kalder has written 104 posts

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Ross Kemp On Gangs-Colombia

UK actor and telejournalist Ross Kemp's documentary on Medellin's sicarios is now up on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgMF7tGQTiQ

By kalder on 2008-05-11 06:48:35. 25 comments.

Compassion and Decency

Very often, the stories of crime and corruption in Colombia; meditations on the papaya culture; and everyday tales of third world hustle and heartbreak go to create an image of it as a place where compassion, civic virtue and moral probity are sadly lacking and sorely needed. You're left with a vision of a pitiless dog eat dog society, where only the vicious and cunning thrive and the weak and vulnerable are consigned to the gutter- a dystopia of miserable individualism. Now, I know there's a ...

By kalder on 2008-05-05 12:23:44. 35 comments.

A Debt of Honour

This is going to upset a lot of people...but in my opinion Colombia owes the United States a considerable debt of honour. Without US financial, political, military and moral support, Colombia would have collapsed sometime back in the 80s or 90s and become a desolate failed state. As a Colombian, an ordinary blue-collar man, once said to me: 'Without the Yankees, we'd be ruled by the FARC or Pablo Escobar'. I know that's heresy to some of you Socialistas and Falangistas, but it makes a lot ...

By kalder on 2008-04-24 13:02:23. 211 comments.

Career Opportunities

If a young Colombian wanted to optimise their chances of getting a reasonable job (in Colombia) after they graduated, which university course would you recommend they take up? Computing, engineering, languages...? ...

By kalder on 2008-04-22 08:04:09. 24 comments.

Satanás

I watched Andrés Baiz's "Satanás" the other night and was deeply impressed. Based on the real life tragedy of Bogota's Pozzetto Massacre, it's a very thoughtful and sensitive meditation on evil and mental decay. Bleak, noir stuff, very powerful. A great Colombian film. ...

By kalder on 2008-04-16 09:23:26. 13 comments.

Seven Sisters

Is a barrio in north London. It hosts the renowned Colombian Market, which I finally got round to visiting for the first time last week. Amazing- the sights, sounds, smells, tastes- it was like wandering into downtown Cali. I had chicharron, salad, rice, frijoles, an egg, and a juice for only £5! Great stuff. My wife had her hair done at the peluqueria while I had a beer in the Colombian pub (and a chance to leer at the young Colombianitas-in-exile without La Kalder elbowing me in the throat). ...

By kalder on 2008-04-16 08:46:42. 39 comments.

Muhammed Ali and Bruce Lee

Are in a pub and start rowing about whose round it is. Tempers reach breaking point and they square up to each other... Who'd you think would win?

By kalder on 2008-04-10 10:21:41. 48 comments.

Mike Newell's 'Love in the Time of Cholera'

The critical consensus seems to be that it's a bit of a flop. But I watched it the other night and thoroughly enjoyed it. The period detail, sense of culture and cinematography were enough to keep me watching. ...

By kalder on 2008-04-08 23:59:37. 6 comments.

Opera in Colombia

I gather there's an opera house in Bogota. Anyone been/know much about it? Is there a broad range of performances there? Does the national company have much of a reputation internationally? Is there a broad range of performances there? I'm no buff, but I'm definitely curious. ...

By kalder on 2008-04-04 14:44:19. 12 comments.

Hurrah for the US justice system

If there's one thing I like about you Yanks, is that you know how to deal with scum like this: http://news.uk.msn.com/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=7980853 I'd burn them alive.

By kalder on 2008-04-04 05:15:27. 15 comments.

Sax

Is the saxophone the most pretentious, unnecessary instrument in the entire canon of popular music? Are 'haunting' and 'atmospheric' sax solos so much irksome, la-di-da rubbish? I've often wondered. What do you think? ...

By kalder on 2008-04-04 02:17:32. 14 comments.

Literary Realism

I'm not too keen on Magical Realism. All those surreal elements are just too exotic for me. I like my novels to have a linear narrative, use straightforward prose and show 'life as it is'. In short, I like old school Realism. Are there many Realist/Naturalist novels of good quality in the Latin American world? I'd be particulary interested in ones translated into English.I know Penguin used to have some Brazilian chap in their catalogue (Machado de Assis?), but I'm wondering if they're any mo ...

