expat colombia

Multiplatinum artist Maelo Ruiz performing his hit "Regalame una noche" in Colombia

2009-10-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

Many many people have seen this video in Colombia.

Check this one out and more on Youtube.

Colombia at a glance. Pretty pics of the country!!!

2009-10-14T16:07:00.000-07:00

To see more pics, go to Flickr.

Just in case you wanna go to the movies

2009-10-12T11:02:00.000-07:00

By Helda Martínez

The latest film out of Colombia is based on the true story of a priest in a rural town whose passions include a search for justice in an area that, like so many in this civil war-torn country, is hemmed in by armed groups, whether far-right paramilitaries, leftist guerrillas or state security forces.

Gabriel is an idealistic 33-year-old priest who stands up to inept local officials as well as the heads of the armed group that holds real power in the town.

Once an irregular armed group, on the left or the right, has gained control over an area, it begins to interfere with government decisions to forward its own interests – an all-too common scenario that forms the backdrop for the film "La pasión de Gabriel" (Gabriel's Passion), whose star, Andrés Parra, has already won a Best Actor award for his performance as Father Gabriel, at the 2009 Guadalajara International Film Festival in Mexico.

As believing in God as he is ingenuous about earthly matters, he believes he can bring about equality, peace and respect for decisions reached by the local community, and ignores warnings to stay out of things.

The warnings become more pointed as Gabriel insists on the need to repair a bridge linking the town with another town. But the armed group that controls the area is opposed because it knows that as soon as the bridge is built, the army will come in, and fighting will break out.

In effect, once the bridge is repaired, thanks to the efforts of the priest and the community, the army arrives, asserts its authority, asks barbed questions, issues threats and warnings, and finally leaves.

Read more comments on the movie at IPS News.

COLOMBIA: Would you take the risk? video

2009-10-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

WATCH THE WHOLE VIDEO, it's worth it!!!
Would you take the risk to travel to Colombia? Have you been informed certainly? Watch this video till the end and know what Colombia means...

COLOMBIA IS PASSION!!!! BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, BRIGHT CULTURE AND AMAZING LANDSCAPES.

And search for more videos of Colombia in Youtube.

Vibe won a trip to Argentina thru a Bueno Entonces contest. Check out her experience and reviews

2009-10-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

Day 3 in Buenos Aires

I’ve had an AHA moment today. My teacher is very cute. His name is Martin and he’s 're-argentino'. That means REALLY Argentino in Argentino. He spent a year in Ireland teaching Spanish last year and he missed Buenos Aires a lot.. We talk a lot about Argentina and about the culture, about the crazy chaos of it all, the subversive attitude of the Argentines towards politics, finance, all that jazz. The Bulgarian likes to talk a lot about the Argentine girls, I don’t blame him. They mainly have very very long hair and are very pretty.

Martin says Bien, Entonces.. a lot. Or Muy Bien, entonces... I ask him why doesn’t he say Bueno, entonces (like the name of the course of course) and he explains that “Bueno,” often is something you say when you’ve had a enough of talking, or have had enough of talking about a particular subject. He explains that when somebody starts going, bueno bueno bueno on the phone, basically they are telling you that the conversation is over and they’ve had enough.

Read full text at beadventuresinba.blogspot

WHAT IS Bueno, entonces... exactly?

2009-10-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

Bueno, entonces... is the best selling language-learning program for the iPhone, now available on DVD and instant download! Featured by Apple as New & Noteworthy, tens of thousands are already learning Spanish with Bueno, entonces…

Taking the most effective elements from traditional audio books and software programs, Bueno, entonces... has revamped language-learning by incorporating those features into a 1-on-1 Spanish lesson format, where you sit in on private classes with fresh audio/visual teaching tools, a huge improvement over programs currently available on the market.

Bueno, entonces... takes you inside 30 private Spanish lessons with Jimena, a gorgeous Spanish instructor, and David, her jackass student from London as he learns Spanish in beautiful Buenos Aires. Like learn-Spanish reality TV, but without the guilt of getting addicted, because in just 5 weeks you'll be speaking Spanish conversationally.

To learn more about Bueno, entonces, go to General Linguistics.

