Barranquilla Trip Report: Nov. 2016

[Hector_Lavoe]

I spent 6 nights in Barranquilla at the end of November. A long haul from the west coast of the USA. Probably should have stayed 10 days to maximize opportunities. I pulled out all the stops to meet women: agency, cupid, tinder and cold approaches in public.

THE CITY/LOGISITCS:
I actually like Barranquilla more than I expected. Yeah, it is not Medellin but few cities are. I like the exotic/Caribbean/tropical flavor the city exudes. For a guy that likes morenas I was in heaven. Though I will say that even though I was in Medellin for a shorter period, I think I saw more stunning ladies there.

With about 1.1 million inhabitants Barranquilla is the 4th largest city in Colombia. It is an industrial port city about 9 miles (or 13 km) from the Caribbean Sea. The climate is tropical: warm/hot and humid year round. I arrived just at the end of rainy season so the weather was pretty good.

MEETING LADIES:
I actually used two agencies: Maria’s Exclusive Colombian Matchmaker and AFA (A Foreign Affair). I hired Maria for my primary search but also got an individual package through AFA for back up. I did NOT go during one of AFA’s social tours nor did I have any interest in one of those tours.

I had contact info for a decent number of ladies through Cupid and Tinder but the flake factor on these ladies was HUGE!. As you guys know, part of the challenge in scheduling dates is these women are busy (work/school, etc.) and there are only so many hours in the day when they can meet. It makes the logistics a challenge because you set up a date with one lady but if she flakes you just wasted a bunch of time sitting around when another girl might be available. I think double or triple booking is what I might do next time! 

THE AGENCIES:
The agencies aren’t quite dead yet. Maria gives top flight personal service. She works 24/7 and is always quick to answer questions. She spent a good chunk of her childhood in Florida which might help explain why her English is flawless. She does a great job of getting the ladies to show up on time and ALL the profiles on her site are legitimate and up to date. The only suggestion for improvement I can make is she needs to expand/grow her database. 

AFA is not the scam that some on P.L. have suggested. For sure, some of their profiles are way out of date and there were more ladies that canceled as compared to Maria’s (zero cancelations from Maria’s ladies). The lady who runs the AFA office in Barranquilla was really nice and she worked hard to get me dates. Maria was great in this regard because she actually took me to the AFA office and made sure I got good service. There was a disconnect between the main AFA office in the U.S. and the local office in Barranquilla. The lady in the Barranquilla office knew I was coming but was not given my profile or the list of ladies I had selected. So she had to scramble once I got there. She did a great job on short notice to get me dates.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck on my third day there, not for me but for the lady who runs the local AFA office. Her father was tragically killed in a car accident. I felt terrible for her. She had someone fill in for her and she was still available to me for calls/questions. But I told her to just go be with her family and I could work with her stand in. Can’t say for sure how this may have impacted the number of dates I got via AFA but it probably didn’t help. The cancelations increased significantly after her replacement came on board.

COLD APPROACHES:
I met several different ladies in public places like the mall and Frog Leggs nightclub. Got several numbers this way and had a few dates as well. No flaking on dates from this approach!  Meeting the "old fashioned" way seems to cut way back on the flake factor.

I went solo on a Saturday night to Frogg Leggs disco. I've read a million times about the "social circles" in Colombian nightlife. And sure, that can be an obstacle as compared to the "mix and mingle" nightlife culture in North America.  But I found opportunities and ladies were open to meeting. I was definitely the only gringo in the place as far as I could tell. I planted myself at the bar next to what I will call the Colombian George Costanza (minus the neurotic personality). Nice guy. An engineer from Cali on business in Barranquilla. Exchanged contact info with the guy. He could be a good contact for future trips.

Got two numbers at the Disco and both ladies were up for dates the next day (which was my last day in town). I only had time for one of them but we had dinner. Nice 26-year old lady from a professional family. She was finishing up her studies to be a lawyer. She had a nice figure, nice personality but I was just not as into her as I thought I would be.

