| For foreign nationals and expatriates with children you'll | | | | the ocean's frigid depths and constructed buildings that |
| have some of the following concerns in addition to a | | | | stand up through the clouds. Yet people are obliged to |
| few others of your own in these critical areas. Here in | | | | live without even the most basic of amenities. No |
| part three, we continue to consider critical problems of | | | | running water or toilets. No electricity. Forget even the |
| Colombian society including the educational system, | | | | hint of a telephone. Unpaved streets and roads where |
| consumer protection laws, crime, minorities and the | | | | there are even roads at all. Constant flooding. No |
| impact of unemployment that reaches as high as 80% | | | | sewage facilities. Flies and mosquitoes infest |
| - and no, that's not a misprint. Read on ... | | | | everything bringing the predictable diseases with them. |
| 11. The education system promotes vagabond | | | | Nutritionally poor diets consisting of but a few fruits, |
| attitudes. | | | | vegetables and whatever they can hunt. In 2001 |
| There currently exists a policy in public schools NOT to | | | | though, Colombia crowned Vanessa Alexandra |
| "fail" learners. You can miss classes (Did YOU ever | | | | Mendoza Bustos, originally from one of Colombia's |
| play "Hookey"?). You can fail even an endless string of | | | | poorest most undeveloped regions - the Choco, its first |
| "makeup" exams. You can neglect study, class | | | | black Miss Colombia. Even a more recent black Miss |
| participation, homework or virtually productive activity in | | | | Colombia finalist also stated that she had "never seen |
| class and the learner will still "pass" to the next grade | | | | a car until she was nearly 20 years old"! |
| level at the end of the school year. Now in many | | | | 14. Unemployment is often at sky-high rates and is |
| schools, there is no homework. Slothful, slow, uncaring | | | | continually rising. |
| and unmotivated learners pass from one grade to the | | | | The stark contrast of the "Haves" and the "Have |
| next with practically no effort at all knowing that they | | | | Nots" has almost never been more pronounced than it |
| almost can't fail. This means that barring all else the | | | | is here. The city of Cartagena, the so-called "crown |
| learners don't get their rude "wake-up" call until they | | | | jewel" of Colombia is but one example. While millions |
| enter the university level or the workforce and find out, | | | | of dollars are spent to fund the pageantry of the Miss |
| that in life, you can fail. The quality of Colombian | | | | Colombia Beauty Pageant, just a few blocks away |
| education can vary widely depending on location, cost | | | | local residents endure flooding, open sewers, rotting |
| and administration from primary through the university | | | | buildings and other basic amenities - even while the |
| level. | | | | pageant is in progress. The unemployment rate among |
| 12. There is little or NO consumer protection. | | | | blacks in the area is reputed to be in excess of 80%. |
| Talk about a bone to pick, this one's a biggie for me. | | | | Is it any wonder that crime is a major problem there |
| Never before has the phrase "Caveat emptor" - "Let | | | | and in other locales as well? But this of course, is not |
| the buyer beware" been more appropriate. From | | | | the face of Cartagena that gets publicized outside of |
| buying a house or condo, to a car, major appliances, | | | | Colombia. |
| furniture or goods and services (maids, plumbers, | | | | 15. Violent crimes are considered passé. |
| electricians, contractors) of all types, there is practically | | | | It used to be that violent, heinous crimes shocked, |
| no recourse for an unwary consumer. Sellers | | | | staled and amazed even the staunchest of us. Not |
| disappear moments after a major sale, consumer | | | | here, not anymore. When Luis Alfredo Garavito, one of |
| cases rarely make it to a court docket and | | | | Colombia's most notorious convicted serial child |
| enforcement of contracts or legal agreements can be | | | | murderers (who has confessed to more than 200 child |
| laughable. Workers, when hired for in-house jobs in any | | | | murders over a five year period) was released from |
| occupation, trade or service must be constantly be | | | | prison, not once, but TWICE, families and residents |
| "watched" to avoid theft, taking excessive "breaks" or | | | | were finally up in arms. Each time he was released, |
| simply "goofing off" on the job. There is no "overall | | | | more children died. He almost got released again a |
| system" for certifying workers or professionals, so | | | | couple of years ago, but fortunately, hasn't been so |
| finding competent service personnel can be a bit of a | | | | far. Violent murders on the streets of Cali, Bogota and |
| challenge most of the time. | | | | Medellin, Colombia's three largest cities, hardly rate the |
| 13. Cities and regions of the country inhabited primarily | | | | TV or tabloid news anymore with only the most |
| by minorities are highly under-developed. | | | | bizarre, tragic or heinous of these ever being reported. |
| The first few times I went into black-populated regions | | | | How would you feel if you'd personally witnessed 11 |
| of the Pacific coast, I nearly cried at the absolutely | | | | violent murders in the streets as I have over the past |
| primitive conditions people live in - this is the 21st | | | | twelve years? |
| century, I reminded myself. Men have landed on the | | | | In part four, the issues of crime, coffee and beautiful |
| moon, orbited the earth for weeks at time, plumbed | | | | women are among those on tap. See you then. |