of "s" and the whole thing. They have an interesting phenomenon, as mentioned above, about using the "vosotros" endings with tú...of course, they don't say the "s." i.e. tu estai, tu hablai, etc. Bolivians have an accent that is quite slow in rhythm with an interesting pronunciation of "r." It kind of sounds like a "J" in French or something. It's not a very rolled "r" let's say. So yeah, I can tell regional accents for Colombians, Argentines, Spaniards and Mexicans because I've had the exposure. For all the other countries I can recognize a "national" accent except for Hondurans, Guatemalans, Panamanians, Ecuadorians, and Paraguayans. They have an accent or should I say dialect since they're all native speakers of Spanish but I just can't hear it! I'll have to work on that I guess. I actually enjoy trying to figure out where somebody's from when I hear them speak Spanish and I'm quite good at it. Many of us call Spanish "español." In some countries it's called "castellano." As previously mentioned, "castellano" is one of different "Spanish" languages--the other ones being Catalan, Galician and Basque. In Latin America we all speak the "castellano" variant even though we have different pronunciation and vocabulary. Someone commented on the fact that people are always saying one Spanish is better than another. I think it's kind or rude to presume one Spanish is better than another because they are all correct in their respective countries. I suppose the real "Spanish" is the one spoken in Spain by the Kings in the Castille region. However, it's true that the "standard" Bogotá or generally Colombian Andean accent is quite "pure." The pronunciation is very clear and the language is just quite "normal." Colombian Spanish is considered the best of Latin American Spanish varieties for that reason. For instance, Mexican Spanish may be more "mainstream" but it's not standard. Argentine Spanish may be "prettier" with its Italian inflections but it's not standard. Caribbean forms of Spanish, again, may sound fun and all but they're all not that standard. Generally the Andean or Spanish not-spoken-along-the coasts is more "standard." Not better just more "standard." It's not the best form of Spanish or Latin American Spanish but it is the best preserved...maybe more preserved than the current Spaniard Spanish... maybe they changed Spanish more than Colombians have changed it in the last couple hundred years... you can discuss that now amongst yourselves. This differences in vocabulary, pronunciation, inflection, etc is what makes our Spanish language so rich and so interesting for foreigners to learn. Oh and it's true the same holds true for English or any other language. Every region will speak the language in their own unique way.

edgzun comments on Violence and Uncertainty Impel Wealthy Jews to Leave Colombia

Jews in Colombia Article: out-dated or not? I realize that this article was published recently by JTA as I saw on their website. However, I found a Luxner website where it states the article was in fact written in 2003...that means it's out-dated. Most of the sources in the JTA article come from this article if they are not exactly identical verbatim.

On Luxner.com you will found the following:

Violence and uncertainty impel wealthy Jews to leave Colombia
JTA / July 15, 2003

Link: http://www.luxner.com/cgi-bin/view_article.cgi?articleID=1119

Lack of security is a problem for all Colombians and not exclusively a Jewish one. Jews have come and gone as have other Colombians of all social stratas. Whether it's new or not, which now I think it's not I don't think it's all that relevant as it pertains to the Jewish presence in Colombia.

Todah for the discussion and hopefully this settles it.

Lehitraot and Shalom!

VIVA COLOMBIA!

edgzun comments on Violence and Uncertainty Impel Wealthy Jews to Leave Colombia

About the accuracy I read the entire article and it seems to be new information. It's just that from my perspective I know of some Jews who have gone back. I suppose that my view must have been somewhat skewed. On the same hand, I was right about the number of Jews in the country and the ones that are still there are trying to keep Judaism alive. I do hope that this trend changes, though, because Colombia is an amazing country like most of these people knows and the changes that have come about in the country are just amazing.

Todah Rabah and Shalom!

edgzun comments on Violence and Uncertainty Impel Wealthy Jews to Leave Colombia

I agree ColombiaBoard The information does seem kind of outdated. Some times Colombian Jews leave to go to universities in the United States or Europe, decide to go on "taglit" trips to Israel, or leave abroad for professional reasons. When things were more difficult many used that time to do leave but many have come back and the Jewish community in Colombia is thriving. In Bogotá there is also Colegio Colombo-Hebreo, a Jewish school.

edgzun comments on Violence and Uncertainty Impel Wealthy Jews to Leave Colombia

yes there is El Carmel Club...
there's also like three synagogues and an israeli center (like a JCC) you just have to look carefully

edgzun comments on Violence and Uncertainty Impel Wealthy Jews to Leave Colombia

I've met many Colombian Jews You just have to look hard enough, ha ha... There are probably about 3-4,000 jews in Colombia most in Bogotá but there are also smaller communities in Barranquilla, Medellin, and Cali. There are several Jewish institutions in the country with Jewish school in major cities. Many Jews have made important contributions to Colombian Society. They first started coming towards the end of the 1700's but in greater numbers early in the 20th Century.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/columbia.html

edgzun comments on Bodyguard in Bogota

Utah I'm also from Utah.. didn't think anyone else from Utah would be on here... anyway, the only polygamist are some crazy "fundamentalist mormons" that's what they call them different from mainstream mormons who live in tiny towns in southern utah and inbreed. there... my two cents.
Viva Colombia!

edgzun comments on Different Neighborhoods in Bogota

bad area is where?? thanks for your reply DonGringo... so do you mean the area near the Portal del Norte or where exactly... do you have any specific name??

gracias!