Met a 26 year old lady at the Villa Country mall. She was working one of the retail stores there. She gave me a window into her world. Works 7 days a week, standing on her feet all day. Lives in the south (the "bad" part of town) with her Mother, sister and her 4 year old kid. She has been divorced for about a year. We went on two dates but ultimately a kid is a deal killer for me. Here is a photo of her:

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n544/basketcase2/BQ%2001.jpg

She called me on my last full day in Barranquilla to say, "Hey let's go to the beach and let me be your tour guide." I asked how she got out of work. She had called in sick to work. I felt terrible as she had not cleared this idea with me and I had other dates scheduled. I told her we were better off as friends. But she still insisted on getting together. So I squeezed in a date with her later that night after my other dates.

I matched with a 24 year old on Tinder. We had a date lined up. Confirmed the day of the date and the night before but she still flaked!  Too bad because she was 100% my type from physical standpoint. This is a shot of her:

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n544/basketcase2/BQ%2002.png


CONCLUSIONS:
For me there was no magic or silver bullet. The two best prospects I met were through the agencies (one from Maria's and one through AFA). Would have been nice to have more "top prospects" to increase my odds but these were the only two I really liked for long-term. That said, this is two more prospects than I got through Ricardo in Cali in 2013. He got me plenty of dates but I had ZERO interest in any of them as far as long-term prospects. So this was an improvement over that effort. Better photos (of me) probably helped.

Overall, I found the ladies I met through the agencies to be professional, hard working and good quality women. I am a picky S.O.B. I am staring down the barrel of my 50th B-Day and I am still single, never married. So you get the picture.

That said, the top pick from Maria's was a sweet woman, university degree, 30 years old no kids and the face of an angel (right off the cover of a magazine). She was/is 100 percent interested. But I found myself more like 80-85% into her. Totally shallow of me to say this but she is just a tad thin for liking and that turned me off a bit. I like ladies Petite but I prefer a few more curves. See why I am still single! Haha.

My top pick from AFA was also very attractive. She was a sweet girl who sings in her church choir. She has a gorgeous singing voice.  She seemed interested at first but she ultimately changed her mind and there was no second date. Though I definitely let her know I was interested. Playing Monday morning quarterback: She is a regular church attendee and sings in the choir of her Baptist church. I MIGHT have offended her when I asked her about her views on pre-marital sex! I know, I know. What the hell was I thinking? Dumb to bring it up on the first date! But with limited time in BQ I asked anyway. It was kind of loud in the restaurant and could only partially hear her response which was something, "It is better to wait for marriage" or something like that.

Still in contact with both of the top prospects. Told lady No. 1 we are probably better off as friends. She was ok with that and wants to stay in contact. I've exchanged some WhatsApp messages with lady No. 2 since getting back. Was thinking maybe if I maintain a friendship I can break her down and change her mind. Highly unlikely but who knows. 

Don't know where or when exactly I will go on my next trip. I am really loving Colombia. This was my 4th time there. The culture, the ladies, the music, the varied geography and cities, etc. I really enjoy it. That said, I never rule out trying a new place if opportunity knocks.

[mambocowboy]

I spent 6 nights in Barranquilla at the end of November. A long haul from the west coast of the USA. Probably should have stayed 10 days to maximize opportunities. I pulled out all the stops to meet women: agency, cupid, tinder and cold approaches in public.

THE CITY/LOGISITCS:
I actually like Barranquilla more than I expected. Yeah, it is not Medellin but few cities are. I like the exotic/Caribbean/tropical flavor the city exudes. For a guy that likes morenas I was in heaven. Though I will say that even though I was in Medellin for a shorter period, I think I saw more stunning ladies there.

With about 1.1 million inhabitants Barranquilla is the 4th largest city in Colombia. It is an industrial port city about 9 miles (or 13 km) from the Caribbean Sea. The climate is tropical: warm/hot and humid year round. I arrived just at the end of rainy season so the weather was pretty good.

MEETING LADIES:
I actually used two agencies: Maria’s Exclusive Colombian Matchmaker and AFA (A Foreign Affair). I hired Maria for my primary search but also got an individual package through AFA for back up. I did NOT go during one of AFA’s social tours nor did I have any interest in one of those tours.

I had contact info for a decent number of ladies through Cupid and Tinder but the flake factor on these ladies was HUGE!. As you guys know, part of the challenge in scheduling dates is these women are busy (work/school, etc.) and there are only so many hours in the day when they can meet. It makes the logistics a challenge because you set up a date with one lady but if she flakes you just wasted a bunch of time sitting around when another girl might be available. I think double or triple booking is what I might do next time! 

