General Info

[QUOTE=Socker; 1528785]In the states you can't put a significant amount of money in the bank and watch it grow legally. By significant I mean adding funds over a 5 year period that will accumulate.

If I don't have the answer to the government requirements on income tax laws then I can't exactly encourage a hooker to save her money. Oh well, life goes on.

Independent Contractor I guess would do it. What would the tax liability be from a cash business / independent contractor. Does a independent contractor need a license? If prostitution is legal then they should have a right to declare income. Someone should about know this.

Thanks Manizalles, great info.[/QUOTE][url]Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Colombia[/url]

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Colombia[/url]

[url]http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/extortion-rate-colombia-billion[/url]

The systems that we have in America are nothing like in Colombia and none of this applies. The tax system starts at the upper class level and none of these girls are affected by it. The taxes are put into goods people buy and sell everyday along with the commodity businesses and import / export businesses. Extortion is also becoming more of an issue in Colombia over the past few years.

The far majority of the working girls you meet come from poor barrios. There is a severe financial strain in the poor neighborhoods of Colombia. The government is happy to watch these girls make their money and go quietly. The government and upper class will get their hands on it at some point anyway.

Also, Prostitution is not exactly legal. Every time you take a working girl to your room you are breaking the law. But don't worry because there are no laws in Colombia. Discretion and respect are all that matters. Just like with the small quantities of drugs law. In Colombia every possible law is being broken in an extreme way and at a high rate.

[QUOTE=Vegas Jeff; 1528830][url]Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Colombia[/url]

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Colombia[/url]

[url]http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/extortion-rate-colombia-billion[/url]

The systems that we have in America are nothing like in Colombia and none of this applies. The tax system starts at the upper class level and none of these girls are affected by it. The taxes are put into goods people buy and sell everyday along with the commodity businesses and import / export businesses. Extortion is also becoming more of an issue in Colombia over the past few years.

The far majority of the working girls you meet come from poor barrios. There is a severe financial strain in the poor neighborhoods of Colombia. The government is happy to watch these girls make their money and go quietly. The government and upper class will get their hands on it at some point anyway.

Also, Prostitution is not exactly legal. Every time you take a working girl to your room you are breaking the law. But don't worry because there are no laws in Colombia. Discretion and respect are all that matters. Just like with the small quantities of drugs law. In Colombia every possible law is being broken in an extreme way and at a high rate.[/QUOTE]Thanks Jeff, I should have done that myself but my brain is pretty scrambled. Appreciate you walking me thru this.

The income rates look similar to the US tax rates but I don't understand what this means, UTV[5].

Income Range in UVT[5] Tax Rate.

0 to 1, 090[3] ..... 0%

1, 090 to 1, 700 .....19%

1, 700 to 4, 100 ..... 28%

4, 100 .....33%

I assume it is the rate of income and the % of tax that should be paid.

So if the chica's making 600, 000p per week that adds up to 2, 4000, 000p a month. She could declare a quarter of that and be on the radar of the goveenment and be able to save 20% of her income.

Does that make sense for the system down there?

I think this would be good advice taken or not.

WShat do you think?

"Normal" prositution seems to be legal.

[url]http://prostitution.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000772[/url]#Colombia.

[QUOTE=Vegas Jeff; 1528830][url]Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Colombia[/url]

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Colombia[/url]

[url]http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/extortion-rate-colombia-billion[/url]

The systems that we have in America are nothing like in Colombia and none of this applies. The tax system starts at the upper class level and none of these girls are affected by it. The taxes are put into goods people buy and sell everyday along with the commodity businesses and import / export businesses. Extortion is also becoming more of an issue in Colombia over the past few years.

The far majority of the working girls you meet come from poor barrios. There is a severe financial strain in the poor neighborhoods of Colombia. The government is happy to watch these girls make their money and go quietly. The government and upper class will get their hands on it at some point anyway.