By kalder on 2008-04-04 01:54:32. 17 comments.

Rubbed up the wrong way?

I notice, with some dismay, that 'american's' post on tantric massage (or whatever it was) has been deleted.

By kalder on 2008-04-03 10:56:06. 19 comments.

'If you can't say something...etc'

Inspired by Peter's positive, I turn wearily to a negative: The type of post I really dislike. Or, more properly, the disagreeable reaction certain posts seem to provoke. Very often someone, in obvious good faith, asks such perennials as: 'where does the word gringo come from?' or 'what paperwork do I need to get married in Colombia?'. These innocent enquiries all too often cause some posters to start foaming at the mouth, fall to the floor and start chewing the carpet. 'Damn you' they scr ...

By kalder on 2008-03-28 04:15:53. 19 comments.

London Mayoral Elections

Why waste your vote on Red Ken- Trotskyite gravy train jockey? Boris- dopey, toffee-nosed twat? Paddick- simpering PC jobsworth? London deserves a Mayor who'll put the needs of the regular punter first! So cast that vote for Winston. Winston McKenzie: The man on the family values, law and order and anti-gang ticket! Don't let me, his press agent and his wife be the only ones voting for him. Choose Winston! By kalder on 2008-03-26 14:08:26. 20 comments.

Thatcher rushed to hospital

Well at least you made old bones, you evil skank. Unlike those young men who committed suicide in despair at the jobs you destroyed, the apprenticeships you decimated, the communities you devastated. ...

By kalder on 2008-03-08 03:05:17. 30 comments.

First Lady?

If David Cameron's Conservatives win the next General Election (and they probably will), Samantha Cameron will be the UK's 'First Lady'. For a politician's wife, I think she's rather easy on the eye. Which will be some small comfort for that stuffed shirt being in office. Here she is, on the left: ...

By kalder on 2008-03-03 07:47:51. 7 comments.

Incisive political analysis

Castro- bollocks to him!

By kalder on 2008-02-27 13:13:39. 3 comments.

Suits you sir?

In England, only homosexuals and non-commissioned officers wear moustaches. What is the cultural significance, its semiotic function as it were, of 'el bigote' in Colombia?

By kalder on 2008-02-26 12:03:02. 32 comments.

Britain is better than Colombia

Fact. You know I'm right: The women, the climate, the cuisine... Does Colombia have women with the class of Victoria Beckham, the dignity of Heather Mills, the warmth of Cherie Blair, the beauty and grace of Julie Burchill? Lots of fog? Jellied Eels? Bubble and Squeak? Spotted Dick? I think not. ...

By kalder on 2008-02-01 02:43:55. 121 comments.

Guess who?

By kalder on 2008-01-29 09:28:59. 5 comments.

Pink Floyd

I was at a friend's house last night and his Caleña girlfriend asked if we wanted to hear some music. Sure I said, in the expectation of something jolly and danceable. But we were most put out when she put on Pink Floyd. Dreadful, dreary guff. I remember hearing them years ago and not liking them. But my hazy recall in no way prepared me for the pretentious, ponderous, dissonant sh*te I was subjected to last night. If hell has music in its elevators, I expect those boyos got the contract. ...

By kalder on 2008-01-26 09:06:34. 59 comments.

Brits in Colombia

According to the BBC there's in the region of 3,600 British expats living in Colombia. And over twice that amount in Venezuela. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/in_depth/brits_abroad/html/s_america.stm ...

By kalder on 2008-01-24 04:25:50. 31 comments.

This young girl's ordeal beggars belief

I was googling for info on Kingsley Amis's novel 'Girl, 20', when I stumbled on this: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22808222-23109,00.html The men responsible, the men involved, should be burned alive. ...

By kalder on 2008-01-22 09:12:07. 15 comments.

...he asked camply

I've just been reading rocinate's very interesting post 'Levels of politeness when requesting...' and I was struck by the phrase "In certain environments Quisiera could be viewed as faggy, or affected." Now that intrigues the heck out of me, because that's always how I request things over there. I must have said 'Quisiera una cerveza por favor' hundreds of times. And now it's come to be mentioned, I do recall a slight frisson from the waiter/ess of me having said something not quite right...O ...