THE AGENCIES:
The agencies aren’t quite dead yet. Maria gives top flight personal service. She works 24/7 and is always quick to answer questions. She spent a good chunk of her childhood in Florida which might help explain why her English is flawless. She does a great job of getting the ladies to show up on time and ALL the profiles on her site are legitimate and up to date. The only suggestion for improvement I can make is she needs to expand/grow her database. 

AFA is not the scam that some on P.L. have suggested. For sure, some of their profiles are way out of date and there were more ladies that canceled as compared to Maria’s (zero cancelations from Maria’s ladies). The lady who runs the AFA office in Barranquilla was really nice and she worked hard to get me dates. Maria was great in this regard because she actually took me to the AFA office and made sure I got good service. There was a disconnect between the main AFA office in the U.S. and the local office in Barranquilla. The lady in the Barranquilla office knew I was coming but was not given my profile or the list of ladies I had selected. So she had to scramble once I got there. She did a great job on short notice to get me dates.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck on my third day there, not for me but for the lady who runs the local AFA office. Her father was tragically killed in a car accident. I felt terrible for her. She had someone fill in for her and she was still available to me for calls/questions. But I told her to just go be with her family and I could work with her stand in. Can’t say for sure how this may have impacted the number of dates I got via AFA but it probably didn’t help. The cancelations increased significantly after her replacement came on board.

COLD APPROACHES:
I met several different ladies in public places like the mall and Frog Leggs nightclub. Got several numbers this way and had a few dates as well. No flaking on dates from this approach!  Meeting the "old fashioned" way seems to cut way back on the flake factor.

I went solo on a Saturday night to Frogg Leggs disco. I've read a million times about the "social circles" in Colombian nightlife. And sure, that can be an obstacle as compared to the "mix and mingle" nightlife culture in North America.  But I found opportunities and ladies were open to meeting. I was definitely the only gringo in the place as far as I could tell. I planted myself at the bar next to what I will call the Colombian George Costanza (minus the neurotic personality). Nice guy. An engineer from Cali on business in Barranquilla. Exchanged contact info with the guy. He could be a good contact for future trips.

Got two numbers at the Disco and both ladies were up for dates the next day (which was my last day in town). I only had time for one of them but we had dinner. Nice 26-year old lady from a professional family. She was finishing up her studies to be a lawyer. She had a nice figure, nice personality but I was just not as into her as I thought I would be.

Met a 26 year old lady at the Villa Country mall. She was working one of the retail stores there. She gave me a window into her world. Works 7 days a week, standing on her feet all day. Lives in the south (the "bad" part of town) with her Mother, sister and her 4 year old kid. She has been divorced for about a year. We went on two dates but ultimately a kid is a deal killer for me. Here is a photo of her:

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n544/basketcase2/BQ%2001.jpg

She called me on my last full day in Barranquilla to say, "Hey let's go to the beach and let me be your tour guide." I asked how she got out of work. She had called in sick to work. I felt terrible as she had not cleared this idea with me and I had other dates scheduled. I told her we were better off as friends. But she still insisted on getting together. So I squeezed in a date with her later that night after my other dates.

I matched with a 24 year old on Tinder. We had a date lined up. Confirmed the day of the date and the night before but she still flaked!  Too bad because she was 100% my type from physical standpoint. This is a shot of her:

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n544/basketcase2/BQ%2002.png


CONCLUSIONS:
For me there was no magic or silver bullet. The two best prospects I met were through the agencies (one from Maria's and one through AFA). Would have been nice to have more "top prospects" to increase my odds but these were the only two I really liked for long-term. That said, this is two more prospects than I got through Ricardo in Cali in 2013. He got me plenty of dates but I had ZERO interest in any of them as far as long-term prospects. So this was an improvement over that effort. Better photos (of me) probably helped.

Overall, I found the ladies I met through the agencies to be professional, hard working and good quality women. I am a picky S.O.B. I am staring down the barrel of my 50th B-Day and I am still single, never married. So you get the picture.

That said, the top pick from Maria's was a sweet woman, university degree, 30 years old no kids and the face of an angel (right off the cover of a magazine). She was/is 100 percent interested. But I found myself more like 80-85% into her. Totally shallow of me to say this but she is just a tad thin for liking and that turned me off a bit. I like ladies Petite but I prefer a few more curves. See why I am still single! Haha.

