Post: #26

Uh oh. Don't mention hustling or El Mechanico will be all over this thread.

Post: #27

What's the weather like in Bogota in the spring?

Post: #28

(03-19-2015 10:48 PM)Blunt Wrote:  What's the weather like in Bogota in the spring?

Its been rainy a few hours most days, usually around 12 - 3. Can be quite heavy at times. As crazy as it sounds it doesn't bother me too much. The city actually reminds me of Dublin a bit. Some streets look interchangeable.

Post: #29

(03-19-2015 10:13 PM)Atlantic Wrote:  

(03-19-2015 09:51 PM)tomtud Wrote:  Check out eslcafe.com

Great board for jobs, ideas and a blog of experiences. Should help.

As for bogota, the traffic is horrendous ( which you know )..... If you can stick to a uni closeby and limit your commutes you are golden.

I actually got a job offer today from another company teaching at a high school form 8-4 everyday. I would rather the company I am with though even though it is sporadic. I get to work with some of the biggest Oil and Gas companies which is something I am definitely interested in. Plus if they deliver on their promises then it should be a good job.

Fuck the company, you owe them nothing. They will exploit you without any hesitation whatsoever. If anything, use them to get a little experience and steal as many contacts/clients from them as you can.

Teaching to a classroom of people generally sucks, and it is difficult to get much done. Even worse when you have to commute and don't get paid for that. One of the people I taught with in Spain did some contract work for a business english company and they had her going to all these industrial parks on the outskirts of Seville, lots of unpaid travel.

The ideal way to teach English is to do private classes. 1 on 1 or let 2 or 3 people split the cost and pay slightly more per hour.

It takes some time to set things up(note: I'm fluent in Spanish and had local friends), but when I lived in southern Spain 6 years ago, I did an average of 16-20 hours a week of private 1 on 1 classes mostly to professionals like architects and doctors, businessmen, etc. It is also important to coordinate lessons so you have two people who live near each other back to back. Most of my clients were wealthy and lived walking/biking distance in the city center area. If you can, have them meet at your place or some other central location like a university, but many won't want to do this.

The work is much less. Also, I genuinely enjoyed the teaching. My students were highly motivated and intelligent. I got pleasure from significantly improving their skills and tailoring my approach to each one. A few of them also became friends and invited me to social events with the upper crust of the city.

As much as possible I signed people up for 100% conversation classes so that I didn't have to do any preparation at all. I charged 20 euros an hour for conversation, and 25 euros an hour for half grammar/half conversation. In Seville that was great money. In Madrid I would have charged at least 25% more per hour.

YMMV. You probably don't even really need to live off whatever they pay you because of having oil patch savings, so you might be more motivated by the experience, or by some woman at the company that you want to bang.

Post: #30

Quote: El Mechanico will be all over this thread.

Why did you decide to go there and teach? I'm sure it's a huge pay drop from oil work.

Post: #31

He couldn't bare the thought of working up there with the temperature above 0??

Post: #32

^Making peanuts in Bogota is a hell of a lot more interesting and fun than busting your ass in the oil patch with a bunch of dudes, myself, I don't think that I'd teach English down here after seeing the shit that other teachers go through. For starters, your day is going to be >80% in English (classes, prep times, etc) so you don't have much time to learn Spanish, if that's your goal by coming to Colombia. Much better off taking Spanish classes for a couple of weeks then just doing whatever you want and there's no better way to learn Spanish than by chasing women who don't speak English.

Post: #33

Surrounded by Latinas or oil field dudes? Wise choice Scotian.... Seems like it's a good place to land till things pick back up in the tundra.

Post: #34

Decisions. Decisions.

Post: #35

4 days to go!!!

LINUX you are killing me!

Post: #36

(03-20-2015 11:53 AM)el mechanico Wrote:  

Quote: El Mechanico will be all over this thread.

Why did you decide to go there and teach? I'm sure it's a huge pay drop from oil work.

The oil resume writing business is completely untapped down here.

Post: #37

(03-17-2015 06:05 PM)swadeshi Wrote:  My question is it an issue if I buy a one way ticket to Colombia, will I get questions on the Toronto airport why don't I have a return ticket or something like that?

The first time I went to Colombia I had a one-way ticket. I was forced at the check-in gate to buy a return ticket or the bitch there would not let me pass. She was very low IQ and would not elaborate whether this was an airline policy or some law, she just said over and over "you have to buy a return ticket or you can't go."

I bought a refundable ticket and refunded it when I got to Colombia.

I have not heard of other people having this problem and it seemed weird to me, since I have flown elsewhere with one-way tickets and had no problem.

This was on Spirit by the way, which is a terrible airline and should be skipped by everyone considering it.

Post: #38

Atlantic, parce dime, como sigue tu español ya sabes leer y hablar mas o menitos, si o no?

Para mi lo mejor en Colombia fue armar un parche con hartos Colombianos para no estar siempre entre los gringos. Pero yo ya había estudiado el castellano en la U en México así que sabía mucho de la gramática y lo que más me faltaba fue la fluidez, así que estar en un ambiente social con puros Colombianos siempre me servía mucho.

Ya tu sabes todo la jerga rola?

"Vamos donde los gallos"
"Parece, estoy recortinas"
"Hagamos la vaca nos pa comprar el güaro"

Cosas así?

Si lo que te falta es el nível más básico pues de escuelas yo te recomendaría pasar a las Us que hay allí en Chapinero a ver si hay intercambio de idiomas.

También en los foros de http://www.wordreference.com hay harta gente que te ayudaría con el aprendizaje formal.

Echale ganas cabrón!