Also, Prostitution is not exactly legal. Every time you take a working girl to your room you are breaking the law. But don't worry because there are no laws in Colombia. Discretion and respect are all that matters. Just like with the small quantities of drugs law. In Colombia every possible law is being broken in an extreme way and at a high rate.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=C Jack Sparrow; 1529342]"Normal" prositution seems to be legal.

[url]http://prostitution.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000772[/url]

#Colombia.[/QUOTE]Yes it is.

I got the tax info too.

Apreciate the info.

I've spent a lot of time in Colombia in the last 5 years, but my Spanish is still malo. I agree it is imperative to speak a decent level of Spanish. For those that have acquired that envious ability, what are the suggestions for the best way to learn to speak decent Paisa?

I've thought about classes at EAFIT or elsewhere, and their are a number of computer programs.

What is the best, amigos?

[QUOTE=Legal Tender; 1530088]I've spent a lot of time in Colombia in the last 5 years, but my Spanish is still malo. I agree it is imperative to speak a decent level of Spanish. For those that have acquired that envious ability, what are the suggestions for the best way to learn to speak decent Paisa?

I've thought about classes at EAFIT or elsewhere, and their are a number of computer programs.

What is the best, amigos?[/QUOTE] I've learned over the years that in learning to speak a foreign language, everyone learns differently.

What works well for some, may not necessarily work well for others.

For me personally, the classroom environment just moved way to slow and boring, usually teaching to the lowest common denominator.

One thing for sure is, if you really want to learn a foreign language, you have to make it a priority.

Whether you learn better through books and / or CDs, classroom, tutor, Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur, etc; you most definitely have to practice practice practice.

I remember when I first started visiting Latin America back in the 90's.

I fell in love with the latinas but couldn't speak to them. Frustrating for sure.

I've heard countless gringos say,"oh soon I'm going to learn spanish", and they're still saying it.
You really have to make the real decision to actually do it.

Some guys learn Tour Guide, Phrase book spanish.

I didn't want that to be me.

So I bought a concise guide to spanish grammar (no need to over-complicate at first)(I still remember the name of the book was Easy Learning Spanish Grammar), a verb conjugation book and of course a dictionary, and I practiced and made a fool out of myself for sure, but I learned.

I think you should study and practice every day, even if for only 20 minutes.

You have to keep your mind in it, especially when first starting out.

Find what media works best for you personally in learning a language, then actually jump into it, practice and make it a priority.

[QUOTE=Ricker; 1530292]I've learned over the years that in learning to speak a foreign language, everyone learns differently.

What works well for some, may not necessarily work well for others.

For me personally, the classroom environment just moved way to slow and boring, usually teaching to the lowest common denominator.

One thing for sure is, if you really want to learn a foreign language, you have to make it a priority.

Whether you learn better through books and / or CDs, classroom, tutor, Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur, etc; you most definitely have to practice practice practice.

I remember when I first started visiting Latin America back in the 90's.

I fell in love with the latinas but couldn't speak to them. Frustrating for sure.

I've heard countless gringos say,"oh soon I'm going to learn spanish", and they're still saying it.

You really have to make the real decision to actually do it.

Some guys learn Tour Guide, Phrase book spanish.

I didn't want that to be me.

So I bought a concise guide to spanish grammar (no need to over-complicate at first) I still remember the name of the book was Easy Learning Spanish Grammar) , a verb conjugation book and of course a dictionary, and I practiced and made a fool out of myself for sure, but I learned.

I think you should study and practice every day, even if for only 20 minutes.

You have to keep your mind in it, especially when first starting out.

Find what media works best for you personally in learning a language, then actually jump into it, practice and make it a priority.[/QUOTE]

I have been studying for 3 + years and am still not fluid in conversation and this hurts my confidence. During my time in Med and when I got back home I was a little down because I wasn't laughing and joking it up w / the ladies like I really want to. So I thought this is impossible, I just can't learn, it's too hard. But when I got back I thought, nope, now I'm really going to try and now it is easy for me and every latino I hang w / that I am indeed getting better. The only way to fail is to stop trying. You can take time off periodically (from learning) but soon after you have to restart.

