back and back and back again

[stevekoozer]

Hey ya fellas .


Figured I would post an update which is long overdue. I have had a change in career well kind of sort of. See my company approached me last year and asked me if I would take a package as they were starting to downsize due to current market and projected market conditions in the next 3-5 years. Well I said put something on paper and I will look at it and let you know what I think. It took me about. 02 milliseconds to take the package once I looked at it. That put me in a pretty good situation. I got rid of my place which I had just finished renovating this past summer. I was not expecting it to go too fast but it was gone in 30 days bit of a surprise but I was not complaining as there was zero haggling.


This has allowed me to go back into project work in a consultant role which for me at this stage of my life is perfect. I just got back to barranquilla friday night. I was in Toronto the previous week for some consulting on a large ongoing project. I leave here next friday for Peru for  another short stint and then I will head back to canucickstan for a bit before I head off again for another stint and another stopover in BAQ. This is the best career move I have ever made as I have more time to spend in BAQ with my gal. I get a grand per day plus expences flights ECT so you guys can do the math on how many days I need to work per year to be happy.


 Relationship wise all is better than well, we continue to get along great we still finish each other's sentences and just have a connection that still can't be explained. She is always telling me I don't get enough rest I don't eat enough and when I do I don't eat properly Yada Yada Yada mother hen type stuff. She still has never asked me for a cent and is always saving us money when we are out shopping or for a night out. I bought her a watch for Christmas I did not break the bank but got her something nice. She was very thankfull but also told me I spent too much. So now she won't wear it unless we are going out to a fancy dinner. She is worried is will get ripped off which is a valid consern here. Carnaval here is a blast if your liver can take it lol lots of fun in the heat and humidity. Really the average Colombian here is pretty decient and happier that most north Americans even though they have a lot less. I have met some good people and have an expanding social circle here in BAQ.


I was going to post up a bunch of pictures in this but I will go back into the water and then have another cold beer. Pictures will follow from My past exploits over the last few  months. Have fun Boyz I sure am         

[Ricardo1]

Looks like things are only heading upwards for you. Thanks for sharing - it's more inspiration on how it can sometimes go well with dating a Colombiana!


Cheers!

[mambocowboy]

Hey ya fellas .


Figured I would post an update which is long overdue. I have had a change in career well kind of sort of. See my company approached me last year and asked me if I would take a package as they were starting to downsize due to current market and projected market conditions in the next 3-5 years. Well I said put something on paper and I will look at it and let you know what I think. It took me about. 02 milliseconds to take the package once I looked at it. That put me in a pretty good situation. I got rid of my place which I had just finished renovating this past summer. I was not expecting it to go too fast but it was gone in 30 days bit of a surprise but I was not complaining as there was zero haggling.


This has allowed me to go back into project work in a consultant role which for me at this stage of my life is perfect. I just got back to barranquilla friday night. I was in Toronto the previous week for some consulting on a large ongoing project. I leave here next friday for Peru for  another short stint and then I will head back to canucickstan for a bit before I head off again for another stint and another stopover in BAQ. This is the best career move I have ever made as I have more time to spend in BAQ with my gal. I get a grand per day plus expences flights ECT so you guys can do the math on how many days I need to work per year to be happy.


 Relationship wise all is better than well, we continue to get along great we still finish each other's sentences and just have a connection that still can't be explained. She is always telling me I don't get enough rest I don't eat enough and when I do I don't eat properly Yada Yada Yada mother hen type stuff. She still has never asked me for a cent and is always saving us money when we are out shopping or for a night out. I bought her a watch for Christmas I did not break the bank but got her something nice. She was very thankfull but also told me I spent too much. So now she won't wear it unless we are going out to a fancy dinner. She is worried is will get ripped off which is a valid consern here. Carnaval here is a blast if your liver can take it lol lots of fun in the heat and humidity. Really the average Colombian here is pretty decient and happier that most north Americans even though they have a lot less. I have met some good people and have an expanding social circle here in BAQ.


