pablorojas has left 20 comments

pablorojas comments on 2006 World Cup Qualifying: Colombia, Chile, Venezuela and Peru tied in points

US and Colombia I want to add a few comments regarding the debate about Colombia's recent World Cup slump and the US's "success".

For one thing, it is completely true that if Colombia was somehow in North or Central America they would qualify time and time again, there is really no comparison between the Northern and Southern halves of the hemisphere when it comes to soccer. The fact that Mexico advanced in the Copa America in Colombia means absolutely nothing considering the Copa America is not a big deal. Argentina was afraid to send its best players. It is not a particularly prestigious cup, although people go to the games simply to see some good foreign players, and top-notch players will not go all out in the Copa America because they have high-paying club teams and the World Cup to prepare for without risking injury.

Secondly, Colombia DOES have an excuse to play badly (although never THIS badly). In the early 90s when the mafiosos were most prominent and not so discreet about their money, there was a lot of money in Colombian soccer/football, and, consequently, Colombia was judged the best team in the World before the 1994 World Cup disaster. Although we are a soccer-oriented nation, we by no means have the resources the US has to train disciplined players at good facilities. Many players from poor countries, like, say Faustino Asprilla, let their success and fame get to them and do not live up to their full potential. They come from abject poverty and have played soccer under non-professional conditions in alleys and without referees. Without money (as in money from the Mafia in 1994), Colombian players lack the economic stimuli and facilities to live up to their potential. While many Colombians may have world-class skills as teenagers, they cannot maintain their skill level while struggling to make a living and survive in an unsafe environment. It is much easier for a man who has guaranteed access to food, water, safety, and education to maintain a daily hobby though his 20s and 30s. Many third-world soccer success stories follow this same pattern. The Senegalese team of 2002 was eliminated after playing worse than they had played the entire cup. It was later blamed on excessive celebration and confidence and a lack of discipline not uncommon among strong African and Latin American teams. Additionally, the Colombian coaching staff is inconsistent, often inexperienced, and changes more often than it should.

I want to congratulate the US soccer team on its successes, but I must note that their advancement to the world cup is a result of a combination of good soccer and easy Central American opponents, along with great wealth. THe US DOES import many players, including several Latin Americans and Africans such as prodigy Freddy Adu. Additionally, you must take population into account, it is easier for a rich country of 300 million, including 30 million Latinos, to train 11 good soccer players. The same holds true in South America. Brazil has not only a great soccer tradition but better facilities and a much higher population than the rest of the continent. Argentina, a relatively wealthy country, also manages to train a good team. Poor countries with smaller populations like Peru, Bolivia, and the Central American teams simply cannot compete with their larger, wealthier rivals.

pablorojas comments on Massive Decrease in Medellin Homicides --Down Almost 50% In 1 Year.

Don Berna? This is something i read in Semana and my summary of it:

Although credit is given to Uribe for this drop in homicide rates in Medellin, it primarily due to the paramilitary presence. I will not come out and argue whether Uribe is a para or not because it is irrelevant, but it is true that the AUC feels more comfortable with him in power. In a recent Semana article, the power of Don Berna, a paramilitary and drug trafficker was revealed to the general public.

In Medellin, many AUC-sympathizers marched for amnesty for the paras with signs that basically said Don Berna had pacified the city. He has scared all the small gangs into submission and forced them to stop the gang wars. He runs the entire intimidation industry of Medellin nowadays, basically sending armed thugs around to scare indebted people, in turn getting paid by the people who need the service.

Of course, this peace, if indeed it is Don Berna's work, is not sustainable. Medellin is still lawless except now it has a powerful presence that has ended all the struggles for power among small-time criminal organizations. Once Don Berna dies or whatever, the power struggles are likely to begin once again. Medellin homicides reached 5,000 after Escobar died. When he was in control of the city, homicides were nearer to 3,700 because of his intimidating presence. Of course, it is almost impossible that Berna is as powerful as Escobar, but he shows that criminals, largely unknown outside of Colombia, are still in control of Medellin and that the rule of law is still missing.