One of the reasons I am a slow learner is that I don't like to impose my bad spanish on spanish speakers. Some enjoy helping and others dread it. Some know how to help and some want to help but have no clue of how to. In Colombia I have found that the locals ARE really good at helping and like it that you are taking an interest in their language and culture. The mansion chicas for the most part would rather you learn before coming down jaja. I don't fault them for this, they are only interested in partying and our money, nothing more.

But they're vibrant and easy to be w / so of course you want to laugh and joke and show them whatever it is you've got that particular day. They are good buddies while you're paying, I love them.

I love the culture of latin America too. The food, the latinas, the dance, the country, the spirit and people in general. You can't enjoy it too much unless you can communicate in spanish.

So my first year of learning was w / a $20 tutor I met once a week at the city library. He was very good and got me started on the right path. Since then I rely on my favorite book, Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish (w / illustrations by Andy Warhol) pub. 1951. This book has everything in an easy to digest formula. I have it w / me all the time. I highly recommend it for learning casual conversation and more. It is the best book I've ever owned.

Next listen to latin music and TV w / english captions. Force yourself to speak to other spanish speakers in spanish, this is the fast lane to learning. For me I don't want to go thru the hassle (most times) but you have to go thru it to learn. The next conversation will be easier.

The hardest part now is listening and then responding. Jaja, sometimes it will take me 30 seconds to reply a simple yes (si). It can be very embarrassing too, like driving a car w / no reverse. I hate looking stupid but that is part of the process.

I started at 58 and now I'm closing in on 62 so my age doesn't help me but I don't give a shit about how statistically I'm at a disadvantage. I am learning and every week I hear or say something I couldn't a week prior. Learning espanol is probably harder then learning to play the piano so that motivates me too. Will learning spanish elevate me in the eyes of these chicas? Hell no but at least I can laugh at their jokes about me. :)

Ricker is spot on again. You have to make it a priority in your life. After that it's probably like riding a bike.

Here's the book that has really helped me.

[quote=legal tender; 1530088]i've spent a lot of time in colombia in the last 5 years, but my spanish is still malo. i agree it is imperative to speak a decent level of spanish. for those that have acquired that envious ability, what are the suggestions for the best way to learn to speak decent paisa?

i've thought about classes at eafit or elsewhere, and their are a number of computer programs.

what is the best, amigos?[/quote]i don't post much but thought i'd add to this. i studied spanish for many years, tried several methods and what worked best for me was starting with the basics at first, learning the structure of the language itself. my goal was to become fluent. the masc / fem is simple in theory but can trip you up along the way. also the simple verb tenses can be daunting at first but once you have these basic tenses down you can apply them to "most" all other words.

i agree with ricker that classes are very slow. unless you need hand holding or are at the very very beginning are a waste of time. you can learn more on your own. also what he said about making the decision to really do it is so true. you'll only go as far as you put into it and it will take you a couple of years realistically to have some good comfortable basics.

what worked for me in the beginning:

books.

1) english / spanish dictionary, a must.

2) margarita madrigal's key to spanish.

very old book that will teach you the structure of the language. indispensable.

and then later,

3) spanish verbs: ser and estar.

and then later,

4) 5001 spanish verbs, this is a reference guide mostly which will help you advance once you have the basic language down.

