MOVIES
1. THE DEPARTED:
This film has a lot of unknown vocabulary! But the main idea of the movie was about two infiltrators in two different groups with different objectives.
There was a mafia which the leader was Mr. Costello, he was a killer, a man with a cold flood, almost all days he killed somebody.
One day he felt the necessity of having an infiltrator in FBI departure, so, he took a little kid and support him like a son in the army.
When the boy grew up, he was named sergeant in not time, but at the same time was a cop, a smart cop and he was infiltrated in the mafia by the FBI.
At the end all of those people, also the main characters die because each one killed the other one and so on.
This movie was a good one, I liked the trama very much; finally I recommend you to watch it.
2. THE GIRL NEXT DOOR:
First of all, I have to say that when I chose this movie I thought that it was relative to spooky or ghostly things, but this movie truthful made feel anger, sadness and helpless.
It was about two orphaned little girls, one older than the other one and they were leave by their mother with their aunt.
The aunt had three children, like teenagers and they were terrible people as her mother was too.
As the time were passing the detestable aunt all the time was against her nieces, whatever the girls do she immediately punished them in the worst ways that you can imagine.
But there was a little boy who was living in the other house, near to that one, that’s why the title of this film is “the girl next door”.
This boy realized about the unfair trade to the girls from their aunt, but he could do nothing because his parents were too messy and busy all the time.
One day he went to the girls’ house and the terrible aunt took the girls into the basement and did with the girls what she wanted especially to the older one.
She was tied up, she was rape by one of her cousins, it was terrible, and she suffered a lot.
At the end her aunt burned the girl’s vagina; I almost cried watching that, this films is based on the real life, so I can’t imagine a person like that, not even a mental sickness!
When the boy saw that he attack the woman but a t the same time the police arrived to the house, but the girl died at that moment.
When the boy was older, he said that every moment in his life he is recording that especial and suffered beautiful teen.
3. “TOTALLY HILARIOUS”
This film was about man who was a successful program presenter. He had a super star girlfriend that worked in reality shows and she was a rich woman.
One day his parents invited him to celebrate their weeding anniversary, so he and his ten years old son and his girlfriend went to the anniversary and It was a chaos because all the remembers were into account.
The main character didn’t want anybody remember him as the foolish guy, but that was impossible and it cause a lot of fights among them but it was funny.
At the end all the family close together and they forgave each other in a peaceful way.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
READING!
For those familiar with the U.S., you all know that April 1 there is April Fool's Day. It's a day where many people love to pull pranks on each other, and since I'm a very gullible person, I'm an easy target.
I woke up this morning with a phone call from Brian Andrews, and he tells me I need to come to the studio right away. Muy Buenos Dias, which is the Today Show of Colombia, wanted Brian and I to appear... in one hour!
I jumped out of my bed and ran into the shower. This was my big break... I was going to appear on Colombian national television and I needed to get ready fast!
As I was shaving, I told my roomates' mother I had to appear on Muy Buenos Dias soon.
''But it's April Fool's Day in the U.S.,'' she says. ''Brian is just pulling your leg.''
I thought about it for a minute and then got worried. I sent Brian a text message asking him if this was an April Fool's joke. ''No,'' Brian replied. ''This is the real deal.''
Still a littke skeptical, I finished washing-up and threw on my clothes. I skipped breakfast and literally ran out the door to catch a cab. I was getting a little nervous because there were some traffic jams but I arrived at RCN in 15 minutes.
I ran into the studio and met with Alejo, one of the RCN marketing guys. No, this wasn't an April Fool's joke. This was really happening!
Alejo rushed me into makeup, and within 15 more minutes, Brian and I were sitting on the Muy Buenos Dias couch. This was my third interview in Spanish and I was very excited.
So there you have it... just one hour after I woke up, I was on live national television with Brian, Laura Acuña, Jessica Cediel and Jota Mario Valencia. Absolutely crazy! I was full of adrenaline from rushing out of bed, getting here, and now here I was on one of Colombia's most popular shows.
They started out with simple questions like where I was from and stuff like that. But Brian and I ended-up stealing the show, not even following the intinerary Jota Mario had for us. We talked about all sorts of crazy things like imitating the TransMilenio voice to making chicken noises. They also cracked up when I called Colombian drivers, ''brutos.'' We both showed a lot of personality and I think we did great!
Our interview only lasted 10 minutes but it went by super fast! It still hasn't totally hit me yet that I was just on national Colombian televison but I'm very excited for the things to come. It may have been April Fools Day in the United States but this was definitely no prank. This was another step in introducing myself to Colombia!
Posted by Gary Parkosewich at 12:04 PM 1 comments
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Enamorado de Colombia
Oh, how I love this country! It's been almost a month since I've returned to ''mi nueva tierra'' and I love every minute of it. It is so difficult to describe in words just as to how happy I feel here. I just remember for the first few nights, feeling a rush of boiling energy swirling around my chest like a whitewater river. I also remember slowly filling my chest with the Bogotá air; feeling like I could float to the top of Monserrate. It was almost the same sensation you feel when you fall in love with a new woman.
Never in my life had I felt so happy, so accomplished; I sometimes ask myself what I did to deserve so much euphoria? Only in Colombia have I ever felt this way. I must be one of the luckiest men in the world right now. Wow, I never thought I would ever say that.
There's a stretch of road in Bogotá the taxi drives through every morning. It's a bridge where I get the most picturesque view of Colombia's capital city. I see the tall, rolling green mountains from the downtown area of Bogotá staring down upon me like a guardian; dwarfing Torre Colpatria, the tallest building in all of Colombia. The view lasts maybe 15 seconds before it's blocked by a stretch of stores, but it's the one thing I look forward to most on my commute to work.
Colombia has had a terrible reputation for a long time. There are still several out there thinking that Colombians constantly live in a war zone; that Colombia is only a place filled with drugs, violence, and sadness. I've had friends even ask me if people drive cars in Colombia. We all of course know better than that. Colombia may look like an old, scary haunted house on the outside due to its history, but if your mind is open enough to walk through the front door, you will find a beautifully decorated home full of warmth, comfort and happiness.
I sometimes wonder if I was a Colombian in a previous life. Ever since I could remember, I had always been looking for a place where the people were genuinly nice, where the weather was fine, where I would have not one but several close friends, and where the women were beautiful.
I found that place in Colombia. I honestly felt like I came not just home but to heaven and I really cannot imagine myself anywhere else in the world at this moment. I just can't wait until I have the opportunity to share this wonderful country with my family back in the United States. The only thing I'm missing in my life at the moment is a girlfriend, which I think can wait.
So far RCN has been abolutely fantastic. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better job nor a better place to work. RCN may be Colombia's largest television network covering the entire country but everybody is so relaxed, so polite, so content and so genuinly nice. You never see people slamming down phones or running around in a temper-tantrum rage. It's the big studio that's like a little family. Everybody is a friend here.
I don't consider myself a Colombian celebrity yet but I've already had my share of features and interivews already. Brian Andrews and I were interviewed by Estilo, which is like the Enterntainment Tonight of Colombia. It was my very first interview in Spanish but I basically told everybody my story as to how I fell in love with this country and how happy I feel here. I was very nervous but I think I pulled it off very well. To my knowledge, the interviews haven't aired yet but should be coming soon.
My second interview in Spanish was with the famous 'La Negra Candela,' a well-known gossip journalist here in Bogotá. Oliver Diglesias and I appeared on her radio show Picantísimo (See Part 1 and Part 2), and it was good thing Oliver came along, since I could't understand everything she said. Oliver, however, loves to talk a lot I noticed, but I think I said enough. You can see a link to the interviews in the right column.
I was curious one day and typed my name in Google and was surprised to find the website Farándula Criolla had featured an article on me. I couldn't help but smile and feel satisfied when it called me, ''El gringo más colombiano...'' (The most Colombian ''gringo'') Keep in mind that gringo, a nickname for Americans, does not have a derogatory meaning here in Colombia, as it does in some countries. Perhaps I really was a Colombian in a previous life, afterall. The same article was also printed in a Cartagena newspaper.
So there you have it, folks. I'm in love with this country and I don't plan on leaving for a while. Only in Colombia can you find a culture so rich, a land so beautiful, and a people so genuine. Oh yes, and how could I forget the food? Only the best you'll ever taste. Colombia: never, ever change, please. You have so much to be proud of. ¡Qué bonita es está vida!
