A Colombiana in the desert...

[alex915]

Hello again,

I've been considering visiting Colombia.  I'm really, REALLY digging the look of a Paisa woman.  After reading the "State of Colombia in regards to Finding a serious partner" thread, several questions popped into my head so I humbly request the community's thoughts on them.

Like my subject says, what are the chances of having a Colombiana happily live in a completely different environment than what she's used to?  Not only social, but economic and climatic.

CLIMATE:
I've never been to Colombia (but I'd like to!  ) but it being close to the equator I would image that it has temperate climate.  Like I mentioned in my intro thread, I live in the West Texas desert, which has kind of harsh climate, with temps in the winter constantly dipping past the freezing mark at night and blistering, dry heat that can get up well into the 100s in the summer.  I would imagine that the majority of Colombianas would be interested in moving to a place like Florida.  But like I said, I live in the desert.  Those of you with Colombian wives, how have they handled the climate change?


SOCIAL:
This might be pure stereotype but it would seem to me that Colombians are a happy, happening people who live in places that are hustling and bustling at all times (like I remember Mexico City being).  Where I live, it's an American city where there are attractions and things to do, of course, but the people are American in their ways:  keeping to themselves, go to work and don't mess with others (at least I am!)  It doesn't have the hustle and bustle of a LA city.  Also, I don't know how many Colombian people there are here in town (or if there is a community here).  How well have your wives adapted to your neck of the woods?


ECONOMIC:
It was mentioned that there is really no middle class.  I'm middle class.  Social class doesn't really matter to me (as long as she's a good one) but I do know that women marry up.  But like I said, I'm middle class.  I'm not rich.  I cannot provide a lavish lifestyle (nor would I want to, even if I had the money).  Any middle class people like me have any experience in this area?

Thanks all in advance for your responses.

[Gato4Astrid]

CLIMATE:
I've never been to Colombia (but I'd like to!  ) but it being close to the equator I would image that it has temperate climate. ........................................  Those of you with Colombian wives, how have they handled the climate change?

You are looking for a Paisa (= Medellin)?  Right?  Medellin is far from being a desert!  It has spring weather but this year, it rains almost everyday which is little colder.   Medellin is probably colder than West Texas!!

Medellin has about 1,400 metres above sea level which is why it is cooler than most of other cities (except for Bogota which has 2,600 metres).   There are no polar bears in sight though...

[JimD]

It is almost inevitable that the Colombian women you meet will be from the major cities and so you will meet "city girls". They fit right in in Miami or even much colder New York. The challange might not be so much the weather as the fact that Colombians always like to be around lots of people. They would suck at being homesteaders out on the lonely plains for example. Something to think about.

[Researcher]

  Climate: My wife is from Bogota and we live in the South Eastern US.The summers are hot and muggy here and he has adjusted ok to it.In the winter she freezes me out.I like to use heat when it is cold and unless you can see your breath, she won't turn on any heat! She had a friend here from Medellin who never used the air conditioning in her car during the summer.Instead she would just open the windows while she was driving.My wife baked when they went somewhere.

  Social: JimD is correct.These folks are very sociable.In this small town we live in I thought it would be a problem for my wife but she found the "Hispanic Circle" and it has been non-stop birthday parties and gatherings.Unless you live in a totally desolate area, I think a Colombiana will find Spanish speaking people.

  Economic:My wife hasn't changed since she has been here.She didn't expect a lavish lifestyle(thank goodness).

   Researcher 

[utopiacowboy]

My wife is from Medellin and we live in the Texas Hill Country. In the winter it gets colder than she likes but she handles it ok. As for adjusting, anywhere in Texas there are Mexicans (Spanish Mass) and learning English is optional. My wife has a good job with Toyota as a production supervisor and believe me, her English is marginal. My wife lived an upper middle class life in Colombia and she is quite content here.

[JimD]

She´s lived with you in the US for five years and her English is still marginal? That´s a shame and should serve as a heads up to other gringos who think that after an English course in Colombia their wives will arrive on their doorsteps almost fully biligual and ready to integrate into daily life stateside. I know I guy who married a caleña with several kids and after six years in the US she still couldn´t go grocery shopping at the local supermarket chain by herself. ´Course I also know gringos who have been in Colombia the same length of time and still can´t understand they´re being asked if the have Puntos Exitos in the checkout line. I think the reality is that the number of people be they Colombian or North American who have a talent for or genuine interest in learning new languages is very very small.