Colombia Ecopetrol Swaps $1.49B Worth Of International Bonds

2009-10-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

BOGOTA (Dow Jones)--Colombia's state-control oil company Ecopetrol SA (ECOPETROL.BO, EC) swapped $1.49 billion worth of its international bonds in identical bonds with no restriction to trade on the secondary market.

Ecopetrol offered to swap the $1.5 billion bonds maturing in 2019 and paying a 7.625% coupon it sold in July with identical new bonds, the company said in a statement Monday.

The operation is a requirement from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The bonds originally sold by Ecopetrol had restrictions for buyers, so Ecopetrol is offering to replace those old bonds with new ones that will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange and will trade freely.

To read more Colombian News, go to Wall Street Journal.

Colombian airlines gain new international frequencies

2009-10-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

Colombian Aviation authorities granted 20 new international route permissions to Colombian airlines in an attempt to bring the ticket price down and boost international trips, newspaper La Republica reported on Wednesday.

The permission, which will make the airlines less dependent on domestic flights, was granted to Avianca, Aires and Aero República.

Aires will add weekly flights from Bogota to New York and back, and daily frequencies from Barranquilla, Cali, and Cartagena to Fort Lauderdale in Florida. It will also fly the Bogota-Sao Paulo, and Rionegro-Mexico City frequencies, with Boeing 373-700 aircrafts.

Aviaca will fly Bogota-Orlando-Bogota everyday, and Bogota-San Jose (Costa RIca)-Bogota. It will also add frequencies from Bogota to Sao Paulo, Fort Laudrdale, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Aruba, and Curaçao.

Aero Republica will add frequencies from Bogota to Santo Domingo, Aruba, San Jose (Costa Rica), Panama, Sao Paulo, and Miami.

The report says that Colombia aviation authorities are brokering a bilateral agreement with Dubai for new direct flights between the two countries.

Read more info on Colombia at Colombia Reports

Colombia's investment opportunities

2009-10-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

Alvaro Uribe, President of Colombia, has always been a preacher of foreign investment as a fundamental economic policy that would fuel the country´s growth. That’s the reason he spent most of his time lobbying investors in New York the past week.

But there is a major reason he wants to promote Colombia as a foreign investment destination so passionately.

The Colombian economy shrank 0.5 percent during the second quarter of this year, pushed down by the industrial and retail sectors, which are, by the way, the biggest employers in the local economy. It was the third straight quarter in which the Colombian economy has fallen, the longest slump in a decade.

In order to spur growth in Latin America’s fifth-biggest economy, the government has decided to spend over $28.5 billion in infrastructure projects, whereas the Central Bank has cut rates from a record high of 10 percent in November to a record low of 4 percent in September.

So, the current anti cyclical economic policy provides an excellent environment to invest in a country full of opportunities.

Finish reading the article at Colombia Report.

Fun and Dynamic Spanish classes. take a look at Bueno Entonces

2009-10-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

Watch more Bueno Entonces Classes, visiting YouTube

Colombian group Angele Phase to open for Depeche Mode

2009-10-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

Husband and wife duo Peter Salmang and Mónica Pardo and their band will open for Depeche Mode at their October 10 concert in Bogota.

Until recently, Angele Phase has received more recognition in Europe than in Colombia, perhaps due to their relationship with Factory Records and their subsequent British sound. No surprise, since Factory Records is the home of such artists as Joy Division and Ladytron.

Now, not only have they been nominated for the 2009 Shock Awards for Best Electroshock Artist, but they have also been chosen as the supporting act for legendary Depeche Mode's Bogota Concert, reports Colombian news site Vive In.

The Butterfly is Angele Phase's first single. Their album, Magnetophonband, was released worldwide in April.

Keep reading at Colombia Report

Presidential candidates propose to fight corruption within their ranks

2009-10-02T11:40:00.000-07:00

Several candidates for the 2010 presidential election Tuesday vowed there will be no corruption or influence of illegal armed groups in their campaigns.

Presidential hopeful Andrés Felipe Arias, pledged that if chosen as the sole candidate of the Conservative Party, his campaign will not receive support from paramilitaries or other unlawful groups.

"It's part of the [revamping] and transparency that we have to give this election process, and [that excludes] not only paramilitaries but drug traffickers in general," Arias told W Radio.

