We say being aware of personal space in the U.S. We like to have distance between us, I notice that Colombians when they are out running they almost run right into you while you are on the street or sidewalk rather than go around you. The gym is the worst and many Colombians never re rack their weights or put equipment away. They expect someone else to clean up after them. Great point David that no one seems to even notice these cultural habits.
@@amazelord617 I did not even get started on Colombian drivers. Some of the worst drivers on the planet and remember as a pedestrian you rank last.. Motorcycles and scooters use sidewalks ; go the wrong way on streets; drive across patios and restaurant spaces, No one gives it a second thought. Make them act like motorized vehicles and park on the street and it would be harder for them to drive right up and rob people.
It's because of the camera. Normally you don't need to be so carefuly but when you're alone with a cellphone in your hand or a cmaera you need to be careful.
Colombian driving culture things: a Colombian will give you wrong directions before they tell you they dont know. Cutting people off in traffic or merges is the norm. Buses, taxis and motos are usually very aggressive, and all the wrecks ive seen are including one of those types of vehicles. A mechanic will tell you he can fix something even though he has never done it before or has no idea what he is doing. Car repair in general is a giant scam culture and very difficult to find a good mechanic. People will park in the middle of the street, blocking off 90% of traffic during rush hour, your hazard lights are not a golden ticket to do what you want. Pedestrians do not have the right of way in Colombia, not getting hit by a car while walking will require effort.
I am impressed by the accuracy of your observations on the behavior of the people here. I was born and raised in Medellín and your observations are 100% accurate. I could try to explain why we don't respect personal space: ever since we were kids standing in line at the school cafeteria, if you left a little space, some bully would always show up to get in line. So we grew up and the behavior was maintained. To get an idea of what it was like, look at the people boarding the metro at rush hour. About the girl from the gym, she probably wants to draw attention; your approach is correct, ask her politely and you will have the opportunity to exchange some other words in the future (small steps). It's women's logic, don't try to understand. The behavior in the gym and the dress code is an interesting topic. I hate most of the situations you describe, I hate what they do on the supermarket conveyor belt, I respect the personal space of others, I demand my own space on the sidewalk. You missed to advise about the cross walks and the manic drivers.
@@LifewithDavid I heard it is very common that girls will leave you stranded when they tell you they will see you at a certain place and time, personas muy descumplidas, not every one but most af them. They something they will do and, rarely do they deliver a promise,
I will be a bit less candid. I believe Colombian culture is ultra individualistic and kind of tough to the unknown. Sugarcoated with heavy politeness. For the family circle and circle of friends, Colombians are zero individualistic, it's all about the group. They stick together and it's beautiful. But outside these circles, forget about it, zero consideration, unless they fear there might be consequences. And I think that part of their politeness is due to fear. Because in Colombia, don't mess with the wrong person. Because there may be dire consequences. Yes their personal safe space is way more reduced than in the US and somewhat to Europe, but mostly, they just see you as a non threatening stranger, so they don't care. And I may even say they are asserting their dominance over you through micro, almost unsignificant situations. Only that they actually count and boost their "alpha", macho culture. Men and women included. Colombians have spatial awareness, they detect threats before you do. If a "ñero" is crossing their way, no doubt they'll care. So it's not they are not aware. Colombians are super aware of their surroundings. I have been to party places known to have some special clientele, these costly places playing banda and ranchera music. People are super nice in these places. If they bump into you by accident, Oh they will apologize. It is not that they suddenly become "educado", it's fear of the consequences. As for walking slow, I got the same explanation about enjoying being together. But damn they walk slow it's maddening. I've been knowing this country for 10 years, and more than 6 years living permanently here. I still don't get this part. Now, said all that, I happily live here, I came to accept that it's different and I won't change things. I still try to be nice even to strangers, some Colombians may see me as weak. I got this remark from a girl I was seeing once, and she was basing her analysis on me being considerate towards strangers, but she was not a very kindhearted person, so maybe that was her. But yeah, I basically came to accept their ways, and trying not to sweat it too much.
I agree. I'm visiting and I have wide shoulders and when I walk I turn sideways to get through and the other people put very minimal effort but I would rather not risk bumping into the wrong person 😅
I'm from Medellín. I have been living in Australia for 16 years and I feel you with a lot of what you say. As a Colombian, you only realise about it when you go back after been in another country for a while.
David is one of the coolest most honest guys on u tube. This is one guy, you would want as your neighbour and friend in any country. Right on David, YOU ROCK BRO
I'm American living in Rionegro with my Colombian wife. Your observations are spot-on. I'm glad I'm not the only one that has noticed the same things. The lack of spacial awareness of Colombians drives me nuts. I noticed the first time I came down here at the Bogota airport. After I got through customs, a bunch of people were standing around talking, blocking the exit. Now I know it wouldn't have been considered rude to nudge them out of my way. Lol
People stop to chat and do all sorts of things while blocking a door in the US too. I like to make a loud announcement that the door is broken, and point at the people blocking it, and tell them, they broke it, but can fix it by getting the fuck out of the wsy. 🤣
Man, it is one of my biggest frustrations when I am in Colombia. Many Colombians have no sense of other people’s needs or space. They cut in front of you in line at the store, even when you arrived first. This especially true in the coast of Colombia - Barranquilla specifically. They block traffic with no regard to other people. They treat waiters and other service people badly in my opinion. And yes, they take up the entire sidewalk and don’t care about other people. I don’t get that either. I really don’t. 😢
Also, I’ve noticed here in Medellín that interrupting conversations is common . I’m not sure if it’s the culture but I’ve never seen it so frequent in the states . I could be asking a question to an associate at a store and someone would come in a not say excuse me and present their questions as if I wasent even there. Like you, I don’t get mad anymore and I even find myself doing it as well.