Posted by Gary Parkosewich at 10:04 PM 1 comments
Friday, March 20, 2009
Back in Bogotá!
Well folks, for those who pay attention to this blog, you were probably wondering what happened to me since I disappeared from the RCN News scene a while ago.
Before I start, I'm overly-joyed to say I'm back in Bogotá, and this time for good. I now have a contract with RCN Television, along with my Colombian work visa, so I'll happily be bringing Colombia to the world with Brian Andrews and the rest of the RCN News in English team.
So here's my story... Back in November, Brian sent me on special assignment in Nuquí, Chocó on Colombia's Pacific Coast. I stayed there for five days, made eight reports before the camera broke down from the extreme weather conditions, and then came back to Bogotá.
Upon arriving back, complications arose at RCN, and the News in English could no longer have contributors. So that meant none of my special reports from Chocó could air, and for a good two weeks, it didn't look like I was going to get my dream job. RCN would not even allow me to enter the building again until I was officially hired.
Brian began aggressively pushing for my contract. By the end of the month, it appeared that I was going to be approved very quickly... but little did I know the long waiting process Brian once had to go through was just about to begin for me.
On the day RCN was supposed to make the final approval, a dispute broke out between RCN, Caracol and the Colombian government over licensing fees. So, just by my luck, all new hires were put on freeze until negotiations started on January 1.
After the dispute ended, RCN began to start my paperwork process. In order to hire a foreigner in Colombia, RCN had to petition the government to hire me, so I had to wait for approval from the Ministry of Labor. That too took a while... I prayed and prayed every single night for the papers to come as quickly as they could. Sometimes it felt like I was fighting a negative force trying to stop me from achieving my dream.
During that time, knowing I had a while to wait for my contract, I spent my time freely enjoying Colombia. I made several new friends, met some girls and dramatically improved my Spanish. I even came into contact with some old Medellín friends and spent time there in my favorite Colombian city for Christmas and New Years. I also explored the nearby municipalities of Copacabana, Sabaneta, Envigado and Bello. It was my first Christmas in Colombia and by far the best one I've ever had. To be honest, I thought Christmas wouldn't be fun anymore after learning the truth about Santa Claus but I'm happy to say Colombia has proven me wrong once again.
It was also during this time I was given an answer to several personal questions deeply troubling me for over a year. Not all of them were answered; the ones that were, however, were ones I had expected but not ones I wanted. God works in mysterious ways and the reason why He made me so negligent in my possessions is so I could get an answer, due to an indirect cause of my tendency to break things. I will not go into full details but the one thing I will say is sometimes your personal flaws can end up saving your life.
After New Years, my paisa friends and I went to Arboletes, Antioquia and Coveñas, Sucre – two beautiful towns on the Caribbean coast. I bathed in Arboletes' famous Volcán de Lodo (the mud volcano), tanned in the hot sun, and swam in the gorgeous waters of the Caribbean. Guaro flowed like water, and we all stayed-up throughout the entire night. It was a blast but little did I know my joy was about to come to a quick crash.
I was told Tuesday the 13th's are considered the unluckiest days for Colombians (in the U.S. it's Friday the 13th). The day after returning from the Caribbean – Tuesday, January 13 – I discovered somebody had cloned my debit card and stole $682 U.S. from my American savings account (the equivalent of $1.5 million Colombian pesos at the time). I called my bank but could not freeze the account because it was the only account I had; plus I didn't own a credit card... In other words, if I froze the account, then I wouldn't have any available money to buy a return ticket to the United States or to Bogotá for that matter.
Acting quickly, I flew to Bogotá the next day, withdrawing the maximum amount of money from my account daily. It was the only option I had to prevent the criminal from stealing any more. Since my papers still were not ready and because of this identity theft situation, I had no choice: I had to leave Colombia.
Within a few days, I flew back to the United States and canceled my debit card. The bank, thankfully, returned the lost money and now I can only hope the criminal who did this will be caught, if not already.
Nobody was happier about my return, of course, than my parents. We bought a pizza on my night back and spent as much time as we could together onwards. We had a Nintendo Wii in the house and my dad and I would play Mario Kart against each other almost every night.
It was very difficult adjusting to the harsh Connecticut winter. Just a week before, I was walking around shirtless on Colombia's Caribbean coast; and now it seemed like I couldn't find enough clothes to keep warm. My body was so accustomed to the Colombian climate that even Bogotá felt cold for me; when in reality it feels like a Connecticut spring or early summer everyday.
I used my seemingly endless amount of free time at home saying hello and goodbye to my friends and relatives. I knew it was only a matter of time before I had to return to Bogotá.
My mother is a middle school Spanish teacher and I made a big presentation on Colombia for all of her classes. I showed her students pictures from all of my experiences – from Bogotá, Medellín, Nuquí, Chocó to Copacabana, Arboletes and Coveñas. I also played vallenato and showed video clips from Medellín's soccer games and enormous Christmas lights. By the end of the presentation, every student wanted to visit Colombia. I felt so proud I was able to convince a tiny part of the world that Colombia was "cool." I couldn't wait, however, to finally do it as a profession.
Impatience is my biggest weakness, so the wait was a terrible experience. For four months the only news I would receive from RCN was I either had to wait "two more weeks" or "at least a month" for my papers. My biggest fear was receiving a call saying I could no longer be hired, and I prayed every night this would not happen. My Colombian friends, however, constantly reassured me how long things took to get done in Colombia. All I had to do was relax and be patient.
Finally, over a month after returning to the U.S., Brian called me from Bogotá with the best news: my papers were done and were going to be sent out that day.
So there you have it... Four months and four days after I made my debut as an RCN News contributor, I took a train to New York City and received my work visa at the Colombian Consulate... and – lucky for me – got it within an hour. That night I bought my return ticket to Bogotá for a Sunday flight.
The day before my arrival into Bogotá my family held a goodbye pizza party for me at my cousin's place. That night my dad and I watched 'The Dark Knight' – our favorite movie – on our new HDTV. My mother jokingly kept asking me, "Are you sure you want to go back to Colombia when you have this great TV here?"
After watching, my dad came into my room to say goodnight. I couldn't help but notice his eyes watering, and it was very difficult to look into them. My dad has always been my best friend, so it always pains me to see him when he's sad. As much as I love him, however, I had to leave for this job. When my dad was 23 years old he moved to Puerto Rico and lived there for over two years. Now, here I am, also 23 years old and – like my father – moving to a Latin American country for an undetermined period of time.
My father brought me to the airport the next day and just before I went through security, I looked at him from across the room, knowing it was going to be one last time before I would see him in person for a while. I could feel his pain project itself inside of me. At the same time, I think he understood the place where I was going since he had a very similar experience himself in Puerto Rico.
There was no turning back, however. I got my contract and my work visa and I was now going to work for Colombia's largest TV network. How many recent college broadcast journalism graduates can say they achieved this sort of thing? Not many. I think the reason why I was such an unlucky person for the majority of my life was because God was saving all that luck for this year.
So here we are... After almost two years of dreaming; ten months after graduating from the University of Connecticut; and four months after taking my plunge into Colombia, I'm back in Bogotá living my life's dream and am now a proud Colombian. God bless this wonderful country!
I woke up this morning with a phone call from Brian Andrews, and he tells me I need to come to the studio right away. Muy Buenos Dias, which is the Today Show of Colombia, wanted Brian and I to appear... in one hour!
I jumped out of my bed and ran into the shower. This was my big break... I was going to appear on Colombian national television and I needed to get ready fast!
As I was shaving, I told my roomates' mother I had to appear on Muy Buenos Dias soon.
''But it's April Fool's Day in the U.S.,'' she says. ''Brian is just pulling your leg.''
I thought about it for a minute and then got worried. I sent Brian a text message asking him if this was an April Fool's joke. ''No,'' Brian replied. ''This is the real deal.''
Still a littke skeptical, I finished washing-up and threw on my clothes. I skipped breakfast and literally ran out the door to catch a cab. I was getting a little nervous because there were some traffic jams but I arrived at RCN in 15 minutes.
I ran into the studio and met with Alejo, one of the RCN marketing guys. No, this wasn't an April Fool's joke. This was really happening!