Not surprisingly, there is no extradition order for Berna. I was shocked to hear about him in the news because I do not live in Medellin, but a friend of mine has been trheatened by some of the thugs and he talked to me about these guys who report back to "La Oficina". In the Semana Article, La Oficina was mentioned as the nickname for Berna's HQ.

pablorojas comments on Charity/Volunteer Work in Medellin

yes, men can work there I am sure that you cannot sleep there, but men are certainly more than welcome. I know from experience that they need donations and volunteers and are more than happy to receive them.

However, I must warn you:

The people who run this place, except for one younger businesswoman who runs it indirectly, are old nuns from small municipalities in Antioquia. In other words, if you need any form of record for your work for a requirement or to boost your resume, do not expect them to have an available computer or be able to write an official-looking thorough account of your work. this is an obstacle that is easy to overcome but it is the only warning I have.

otherwise, enjoy this rewarding experience. It might teach you a lot about the culture and recent history of the people of Antioquia and Medellin. If you happen to go there, I would really appreciate if you would say hi to the girls and staff on behalf of the family of Manuela Rojas from the USA. Thank you and have fun.

pablorojas comments on Teenage Drinking in Colombia

agreed Logically, that is the conclusion one can come to. In the end, when given the choice to use or not use a drug, a freedom of choice, humans can make pretty wise decisions. When restricted, drug abuse can be the ill-expressed result of rebellion, frustration, etc. This new law is contradictory to the conclusion above, though I think Colombia is far from having cops concentrate on crashing new years eve family parties, as they do in a lot of places in the US. This is also part of the reason drug (besides alcohol and nicotine) abuse is so high in the Us, but relatively low in Colombia considering the availability of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana in Colombia. I hope this law does not make Colombia like those restrictive countries though. I have read about an increase in kids escaping from their homes at night in Bogota just do drink. I was born and raised (partially) in Bogota, and I always knew it had less of a laid back atmosphere than most other cities in Colombia, but I would never expect this form of clandestine alcohol abuse.

pablorojas comments on Teenage Drinking in Colombia

let me restate my question Most Colombians have some kind of drink during a holiday, including myself. At new years parties at my Aunt's house, even young children have some champagne, wine, aguardiente, etc. However, my question was in reference to the practice of drinking secretly in a basement among teens. This i find problematic. Drinking with family is usually a healthier way to become accustomed to alcohol, but many of my US friends drink until they pass out when they first encounter alcohol. Is teen drinking still an open practice, shared with family and friends without tension, or has it become an exaggeratedly clandestine practice of drinking to unconciousness?

pablorojas comments on Charity/Volunteer Work in Medellin

Fundacion Angel de la Guardia This is a a place that houses girls from desperately poor or dangerous backgrounds. Most of the girls are friendlier than anybody I have ever met and make the experience fulfilling. My sister donated to the charity as part of her first communion, but I am sure that the welcoming staff (nuns that treat you like their grandchildren) will appreciate any help. It is in the Boston neighborhood, which in my opinion is a nice neighborhood with old houses. I do not know the address, but El Colombiano had a nice article about them recently and if you ask around you will probably come accross the address.

pablorojas comments on colombian mother and thier sons hugging

Referring to Lowell.... Time magazine came out with an article about happiness, which says that Spain, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Brazil rank as some of the happiest countries on earth. Indeed, this affection that Lowell describes as wholesome enriches the life of Latin people and never leaves doubt in their mind that they have people to count on. Less crimes of passion is probably the result of higher happiness about their close relationships. I have cousins who watch American movies that teens find hilarious because of sex jokes and, although they speak perfect English, they can never understand the sexual jokes that involve the cultural barriers some people in the US have to curb their affectionate behavior.

pablorojas comments on colombian mother and thier sons hugging

Cultural Differences vs Unhealthy Sexuality There are two types of customs regarding family relations that I have known to have shocked Americans:

The first is in Middle Eastern cultures. My aunt lives in Saudi Arabia and says that, because men and women are so isolated from each other, men tend to become touchy-feely in a sexual way with each other in a sexual way, the same goes for women. This is because of forced social standards, the roots of which may be Islam, but i really do not know.