That happened to me too. And in a busy pharmacy the employees seemed to ignore me...they helped a few people that entered after me..not sure why...maybe us gringos are less important for some reason
@@legion0101 part of that might be you're expecting them to help you without asking them a question or saying buenos dias/buenas tardes. You can stand there in front of them all day but until you ask them for something they will ignore you(not everyone, but there are many places like that). Did the people that came in after greet the clerks and then ask them something? I'm not trying to make assumptions but where I'm from in the US it's common to expect to be waited on without even greeting or asking a question we expect the workers to greet us first. It doesn't work that way in Colombia.
@@robbienorton9522 ill take your advice and try that next time, but they knew i was waiting for help. This was on la 70. They see lots of gringos with limited espanol there. My take is that the locals are preferred clients and get faster service as they see them all the time..similar to a restaurant with vip customers. I was just another gringo on vacation lol.
One thing I observed several times in Colombia is that two people were in a conversation and without any obvious reason one of the two is just walks away. In the middle of a normal conversation. Without saying or doing anything. Just walks away. Even if they know each other. It always left me stunned.
I’ve actually had people try to steal my cab when I had my hand on the front door about to get in they would open the back. I am no wallflower. They don’t get away with it. Two occasions now. People here can be downright rude. If they think they can get away with it they will. Don’t let the fake politeness fool you. They don’t give a shit about you.
What you mention , is minor. More important is how the word "lend" is interpreted by many Colombians. "Lend" to most Colombiana is give permanently. Other Colombian quirk, is to hold out and not negoiate...."I will pay a full 12mths rent in advance", but many Colombians will not take it, if it means a slightly lower price. Apt will stay vacant for months.
This video is spot on …I was starting to dislike Colombians for these reasons…and found myself not caring and getting rude with them Once again I say don’t get mad but just match there energy
The people walk slowly, but the taxi drivers in Bogota drive like they're late for collecting their lottery jackpot winnings and the ticket is about to expire. 🚕🚕 beep, beeeep...the last taxi I hailed took a shortcut through a gas station, I thought he was filling up but nope, lol...he was shortening the journey by 10 metres 🤣
Similar to the DR where I’ve lived for a long time, a complete lack of awareness or caring how their actions are affecting other people. We consider it very impolite but they don’t see it that way or just don’t care. Not sure which.
In the supermarket people will empty their shopping cart on to the conveyor belt, then leave the cart behind them in the space between the registers blocking the next person. As a result I have to move the cart in order to get to the conveyor belt and to push my cart through. This drives me crazy. I started asking if they are done with the cart, this usually prompts them to move it. Another annoyance is when I'm speaking to an employee in the store, bank etc. people will walk up and and ask questions like you aren't standing there. And the person helping you never says, "when I'm done with this customer I will help you". They always turn their attention away from you and help the person who interrupted.
Once I was in line at McDonald's I was next and a guy stepped in front of me. I said very loud, "What the Fu**k" and the cashier understood. He told the guy to step aside as i was next.
Hi David. I've been in Laureles a month now. I'm so used to a restaurant wanting to get you out ASAP when you're finished. Here I have to almost beg them to bring a check. It doesn't bother me too much but it is interesting.
I noticed slow walking too. What makes me really irrigated is how ridiculously slow line moving in supermarket. You can have two people with two items each in front of you and you will have to wait 20 minutes.
It can be bad in Exito because the lines will also process money transfers and there is no dedicated line for that in some stores. So you think the line is moving and bam the clerk has to count out 3 million pesos like 5 times. Exito usually has a priority line for 1 to 10 items but sometimes it's backed up too. It reminds me of walmart back home. lol
Oh yes! I am not sure what it is, but you are correct. I also notice if you are buying...shall we say...6 of the same items, the cashier will scan the item 6 times instead of scanning once and then using a key to multiply it. Another annoyance is a woman who goes shopping with me goes into the line...forgets an item...and tells me to hold up the line while she runs to get the item she forgets. I'm having none of it. As soon as she leaves, I indicate to the cashier, "Keep on scanning dear", and I pay for it while receiving thanks from other tired customers behind me. When she returns to the expecting to just resume where she left...the look of chagrin on her face is laughable. She gets angry, but I tell her tough luck. I am not going to do the Colombian custom and hold up a long line of tired customers. Equally she blocks the whole aisle and walks off to find something. I simply move the cart to the side out of the way...to the amusement of other customers...and she returns fussing about me moving the cart to which I reply, "I am not going to inconvenience all these other customers just because you do not think to park your cart over to the side. I'll learn her one day! Lol!!!