Arias called on opposition groups such as the Polo Democratico to refuse support from other countries that could be disguised as contributions from the FARC.

"I urge that sectors of the Polo Democratico do the same with money coming from other countries [such as] Venezuela, and that the same influence of the FARC can be vetoed by any political campaign."

Former mayor of Bogota Enrique Peñalosa said that 'parapolitics' is the extreme of corruption in Colombia, but also asked that the buying of votes and other forms of corruption not be discounted.

"The problem is that there is a form of politics carried out by countertransference of money, where posts are given not to the most qualified people but to those who have offered some kind of support, [and the belief that this is the best way to work]."

To read the complete article go to Colombia Reports.

Wind Journey. Movie

2009-10-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

Wind Journey, one of the movies of the season in Colombia, has been presented in the 7th Film Festival Medellín City. It was awarded with “City of Rome” in Cannes 2009 . The film of young Colombian director Ciro Guerra shows an original story set in the northern plains of the Caribbean region. It explores unusual views and corners of the country around the coastline people from the Sucre State to La Guajira Peninsula.

In an Andean nation usually presented as a mountainous region, Wind Journey explores the Colombia of the Vallenatos, Wayuus, Tierra Adentro and the splendid desserts of the northern Peninsula.

The traditional mistral (juglar), the same that originated the Colombian musician emblem (Vallenato), is represented by Ignacio Carillo, going from town to town and region to region with his accordion.

He decided to take a last trip throughout the northern region of Colombia, to give back the accordion to his elderly master. He was committed to stop playing after that.

Read complete article at Colombia Passport

Colombia, going nowhere, beats Mexico, going to the World Cup

2009-10-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

Ten observations in the wake of watching Colombia defeat Mexico, 2-1, in an international soccer friendly in Dallas on Wednesday night:

1. Colombia deserved to win. The headed goal by Giovanni Moreno off a corner kick was excellent. The second goal, by Darwin Quintero off an innovative cross from Yulian Anchico, was even better.

2. Mexico backup goalkeeper Jesus Corona will not be ousting starter Guillermo "Memo" Ochoa anytime soon, but he did manage some decent saves, including a stop on a poorly struck penalty kick by Jackson Martinez.

3. The fan in the Cotton Bowl crowd who sported a turkey on his head deserved his 15 seconds of fame. Or perhaps it was that snake-eating bird on the Mexican flag. Difficult to tell.

4. Javier Aguirre, losing for the first time in 13 games in his second stint as Mexico's coach, can get through a 90-minute game without kicking an opposing player.

5. Vladimir Marin looks like a useful player. Pity he and Colombia will not be going to the World Cup in South Africa next year. Pity Marin turned 30 last week. Pity he plays for Toluca in Mexico and not in MLS.

Read all observations at Los Angeles Times.

Useful info you need to know before you visit Colombia

2009-09-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

Costs

Colombia is a reasonably cheap country to travel in, provided you are traveling overland. Backpackers should be prepared to shell out US$15 to US$25 per day on average. If you want a more comfy trip, with midrange hotels, some better restaurants and a flight from time to time, you'll average somewhere between US$25 and US$45 daily. Some resort areas, especially along the Caribbean coast, have all-inclusive resort packages that cost US$100 to US$150 for two people, a good value anywhere. You can save money by going to free days at museums (often the last Sunday of the month), or using a student card when buying plane and museum tickets. Also remember that bus ticket fares are always negotiable. A little haggling can usually knock off around 20% to 30% of the cost, though you may need to shop around at the various bus company windows.

Money

Credit and debit cards are the safest and easiest way to access money in Colombia. Traveler's checks (Amex are by far the easiest to change) are safer than cash, though some US dollar bills may be useful.

Large amounts of counterfeit US dollars 'made in Cali' circulate on the market. According to rough estimates, about a quarter of all fake US dollars, virtually indistinguishable from the genuine article, circulating worldwide are printed in Colombia.

Generally, Bancolombia and the Banco Unión Colombiano are the banks to visit if you need to change money or do any over-the-counter transactions. However, you will find half-a-dozen other banks in most medium-sized towns that have ATMs.

Read more practical info about Colombia at Lonely Planet.

Country profile: Colombia

2009-09-29T11:43:00.001-07:00

Colombia has significant natural resources and its diverse culture reflects the indigenous Indian, Spanish and African origins of its people.

