jinksmiester has left 378 comments

jinksmiester comments on Tribute to Rubito......

Rubitos was a little harsh on writng style as you say and perhaps he angered one of the mods..He made some good points as well as some that i think were out in left field.To me it seemed like he had a hate on for canada as he never had anything positive to say about canada (at least nothing that i can recall).He had lots to offer on different takes on colombia and seemed a good source of information on colombia. Gib was okay in my books and though i only come on here occationally(rarley is probably a better description) i miss his posts and also starkys ..aka utopia cowboy...they all had a different take (perhaps not popular with all) but life would be a bore if we just nodded our heads in agreement about every issue.

jinksmiester comments on Import Duty Lists

Not sure how it works for the u.s but here in canuck land im importing from colombia and just had to search the blue pages in a phone book for customs and importation.They supplied the tarrif numbers and all info on customs/duty and taxes.Fould other info on there website for pachaging and labeling requirments....Canada has a trade agreement with colombia so not sure if that helps us or not however some things are duty free to import.

jinksmiester comments on RECENTLY DEPORTED

If you had some contacts in the u.s or perhaps canada you could set up an import/export business.ive done that here in canada and have my wifes family shoping and sending stuff from colombia to here where we sell it....we have a few stores selling fique handbags/handmade colombian jewelry/hats etc.. the handbags and jewelry are popular as there is nothing like it in the stores here.We now have suppliers in colombia that will make what we want when we phone them up.Plenty of room on the mark ups to make a buck even with shiping and duty.My wife sets up and sells at trade shows/rodeos etc.Every two mil col spent brings us 5 or 6 mil col when we sell here. Use fed ex for shiping at present.This is working all right for us as we are making money here and also sending money to colombia for the work and shoping etc there so it helps on that end as well. just an idea thought id pitch to you....good luck whatever you decide to do.

jinksmiester comments on Paramilitaries threaten Canadian embassy in Bogotá

My wife and ( sisters).. here on work visas with my business like canada just fine and are in no hurry to return to colombia.They have work and earn some fairly decent money some of which they send home to colombia.If they stay for the full two years of contract employment they shoud able sock away perhaps 150 mil col or better.They could never have done that in colombia at the pay they recieved there..(4 hunderd thou col a month on average).They make that much here in tips in a few days... Took them for a trip to banff and jasper and toured the rocky mountains and they just loved it there.

jinksmiester comments on Visa Laws

Gators advice is what id recommend as well...go for full custody and once that is obtained the deadbeat is no longer an issue.

jinksmiester comments on Need anything?

Speaking of things you can,t find or (difficult to find) in colombia reminds me that my wife (colombian) was so impressed with a potatoe masher she brought a few to colombia with her last trip....tough to find and good to have if you like mashed spuds..

jinksmiester comments on Visa Laws

There are all sorts of people in the world and no doubt some would accept a payoff not to complicate things.Some would see it as an opportunity and block the child from leaving.You are right that is sick but in reality it might be the only way(or easiest) to get rid of the deadbeat considering he has the power under the law to block the child from leaving the country.One would hope the courts would look at the history of support and involvment the father had with the child and do what is in the best interests of that child.

jinksmiester comments on 2 Years Later .. We finally Made it!

All the best to you both...and don,t worry about any nay sayers....i followed the same path a few years ago and am happilly married to a beautiful colombiana and we are both very happy.Its sad some relationships don,t work out but don,t let the nay sayers rain on your parade.