My top pick from AFA was also very attractive. She was a sweet girl who sings in her church choir. She has a gorgeous singing voice.  She seemed interested at first but she ultimately changed her mind and there was no second date. Though I definitely let her know I was interested. Playing Monday morning quarterback: She is a regular church attendee and sings in the choir of her Baptist church. I MIGHT have offended her when I asked her about her views on pre-marital sex! I know, I know. What the hell was I thinking? Dumb to bring it up on the first date! But with limited time in BQ I asked anyway. It was kind of loud in the restaurant and could only partially hear her response which was something, "It is better to wait for marriage" or something like that.

Still in contact with both of the top prospects. Told lady No. 1 we are probably better off as friends. She was ok with that and wants to stay in contact. I've exchanged some WhatsApp messages with lady No. 2 since getting back. Was thinking maybe if I maintain a friendship I can break her down and change her mind. Highly unlikely but who knows. 

Don't know where or when exactly I will go on my next trip. I am really loving Colombia. This was my 4th time there. The culture, the ladies, the music, the varied geography and cities, etc. I really enjoy it. That said, I never rule out trying a new place if opportunity knocks.

Great  report as usual Hector. I think the lack of time you had is a huge limiting factor. Nevertheless you made the most of it. The 30 year old with the angelic face sounds intriguing. You definitely are meeting "mujeres serias" which means you're on the right track. My two cents is not to look for perfection.Relationships take time to build... There are tons of women there who'd make great partners....

[Kiltboy1]

Great Report Hector. Thanks for sharing.

It brings back memories of my trips to BAQ. It really was one of my favorite cities in Colombia and as you said had that Tropical vibe going on. I know what you mean about the "petite with curves" as those were mostly the ladies I met and dated in my 7 trips there back in 2003-2006.

Look forward to next time there to see now that you have the lay of the land, your sauces rate will most certainly go up.

KB

[utopiacowboy]

Very interesting and informative report. For me the most significant part of it was this sentence: "Though I will say that even though I was in Medellin for a shorter period, I think I saw more stunning ladies there." The people on the coast are a lot flakier in general than the paisas but for your type, you need to stick to the coast.

[Juan Valdez]

Very interesting and informative report. For me the most significant part of it was this sentence: "Though I will say that even though I was in Medellin for a shorter period, I think I saw more stunning ladies there." The people on the coast are a lot flakier in general than the paisas but for your type, you need to stick to the coast.

UC... your sentence doesn't show on my screen.  I don't know about the others.  It did that "super-tiny font" thing :-(

[Juan Valdez]

MEETING LADIES:
I actually used two agencies: Maria’s Exclusive Colombian Matchmaker and AFA (A Foreign Affair). I hired Maria for my primary search but also got an individual package through AFA for back up...

Maria was great in this regard because she actually took me to the AFA office and made sure I got good service.

Awesome trip report, Hector!  Love the organization and how you law everything out.  It's like we're right there with you! Lol

That's incredible how you said that agency owner Maria actually personally took you to "another" agency to make sure you got good service!  What other agency owner on earth would do that?

That's pretty much unheard of for a business owner to go the extra mile of accompanying you to a competitor, to actually help you with no ill intent. 

That clearly shows that she has a sincere interest in helping you find the partner you're looking for, even if it's not at her agency.  All I can say is, "Wow". 

[Hector_Lavoe]

That's incredible how you said that agency owner Maria actually personally took you to "another" agency to make sure you got good service!  What other agency owner on earth would do that?

That's pretty much unheard of for a business owner to go the extra mile of accompanying you to a competitor, to actually help you with no ill intent. 

That clearly shows that she has a sincere interest in helping you find the partner you're looking for, even if it's not at her agency.  All I can say is, "Wow".

J.V.: Thanks. Yes, I agree. She went the extra mile by doing that. Good business owners shouldn't fear competition but should actually embrace it.

[Awesome]

Don't know where or when exactly I will go on my next trip. I am really loving Colombia. This was my 4th time there. The culture, the ladies, the music, the varied geography and cities, etc. I really enjoy it. That said, I never rule out trying a new place if opportunity knocks.

Go to Caracas.  From what I'm seeing on facebook, Caracas is full of curvy morenas since it's right next to the Caribbean coast.  Perfect spring like weather year round.  Population 5 million.  What's not to love? 


