Medellin Reports

[QUOTE=NinoBravo;1817510]Well having known you for almost 20 years I have an advantage over the members of the forum. You might want to share why you think you don't look like a monger. After all you are 53 years old, and though I haven't seen you since your recent plastic surgery, I'm not that convinced that you look took much different, especially knowing your body type. You've been pressing this issue for a few months now that despite being in your mid 50's that you in no way resemble a monger. So maybe for the benefit of those here who are curious, you could post some pics with some of your girls, of course blacking out that pretty face of yours. Hope to see you soon in Medellin.[/QUOTE]Too funny Nino Bravo! Thank you for the laugh of the day! Merry Christmas to ya! Have a happy and safe Holiday Season!

[QUOTE=OldParr;1817648]Too funny Nino Bravo! Thank you for the laugh of the day! Merry Christmas to ya! Have a happy and safe Holiday Season![/QUOTE]Grrrr!

You make me jealous. I thought your words in CTG were special for me. So disappointing to notice you say the same sweet words to two mates in two threads.

[QUOTE=CJackSparrow;1817621]I have learned decent Spanish over the last decade.

Staying a week in Madrid, then taking Avianca direct flight to Medellin was very comfortable.

But as these two countries have same language, the backwardness in Medellin was very striking.

As a gringo you might behave stupidly and make and say some things and are not OK in Medellin.

But they do it all the time towards you! Note then that I love Medellin, and the paisas, but their view of the outside world, how to behave towards people from other countries, the slavery minimum-wage, the ignorance of even trying to learn some English or anything about the outside world is like I felt going back one hundred years back in time! Paisas are peasant's!

Gringos lack history, Colombians are ashamed of being indians/metizo so they deny their obvious heritage, but at the same time hate the Spanish conquistadores. That cultural condradiction is a thing Peruvians have delt much more with, while, if wanting to enter the global community as a modern society, people must have a realistic view of who they are. We Europeans are curious and interested about Colombias history, but their indian and african heritage is a "forbidden zone", dont mention it. I dont know about Barranquilla, maybe they are more open/realistic about it, since their famous carneval is all about the mix of the three races.

I would actually advice many guys not to go to Colombia at all, but to Thailand or Malaysia.[/QUOTE]As always, your posts are a treasure chest of information.

[QUOTE=CJackSparrow;1817621]We Europeans are curious and interested about Colombias history, but their indian and african heritage is a "forbidden zone", dont mention it. I dont know about Barranquilla, maybe they are more open/realistic about it, since their famous carneval is all about the mix of the three races.

I would actually advice many guys not to go to Colombia at all, but to Thailand or Malaysia.[/QUOTE]Dude are you high again? It is the winner that writes the widely held history. If you want to know an accurate account of history try doing some research instead of asking a short time hooker. And it is "you Europeans" that should already know about Colombias history since you were involed in it and more than likely who were the ones that tried to erase their memories of it and make them feel ashamed of it. (See the movie Roots: My name is Kunta Kinte. Whip whip. No your name is Toby. Whip whip. Okay my name is Toby.) Newsflash: Barranquilla is in Colombia, so if you are making a sweeping generalization of Colombians then it would make sense that they would be included in your generalization as well or why even make the generalization at all.

I don't why you would recommend going to Thailand where the dark people are so ashamed of being dark that they wear hot clothes to try not to get any darker. And they advertise products to make their skin whiter. Or sure go to Malaysia for a good dose of religious persecution and inquisition-age laws.

And who gives a rat's ass about the outside world when they are struggling to feed their families and enjoys spending the spare time they may have with said families. The outside world is not going to do shit for them.

