Colombia Club

[Bill y Bella 0]

Thanks Monoke..............I had expressed to her that we needed to be prepared and that over prepared was better then under prepared. When she missed her flight on Sunday, I told her that she needed to be on time for all the other appointments. She said OK...........The result is, I got her a little excited I think. I found out it was the taxi driver who told her the nonsense about the B-cert in english. It was someone she met at the hotel that told her she needed passport size foto's.

One problem that has come up thru this is that even though we communicate very good, at times details are difficult to express clearly.

I am pretty positve that Friday I will be posting a happy WAHOOOOOOOOOO!!! I will be down there in 2 days and will be able to sift thru all the chatter. I get a picture in my head of all these people "experts" telling everyone what to do and then the talk between others waitng for the interview talking about stuff. It is an emotional event and human nature to swallow what ever is given to you. Man, if not for this site and this thread I would not have a clue to know right from wrong.

I must agree that the Colombia Club is a great group. Everyone tries to help out each other out and there are very few arguments. I think this reflects the Colombian culture. I keep telling Bella that the people in Colombia are nicer than they are in the US. I am reminded of this every time I get off the plane in Miami.

I am also trying to keep Bella from taking visa advice from taxi drivers, friends of cousins and whoever else she happens to meet in the market. It is an ongoing battle.

[Scott n Yenifer 0]

That's pure BS, any document presented at the lab, medical and embassy does not need to be translated if it's written in Spanish.

Buck, I hope she doesn't get it apostilled since it does not to be. People in Colombia will try to convince her that she will need the apostilles only to make more money. It doesn't have to be.

Diana

Thanks Monoke..............I had expressed to her that we needed to be prepared and that over prepared was better then under prepared. When she missed her flight on Sunday, I told her that she needed to be on time for all the other appointments. She said OK...........The result is, I got her a little excited I think. I found out it was the taxi driver who told her the nonsense about the B-cert in english. It was someone she met at the hotel that told her she needed passport size foto's.

One problem that has come up thru this is that even though we communicate very good, at times details are difficult to express clearly.

I am pretty positve that Friday I will be posting a happy WAHOOOOOOOOOO!!! I will be down there in 2 days and will be able to sift thru all the chatter. I get a picture in my head of all these people "experts" telling everyone what to do and then the talk between others waitng for the interview talking about stuff. It is an emotional event and human nature to swallow what ever is given to you. Man, if not for this site and this thread I would not have a clue to know right from wrong.

Hey Buck,

First of all I would like to wish you both the best of luck with your interview...it seems like you have all of the bases covered. I'm sure that a lot of V Jers getting closer to their interview including myself are feeling some of this pain for you... I would only hope to be as well prepared as you and Paola. God bless and keep us posted

Scott

[buck501 0]

Howdy Scott!! Looks like you get to see your sweetie a lot. Good for you!! Also looks like you are fairly new here. Your in the right place. Good luck to you and I hope your journey is short and sweet.

I am off in the morning to Bogota for the interview on Friday. Good luck to me!! LOLO>LOL.

[lucho562 0]

Buck,

I know you're prepared for the interview, but dont forget the coooold weather.

[HAL 9000 96]

Update.......................I do not know who Paola is talking to down there. I warned her about this sort of thing. I wish I could speak better spanish. I should have known better to get her all fired up. She is getting the b-cert translated down there as we speak. I still think it is BS. I have read thru Pkt 4 again, no where that I can see does it instruct you to have it in english.

Trust no one and do not take seriously the "advice" that people that do not know the process intimately. People all around her will be full of jealousy like you wouldn't believe it, specially if both of you show a lot of affection towards each other on the town and with friends and family. In my opinion the folks at the medical lab are making a lot of money from what should be a cheap series of tests, so do not feel set back by unusual requests that are not included in the US Embassy packets. Take them along to show them in English or Spanish and they can tell you where in the instructions it says to do what they ask you to do.