I’ll start putting my things on the conveyor belt at the grocery store and my Colombian husband will tell me to wait until the person in front of me has all their groceries rung up and bagged. I don’t know why 🤷♀️ Or even when we go to a Colombian restaurant in the States (we live in NJ), you have to wait forever for your check. My husband says they don’t want you to feel like you are being rushed out, which is nice.
I am Colombian and I don't get it either (maybe because I grew up in the USA). David you just mentioned all the things that annoy me when I go back home, and yes I am sure I am considered to be a rude person as I get visibly annoyed. Nonetheless, the other side of the coin is that it is beautiful how they are not bothered by things that bother some of the rest of us. To summarize it, I guess that we can say they "don't sweat the small stuff and it is all small stuff."
So true man, it took me a couple of years to get used to it. Then i stop comparing the US way of things and go along to get along. Like you said "Dont sweat the small stuff"
Realmente este video me ha hecho caer en cuenta de muchas cosas que los colombianos hacemos todos los días y que con toda razón, nos hace parecer bastante maleducados y groseros. Gracias a tu video mejorare varias cosas.
Hi David. I live in Envigado and the thing about Colombia is that it never fails to pleasantly surprise me. Sure there's stuff which drives me insane mainly poor driving skills and young guys on motorbikes who have no respect for rules or manners on the road. On the other hand people can be so kind. In the supermarket a lady got me a trolley when she saw I had too much in my hands. Then she did another trip to get hers! Really nice of her. The other day I left my money at home. I wanted to buy Orange juice at Niquia after cycling there. A gardener dude said don't worry and paid 2 mil for me, such nice bloke. I meet two guys riding up.to the caterdal the other day. They said join me and joked they needed English lessons. So I joined them and yeah it was hard going. When I returned I went to buy the guys a cool drink. He would not have a bar of it and insisted on paying. I train at body tech and nobody does situps in front of the weight rack. We generally share the machines and the staff are really helpful eg doing a spot on bench press. Colombia can vary from people being rude to them being very kind. That girl doing situps in front weight racks is just plain dumb.
A lot of countries are like that about “personal space”. I was in a locker room at a gym in Dubai. While sitting on a bench with a towel around me, another naked man came and sat down so close to me that we were touching. I scooted over a little to give him some space and he got very offended.
In the gym story, she's doing this deliberately. If you're a muscle man, you have to see her first. It's the barrier for attention. As for the bumping thing, I'm from NY so we got that "Move out the way" shoulder, Colombians know better. I also check my pockets every time I bump into someone. The staring thing bothers me a lot if you're not going to say hello
Another thing is that sometimes they walk on the left side and when they are heading towards you, they don't change to the right side so you have to move away to the left side.
O my gosh!! The slow walking. The first city I visited was Cali and I could not believe how slow people walk. I’m also a Texan and I felt like a snail when I was in DC, in Colombia I’m like a cheetah. It drove me nuts, but when I went to medellin and saw that the walking pace was only slightly faster I realized it’s part of the culture and thought, meh, maybe I’m the one who needs to slow down.
I agree with most of your observations. More than once I have seen some pedestrians cross the bicycle lanes without looking both ways and almost causing near collisions that have could have resulted in serious injuries.
I was at the cartagena airport going back to the states and passing through immigration. There was maybe three people waiting in line and all of them Americans. An immigration agent walked up to the line and yelled “colombianos” “colombianos”. Signaling that they should come to the front of the line. All three people looked at each other and looked around as he kept yelling. It soon became comical because it was clear that no one in line was Colombian. He just wanted to send a subtle message to all the Americans in line that they would be second.
friendly message that you as a tourist are likely not appreciated so stay in your place…. It would be wok mentality that would be fired off in the states. That’s for sure. Colombia is behind by 50 years. Don’t worry they’ll catch up eventually with that wok bs
Literally one of the few good travel youtubers. The staring is funny, here in London people get fuckin angry hahah. Same in Turkey people stare like fuckin crazy but it's not to fight
@@bertooo1358 Yeah I've been through 2 pairs of noise canceling headphones and I bought some construction earplugs from Homecentre. It would be nice to be able to sit in my living room with my family and enjoy each others' company sometimes though.
Yeah it’s like hip hop and rap in the states. Most who are into it are beyond inconsiderate and play all times of day and night. Entitlement knows no bounds.
This is too funny! You are so right on everything you say. I'm Colombia and you nailed it with all the descriptions. Usually people that walk in a group is because they are hanging out with friends or family so they walk slow a talk. When people cut you off while walking mostly those people only use public transportation (meaning they don't own a car) or they might be in pico y placa. Personal space is never taught, it just doesn't exist. Some things are very annoying.....
I live in Guatemala and there are so many people here that work like 3 hours a week , like I used to use a bank and the woman that had to approve the cashing of checks only worked 3 hours a week ! The manager told me that he had seen it take a entire year to cash a check , it took me just one day under 6 months to cash a check once.
