4 Reasons Not to Live in Colombia

Hey, I lived in Colombia for 6 years. I liked it at first, but now I don't so I moved. Its great to visit on a shor-term basis, but these are the reasons I left and why noone should live there long-term

1. The Traffic Sucks: It took me 1.5 hours to commute to work back and forth, which would only take 20 minutes to drive through without traffic. Most people can't afford a car, so like me you will end up stuck on a bus crammed in with other people who are rude. There is no regard for safety and if you aren't robbed, you'll be lucky if you don't fall out of it while moving.

2. The Food Sucks: Don't read blogs that say the food is amazing because the are obviously liars. It's one thing to taste local cuisine on vacation, but actually eating the same empanadas and chicken with rice for years is no fun. The local menu is limited and if you live and work among Colombians you'll be forced to eat the same food because no one else can afford to go to the "fancy" restaurants with you to eat sushi.

3. The People Suck: If you read a blog about how the people in Bogota are friendly, this is a lie. They may be nice to you at first because your a tourist and only meet people at tourist attraction. These people are nice because they want your money. If you get a chance to actually work and deal with Colombians on a day-today basis, you'll see the bad side of their personality. Colombians are known for being cheap, rude, aggressive, unfaithful, liars, manipulative, and everything you see from the bad guys on Narcos. This is not a personal opinion, even Colombians will talk about how much Colombians and their country sucks.

4. Crime Sucks: Yes, people get robbed. They get robbed all the time. Don't believe they hype that says "Colombia has changed. It's not dangerous anymore." Colombia has a lot of petty crime and crime has actually increased over the last year because of inflation and internal refugees.

Graffiti in Bogota: Colombian Street Art

Street art and graffiti in Colombia is very popular. We have been able to attract a lot of international attention and even visiting street artis have painted here because of that. The best place to see graffiti in Colombia is in Bogota, Medellin, and Cali. The urban infrastructure provides a lot of places artist can paint. Also, in some places it is even legal.

A guide to street art in Colombia can be found in the urban lifestyle magazine named Cartel Urbano. Here you can see a varied oa photo galleries and articles aboput street art in Bogota. For example, read this article about a local graffiti artist:

DMENTAL GRAFFITI ESTÁ DE ANIVERSARIO

You know you´re a Colombian if...

After living here for a while, you start to adapt to the lifestyle here. Things that you would not have thought of doing before, you will start to do. When you do it, you start to feel like a real Colombia.

You know you are a Colombian if...

• you can sleep like a baby on a bouncing bus.
  After you get used to the bumps it kinda feels like you are sleeping in a rocking share and actually is relaxing.
• you consider yourself on time when you are 5-15 minutes late.You will be surprised how punctual you have become all of a sudden. hahaha.
• your first thought for hangover food is caldo de costilla (rib broth).
• you favorite quick snack is empanada and coke.
• you can just have a coffee or orange juice as breakfast.
• you can live off $10 in one day and make your budget stretch to the end of the month.
• you are usually poor the last week of the month.

Bogota Street Style / Fashion

One of the first things tourist notice about Bogota is the way that people dress here. It is different because it is a mix of street fashion, traditional clothes, urban, punk, and conservative. Also, the weather has a large influence on how people dress. For example, the rain causes a big trend of people wearing boots and leather jackets. Even if the person is not a wanna-be hipster or punk, black leather boots and jackets are worn by all.

Another thing tourist notice is that people wear mostly dark colors. You will only see bright colors on the coast of Colombia because they are considred tropical colors. One of my friends form the USA arrived wearing a red hoodie and immediatly felt out of place!

Since a lot of expensive, American, and high-fashion brands are out of reach for most people because of price or availability, street fashion is a unique mix of affordable clothes that is mostly influenced by personal style -- not brands. Though recently, some brands have focused on Colombian fashion and has impacted style via their advertising and marketing campaigns. Success stories of fashion brands penetrating the Colombian market are Adidas and Doc Martins.

A great photo gallery of Bogota street style can be seen on the Cartel Urbano Magazine website.







Bogota street style trends for 2013 and 2014 are:

• Jackets (because of the weather)
• Lots of black
• Fashion sneakers like Nike and Converse shoes
• 90s fashion and accessories (earings)
• Punk / grunge
• Platform shoes over high heels for women
• Designer t-shirts
• Leggings and fashion tights (noone walks around with bare legs!)
• Hipster style sweaters
• Highschool varsity jackets
• Leather boots and jackets
• Anything Adidas

How To Make a Colombian Mad

Depending on the culture, it may surprise you which things can make someone mad in another country. Here are some things that are surprisngly rude in Colombia, which may lead to you accidently making them mad.

