Lowell has left 938 comments

Lowell comments on need a new name

How about " Cartagueno" ?

Lowell comments on Gringo Shooting Followup

The story was entirely possible. I know several people who pack and would do what was described. WTF! PBH is really going downhill fast.

Lowell comments on need a new name

need it for a new email address

Lowell comments on need a new name

bumpidie bump

Lowell comments on Gringo Shooting on Friday

crooks take wallet. wallet has information where vivtim lives. later a repeat visit by the same crooks? maybe if more of this scum were elimated, the word would get around.

Lowell comments on Local Safety Issues Central Colombia

Cartago is now a bit less secure too. Before, when the Mafia was stronger here, the gutter rats and other scum knew to stay away. Now they are slowly coming back. Even the petty stuff is on the increase. Yes, some of the people are now more desperate. Gee, could it be a peso related thing that many people are now more worse off? Or is it purely inflation?

Lowell comments on Message from GIB

He's doing better each day. Good thing is that he didn't get a large dose.

Lowell comments on I want to Learn How to Cook Sushi

2nd wife was from japan. you have to make a special rice. packet are sold for this, or you can buy the correct vinegar for it. i like to add a bit of sugar too. need to cook the shrimp too. fake crab is somewhat ok.

Lowell comments on

I guess that I must be trailer trash. My last place was a Park Model Tralier. Does it make a difference that it was located on a muli-million dollar private watersports/competition facility? or am I still trash? I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth. When my dad died when I was 14, it was taken out. It was at that time, after being removed from "The high Class Society", that I started meeting people who had more worht/wealth being with. I'm going on 3 years here and I see it being harder on the average family now than before. I'm a lower income middle class retiree with a Colombian family. Should we leave?

Lowell comments on Has anyone made Pulled Pork in Colombia?

panela is a molded round block of sugar cane. brown in color. and used as a sweetner for many drinks. agua panela con cinnamon is good.

Lowell comments on Grow my own

Sorry, been busy with kids, moto.... Basicly just starting now with tomatoes, lettuce, radishes and some flowers. I making a new folder on the construction and will post it on picture trail this week. Thanks for the leads on better gardening. Haven't started and buds as of yet.

Lowell comments on New motorcycle laws now in my town

Oh well, at least it's a start in the right direction.

Lowell comments on Grow my own

That sounds great. I want to look at the sites. Sent Pm's to you and da.

Lowell comments on Grow my own

For now I'll be growing vegtables and flowers. Later I'll be planting dwarf trees and vines. Frank, I've put together a file on the construction. I don't do well with posting here. I'll Pm it to you. It's brick, rebar and concrete.

Lowell comments on New motorcycle laws now in my town

bump

Lowell comments on Grass ...as in .....for a lawn.???

So many different words in Spanish for the same thing. Then if you don't say the correct word prefered or pronounce it perfectly by the person you are talking to, they don't have a clue to what you are saying or even try to understand. The other day I had trouble using the word sillin. I didn't put enough i in the last part of the word. Well excuse the f out of me! Very frustrating.

Lowell comments on Has anyone made Pulled Pork in Colombia?

Rubito. How about using panela?

Lowell comments on

snooping around in Colombia can get you wacked real quick.

Lowell comments on

It's all in how you carry and present yourself. Also, I think that the Gringo novelty is wearing thin. Plus, park yourself in one area for a while, so you can be observed more than once.

Lowell comments on Has anyone made Pulled Pork in Colombia?

pots work great for pollo de patio too. same thing. Finish cooking, drain liquids, add sauce prefered and return to pot. Great for "Sloopy Joe's" de pollo, res, cerdo.......

Lowell comments on Putting a motorcycle together in Colombia...

How about bringing a bike in on a tourist Visa, swap out parts to another bike and then wreck the bike and report it as totaled?

Lowell comments on Cost of petroleum

We're all just puppets under the control and direction of a few groups. I doubt if I'll ever own a car again. I'm lucky enough to be able to walk to just about everything I need. Actually, I'm liking not having the headache of owning and operating a car. Much more relaxing.

Lowell comments on armchair cnn, bbc, victims,

in 10 minutes or less it can be delivered for a 2 mil fee

Lowell comments on Colombia Is...it's

Yep, PBH has become the pits.

Lowell comments on armchair cnn, bbc, victims,

LC, si, el habla verdad

Lowell comments on is the western diet having a damaging impact on the health of young colombians ?

