Medellín Trip Report

[Avispa]

Recently I spent a month in Medellin attending a semi-intensive Spanish course at EAFIT.
I stayed at one of the hostels, which turned out to be a good decision. I got to meet people from all over the world, and at 43, I wasn't the oldest guy there.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the Spanish course at EAFIT.  I guess it was a new age type of approach. No vocabulary, no grammar, no verb drills. Instead, we got to play Scrabble in Spanish, watch a Colombian movie, read newspaper articles and comment on them. Lots of conversation.  Basically, total immersion. The instructor never spoke in English. I was in level 4, but I talked to someone in level 1 , and it was the same thing. It wasn't what I expected. At my level, I need more vocabulary and verbs. I talked to several other students and the criticism was shared. A Turkish businessman in my class stated he would not be taking another course at EAFIT because he needed to learn Spanish. I will admit, my comprehension improved somewhat. I'd find myself in conversations with people at times where I didn't understand the words, but I understood what they were trying to say.

Spanish ability is vital here. Here's a sample conversation in Parque Lleras.
Colombiana: rapid spanish, rapid spanish, rapid spanish, entendiste?
Me: No
Colombiana: rapid spanish, rapid spanish, rapid spanish, entendiste?
Me: No
It's gets frustrating after a while. And I was frustrated the course at EAFIT was a waste.

I've spent time in Bogota, and now Medellin. I prefer Bogota, I just wish it was at the same altitude as Medellin.
In my opinion, cachacas are more attractive. More Indian heritage. Paisas have pretty much straight European derivation.
And with the high carb diet, the chunkiness factor is approaching US levels. In fact I saw several cases of morbidly obese people, the kind you frequently see driving their scooters around Walmarts in the old south of the US.

Contrary to popular myth, Paisas are not easy. You need a fair degree of fluency in Spanish and good social skillz. I saw a lot of my younger backpacker buddies striking out. An advantage to staying at a hostel was the ability to join up with a group of foreigners heading out. It’s easier to socialize. Everyone is in their own little group. You  never see single, lone women.
They can be somewhat stand offish. Life is not that bad here. The climate is perfect. Most women have no interest in dropping everything and moving to the US. In fact, I talked with one woman who had lived in Miami a year, but had to return because she missed her parents too much.
If you are planning on living in Medellin, it’s a different story. All the foreigners I met who were living there, were satisfactorily hooked up.

The big disco in town is called Mangos. It wasn’t to my liking at all. It was decorated in a kind of Wild West motiff, with the waitstaff  dressed in cowboy garb. It didn’t work for me. I don’t travel to Colombia  to experience American kitsch. The live entertainment included a Michael Jackson impersonator, and a dance routine to the Charlie Daniel’s song, the Devil went down to Georgia.
There were good looking women there, but most were prepago. Paid girlfriends of Mafiosi. I started a conversation with one gorgeous, model type. After a few minutes I noticed this older Colombiano staring daggers at me from a few seats away. I chose that moment to hit the bathroom.

I befriended a pair of sisters who drove me around to the various sights. Pueblito paisa gives you a 360 degree panoramic view of the city.  If at all possible go to one of the miradors above the city at night. You need someone to drive you, but the view of the city is spectacular.
Also, El Peñol out in the countryside is fantastic. We went on a Sunday, and stopped at several of the small towns of Antioquia. I loved it. You get to see the real Colombia. Sidewalk cafes with horses tied to railings.

Medellin may not be the best place for this process. For example, the sisters I hung out with both have good jobs, one owns a car, and are way too close to their family to leave the country. However, I would consider living there myself.   I checked out a few apartments. I looked at a 3 bedroom, 2 bath apartment (I forget the sq. ft.) in a new tower in Sabaneta, with a fantastic view of the city. Around $50,000 US. You can find them down to 20K, but you probably wouldn’t want to live in them. And of course the top of the market goes up to US levels.

Anyway, I’ll be back later in the year. I may have to break down and visit Cali next time.

[utopiacowboy]

Mangos! My advice to any gringo is stay the hell out of there.