My colombian wife says the check out thing is because they don't want others to put their items next to their items on the conveyor because many people purposely put them close to make you accidentally pay for there items. My father inlaw says that has happened alot to him so he trys to not let people put things on the conveyor with his items.
I find cultural variations between different human cultures so fascinating! How it gets like this? Why it’s done? Where was its origin? What is the psychological basis for various behaviours? Fantastic insights dude! 😀👍
I've been to Colombia 3 times, going for a 4th soon. I never noticed these personal space issues. I'm 6'4" and have a huge personal bubble, but often I felt like I was violating other people's space. People asking for money are more aggressive and invaded my space, but generally I did not find this.. I also walk very fast but I never had problems with people being overly slow or cutting in front of me. Maybe I just think everyone is slow here in Canada as well, or maybe it is how I am perceived. Being so tall in Colombia I sometimes felt like a spectacle of sorts.
We just arrived back from staying in Colombia for a month,,, and I found Woman to be extremely non conscious . It was noticeable throughout country, men were the opposite , very accommodating and kind
I visited Bogota last month. I found the people super nice and the entire area beautiful. We drove to Armenia and back. The only thing that shocked me was the driving. They are crazy and the moto drivers even crazier !
The one that absolutely drives me insane is when they stop in the middle of the road and block traffic to talk to one of their friends. Maybe this is a Boyaca thing because I don’t see it in the bigger cities. My BIL is consistently 1-2 hours late. We have learned that we invite them and give them a time and usually a 15 minute grace period then we go ahead and order and eat. Now staring it’s funny because I noticed this too and my wife says it because Colombians are not used to seeing big Americans.
Yesss I thought I was the only one that got annoyed by people bumping into me in Colombia. I felt annoyed but also felt like I would come across as a snob if I were to point it out. Patience is key with the culture clash.
When I lived in another country, I've found that guys stop the car and urinate in a safe spot. I found out that u usually have to pay to use many restrooms. So, whip it out and let the wind flow freely. Another time I was at a Costco in another country. I was in line and left a space so other carts could pass by. A nice lady shuttled me closer to close the gap. She said in Spanish, if u don't move closer, someone will cut in front of u. She was right. I left a space at another store and a guy cut right in front of me and didn't say excuse me or anything. He just turned his back on me. Did it bother me, of course. But, I learned and learned to move closer. I offered some chocolate to someone and they took and kept the whole box. I was looking forward to having some of those chocolates. Ur right, staring for longer periods of time is common in Latin America. So, stare back.
In DR when you give the cashier money from your hand to theirs, they will not return your change back to your hand with the receive. they always place it on the counter. Leaving me with my hand out waiting for my change. Took me a while to get used to it.
@@ayo_k32 Lack of training is my guest, in the states they train you to count the change back put it on top of the receipt and hand it back to you.. Normally.
Thank you for this information! I have been to Colombia several times over the years but looking forward to my first trip to Medellin in the next few months. You had me cracking up when you were talking about the walking slow, taking up the whole sidewalk and you being passive aggressive hahahahaa
This girl in front of the dumbells is just her (ego) showing off. One thing you didn't bring up for those of us that are Latinos from the States that visit Medellin as well is the speed at which some Colombians speak their regional dialect. Like we both speak Spanish, but that "High Speed Paisa" can really get my goat! I had to ask a woman in the Carulla supermarket once to slow the heck down..."favor de hablar un poco mas despacio" I said, she looked surprised, and in a whisper said, "no entiende?"... I just said "Gracias" and walked to another check out lane. Now I start the convo stating how fast that "Paisaspeak" is, and they just laugh... Just to turn down the initial volatility...
I have been in Medellin about 4 years grocery store, gym, on the roads it’s every where I believe yes it’s a culture thing. But I also beleive the mentality is no one else exists around them because, I have seen people stop in the middle of the road and do something rather than pull off to let traffic keep going, yes I have a car here live in poblado. And it still drives my crazy. Lol
As the saying goes ,when in Rome,, also did you notice they will give you incorrect directions versus saying I don't know. But this is not lying it is standing up for their family and culture that should know. Also people coming out of a doorway entering the street without looking even though they might smack into somebody. All they know is the moment, not the possibilities in the future, right now the space is empty and step into it. No one else exists.
But David, it has to be the Me, Myself & I, mentality ... Colombia has a plastic surgeon in every shopping center and Medellin people are said to be very vain, including the men.
Have been visiting Medellin a few years. Grocery store craziness: people will be at the register partially checked out, and leave the line for an unknown time while those in line stand there waiting, eventually they return with a bunch more stuff to check out. Have never been able to comprehend this. The commenter is right, the gym girl did that on purpose to get attention. And like other commenters have said, lateness, lack of attention to detail (and the truth), late night abusive noise as if no one else exists in the world, slow, slow meandering walking…hard to comprehend. Those are a few.