By kalder on 2008-01-14 07:00:52. 14 comments.

Sausages

I've had terrible trouble with Colombian chorizo. Looks good in the pan. But upon dining, the stuff is invariably full of fat and gristle. Every second mouthful containing a rather grim surprise. Horrible stuff- like the sausage you'd find served up at a railway station in Belgrade or in Sweeney Todd's London. Nothing like the wonderful, cartilage-free fare I've had in Spain or Italy. Perhaps I've just been unlucky. Has anyone out there had a more palatable sausage experience when in Colombia ...

By kalder on 2008-01-13 05:26:48. 29 comments.

Catching the train in Colombia

The once extensive Colombian rail network is now all but extinct. However, a 'tourist special' steam engine runs on Sundays from Cali to Buga and back. Does anyone know if any other lines, or parts thereof, are kept running in a similar fashion? ...

By kalder on 2007-12-21 07:16:46. 27 comments.

La Hija del Mariachi

Carolina Ramírez. Wow.

By kalder on 2007-12-21 07:12:36. 20 comments.

Deletion enquiry

I wrote a post asking whether Venezuela was a destination for romance/sex tourism in the way that Colombia was. It was a serious post, written in a spirit of genuine enquiry. My concerns were cultural and social, not prurient or mischievous. So, if it's not considered an act of lèse majesté, may I ask why it was deleted? ...

By kalder on 2007-12-19 05:13:49. 30 comments.

Hatton vs. Mayweather

Best of luck Ricky. KO in the 9th!

By kalder on 2007-12-06 11:25:13. 29 comments.

Aguablanca

This article, by the British novelist and essayist Martin Amis, appeared in the London Times a couple of years ago. It may be of interest to the contributors (and readers) of the recent 'Worst Barrios in Cali' thread. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article507251.ece?token=null&offset=0 ...

By kalder on 2007-12-04 05:09:03. 4 comments.

Review of 'Colombia Jail Journal'

An Irish review tells us there are better ways to spend our money than buying terrorist James Monaghan's account of his Colombian adventure: http://www.irishabroad.com/news/irish-voice/Articles/Colombia-Three-Mystery281107.aspx ...

By kalder on 2007-12-03 02:39:11. 8 comments.

Porn Stars

100 Greatest Britons. 5 Favourite Poems. 7 Worst Barrios in Cali... Would suggesting a Top Ten Porn Stars post be a candidate for summary deletion? Solo curiosidad...

By kalder on 2007-11-30 15:15:00. 20 comments.

Doris Daou

I've recently stumbled upon this Lebanese astronomer and children's educationalist in my endless surfing. I think she's lovely. No Nutty Professor she! I like the chic 'French' thing, the intellectual dimension, the smile... Does she fly anyone else to the Moon? ...

By kalder on 2007-11-29 08:25:56. 3 comments.

Teddy Bear Incident

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article2966023.ece What was the stupid woman thinking of...to bloody go there in the first place? Why did she choose to work for a regime (which working for a school for the kids of the nation's elite amounts to- even if it is British run) that routinely massacres, tortures, rapes, enslaves and displaces the people of Darfur? ...

By kalder on 2007-11-29 02:44:25. 9 comments.

Poems

After reading ManTequila say that Neruda was one of his five favourite poets, I started pondering which were mine. Which lead me coming up with a provisional, not in any order, list of my top ten poems. Thus: ‘L'union Libre’ by Andre Breton ‘The Grave’ Kostis Palamas ‘I Love You’ Myrtiotissa ‘The Voice’ Thomas Hardy ‘Kubla Khan’ Samuel Coleridge ‘Dover Beach’ Matthew Arnold ‘Remember’ Christina Rossetti ‘Easter 1916’ W. B. Yeats ‘Ozymandias’ Percy S ...

By kalder on 2007-11-27 12:31:13. 21 comments.

