Coming from America where the mainstream sexual themes have evolved from Natalie Wood's "whatever the man says" to Judd Apatow's "if you're a guy and you want to find to true love, you have to give up all your friends" to Colombia definitely called for a recalibration to adjust to the new realities.
Understand: it's all about the family here. I really can't stress this enough. The family is so much stronger in Colombia (and, pretty much all of Latin America for that matter) than in the U.S., Europe or pretty much anywhere else in the western world. It may be universal (thanks, Chris Rock), but if you've been going out with a Colombian girl a couple of times and haven't met any of her friends or family, you are not her boyfriend.
The problem this presents for the traveler is that if you tell a girl you're traveling alone over Christmas, this immediately raises a red flag as she will automatically assume your values are out of wack and are a shady character, which you probably are.
Of course, there's a flip side to that coin. Especially during this time of year, Colombian girls are very open to new relationships because they can anticipate the empty feeling that will sink in as their hermanos and hermanas wrap their arms around their loved ones while she cries inside.
So, how do you present yourself as a good enough guy to bring home and meet her family? First off, don't be an asshole. Arrogance doesn't really fly here. Still, this isn't to say that you should get on your hands and knees for the first girl who smiles at you and asks where you're from or "donde quedas?"
The move is to ask questions that reflect the undeniable social realities that permeate Colombia. The first, and most obvious, is the ridiculous income inequality that turn the "haves" into arrogant prisses who don't give gringos the time of day and the "have nots" who you have to always be conscious of the possibility (or, certainty) that to them your most redeeming characteristic isn't your personality or your looks but your wallet. Also, Colombia is a very machismo society. I don't mean to imply that these themes are culturally exclusive, but I've never met so many single mothers or heartbroken beauties in my life-- and I've been here for one week.
Onto the game. Try qualifying her by asking questions about what kind of family she comes from or how her job is. Pull the old "Leon" from "Curb your Enthusiasm" move-- begin the interview with the boss asking about you and end it with you sizing them up. "So, what kind of company is this? What are the long term plans? So, you're the type of guy who just likes gringos for their money?"
deeptravelthoughts.blogspot.com
Understand: it's all about the family here. I really can't stress this enough. The family is so much stronger in Colombia (and, pretty much all of Latin America for that matter) than in the U.S., Europe or pretty much anywhere else in the western world. It may be universal (thanks, Chris Rock), but if you've been going out with a Colombian girl a couple of times and haven't met any of her friends or family, you are not her boyfriend.
The problem this presents for the traveler is that if you tell a girl you're traveling alone over Christmas, this immediately raises a red flag as she will automatically assume your values are out of wack and are a shady character, which you probably are.
Of course, there's a flip side to that coin. Especially during this time of year, Colombian girls are very open to new relationships because they can anticipate the empty feeling that will sink in as their hermanos and hermanas wrap their arms around their loved ones while she cries inside.
So, how do you present yourself as a good enough guy to bring home and meet her family? First off, don't be an asshole. Arrogance doesn't really fly here. Still, this isn't to say that you should get on your hands and knees for the first girl who smiles at you and asks where you're from or "donde quedas?"
The move is to ask questions that reflect the undeniable social realities that permeate Colombia. The first, and most obvious, is the ridiculous income inequality that turn the "haves" into arrogant prisses who don't give gringos the time of day and the "have nots" who you have to always be conscious of the possibility (or, certainty) that to them your most redeeming characteristic isn't your personality or your looks but your wallet. Also, Colombia is a very machismo society. I don't mean to imply that these themes are culturally exclusive, but I've never met so many single mothers or heartbroken beauties in my life-- and I've been here for one week.
Onto the game. Try qualifying her by asking questions about what kind of family she comes from or how her job is. Pull the old "Leon" from "Curb your Enthusiasm" move-- begin the interview with the boss asking about you and end it with you sizing them up. "So, what kind of company is this? What are the long term plans? So, you're the type of guy who just likes gringos for their money?"
deeptravelthoughts.blogspot.com