• Refusing candy: Colombians love candy and anything sweet. As a result, eating dessert and candy throught the day is a common habit. However, if you are a foreigner and not used to eating so much sweets, you will not be tempted to eat it.

• Ignoring them: In Bogota, people are more conforntational than usual. For example, random people on the street or in public will make comments about you. Whether it is what you are wearing or a casual insult, they make comments that are indirect, but knowing that you can hear them. If you are Colombian, it is normal to engage in a verbal dispute, but if you really want to make someone mad, just ignore them and they get even more irritated.

• Not saying hello or good-bye: Greetings such as buenos dias is reguired in the morning. Especially if you are in a work environment. Say a general good morning to everyone no matter what! If not, you will be considered rude. 

• Not having small bills/change: You will constantly be asked to for smaller bills or coins when paying for items. Because of this, you are expected to make an effort to have exact change. Therefore, when you have no other opton but to pay with large bills, you will get attitude or an eye-roll from the cashier. This especially makes taxi drivers mad!

• Slamming taxi doors: This may seem strange, but it happens a lot to foreigners because of an interesting insight. Cars in the USA a larger than the taxi cars here, so the doors are heavier. As a result, Americans who are used to closing heavy doors, tend to slam the tiny lightweight doors here. Though not done on purpose, it still makes taxi drivers mad.

La Calera - Drinking & Eating On Top of a Mountain

Going out to eat in Colombia is not only about the food. It also includes a unique cultural experience. Because of this, some of the best places to experience Colombia combine great food with a fun atmosphere. Whether you start with a dinner that transforms into an all­-night party or have breakfast with a view of the city, Bogota has a variety of dining experiences that are perfect for every type of traveler.

Try a one of these while you are there.

Brunch in La Calera 

For those who want to try Colombian coffee over brunch, the best places to go are the roadside restaurants on the way to La Calera. La Calera is a town in the mountains 15 minutes outside of Bogota, but locals go there for afternoon drives to see the amazing views of the city over a hot breakfast or lunch. There you will see couples or families enjoying a typical sunny day in Bogota while getting a quick bite to eat on the way to their next destination.



Along the road to La Calera, expect to find several places to get a traditional Colombian breakfast that includes huevos pericos (Colombian scrambled eggs), bread, juice, coffee or hot chocolate. Meanwhile, street food is perfect for an afternoon snack such as mazorca (grilled corn on the cobb) and empanadas. If it is a cold day, warm up with a canelazo. This hot and alcoholic drink is a mix of aguardiente, aguapanela, and cinnamon. Any of these meals are a great way to take in the views during a relaxing weekend.

This is your view while brunching in La Calera.

Colombian Personality Traits

Growing up in Colombia builds in personality traits and habits that are learned since childhood. I have noticed this recently just by observing parents with their children. If you do so, there is an obvious difference in how Americans and Colombians are raised. As a result, this child rearing causes Colombians to have similar personality traits.

Nice stereotypical image to talk about stereotypes.

Besides the cultural stereotypes of partying, happy, people; here are some not as obvious traits:

1. Very Clean:

Colombians are very clean. For example, they take at least 1 if not more showers per day. A lot of people brush their teeth after lunch and have spotless apartments. In contrast, anyone that is familiar with American or European culture can agree that other countries are not as clean when it comes to showers and apartments. Just look at American college dorm rooms -- they are always gross.

I think this could be because of the fact that a lot of people are raised with maids and just get into the habit of having everything clean. Also, because Colombians care a lot about outer appearance and so it is another way to look good in front of others. Also, while observing a mother and child, I noticed that the child was not allowed to play in the dirt while in America it is ok for gets to get dirty. As some may know the American expression, “God made dirt, dirt can’t hurt”.

2. Good at Negotiating & Business:

This definitely applies to Paisas, but in general Colombians are good at negotiating and at business. Whether it is negotiating with street vendors or starting a new business, Colombians have an entrepreneurial spirit that has lead to a lot of growth in the country. I think this may be about the level of poverty as they are willing to do anything to make money and becomes a habit over time when learning these skills form other Colombians. Also, may be because there is no government social support for the unemployed, meaning that learning how to hustles is a live skill that can help in times of need.

3. Polite, Yet Fake:

I have seen a lot of articles about Colombia saying that Colombians are extremely polite and happy people. It may appear like that to a foreigner who is here for a short time, but if you really live here, you notice that the politeness can be a facade. It is a facade because while that may be polite to your face, they also are known for talking behind peoples back and being fake.

This happens especially in the work environment where you get along with everyone, but then later realize that there have been people making complaints about you. Be careful, because in the workplace people often are very competitive and will try to get you fired or take your job -- probably for the same reason as #2.