jinksmiester comments on Visa Laws

I was thinking that child support in colombia (if the father is colombian) seems rarley enforced and i doubt that a deadbeat father would be concerned about that if he has never helped out or paid or been forced to.I have heard of horror storys where the deadbeat knowing the mother is wedding a u.s. citizen or other foriener will suddenly become a caring concerned father and fight to keep the child in colombia until paid off and money is exstorted from the newly wed couple.It seems to me that if a father is nothing more than a walking sperm donation he is nothing but trash to start with.If he is low enough to desert his own child then he is likley low enough to exstort money for the same child exspecially when given the power by law to try and stop a child from leaving the country.Id seek sole custody of the child and try and get the deadbeat out of the picture.If the father has never provided support and ran out on his own child he doest deserve any rights.If he is asked for permission for the child he is then in a position to refuse (or exstort) but if the mother has full custody (and it should be granted if the father has never supported the child and can,t be found) he would have no right to block the child from leaving and no opportunity to try and exstort money...i know this all sounds ugly and sorry for that but id want a clear road without some parisite trying to complicate matters. best of luck.

jinksmiester comments on Visa Laws

Personal opinion..might be better off not trying to hard to track down the father if he is out of the picture.If he is not supporting the child and she can get full legal custody granted by the courts this would i figure be best.Otherwize this unsupporting father if she tracks him down may suddenly become (a concerned father) seeking to exstort money from you for permission for the child to leave the country....you can bet its happened before.

jinksmiester comments on Colombian Department Store Wage

I have a family member who worked for a while in a sao store in barranquilla bagging grocerys and helping out....no pay at all except propinas... Have other family members working at stop jeans in different locations...15 to 20 thousand a ten hour day..

jinksmiester comments on Boycott San Pedro !

Credit card fraud can happen anywhere.Ive kept my c.c. usage to a min in colombia and its rare i will even have them in my wallet.I will keep them locked up and put away elsewhere and carry my atm card and cash with occationaly one c.c.Sometimes i won,t even carry the atm card..just cash. If im traveling between citys i,ll take the atm card and one c.c..I figure that if i were robbed it limits access to at least some of my accounts and i won,t end up hung to dry having to cancel everything and no access to any cash.Getting robbed would suck...but getting robbed of everything in a forien country would be even worse without access to cash or at least one c.c..that was,nt canceled.

jinksmiester comments on Best American Candy To Take....

If you wish to bring something kids will like how about some glow stixs or glow necklaces etc..ive done that as small gifts and have,nt seen much of that in colombia..also brought a few small lazors that shine animal figures etc and shine a long way....for candy i brought some super huge sticks of lickamade and licorice shoe strings...kids enjoyed them..again not sure if they are available in colombia.ive brough beef jerky too..also popular

jinksmiester comments on Is this true?

Ive been to all those places you talk about including the ones you don,t like such as barranquilla..santa marta..etc and met beautiful ladys in all of them and had a great time. Of course to be sure i did encounter on occation people begging for money (everywhere).as larryn says good and bad everywhere.I enjoyed cartagena,s sights/tours and history and had blast at barranquilla,s carnaval and santa marta has a great beach.Did you just go to colombia to chase woman or did you go to exsperience colombia as a whole and take it in.

jinksmiester comments on Barranquilla

check out sorrentos apartahotel....not sure of the ph no but if you do a web search (sorrentos aparta hotel barranquilla )im sure you will find it...alvaro jesus is anouther...both of these are decent with a/c and lots of room and if you are staying for a month you should be able to negociate a better rate.In the past ive gotten rooms at sorrentos for 60,000 col a day but other times ive paid more...depends when ...how long your staying..and of course how well you barter.. good luck

jinksmiester comments on

On a more serious note...other people including (white people) such as myself have had posts deleted for one reason or anouther...perhaps the posts got out of hand,i don,t know.I would not take it to heart as the colour of your skin and decrimination have nothing to do with it.And ya...there are colombians posting on here as well.If your post is missing perhaps you should re post it and ask the mods why it was deleted.

jinksmiester comments on holding a sick child as collateral...

Good point slguy...they( supposedly) told her the baby is staying in the hospital till her bill is paid. I don,t know if they would physically stop her if she tryed to take him.

jinksmiester comments on

larrd tunderin lad....me thinks yoos better hangs an outs to lunch sign...

jinksmiester comments on holding a sick child as collateral...