Alejo rushed me into makeup, and within 15 more minutes, Brian and I were sitting on the Muy Buenos Dias couch. This was my third interview in Spanish and I was very excited.
So there you have it... just one hour after I woke up, I was on live national television with Brian, Laura Acuña, Jessica Cediel and Jota Mario Valencia. Absolutely crazy! I was full of adrenaline from rushing out of bed, getting here, and now here I was on one of Colombia's most popular shows.
They started out with simple questions like where I was from and stuff like that. But Brian and I ended-up stealing the show, not even following the intinerary Jota Mario had for us. We talked about all sorts of crazy things like imitating the TransMilenio voice to making chicken noises. They also cracked up when I called Colombian drivers, ''brutos.'' We both showed a lot of personality and I think we did great!
Our interview only lasted 10 minutes but it went by super fast! It still hasn't totally hit me yet that I was just on national Colombian televison but I'm very excited for the things to come. It may have been April Fools Day in the United States but this was definitely no prank. This was another step in introducing myself to Colombia!
Posted by Gary Parkosewich at 12:04 PM 1 comments
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Enamorado de Colombia
Oh, how I love this country! It's been almost a month since I've returned to ''mi nueva tierra'' and I love every minute of it. It is so difficult to describe in words just as to how happy I feel here. I just remember for the first few nights, feeling a rush of boiling energy swirling around my chest like a whitewater river. I also remember slowly filling my chest with the Bogotá air; feeling like I could float to the top of Monserrate. It was almost the same sensation you feel when you fall in love with a new woman.
Never in my life had I felt so happy, so accomplished; I sometimes ask myself what I did to deserve so much euphoria? Only in Colombia have I ever felt this way. I must be one of the luckiest men in the world right now. Wow, I never thought I would ever say that.
There's a stretch of road in Bogotá the taxi drives through every morning. It's a bridge where I get the most picturesque view of Colombia's capital city. I see the tall, rolling green mountains from the downtown area of Bogotá staring down upon me like a guardian; dwarfing Torre Colpatria, the tallest building in all of Colombia. The view lasts maybe 15 seconds before it's blocked by a stretch of stores, but it's the one thing I look forward to most on my commute to work.
Colombia has had a terrible reputation for a long time. There are still several out there thinking that Colombians constantly live in a war zone; that Colombia is only a place filled with drugs, violence, and sadness. I've had friends even ask me if people drive cars in Colombia. We all of course know better than that. Colombia may look like an old, scary haunted house on the outside due to its history, but if your mind is open enough to walk through the front door, you will find a beautifully decorated home full of warmth, comfort and happiness.
I sometimes wonder if I was a Colombian in a previous life. Ever since I could remember, I had always been looking for a place where the people were genuinly nice, where the weather was fine, where I would have not one but several close friends, and where the women were beautiful.
I found that place in Colombia. I honestly felt like I came not just home but to heaven and I really cannot imagine myself anywhere else in the world at this moment. I just can't wait until I have the opportunity to share this wonderful country with my family back in the United States. The only thing I'm missing in my life at the moment is a girlfriend, which I think can wait.
So far RCN has been abolutely fantastic. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better job nor a better place to work. RCN may be Colombia's largest television network covering the entire country but everybody is so relaxed, so polite, so content and so genuinly nice. You never see people slamming down phones or running around in a temper-tantrum rage. It's the big studio that's like a little family. Everybody is a friend here.
I don't consider myself a Colombian celebrity yet but I've already had my share of features and interivews already. Brian Andrews and I were interviewed by Estilo, which is like the Enterntainment Tonight of Colombia. It was my very first interview in Spanish but I basically told everybody my story as to how I fell in love with this country and how happy I feel here. I was very nervous but I think I pulled it off very well. To my knowledge, the interviews haven't aired yet but should be coming soon.
My second interview in Spanish was with the famous 'La Negra Candela,' a well-known gossip journalist here in Bogotá. Oliver Diglesias and I appeared on her radio show Picantísimo (See Part 1 and Part 2), and it was good thing Oliver came along, since I could't understand everything she said. Oliver, however, loves to talk a lot I noticed, but I think I said enough. You can see a link to the interviews in the right column.
I was curious one day and typed my name in Google and was surprised to find the website Farándula Criolla had featured an article on me. I couldn't help but smile and feel satisfied when it called me, ''El gringo más colombiano...'' (The most Colombian ''gringo'') Keep in mind that gringo, a nickname for Americans, does not have a derogatory meaning here in Colombia, as it does in some countries. Perhaps I really was a Colombian in a previous life, afterall. The same article was also printed in a Cartagena newspaper.
So there you have it, folks. I'm in love with this country and I don't plan on leaving for a while. Only in Colombia can you find a culture so rich, a land so beautiful, and a people so genuine. Oh yes, and how could I forget the food? Only the best you'll ever taste. Colombia: never, ever change, please. You have so much to be proud of. ¡Qué bonita es está vida!
Posted by Gary Parkosewich at 10:04 PM 1 comments
Friday, March 20, 2009
Back in Bogotá!
Well folks, for those who pay attention to this blog, you were probably wondering what happened to me since I disappeared from the RCN News scene a while ago.
Before I start, I'm overly-joyed to say I'm back in Bogotá, and this time for good. I now have a contract with RCN Television, along with my Colombian work visa, so I'll happily be bringing Colombia to the world with Brian Andrews and the rest of the RCN News in English team.
So here's my story... Back in November, Brian sent me on special assignment in Nuquí, Chocó on Colombia's Pacific Coast. I stayed there for five days, made eight reports before the camera broke down from the extreme weather conditions, and then came back to Bogotá.
Upon arriving back, complications arose at RCN, and the News in English could no longer have contributors. So that meant none of my special reports from Chocó could air, and for a good two weeks, it didn't look like I was going to get my dream job. RCN would not even allow me to enter the building again until I was officially hired.
Brian began aggressively pushing for my contract. By the end of the month, it appeared that I was going to be approved very quickly... but little did I know the long waiting process Brian once had to go through was just about to begin for me.
On the day RCN was supposed to make the final approval, a dispute broke out between RCN, Caracol and the Colombian government over licensing fees. So, just by my luck, all new hires were put on freeze until negotiations started on January 1.
After the dispute ended, RCN began to start my paperwork process. In order to hire a foreigner in Colombia, RCN had to petition the government to hire me, so I had to wait for approval from the Ministry of Labor. That too took a while... I prayed and prayed every single night for the papers to come as quickly as they could. Sometimes it felt like I was fighting a negative force trying to stop me from achieving my dream.
During that time, knowing I had a while to wait for my contract, I spent my time freely enjoying Colombia. I made several new friends, met some girls and dramatically improved my Spanish. I even came into contact with some old Medellín friends and spent time there in my favorite Colombian city for Christmas and New Years. I also explored the nearby municipalities of Copacabana, Sabaneta, Envigado and Bello. It was my first Christmas in Colombia and by far the best one I've ever had. To be honest, I thought Christmas wouldn't be fun anymore after learning the truth about Santa Claus but I'm happy to say Colombia has proven me wrong once again.
It was also during this time I was given an answer to several personal questions deeply troubling me for over a year. Not all of them were answered; the ones that were, however, were ones I had expected but not ones I wanted. God works in mysterious ways and the reason why He made me so negligent in my possessions is so I could get an answer, due to an indirect cause of my tendency to break things. I will not go into full details but the one thing I will say is sometimes your personal flaws can end up saving your life.
After New Years, my paisa friends and I went to Arboletes, Antioquia and Coveñas, Sucre – two beautiful towns on the Caribbean coast. I bathed in Arboletes' famous Volcán de Lodo (the mud volcano), tanned in the hot sun, and swam in the gorgeous waters of the Caribbean. Guaro flowed like water, and we all stayed-up throughout the entire night. It was a blast but little did I know my joy was about to come to a quick crash.
I was told Tuesday the 13th's are considered the unluckiest days for Colombians (in the U.S. it's Friday the 13th). The day after returning from the Caribbean – Tuesday, January 13 – I discovered somebody had cloned my debit card and stole $682 U.S. from my American savings account (the equivalent of $1.5 million Colombian pesos at the time). I called my bank but could not freeze the account because it was the only account I had; plus I didn't own a credit card... In other words, if I froze the account, then I wouldn't have any available money to buy a return ticket to the United States or to Bogotá for that matter.