What I don't understand is why didn't the sisters hook you up? Every woman in Medellin knows other women who are looking and most relationships begin as a result of knowing someone who knows someone etc. I'm surprised that this network did not kick in for you.

My wife is a paisa and you're right - they love Medellin.

[Throw]

why stay out of Mango's, I have never been but it seems like a lot of fun...

[Avispa]

Some people like it. You just have to try it for yourself.
The thing is, when you're in there, you might as well be in NY, LA or Miami. It's just another big city disco.
I like Latin music. But it's on the decline in Colombia now. Most places , especially in Poblado, blast out the same American music you hear in the US, Eminem, Rage against the Machine, etc. Later, I did find an area near the soccer stadium, called La Setenta. It's several blocs of Latin music clubs. One place catered to people from Manizales. It was quite interesting, all the men wore Paisa hats and the band played something that sounded like Bavarian oompah music. I wish I had found that area earlier in my trip.


Everyone was trying to hook me up with their 40 something cousin or sister or whatever. If you go to that age bracket, then , yes, you'll attract a lot of attention. Still not ready to go that route.

[doombug]

Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the Spanish course at EAFIT.  I guess it was a new age type of approach. No vocabulary, no grammar, no verb drills. Instead, we got to play Scrabble in Spanish, watch a Colombian movie, read newspaper articles and comment on them.

 :lol: Sounds like some lazy, half-assed instructors.  Did you all have to pay for such lameness?
 

I saw several cases of morbidly obese people, the kind you frequently see driving their scooters around Walmarts in the old south of the US.

I guess Walmart's "slothmobiles" are becoming universal.  The store I sometimes frequent here in California has a few heavy-duty models lined up near the entrance.  I've noticed a new trend within the past few years:  The morbidly obese obtaining disabled placards/plates.  So now the truly disabled have to compete with these tubbies for the most prime parking spots.

Walmart may have to double up on the slothmobiles, though.  Seems even the preteen generation is making inroads into the ranks of the ungodly fat:


"You gonna eat that, mommy?"

[utopiacowboy]

"Everyone was trying to hook me up with their 40 something cousin or sister or whatever. If you go to that age bracket, then , yes, you'll attract a lot of attention. Still not ready to go that route."

That's too bad. I would have thought that there would be some younger candidates as well. I know one widow in Medellin who is probably in her mid 30s and she's smoking hot. I'd do her in NY minute.

[Avispa]

The woman in charge of the program last year, Rosaura Gomez, is gone.
I had a few requests of the new guy, help in opening a bank account, information on student clubs. He basically blew me off.

One thing that bothered me was the unprofessional manner the course evaluation was handled. The last class he handed out a blank sheet of paper and had us write our evaluation. While we took our "final exam" he read the evaluations and then for the last half hour called us in individually to discuss the evaluation. He wasn't happy with some of my comments. Grammar came up. He said the students are too lazy to do grammar. I thought, maybe it's the instructors who are too lazy. And I was also thinking, you should be discussing the evaluations with your supervisor, not the students.

I feel bad for the Colombian kids there studying English. They are getting the shaft also. None of them speak more than pidgin English. English instruction is a big business in Colombia. Unfortunately, very little learning of English occurs. I talked to one older woman who had spent millions of pesos on an English course. At the end of it she had a certificate, and zero English ability.

There's got to be a better way.

[utopiacowboy]

I feel bad for the Colombian kids there studying English. They are getting the shaft also. None of them speak more than pidgin English. English instruction is a big business in Colombia. Unfortunately, very little learning of English occurs. I talked to one older woman who had spent millions of pesos on an English course. At the end of it she had a certificate, and zero English ability.

There's got to be a better way.

You got that right. My Colombian stepkids had been taking English for years in private school there and when they arrived they had zero ability to speak English. Of course being immersed in the culture here it did not take them long to pick it up. Two years later none of them is in ESL.

[Janeth]

I have a friend here who was paying big money to learn English.

I meet her English teacher and started speaking to her in English and she smiled and answered all my questions in yes or no.

The problem was I didn't ask any yes or no questions. :?