But it has also been ravaged by a decades-long violent conflict involving outlawed armed groups, drug cartels and gross violations of human rights.

The fourth largest country in South America and one of the continent's most populous nations, Colombia has substantial oil reserves and is a major producer of gold, silver, emeralds, platinum and coal.

Overview

It also has a highly stratified society where the traditionally rich families of Spanish descent have benefited from this wealth to a far greater degree than the majority, mixed-race population. With few avenues for social mobility, this provided a natural constituency for left-wing insurgents.

But the lucrative returns from drugs and kidnapping now dominate the rebels' agenda, and have largely replaced ideological motivations. Peace talks with the main left-wing rebel group, the Farc, collapsed in 2002.

At the other end of the political spectrum are illegal right-wing paramilitary groups, who are sometimes in the pay of drug cartels and landowners, and backed by elements in the army and the police.

Efforts are under way to demobilise the groups, which have been particularly active in the north-west where they have targeted human rights workers, peasants suspected of helping left-wing guerrillas, street children and other marginal groups.

About Colombia

2009-09-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

Colombia officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish: República de Colombia), is a constitutional republic in northwestern South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the northwest by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. Colombia also shares maritime borders with Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.Colombia is the 26th largest nation in the world and the fourth largest in South America. It has the 29th largest population in the world and the second largest in South America, after Brazil. Colombia has the third largest Spanish-speaking population in the world after Mexico and the United States.

The territory of what is now Colombia was originally inhabited by indigenous nations including the Muisca, Quimbaya, and Tairona. The Spanish arrived in 1499 and initiated a period of conquest and colonisation which ultimately led to the creation of the Viceroyalty of New Granada (comprising modern-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama) with its capital at Bogotá.^[12] Independence from Spain was won in 1819, but by 1830 "Gran Colombia" had collapsed with the secession of Venezuela and Ecuador. What is now Colombia and Panama emerged as the Republic of New Granada. The new nation experimented with federalism as the Granadine Confederation (1858), and then the United States of Colombia (1863), before the Republic of Colombia was finally declared in 1886.^[2] Panama seceded in 1903.

Colombia has a long tradition of constitutional government. The Liberal and Conservative parties, founded in 1848 and 1849 respectively, are two of the oldest surviving political parties in the Americas. However, tensions between the two have frequently erupted into violence, most notably in the Thousand Days War (1899-1902) and La Violencia, beginning in 1948. Since the 1960s, government forces, left-wing insurgents and right-wing paramilitaries have been engaged in the continent's longest-running armed conflict. Fuelled by the cocaine trade, this escalated dramatically in the 1990s. However, the insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government, and in recent years the violence has been decreasing.

Finish reading about Colombia at Wikipedia.

Map of Colombia

2009-09-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

The General Linguistics Method for Teaching Foreign Languages

2009-09-29T10:14:00.000-07:00

Created by linguists, teachers and students from a half-dozen countries, General Linguistics developed Bueno, entonces… to incorporate all the best elements of the software and audiobook language learning methods like Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone that have been around for decades.

We mixed the comprehensive learning material of the audiobook courses with the addictive, fun and universally beloved format of a television show to create the Bueno, entonces… series. Each of the 30classes is 30-40 minutes long, proven as the perfect length for a language course - long enough to cover vocabulary and grammar topics but short enough to keep you interested the whole time. The challenging fast pace and edgy, entertaining style of Bueno, entonces… will keep you coming back for more.

Learning Spanish doesn’t have to be boring and monotonous. Bueno, entonces… infuses a witty, engaging storyline into the learning process - and by following along you absorb more Spanish, morequickly than you ever thought possible. By the end of the 5-week, 30-class series, you
will be speaking and understanding native conversational Spanish!

Bueno, entonces… incorporates the following 5 principles to make learning Spanish fun, painless and effective:

1. Make The Classes Interesting & Engaging With Wit and Charm.

If you are not engaged, you are not going to learn or remember anything. Learning doesn’t have to be boring — remember your favorite teachers? Well, wait until you meet David & Jimena…

Read more about the Method at buenoentonces.com/blog.

One semester of Spanish

2009-09-29T10:12:00.000-07:00

This is so much fun. Check it out!