The second is in cultures such as that of my Colombia. This, from my own experience, is different. In the US, "growing up" represents total independence and a slight severing of the relationship between children and parents. It is true from my own expereince that people from the US see sexuality where it doesnt exist, which is why children and parents do not hug, kiss, or talk taht much after a certain age in the US. In Colombia, a kiss is not necessarily sexual as it is in the US, and you may also notice men of various ages with their arms around each other's shoulders in a friendly way. THis, i think is healthy, and should not be taken as sexual. -Other non-physical behavior between Colombian people can be noticed as different than in the US: more conversations between people of all ages, more expressiveness, etc. So what some foreigners would describe as sexual behavior, is just another example of the openness Colombians exhibit and are proud of.

pablorojas comments on What is the Colombian opinion of Bush?

try to look at the facts of worldwide opinion I am sorry for any Bush supporters that feel insulted by the names being thrown out there about the president you support, but please do not insult people who tell the truth you dont want to hear, which is as follows. People in the world dislike Bush because they fear Bush. They disagree with him, but they fear the volatility of his actions more than anything.

For any Republicans on this site who want to know the truth from a practical persepctive, do some research on worldwide polls done about Bush and Kerry. I disagree with Bush completely, but Kerry wasnt a very good politician and that is the truth. However, somehow Kerry won the poll in all countries but Nigeria and Poland.

So, if you like Bush, feel free to share your opinion and support him, but please understand that, around the world, people fear him because they feel that, since the war against Iraq lacked a true rational justification, Bush could easily fool the American people into another war.

The 59 Million who voted for Bush were not ALL inside teh Bible belt, that would be denying fact. They were convinced, by religion or otherwise, that Bush was truly making the US safer and fighting "evil", but around the world the opinion is different because the news industries are different and because channels and newspapers aren't attacked for being "anti-American" or "unpatriotic" when they are simply reporting fact.

But 59 million will never trump the Billions who oppose and the president. Please don't resort to cursing on these posts. I know the daughter of the man who will be National Security Advisor come Inauguration day, and we happen to get along fine. I recognize taht the US elected bush, and she recognizes that the world opposes him. Please do so yourselves.

Colombia is no exception to this worldwide standard.

pablorojas comments on What to do in Armenia

algunas sugerencias puedes hacer muchas cosas. En terminos de cultura y mujeres la feria de cali esta cerca y es un gran evento y buena oportunidad para rumbear.

Otra cosa que tambien es muy interesante como atraccion turistica y con buenos paisajes es quedarse (o por lo menos ver) en una hacienda cafetera. Es muy seguro, muy barato, las casas son espectaculares, y es una jolla cultural muy Colombiana. La zona cafetera, llamada el eje cafetero, es muy lindo y muy especial. Los pueblos son espectaculares y la gente es muy amable. Claro que muchas de estas haciendas que uno puede alquilar piden pago POR SEMANA, y no por dia, pero es muy barato de todas formas y vale la pena. Entre ver las haciendas cafeteras (o quedarse en una), ver los paisajes y los pueblos cafeteros, y por supuesto la feria de cali, eso ya es un buen viaje por Colombia.

pablorojas comments on ¿Los colombianos prefieren vivir en Colombia o en EEUU?

Que Bien Me alegra que ustedes tengan interes in viajar a Colombia. Poco a poco Colombia esta superando las imagenes violentas que ve el resto del mundo en los noticieros. Tengo un amigo NorteAmericano que viajo a Medellin y termino hincha de el equipo Atletico Nacional, con acento paisa, y ahora vive en Medellin aunque tenga ofertas de trabajo muy atractivo economicamente en Washington.

Que sigan disfrutando Colombia.

pablorojas comments on Reggaeton

champeta Yea champeta is pretty catchy, I must admit.

pablorojas comments on Medellín Christmas

oh the fireworks Christmas in Colombia is priceless in my opinion, and Medellin is definitely not an exception to say the least. I feel like I am exiled because the plane tickets to Medellin are pricier these days and I can't go this Xmas. Im green with envy.

