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Cali or Bogota? Latin Best or All Colombian Girls? North Cali or South Cali? DCF or Fiance Visa? Bala or no Bala? Cartagena or Islands for Honeymoon? How long courtship? SHHHHHHHEEEEEESSSSHHHHH!!!!! Just GO! On the job training. Quit waiting until you have all the "details" worked out & GO! I have been lurking on this board for a long time and here are the rules as I have learned from the experts on this board. I will be going next year.
1. Learn enough Spanish to be basically conversational.
2. Take salsa and meringue lessons.
3. Get all your papers together.
4. Beg,borrow or steal enough vacation time to take 3 trips within 6-  9 months.
5. Budget 15K to 20K for the ENTIRE PROCESS including wedding cake
6. Settle the "foreign aid" issue beforehand.
7. Make the first trip the longest and meet as many women as you can.
8. Never buy a life time agency membership.
9. Don't be flashy with money - if that's all you have going for you, you are in trouble.
10. Think with the big head.

Read my posts/threads in archive 52 or 53 - Paralysis of Analysis and Some Cost Estimates for the Process, Please.

... in response to Engineers in Love/Paralysis of Analysis ..., posted by MikePastore on Dec 6, 2001

Hi Mike,
I would add this as #11 to your list.
11. Know how to be a man without being a Ricardo Cabeza.
Fred

... in response to Engineers in Love/Paralysis of Analysis ..., posted by MikePastore on Dec 6, 2001

nuff said...

Peace...Hoda

... in response to Engineers in Love/Paralysis of Analysis ..., posted by MikePastore on Dec 6, 2001

I think a lot of guys are really into the planning of every small detail because when it comes right down to it, they really aren't going to go.  Planning at least keeps the fantasy alive for those who aren't going.

By the way, I'm an engineer myself...... We get no respect!

... in response to Re: Engineers in Love/Paralysis of Analy..., posted by Patrick on Dec 6, 2001

Patrick,

My whole philosphy about this is "Go whenever the wind blows, and while your away forget about everything back home."

Aaron

... in response to Re: Engineers in Love/Paralysis of Analy..., posted by Patrick on Dec 6, 2001

I have great respect for engineers, I work with a bunch of them (I am the sales guy), in particular, when I ask what time it is...they tell me how to make a watch!

... in response to Engineers in Love/Paralysis of Analysis ..., posted by MikePastore on Dec 6, 2001

wonderful post. Those are the minimum requirements and about covers it. My three suggestions are: 1. just go now and when you come back your ego will be larger and less concerned about rejection here. 2. If you pay attention the cost will be much less if you just go.  3. Every person will have a different perception of the experience (you take your own baggage with you) but the approval rating is in the 90 percentile so just go.  JIM C

... in response to Engineers in Love/Paralysis of Analysis ..., posted by MikePastore on Dec 6, 2001

n/t

... in response to Engineers in Love/Paralysis of Analysis ..., posted by MikePastore on Dec 6, 2001

n/t

... in response to Engineers in Love/Paralysis of Analysis ..., posted by MikePastore on Dec 6, 2001

And save us the posts about all the things you fixed in your novia's house and the analysis of the bus system.Some post I have read were so full of frivilos detail and lacking on emotion or experience.They were so boring I couldn't even finish them.
I guess the ones I am thinking mostly of were by Europeans on the Latin Women List.

Pete

... in response to Engineers in Love/Paralysis of Analysis ..., posted by MikePastore on Dec 6, 2001

K15 -K20?       How so?

Ken

... in response to Re: Engineers in Love/Paralysis of Analy..., posted by Ken Power on Dec 6, 2001

You should have that amount of money available, I am not saying you should spend it foolishly. I can not think of something more hard to take then to have a beautiful Latina be ready for you to make it happen for the both of you and then not have the resources to see it through. I think there is more than enough brainpower on this board to crunch the numbers realistically. You could get lucky and do it in two trips for 3-5 K, but that's cutting it way too close.

... in response to Re: Engineers in Love/Paralysis of Analy..., posted by Ken Power on Dec 6, 2001


n/t

... in response to Unfourtunately, this is not a poor man's..., posted by Kenfer8 on Dec 6, 2001

But even men with limited resources (time & money)can take part. They (we) have to plan a bit longer in advance. Take on additional work to pay for your trip. See if your employer will allow you to swap over-time for vacation time. Believe me, if you really want to go...YOU'LL FIND A WAY!!!