And the best part about it, I'll be there.   

[Hector_Lavoe]

Go to Caracas.  From what I'm seeing on facebook, Caracas is full of curvy morenas since it's right next to the Caribbean coast.  Perfect spring like weather year round.  Population 5 million.  What's not to love? 

And the best part about it, I'll be there.   

Yeah, I'd love to go to Venezuela. But the place is on the verge of being a failed state. Caracas has one of the highest murder rates in the world. Be very, very careful.

If you are serious, why not try another part of Venezuela? I still think you are crazy to try it. Though I look forward to the trip report.

[Gato4Astrid]

Go to Caracas.  From what I'm seeing on facebook, Caracas is full of curvy morenas since it's right next to the Caribbean coast.  Perfect spring like weather year round.  Population 5 million.  What's not to love? 


And the best part about it, I'll be there.   

Too dangerous, and even one of my Barranquilla Facebook friend who has a brother living and owning business there.  She went to work for him too.  Told me it is best to meet her in BAQ if it comes to me.

[Gato4Astrid]

By the way, Hector, great report!  No trojan wooden horse trick for you out there!

[Gavan]

Too dangerous, and even one of my Barranquilla Facebook friend who has a brother living and owning business there.  She went to work for him too.  Told me it is best to meet her in BAQ if it comes to me.

Awesome must be the only person in the world wanting to get INTO Venezuela at the moment    . From what I hear a LOT of Venezuelans are desperately trying to leave the country and many are already living in other South-American countries (Peru is full of Venezuelan refugees for example).

[utopiacowboy]

UC... your sentence doesn't show on my screen.  I don't know about the others.  It did that "super-tiny font" thing :-(

It always does this. Frigging irritating. The sentence in question from his report is below. I found this very interesting. As well as true.


Though I will say that even though I was in Medellin for a shorter period, I think I saw more stunning ladies there.

[UnitedNut]

Excellent update, thanks for posting!  I thought your comments on AFA were interesting. I keep hearing mixed things about them--some good, some bad. Very rarely anything in between.  I must say the one young woman you met was gorgeous (loved her eyes and smile in the picture):  http://s1139.photobucket.com/user/basketcase2/media/BQ%2001.jpg.html

Looking forward to more of your updates.  Good luck in the search!

[Hector_Lavoe]

^^U.N. Thanks. And good to see you post for the first time in 5 years!

[Hector_Lavoe]

Though I will say that even though I was in Medellin for a shorter period, I think I saw more stunning ladies there.

Haha. Yeah, I thought you might like that comment. Just calling it the way I saw it.

I met a guy from Cali at a disco in Barranquilla. He told he prefers the ladies in Barranquilla over the women in Cali because the girls are more "natural" in Barranquilla.

[MariaJBueno]

THE AGENCIES:
The agencies aren’t quite dead yet. Maria gives top flight personal service. She works 24/7 and is always quick to answer questions. She spent a good chunk of her childhood in Florida which might help explain why her English is flawless. She does a great job of getting the ladies to show up on time and ALL the profiles on her site are legitimate and up to date. The only suggestion for improvement I can make is she needs to expand/grow her database. 

AFA is not the scam that some on P.L. have suggested. For sure, some of their profiles are way out of date and there were more ladies that canceled as compared to Maria’s (zero cancellations from Maria’s ladies). The lady who runs the AFA office in Barranquilla was really nice and she worked hard to get me dates. Maria was great in this regard because she actually took me to the AFA office and made sure I got good service. There was a disconnect between the main AFA office in the U.S. and the local office in Barranquilla. The lady in the Barranquilla office knew I was coming but was not given my profile or the list of ladies I had selected. So she had to scramble once I got there. She did a great job on short notice to get me dates.

Thank you for the great review, Hector, I really appreciate it.


As you can see, I'm passionate about what I do as a Matchmaker, and I really take it seriously.


Although not all met your personal criteria, you left quite the fan club among the pretty women who use our service.  I'm here whenever you need me and as you know our database is growing daily.   

[Elexpatriado]

Wow..excelente report..thanks for the effort

[Hector_Lavoe]

Thank you for the great review, Hector, I really appreciate it.

As you can see, I'm passionate about what I do as a Matchmaker, and I really take it seriously.