5) i also bought some basic workbooks where i would fill in the blanks etc. just for an additional push.

in my opinion the advanced verbs are the hardest grammatical thing to learn. i spoke in the present and past tense only for years until i learned to use the advanced verb tenses, which i still don't understand all of them.

vocabulary.

learn even a word a day. over time your vocabulary will grow. you'll need it. you hear a word and wonder what that is in spanish. look it up, write it down, repeat it in your head. keep this up regularly forever.

comprehension.

the hardest part by far for me is understanding it when spoken to. you'll run across all kinds of accents, dialects and voices that it's overwhelming. i still struggle with this. strangely i find female voices easier to understand. (good thing ).

another tool i used was to listen to songs, watched spanish movies, and read spanish newspapers. songs you can get the words to and follow along while listening. this really helps a lot. movies with subtitles is also good. i learned a lot by watching betty la fea back in the day. no subtitles but the bogota accent is fairly easy to understand and it was fun watching, stupid but fun.

colombians are pretty easy to understand, even the costeños. spaniards are by far the hardest, for me anyway because of their pronunciation and sheer speed of delivery. mexicans are also hard for me.

imersion.

you got to actually use it. you will offend people. i once told a girl in argentina, my cute argentine co-worker, that i wanted to sleep with her tomorrow all the while thinking i was just asking her to hang out tomorrow. i would have never thought that that simple phrase would ever mean that. i was there for work and this didn't go over well. i couldn't figure out why she gave me the stink eye (the bad kind) and avoided me over the next few days until i left. when i got back i asked a native spanish speaker and then realized. embarrassing.

5 years of this and if someone who doesn't speak spanish heard me speak they would think i am fluent, but i still struggle. mostly with the comprehension. it's been 10 years now and i don't study that much anymore, stopped the big effort 5 years ago but still pick away at it, and i leave the dictionary at home but i still write things down and ask people how to speak certain things.

i have a friend, use to go to ctg together all the time and he pretty much only speaks in the present tense."yo voy a la playa ayer"."i went to the beach yesterday". totally wrong but the girls get it and they understand. even the travel agent there could comprehend him and no jokes / giggles about his lingo so you don't have to be a master, just depends on what your goals are.

here's a tip though, some hindsight. when you start learning some and you are anxious to use it but you're at home and you don't really need it. you'll be tempted to start ordering your fast food in spanish, or chat with the gardner or the cute latina chick cashier at the whatever business. go ahead but what i've found is that this annoys them. they'll play along and be polite but use sparingly. better to ask them if you can use spanish with them for practice. just my experience.

there's also the slang. be careful. it varies from dialect to country etc. some slang and curse words can really get you into trouble, or really embarrassed even if you mean it as an off the cuff comment.

in short, there's no one method for everyone, and no single method. you'll need to be able to read, speak, hear, and know what you saying and hearing. in my opinion one should use multiple methods at once for a more rounded understanding.

i'm not an expert by far, but have managed to be able to learn quite a bit and in common everyday conversation i can get by easily anywhere.

I took two years in High School, have spoken in work situations and in travel for the last thirty years, and just finished two semesters of University level Spanish, and here's the secret: Bing Translator. Look- pick up Rosetta Stone or go pick up a class at your local community college for the basics, then start using it. There's all kinds of things that will make your Spanish better, but the only thing that will make you fluent is immersion and long-time use. You have to move past the point that you're translating from S to E in your head and actually think (and dream) in Spanish. I'm just getting to where I can do it sometimes. Bolonga and all the others have some great tips and I"the say they'll all help you Polish your delivery, but here's the best one- fall in love with a spanish speaking girl. I don't mean screw around, I mean fall in love. Once it's important enough, you'll figure it out.

So Socker PM's me this.

[QUOTE=Socker]Maybe you can follow all of my post and clarify what I said. That would be very helpful to all the board members here.

I am honored.[/QUOTE]Socker, your post wasn't there as I was writing mine up and it's straight out of my head, not your post. We were writing ours up at the same time but you posted yours first. I did read yours though and it seems like we have similar paths in learning, which in my mind means it's probably good advice.

So, Socker, maybe you can not insult people who are lending something positive to the board.