[QUOTE=NinoBravo;1817510]Well having known you for almost 20 years I have an advantage over the members of the forum. You might want to share why you think you don't look like a monger. After all you are 53 years old, and though I haven't seen you since your recent plastic surgery, I'm not that convinced that you look took much different, especially knowing your body type. You've been pressing this issue for a few months now that despite being in your mid 50's that you in no way resemble a monger. So maybe for the benefit of those here who are curious, you could post some pics with some of your girls, of course blacking out that pretty face of yours. Hope to see you soon in Medellin.[/QUOTE]This is a rather funny exchange with one gringo insisting over and over he is special and somehow has the ability to blend in with society, while the other who knows him insists he doesn't.

I have lived in Colombia at times and have been traveling to Medellin before the mansion existed. When I lived in Colombia, everyone in my neighborhood and in the city was well aware I wasn't.

Blending. Still I made many friends and was treated well for the most part. I dress the part, speak Spanish, am in shape, and do pretty good with the ladies. However, as I walk down the street or especially as I sit in a restaurant with a 20 something girl, am well aware of the opinions of the local families around me. It doesn't bother me per se, but I am respectful and don't make a brash scene of myself.

When I go out I always try to be respectful of the local culture and the fact that people are going to be judging my actions by the fact that I am an extranjero. Contrast that to a table I was next to recently, about 3 miles from the Lleras area. Three overweight 50 something guys with their "girlfriends". All trying to shout over each other in broken Spanish, English and Spanglish about inane topics that they were mostly wrong about, followed by loud laughter. The girls were busy texting god knows who and taking selfies and generally looking bored. All of their tits were being advertised via the clothes they wore, no one else in the restaurant was dressed like them. One of the girls was at most 19. One guy had on flip flops with black socks, a dirty tee shirt, and shorts. Another kept talking loudly with very yellow teeth and food in his mouth and food on his shirt. The third was holding himself up as an expert on all things Medellin, Loudly. All three of them were unattractive and fat. The tables around them were all looking and then covering their mouths while they whispered to each other and shook their heads and fingers. The kids at these tables were told to not look in the direction of the gringo table. The fathers looked like they were being restrained from confrontation.

I wasn't just embarrassed to be an american, I was embarrassed to be a human.

MedellinGringo, I don't know you but I stated earlier in this thread self awareness is important in this game. Maybe you should just stop and think about this blending in thing, it really is a ridiculous. Maybe you are like me and know how to look and behave like a human in a country where you are a foreigner and have bothered to learn local customs and language, but you are still an obvious foreigner sitting in a restaurant with a local girl that is out of your social strata and out of your age group. The people around you are tolerating and maybe even appreciating your presence because you aren't acting like a gorilla, not because you are blending. Stop kidding yourself.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;1817705]Dude are you high again? It is the winner that writes the widely held history. If you want to know an accurate account of history try doing some research instead of asking a short time hooker. And it is "you Europeans" that should already know about Colombias history since you were involed in it and more than likely who were the ones that tried to erase their memories of it and make them feel ashamed of it. (See the movie Roots: My name is Kunta Kinte. Whip whip. No your name is Toby. Whip whip. Okay my name is Toby.) Newsflash: Barranquilla is in Colombia, so if you are making a sweeping generalization of Colombians then it would make sense that they would be included in your generalization as well or why even make the generalization at all.

I don't why you would recommend going to Thailand where the dark people are so ashamed of being dark that they wear hot clothes to try not to get any darker. And they advertise products to make their skin whiter. Or sure go to Malaysia for a good dose of religious persecution and inquisition-age laws.

And who gives a rat's ass about the outside world when they are struggling to feed their families and enjoys spending the spare time they may have with said families. The outside world is not going to do shit for them.[/QUOTE]+1 to this post. It is true that many Colombians are ignorant of their history and do not understand why they are catholic. It is not true that the less Spanish of them deny their Indian heritage.

However, most american are ignorant of our own history and do not understand why we are culturally Christians. This is nothing unusual. Mr. E is right about the victors writing history. They also subjugate the children to brainwashing of their version of history, and everyone reading this is a victim.

