Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

Australian writer Sarah Duncan is a regular suitcase packer, professional list maker and travel writer who is happiest when she’s sitting in a busy café with a pot of tea and good book. She writes about travel, food and what it’s like to live in Colombia on her travel blogwww.Sarepa.com but we get her on Colombia Calling to talk about her love of Colombia and then give us an insight into her new and free e-book “How to Quit your Job and Travel the World”. Tune in to listen to this unofficial ambassador for Colombia tell us about her experiences and inspiration found in Colombia.

The Colombian presidential elections have come and gone with incumbent Juan Manuel Santos set to be sworn in for his second term of August 7. This week we break down the results of the elections and discuss, with two analysts Kevin Howlett (www.colombia-politics.com) and Mark Kennedy (www.thebogotapost.com), what this means for the peace dialogues in Cuba with the FARC guerrillas, the possibility of peace dialogues with the ELN guerrillas and the importance of a strong opposition led by former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe. Tune in for a full dialogue on where Colombia finds herself politically at this moment.

Every now and then a young enterprise comes along and shakes things up, this is exactly what I felt when I was invited to experience Bogota through the five senses with 5Bogota (www.5Bogota.com). Theirs is something new and fresh and these vibrant young Bogotanos are out to revolutionize how we discover and enjoy an often maligned city. 5Bogota has turned tourism in the capital on its head and is going about promoting their city in a fresh and interesting fashion. Highly recommended, great fun and a break from the norm. Colombia Calling wholeheartedly endorses 5Bogota.

It’s our long-awaited World Cup special with football journalist Carl Worswick joining us in the studio before heading off to cover Colombia’s games for ESPN. We’ll be talking about Colombia’s chances against the likes of the Ivory Coast, Greece and Japan in their first World Cup tournament since France 1998. Of course there’s the pressing detail of the second round of the presidential elections on June 15, the day after Colombia’s opening game against Greece. Politics and sports will once again merge here in Colombia. A fascinating take on the game for those interested in following the sporting feats of James Rodriguez and Teofilo Gutierrez in Brazil. Who will be the standout players and who will flatter to deceive?

I am not a gambling man, in fact I’m not very good with numbers, but this week we have a true master of the art on the show. Dan Kaiser, a US citizen, has been down here in Bogota for almost a decade and he is the owner of one of the capital city’s most visited casinos, the Rockerfeller. Listen to Colombia Calling interview Dan Kaiser about the business of running a casino in Colombia, the clientele he receives and some of the anecdotes…ever heard the one about the patron who attempted to gamble away a defibrillator? Well, Dan Kaiser has lived it and it’s not all Vegas bling, this is Bogota.

Given Colombia’s political and social isolation it comes as no suprise that levels of English spoken here are pretty poor, but, things are changing as the game changes here. Companies are seeking employees with language capabilities as the business world in Colombia changes. This week we talk to texan Eric Tabone of Bogota Business English (www.bogotabusinessnessenglish.com) who, on seeing a gap in the market for a high quality, top level English institute set up his business in Bogota. We talk about opening a business, how he came to be here, who are his target clientele and how he sees the company growing. Stay tuned if you are thinking of coming to Colombia to teach English as BBE will shortly be launching a teacher trainer program.

Having just co authored and released the immensely successful book, “Colombia a Comedy of Errors”, Sergio Lievano took the time to chat with us here at Colombia Calling to give us an insight into the inspiration for this new publication. We talked about what it means to be a Colombian, the trauma of the national identity, the language and finally the “beautiful” errors in life that make us take decisions as we do. Alongside former interviewee Victoria Kellaway (www.bananaskinflipflops.com) they have created what could conceivably be the blueprint text for all of those interested in learning about this country. There are chapters on the regions, on justice, on famous Colombians and what’s more they tell it as it is. A wonderful read.

On Colombia Calling we are continually on the lookout for people really making a life of it here in Colombia and this week we are particularly pleased to have Briton Tom Willat on the show telling us about how he saw an opening in the market while working in Bogota for multinational, subsequently opened his own publishing house and now produces the only spanish language magazine dedicated to the energy sector (www.colombiaenergia.com). He is also working on a “Best of Colombia” book and in his spare time, with his business associate Jack Ruane, on the road to producing Colombia’s first cider brewery. Talk about making a go of it in Colombia. We’ll be toasting him long in the future should the cider be a flavoursome and refreshing product!

This week we get together with US citizen and resident of Bogota, Matt Rines, who, after three years working in a location independent capacity, has decided to take the plunge and open his own restaurant in Cota on the outskirts of the Colombian capital city. We talk about the proposed menu (American), the decor, the setup, his business plan and of course, we get to wade a little through the legal intricacies here in Colombia and the paperwork required of a small business owner. His restaurant, “American Kitchen” can be found on Facebook and will be opening in May, so watch this space and check back on the website (www.colombiacallingradio.com) to find out all of the up to date news and insights about Matt’s new venture here in Colombia.

Are you struggling to understand the miasma surrounding the upcoming presidential elections in Colombia? If so, then we have a warts and all interview with the editor of Colombia Politics magazine (www.colombia-politics.com) Kevin Howlett all about how to better undestand the intrigue and complexities of Colombia’s elections. Will it be the incumbent President Santos again or will the Green Party’s Enrique Peñalosa come good. What of former president Alvaro Uribe’s protege Oscar Zuluaga? We’ll be discussing the candidates, the ongoing saga surrounding Bogota’s Mayor Gustavo Petro and further points of interest.