Anyone Home?

[Houndog]

Just checking in to see how things are going for my Friends!!!

Hope all is well & some of the old timers will tell me how they're doing.

I also have a young friend that's trying to find a Colombian Wife and so I want to poke around some to help him!



Hola, Coma Este Mi Amigos

[Jeff S]

Hey Dawg. Good to hear from you. How's it going?

- Jeff

[Houndog]

Jeff,

Hey Man...where is everyone? Are a lot of Oldtimers still around? or do many leave after they get married?

How you doing? Hope all is well.

I like this new format! Makes it easier imo to follow certian threads without getting to sidetracked.

[conocerme]

Hola Houndog!

¿Cómo te va? Espero que estés bien, me alegra mucho que hayas vuelto al foro. Mi nick name era Edge pero ahora es conocerme. Tenemos las respuestas a tus preguntas.
 
Cuidate -
conocerme

[Houndog]

Conocerme Hola,

¿Borde? ¿, el familiar de los sonidos, pero yo se está preguntando si ése está de una buena manera? ¿No pienso que es? Ahora usted cambió su mella a, para conocerme. ¿Listos, le conoceremos siempre? ¿Por qué usted no guardó su viejo nombre?

Respeto, Houndog

Edge,

sounds familiar, but I'm wondering if that is in a good way(it has been a few years since I've been here )?  Now you changed your nick to, "to know me". Clever, will we ever know you? Why did you not keep your old name?

Noticed you're using a Spanish Keyboard, are you living SOTHB these days?

Regards, Houndog

[conocerme]

I stopped posting awhile back and my password lapsed due to inactivity.  I started back up with conocerme.

I am still here in the US.  You can set your keyboard to be able to easily type punctuation in Spanish, if you want.

Have you heard from June... (your friend in Dallas, I do not recall his full handle).  

I hope you have been well Hounddog.

CJC

[Houndog]

Haven't heard from Junefan in about 9 months....he was going to Costa Rica last time he called me & wanted me to go....but I couldn't make it. I have another friend that likes CR also, but it's not my cup of tea

I'm still a Cartagena nut...

are you married?. kids?. white picket fence & all that?

I'm just here to help out a younger friend that I've known for about 15 years, so he knows of my adventures and he's tired of american women. (Of course he got me thinking buying something in Cartagena and becoming an Xpat isn't such a bad idea ) But we both know it takes a lot of homework to get this right.  So I'm just helping him out.

So now let's make all the new guys think, which is better, the Chase or the Catch....haha!!

Best, Houndog

[Dan Las Vegas]

Hey Houndog!!!

Welcome back, perhaps now this board will liven up a bit!!!  
Dan

[Houndog]

Hey Dan The Man, Hope you are doing well!!!!


HaHaHa....no, I'm not here to liven up the board.......just have more homework to do....I'm just Checkin myself to keep from wreckin Myself.......and my friend.

¡usted es un individuo fresco, alegre todavía ver a algunos viejos amigos aquí!!

Best Regards, Houndog

[conocerme]

are you married?. kids?. white picket fence & all that?

 But we both know it takes a lot of homework to get this right.  

Hey Houndog, yes I am still married.  4-1/2 years to a calena.  She just left to go visit a friend in Vancouver, Canada so I am footloose and fancy free for a bit..

Houndog, I seem to remember you used to urge people "to do their homework".  Maybe you could start a thread, or answer in this one and advise what your thoughts are on this homework angle.

take care-
conocerme

[Houndog]

Houndog, I seem to remember you used to urge people "to do their homework".  Maybe you could start a thread, or answer in this one and advise what your thoughts are on this homework angle.

Good Idea actually. I'll work on putting somf of my thoughts down. Of course you're still married so share your success story & why it's succesful.

[Houndog]

Here I'll Start (Courtesy of Marty Robbins) & I've been to El Paso :

Out in the West Texas town of El Paso I fell in love with a Mexican girl.
Nighttime would find me in Rose's Cantina,
Music would play and Felina would whirl.

Black as the night were the eyes of Felina,
Wicked and evil while casting a spell.
My love was strong for this Mexican maiden,
I was in love, but in vain I could tell.

One night a wild young cowboy came in, wild as the West Texas wind...
Dashing and daring, a drink he was sharing,
With wicked Felina, the girl that I love.

So in anger I challenged his right for the love of this maiden;
Down went his hand for the gun that he wore.
My challenge was answered, in less than a heartbeat
The handsome young stranger lay dead on the floor.