Mabee with a little luck she will come across a good doctor who can find out what wrong with the child then perhaps they could treat him.As of yet no one has acomplished that and its unlikley he will improve until they do.

jinksmiester comments on Immigration scumbag in Miami

I don,t blame you for bieng pissed....i would be angry as well...the guy probably has no dick and therefore an inferiority complex.Id try and get his name and definitly complain...not sure if it would help or not but if he treated your wife like this no doubt he,s been the same way to others as well...

jinksmiester comments on holding a sick child as collateral...

I don,t think ive been to vague...hell ya though ...i hold kids for randsom for all the people who stiff me on bar tabs with my business...ja ja.....not. I believe the lady had some insurance but has`played it out...its a typical story all to familiar in colombia...deadbeat dad who skipped out when he found out she was pregnant ...no support..and though she works not much income.Its possible she is hoping for a few bucks to come her way but ive never known her to lie and she has never asked for anything...(did,nt ask for anything here either). I heard about it from my wife and her family.As i said the only thing im completly sure of is the baby is sick as ive witnessed a few times the panic,tears and fear his mom goes through when he,s floping around and shaking with his eyes going white.I sure wish they knew what was wrong because no one should have to go through that and the baby has been that way since birth.It would be tough being a single mother in colombia and im sure a lot tougher with a sick child in and out of the hospital all the time. This ladys earnings are mabee the 4 to 5 hundrend thou col per month..gotta be a hard go supporting herself and a sick child.I don,t know what type of insurance she may have or what it may cover.

jinksmiester comments on holding a sick child as collateral...

Not really looking for advice...into what?? The only thing im into is helping this poor mother out a little if im able as ive seen the little guy go into convulsions and know how hard it is on her to be racing for a hospital scared to death he will die in her arms.To me this sort of thing where if you have an unpaid hospital and they won,t release your child till its paid seems a little off the wall and i guess im just curious if this is a common practice...??? Im not in colombia right now so perhaps i do not have the whole story.The only thing i am sure of is that the babys medical condition is a tough one as ive witnessed it a few times.I would think that if you had an un paid bill that perhaps you could be turned away but legally i would,nt think your child could be held for an unpaid hospital bill. I think colombia is a very beautiful country and i have developed a respect and appreciation for it.I also think pbh is is a good forum for information about colombia and there is a lot people can learn.I don,t think it should be a one sided forum though that only looks at positives.Like everything in life you need to take the good with the bad.

jinksmiester comments on holding a sick child as collateral...

Its certainly common practice in north america that if you take your vehical in for auto repairs the garage may not release it till the bill is paid...and i can understand that...On a similar note my wife has a friend in colombia.. BQ...with a sick child and the doctors can,t seem to diagnose whats wrong with him.The child is about 9 months old and since birth has often gone into convultions for as long as an hour with his eyes going white and rolling up in his head.Other times he is just a happy little guy.He is in the hospital now and they refuse to release him to his mother till his bill is paid...this is not the first time.Its not a lot of money to get him out of the hospital and i,ll help her out but it seems a little harsh that a baby be held from its mother.All the while they hold him the bill that the mother can,t afford to pay gets higher everyday...what would happen if she never came up with the money?

jinksmiester comments on Can I retire at my age with my savings

The nest egg sounds alright ...but i agree it might be cutting things tight...as others have stated there are manny variables...life style...running a business or investing (no guarantee,s on what that would produce in income).I wish to retire to colombia one day as well with hopfully a little more cash than that..then perhaps find some sort of business or investment to stay buzy.I do exspect i will have at least 2 to 3 thou u.s per month in pentions to rely on. Want to buy a nice home...have some money to invest...some still set aside..and a stream of pention money to rely on...on the other hand you only live once and if have some savy and use your head investing where its affordable and practical and work to secure your investment there is a good chance you could do okay...as said..depends on life style.. yadda yadda... best of luck to you whatever you deside.