Oil in veins. The other month I bought and prepared some of those french fries and yuca sticks that are sold in the frozen food area of stores. After frying them in my good oil and after the oil cooled off, I noticed that the surface of my oil had a layer of semi thick white grease floating on top of it. The temp in my house is usually around 75F and the stuff had hardened. Palm oil? Holly cow, that the stuff that goes into our body and veins. Not anymore. That crap will not ever enter my house again. I rarely fry anyway. My Suegra cooks down animal and chicken fat to use in her cooking. Her blood tests have shown the affects. Doctors have warned her that she's killing herself, her family, my wife and my daughter when they eat there. Change? Hell no. Keep feeding that crap to her family. Yep. Can we all say ASSHOLE! This is the same jerk that I almost punched out when I saw her smoking with my baby in her arms, in an enclosed room. Lung problems later for my daughter? Colombia has really taught me to hate some of its intentionally ignorant, inconsiderate, self-absorbed people.

Lowell comments on Can This be Done??

When I was fresh in Colombia and need the name changed on a receipt of 8 million pesos, 200 mil pesos did the trick. I recall the man saying, Sir, with money anything can be done in Colombia. 500 mil got my name listed on my wifes son's birth certificate as if I was the father. None existed before. Now a cool million wil get my name removed as the boy has done a 180 and turned into a child from hell. His and his mothers fault and loss.

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

After 50 years of playing/working way too hard and wearing my body out, I was faced with the challenge of what do I do now. I'd had a blast and have experienced more thrills/sunset/sunrises/waves/mountains...... than most people. A desk job? A public rest home later? I was divorced twice and had no real family anymore. My pension is small and I wouldn't be able to make ends meet if I led a regular life. The thought of having a family occured. Why not? I was finally mature enough to handle a family. I tried Panama, but, didn't like the womens attitudes, weather, angry agressive people (huego Vivo)..... Tried Colombia and settled on what I thought was a good one. Wrong. That's her loss and a whole different story. Now I have a wonderful 2 year old little girl. At first I was all macho and was sad that my wife was having a girl. Man, was I wrong. I actually think I'm happier with her than I would be with a boy. Being retired, I can spend a whole ot of time with her and do. We've bonded real well. That beautiful girl has become my everything. Now we're in the "que es?, por que?", gotta touch everything, time period. She's also likes to call me by my first name, do my hair, like her mother does hers. I put her in her crib at night with very pleasant loving words, make her first bottle in the morning, help bathe her, make her an egg for breakfast, walk for arepas......., play with her toys in the afternoon and discovery kids at night before bed. Man, would my buds in the States be surprised at what a daddy I've become. It's all seemed like a natural progression. I'm kind of shocked too. Only a very rich man in the States could pull off what I've done. Even then, the wife would likely be a gold digger, had my kids and dumped me later and I'd have been alone again. VIVA COLOMBIA!

Lowell comments on Sat here all day waiting..............

I'm installing a small 5 liter Bosh heater for my shower. This unit is small enough not to need a exaust gas vent pipe. I'd imagine that it'll not use much gas, My feed pipe from the unit to shower head will be less than 4 feet. Alas, no more suicide shower.

Lowell comments on Sat here all day waiting..............

At HomeCenter my wife and I once hand picked and set aside some items for delivery. When the delivery came, our plant pots were missing. Wifie calls them and they had the nerve to say the items were out of stock. Back on the bus one more time to Pireira and my little darling gave them a good going over. Pots delivered the next day.

Lowell comments on

Don't forget Elmo..

Lowell comments on And it's said that Colombia is dangerous for Gringo's?

What a way to live. I did live there for 3 years and was lucky to not have problems like I heard of others having. The biggest things was whole house being vacated while the person was out. With the neighbors doing nothing. The violent home invasion is a new and growing problem in Panama. I'm now in Colombia 2.5 yrs and feel safer here.

Lowell comments on Proud Colombians?

My Suegra wants to live that way. She lives next door to us. To me she's an intentionally ignorant slob. She's had numerous opportunities to improve here situation. I've seen her trash thiings like a very strong bucket that I gave her in less than 2 years ago. It would have lasted us a lifetime. The other day my wife came back with some freshly popped popcorn. I looked at the white plastic bowls that had the popcorn in them. Both had black mold on the edges. WTF?

Lowell comments on What are the first things you would show a friend visiting you?

The Door! No not really. Probably a short drive into the country and a litlle bit of the road to Armenia from Cartago. Then off for some Cholado by the river..

Lowell comments on Favorite Beer (I hate beer, hungover)

I miss Miller High Life and 40's of Miller Magnum.

Lowell comments on When I die.

Thanks for the info. Just want less BS for my Colombian family.