You think Colombians walk slowly? You ever seen a cabal of African women linking arms at a grocery store? It’s genuinely impressive how slow they can walk
Thank you so much for making this one! Sitting here on the couch with my husband who moved here to Florida about a year ago from Barranquilla…I can now say I’m not the only one who gets perturbed by the spatial awareness issue lol. The group of friends taking up the whole sidewalk… one of my favorites. The example I use: waking down an aisle in Éxito, and someone is there with their carrito blocking the way. I swear they know I’m coming, but do they move at all? Nope. Having been to Barranquilla and Medellín a dozen times, I say “permiso” and if they don’t move the carrito, I now move it for them. 😅
Hola thanks you really helped with my transition to Colombian life. Been here 7 months teaching English to children..I now totally get it..I repeat only in Colombia. jaja.keep the great content coming my friend.
You bump in to someone in New York you better apologize quickly. I think you forgot the full-on conversation in movie theaters ruining the whole experience for you.
From NY, born and raised in The Bronx. I made no mistakes. The Latin Americans here are very noticeable. We have large Dominican and Puerto Rican communities. Which are predominant in The Bronx, Washington Heights and Brooklyn. White people don't go to areas where the minorities are said to live. So when I say the white people I know who I'm talking about
@@NateInYoState I live in Washington Heights. Want to know something? There are plenty white people living here, and some of them open their mouths and Spanish comes flying out of it. Come to know, mom is white and daddy is boricua but the kid looks like mom from the blond hair to the blue eyes and pasty skin. You should know that.
I was on the tour in Medellin and there was this Colombian lady that wouldn't acknowledge my presence at all. At first, I would step aside when she was walking near me, but after I stopped doing it she would literally bump into me or pull the tote bag off my shoulder. It was so strange like she was doing it on purpose.
Same can be said about Eastern Europe. After living in US every time I'm back home I notice all these things. I remember staying in Hawaii for a few months and people at the gym actually formed a line to squat racks which completely blew my mind
BIG on the last one. I used to live in Palmira Valle from 2018-2020 and at first, people were staring HARD everytime I would walk around and I remember getting so mad and frustrated at how much they stared at me. It took time to realize why people would do it and im glad I didnt react cause I think it wouldve made a situation worse. Spot on on everything else you said David! Texan here too!
With so many complaints about Colombia I'm thinking "nobody is forcing you to be there". Personally I'm just not interested in going after all I've heard.
In my area of Mexico the people here are super neat and tidy and always give you space. I'm amazed at how they stop their car to let a pedestrian cross the street. I'm so accustomed to worrying about getting run over in the US. Just not used to niceness and I'm from the Hospitality State 🤣🤣🤣
I'll add a few. 1.they love stopping in front of escalators. either the entrance or exit. this really pisess me of especially the exit where there is no way you can wait for them. 2. if they have a fender bender they will stop traffic for miles even if there is no damage. as Someone who drives here or even a taxi passenger that really grinds my gears. 3. it is perfectly fine to check out Someones girl. whether it's yours or you checking out theirs.
Dumbbell girl was seeking attention is my guess. Narcissists will do this. They intentionally get in the way to be noticed. Seems the smaller they are the more they do it. I had an ex who would stand right in the door and wait until she was asked to move.
You forgot that they don't share. If you share something with them they will bogart the entire thing. Don't ever share weed, drinks, or food. You won't get close to what they take.
Before watching the video. You probably mention this as I don't see how you couldn't in this video. But something that I can't stand is when they're walking towards you side by side and no one thinks to move aside while you walk past. or when a group of people are walking super slow, side by side. Knowing someone is behind them and no one moves out of the way.
Many of the things you mentioned I think is a Latin thing, because I experience many of the things in multiple countries in Latam. The most crazy thing I seen I was in a supermarket in Brazil and I had to let over 5 seniors in front of the line. Is like a rule to let seniors in front of the line even if your the next person to be checked out (Senior has preference). SO make sure you dont go to the supermarket when a lot of seniors are out shopping. I think this includes disable person too.
I also find the gym incredibly terrible. They never re-rack. The weights or put back anything they use and it looks like there’s been an explosion of all the equipment scattered through the gym.
Many of these large cities in the Andes Mountains are at 7-9 thousand feet elevation. That should slow down any "gringo" walking styles. I lived in Quito, and constantly trying to catch my breath and never really adjusted to it. On the plus side, in the USA people are being randomly attacked, assaulted and even killed waiting for a bus or subway train--no warning! I'll take Latin America any day over the insane violence.
Im a bigger have never really noticed anyone cut me off... or even walking slowly.... maybe im walking to slow... however what bothers me is when a group stops in the sidewalk and is not aware of anyone trying to get through.. they will just stand there and make you walk around...
I don’t know who came up with the term veteran in Colombia or another popular quote “ you have to know how to move in Colombia. “ lol Most of these guys that state this don’t even know how to speak or understand Spanish. They base living in bad communities in the states is the same as moving safely through out Colombia. I’m Colombian American and as many times as I have traveled throughout Colombia not just Medellin. I still don’t know everything about Colombia despite having friends and family . I have also stated on other forums they’re swinger clubs and brothels in Medellin. Which are very safe and closely monitored. But, many of these individuals may frown on brothels because it doesn’t seem like a girl friend experience. They don’t want to believe that they’re actually with prostitutes. Many of these men travel to these countries in order to live out a real girl friend experience and ignore the fact they’re with prostitutes. But the drugging and robberies will not stop and don’t believe sex tourists help sustain the Colombian economy.