Post: #39

First day of English teaching today. Was quite average really. It was only a practice session so maybe it will get better but it didn't go to well. I got some proper classes next week so see what happens. VolandoVengoVolandoVoy has brought up some great points which I am going to have to think about. Scotian and others have written it about it already but I am definitely realizing how much teaching cuts into your day and ultimately slows you down from learning Spanish.

The end goal here is banging girls and learning Spanish so maybe this job is not going to pan out. I would rather 4 months of pure Colombia than six months of 30+ hr teaching hassle.

We will see...


On a lighter note I got the kiss close from my gringo Tuesday number girl. She is very hot - top three girls I have kissed (and hopefully bang very soon) and is really into me. Didn't even have to game that much which is how it should be really. I must just be her type because the attraction level is very high which is obviously a very nice feeling when its a hot Colombian girl. She has a private driver, fitness trainer and cook and all signs point to being very rich. Might just have to start blasting in these girls and put one in the oven.

Post: #40

(03-20-2015 05:34 PM)Atlantic Wrote:  Might just have to start blasting in these girls and put one in the oven.

Post: #41

(03-20-2015 05:23 PM)Sonsowey Wrote:  Atlantic, parce dime, como sigue tu español ya sabes leer y hablar mas o menitos, si o no?

Para mi lo mejor en Colombia fue armar un parche con hartos Colombianos para no estar siempre entre los gringos. Pero yo ya había estudiado el castellano en la U en México así que sabía mucho de la gramática y lo que más me faltaba fue la fluidez, así que estar en un ambiente social con puros Colombianos siempre me servía mucho.

Ya tu sabes todo la jerga rola?

"Vamos donde los gallos"
"Parece, estoy recortinas"
"Hagamos la vaca nos pa comprar el güaro"

Cosas así?

Si lo que te falta es el nível más básico pues de escuelas yo te recomendaría pasar a las Us que hay allí en Chapinero a ver si hay intercambio de idiomas.

También en los foros de http://www.wordreference.com hay harta gente que te ayudaría con el aprendizaje formal.

Echale ganas cabrón!

I used google translator for all of this haha

My Spanish sucks man. Like 20 words. I can't even count to 20.

I am going to have a good talk with Scotian tonight and I think switch up the plan a bit. Learning Spanish is a lot more valuable to me than teaching English, especially if the classes suck. But maybe it was just that class so I will think about it for now.

Post: #42

As a guy who taught English in Bogota, I can totally understand why you'd want to avoid it.

Spanish lesson 1 for Bogota:

Qué más - What's up?

Post: #43

This is for sure: next winter will be banking as much cash as possible to not have to work down here next year one bit. Repeat till 2020.

Post: #44

Ya Atlantic I would be rawdogging that chick and dumping loads in her with abandon, the life of a kept man in Bogota could be nice!

Post: #45

She lives 160+, so far north and her school is private and outside the city. $$$.

What would a rich families reaction to their daughter getting knocked up by a gringo be? Shot or nice job and wife package?

Post: #46

(03-20-2015 06:03 PM)Atlantic Wrote:  She lives 160+, so far north and her school is private and outside the city. $$$.

What would a rich families reaction to their daughter getting knocked up by a gringo be? Shot or nice job and wife package?

Being upper class Colombians, all they probably care about is their grand kid inheriting your blond hair and blue eyes, they would probably even be willing to over look all of the STDs you're gonna give her!

Post: #47

(03-20-2015 06:16 PM)scotian Wrote:  

(03-20-2015 06:03 PM)Atlantic Wrote:  She lives 160+, so far north and her school is private and outside the city. $$$.

What would a rich families reaction to their daughter getting knocked up by a gringo be? Shot or nice job and wife package?

Being upper class Colombians, all they probably care about is their grand kid inheriting your blond hair and blue eyes, they would probably even be willing to over look all of the STDs you're gonna give her!

Is that true? Not the std part.

Post: #48

(03-20-2015 06:30 PM)el mechanico Wrote:  

(03-20-2015 06:16 PM)scotian Wrote:  

(03-20-2015 06:03 PM)Atlantic Wrote:  She lives 160+, so far north and her school is private and outside the city. $$$.

What would a rich families reaction to their daughter getting knocked up by a gringo be? Shot or nice job and wife package?

Being upper class Colombians, all they probably care about is their grand kid inheriting your blond hair and blue eyes, they would probably even be willing to over look all of the STDs you're gonna give her!

Is that true? Not the std part.

Is this true including the STD part?

Post: #49

Atlantic, see PM Box

Post: #50

(03-20-2015 06:30 PM)el mechanico Wrote:  

(03-20-2015 06:16 PM)scotian Wrote:  

(03-20-2015 06:03 PM)Atlantic Wrote:  She lives 160+, so far north and her school is private and outside the city. $$$.

What would a rich families reaction to their daughter getting knocked up by a gringo be? Shot or nice job and wife package?

Being upper class Colombians, all they probably care about is their grand kid inheriting your blond hair and blue eyes, they would probably even be willing to over look all of the STDs you're gonna give her!

Is that true? Not the std part.

To a certain extent, yes and I think that it goes for all of the Latin American countries and also the Philippines, it goes back to the colonial days where whiter was (is?) better. You go to SE Asia and you can't find face cream that doesn't have whitening in it, go to Jamaica and hear about people "bleaching out" (Ex: Vybez Kartel). In the higher end night clubs and restaurants where the upper classes hang out, you'll notice that the people tend to be taller and whiter. Also down here you have the "estrato system" where neighbourhoods are designated a number from 1-6, its officially a way to determining the amount of money households pay for public utilities but unofficially its a way of dividing each area by class. An estrato 5/6 neighbourhood pays way more than a 1/2 for their water, electricity, etc. The whole class system down here is a bit fucked and it took myself awhile to wrap my head around it. Atlantic's girl is likely an estrato 5/6.