Acting quickly, I flew to Bogotá the next day, withdrawing the maximum amount of money from my account daily. It was the only option I had to prevent the criminal from stealing any more. Since my papers still were not ready and because of this identity theft situation, I had no choice: I had to leave Colombia.
Within a few days, I flew back to the United States and canceled my debit card. The bank, thankfully, returned the lost money and now I can only hope the criminal who did this will be caught, if not already.
Nobody was happier about my return, of course, than my parents. We bought a pizza on my night back and spent as much time as we could together onwards. We had a Nintendo Wii in the house and my dad and I would play Mario Kart against each other almost every night.
It was very difficult adjusting to the harsh Connecticut winter. Just a week before, I was walking around shirtless on Colombia's Caribbean coast; and now it seemed like I couldn't find enough clothes to keep warm. My body was so accustomed to the Colombian climate that even Bogotá felt cold for me; when in reality it feels like a Connecticut spring or early summer everyday.
I used my seemingly endless amount of free time at home saying hello and goodbye to my friends and relatives. I knew it was only a matter of time before I had to return to Bogotá.
My mother is a middle school Spanish teacher and I made a big presentation on Colombia for all of her classes. I showed her students pictures from all of my experiences – from Bogotá, Medellín, Nuquí, Chocó to Copacabana, Arboletes and Coveñas. I also played vallenato and showed video clips from Medellín's soccer games and enormous Christmas lights. By the end of the presentation, every student wanted to visit Colombia. I felt so proud I was able to convince a tiny part of the world that Colombia was "cool." I couldn't wait, however, to finally do it as a profession.
Impatience is my biggest weakness, so the wait was a terrible experience. For four months the only news I would receive from RCN was I either had to wait "two more weeks" or "at least a month" for my papers. My biggest fear was receiving a call saying I could no longer be hired, and I prayed every night this would not happen. My Colombian friends, however, constantly reassured me how long things took to get done in Colombia. All I had to do was relax and be patient.
Finally, over a month after returning to the U.S., Brian called me from Bogotá with the best news: my papers were done and were going to be sent out that day.
So there you have it... Four months and four days after I made my debut as an RCN News contributor, I took a train to New York City and received my work visa at the Colombian Consulate... and – lucky for me – got it within an hour. That night I bought my return ticket to Bogotá for a Sunday flight.
The day before my arrival into Bogotá my family held a goodbye pizza party for me at my cousin's place. That night my dad and I watched 'The Dark Knight' – our favorite movie – on our new HDTV. My mother jokingly kept asking me, "Are you sure you want to go back to Colombia when you have this great TV here?"
After watching, my dad came into my room to say goodnight. I couldn't help but notice his eyes watering, and it was very difficult to look into them. My dad has always been my best friend, so it always pains me to see him when he's sad. As much as I love him, however, I had to leave for this job. When my dad was 23 years old he moved to Puerto Rico and lived there for over two years. Now, here I am, also 23 years old and – like my father – moving to a Latin American country for an undetermined period of time.
My father brought me to the airport the next day and just before I went through security, I looked at him from across the room, knowing it was going to be one last time before I would see him in person for a while. I could feel his pain project itself inside of me. At the same time, I think he understood the place where I was going since he had a very similar experience himself in Puerto Rico.
There was no turning back, however. I got my contract and my work visa and I was now going to work for Colombia's largest TV network. How many recent college broadcast journalism graduates can say they achieved this sort of thing? Not many. I think the reason why I was such an unlucky person for the majority of my life was because God was saving all that luck for this year.
So here we are... After almost two years of dreaming; ten months after graduating from the University of Connecticut; and four months after taking my plunge into Colombia, I'm back in Bogotá living my life's dream and am now a proud Colombian. God bless this wonderful country!
Gary Parkosewich
Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
I'm a 23 year old journalism grad from the University of Connecticut pursuing my hearts and dreams in Colombia, the country I fell in love with. I currently work at my dream job as an anchor for RCN Colombia News in English in Bogotá. Through here, I wish to show the world the real side of Colombia not well-known outside of its borders; a country of beauty, happiness and vibrance.
Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
I'm a 23 year old journalism grad from the University of Connecticut pursuing my hearts and dreams in Colombia, the country I fell in love with. I currently work at my dream job as an anchor for RCN Colombia News in English in Bogotá. Through here, I wish to show the world the real side of Colombia not well-known outside of its borders; a country of beauty, happiness and vibrance.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Lots going on...
First, I heard my dear friend Kelley Mitchell, former 7News anchor, is in rough shape at Jackson Memorial Hospital. As many of you know, Kelley had a very public bout with breast cancer. From what I understand, she's in Ryder Trauma with massive health problems. I called her long time boyfriend Kirk Wade in Miami tonight and told him I'm thinking about them. Kelley is a fighter. I'm hoping she pulls through.
Next, what a day!
I spent all morning at the Davivienda Branch in Chico trying to sort out a wire transfer from the US. You would think it would be easier. NOPE. Not only do you have to have the transfer number, but a fax from your bank to prove you made the transfer, then you have to wait 24 hours for it to clear. It was a real pain in the ass. After 2 hours at the bank, I got into work. Things went OK. We had a great show and got a lot done. I also signed the paperwork for one of our new hires. We will welcome Natasha Cheij from Barranquilla to the News in English staff starting next week. In the meantime, I'm still looking for a second producer.
After the show, RCN had me run over to a production company to cut the audio for an english-language video for Banco de Bogota. That took about 20 minutes in Chapinero Alto. Then, my producer and I went to look at cars. I was going to get a Chevy Spark Go from Los Coches, however, I decided I wanted to go look at VW's. They were really expensive. Like 43 milliones for a VW GOL. So, we jumped in a cab and went to a used car place down near Niza. I saw a 2004 GOL I liked. I was told it could be mine for 20 milliones. I wasn't sold.
Next, I got a call to be at RCN Commercials on the 100 to do a corporate sales video. I thought I was cutting audio. No, it was an on camera part. Since we had about 30 minutes before taping, we saw an auto dealership across the street and decided to check it out. I looked at the Spark and then I looked at the Chevy Sedan. They guy told me he'd make me a deal on the spot if I'd take it. So, I got a better deal than the one at Los Coches. I am now the proud owner of a Chevy Sedan, automatic, with air, and power windows. I think I got a good deal. It was 26 milliones for everything, including the tag and the title. I pick it up on Friday. Tomorrow, my dear friend Jason Franco is going with me to the bank to make the transfer and drop off the paperwork at the dealer. Only issue: Pico y Placa. The car I am buying has a tag that ends in 4. That means I can't drive it on Fridays or Mondays for 2 months. Starting in June, my Pico y Placa days move and I can drive the car to my hearts content on Fridays and Mondays. Anyway, it will be ready for pickup on Friday night. Look out Melgar and Giradot... here I come!
Finally, I got home about 9 after dinner. I got a call from Piedad at INHOUSe. Apparently I screwed up a line in the corporate video. So, they want me to go back to RCN Commericals at 10pm tonight and re-shoot my part. Not a problem. Im a pro.
Posted by Brian Andrews at 9:23 PM Links to this post
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Have I really been here that long already?
As I drove out of Bogota, looking at the hills of Soacha, I wondered to myself, "Have I really been here more than a year?" My life has changed so much since I came here from Miami in December of 2007. I've learned to speak better spanish, I understand the culture, I've learned patience, I know how to get around, where the worst potholes are, etc. I've been blessed to pioneer Colombia's first english language news website and newscast for the biggest network in the country. I've got a great team and wonderful friends. When the Tamale lady starts yelling at 6:00am, I still smile.
I know in my heart that Colombia is where I want to be. With all of its complications and weirdness, it's an amazing place to live. Never a dull moment. Always something new to learn or experience. Definately the change I needed from the mundane.
I've started doing something new. I get out of the city of the weekends. Last week, I went to Melgar for the weekend. They call it "La Costa Cachaca." It's a cool little town in the mountains of Tolima. The sun is always shining and its hot, like Cartagena. I found a place called the Hotel Manantial that I really like. Basically, I park my butt by the pool all day, reading, relaxing, listening to my ipod. I have weekend road trips planned to Villavicencio and to Paipa. Every weekend is a new adventure.