No doubt about it....Hoda

... in response to So very true...., posted by Hoda on Dec 6, 2001

Howard and Kenfer,

I'm still a student. I started my search as a student. I can only afford to go to Colombia once every year. And I really have to sacrifice valuable time to go.

But, I'm glad I have travelled there, and spent money that I could have used doing other things here.

Really, these are the best times for me to travel because my schedule is not as demanding as it will be during work. When I begin work, I'm likely going to have to work 50 to 60 hrs a week regularly, with one extended month long vacation for myself. Even though, I will be making a little more money by then, I wont have the time to travel. What I will gain in money and professional responsibility, I will lose in time for personal things.

So the few trips that I have taking so far helped me to decide whether or not this is something I could do, marry a foreign woman. And now, from experience, I'm convinced that I can marry a girl from Colombia. All I need to do now is to be patient for a couple of months before I return again, start working, and have the finacial means to start a family.

All though money does play a role, it is not as critical as other factors that are needed to find love, and lead to happiness.

Aaron

... in response to Re: Engineers in Love/Paralysis of Analy..., posted by Ken Power on Dec 6, 2001

Hi Ken,
Althought that amount may seem high to you, just think about all that is involved.
Depending on where you are in the States you will probably go, say 3 times, to your selected designation.
Think about the non-paid vaction time as well as the trip expense.
If your destination is Colombia but not Bogota then your prospective bride will get at least one round trip plane ride from her city to Bogota.
If you get married in country you will be expected to pay for the wedding.
If you get married in the states you will be expected to pay for the wedding.
Forget getting a dowery!!!!  ;)
If you do a Direct Consulate Filing to bring your wife to the states you will pay about $600 for fees to the embassy and Physical exams etc. And possibly $100's more for the assistance of a lawyer.
For every child your bride has multiply the above by one for each child.
Since the city of origination, for her flights, is in SA somewhere, roundtrip or oneway airfares are higher or much higher.
When your new wife (and possibly child(ren))arrive in the states they will only have what they can bring in three suitcases. My fiance has already jokingly told me the she will fill one suitcase with shoes and one with coffee.
If you are and have been a bachelor for a while have a couple of lady friends come over and give you an honest(?) assessment of what will be required to feminize you humble abode.
Then there are driving lessons(see Junfan for harrowing experiences), language ESL lessons(possibly free), colder weather clothing and I am sure the list could be magnified by those with first hand experience.
I am pretty frugal by nature yet I expect to spend on the order of $10,000.
In January I will be making my third trip to Cali.
I am getting married in country and doing a DCF. My fiance has one child.
This experience is not for the financially faint of heart or someone who doesn't have a savings account in good standing.
Fred

... in response to Re: Re: Engineers in Love/Paralysis of A..., posted by FenixRises on Dec 6, 2001

I know it will cost...K20 just sounded a little inflated.  What is the alternative to DCF?  I absolutley plan on going to Colombia. However,  I am just finishing school this semester and will be working in less than 2 weeks.
I also plan on taking a night course to learn Spanish.   I know alot of words, but sentence is necessary.  For me it may take a year to save and then go...so I feel it can't hurt to ask a few questions and log any useful info in my "Cali Notebook."  Appreciate you all!

Ken

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Engineers in Love/Paralysis ..., posted by Ken Power on Dec 6, 2001

There is Direct Consular Filing.
You get married in country(Colombia), have all the needed paperwork, go to the US embassy in Bogota(Both of you and any children must go the first time)to do the initial interview, physical exams and blood tests and required shots, she must go back for the second interview which is scheduled at the first interview(currently taking about 10 days). If possible you do her a big favor going to the 2nd interview also. Then she can return immediatly to the states with you.
K-1 Visa.(Marriage visa)
You apply for it in the states.
She must go to the US embassy in Bogota to get it.
This allows her to come the US for a period of 90 days with the expressed purpose of marring you.
She can bring her child(ren) with this visa.
Takes about three months these days to get the visa.

The details are much more than I have stated above and the paperwork seems endless and some of it pointless but when dealing with bureaucrats you need to have everything in order.

These days it seems that the notaries who perform the civil marriage ceromony in Colombia are requiring the US man to have a marriage visa from a Colombian consulate in the US.
For me this was pretty easy as I live near Los Angeles.
However there aren't Columbian consulates in all states and certainly not in all cities. The Colombian consulate in LA covers southern Calif., Arizona and New Mexico. You have to apply for the marriage visa in person. Thus another trip for you to make.

BTW DCF is not available in all countries.

Fred