I was going to post up a bunch of pictures in this but I will go back into the water and then have another cold beer. Pictures will follow from My past exploits over the last few  months. Have fun Boyz I sure am       

Good to hear Steve. My recommendation is stay there and live with her there instead of trying to bring her to Canuckistan

[stevekoozer]

We have had this discussion about where to live if we were to get married. She is not one way or the other on either. I guess she is just happy to be with me and it does not matter where we are at. Though one of the companies I am doing consulting with has a large presence in South America. It was mentioned in a meeting last week by them if I would be interested in making home base somewhere here in SA. They dangled the carrot a bit this past thursday night at dinner. I played cold on the topic for now. They do have a big one coming up in Africa but that is a long stretch. I could get some of it if I wanted but a long run is not for me right now. Starting to enjoy the down time. It would be nice to put up another hundred or two in investments in the next couple of years but I don't really need too if I am careful. I am going to get a@@ raped at tax time this year though oh well 25,000 Syrian refugees are counting on me paying them taxes. We got a really left liberal PM now waste of F@Pking space. The great rock band from Kingston Ontario The head stone wrote a song about him way back in 96 or so ( foreshadowing I guess) called "smile and wave" which is about all he does an
[size=78%]d give billions away. That's enough of a rant thank christ it is still somewhat normal here in BAQ.   [/size]
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[/size][size=78%]Lots to think about in the future and if I never see any snow again won't bother me too much. Sounds like dinner is ready I am not allowed near the kitchen any more which sucks a bit cause I like to cook. Oh well. [/size]
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[/size][size=78%]Peace     [/size]

[Hector_Lavoe]

We have had this discussion about where to live if we were to get married. She is not one way or the other on either. I guess she is just happy to be with me and it does not matter where we are at. Though one of the companies I am doing consulting with has a large presence in South America. It was mentioned in a meeting last week by them if I would be interested in making home base somewhere here in SA. They dangled the carrot a bit this past thursday night at dinner. I played cold on the topic for now.   [/size][/font]
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[/size][size=78%] [/size]
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[/size][size=78%]Peace     [/size]

I would be very tempted to jump on any offer to make S.A. home base.  I wonder what (if any) requirements they'd have for speaking and/or writing Spanish? How is your Spanish these days?

The company I work for has a small presence in Latin America. We had some reorganization in the last year or so. Now that the dust has settled, I am thinking about trying to broach the topic of expansion and getting an opportunity down there.

Anyway, glad you've found a way to spend more time in BAQ and spend time with your gal. Have you both done any traveling together inside Colombia?

[stevekoozer]

I would be very tempted to jump on any offer to make S.A. home base.  I wonder what (if any) requirements they'd have for speaking and/or writing Spanish? How is your Spanish these days?

The company I work for has a small presence in Latin America. We had some reorganization in the last year or so. Now that the dust has settled, I am thinking about trying to broach the topic of expansion and getting an opportunity down there.

Anyway, glad you've found a way to spend more time in BAQ and spend time with your gal. Have you both done any traveling together inside Colombia?

Actually my Spanish is getting pretty good now that I have been spending more time in BAQ. Speaking it is not too bad even though most people think I am from Mexico as that is how I sound as I learned m y base in Mexico and from a long term relationship with a Mexican gal. Understanding is better for me now that I have a handle on the way Colombians in this are speak. Once and a while I will get stumped for a second or two but can figure it out. I always know what my girl is saying to me in Spanish facial expressions and body language is universal
I still have some trouble with reading but I am working hard to get better.   


This company had approached me a few times in the last 10 years to come to work for them but the time was never right on my end. They have a guy based in Santiago who covers chile and Peru but he is not a hands on guy and has never been on tools in his life so that for them is a bit of a pickle. If a move to SA is in the works I will have to work for them directly as an employee and not as an independent contractor/consultant. They are a good group and have global reach and are looking more and more to SA as Africa is getting a bit sketchy these days. I had dinner this past thursday with the president and the two V.P's. They are going to look into setting up a small office here in COL to see what the outlay would be and time lines. Colombia is about the best location to cover central and south America. Really though I am not giving it much thought right now I will let them look into it and see what they say.


My girl has family in Santa Marta so we go up there from time to time. The apartment I rent here has a nice pool and deck area so that works for us pretty well. Next trip we might head to the coffee region for a few days. Can't say for sure as we both like to go with the flow and don't really plan anything too far in advance. I like telling her on a Friday night ok we are taking off for the weekend get ready we leave at 8 in the morning. That is always a fun expression on her face.

[size=78%] Sure like the laid back lifestyle here and now that I am getting some arthritis in some joints I do not mind the heat at all everything works right and stops aching.    [/size]

[Awesome]

Living the good life!