Drugs here are decriminalized but not fully legalized. Posession of up to a certain amount on the street is legal. They can't come into your place and bust you without a warrant obtained by probable cause that you are dealing. But you also can't just smoke a joint on the street and blow it in a cops place. Consuming in a public places is still illegal, and it's a more serious charge if there are minors in view. If they catch people 420ing in a bar, they will permanently shut the bar down. There are of course places where LEO doesn't go.

The banking system here is completely different than the US. It can be hard or impossible to even open a bank account, depending on which bank you deal with. Colombian credit cards don't work at all like US ones. They aren't revolving credit, you have to pay them back on stricter terms. Interest rates are higher, both for taking out loans and for getting interest on your accounts, but they are plummeting just like everywhere else in the world. A lot of things like bankruptcy rules are very different too. A business that has debts equal to more than 50% of its assets can be considered legally bankrupt here. And developers have to have 70% of units sold before they can break ground on a new project, which is why pre-construction apartments are such good deals here.

[QUOTE=Bologna;1530385]you don't have to be a master, just depends on what your goals are.[/QUOTE]Hi Bologna, thanks for the tips. I am trying to learn some Spanish for my first trip to Dominican Republic next January. I'll order Madrigal's book from amazon. Com and already delved into Spanish for Dummies. I've also joined dominicancupid. Com and have gotten some "hits" from some busty beauties there who only speak Spanish so that is my motivation: to able to converse with some Dominican beauties who I hope to bang when I am there.

[QUOTE=Bologna; 1530458]So Socker PM's me this.

Socker, your post wasn't there as I was writing mine up and it's straight out of my head, not your post. We were writing ours up at the same time but you posted yours first. I did read yours though and it seems like we have similar paths in learning, which in my mind means it's probably good advice.

So, Socker, maybe you can not insult people who are lending something positive to the board.[/QUOTE]

Baloney,


Because you don't seem to have any original thoughts you should stick w / very infrequent posting. Your post mirrors my post almost verbatim so what am I suppose to think except that you are rewriting my thoughts on the subject, like a freaking schoolmarm who needs to correct others and has zero character. At first I thought you were just a schoolmarm (maybe well intended) but now I think you're a loser. You're a wuss that could not reply via pm about your

Plagerism. You think exposing my sarcastic pm will garner you credit. Bro, that's exactly what you need is credit or credibility.

You could of PMed me but you're a misguided wuss. That's my opinion and you can rewrite it if you like.

[QUOTE=Socker; 1530772]Baloney,

Because you don't seem to have any original thoughts you should stick w / very infrequent posting. Your post mirrors my post almost verbatim so what am I suppose to think except that you are rewriting my thoughts on the subject, like a freaking schoolmarm who needs to correct others and has zero character. At first I thought you were just a schoolmarm (maybe well intended) but now I think you're a loser. You're a wuss that could not reply via pm about your

Plagerism. You think exposing my sarcastic pm will garner you credit. Bro, that's exactly what you need is credit or credibility.

You could of PMed me but you're a misguided wuss. That's my opinion and you can rewrite it if you like.[/QUOTE]Amigos, please, sounds like a Kindergarten class.

We've all had similar experiences in learning the language, and unique experiences and perspectives as well.

Really.

[QUOTE=Socker; 1530772]Baloney,

Because you don't seem to have any original thoughts you should stick w / very infrequent posting. Your post mirrors my post almost verbatim so what am I suppose to think except that you are rewriting my thoughts on the subject, like a freaking schoolmarm who needs to correct others and has zero character. At first I thought you were just a schoolmarm (maybe well intended) but now I think you're a loser. You're a wuss that could not reply via pm about your

Plagerism. You think exposing my sarcastic pm will garner you credit. Bro, that's exactly what you need is credit or credibility.

You could of PMed me but you're a misguided wuss. That's my opinion and you can rewrite it if you like.[/QUOTE]Lighten up man, it's posts / insults like that, that discourage people to stick around this forum. Just ignore my posts then amigo.