Im thinking about buying a car. Actually, Im not thinking, I'm going to do it. Im just not sure how Im going to be able to afford it at the moment. Cars are much more expensive here in Colombia than they are in the US. I think I want to get a Chevy Spark. I also wanted to get a Twingo. I think I can find one for about $10,000 US. Then, I have to get the insurance and the license sticker.
As for work, I have new hours. Im working from 8-4 Monday through Friday. Now that we have more people on the project, I can keep a more normal day. We cover 2 shows and breaking news on this shift. Gary Parkosewich, our new anchor, comes in with his team at 3pm and sails the ship through 11pm. In a few weeks, we will be getting a new design for our website. It will have more options and a better video player.
So, it's back to the pool. Time to reapply the spf 30. I learned the hard way last week that SPF6 just wont cut it here. :)
Posted by Brian Andrews at 8:31 AM Links to this post
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Bogota v. Palm Beach
Driving on 95 in Palm Beach is so different from taking a taxi up la 30 in Bogota.
While Palm Beach doesnt have the huecos we have in Bogota, we do have the traffic! And it seemed like every little old lady who couldn't see over the steering wheel was driving their lincoln continental up the I this afternoon. People were honking and trying to pull around them. In Bogota, we might just run them off the road. Lead, follow, or get out of the way is the rule of the road in Colombia. Also, in Colombia, you NEVER pump your own gas. I did it today at a Shell station off Okeechobee Road. It was a blast. In Colombia, there's a lot of disorder on the roadways. No one stays in their lane, people cut in front of you, take left hand turns from the right lane. Not here.
It's been nice being home for a few days. It was great to see my family and catch up with old friends. I fly back to Bogota via Ft. Lauderdale on Thursday. I miss my mountains, the cool temps, and my wonderful friends. Being in Palm Beach reminded me that I need to make sure I run away to Cartagena more often to enjoy the sunshine.
While I've been away in the states, you may have seen a new group of faces on the RCN News in English. RCN's Monica Fonseca helped to anchor our 7pm show this week. RCN's Efrain Arce did our 7am News. We also had help from RCN's Francisco Santos. Frank works behind the scenes at the Channel's Novelas. This was his first time being a news presenter in English. He did a great job for it being his maiden voyage!
So, tomorrow morning, I'm going up to the beach for a few hours. Then, Im running over to City Place to Macy's to buy a few things to take back to Bogota. I went to Office Depot today to get notepads and pens. I also picked up a new small laptop computer.
South Florida was a great break from the action for a few days... but now its time to get back to work!
Posted by Brian Andrews at 10:04 PM Links to this post
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Off to NY
What a great week it's been here in Bogota. As you may have seen on our newscast this week, we had special interview with Former Hostage Alan Jara. He and his wife Claudia are really nice people. The logistics of getting the interview were a little nutty. Over the last weekend, we got word Jara was going to be on an overnight Caracol Radio program. So, I sent Oliver Diglesias and Ana Maria Hernandez to the Radio Station to convince him to come on our show. Anita and Oliver waited until 1 in the morning to speak with him. He said yes. So, we set the interview for Monday. Then, they had to cancel. It was moved to Tuesday. We were to go to their apartment in the North of Bogota to do the interview. As we were all in the car heading over, they cancelled again. Mrs. Jara said they had to go to the Plaza Bolivar for a meeting with the Mayor. So, I told the crew that we should head downtown and just wait. We did... for 5 hours. But, when the Jara's finally came out of their meeting, they were willing to do the interview. There was a gaggle of other reporters there wanting the same thing. The Jara's were very gracious to give us a 10 minutes before they headed off to a Doctor's appointment. Our interview with them ran on rcnnews.tv and on the miamiherald.com.
This weekend, I am heading to New York City. I have been invited to take part in a panel chat on the changing Colombia for the PorColombia Student Organization. I will be giving my presentation on Saturday morning at 9am. If you are in the city and would like to attend, you can find the details at www.porcolombia.net. After NY, I will be heading back to Bogota, via Miami and will try to spend a day or two with my family.
Brian
Posted by Brian Andrews at 4:33 PM Links to this post
Monday, February 9, 2009
Technical Difficulty... please stand by!
11:30am update. We are up and running again! Thanks for standing by!
Thanks to the many of you who emailed over the weekend to let us know about the problem with our rcnnews.tv and canalrcn.com/newsinenglish pages. Yes, we seem to be having a rather large technical problem with the way our page is updated. Our technical team is working on a solution.
In the meantime, you can still view the latest RCN News in English from Colombia by visiting www.dailymotion.com/rcnnews. We are also available as a podcast if you subscibe via itunes. Just search itunes for RCN News in English and you'll find us. Plus, we can also been seen on TV Colombia weekdays at 11:30am and 6pm ET.
Thanks again for all of your support!
Posted by Brian Andrews at 9:56 AM Links to this post
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Not a dry eye in the newsroom...
video
It was just after 2pm. The Int´l Red Cross helicopter had just landed in Villavicencio. Every TV in the newsroom was on the feed... and every person in the newsroom was standing, in silence, watching the first images of Former Hostage Alan Jara in freedom.
Then, we all watched as Jara´s son and wife rushed up to the helicotper... and the family was reunited with big hugs and tears of joy. It was such a beautiful moment. And as I looked around the Newsroom here at RCN, I could see just about everyone was touched. Even the veterans in the Newsroom were wiping away a tear.
Then, as the Jara family walked toward the crowds, with Alan sporting a huge grin, there was a round of applause in the RCN Newsroom. For journalists, the story unfolding had tremendous emotion and a movie-like script. For Colombians, it was a proud moment to see a hostage go free and to know their country was becoming a safer place.
Posted by Brian Andrews at 8:52 PM Links to this post
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
My first Bogota Bomb
It was just about 9pm and I was sitting at my computer when I heard a massive explosion. At first I thought it was thunder from a big storm over downtown. 2 minutes later, I realized it was a bomb. Someone set off a 5 kil bomb at a blockbuster video. The first reports were crazy. I heard Caracol Radio reporting it was the Club Colombia restaurant that was hit. Then, they reported it was the Blockbuster Video. First reports said 20 people were hurt and 2 dead. My phone started ringing. My awsome staff put the emergency plan in motion. I jumped in a taxi and headed to the scene. My producers Camilo and Ana Maria raced there as well. Cami was already in bed when he heard the news. He jumped out in his pijamas, got dressed, and drove over with his digital camera. Ana Maria was awsome. She lives close by and ran out the door with her blackberry and a notepad. At RCN, my Producers Alejo and Oliver were on it. Alejo called me to let me know he was sending a camera and discs to record on. Oliver went to the edit supervisor and got additional time for us to put together breaking news.
WHen I arrived on the scene, it was chaos. People were everywhere. Nearby apartment buildings had their glass windows blown out. Police officers were stringing yellow tape for miles. I finally found Ana Maria and the crew. They were shooting great tape. Camilo came up from the other side of the crime scene with video on his digital camera. We met in the middle of a mob of people and formed a plan. Then, all of the officials showed up. Juan Manuel Santos, Colombia's Minister of Defense was there... along with Bogota Mayor Samuel Moreno. Both were very gracious to give interviews to us in English. I also met Council woman Clara Lopez who gave a great interview. Then, we went off with our crew to find some witnesses. The crew was fantastic. They didnt speak english... and had no idea what I was saying.. but they got my spanglish and gave us great shots.
Meantime, back at RCN, Oliver and Alejo were getting everything ready for my feed. As soon as the Network was done with their live shot, it was our turn to feed tape to contributiones. I got in front of the camera, said what I knew as fact, and tossed to some soundbytes. Alejo was taking the feed while Oliver was in editing.
With the help of Freddy and Narcicso, our expert editors, Oliver was able to turn around a special report in 10 minutes. Im so proud of my team. Everything worked the way it should have worked. All of them did a great job in helping us get the news online as quickly as possible.
We all left the scene about 12am. Ana and Cami have to be in at 7am to produce the morning news. Alejo and Oliver will be back at 12pm.
Way to go RCN News in English... You did a great job getting our first Bogota Bomb on the air!
Posted by Brian Andrews at 1:05 AM Links to this post
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Going to New York....
I'm heading back to the states for Valentine's Day Weekend! I've been invited by PorColombia.net to be part of a panel discussion on Colombia's changing International image. If you are in the tri-state area and want to come, check out www.porcolombia.net for details.
