Serious_Jo has left 13 comments

Serious_Jo comments on Web Master ?/?

Hey Lost Gringo, I know there is a lot of mediocre people out there, but everything is a matter of being careful. If you interview somebody, most likely that person will tell you that he/she can do everything imaginable. Easy then, besides the interview sit them in front of the computer for an hour and make them do something that usually you see people cannot do. On the other hand, why not give the opportunity to somebody who is starting? I have met lots (and I mean lots) of people with years of experience and a huge CV who are completely worthless and university students who are just brilliant. Waterdawg, why dont you post an add in www.computrabajo.com.co or in www.elempleo.com? And write it in english (a good engineer or student should know some english anyway). Good Luck

Serious_Jo comments on Brujeria

I don't understand that either. One time I ask a lady whose husband keeps cheating on her, why is she mad at the other women and keeps forgiving the husband. She tells me that she cannot give hard time to her husband cause she wants to keep him and he is a good father and provider. So instead, she turns her anger against the bitches who want to steal such a good husband from her. And on the other hand, "she is so sure her husband loves her, despite the long list of lovers and one-night stands". I really don't get it.

Serious_Jo comments on Online Barrios

Try http://www.mapas.com.co/visor2007/colombia.visor/visor.jsp Compared to other online maps, this one is clear, fast and easy to use.

Serious_Jo comments on price of houses in Bogota

Buggy: "Vigilancia 24 hours" in a house that is not in a "Conjunto Cerrado" means that there is a small hut with a guard that overlooks 2 or 3 blocks of houses. In the north, I like Cedritos, Belmira and Lisboa. In the Northwest, I prefer La Colina Campestre, and I agree with Webmanco regarding las Villas and Niza. There is also Pontevedra.

Serious_Jo comments on

Rubito, There are many ways to consider that a school is "good". Between teachers we use to say that a school is as good as the kind of people we gratuate (meaning how fit they are to assume life and its responsabilities) and not only how much they know. For example, the Merani Institute (a school for genouses) always score in the first places on the ICFES exams, but I personally don't like it since their kids act like they are better than the rest of the world. There are schools which are not the first ones in the ICFES, but they are perfect if your kid has specific skills (The Claustro Moderno is known for their artistic environment, the Gimnasio Moderno is famous for forming future politicians, the Corazonista great for mathematicians). Others, are excellent if you want to make contacts (Nueva Granada, Rochester, Santa Francisca Romana). However, there are some schools that are my favorites, not only for the quality of its education but the human quality of their kids and their tradition as good schools. My all time favorite : The San Carlos (too bad is masculine). And then, Andino, Italiano Leonardo Da Vinci, San Jorge de Inglaterra, Los Nogales, Francés Louis Pasteur, Gimnasio Femenino, Abraham Lincoln, Refous, Colegio Mayor del Rosario - Arrayanes, Helvetia, Gimnasio los Cerros, San Bartolome La Merced. Then you have newer schools that are probing to be really good: CIEDI, Gimnasio la Montaña. I might forget many schools or sound biased, but when I made my list I kept in mind the ICFES exam, the popularity of the school, the personality of the kids I've known from those schools and the comments I've heard from other teachers and school managers. BTW: These schools are affordable only for people of stratum 4 and above.

Serious_Jo comments on

Rubito, that's a dream (at least for public schools). The budget is not enough. :-( If our government cannot (o refuse to) invest more money on training our teachers, then let alone raising the salaries so foreign people can teach foreign languages. On the other hand I must confess that most of our teachers don't feel motivated to keep studying. I've heard so many times, "why should I spend a lot of money on post-graduate studies if the chances of getting a better pay afterwards are not good?" The other sad truth about our schools is this: Some private schools (I'm not going to point out specific ones) have the policy of: "Let's keep the kids happy so their parents keep them in our school". And instead of improving the quality of the education, they just teach the basics with a lot of funny activities which are not very educational, so in a way the teachers are discouraged to demand a little bit more from the students. And those are just a couple of reasons why the education in Colombia is not that good, not only the english classes. PS. My comment only apply to public schools and private ones in stratums (is that the word?) 2-3 and sometimes 4.