I've noticed this with walking as well lack of space awareness. Starring happens a lot in other countries,Had that same annoyance in Italy. Mexican people do it as well. I worked with the Puerto Rican national guard when I was in the Navy they would always hang out in groups right on the walkways and doors.
Right on with these observations, but truth be told I could site at least 10 other types of behavior common here in Medellín that coming from the U.S. would be considered rude and inconsiderate. And the ironic part about it is that in interpersonal interactions Colombians can be exceedingly gracious and helpful, but at the same time totally lacking awareness of other people's prerogatives otherwise. If you're just here on a week or two tourist trip you probably won't even notice a lot of it, but living here full-time is another story and definitely requires a period of adjustment. The advice in the video to just roll with it is right on - after all nothing is going to change on your account.
rude to us: pick up a phone call and the caller asks "Con quien hablo?", you called me; next, the impatience - when you are on a line like at Bancolombia on a quincena (payday) and you are 45th in line, and there is 2 feet between you and #44 in line and the Colombians freak out as-if i'm not up constantly up the butt on #44 for the entire wait, somehow it makes their wait longer.
I was in Manhattan KS in 2012, and I was standing in line to check out at a big sportswear shop, I walked up maybe 1 meter away from the customer ahead of me and got a rough and ugly look from him, I walked back some centimeters, and he gave another lousy look, I didn't feel it was cultural but rather racism or so
Hi David. Have you noticed that old people will just butt in line at the grocery store and drop their stuff on the belt without even acknowledging the rest of the people in line? I’ve witnessed this many times and not once did anybody say anything.
I go to Colombia a lot and have noticed a lot of these things also. I have very light skin and very blonde hair so I get the gringo stares a lot also. One small town we go to im sure I am the only gringo in the whole town. I don’t mind the stares. The bumping into people caught me off guard. I was like dang why can I not avoid running into people here. Lol.
I can’t figure out why everyone needs 5 minutes at the ATM. I’m in and out in 20 seconds. I’ve asked my Colombian wife what they are doing. She says she doesn’t know either.
4:42 dude! I swear I stayed in that building behind u. An older woman received me and showed me to my room, which was the next door over. Florida Nueva neighborhood I think it was. A few blocks from estadio station.
You missed the bad driving habits. Especially.. not letting a pedestrian cross the street, even if the person driving will have to stop a couple feet away, because of a red light.
Interesting video, really caught my attention. To live in a place like that it's important to know how to "blend in"as much as possible because of many annoying situations. Especially how the people here don't respect personal space.
The grocery store conveyor belt drove me nuts. The culture is so much they have the monitor where you see the cost or even just the old digital readout out near the front of the conveyor at the beginning of the line in Exito. There are no dividers. I do notice some people move out of the way but its more in Carulla or places that have a lot of gringo visitors. 98 percent are like that. lol. The other thing is the sidewalks. They will walk slow and most don't move out of your way even if the see you. You literally have to walk in the street to go around. I noticed some people do move over but its a small percentage and I only notice when I'm in a hurry like on my lunch break otherwise I don't really care, I'm not in a hurry and you do start to get used to it. Lastly people will cut in front of you and you will run into them if you don't slow down. I had once going down the stairs from the metro in Medellin and this younger girl cut in front of me on the stairway going down. I don't mind that but if you cut in front of me you better be going faster than me. Well she cuts in front me and i accidentally kind of kneed her leg going down the stairs because I was going down kinda fast and she gave me a dirty look like i did it on purpose or something when she cut in front of me. I just gave blank stare and kept going. But later I was thinking about it and it got me kinda upset that she would think I was in the wrong when she cut in front of me and was going slower. different cultures ;) lol
Not only Colombiano walking slow but most Latino are doing the same . I see them do the same here in USA. 😂 you can take the boy out of his country BUT YOU CANNOT TAKE THE COUNTRY OUT OF THE BOY 😀
Hi David, I live in the USA and I consider that people here are very sensitive about everything, everyone demands respect for their rights but nobody cares about the rights of others, everyone wants to take advantage of any situation to get money, if you touch someone by accident they almost kill you, it seems to me that the gringos have lost a lot of humanity and believe they have the right to complain for anything. I like the Latin American lifestyle, more relaxed without so much superiority complex. Abrazos David.
I am traveling throughout South America and have been in Peru for the last 4 months. What you describe in your video is the same here. Fortunately, for the most part, it has not bothered me too much. It’s a little frustrating when I am waiting my turn to be waited on by staff at a store, and someone steps in front of me and asks the staff for what they want. :) That said, most people are very kind.
The reason is that we don't want to wait for something the store doesn't have, so we first ask if the thing is in stock - But of course, it is bad manners if someone comes and takes your turn.
