Thanks to all of you that sent me PM’s about my glowing review of life in Medellin.
Yes, it is a great place to live!
For those of you that asked, “what are the downsides”, I guess that is a fair question and deserves a direct and honest response;
1) If you suffer from any type of bronchial problem, asthma, or other respiratory problems, then you probably do not want to visit or consider living in Medellin. Medellin is in a valley, a bowl if you want a comparison. Not unlike L.A., Mexico City, Santiago Chile and other cities where a large population exists and pollution is trapped between mountains. The pollution created by the factories in the valley floor, the automobile exhaust emissions and burning of trash and debris can remain trapped in the valley until a swift breeze or tranquil rain can clean it out of the valley. It can be hours, it can be days. If you are at higher elevations up in the mountains, it will not be as prevalent as if you were in the lower valley.
2. There is a wide disparity of wealth in Medellin. There are a number of very wealthy and affluent while there are many very poor people. The middle class is growing in numbers as more and more take advantage of low cost educational and expanding job opportunities but the poverty will still send many reeling. There is no Social Security (except for career military), few if any assistance programs for people with disabilities, minimum wage is just slightly over $220 per month and many people displaced by the 4 decade old civil war are left to beg, sell chewing gum, fruit and other oddities on street corners. Like many Latin American countries, a large percentage of the wealth is in a small percentage of the populations hands but a visible tide is turning as security is improved, more investment into the country is taking place which creates jobs and more people are able to move above Maslows basics of food, shelter and clothing.
3. Being a foreigner in Medellin increases the price of just about everything that does not have a price tag on it. Almost everyone who is “doing you a favor” or introducing you to someone that “can help you” is making a commission for doing it. These people have learned to live by their wits, cunning and ability to sell you on an idea. Very few have long term plans and goals. Most live for today and do not worry about tomorrow.
4. Get used to everyone being late for everything. If they tell you they will be there at 10:00AM, do not be surprised if they show up at 10:30 or 10:45 with little more than a brief apology for having kept you waiting. The only time they seem to be in a hurry is when they get behind the wheel of an automobile. Their impatience reaches the boiling point, they speed in and out of traffic as if they were taking a relative to an emergency room, they can honk their horns when a red light changes to green in a nano second, yet, when they reach their ultimate destination, everything goes back to “tranquilo”. It is frustrating to many westerners. For the locals, it is a way of life!
5. YOU WILL HAVE TO LEARN SOME SPANISH! It is impossible to live here and not expect to become pretty conversational if not downright fluent in Spanish. It will take years because much like the US and other western countries, they have their own use of idiomas and modismos that will take you longer than formal Spanish to learn. Think about all the local ones you use. IE: “I am just pulling your leg”! They say, “I am just pulling your hair”. There will be days when you encounter people from the barrios or countryside and you can barely understand 25% of what they are saying to you. Just think about how a Spanish speaking person would understand a deep southern drawl from Eastern Kentucky or a Bronx accent from New York if they learned formal English!
6. Opening bank accounts, establishing credit or gaining peoples trust here is a challenge…to say the least! One of my administrators made a comment one day, “nobody trusts anybody here”. It shed light on a lot of frustrating moments from the past year. Toto, you are not in Kansas anymore! Do not expect to walk into a bank, open an account and walk out with a new toaster for doing so. Do not expect to get a post paid annual cellular plan, do not expect anyone to give you Net 10 much less 30 day payment terms. Expect COD or prepayment no matter how high your credit score in the US.
Okay, for those of you that live here or have visited here, please feel free to chime in with your observations. I’ve only been here a year. Who knows, a year from now I may have a totally different perspective.
MTG
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