[whitey]

Course I also know gringos who have been in Colombia the same length of time and still can´t understand they´re being asked if the have Puntos Exitos in the checkout line. 

Is that what they're asking?!  Damn, I thought they wanted my phone number ... 

[utopiacowboy]

She´s lived with you in the US for five years and her English is still marginal? That´s a shame and should serve as a heads up to other gringos who think that after an English course in Colombia their wives will arrive on their doorsteps almost fully biligual and ready to integrate into daily life stateside. I know I guy who married a caleña with several kids and after six years in the US she still couldn´t go grocery shopping at the local supermarket chain by herself. ´Course I also know gringos who have been in Colombia the same length of time and still can´t understand they´re being asked if the have Puntos Exitos in the checkout line. I think the reality is that the number of people be they Colombian or North American who have a talent for or genuine interest in learning new languages is very very small.

Actually it's worse than that. She has lived here for seven years. South Texas being South Texas, an inability to speak English does not prevent anyone from doing anything here. I think you are absolutely right about the linguistic abilities of most people.

[michaelb]

My wife became a U.S. citizen about a year ago, I think it was a year ago last September. She studied the history and government stuff (in Spanish). Rather surprised me that she passed the English, but even at that, I still wouldn't call her proficient.

[JimD]

Actually it's worse than that. She has lived here for seven years. South Texas being South Texas, an inability to speak English does not prevent anyone from doing anything here. I think you are absolutely right about the linguistic abilities of most people.

In that case I would say if her life is well rounded and she´s happy and you´re happy then so what. Who needs English.

[El Escéptico]

You are looking for a Paisa (= Medellin)?  Right?  Medellin is far from being a desert!  It has spring weather but this year, it rains almost everyday which is little colder.   Medellin is probably colder than West Texas!!

Medellin has about 1,400 metres above sea level which is why it is cooler than most of other cities (except for Bogota which has 2,600 metres).   There are no polar bears in sight though...

Medellin colder then West Texas.... YOUR'RE KIDDING RIGHT?

[utopiacowboy]

Medellin colder then West Texas.... YOUR'RE KIDDING RIGHT?

I'm glad that I wasn't the only one who noticed that. In some ways the comment is correct, in some ways not. West Texas is subject to climate extremes, even in summer the temperature can vary from over a 100 in the day to 60 at night. In the winter, arctic fronts can bring ice and snow. Medellin has a very even spring-like climate which is quite the opposite of West Texas.   

[AndyLee]

You bring up some very interesting questions and lots of good ideas. In my opinion Colombians seem to adapt to climate just as we Americans do. I lived in the mid-west, New England and mid-Atlantic all my life now I am retired in a small village near Pereira, Colombia in a climate somewhat similar to Medellin. This year-round spring-like climate is one of my big reasons for being here. I have Colombian friends who have lived many years in Canada, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Texas, New York, Virginia, etc. They all say pretty much the same thing, "you just learn to dress for the weather and deal with it". West Texas has a harsh climate, but so does Montreal and Toronto. One Colombiana I met lived several years in International Falls, Minnesota, arguably the coldest city in the US. She returned to Colombia two years ago and she still misses Minnesota!
There are definite social classes in Colombia just as in the US. In the small village where I live there appear to be 4 classes; 1. somewhat undesirable sorts like prostitutes and perpetually under-educated and un-employed, 2. campesinos and farm workers, 3. shop workers, store clerks, 4. shop owners, farm owners, educators, professions, most of whom are "middle class" and some of whom are probably "rich upper class". I have dated Colombian women in categories 3 and 4 and found them to be similar in many ways to American women when it comes to financial expectations. They aren't necessarily looking for "rich" but they do want to see some financial stability in their man.
It seems to me that if you marry a Colombiana with a similar educational and social background to yours that she would be happy living a normal middle class life in West Texas.
For two years I lived on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in a little city of Middletown, Delaware, population about 30,000. There were two Catholic churches offering Spanish Mass several times each week. I attended Spanish mass at both churches occasionally and each had a couple hundred people at each mass with a coffee and donut social after the service. Great place for networking with the Spanish speaking people. They were from several different countries.
I heard recently there are 2,000,000 Colombians living in the United States. It seems then that if half of those are women then that's proof enough that a Colombiana can adapt to life in the US.
One thing I will say about my Colombiana friends in the US is that they have all become Americanized. Which means they put on weight, spend more money and demand more from their men after they have lived in the US for a while and see how the American women live and act. This isn't all bad, of course, just something to keep in mind when you bring your Colombiana to the US.