We live in a country where we are told our first president never told a lie, that American was discovered by a Spanish guy when 16 million people already lived here, That we were founded on a foundation of freedom when the truth is we came here and immediately stole the land, killed the inhabitants and started importing slave labor from Africa and China, denied rights to both blacks and women. Most of this is the opposite of freedom, unless you are a benefactor of the killing and enslaving, that is.

Colombians are not stupid, they have just been subjected to the same brainwashing as you and I. To pretend we are superior to them because they have been sold a lie. Hahaha.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;1817705]Dude are you high again? It is the winner that writes the widely held history. If you want to know an accurate account of history try doing some research instead of asking a short time hooker. And it is "you Europeans" that should already know about Colombias history since you were involed in it and more than likely who were the ones that tried to erase their memories of it and make them feel ashamed of it. (See the movie Roots: My name is Kunta Kinte. Whip whip. No your name is Toby. Whip whip. Okay my name is Toby.) Newsflash: Barranquilla is in Colombia, so if you are making a sweeping generalization of Colombians then it would make sense that they would be included in your generalization as well or why even make the generalization at all.

I don't why you would recommend going to Thailand where the dark people are so ashamed of being dark that they wear hot clothes to try not to get any darker. And they advertise products to make their skin whiter. Or sure go to Malaysia for a good dose of religious persecution and inquisition-age laws.

And who gives a rat's ass about the outside world when they are struggling to feed their families and enjoys spending the spare time they may have with said families. The outside world is not going to do shit for them.[/QUOTE]I think your aggressive, Patton-style bold response just shows that I hit a sensible issue.

I will give an example:

Buenos Aires: All people knows from which countries their ancestors came from, 2-3 generations back, rather exact; Grandpa was German, mother Egyptian, a mix-a social mosaic.

Peru; The family of Ana-Giselle in Miraflores, Lima, where all European, Spanish-looking, but said they where "mestizo". Which is 37% of the people, while only 15% is "white", which they could have told me and I would had agreed upon that. But Peruvians take pride that they once where the The Great Inca Civilization.

Yes, I know that Barranquilla is a Colombian metropol on the Caribbean Coast.

Medellin; After living there many times since 2009 I have heard their own discussion about where they originate from. Middle East, France, Galicia, etc., all except Colombia itself! The paisas, themselves being 1/2-Indians, treat the last "pure" Indians like the US do- people that live in small protected areas, while people with obvious Indians traits,( among them a lot of Pocahontas-style Beauty Queens) account for half of the Colombian population, maybe even more in Medellin, since Afro-Colombians are concentrated to the Caribbean Coast and Cali while Bogota and Bucaramanga have a relative concentration of the country's 37% white people.

Asking "paisas" where the ancestors come from, they just say " Colombia", even though a great part came during the last 50-150 years and they must know about it. They simply pretend not to know if they not are from (rich Western) Europe, or like my friend´s Colombian wife in Scandinavia, invents a history of "all but one where from Spain", and was annoyed when I took for granted that she saw herself as mestizo since she have typically Indian traits.

The other thing is that all bad that has happen in Colombia is due to the pure evilness of Spain and the Spaniards.

Paisas, along with many other Spanish speaking Latinos have this view; Spain and the Spaniards are the Bad Guys, while themselves then would logically be the victims, the original Indian people, or at least mestizos, but they often claim that they originate from Europe. It's offensive to (or it might be for humorless persons) to say they are Indians / mestizos.

We Europeans, at least in Northern Europe, Scandinavia, don't look down on Indians or Black people, the general attitude is curiosity among modern, progressive people, but many ignorant persons, maybe the majority, might just know that James is an Colombian football player, and Pablo Escobar was from Medellin. And that's it. Even icon Shakira is generally thought to be from Mexico or a US Latina.

Thus, please enlighten us about who you are, how did all this come to be. If Peru have made it, Colombia can too!

Colombia is Passion, and we want you to spread that feeling, share it, with us emotionally much restrictive people, it's medicine. Colombian everyday life is more fun than the weekends here!

