The MARS Family Introducing Beautiful Bogota Colombia Columbia

The MARS Family

Introducing Beautiful Bogota, Colombia

Columbia: Country, People, & Beliefs La Pollera Colora or brightly colored skirt is Colombia’s most well known national costume Colombian’s LOVE their coffee! Que Linda este Villa de Leyva en el departemente de Boyaca. You have our STAMP of approval! Playa

Columbia: Country, People, Beliefs • Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama • Capital: Bogota • Population: 46, 245, 297 (July 2014 est. ) • Ethnic Groups: Mestizo 58%, White 20%, Mulatto 14%, Black 4%, mixed black-Amerindian 3%, Amerindian 1% • Religion: Roman Catholic 90%, Other 10%

Excerpts from the MARS Family Adventure Recommendations (within diary entries) address behaviors that should be changed to make people from other cultures feel more welcome.

Dios Mio! February 25, 2017 (Mishap: THAT did not just happen to me in front of my supervisor!) I was so embarrassed when Stephanie started yawning with her mouth wide open and started in on my co-workers’ poor wife about the ills and evils of bull-fighting when they graciously gave Neymar and myself tickets to one next week with a very famous matador fighting. Sometimes I have to remind that girl she is not in America anymore and you must be careful when talking about things that are cultural treasures life bull-fighting (E -Diplomat, “Hh” (2017). [Yawning in public, disparaging bullfighting]. June 9, 2017 (Bad etiquette: when sorry doesn’t even began to cover it) On our way home from my kids’ school, my son and my daughter were thirsty, so we stopped by the store to get something to drink, but because my lack of Spanish, I got an awful itch on the end of my nose and started rubbing my thumb and index finger. The girl gave a huge gasp. I didn’t know that this hand sign was inappropriate in Colombia, the girl at the store told me that she was in shock for what I did, since this sign in Colombia means calling somebody un Marica or a person who is queer/gay (Corrigan, 2013). [Learn social/cultural no-no’s such inappropriate gestures]. Dios Mio!

• Drive helpful and fails astronomically. ) We decided to go out to dinner my family and I to a famous local place called La Provincia (Trip. Advisor, 2017). We all ordered from the menu and my husband suggested we get something to drink. I have • Lose your wallet heard laws about drinking and driving in Colombia. Driving while drunk is a big no-no in Colombia and could put us in prison (Rhino Car Hire, 2017). I • Get stranded somewhere with no cell decided to be the sober one for the night while my husband ordered the local drink called Aguardiente, Colombia’s national drink. The drink is service derived from sugarcane and flavored with aniseed. Its alcohol content hovers around 29% (Jared & Diana, 2017). He seemed to enjoy it and was getting a buzz from it. When we finished we paid our bill and decided to take a detour around the different cities. My husband had the map for the surrounding area • Cause a minor traffic accident and was guiding me on the road. After driving for what seemed to be an hour, with the kids getting fussy in the back, I asked my husband if he knew where • Drink native beverages (cause of crash) we were and he said no. I pulled out my phone to get directions and realized March 21, 2017 (Road trip from Hell or when your spouse tries to be I had no service. (Donaldson, J. 2014). After trying to turn around to go to a local store and ask for directions, I accidentally clipped another driver on the road at which point everything went to heck in a handbasket all at once. Checking to make sure everyone was fine I opened the door to an angry gentleman speaking rapidly in Spanish. I looked at him dumbfounded not understanding anything he was saying. The police arrived and the officer happened to speak a little English. Explaining the situation about being lost and no service the officer explained that some areas in the city the reception are bad (Truand, 2016). He asked if I had my identification card and insurance for the Honda and I said yes that it was in the car. Looking in the car I realized that I had left my purse at the restaurant and that I was completely vulnerable here. The officer was not going to let me go unless I showed him my ID. (U. S. Embassy in Colombia. 2017). My husband was the only one with ID on him. The officer suggested my husband another officer go back to the restaurant and get my purse while I waited there with my children (Taucher 1979, 2012). Two hours later my husband showed up with the officer and had my purse with him. I was so happy to see him. As nice as the officer was with me, I was still uncomfortable. I give this night to my husband his drinking for getting us lost but also blessed for the experience so we can be better prepared for next time. Not that there should be one, still, it is always better to be safe than sorry. OH NO! Neymar Mars Tonto. Barracho D’Oh!