If you live abroad, I hope you will check out our new newscasts on RCN's TV Colombia! We air Monday through Friday at 11:30am and 6pm ET.
Posted by Brian Andrews at 5:11 PM Links to this post
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Bogota Saturday
It was a nice day off in Bogota today.
I went to the Park for my morning run. The sky was grey. The air was cool. I was happy. Next, I had lunch at this great little place up the 90 from my apartment. It was a soup and salad thing. Pretty good and cheap. Only $6 bucks!
Next, I came home and listening to the kid in the apartment building next to mind play the drums for 2 hours. It was over it by his 3rd set.
My landlord stopped by to put something in storage. What you ask? A Dental chair.
I know, kinda crazy. My landlord is a Dentist here in Bogota and heading up to Boston next week where he's studying at Harvard. He didnt want anyone to steal the chair from the office while he was gone. No Dar Papaya... even if its a 100 lb Dental chair.
I also spent some time today researching new revenue streams for the News in English. Im looking at reselling our unique content to other websites to increase our cash flow. Remember, News is a business!
Other than that, getting ready for Ciclovia tomorrow. I love when they shut down the city and I can ride my bike all over the place.
Have a great weekend!
Posted by Brian Andrews at 7:57 PM Links to this post
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The Trumpet Player
Every morning, I hear a Trumpet player in the park near my home. The poor guy must not have any other place to practice. And he's been practicing for 6 months near my apartment building. At first, I thought it was kind of cool, then I started to get annoyed. Now, I've accepted the noise as part of city life. The Trumpet player is some gruffy looking guy with long hair and a stay dog that follows him around. Im never quite sure what he is playing because his music never makes any sense. If they are songs, they are songs I dont know.
Tonight, as I was walking back from Dinner in the 93 Park, the Trumpet player was there again. This time, he was talking with a group of Police officers and not playing his Trumpet. I guess one of the neighbors finally called the cops. But, I bet he's back tomorrow at 9:30, playing again.
Since it is a long Holiday weekend here, I'm heading out to Chia. My friend Dora Glottman has a beautiful home on the side of the mountain. She's got a little lake and a couple of waterfalls. Every time you step outside her home, you hear the sound of running water and feel a cool breeze. It's a great escape for me... and no Trumpet player when I wake up in the morning.
On the business front, News in English is growing. We are seeking new partnerships with other news organizations to provide them with Colombian video news content that we produce. We are also on TV Colombia starting on January 15th. They havent told me what time, but they are going to be running our evening edition Colombian Newscast. If you live in the states, TV Colombia is a premium channel on most cable systems.
Im also hoping to get word from the Network Executives on growing our staff this week. I would like to get 3 more people to help produce the new NTN Latin American News we are doing and to report stories for News in English. Ive been asking for more staff for several months now and maybe this will be the week everything gets moving.
It's been a really nice long weekend here in Bogota. As many of you know, I live near one of the city's most beautiful parks: El Parque del Virrey. Saturday, I gtabbed by Ipod and some sunblock and spend several hours just hanging out with a notepad. I always come up with my best ideas when Im relaxed. I came up with a few ideas for the project... and got a sunburn.
Posted by Brian Andrews at 7:02 PM Links to this post
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Great to be back!
Bogota is great... when its empty!
Very little traffic... very few people... no lines... less polution.
It's a paradise in the mountains.
Posted by Brian Andrews at 9:46 PM Links to this post
Saturday, January 3, 2009
From Palm Beach
I will be returning to my beloved 2nd home (Colombia) on Sunday night. I've been in Palm Beach, Florida for the past few days spending time with my family. I havent seen them in 6 months! It is so great to be home. The weather is awsome too! I was down in Miami visiting friends today. Its a great time to be in South Florida... BUT... Im starting to miss Bogota! Anyway, Im on the 5:45pm American Airlines flight going back Sunday night. Looking forward to a REAL cup of Colombian Coffee and a pollo al curry at Crepes and Waffles when I get back!
Lots going on...
First, I heard my dear friend Kelley Mitchell, former 7News anchor, is in rough shape at Jackson Memorial Hospital. As many of you know, Kelley had a very public bout with breast cancer. From what I understand, she's in Ryder Trauma with massive health problems. I called her long time boyfriend Kirk Wade in Miami tonight and told him I'm thinking about them. Kelley is a fighter. I'm hoping she pulls through.
Next, what a day!
I spent all morning at the Davivienda Branch in Chico trying to sort out a wire transfer from the US. You would think it would be easier. NOPE. Not only do you have to have the transfer number, but a fax from your bank to prove you made the transfer, then you have to wait 24 hours for it to clear. It was a real pain in the ass. After 2 hours at the bank, I got into work. Things went OK. We had a great show and got a lot done. I also signed the paperwork for one of our new hires. We will welcome Natasha Cheij from Barranquilla to the News in English staff starting next week. In the meantime, I'm still looking for a second producer.
After the show, RCN had me run over to a production company to cut the audio for an english-language video for Banco de Bogota. That took about 20 minutes in Chapinero Alto. Then, my producer and I went to look at cars. I was going to get a Chevy Spark Go from Los Coches, however, I decided I wanted to go look at VW's. They were really expensive. Like 43 milliones for a VW GOL. So, we jumped in a cab and went to a used car place down near Niza. I saw a 2004 GOL I liked. I was told it could be mine for 20 milliones. I wasn't sold.
Next, I got a call to be at RCN Commercials on the 100 to do a corporate sales video. I thought I was cutting audio. No, it was an on camera part. Since we had about 30 minutes before taping, we saw an auto dealership across the street and decided to check it out. I looked at the Spark and then I looked at the Chevy Sedan. They guy told me he'd make me a deal on the spot if I'd take it. So, I got a better deal than the one at Los Coches. I am now the proud owner of a Chevy Sedan, automatic, with air, and power windows. I think I got a good deal. It was 26 milliones for everything, including the tag and the title. I pick it up on Friday. Tomorrow, my dear friend Jason Franco is going with me to the bank to make the transfer and drop off the paperwork at the dealer. Only issue: Pico y Placa. The car I am buying has a tag that ends in 4. That means I can't drive it on Fridays or Mondays for 2 months. Starting in June, my Pico y Placa days move and I can drive the car to my hearts content on Fridays and Mondays. Anyway, it will be ready for pickup on Friday night. Look out Melgar and Giradot... here I come!
Finally, I got home about 9 after dinner. I got a call from Piedad at INHOUSe. Apparently I screwed up a line in the corporate video. So, they want me to go back to RCN Commericals at 10pm tonight and re-shoot my part. Not a problem. Im a pro.
Posted by Brian Andrews at 9:23 PM Links to this post
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Have I really been here that long already?
As I drove out of Bogota, looking at the hills of Soacha, I wondered to myself, "Have I really been here more than a year?" My life has changed so much since I came here from Miami in December of 2007. I've learned to speak better spanish, I understand the culture, I've learned patience, I know how to get around, where the worst potholes are, etc. I've been blessed to pioneer Colombia's first english language news website and newscast for the biggest network in the country. I've got a great team and wonderful friends. When the Tamale lady starts yelling at 6:00am, I still smile.
I know in my heart that Colombia is where I want to be. With all of its complications and weirdness, it's an amazing place to live. Never a dull moment. Always something new to learn or experience. Definately the change I needed from the mundane.
I've started doing something new. I get out of the city of the weekends. Last week, I went to Melgar for the weekend. They call it "La Costa Cachaca." It's a cool little town in the mountains of Tolima. The sun is always shining and its hot, like Cartagena. I found a place called the Hotel Manantial that I really like. Basically, I park my butt by the pool all day, reading, relaxing, listening to my ipod. I have weekend road trips planned to Villavicencio and to Paipa. Every weekend is a new adventure.
Im thinking about buying a car. Actually, Im not thinking, I'm going to do it. Im just not sure how Im going to be able to afford it at the moment. Cars are much more expensive here in Colombia than they are in the US. I think I want to get a Chevy Spark. I also wanted to get a Twingo. I think I can find one for about $10,000 US. Then, I have to get the insurance and the license sticker.
As for work, I have new hours. Im working from 8-4 Monday through Friday. Now that we have more people on the project, I can keep a more normal day. We cover 2 shows and breaking news on this shift. Gary Parkosewich, our new anchor, comes in with his team at 3pm and sails the ship through 11pm. In a few weeks, we will be getting a new design for our website. It will have more options and a better video player.