Enjoy!

pablorojas comments on ¿Los colombianos prefieren vivir en Colombia o en EEUU?

utopiacowboy... Puede ser, pero en general depende de como se define "tranquila". En EEUU hay menos crimen, violencia, pobreza, etc. En ese sentido, la vida en EEUU, especialmente fuera de una ciudad grande, puede ser muy tranquila. Pero si uno dice tranquilo hablando de la actitud general de la gente, tendria que decir que en Colombia hay mas de eso. Claro que tu esposa vive en una parte distanta de EEUU, yo vivo en DC. Aqui, la gente no esta tan dispuesta en conversar en la calle, prestarle a uno un servicio, o simplemente interactuar con uno. En Colombia tampoco se vive una vida muy acelerada, mientras que en Washington hasta los jovenes tienen todo tipo de responsabilidades. Para mi, esa cara de la gente Colombiana, especialmente fuera de Bogota, es "tranquila" y es una de las cosas que mas aprecio sobre mi pais. Los gringos y otros tambien sienten lo mismo sobre la gente Colombiana, claro que los Colombianos no somos los unicos asi. En Brasil, Jamaica, Senegal, Argentina (pues son los que conozco) tambien hay un ambiente agradable en mi opinion. Claro que existe la violenciay lo demas pero no pense en esa falta de tranquilidad cuando hable de la vida tranquila en Colombia. En EEUU, se usa la expresion "laid back", y para mi ese as una cosa muy buena sobre Colombia porque me da un alivio de la vida acelerada de Washington, DC.

pablorojas comments on ¿Los colombianos prefieren vivir en Colombia o en EEUU?

pues claro La razo por la cual soy miembro de poorbuthappy Colombia es precisamente la nostalgia que siento. Como Colombiano he encontrado en EEUU una sociedad muy distanta, muy acelerada, muy tensionada. Este hecho me ha dejado con un gran deseo de volver a Colombia. La cultura Colombiana se aprecia mucho cuando uno vive sin la familia en un pais como este. La alegria que uno siente al llegar a un aeropuerto Colombiano se me ha escapado de la memoria. Pero estoy ya contando los dias hasta que este volando en el vuelo desde Miami sobre Medellin. Me gustaria vivir en Colombia en el futuro. Tanto aprecio el contraste cultural entre Colombia y EEUU que no me gusta saber que cada vez mas la cultura Colombiana se esta volviendo como la Norteamericana. No solo es orgullo para mi, porque lo que mas quiero no es presentarme frente al mundo como Colombiano, sino SENTIRME Colombiano, y para realizar eso tengo que estar tomandome un tinto o un aguardiente, comiendo pandebono, y escaparme de la cede de el imperio de McDonalds. Entonces estoy ahorrando para poder viajar al pais en el cual me siento comodo y feliz para no seguir sintiendome celoso de los que tienen paginas web con fotos recientes de mi pais.

pablorojas comments on Reggaeton

thanks, ricolombia Thanks for the update. I just hope Colombia doesn't become like Puerto Rico has become, an exact replica of the United States, for better or for worse. I once thought Colombia was immune from the cultural globalization being experienced in Puerto Rico and, to a lesser extent, the Dominican Republic. We'll see if Colombian culture is replaced with the culture of youth in the US in the future. I also hope Colombian accents are not replaced with Spanglish, like the one spoken on "The Roof". I love rap and hip hop and I am also starting to like reggaeton, so I'll look out for Golpe a Golpe, but I would like to see reggaeton coming from Colombia that exudes Colombian culture rather than mimic other cultures. For those like me who have lived in the US for so long, Colombia has become a country to cherish and appreciate, especially because of its people, but, hearing about this reggaeton revolution, I worried that future generations of Colombians would be more and more like those in the US.

pablorojas comments on Safety in Medellin.....

lionheart I am really sorry but I prefer not to tell the details of my situation for all imaginable reasons, but I can tell you that, though people say it is less so nowadays, Colombians, if they can afford it, can, out of frustration take matters into their own hands. So while I cannot give you a historical comparison of organized crime worldwide I can tell you this:

I have known people and have heard of many instances in which Colombians have bought protection or otherwise have ordered killings because the police is known for either showing indifference or being corrupt. When the police does not provide protection and justice, people tend to have their own personal police to protect their interests, and this usually comes in the form of bodyguards or other forms of protection. Corruption has come down because of decent mayors in many cities, but I want to make it clear for any foreigner planning to go to Medellin that:

One should not underestimate the openness, hospitality, and friendliness of Colombians. This makes Colombia one of the most beloved countries in the world by those who have actually visited.