Although not all met your personal criteria, you left quite the fan club among the pretty women who use our service.  I'm here whenever you need me and as you know our database is growing daily.   

Of course, Maria. It was a great to meet you and do business with you. Hope our paths cross again in the future be it for business or pleasure.

[MariaJBueno]

Of course, Maria. It was a great to meet you and do business with you. Hope our paths cross again in the future be it for business or pleasure.

You know where to find us. 

[Awesome]

As you can see, I'm passionate about what I do as a Matchmaker, and I really take it seriously.

I think this type of attitude is what's absolutely necessary in the match making business, especially considering how much is at stake.

[MariaJBueno]

I think this type of attitude is what's absolutely necessary in the match making business, especially considering how much is at stake.

Agreed!


Hay que cuidar mucho de corazoncito de las personas. 


 Thank you.

[cdr1974]

I do think as most on here will agree,  the agency scene is all but dead.  Mainly due to social media and the internet.
When i first went to Colombia about 8 years ago,  many  had no access to the internet in colombia unless they visited internet cafes.  Now most if not all woman have mobile phones with internet.
The agencies that do still exist charged what i believe to be decent rates and good value.
They continue to charge the same rates even though we are no longer getting the same value for money.  The quantity and quality of woman are few and far between in the agencies now and where guys had major success using the agencies 5 years or more ago,  guys are not getting the same success now.
I believe, and it is only my opinion,  the agencies should reflect this with their rates now.  They too know the agency scene is extremly difficult now.

[Elexpatriado]

I do think as most on here will agree,  the agency scene is all but dead.  Mainly due to social media and the internet.
When i first went to Colombia about 8 years ago,  many  had no access to the internet in colombia unless they visited internet cafes.  Now most if not all woman have mobile phones with internet.
The agencies that do still exist charged what i believe to be decent rates and good value.
They continue to charge the same rates even though we are no longer getting the same value for money.  The quantity and quality of woman are few and far between in the agencies now and where guys had major success using the agencies 5 years or more ago,  guys are not getting the same success now.
I believe, and it is only my opinion,  the agencies should reflect this with their rates now.  They too know the agency scene is extremly difficult now.

Also  supply and demand. In the old days a 60 year old saggy balled gringo could get a 20 year old "Model" with little more than a ham sandwich.


Now, with Colombia being a relatively safe place, and all the Gringos coming here, even a 35 or 40 year old  playboy with "hollywood good looks" a penthouse and Yacht in Florida will find he has competition for the hottesdt girls.


Okay..slight exageration..


But too many guys still sending money (even before meeting the girls, if you can imagine that) and paying for thier University, buying them houses (or shacking upwith them without a Prenup and owning too much property in Colombia), taking them on trips to Cancun , San Andreas, Aruba (LOL), paying for thier university, and even operations..

Or suporting them and their 3 daughters, sponsoring the whole family to the US..

The relative market value of the Colombiana has increaseed substantially. Oh for the days when you could conquest your future bride by taking her out to Crepes and Waffles a few times..

Too many gringos coming to Colombia, or just sending money from Western Union in Moose Balls Idaho, Corn Hole Iowa or Chicken Lips Alabama.


And not just the US. Canada, Europe even the middle East and Many other Latin Countries-Mexico, Argentina, Chile..as well..

[Juan Valdez]

I do think as most on here will agree,  the agency scene is all but dead.  Mainly due to social media and the internet.

Based on the original poster's trip report:

1) Looks like at least one agency, Maria's, is thriving and going above the call of duty in Barranquilla.

2) The internet and/or social media produced no-shows/flakes for Hector, whereas Maria's agency girls not only had good attendance, but she also got them to show up on time (that's miraculous in and of itself for Latina's right? Lol).

3) He even said AFA did a decent job for him, under Maria's watchful eye (even though she owns her own, separate agency). So that's at least 2 agencies, that don't seem to be dead.

Also:

4) Based on what I can see from most of the regular posters here, they seem to be either married, in relationships, and/or fluent in Spanish and don't feel a need for agencies... so of course the agency scene would "seem all but dead" to them, the same way the need for a Spanish tutor would be "dead" to someone who is fluent.

Just a casual observation.  I could be missing something here, and be way off base.  It wouldn't be the first time ;-)