Or... make sure you get what is told accurately.

Listening can be an art sometimes and the stress of the process can confuse anyone.

[HAL 9000 96]

Thanks Monoke..............I had expressed to her that we needed to be prepared and that over prepared was better then under prepared. When she missed her flight on Sunday, I told her that she needed to be on time for all the other appointments. She said OK...........The result is, I got her a little excited I think. I found out it was the taxi driver who told her the nonsense about the B-cert in english. It was someone she met at the hotel that told her she needed passport size foto's.

One problem that has come up thru this is that even though we communicate very good, at times details are difficult to express clearly.

I am pretty positve that Friday I will be posting a happy WAHOOOOOOOOOO!!! I will be down there in 2 days and will be able to sift thru all the chatter. I get a picture in my head of all these people "experts" telling everyone what to do and then the talk between others waitng for the interview talking about stuff. It is an emotional event and human nature to swallow what ever is given to you. Man, if not for this site and this thread I would not have a clue to know right from wrong.

I must agree that the Colombia Club is a great group. Everyone tries to help out each other out and there are very few arguments. I think this reflects the Colombian culture. I keep telling Bella that the people in Colombia are nicer than they are in the US. I am reminded of this every time I get off the plane in Miami.

I am also trying to keep Bella from taking visa advice from taxi drivers, friends of cousins and whoever else she happens to meet in the market. It is an ongoing battle.

Ohhh Miami is not a good representation of the US... but I do understand the point... MIA is not exactly the best airport there is...

Here in Chicago everyone has gone out of their way to make my girl's first week a pleasurable and efficient experience. ODD!!! Maybe its the love around us that is contagious...

[Scott n Yenifer 0]

Howdy Scott!! Looks like you get to see your sweetie a lot. Good for you!! Also looks like you are fairly new here. Your in the right place. Good luck to you and I hope your journey is short and sweet.

I am off in the morning to Bogota for the interview on Friday. Good luck to me!! LOLO>LOL.

Hey Buck!!! I do see my sweetie a lot but as you and evryone else knows...it's not enough til she's HOME!!!...I will be seeing her again in 17 days and I can't wait!!!

[Mononoke28 135]

Ohhh Miami is not a good representation of the US... but I do understand the point... MIA is not exactly the best airport there is...

Here in Chicago everyone has gone out of their way to make my girl's first week a pleasurable and efficient experience. ODD!!! Maybe its the love around us that is contagious...

Keep that in mind come winter time, she'll need it.

Diana

[HAL 9000 96]

Ohhh Miami is not a good representation of the US... but I do understand the point... MIA is not exactly the best airport there is...

Here in Chicago everyone has gone out of their way to make my girl's first week a pleasurable and efficient experience. ODD!!! Maybe its the love around us that is contagious...

Keep that in mind come winter time, she'll need it.

Diana

If we had to open up the tent windows during our camping trip to Tayrona last year (raining with breeze and still pretty hot at night) I can oooooonly imagine that we won't be worrying too much about the heating bill come January.... jajaja!

[buck501 0]

Ohhh Miami is not a good representation of the US... but I do understand the point... MIA is not exactly the best airport there is...

Here in Chicago everyone has gone out of their way to make my girl's first week a pleasurable and efficient experience. ODD!!! Maybe its the love around us that is contagious...

Keep that in mind come winter time, she'll need it.

Diana

I think I will be fine in Bogota as far as the weather, Paola says she has been freezing. LOL. I live in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, our weather is pretty mild. Paola lives in Buenaventura, to her it will be cold. She pretty much will be dressed like a Eskimo. Who knows what she envisions our weather to be. From what I can determine, she thinks we have snow and ice all year. LOL>LOL. Some of here freinds, (who know everything about everthing) have told her Oregon is very cold, all mountains and either rains or snows all the time. LOL>LOL. To them Florida is the only place to live in the US.