We say being aware of personal space in the U.S. We like to have distance between us, I notice that Colombians when they are out running they almost run right into you while you are on the street or sidewalk rather than go around you. The gym is the worst and many Colombians never re rack their weights or put equipment away. They expect someone else to clean up after them. Great point David that no one seems to even notice these cultural habits.
Hell, when they are driving they'll almost drive right into someone. moreso in barranquilla than medellin
@@amazelord617 I did not even get started on Colombian drivers. Some of the worst drivers on the planet and remember as a pedestrian you rank last.. Motorcycles and scooters use sidewalks ; go the wrong way on streets; drive across patios and restaurant spaces, No one gives it a second thought. Make them act like motorized vehicles and park on the street and it would be harder for them to drive right up and rob people.
the gym issues you talking happens in the UK and in more countries too is not just a Colombian thing, i agree is one of the more worst thing in a Gym
Like how David is constantly scanning his environment making sure you don’t get jacked from behind 😂
It's because of the camera. Normally you don't need to be so carefuly but when you're alone with a cellphone in your hand or a cmaera you need to be careful.
Rather stressful to avoid "dar papaya".
@@carlos002nz 😁👍
He learned the "Colombia awareness skill " now. 👏👏👏👏👏
In Colombia you have the fastest snatchers in da world!! 🤪
Colombian driving culture things: a Colombian will give you wrong directions before they tell you they dont know. Cutting people off in traffic or merges is the norm. Buses, taxis and motos are usually very aggressive, and all the wrecks ive seen are including one of those types of vehicles. A mechanic will tell you he can fix something even though he has never done it before or has no idea what he is doing. Car repair in general is a giant scam culture and very difficult to find a good mechanic. People will park in the middle of the street, blocking off 90% of traffic during rush hour, your hazard lights are not a golden ticket to do what you want. Pedestrians do not have the right of way in Colombia, not getting hit by a car while walking will require effort.
I am impressed by the accuracy of your observations on the behavior of the people here. I was born and raised in Medellín and your observations are 100% accurate. I could try to explain why we don't respect personal space: ever since we were kids standing in line at the school cafeteria, if you left a little space, some bully would always show up to get in line. So we grew up and the behavior was maintained. To get an idea of what it was like, look at the people boarding the metro at rush hour. About the girl from the gym, she probably wants to draw attention; your approach is correct, ask her politely and you will have the opportunity to exchange some other words in the future (small steps). It's women's logic, don't try to understand. The behavior in the gym and the dress code is an interesting topic. I hate most of the situations you describe, I hate what they do on the supermarket conveyor belt, I respect the personal space of others, I demand my own space on the sidewalk. You missed to advise about the cross walks and the manic drivers.
Thank you 😊
I totally get the women logic's aspect of your explanation. That was my initial thoughts but your confirmation was great.
YEah he did, was hit by a lady on a moto using her cell phone. Looked both ways too, maybe I should have look right to left first? Who knows.
@@LifewithDavid I heard it is very common that girls will leave you stranded when they tell you they will see you at a certain place and time, personas muy descumplidas, not every one but most af them. They something they will do and, rarely do they deliver a promise,
I will be a bit less candid. I believe Colombian culture is ultra individualistic and kind of tough to the unknown. Sugarcoated with heavy politeness.
For the family circle and circle of friends, Colombians are zero individualistic, it's all about the group. They stick together and it's beautiful. But outside these circles, forget about it, zero consideration, unless they fear there might be consequences.
And I think that part of their politeness is due to fear. Because in Colombia, don't mess with the wrong person. Because there may be dire consequences.
Yes their personal safe space is way more reduced than in the US and somewhat to Europe, but mostly, they just see you as a non threatening stranger, so they don't care. And I may even say they are asserting their dominance over you through micro, almost unsignificant situations. Only that they actually count and boost their "alpha", macho culture. Men and women included.
Colombians have spatial awareness, they detect threats before you do. If a "ñero" is crossing their way, no doubt they'll care. So it's not they are not aware. Colombians are super aware of their surroundings.
I have been to party places known to have some special clientele, these costly places playing banda and ranchera music. People are super nice in these places. If they bump into you by accident, Oh they will apologize. It is not that they suddenly become "educado", it's fear of the consequences.
As for walking slow, I got the same explanation about enjoying being together. But damn they walk slow it's maddening. I've been knowing this country for 10 years, and more than 6 years living permanently here. I still don't get this part.
Now, said all that, I happily live here, I came to accept that it's different and I won't change things. I still try to be nice even to strangers, some Colombians may see me as weak. I got this remark from a girl I was seeing once, and she was basing her analysis on me being considerate towards strangers, but she was not a very kindhearted person, so maybe that was her. But yeah, I basically came to accept their ways, and trying not to sweat it too much.
Excellent insights thank you
I agree. I'm visiting and I have wide shoulders and when I walk I turn sideways to get through and the other people put very minimal effort but I would rather not risk bumping into the wrong person 😅
I'm from Medellín. I have been living in Australia for 16 years and I feel you with a lot of what you say. As a Colombian, you only realise about it when you go back after been in another country for a while.