jinksmiester comments on Baby Car Seats in Colombia

Our last trip to colombia we brought a car seat as they seem to be a fairly rare and rarley used item in colombia.Finding a cab with seat belts (if they had any at all) to accomodate a car seat was also rare...seems lots of colombians don,t place a high value on life...i can understand that a car seat might be exspensive for a lot of people but i was,nt refering to that...more the way a lot of them drive.Pedestrians have no rights and most colombians seeing a kid playing or crossing the street or a little old lady crossing the street will lay on the horn and step on the gas at the same time...the thought that comes to my mind is ignorant...i would,nt worry about bieng embarrased about a car seat ..taking care of your your special little one is what counts..thats my thoughts anyhow.

jinksmiester comments on Having good luck on the visa front with all sorts of visa,s

My wifes visa (tourist visa) is good for ten years...she will have canadian citizenship in about 1.5 years so she likley won,t need it once she gets a canadian passport but a least she will have it if for any reason they question it.... ya.for sure i,ll use up my AAlines credit and it will be the only time i ever fly that airline again..ive tryed phoning...writing them ..faxing them etc and no way to talk or get a response from anyone.I prefer to fly through the u.s and spend a day or two on my way to colombia so it will be nice to be able to do that.

jinksmiester comments on perception of single mothers

Good advice mike ..

jinksmiester comments on perception of single mothers

I have heard of forien men wedding a colomian lady with childern and a dead beat dad who provides no support...but then comes into the picture when it comes to getting permission to bring the wife and child or childern to north america.That can be a concern when you must seek the fathers permission...ive been told of instances where permission will be granted by the father (after a bieng paid a huge sum of money) complicates the issue...thats for sure

jinksmiester comments on What about the single Father with kids, how are we perceived by North American Women as apposed to Colombian Women?

Bieng married in north america is a lot like purchasing a new car....after a few years its got some dings and dents and you can,t seem to find one that will last more than 5 years.. i was a single father and now have a colombian wife and my previous chidren were not a concern to my colombian wife.What was a concern was if i had a good relationship with them.I do believe a lot of north american woman do not want to get involved with a single father and for some i think the money issue comes into play when you are possibly making support payments...but im sure it goes the other way as well with some guys not wanting single mothers..(manny guys are scared) and rightly so that after shacking up for 6 months the lady will split and seek income from the guy they were with to increase there child support and have two guys paying...(.it happens...i have a couple friends making support payments because they moved in with a lady and asumed the father figure role even though they were not the biological fathers. Im happy with my colombian wife...the ladys i met here would say ...i have this ...and i have that...and ive got a nice car and big fancy house and all i could do was think..(what poor s.o.b. paid for that and do i want to get involved so she can increase her assets at my exspense..

jinksmiester comments on

certainly it happens...on my last trip to colombia i had a friend with me that did not speak or understand the lingo..we met some ladys who assumed that like my friend i did,nt know the lingo either.One of these ladys was playing up to my friend while at the same time telling her lady friends she did,nt like the guy and he was only good for money for carnavel and to party.The look on her face when i told her to get lost and she was none to smart was hilarious...that was the last time we saw her...she bolted like her ass was on fire.

jinksmiester comments on Advice needed for relationship

Of course your lady is going to want to continue to help her family...like it or not that seems to be the way of things for most colombians....as others have mentioned..and thats a`good thing as it shows a level of commitment (perhaps not to you)but non the less a level of commitment she will not walk out on.I agree with other posters that you need to slow down and take your time...take as much time as you can getting to know her family and culture and that will have its own rewards.Its sounds like perhaps she is unsure and you as well....wait till you are sure...forget the tourist visa as its a big shot in the dark and unlikley you will hit the target and she will get one...have a relationship and one day when you are both ready and sure put a ring on her finger and bring her as your wife not a try on relationship. One idea for a way for her to earn money if she does get to the u.s. is to do what i did with my wife.As her english skills were still a little rusty and we had a little one and she could not work much i set up an import business selling products from colombia.She has some colombian handmade jewelry ..handbags etc on consignment for sale in a few locations and occationally sets up a table to sell at trade shows and fairs etc...its nice stuff and sells well and its allowed her to turn 1 dollar into three or more with everything she sells.It keeps her busy and happy and at the same time maintains a tie to her colombian heritage and she has her sisters and family shopping and sending what we need to us...in turn she sends some of the money she earns to her mother and sister for there work and it does,nt cost me a cent. Its turned into a viable business that employs her here and employs her family in colombia.