Que Bella! August 4 , 2017 Great cultural experience together as a family, “memory of a lifetime”. This weekend my family and I have been invited to visit one of my colleague’s home in Boyacá. , the department just north of Bogotá. Home of the Villa de Leyva, the region is full of beautiful scenery and sights. August 7 th is an important day for Los Boyacenses, the locals, who celebrate the Battle of Boyaca in Colombia. I am very excited for this opportunity to see how this holiday is celebrated. Our plan is to visit some of the many pueblos that dot this departments countryside. The chance to emerge ourselves in the food and flavors of the indigenous people is something the whole family is looking forward to. We would like to at least visit the department’s capital of Tunja where there are several museums depicting the key sites of the Wars of Independence, with key battle grounds of Simon Bolivar’s campaign, such as the Vargas Swamp Battle. The two key fights against the Spanish, Puente de Boyaca and the Pantano de Vargas, both have impressive monuments and informative tours. Even Danny is excited because they had a whole week about these epic battles in his class. He would like to take a picture of the Ciclorama, a 360 -degree mural that depicts the history of many of this departments campaigns led by Bolivar. (Chris, 2017). We plan on ending the weekend with a lovely dinner at the Hotel Candelaria. Can’t wait!

Check it out: • Recommendations for adaptations the company should make to ensure the success of the business relationship.

Smiling is very important. Maintain eye contact during conversations, or you may leave a bad impression. Shake hands with everyone when entering or leaving a room. Working breakfasts are common, and business lunches and dinners are popular. Plan on spending at least two or three hours at either. Time and punctuality are not stressed. Colombians will typically arrive up to thirty minutes late for social engagements. A 10: 00 p. m. party will often begin a half-hour to one hour late. “In an hour or two” may mean tomorrow or next week. “Tomorrow” seldom means tomorrow and may mean next week. Don't get offended if someone says they will phone you tomorrow and then calls a week later. Be prudent when you talk about drugs. Colombia is working with the United States' government in the war against drugs, but U. S. foreign policy is not viewed positively by many Colombians consider Panama to have been stolen from them by norteamericanos eager to build the Panama Canal. Try to stay away from this touchy subject. A woman in the workforce is treated as any man, notwithstanding special courtesy and manners. Colombians want to know you personally before they do business with you. You must develop a relationship with your counterparts before they will consider you trustworthy. Always allow your Colombian counterparts to bring up the subject of business. Be aware that this may take awhile. Meetings may be slow, with quiet, deliberate discussions. Follow up a meeting by sending a letter summarizing the main points and what was agreed upon. Contracts may be long and detailed. Put the key aspects of agreed-upon points in writing. United States businesswomen are received well in Colombia and will be treated in a businesslike manner, although perhaps with some curiosity. North American women should not have trouble doing business in Colombia. Men may flirt or make comments; simply ignore them. Women should be careful not to do anything that might be considered flirtatious, which may be misinterpreted. It may take several trips to complete a business transaction. Colombians prefer to do business in person -- one can only get “so far” by phone and fax. Don't offer your opinions about local politics or religion. Give personal gifts, like clothing and perfume, only when you know people well. Never put your feet on furniture in a hotel, office or home. Bring your hostess fruit, flowers or chocolates. Send flowers ahead of time, if possible. Roses are a favorite. Gifts made in America are wellreceived. Give your colleagues fine scotch and wines, engraved pens, calculators and gifts from your home region. Third-party contacts are vital to business success. You should hire a local distributor, representative, salesperson and/or lawyer. Yawning is impolite and viewed as a sign of hunger or sleepiness. Always cover your mouth when yawning. If you are invited to a bullfight, do not decline. Tickets for good seats are very expensive. Shoes are the first thing people notice. Colombians do not wear tennis shoes unless they are playing tennis, jogging, etc. For business, men should wear dark suits, white shirts and ties in the cities. In warmer areas, dress is less formal. Women should wear dresses and suits. Wear comfortable cotton in warmer areas. Colombians pay a lot of attention to appearance and clothing. Dress conservatively and be well groomed. Business Etiquette: Do’s & Don’ts

• Music & Arts • Colombia is rich in history and culture. The people are friendly and love to not only tell you, but show you around to their favorite museums, monuments, and music. • Food & Shopping • There are many, many wonderful places to eat and shop. The prices are low because the conversion of USD to Colombian Pesos is crazy. Crazy example: You can buy a WHOLE ounce of top shelf MJ for only $25! Compared to $250 in the US. Fun fact: You can only bring in 10 k into the country. Do this!

Do try this! Excerpt from May 22, 2017 - Sightseeing site “La Chorrera and El Chiflón waterfalls day trip from Bogotá involves a 3 -hour round-trip hike. You have to drive up a mountain pass with beautiful views through the East Hills, which are a part of the Andes mountains. Once we arrived we started our hike through lush woodlands to reach El Chiflón and La Chorrera, Colombia’s tallest waterfall. ” (Viator, 1997 -2017). May 10, 2017 - National cultural event • Attend one or more sporting events Today we got to partake in in an event that was very interesting. We got to see a bit of the Giro d’Italia or Colombia’s Italian version of the Tour de France, and see both Nairo Quintana and fellow Colombian and rival, Esteban Chaves (Huigen, 2017). I think Stephanie got a bit of a crush, but maybe so did Danny as an idol sport figure, and for motivation to get into shape again for Neymar. Who knew cycling could be contagious?

A short video: La Invitación