So, it's back to the pool. Time to reapply the spf 30. I learned the hard way last week that SPF6 just wont cut it here. :)
Posted by Brian Andrews at 8:31 AM Links to this post
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Bogota v. Palm Beach
Driving on 95 in Palm Beach is so different from taking a taxi up la 30 in Bogota.
While Palm Beach doesnt have the huecos we have in Bogota, we do have the traffic! And it seemed like every little old lady who couldn't see over the steering wheel was driving their lincoln continental up the I this afternoon. People were honking and trying to pull around them. In Bogota, we might just run them off the road. Lead, follow, or get out of the way is the rule of the road in Colombia. Also, in Colombia, you NEVER pump your own gas. I did it today at a Shell station off Okeechobee Road. It was a blast. In Colombia, there's a lot of disorder on the roadways. No one stays in their lane, people cut in front of you, take left hand turns from the right lane. Not here.
It's been nice being home for a few days. It was great to see my family and catch up with old friends. I fly back to Bogota via Ft. Lauderdale on Thursday. I miss my mountains, the cool temps, and my wonderful friends. Being in Palm Beach reminded me that I need to make sure I run away to Cartagena more often to enjoy the sunshine.
While I've been away in the states, you may have seen a new group of faces on the RCN News in English. RCN's Monica Fonseca helped to anchor our 7pm show this week. RCN's Efrain Arce did our 7am News. We also had help from RCN's Francisco Santos. Frank works behind the scenes at the Channel's Novelas. This was his first time being a news presenter in English. He did a great job for it being his maiden voyage!
So, tomorrow morning, I'm going up to the beach for a few hours. Then, Im running over to City Place to Macy's to buy a few things to take back to Bogota. I went to Office Depot today to get notepads and pens. I also picked up a new small laptop computer.
South Florida was a great break from the action for a few days... but now its time to get back to work!
Posted by Brian Andrews at 10:04 PM Links to this post
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Off to NY
What a great week it's been here in Bogota. As you may have seen on our newscast this week, we had special interview with Former Hostage Alan Jara. He and his wife Claudia are really nice people. The logistics of getting the interview were a little nutty. Over the last weekend, we got word Jara was going to be on an overnight Caracol Radio program. So, I sent Oliver Diglesias and Ana Maria Hernandez to the Radio Station to convince him to come on our show. Anita and Oliver waited until 1 in the morning to speak with him. He said yes. So, we set the interview for Monday. Then, they had to cancel. It was moved to Tuesday. We were to go to their apartment in the North of Bogota to do the interview. As we were all in the car heading over, they cancelled again. Mrs. Jara said they had to go to the Plaza Bolivar for a meeting with the Mayor. So, I told the crew that we should head downtown and just wait. We did... for 5 hours. But, when the Jara's finally came out of their meeting, they were willing to do the interview. There was a gaggle of other reporters there wanting the same thing. The Jara's were very gracious to give us a 10 minutes before they headed off to a Doctor's appointment. Our interview with them ran on rcnnews.tv and on the miamiherald.com.
This weekend, I am heading to New York City. I have been invited to take part in a panel chat on the changing Colombia for the PorColombia Student Organization. I will be giving my presentation on Saturday morning at 9am. If you are in the city and would like to attend, you can find the details at www.porcolombia.net. After NY, I will be heading back to Bogota, via Miami and will try to spend a day or two with my family.
Brian
Posted by Brian Andrews at 4:33 PM Links to this post
Monday, February 9, 2009
Technical Difficulty... please stand by!
11:30am update. We are up and running again! Thanks for standing by!
Thanks to the many of you who emailed over the weekend to let us know about the problem with our rcnnews.tv and canalrcn.com/newsinenglish pages. Yes, we seem to be having a rather large technical problem with the way our page is updated. Our technical team is working on a solution.
In the meantime, you can still view the latest RCN News in English from Colombia by visiting www.dailymotion.com/rcnnews. We are also available as a podcast if you subscibe via itunes. Just search itunes for RCN News in English and you'll find us. Plus, we can also been seen on TV Colombia weekdays at 11:30am and 6pm ET.
Thanks again for all of your support!
Posted by Brian Andrews at 9:56 AM Links to this post
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Not a dry eye in the newsroom...
video
It was just after 2pm. The Int´l Red Cross helicopter had just landed in Villavicencio. Every TV in the newsroom was on the feed... and every person in the newsroom was standing, in silence, watching the first images of Former Hostage Alan Jara in freedom.
Then, we all watched as Jara´s son and wife rushed up to the helicotper... and the family was reunited with big hugs and tears of joy. It was such a beautiful moment. And as I looked around the Newsroom here at RCN, I could see just about everyone was touched. Even the veterans in the Newsroom were wiping away a tear.
Then, as the Jara family walked toward the crowds, with Alan sporting a huge grin, there was a round of applause in the RCN Newsroom. For journalists, the story unfolding had tremendous emotion and a movie-like script. For Colombians, it was a proud moment to see a hostage go free and to know their country was becoming a safer place.
Posted by Brian Andrews at 8:52 PM Links to this post
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
My first Bogota Bomb
It was just about 9pm and I was sitting at my computer when I heard a massive explosion. At first I thought it was thunder from a big storm over downtown. 2 minutes later, I realized it was a bomb. Someone set off a 5 kil bomb at a blockbuster video. The first reports were crazy. I heard Caracol Radio reporting it was the Club Colombia restaurant that was hit. Then, they reported it was the Blockbuster Video. First reports said 20 people were hurt and 2 dead. My phone started ringing. My awsome staff put the emergency plan in motion. I jumped in a taxi and headed to the scene. My producers Camilo and Ana Maria raced there as well. Cami was already in bed when he heard the news. He jumped out in his pijamas, got dressed, and drove over with his digital camera. Ana Maria was awsome. She lives close by and ran out the door with her blackberry and a notepad. At RCN, my Producers Alejo and Oliver were on it. Alejo called me to let me know he was sending a camera and discs to record on. Oliver went to the edit supervisor and got additional time for us to put together breaking news.
WHen I arrived on the scene, it was chaos. People were everywhere. Nearby apartment buildings had their glass windows blown out. Police officers were stringing yellow tape for miles. I finally found Ana Maria and the crew. They were shooting great tape. Camilo came up from the other side of the crime scene with video on his digital camera. We met in the middle of a mob of people and formed a plan. Then, all of the officials showed up. Juan Manuel Santos, Colombia's Minister of Defense was there... along with Bogota Mayor Samuel Moreno. Both were very gracious to give interviews to us in English. I also met Council woman Clara Lopez who gave a great interview. Then, we went off with our crew to find some witnesses. The crew was fantastic. They didnt speak english... and had no idea what I was saying.. but they got my spanglish and gave us great shots.
Meantime, back at RCN, Oliver and Alejo were getting everything ready for my feed. As soon as the Network was done with their live shot, it was our turn to feed tape to contributiones. I got in front of the camera, said what I knew as fact, and tossed to some soundbytes. Alejo was taking the feed while Oliver was in editing.
With the help of Freddy and Narcicso, our expert editors, Oliver was able to turn around a special report in 10 minutes. Im so proud of my team. Everything worked the way it should have worked. All of them did a great job in helping us get the news online as quickly as possible.
We all left the scene about 12am. Ana and Cami have to be in at 7am to produce the morning news. Alejo and Oliver will be back at 12pm.
Way to go RCN News in English... You did a great job getting our first Bogota Bomb on the air!
Posted by Brian Andrews at 1:05 AM Links to this post
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Going to New York....
I'm heading back to the states for Valentine's Day Weekend! I've been invited by PorColombia.net to be part of a panel discussion on Colombia's changing International image. If you are in the tri-state area and want to come, check out www.porcolombia.net for details.
If you live abroad, I hope you will check out our new newscasts on RCN's TV Colombia! We air Monday through Friday at 11:30am and 6pm ET.
Posted by Brian Andrews at 5:11 PM Links to this post
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Bogota Saturday
It was a nice day off in Bogota today.
I went to the Park for my morning run. The sky was grey. The air was cool. I was happy. Next, I had lunch at this great little place up the 90 from my apartment. It was a soup and salad thing. Pretty good and cheap. Only $6 bucks!