Scandinavians are whining people, a very destructive form of envy! It is called "Janteloven" or "Jantelagen". If Colombians where like us, given the fact that only a few African countries have even more unjust distribution of family incomes, there would be a never ending civil war of envy that would dwarf FARC-war.

We need more of the american spirit of individual self-realization as well the Colombian Passion!

And that Passion just might come from the mix of people, the social mosaic. So, enlighten us!

Medellin is the heart of Colombian industriousness, while doing this transformation, without having lost the Passion, which often is the high price of the modernization.

[QUOTE=CJackSparrow;1817800]I think your aggressive, Patton-style bold response just shows that I hit a sensible issue.

I will give an example:

Buenos Aires: All people knows from which countries their ancestors came from, 2-3 generations back, rather exact; Grandpa was German, mother Egyptian, a mix-a social mosaic.

Peru; The family of Ana-Giselle in Miraflores, Lima, where all European, Spanish-looking, but said they where "mestizo". Which is 37% of the people, while only 15% is "white", which they could have told me and I would had agreed upon that. But Peruvians take pride that they once where the The Great Inca Civilization.

Yes, I know that Barranquilla is a Colombian metropol on the Caribbean Coast.

Medellin; After living there many times since 2009 I have heard their own discussion about where they originate from. Middle East, France, Galicia, etc. The Indians are a few people that live in small protected areas, but people with obvious Indians traits, among them a lot of (Pocahontas-style Beauty Queens) account for half of the Colombian population, maybe even more in Medellin, since Afro-Colombians are concentrated to the Caribbean Coast and Cali while Bogota and Bucaramanga have a relative concentration of the country's 37% white people..[/QUOTE]This has to be the grandest overgeneralization I have ever read. In fact very many Colombians identify with their Spanish heritage and harbor no ill towards the conquistadors (of whom I find repugnant), and many of the Colombians of indigenous blood are poor, and go to the ghetto in any country and ask for a detailed synopsis of their ancestral tree. Pfffffh.

[QUOTE=TimeToPlay;1817710]+1 to this post. It is true that many Colombians are ignorant of their history and do not understand why they are catholic. It is not true that the less Spanish of them deny their Indian heritage.[/QUOTE]It is quite difficult to find a Colombian that that will admit to even having any Indian heritage. The only question is are they in denial or just ignorant.

Enjoyed reading the post. Thank you.

[QUOTE=TimeToPlay;1817710]+1 to this post. It is true that many Colombians are ignorant of their history and do not understand why they are catholic. It is not true that the less Spanish of them deny their Indian heritage.

However, most american are ignorant of our own history and do not understand why we are culturally Christians. This is nothing unusual. Mr. E is right about the victors writing history. They also subjugate the children to brainwashing of their version of history, and everyone reading this is a victim.

We live in a country where we are told our first president never told a lie, that American was discovered by a Spanish guy when 16 million people already lived here, That we were founded on a foundation of freedom when the truth is we came here and immediately stole the land, killed the inhabitants and started importing slave labor from Africa and China, denied rights to both blacks and women. Most of this is the opposite of freedom, unless you are a benefactor of the killing and enslaving, that is.

Colombians are not stupid, they have just been subjected to the same brainwashing as you and I. To pretend we are superior to them because they have been sold a lie. Hahaha.[/QUOTE].

I think mr Sparrow needs a job.

[QUOTE=Combo;1817829]I think mr Sparrow needs a job.[/QUOTE]This are not solely my own thoughts and I'm not on drugs, it's based on academics, journalists, interview with locals, etc. And highly respected such, whom of some I know personally.

Please, can we have a serious conversation!

I don't mind if you are opposite, but stop calling me names, I have never attacked a debater / member here with insults.