jinksmiester comments on U.S.customs and immigration embassys in canada are backlogged to the point they are almost usless

Ya ...i think your right...might as well go for the tourist visa..

jinksmiester comments on U.S.customs and immigration embassys in canada are backlogged to the point they are almost usless

Ya vic ..i used air canada on my last trip and may again...but as it stands i have a credit with AA for a couple thousand bucks and if i don,t use it by oct of this year its worthless... Thanks for the info on mexicana guacharaca..i,ll definitly check it out...perhaps i can use mexico city as a stop over and connection point.

jinksmiester comments on Marriage Immigration to Canada - Phone Call Records

Congrats Chriscan...all the best to you and your wife....soon enough she will be like alice in wonderland falling down the rabbit hole..a whole new and different world...looking at your profile...Do you live in banff?..if you do your wife will love it...took mine there for a trip through the mountains and she fell in love with the place.

jinksmiester comments on Marriage Immigration to Canada - Phone Call Records

lots of photo,s together...and with family and friends...places visited...wedding photo,s...and reciets for what was spent for the wedding ...we even sent reciets and photo,s of different places we visited and stayed together...as in photo,s of us together in bogota...santa mart...cartegena...barranquilla...and hotel reciets...never required an interview as they knew it was genuine.

jinksmiester comments on Portraying of Colombian men & women on PBH

those are,nt real canadians...there americans wearing canadian apparel under the guise they are canadian

jinksmiester comments on Marriage Immigration to Canada - Phone Call Records

I am canadian and never had phone records...i did send some copys of emails we had made back and forth.As guacharaca says..they are only seeking the truth...we had strong evidence...reciets of places we stayed and visited...also sent lots of photos and a copy from my passport showing the trips id made back and forth to visit...every little bit helps if it convinces them the relationship is genuine..best of luck.

jinksmiester comments on Portraying of Colombian men & women on PBH

I don,t believe everyone paints colombians in that light..ive met a lot of great people in colombia that don,t fit that decription ...im proud to call them my family..friends and comrades.

jinksmiester comments on

ahhhhhh....woman problems...lots of fishys in that sea

jinksmiester comments on USA in terrible downturn, Colombia somehoe escapes or is next?

No doubt that with the recession the stock market has taken some kicks in the u.s...i stuck some cash in mutuals invested in canadian resourse funds and one that invests in oil stocks and alberta companys.They have tripled in value over four years.

jinksmiester comments on How STUPID can you get?

Ive had my bags searched a few times....and had them sniffed but never any real problems ecept trying to bring a gift back that was bundled in foam and cardboard...they took a utility knife to the card board as apparently its been tryed where the corrigations are filled with coke...then they re wraped it all poorly and set me on my way(by the time i got home it was smashed to crap. They also used the same knife and cut open the back side of my suitcase with a few gashes in it....checked toothpaste ...confiscated some foot powder after a guy sniffed it and passed it around for others to sniff...i kind of had a chuckle over that.Ive read some articals on that khat (chewing it sounds very popular) and it sounds like there is more and more of it making its way into northamerica...im curious if it would show up on a piss test when checking for drugs...probably not.

jinksmiester comments on Colombia: Progress at a price

Good artical....i enjoyed reading it....its too bad life is not fair and just.

jinksmiester comments on

LOL........good one!

jinksmiester comments on

Was at a mic d,s in lloydminster...(alberta canada) the other day..no machiene guns but they did have about 10 mexicans working and one person who went from till to till translating....(.no joke..serious.)