Serious_Jo comments on The politics of usted

Qué amabilidad Rubito! Muchas gracias.

Serious_Jo comments on The politics of usted

Hello, Going South, Was it necessary to be so mean to me?. Its true that I live in Bogota, but I know a lot of people from Pasto (well, Nariño in general). You just have to go to the National University to find a bunch of pastusos. And all of them talked to me using Tu. I even found 3 pastusos out of Colombia, and when they noticed I was talking in Spanish, once again they addressed to me using the tu. And few years ago, when I stayed with my family in Pasto for a week, that was the use. So maybe I ran into generalizing, but in my experience, all of them used tu, and that has nothing to do with my profession as a teacher. So please, be nice. And Des, Thank you for clarifying the use in Cali. Is true I mostly met poor people and university students there, so that was my basis to talk about Tu and Vos in that area. But once again, thanks.

Serious_Jo comments on Serious_Jo

Thanks Plato. I read some stuff in PBH about 4 years ago, but then I traveled to Jordan and stopped checking the internet. I just returned to Colombia, and want to look for new friends. Hope I can be helpful here and there. Jo

Serious_Jo comments on Child care

Yo diría 20.000.

Serious_Jo comments on The politics of usted

About the use of Marica: All my students use it, but is only between them. If an stranger comes to call them "Hey Marica", for sure they will feel offended. Comming from an stranger, the word "marica" is an insult, comming from a friend, is just another way to call each other. Sometimes even my sister tells me "Oiga marica", even when that's a word you use for gays. In short words, Marica is only for young people, somebody older than 35 tend to look funny (or even stupid) if they use it. Regarding the "tu"and "usted". I never address anybody in my family using "tu", not even with my brother or reason, because it sounds artificial to needs more closeness with somebody that already knows you. However there are many families in which the use of "tu" is a mean to express closeness and then "usted" is something you use when you are terribly mad at somebody. And since I never really know how people like to be addressed to (and I'm colombian), I decided long time to wait and see how the other person address to me and follow their treatment. So, if they tell me, Hola como estás?, then I answer, "Muy bien gracias, y TU? Otherwise, is always usted. And in the cases I have to say hello first, I always use "Usted". Is more respectful no matter what. Of course, if is a younger person (like a teenager or a kid) or if I want to be condescending, then I use "TU". Easy, right? PS. Another hint is given by the region from which the person comes. People from Tolima, always use "Usted". People from Pasto, use "Tu". People from the north coast tend to use "TU'. People from the Llanos and Santander, use "Usted" (even with the bf/gf). The younger people from Bogota, use "Tu". And people from the coffee zone and Valle, use "Tú"and "Vos" but not between men. My sister just made me notice that the people who is considered to have a strong temper (santander, llanos) will use "Usted" most of the time.

Serious_Jo comments on

Unfortunately I think the statistics are quite generous. I would be surprised if only 5% of our english teachers were fluent. I think the problem is that english teachers don't have much opportunity to practice and develop their skills. Even in University the classes are mostly taught in spanish, so how are they going to learn to be fluent if english is something they study and listen just few hours a week? Also, besides the music, there is not much opportunity to be in contact with the english language: TV is in spanish and not everybody can spend a couple of hours on the internet chatting in english. I wish there would be more english clubs where people could just go and practice the language, and that universities had more classes in english. However native english speakers are not always helpful: with all due respect, but many of the americans I've talked to are less coherent and fluent than me ! (By the way, I apologize if my english is not that good either)

Serious_Jo comments on Teaching in Bogota.

Findind a job is not difficult... there are websites like www.elempleo.com or www.computrabajo.com.co in which you can find a lot of vacancies, besides the regular adds in the newspapers. The problem is the salary... if you are seeking a teacher's job, you'll have to work A LOT if you want to rent your own apt and live comfortably. The regular salary for a native english teacher is about 1.5 - 1.8 million pesos (about 750-900) dollars or 25000/hour (if you are lucky to find a good place). With that money you can rent an apartament, eat, go out every weekend, buy furniture once a month, and start saving to buy a car in 6 months. :-)