One should not underestimate the danger of being in Colombia. Unless you have lived in Colombia, Africa, Haiti, or a warzone, the precautions you should take are probably completely unclear to you. So its easy for a foreginer, enchanted by the Colombian people, to fall into a trap. You should be with a Colombian for the first week at least, to develop the instinct that Colombians unfortunately have had to develop over the past decades. Do not be fooled to think that because you have eaten at a restaurant in Spanish Harlem or because you have a cousin in Compton you are free to roam Medellin or other large cities.

Enjoy Medellin and the rest of Colombia, everyone, and bring back pictures to cure my nostalgia.

pablorojas comments on Safety in Medellin.....

lionheart I am really sorry but I prefer not to tell the details of my situation for all imaginable reasons, but I can tell you that, though people say it is less so nowadays, Colombians, if they can afford it, can, out of frustration take matters into their own hands. So while I cannot give you a historical comparison of organized crime worldwide I can tell you this:

I have known people and have heard of many instances in which Colombians have bought protection or otherwise have ordered killings because the police is known for either showing indifference or being corrupt. When the police does not provide protection and justice, people tend to have their own personal police to protect their interests, and this usually comes in the form of bodyguards or other forms of protection. Corruption has come down because of decent mayors in many cities, but I want to make it clear for any foreigner planning to go to Medellin that:

One should not underestimate the openness, hospitality, and friendliness of Colombians. This makes Colombia one of the most beloved countries in the world by those who have actually visited.

One should not underestimate the danger of being in Colombia. Unless you have lived in Colombia, Africa, Haiti, or a warzone, the precautions you should take are probably completely unclear to you. So its easy for a foreginer, enchanted by the Colombian people, to fall into a trap. You should be with a Colombian for the first week at least, to develop the instinct that Colombians unfortunately have had to develop over the past decades. Do not be fooled to think that because you have eaten at a restaurant in Spanish Harlem or because you have a cousin in Compton you are free to roam Medellin or other large cities.

Enjoy Medellin and the rest of Colombia, everyone, and bring back pictures to cure my nostalgia.

pablorojas comments on Reggaeton

thanks, ColombianoX Good to know, because from what you hear in the states, it seems like Colombian culture has turned into that of Puerto Rico (where I went just recently) because of reggaeton. Puerto Rico has become basically just like the US. I hope Colombia does not turn into that with this influx of Us and Puerto Rican culture into our cities.

pablorojas comments on Safety in Medellin.....

come on.... In response to anyone saying that the Bronx could possibly be more dangerous than Medellin:

I love Medellin probably more than any other city, but at the moment, I can't go because my family has been threatened with weapons by members of several small organized crime organizations. I suggest that anyone who goes to Medellin does not expect to find a hostile city, actually the exact opposite but keep in mind that:

Medellin has been consistently among the top 2 or 3 most dangerous cities on earth for the past 20 years, the other top cities being at war like Beirut in Lebanon or Baghdad. A murder rate hovering between 450 and 290 murders per 100,000 inhabitants is give or take 15-24 times that of Brooklyn, and 3 to 6 times that of Compton in the early 90s. Keep in mind that pertains to all of Medellin, including "good" neighborhoods.

Simply because a person from the Bronx went to Medellin and did not get killed within a week says nothing about overall safety. People from Medellin MOVE to the Bronx and Queens for money and safety. I know many people who have been murdered in Colombia and, though I have lived half my life in Washington, D.C., the most dangerous city in the US, I have heard of no murders, attempted murders, and maybe just one or two muggings from my friends in D.C.