CRIME, VIOLENCE, INSECURITY AND DRUGS

But what of the crime, violence and insecurity? Problems, yes – but not of the “run-screaming-to-the-hills” intensity. At least, not yet. But then, how secure is it where you live now?

Most conflict-related problems occur in the countryside, between the military and right or left-wing factions. While this can make intercity travel risky at times, residents inside the major cities of Bogota, Cali, and Medellin, feel little impact from most skirmishes. These larger cities and mid-sized population centers like Pasto, Popayan, Manizales, and Armenia, are reasonably well policed and usually not unsafe if you’re careful.

The FARC, ELN and AUC, Colombia’s three largest non-government military groups, fight principally in strategic regions of the North or deep South of the country. People in the big cities continue to live quite normally, adjusting to the infrequent power failures, rare phone or water outages, and winter rainy season flooding that is more of a nuisance than life-threatening. These annoyances are typical of many third-world countries. To help insure your safety however, you should keep abreast of the local news by radio, TV and newspapers, avoid intercity travel at night, keep a low profile politically, not blatantly advertise your foreign national status or earnings and stick to public places in good neighborhoods for your nightlife activities. If you’ll adhere to these guidelines you should be just fine.

Drugs? Most of the drug production is actually for export, so except for warring drug factions in the Coca-growing areas of the country, there’s little everyday impact. Colombia’s current President, Andres Pastrana, has adopted a “get tough” attitude with guerilla forces. President-elect Alvaro Uribe won his upcoming August inauguration based on his hard-line stance on Guerilla and Para-military forces, as well.

No longer does the sound of helicopter gunships firing into the suburban brush greet your ears in the evenings as in times past. The Colombian peso has stabilized and inflation is single-digit. During major holiday periods like the Christmas season, New Year, and the Holy Week preceding Easter Sunday, government military patrols of principal highways, seaports and vacation resort areas are stepped up to insure protection and safer travel for vacationers. Conditions, although they slow to change, seem to be improving. Life in Colombia, however, can continue to be an adventure for the unwary. Here especially, you must be careful.

QUALITY OF LIFE

Santiago de Cali, or just Cali for short, a modern, bustling metropolis of more than two million residents set alongside the 12,000-foot-plus green peaks of the Farallones, makes a respectable showing in its offerings of art, culture, entertainment, shopping and nightlife. Crowned “Salsa Capitol of the World,” a title wrenched from post–Fidel Cuba, there’s no shortage of discos and “viejotecas”  catering to the young and not-so-young. Juanchito, an eastern suburb, houses 120 of the city’s hottest dancehalls where about 200,000 residents go to party each week. The Municipal Theatre, Tertulia Arts Complex, and Jorge Isaacs Theatres offer regular productions of musicals, dance, ballet, orchestra and drama in Spanish.

The two largest shopping malls, Chipichape and Uni-Centro, house multi-cinema complexes featuring first-run films from the USA in English, usually with Spanish subtitles. Publications such as Time, Newsweek, People, National Geographic, Atlantic, USA Today, and the New York Times, along with dozens of other magazines and newspapers in English are readily available at  Libreria Nacional bookstores and local newsstands.

Ethnic restaurants specializing in Chinese, Japanese, Vegetarian, Brazilian, French, Argentine, Mexican, Mediterranean, Italian, regional and typical cuisines continually tempt the palettes of Cale?os. A plethora of shows, programs and courses provide creative outlet and pleasure for the soul of even the most discriminate of residents. Check out the links below for numerous year-round holiday celebrations. Judges even elected a black woman as Miss Colombia for the first time in the pageant’s 60-year history. Bored? Not in Cali, even if your Spanish is a bit sparse.

