Colombia - Critical Cultural Dilemmas Part 1

Move to visit now?If you watch ads on the local TV channels, tune in to sports radio, begin to see the Travel & Living route spots on cable TV, you can quickly get primed to move to Colombia despite its well-deserved reputation for violence, kidnapping, and drug trafficking. This is simply not to say the on-going civil war raging between Colombia's government, Para-military forces like the AUC and Guerilla military forces like the FARC. Let's not forget the dreadful murder and crime rates.Nonetheless, after taking into consideration the post '20 Reasons Not to Go to Dubai' in an ELT community on the web, I thought I'd have a picture in a similarly-themed post coping with diverse facets of Colombia. Now don't misunderstand me, I have lived in Colombia for the past 12 years teaching English as a language with my Colombian wife. I pay taxes, medical insurance and pension through the systems. I still live here and will continue steadily to do so for the foreseeable future, but it is exactly this familiarity bred from a long time living and working here that encourage me to create about this country.Here's the first five of my 20-item record and short commentary:1. In several areas there are NO or very few government services.Streets are pot-hole-riddled and what there are of roads are generally in pretty bad shape, but drivable. During peak times of travel, numerous setbacks, enormous traffic jams and over-burdened transport systems and features are normal place.2. The climate, while exotic in many areas, can vary to extremes.Summer months from June through August can be cruelly warm in some areas and unseasonably awesome in others. You will need a sweater or jacket in Bogot