There is a free phone to the US at the apartment she is staying at in Bogota, she is calling me every 5 min. I think she misses me. LOL. Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, the day is dragging by. My fight leaves @ 6am in the morning. I won't get much sleep tonight. OK, I will stop babbling now.

[BYRON-LEIDY 0]

Buck, as far as the weather, my fiance lives in Bogota, the times that i went there it got just a little cold at night, but nothing that a light jacket cant fix...i feel bad bringing her to New York for our winters if she thinks that Bogota is cold...She has no clue what cold is..lol

[Bill y Bella 0]

Well on my first trip to Bogota I quickly became accustomed to EVERYONE being extremely polite and pleasant. Then at customs in Miami on my return trip the agent asked me a few questions, looked at me in mock disgust and said ¨Get out of here!¨ I knew that he was actually being friendly in a New York sort of way, but as I walked away I was thinking to myself--- This is going to be a shock to Bella when she gets here! Nothing she can´t handle but it is still going to require some adjustment.

As to Colombianas and cold weather, I think this tells the story. At 65 degrees they wear gloves, winter hats and scarves. Any questions?

Good luck with your interview Buck! I am certain everything will go well. Just in case you get into some sort of pickle, I am in Bogota until Saturday morning. Just send me a message in VJ and I will send the calvary.

[Mononoke28 135]

I think I will be fine in Bogota as far as the weather, Paola says she has been freezing. LOL. I live in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, our weather is pretty mild. Paola lives in Buenaventura, to her it will be cold. She pretty much will be dressed like a Eskimo. Who knows what she envisions our weather to be. From what I can determine, she thinks we have snow and ice all year. LOL>LOL. Some of here freinds, (who know everything about everthing) have told her Oregon is very cold, all mountains and either rains or snows all the time. LOL>LOL. To them Florida is the only place to live in the US.

There is a free phone to the US at the apartment she is staying at in Bogota, she is calling me every 5 min. I think she misses me. LOL. Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, the day is dragging by. My fight leaves @ 6am in the morning. I won't get much sleep tonight. OK, I will stop babbling now.

We have pretty bad thunderstorms here in Denver in late July, early August and my husband cracked me up when he asked "You have thunder and lighting in Denver?" I said "yes, why are you surprised?" he said "I thought you only had snow". Oh boy. He also doesn't understand why it's so hot here in the summer.

Diana

[Chester y Monica 2]

I was in Bogota early this month with my novia and she was freezing. She's from Buga en la valle and I've never felt her hands so cold like in Bogota. I'm from the San Francisco area whereby I like the cold weather. We were walking around Parque 93 at night and all I had on was a polo shirt. She had a think jacket complete with a hood and still complained of being cold.

I love the weather here in SFO and the Bay Area. During winter (without snow ) it can get very cold down to the low 30's. We have nice weather all year round except during fall when we get a lot of rain and gray days.

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My flights are reserved for September 1 in time for our September 6 interview!!!!

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Edited August 15, 2007 by Chester y Monica

[paisita411 0]

Guys, I chuckled when Lucho said it was cold in Bogota and for my trip last month I packed 4 pairs of shorts, 4 short sleeve shirts, and ONE light sweater...ohhhh and a pair of sandles. WELL WELL WELL It wasn't as cold as it can be in Atlanta in January, but few homes have air conditioning in Bogota so 24/7 cold that is HUMID as can be got into my bones and I was MISERABLE the entire time. My advice: ask if there's heat where you're staying, if not, take a small space heater...it gets cold at night. Take pleanty of clothes with you and extra towels...why, well there are very few homes wiht dryers and it takes 2 days for your towel to AIR dry, ditto for your clothes... for jeans, make that 3-4 days. Extra clothes means you don't have to wash anything till you get home. jeans. long sleaved knit shirts and a light sweater or jacket will work for most of us. And please, do bring an umbrella, it rains constantly.

Buck....good luck with your interview on Friday. I can't wait to hear the good news.