Lincoln has left 12 comments

Lincoln comments on no colombians in Texas?

Colombians in Austin There are actually three restaurants that serve Colombian food, maybe more. The three that I know of are Dona Emilias and Mi Colombia (both downtown, owned by the same Colombian family--Dona Emilias is more upscale) and Fajita Warehouse (620 near Lakeline Mall). Fajita Warehouse serves excellent Mexican food. The restaurant is managed by a Colombian team, very friendly folks. They also prepare excellent Colombian food on occasion and host Colombian get-togethers. Stop by and talk to the manager. Delicious! The chef prepares fabulous Colombian food, as well as European, American and Mexican food. There is a Colombian association in Austin, colombianosenaustin.org. The Colombian Consulate will make a consular visit in Austin on October 28, Woodward Hotel, 9-2, more info call 713/527-8919 or 713/527-9093. Stop by and talk to Colombians who live in Austin, there are generally association members there helping out. Have fun! There is actually quite a bit of "Colombian" activity in Austin.

Lincoln comments on Illegal Overstay

Sure, this topic is always met with anger and a non-sympathetic attitude. It's a hot one. I have had visas in two other countries and applied for a visa here for a relative from England with no success. I've paid taxes in the U.S. for 35 years, and property taxes in Texas for 30 years. I have voiced concerns to my U.S. senator about this issue and will vote accordingly at election time. Escalating Texas property taxes go towards funding the education of children of illegal immigrants. I see illegal immigrants at work every day. The list goes on and on. At least one illegal immigrant is going back and maybe return as a tourist for an occasional wedding or funeral.

Lincoln comments on Illegal Overstay

Thanks, Utopiacowboy That's about what I thought. I share a lot of the sentiments here, and hopefully some sort of solution will be worked out one day to address this huge problem.

Lincoln comments on "Feria de las Colonias"

This is fantastic I believe this is the same fair I visited last year. Truly the best of Colombia. The government subsidized transportation to Bogota for actual artisans to merchandise their handicrafts, and it was truly amazing. I even spoke with Indians from far-off jungles who were visiting Bogota for the first time to sell their wares. There were horse shows, dancing, the fair was huge. This is not to be missed if you are in Bogota during the time of the fair--truly unique.

Lincoln comments on Colombian recipes

Thanks for info... We have Maggi products in Texas but not the Sopa del Dia - Ajiaco, etc., line. Nestle-USA sent me an e-mail that Colombian Maggi products are not available in the USA--but thanks for the information about Publix and Bravo. This is GREAT news and I will certainly have my friends in Florida send the Maggi Ajiaco and Sancocho soup mixes to me.

Lincoln comments on Colombian recipes

Colombian food The next time you or a friend visits Colombia, ask them to bring you some Maggi packets of "Sopa del Dia - Ajiaco" and other Colombian soups and sauces. The packets are available in major supermarkets there. Just add water and chicken, and you have what is very close to the real thing. Delicious. Maggi is a Nestle brand, and the soup/sauce packets are unfortunately not available in the U.S. according to a reply to an e-mail inquiry. Also, the American Women's Club of Bogota periodally produces a great cookbook "Bogota Bounty." Many Colombian recipes in English/Spanish. I made an inquiry and they are in the process of assembling a new cookbook. You can e-mail the AWC via their web site www.awcbogota.org.

Lincoln comments on I'm adopting a child from Colombia

checkups No, this was 10 years ago and we didn't at the time although it is an excellent idea. My son has an excellent pediatrician, and I could see he was very surprised with the parasites, as this was quite unknown in the U.S. Fortunately our son has a clean bill of health! Again, I just wish I had been aware of the possibility of parasites sooner but it never, ever crossed our minds that this could be a problem. There was a special news program on the other night about an increasing number of tourists visiting Mexico returning with parasites, and that reminded me to send this message.

Lincoln comments on I'm adopting a child from Colombia

Medical check-up Just a word of advice once you bring your child back to the U.S. As part of the child's medical check-up, you might consider asking your doctor to check for stomach parasites. It's a very simple test, and if parasites are found they can be eliminated by medication. We adopted our child in Colombia when he was six months old and returned a couple of times for family visits. When he was 8 years old he complained about stomach aches and I took him to the doctor, he had two different kinds of parasites--who knows for how long! This is virtually unknown in the U.S. but fairly common in developing countries. I wish I would have had him checked before, but this never entered my mind. Just wanted to pass this on.

Lincoln comments on Temperatures and Central Heating in Bogota

Bogota temps The weather is nice. I've never been to a home there with a/c or central heating, imagine, it's really not necessary. Many Bogotanos think it's too cold, but I guess this is because Bogota is a cool place in a tropical country. They love to vacation in hot climates. But if you are from the U.S. you will like not having to deal with extreme heat or cold. A light jacket will be fine for cool evenings or if you go to a place at a higher altitude. It's eternal springtime weather, great for outdoor sports or a walk--anytime. The weather never keeps you from doing anything, only if it's raining but that's what keeps the vegetation so green and beautiful. Enjoy.

Lincoln comments on Clothes Shopping in Bogota

If you are over U.S. 10-12, taller than 5'6 (for jeans/slacks), and if your shoe size is over 8.5 you will have a very hard time. So spend your money on beautiful Colombian purses and jewelry instead.

Lincoln comments on Property Tax Rates

Thanks... for all the info! I will check with a bank to get accurate information. Here in the states you better know what the property tax and insurance rates are before purchasing a property because that can add a hefty amount on to the mortgage. And with foreclosures it's even worse because the buyer assumes unpaid taxes. I'm just trying to gather as much information as I can, and everyone has helped a lot!

Lincoln comments on

We adopted our 10-year old son from ICBF in Colombia when he was six months old, and this is the best thing we have ever done. My husband is Colombian so this helps with the cultural issue. We have made it a natural part of his life that we adopted him, but at the time of adoption records were "closed" meaning we could not find out any information about his birth family. We do have his birth mother's siganture on a document, so one day if he wants to find her we can help him. Several people have told me that one of the reasons they adopted from Central/South America is because the countries are close and it is easy to plan family vacations there so the children can learn more about their culture. I do not know anything about this organization, but you might want to look at http://www.residencebettysplace.com/ because I notice they offer a program called Teen Ties where older children can spend time in Colombia exploring their roots. So you can see there are options for exploring the child's heritage. Don't let the cultural issue or closed adoption records hold you back, from this adoptive mother's point of view every moment has been worth it. It's great to have the Internet as a tool to explore adoption--good luck!