Jews in Colombia

I was sorry to read that the already small Colombian Jewish community is diminishing further: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/columbia.html In my wife's small town in El Valle, there lives an elderly German Jewess who fled Hitler's Germany when she was a child. A touching story. I'm wondering if anyone else has had anything to with the Jews of Colombia? , ...

By kalder on 2007-11-14 07:37:39. 36 comments.

Heather Mills

For an hysterical gold-digging, animal rights loony, I think Heather Mills is very attractive.

By kalder on 2007-11-06 11:15:02. 57 comments.

Foul language

I apologise in advance if this is going to offend some posters, but I'm genuinely curious: What is the strongest/most offensive taboo word in Colombia? In the UK, the C word is considered the vilest epithet. In the US, I hazard it's 'mother...'? So what utterance would cause most upset in Colombian polite society? ...

By kalder on 2007-11-04 11:48:50. 43 comments.

Charming lunatic buggers off

"Rubito says on Thursday November 1st, 2007 10:17: Yo, I don't post on here anymore" Oh bloody hell. First pow wow, now Rubito. Two of the most entertaining posters off into exile. It's heartbreaking. ...

By kalder on 2007-11-03 05:15:31. 18 comments.

Catholicism in Colombia

I'm not a religious man myself but, on balance, I think Catholicism is a good thing. What I see of it in Colombia is priests and nuns providing all sorts of social services and helping the most vulnerable people in Colombian society when nobody else does. I really can't understand it when some posters slam the Church out-of-hand and refuse to credit it with any good. Is it doctrinaire atheism? Fashionable cynicism? Teenage iconoclasm? ...

By kalder on 2007-10-27 11:13:39. 183 comments.

England-France

If we ignore their silly 'intellectual' elite, the French are a smashing bunch. So here's to Les Bleus! Worthy opponents, gentlemen, great fellows.

By kalder on 2007-10-14 03:58:58. 11 comments.

So what

Which is better, the Anti Nowhere League original or Metallica's cover?

By kalder on 2007-10-14 03:45:41. 11 comments.

Horror!!!

They've done it again- deleted pow wow's ('your natural prozac') account. It's like the burning of the Mayan Codices...

By kalder on 2007-10-10 07:58:17. 72 comments.

Brujeria

UTC (or Benedict Arnold or whatever he's calling himself these days) often alludes to brujeria. He posits the idea that a cheating husband, caught in flagrante delicto, can claim that witchcraft 'made him do it'. And such is a Colombiana's regard for the supernatural order, that she considers hubby a victim of some irresistible bewitchment and not the philandering hound the evidence suggests. Spiffing wheeze, eh chaps? But my question is, has anyone of your acquaintance ever tried this dod ...

By kalder on 2007-10-04 12:08:49. 119 comments.

Video article on paracos

El Pais, keeping up the high standards of Colombian journalism, is running an interesting 'special' about paramilitarism in Valle del Cauca. http://www.elpais.com.co/HOY/JUD/ And click on: ...

By kalder on 2007-10-01 05:06:41. 3 comments.

Cider

Cider -that delicious alcoholic beverage made from apples- is a firm favourite of mine. Along with its darling pear-based sister, 'perry', you could pour it into me by the bucketload (and watch me collapse or toddle off to start fighting buses). I know the Spanish brew 'sidra'. But the question, obviously enough here, is- is the stuff produced anywhere in Colombia? ...

By kalder on 2007-09-25 11:53:19. 32 comments.

Where's Aztec?

I miss his decorous and courtly tones.

By kalder on 2007-09-24 11:26:22. 23 comments.

American Visa

'American Visa' is a great Bolivian film. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0471565/

By kalder on 2007-09-21 07:49:10. 0 comments.

(Imaginary) PBH 'meet-ups'

I've been enjoying reading all these lists here- favourite films, rockers etc. What about sharing other favourite celebrities- literally? Write in and tell us which would make up the other two-thirds of your ideal fantasy 'threesome'. Keep it clean- no specifics required. If of a prudish bent, you may assume that the menage is merely a get together for coffee and the exchange of recipes. For myself, I'd like to have Salma and Liz Hurley over for a chat about puddings. ...

By kalder on 2007-09-16 10:55:14. 330 comments.

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