jinksmiester comments on £15,000 To Invest or Bussiness idea

Just an idea..not sure if it would fly but i hav.nt noticed to manny fancy limo,s or caddys in colombia or Bq....perhaps bringing in a nice caddy or stetch limo for rental with a driver for special occations ...weddings etc...

jinksmiester comments on Internet Phone Calls - Canada to Colombia

I have a plan with telus....1000 min a month (anytime min) for 20 bucks calls to colombia....the way i got that was i sought out a better rate with primus (about 8 or 9 cents a min) and then after seeing they were losing my long distance business telus called within days offering the 1000 min/month plan(2 cents a min to any phone cell or otherwize in colombia)....i live in alberta...if you switch to primus is a sure bet telus will call and offer a better rate trying to get your long distance business back(they will not let your business just walk away they will call offering a better rate to get it back gauranteed)...switching was the only way they would give me a better rate and like you i was paying 11/or 12 cets a min... This is not internet phone its through my house phone land line. good luck

jinksmiester comments on

There are manny woman...everywhere..not just colombia that will think you are a meal ticket...meaning if you are in a relationship they exspect you will just open your wallet and buy...buy ..buy...everytime they have a whim or want something...(a lot of colombian ladys seem bad that way and will play gringo,s if they can or probably any guy) and some will hang with a guy without so much as planting a kiss on him trying to get him to buy them things and for those types all its about is the money. On the other hand there are the good and decent ladys who are interested in you before bieng interested in your wallet.I know this because i found and married a great lady like that.In a way its funny because of the ladys i have met in colombia there were the ones that wanted it all..wanted to know what i drove what i had etc....they got nothing.Then i met one that wanted nothing but to be with me and she got everthing all the others wanted...thats because its the heart that counts before the beautiful eye,s and nice ass....im, lucky though because my wife has that too. Its like i told my wife when i met her...i said to her...imagine that i am the same as any other guy you will meet walking down the side walk...i have nothing to offer you but who i am...am i someone you want to be with....if the answer is yes you have found a good one. I think you did the right thing to leave that lady sitting on the bed...its obvious she was only interested in posetions and money.She is not worthy and is a waste of time.

jinksmiester comments on she's pregnant

I know a fellow who got his (wife) not fiance pregnant....and he ended up getting his wife a pr visa to canada in record time.I think he more or less kept at immigration and contacting them saying that after 7 months the airlines would not allow her to fly and also that having a baby the airlines would also want that baby to be 3 or 4 months old to fly.I think this helped his application as he wanted his baby to be born in canada as a canadian...all i know is that he got his wife to canada in about 5 months which is very fast. One would think that u.s. immigration would also take into consideration the future nationality of your child.For canada ..any child born anywhere on the planet is automatically considered a canadian if either the father or mother are canadian,but that would probably require proving that the father or mother are canadian.I doubt the u.s. approach is much different. If i were you id put a ring on your fiances finger...i would,nt want my baby bieng born and living in a country where all id be is a visitor unable to be there ...because of work...finances etc... (unless your rich and can move to colombia and wait it out).Even then id marry the lady (now) because it would probably improve her chances of a successful application.Im sure there has been fiance aplications to the u.s. that were fraudulent and that fact alone means im sure they go over them with a fine tooth comb..IF it was my fiance and my child id want to be sure...but thats just me best of luck.

jinksmiester comments on "Tourist Tax"

I don,t think 5 bucks is worth sweating...okay ..because the u.s. funds plan colombia u.s.citizens should get a break?....well then so should canadians as we have a free trade agreement with colombia so we,re special too!!...nah ..not going to happen...oh well i guess im out a mc dld,s happy meal

jinksmiester comments on

GIB makes good sense in this post and offers good advice...unless a person is foolish enough to this themselves invincible and they have eyes in the back of there head and will see that guy coming with a knife or worse yet a gun.As he stated life here is a cheap commodity and honor is a horse that rode out of town a long time ago.