[QUOTE=TimeToPlay;1817802]This has to be the grandest overgeneralization I have ever read. In fact very many Colombians identify with their Spanish heritage and harbor no ill towards the conquistadors (of whom I find repugnant), and many of the Colombians of indigenous blood are poor, and go to the ghetto in any country and ask for a detailed synopsis of their ancestral tree. Pfffffh.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Combo;1817829]I think mr Sparrow needs a job.[/QUOTE]My critique was right, wrong, overgeneralization, the Main Issue was; what can we learn from paisas (and North-Americans, since you guys are everywhere anyway), but just as a friend or beloved family member, you don't have to love every side of that persons personality.

What I love about Colombia is that people respect each others personal sphere and at least talk friendly and respectfully towards each other.

You don't have to feel anxiety over taking out a young girl to dinner (there are obvious social Laws of course, if you are 44 she is 22, I have never met an paisa that have had an issue with me, while at home even 40-30, can be socially stigmatized. Paisas respect your personal sphere! They mean Usted, when they say it! Gringos can't avoid being what they are, since they are "brainwashed" to be individual winners, and if not, you are a looser, what doesn't that say about a society, and the people that comes from it! Still I ask; what can we learn from the Americans, Canadians, and even the English, the self-proclaimed Masters Of The Universe.

In my view gringos are so cold that you never get a real friend among them, while I have a lot of paisa friends. For life!

Paisas, and other Latinos in other countries proclaimed, invented Spanish heritage, there badly invented stories, always ends up with that they come from anywhere but Colombia or Africa.

My Supercool friend, a Black Hot chick with a Ballet Dancers Body, which some of you guys must have met, maybe not had sex with, but certainly had out for dinner, she agrees with me 100%. She met new guys every weeks via dating-sites Cupid and Latin-€, but far from always have sex with those guys. She take pride being black, while she says many of her friends tries to avoid, deny the whole issue. I also have have 2 other black female friends, both young successful academics, that work for Afro-Americans rights and both will become, the older already already are, influent in this debate. To make that progressive work efficient and leading to improvements, people have stop to invent that they come from Spain!

I state it again, The Peruvians have come much further with this, now it's paisas turn to modernize their self-view, which would of course will create new conflicts, but nevertheless are necessary. A country that big, with so extremely big differences between rich, middle-class and poor, are doomed to fail, if they don't claim there rights, just like Black People did in 1960's in the US!

I add that my intel comes from academics, journalists, interviews with Colombians, etc. And I know and have worked with those professionals personally and among the paisas, I have friends for life!

Combo, are you a one of those Mansion guys? I work in Medellin since 2009, in Latin America since 2003, while You live in a golden prison that brings in 18-why-o girls, many of course on drugs. You don't speak Spanish, they don't speak English, age difference is on average 33 years. Nothing wrong in that since it's many guys only chance to get some value of there hard earned $, but you can't teach ME!

[QUOTE=MedellinGringo;1817823]It is quite difficult to find a Colombian that that will admit to even having any Indian heritage. The only question is are they in denial or just ignorant.[/QUOTE]I'm surprised you would say that considering all of the years you spent in Cali. There are many people in Cali that have Indian blood in them. Some of the most beautiful women there have Indian blood and are referred to as "una India" or " La India". No one hid the fact that they had an Indian heritage.

[QUOTE=CJackSparrow;1817950]My Supercool friend, a Black Hot chick with a Ballet Dancers Body, which some of you guys must have met, maybe not had sex with, but certainly had out for dinner, she agrees with me 100%. She met new guys every weeks via dating-sites Cupid and Latin-, but far from always have sex with those guys. She take pride being black, while she says many of her friends tries to avoid, deny the whole issue. I also have have 2 other black female friends, both young successful academics, that work for Afro-Americans rights and both will become, the older already already are, influent in this debate. To make that progressive work efficient and leading to improvements, people have stop to invent that they come from Spain![/QUOTE]Not to be too nit picky, but blacks in Colombia aren't referred to or considered Afro-Americans; they are Afro-Colombians, or of course in Spanish, Afro-Colombians.