jmw has left 5 comments

jmw comments on Is this Spanish punctuation or a Colombian thing?

My novia writes really long sentences in spanish. To be honest, I think it is cute and endearing. I know she is very smart so I am not concerned. If she chooses to do this in English as well, so be it. One thing I know about people, they rarely change because someone points out the negative. But often, people will change when the positive is pointed out.

jmw comments on My colombian wife is going to kill me!

Interesting... I say be very thankful that she will cook for you!!! Shoot, I know a few people that don't take the "feed him till he dies" approach. Believe me, this is much better than getting shot! :-)

jmw comments on Colombian culture and diamond rings

Wow What great comments. Thanks BlackMamba. Sounds to me like, even though there are significant cultural differences, men are still men and women are still women. jejejeje We all enjoy courting!!!!

Thanks for the advice on the cultural differences to BM and Kat. I was really hoping to hear it from a woman's perspective.

At this point, I am still amazed at my novia. She is very smart, very pretty and very affectionate. But most important, she loves me. She could be the greatest woman in the world, but if she didn't love me, it wouldn't do me any good.

I am getting ready to spend 10 days in Bogota with her and her daughter. I also hope to spend more time with her family. I really enjoyed getting to know her mom and dad last time I visited.

Thanks for all the comments.

BTW, I think it was BlackMamba that wrote about how people dated for 10 years and then ended up getting a divorce. I have seen some really great relationships form in less than 3 months. I have seen some great ones that took a year or two. But from my, admitedly small, experience, those that date for extended periods (5 years and longer) haven't done so well.

Thanks again for all the input. It will be interesting to see how we develop over the next few months.

JMW

jmw comments on Colombian culture and diamond rings

Thanks for all the advice. I know my head is in the clouds and I am enjoying it. She is too. We have talked about how little we know of each other and how much we have to learn. I do not know any other girls in Colombia than just her family. I did not mean to suggest that I was speaking for anyone outside her immediate family. In her family, all the girls still live at home and either work or are in college.

My girlfriend is very intellegent and affectionate. You all are definately right. My head is in the clouds. I have no idea how quickly relationships mature in Colombia or what is expected. I know that where I live, people get married anywhere from 3 months after their first date to 7 years after their first date.

Thanks again for all the advice. I am pleased that flashy rings are not "in" in Colombia. My taste is not flashy.

Kat and Tony, thank you for your sincere advice. It is very much appreciated!!!!

Jmw

jmw comments on Colombian culture and diamond rings

Thanks for the comments rqi. I have met her family and spent a weekend with them. I was impressed with how close they are. All the girls still live at home and are either working or in college. I appreciate you comments. I like buying gifts so that will be fun. What about things like diamond rings? I am not yet ready to pop the question, but I am thinking about it. I am assuming I should ask her father at the right time. I have no idea how Colombian culture impacts relationships. I am curious to know about how to proceed without hurting anyone's feelings. So far, her family has enjoyed my awkward moments and laughed heartily when I made simple mistakes. This has been great fun and put me at ease.

Anyway, do fiances expect diamond rings? I have been amazed at how quickly my girlfriend has responded to my advances. In the US, this never happened so fast! My heart is almost made up and I think her's is too.

Thanks for listening and thanks for the advice.

jmw