A LITTLE TASTE OF HOME

Many ex-pats judge their new home on the quantity of familiar names that abound around them. There’s always a need for that “little taste of home” no matter where you are or how well you may have adapted. McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts, Coca Cola, and Domino’s all have a presence here in Cali so you won’t feel stranded. If you travel to Bogota, the capitol, there are more of these recognizable names to greet your homesick eyes and slake your thirst for the familiar. Many back-home style fast-food establishments have Latin counterparts which will shortly become all too common as you adjust. Culture shock should remain at a bare minimum. Remember though, that among other things you are here for new experiences, right?

IF YOU DON’T SPEAK SPANISH

No hablas en español? Not an insurmountable problem. If you come here and search for a job, you’ll typically interview in English, but as a working resident you’ll likely want to pick up more than just tourist Spanish. Fluency in the language is essential for long-term dealings here. Both the Universidad Santiago de Cali Institute of Languages and the Pontifica Universitaria Javeriana have affordable Spanish programs for foreigners called “EPE” or “Español Para Extranjeros”. Berlitz (see link below) has a presence in Cali, too, with Spanish classes available. A private tutor is fairly easy to come by and is an inexpensive option. Likewise, the British Council maintains an extensive list of English-Spanish tutors and teachers. Cali British Council Director Jonathan Deer, himself a London transplant, landed in Colombia in 1995. The council (see link below) offers a host of services to Colombians and foreign nationals alike. Spoken Colombian Spanish is clear, well pronounced and has a high grammatical level, making it one of the more desirable versions of Castellano to learn. Even the most rudimentary Spanish speaking skills should get you through customs and immigration and allow you to get set up for starters. Not to worry, you’ll be just fine. Colombians are very friendly and sociable. Most people who can will help you. Anyone who knows a little English will be glad to try it out on you, often much to your amusement.

WORKING IN COLOMBIA

Native speaking English teachers are scarce here, and excellent salaries attest to the high demand. To qualify for most teaching positions, an applicant should: be a native speaker of English, have a university degree (any discipline is OK), and apply for a temporary visa to work.  Patience, a sense of humor, a positive attitude and a generous dose of enthusiasm also help greatly. If you have a teaching certificate and some experience – even volunteer teaching, it’s a definite plus. Work is available on several school levels including language institutes, trade schools and universities. I sent out a dozen or so resumes which landed me half that number of interviews the same week, culminating in  several on-the-spot job offers. Most companies will assist you with finding accommodations and doing visa paperwork.

Other ex-pat job options include major hotel positions in administration or hospitality, administrative, public relations or technically-oriented positions with multi-national corporations. Companies like Colgate, Firestone,Goodyear, Michelin, Esso, Mobil, Shell, Pirelli, Western Union, DHL, Fuller, Xerox, Canon, Siemens, Whirlpool, Brother, MicroSoft, Sony, Coca Cola and Mazda, have a presence here, to mention a smattering of names. These welcome stable, bi-lingual personnel with a strong work ethic. “Ma?ana” is an all too common concept with local staff. It’s especially brutal coming from supervisory personnel. The U.S., Canadian and British Embassies maintain lists of multi-national companies, bi-lingual physicians, dentists, attorneys, translators and other professionals to help start off your search or address your personal needs.

A FINAL NOTE

Don’t worry needlessly over the politics and news reports. Never mind the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. Contact your country’s embassy for lists of business entities. Call, write or e-mail some of the universities or institutes to get a specific feel for their needs and requirements. Check out websites. Assemble your diplomas, certificates and letters of reference. And don’t forget to collect sample materials like photos, maps, posters, postcards, magazines, music and other memorabilia related to your state or hometown. These will be indispensable for your interactions with locals. Live, travel  and work in Colombia? Yes, you can. Just remember to prepare yourself for the adventure of a lifetime when you do come. It’s up to you whether Colombia becomes the heart of heaven or the heart of hell.

For More Information:

Colombian Holidays and Celebrations
http://gosouthamerica.about.com/library/blColhol.htm

Berlitz Language Courses
http://www.berlitz.com

Cali British Council
http://www.britishcouncil.org.co