Just for a moment I stood there in silence,
Shocked by the foul evil deed I had done.
Many thoughts ran through my mind as I stood there;
I had but one chance and that was to run.

Out through the back door of Rose's I ran, out where the horses were tied...
I picked a good one; he looked like he could run,
Up on his back and away I did ride.

Just as fast as I could from the West Texas town of El Paso,
Out through the badlands of New Mexico.
Back in El Paso my life would be worthless;
Everything's gone in life nothing is left.

But it's been so long since I've seen the young maiden,
My love is stronger that my fear of death.
I saddled up and away I did go, riding alone in the dark...
Maybe tomorrow a bullet may find me,
Tonight nothing's worse than this pain in my heart.

And at last here I am on the hill overlooking El Paso,
I can see Rose's Cantina below.
My love is strong and it pushes me onward, down off the hill to Felina I go.

Off to my right I see five mounted cowboys,
Off to my left ride a dozen or more.
shouting and shooting; I can't let them catch me,
I've got to make it to Rose's back door.

Something is dreadfully wrong for I feel a deep burning pain in my side
It's getting harder to stay in the saddle.
I'm getting weary, unable to ride.

But my love for Felina is strong and I rise where I've fallen;
Though I am weary, I can't stop to rest.
I see the white puff of smoke from the rifle,
I feel the bullet go deep in my chest.

From out of nowhere, Felina has found me,
Kissing my cheek as she kneels by my side.
Cradled by two loving arms that I'll die for,
One little kiss and Felina good-bye.

[conocerme]

Houndog - wow - it sounds kind of rough down there in El Paso for romance.

My marriage has been a success mainly because my wife and I see the value of our marriage together.

She has been faithful in trying to work through any issues that come up.  Any marriage can be difficult and the international marriage presents another set of difficulties versus the domestic.

When you are choosing someone to marry from say a country like Colombia, one aspect, as you know, is to judge how well she can adapt to life here.  My wife has done reasonably well.  She has devoted alot of effort to learning to speak the best English she can.  She can drive (most places, freeway driving is still hard for her) alone.  She has worked and has friends from school.  She has matured since she came here, she was around 30 when she arrived almost 5 years ago, but like most of the Colombian women, she was living at home.

Maybe she realizes that alot of life is what you make of it and she is taking responsibility for making herself a good life with me.

conocerme

[Michael B]

Well, well, look what the cat dragged in. Hey, how you doing? I only show up once every couple of weeks or so. I'm still married (to the same one, even).

[Houndog]

Hey Michael, Very Glad to hear the Good News!!!!! I'm very glad things are working out, you deserve it!!!

Conocerme,

Yes, El Paso was rough in those days...

Well you hit on all the key points I would have made. Adjustment, Adjustment, Adjustment. That's probably the single biggest & hardest part of this type of relationship imo. Until one actually experiences it, it's pretty hard to describe what it's like and how complcated it is, and some women adapt far easier than others. Some women never adapt. And like you say, all relationships are work and both need to be willing to work together at dealing with all the issues involved. From what I've seen & experienced the man can't do it all by himself. It takes a team effort. In my own relationship that wasn't the case and it throws a tremendous burden on the shoulders of one without a team effort. So much so that it can literally break the camels back so to speak.

[conocerme]

From what I've seen & experienced the man can't do it all by himself. It takes a team effort. In my own relationship that wasn't the case and it throws a tremendous burden on the shoulders of one without a team effort. So much so that it can literally break the camels back so to speak.

That is one aspect of the Latina that can be a bit of a double edged sword.  Their culture can have the man doing much of the heavy lifting while the princess sits at home twiddling away and watching telenovelas.  You couple that with the fact that many of the girls don't have to do much around the house because domestics are easy to have for many people in Colombia and you have got yourself what can be a stubbord issue right off the bat for adjustment to life in the good ole USA.

Take care Houndog-
conocerme

[Houndog]

Well,

I think most of us Gringos are used to (expect) a certian Level of "Self Sufficiency" in Women (in general) that just isn't in place when the new Colombiana comes home to stay. You know the list, homesickness, fear, Gov appointments & paperwork up the butt, school, learning directions home, stores with labels in only English, Old GF's, on & on. Sure some women can adapt quickly, others can't. This is plainly & simply a different world for them, just as it would be if we really didn't know anything about Colombia and one day got a plane ticket & had to move there. If we were a newbie we wouldn't know any more about how to do that than they do coming here. Success stories like yours will go alot further than failure stories imo if you'd care to open up and share.

Regards, HD