Next, I came home and listening to the kid in the apartment building next to mind play the drums for 2 hours. It was over it by his 3rd set.
My landlord stopped by to put something in storage. What you ask? A Dental chair.
I know, kinda crazy. My landlord is a Dentist here in Bogota and heading up to Boston next week where he's studying at Harvard. He didnt want anyone to steal the chair from the office while he was gone. No Dar Papaya... even if its a 100 lb Dental chair.
I also spent some time today researching new revenue streams for the News in English. Im looking at reselling our unique content to other websites to increase our cash flow. Remember, News is a business!
Other than that, getting ready for Ciclovia tomorrow. I love when they shut down the city and I can ride my bike all over the place.
Have a great weekend!
Posted by Brian Andrews at 7:57 PM Links to this post
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The Trumpet Player
Every morning, I hear a Trumpet player in the park near my home. The poor guy must not have any other place to practice. And he's been practicing for 6 months near my apartment building. At first, I thought it was kind of cool, then I started to get annoyed. Now, I've accepted the noise as part of city life. The Trumpet player is some gruffy looking guy with long hair and a stay dog that follows him around. Im never quite sure what he is playing because his music never makes any sense. If they are songs, they are songs I dont know.
Tonight, as I was walking back from Dinner in the 93 Park, the Trumpet player was there again. This time, he was talking with a group of Police officers and not playing his Trumpet. I guess one of the neighbors finally called the cops. But, I bet he's back tomorrow at 9:30, playing again.
Since it is a long Holiday weekend here, I'm heading out to Chia. My friend Dora Glottman has a beautiful home on the side of the mountain. She's got a little lake and a couple of waterfalls. Every time you step outside her home, you hear the sound of running water and feel a cool breeze. It's a great escape for me... and no Trumpet player when I wake up in the morning.
On the business front, News in English is growing. We are seeking new partnerships with other news organizations to provide them with Colombian video news content that we produce. We are also on TV Colombia starting on January 15th. They havent told me what time, but they are going to be running our evening edition Colombian Newscast. If you live in the states, TV Colombia is a premium channel on most cable systems.
Im also hoping to get word from the Network Executives on growing our staff this week. I would like to get 3 more people to help produce the new NTN Latin American News we are doing and to report stories for News in English. Ive been asking for more staff for several months now and maybe this will be the week everything gets moving.
It's been a really nice long weekend here in Bogota. As many of you know, I live near one of the city's most beautiful parks: El Parque del Virrey. Saturday, I gtabbed by Ipod and some sunblock and spend several hours just hanging out with a notepad. I always come up with my best ideas when Im relaxed. I came up with a few ideas for the project... and got a sunburn.
Posted by Brian Andrews at 7:02 PM Links to this post
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Great to be back!
Bogota is great... when its empty!
Very little traffic... very few people... no lines... less polution.
It's a paradise in the mountains.
Posted by Brian Andrews at 9:46 PM Links to this post
Saturday, January 3, 2009
From Palm Beach
I will be returning to my beloved 2nd home (Colombia) on Sunday night. I've been in Palm Beach, Florida for the past few days spending time with my family. I havent seen them in 6 months! It is so great to be home. The weather is awsome too! I was down in Miami visiting friends today. Its a great time to be in South Florida... BUT... Im starting to miss Bogota! Anyway, Im on the 5:45pm American Airlines flight going back Sunday night. Looking forward to a REAL cup of Colombian Coffee and a pollo al curry at Crepes and Waffles when I get back!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Latin Business Chronicle covers RCN News
Check out:
www.latinbusinesschronicle.com/app/article.aspx?id=3278
Posted by Brian Andrews at 7:53 PM Links to this post
Monday, March 30, 2009
Discovering the country
After a year and a half in Colombia, it was time to buy a car.
Freedom at last! No more waiting for telecooper to come and pick me up.
This weekend, I drove my new Chevy sedan for the first time to Giradot and Melgar.
The road there is great. I stopped off at Vaca des ries (The Smiling Cow) and had an Arepa with cheese. There were a bunch of other cool spots along the way. You pass this place called the Devil's nose, where the road was cut through the mountain. It's really neat. For the next 2 miles, there's nothing but green canyons and waterfalls. It's really beautiful. Meglar is a honkey tonk little town. Lots of swimming pools and noisy bars. Everyone is relaxed and having a beer somewhere. I spent the weekend at the Hotel Manantial. It was great. Brand new, nice, great pools, great food. Saturday, I went down to Penon in Giradot. It was like a sprawling country club with lakes and pools and people driving around on golf carts. It was super cool. I liked it so much, I plan to go back next weekend. I'm looking to rent a small house or apartment. The problem is that when you call to inquire about renting a place, with a gringo accent, they try to charge you too much. So, my friends are helping me make the reservation. Ideally, I found these little farms near Pinalosa that are beautiful. Im hoping to get one of those for next weekend and for the holy week.
Posted by Brian Andrews at 4:25 PM Links to this post
Latin Business Chronicle covers RCN News
Check out:
www.latinbusinesschronicle.com/app/article.aspx?id=3278
Posted by Brian Andrews at 7:53 PM Links to this post
Monday, March 30, 2009
Discovering the country
After a year and a half in Colombia, it was time to buy a car.
Freedom at last! No more waiting for telecooper to come and pick me up.
This weekend, I drove my new Chevy sedan for the first time to Giradot and Melgar.
The road there is great. I stopped off at Vaca des ries (The Smiling Cow) and had an Arepa with cheese. There were a bunch of other cool spots along the way. You pass this place called the Devil's nose, where the road was cut through the mountain. It's really neat. For the next 2 miles, there's nothing but green canyons and waterfalls. It's really beautiful. Meglar is a honkey tonk little town. Lots of swimming pools and noisy bars. Everyone is relaxed and having a beer somewhere. I spent the weekend at the Hotel Manantial. It was great. Brand new, nice, great pools, great food. Saturday, I went down to Penon in Giradot. It was like a sprawling country club with lakes and pools and people driving around on golf carts. It was super cool. I liked it so much, I plan to go back next weekend. I'm looking to rent a small house or apartment. The problem is that when you call to inquire about renting a place, with a gringo accent, they try to charge you too much. So, my friends are helping me make the reservation. Ideally, I found these little farms near Pinalosa that are beautiful. Im hoping to get one of those for next weekend and for the holy week.
Posted by Brian Andrews at 4:25 PM Links to this post
Saturday, April 4, 2009
USESFUL EXPRESSIONS IN CLASS:
Hello, how are you you today?
Good mourning students? (Teacher)
How is everyone doing? (Teachers or students)
Nice to see you! (Teachers or students)
Great to see you! (Teachers or students)
How are you today? (Teachers or students)
See you next class. (Teachers or students)
Do not forget the homework assignment. (Teachers)
Did everyone understand? (Teachers)
Raise your hand if you have any questions? (Teachers)
Can we proceed to the next topic? (Teachers)
Are you ready to take the quiz/ test/ exam? (Teachers or students)
You must bring the books every class? (Teachers)
I am sorry?
Are you ok?
Hey, what`s up?
How is everything? (Teachers or students)
You may sit down
Please be quiet
I cannot see the board
excuse me
Can I borrow your notes?
May I borrow your pen, pencil, eraser, calculator, book, ruler, notes, liquid paper, etc
Can you lend me your pen, pencil, eraser, calculator, book, ruler, notes, liquid paper, etc
Hello, how are you you today?
Good mourning students? (Teacher)
How is everyone doing? (Teachers or students)
Nice to see you! (Teachers or students)
Great to see you! (Teachers or students)
How are you today? (Teachers or students)
See you next class. (Teachers or students)
Do not forget the homework assignment. (Teachers)
Did everyone understand? (Teachers)
Raise your hand if you have any questions? (Teachers)
Can we proceed to the next topic? (Teachers)
Are you ready to take the quiz/ test/ exam? (Teachers or students)
You must bring the books every class? (Teachers)
I am sorry?
Are you ok?
Hey, what`s up?
How is everything? (Teachers or students)
You may sit down
Please be quiet
I cannot see the board
excuse me
Can I borrow your notes?
May I borrow your pen, pencil, eraser, calculator, book, ruler, notes, liquid paper, etc
Can you lend me your pen, pencil, eraser, calculator, book, ruler, notes, liquid paper, etc
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
