Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

When I first met Stephany, I knew she had a story to tell and I am thrilled to be able to have her on this episode discussing her family's departure from Colombia in 1998 and the circumstances around her return to this country to live in 2016.

In a frank and descriptive episode, Stephany talks of the hardships she encountered in moving to the USA, her upbringing in Houston and her search for an identity now in Colombia with her husband and two young children.

We conduct the interview in the Social Coffee House (http://socialcoffeehouse.com.co) which Stephany runs with her husband Alex...bringing a little piece of Austin style to Bogotá in the form of high quality coffee and great vibes.

So, I insist you head on down here for a brew either of coffee or craft beer (coming soon), check out their coffee tasting experience or perhaps some live music in the future.

This week we sit down with a good friend of mine from the UK who is also another veteran of 10 years here in Colombia and we discuss, from her perspective, the dating scene in this country we call home.

Perhaps you are heading over to Colombia for a holiday or to work, you'd do well to listen to Episode 173 and hear about some of the experiences encountered by one lady and her adventures in the dating arena. At the very least, the stories told may well prepare you for what may be in your future!

So, strap yourself in for a rollercoaster ride of anecdotes, tall tinder tales, cultural nuances and hear all about the experiences of one foreigner here in Colombia in the turbulent waters which make up the dating game!

How corrupt is Colombia?

Alarm bells should be sounding in the presidential palace and across the nation's institutions as the evil beast which threatens to undermine growth and our ability to trust in public bodies, corruption, continues to plague Colombia. Sure, Venezuela is the worst country in the region for corruption and Uruguay may be the least corrupt nation in Latin America, but we are here in Colombia where the long tentacles of influence and payments for contracts by the Brazilian firm Odebrecht have brought down two significant political players. How far will this go and how high will these cases reach?

So, tune in to Episode 172 all about corruption in Colombia.

This week we sit down with Pablo and Leslie of the forward-thinking fashion company based in Bogotá and discuss their incredible business plan. This company named Paloma and Angostura (http://palomayangostura.com) has a great deal going for it. Not only does the team design and produce stylish and comfortable clothes from sustainably produced and organic cotton, but they have taken their altruism to another level by actively seeking out and employing former combatants from armed groups involved the Colombian conflict and aided them on their way to a full reintegration into society.

You'll know from this podcast that I speak often about the peace agreement with the FARC rebels signed in 2016 and the up and coming talks to be held with the ELN guerrillas in 2017 and one of the main questions is how to reintegrate former combatants into society in a dignified and useful manner. Paloma y Angostura is a trailblazer in this effect and is the proof that you can design a business plan and bring about positive change in a society as fractured as that in Colombia.

So tune in and find out how Paloma y Angostura came about and learn from their admirable experience.

"In this World nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." Benjamin Franklin.

This week we do an executive summary in an informant style episode explaining the changes which have taken place under the new tax reforms and how they might affect you.

Whether you are Colombian living in Colombia, a Colombian living overseas or an expat in Colombia you'll want to tune in to learn more about what the government has done.

Did you know that if you are caught evading taxes you could receive jail time?

How much tax can a foreign teacher expect to pay?

Why has the price my bottle of whisky increased by so much?

Tune in to Colombia Calling to find out the answers to these questions and more...

We open 2017 with a brief informant style episode giving my breakdown to the year as a "Morrongo" experience. What is a Morrongo? Well you'll have to tune in to find out, but suffice it to say that we are looking at a "two-faced" 2017 here in Colombia as the peace agreements and demobilization of the FARC trundle on against the backdrop of politicians gearing up for a savage presidential campaign period. Who will throw their hat into the ring? What is likely to happen, and how will the Morrongo throng keep the real issues buried beneath gossip and political intrigue?

In Episode 168, we close out the year with a remarkable interview with sociocultural anthropologist and documentary artist from the US Alex Fattal. To many, Fattal needs no introduction as he is a widely published author, academic and assistant professor at U Penn.

Fattal examines the central role that the media plays in Colombia's armed conflict. With a particular interest in the shifting techniques of warfare in the twenty-first century and the ways strategies, tactics, and practices of representation have come to occupy increasingly important roles in asymmetrical conflicts, he speaks to us about his relationship with Colombia, his two book and one film project in the pipeline for 2018.

If you want to hear about how, as a young Fullbright Scholar, Fattal ended up in the down-at-heal neighbourhood of Altos de Cazuca near to Bogotá to embark on a seven-year project involving photography with the sector's children, tune in. Tune in to hear of his book and movie projects and for a perfectly balanced understanding of the Colombian conflict.

Here's to 2016 and looking forward to a great 2017.

This week is yet another good news story and one which I am particularly pleased to bring you as we sit down with Diego Avila, a Colombian marine biologist who, with his brother, developed the www.seak.it App and social network in order to increase an understanding and appreciation of the marine world.

Seak (i.e. Sea and Seek) encourages users to locate, photograph and map marine species using Google Maps and to collect basic data about the sea (temperature, visibility, depth etc.) that will help to enable people anywhere to have access and learn about the sea.

Based on a community of users who are continually building a database that integrates common and scientific knowledge into a single communal view of the sea. Seak becomes the eyes under the sea for those who don’t know what exists below water.

And, the Avila brothers have not stopped there, they now have www.selva.la as well so that you land-based folk can participate too in photographing and mapping wildlife species.

In this week's show, I do an "informant" style piece and only subject you to a 16 minute dialogue about what "peace 2.0 with the FARC guerrillas" in Colombia really means.

I know that sometimes it can be too much to read the ins and outs of a peace agreement, to know a little of the intricacies of Colombian law and follow who approves and who is in opposition and so, as a student of this peace process, I try and keep it simple and clear and lay it all out for you, my listener.

What are the impacts of the new peace deal? Who will benefit? Why is the government of President Santos pushing for a "fast track" and more, all here revealed in Episode 166.

As the eternal city of Colombian tourism, Cartagena hardly needs any introduction, but how does one go about visiting this city and really understanding the culture, the vibes and its energy? Well, for starters you need to get in touch with the effervescent Australian Kristy Ellis and her team at Cartagena Connections to sort you out.

It's a rare thing for an expat to be fully integrated into a foreign society, but Kristy has managed just this in Cartagena and has set up Cartagena Connections to ensure that she can share her enthusiasm for this colourful city with as many people as possible.

Where to find Kristy? If at first you don't succeed via her website (http://www.cartagenaconnections.com) then you can probably find her being pulled up on stage to dance champeta at a local concert! Yes, Kristy is "tu llave" when you come to Cartagena.