Lowell comments on Homeowner's Associations in Colombia - one person's story

I understand you position. I too have had way too much abuse in my 2.5 yrs here. Family included. I'm chaukling it up to paying my dues here. There's a lot of practices here that are way out of wak in Colombia. I figure that I've been bit for about 15-20K USD in all my endeavors. Won't be making many of ther same mistakes again. If you stir up enough dirt, you, wifie and others, can end up missing. Be carefull. Life's cheap here.

Lowell comments on Taxpayer Identification Number

In Armenia, I got my wifes, daughters, sons and nieces passports done in about 1 1/2 hours. Paid an expediter about 50K for the help.

Lowell comments on Some Dangerous Colombians !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I went to a street race last year. Little to no crowd control. Idiot fans. More idiodic as they got more drunk and the motos got bigger and faster. Just one of the many Colombian experiences that make you say DUH?

Lowell comments on Peanut butter

Lp, Yea, I've thought of that too. My barrio goes nuts everytime I lite the BBQ. Say a place that opens ar 5pm and closes at 10pm. 12 on fri and sat. Lots of catering too. Simple great tasting food,. easy to pre-prepare and serve quickly.... So far on my small pension I'm making it having my 2 yr old as my main use of my time. I don't plan on having other children, so my girl gets all of me that she wants. I can see that the attention that she's getting is helping her develope and also be a happy child.

Lowell comments on Creepy Pets: Huge Beetles Sell for $130 each ( Colombia Money Making Idea )

and the suckers can fly?

Lowell comments on Peanut butter

Exito now sell pepperoni style salchica. Carrefour sells fresh mushrooms. There’s some fairly decent sauces sold in the little squeeze bags,. Whole mozzarella balls are OK. I can use my Italian spices to make some hamburger taste like sausage. I can roll out some Italian bread or buy some dough from the local pizza place. Add some fresh cut peppers, onions.... It looks like I’m on my way to making an OK pizza. In my quest to not have dry BBQ’d hamburgers, my latest batch came out pretty good. Took cold regular hamburger/carne molida corriente, measured the meat by using a 2/3 cup measuring cup, rolled into pressed balls, flattened and shaped by squeezing balls between 2 plates, returned completed patties to frig, got BBQ red hot, put on grill, waited until edges started turning color, basted with sauce, flipped, salted, basted, waited a couple of minutes, put cheese slices on patties, shut off grill, closed lid and waited for 5 minutes. Family quite pleased.

Lowell comments on BAD NEWS..............another damn Eye-Talian arrives in Medellin.......

Congrats. Been there and done that recently. It's a treat. Hope all continues well.

Lowell comments on Happy birthday to me

YO, HAPPY BIRTHDAY. WITH MANY MORE TO COME, ALL IN GOOD HEALTH, GOOD SPIRITS AND A HAPPY FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lowell comments on finding quiet in bogota

I found a place where the master bedroom is all the way in the back, Also none of the bedroom doors (solid wood) focus towards the front. The back of our house has undesireable to develope land. Hence no neighbors there. Both neighbors don't play music loud or cause nosie problems. Sometimes I here a neighbors rooster very faintly. Kind of living by farm. Only on rare occaions does the bass sounds penetrate enough to notice a bit. I sleep with a fans (celing and fan on stand) going so that also provides a bit of "white noise". We live near the end of a dead end street = less noise. Up on a slope = no flooding worries. Lots of trees and brush in barrio too. Have had a few problems with a barking dog. However, Barrio pressure fixed that problem. One has to do a lot of checking before choosing a place. Even then, there will be ups and downs. Good Luck!

Lowell comments on any way to salvage

Colombians are very good about forgiving and forgeting. I've seen serious issues dissapear in 2-3 months. Also, people here can take offence at simple perceptions that may be false. A new rumor can be created by you or a close one to disspell the current rumor. At times my barrio can be a real "Peyton Place". They all love to talk and spread gossip. It often takes attention away from themselves.

Lowell comments on hard to find items in Colombia

Some places like Frisby offer throwaway plastic gloves and or a sink to wash after eating.

Lowell comments on Rainy Season Early in MDE yet again

Weather in Cartago has been very nice with just a bit of rain.

Lowell comments on hard to find items in Colombia

I made a PBJ for my wife and wifes son one day. They both turned their noses up at the sandwhiches and wouldn't even try a bite. Loosers. Let them eat the suegras repeated daily servings of rice, potatoes, platanos and fried tough beef.

Lowell comments on Rios Dead! Adios FARC

Is it that the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing or the opposite?