I figured this was the case, glad you confirmed it.
David is one of the coolest most honest guys on u tube. This is one guy, you would want as your neighbour and friend in any country. Right on David, YOU ROCK BRO
I'm American living in Rionegro with my Colombian wife. Your observations are spot-on. I'm glad I'm not the only one that has noticed the same things. The lack of spacial awareness of Colombians drives me nuts. I noticed the first time I came down here at the Bogota airport. After I got through customs, a bunch of people were standing around talking, blocking the exit. Now I know it wouldn't have been considered rude to nudge them out of my way. Lol
People stop to chat and do all sorts of things while blocking a door in the US too. I like to make a loud announcement that the door is broken, and point at the people blocking it, and tell them, they broke it, but can fix it by getting the fuck out of the wsy. 🤣
100% on the spatial awareness. Over a year here. I don't understand how they can't be aware. But I am a guest here and I never forget that.
Man, it is one of my biggest frustrations when I am in Colombia. Many Colombians have no sense of other people’s needs or space.
They cut in front of you in line at the store, even when you arrived first. This especially true in the coast of Colombia - Barranquilla specifically.
They block traffic with no regard to other people.
They treat waiters and other service people badly in my opinion. And yes, they take up the entire sidewalk and don’t care about other people.
I don’t get that either. I really don’t. 😢
Also, I’ve noticed here in Medellín that interrupting conversations is common . I’m not sure if it’s the culture but I’ve never seen it so frequent in the states . I could be asking a question to an associate at a store and someone would come in a not say excuse me and present their questions as if I wasent even there. Like you, I don’t get mad anymore and I even find myself doing it as well.
That happened to me too. And in a busy pharmacy the employees seemed to ignore me...they helped a few people that entered after me..not sure why...maybe us gringos are less important for some reason
@@legion0101 part of that might be you're expecting them to help you without asking them a question or saying buenos dias/buenas tardes. You can stand there in front of them all day but until you ask them for something they will ignore you(not everyone, but there are many places like that). Did the people that came in after greet the clerks and then ask them something? I'm not trying to make assumptions but where I'm from in the US it's common to expect to be waited on without even greeting or asking a question we expect the workers to greet us first. It doesn't work that way in Colombia.
@@robbienorton9522 ill take your advice and try that next time, but they knew i was waiting for help. This was on la 70. They see lots of gringos with limited espanol there. My take is that the locals are preferred clients and get faster service as they see them all the time..similar to a restaurant with vip customers. I was just another gringo on vacation lol.
@@legion0101 yeah always start with a greeting. in Colombia it goes a long ways.
@@legion0101 a common greeting can be something simple like "Buenos dias (or tardes) una pregunta... and then ask whatever you need to ask them
Huge thing - playing music or messages loudly out of phones without headphones without any care about anyone beside them. All ages and people.
Thanks for posting this type of content David! it makes me so happy someone is finally talking about things us gringos aren't "suppose" to talk about
One thing I observed several times in Colombia is that two people were in a conversation and without any obvious reason one of the two is just walks away. In the middle of a normal conversation. Without saying or doing anything. Just walks away. Even if they know each other. It always left me stunned.
I’ve actually had people try to steal my cab when I had my hand on the front door about to get in they would open the back. I am no wallflower. They don’t get away with it. Two occasions now. People here can be downright rude. If they think they can get away with it they will. Don’t let the fake politeness fool you. They don’t give a shit about you.
What you mention , is minor. More important is how the word "lend" is interpreted by many Colombians. "Lend" to most Colombiana is give permanently.
Other Colombian quirk, is to hold out and not negoiate...."I will pay a full 12mths rent in advance", but many Colombians will not take it, if it means a slightly lower price. Apt will stay vacant for months.
This video is spot on …I was starting to dislike Colombians for these reasons…and found myself not caring and getting rude with them
Once again I say don’t get mad but just match there energy
The people walk slowly, but the taxi drivers in Bogota drive like they're late for collecting their lottery jackpot winnings and the ticket is about to expire. 🚕🚕 beep, beeeep...the last taxi I hailed took a shortcut through a gas station, I thought he was filling up but nope, lol...he was shortening the journey by 10 metres 🤣
HAHA
Similar to the DR where I’ve lived for a long time, a complete lack of awareness or caring how their actions are affecting other people. We consider it very impolite but they don’t see it that way or just don’t care. Not sure which.
In the supermarket people will empty their shopping cart on to the conveyor belt, then leave the cart behind them in the space between the registers blocking the next person. As a result I have to move the cart in order to get to the conveyor belt and to push my cart through. This drives me crazy. I started asking if they are done with the cart, this usually prompts them to move it.
Another annoyance is when I'm speaking to an employee in the store, bank etc. people will walk up and and ask questions like you aren't standing there. And the person helping you never says, "when I'm done with this customer I will help you". They always turn their attention away from you and help the person who interrupted.
That was always happening to me in Stores. People just come up, interrupting. The clerk says nothing and if you do, your the asshole!
We walk slow because we don’t like stress we like to talk and enjoy time for sure
Once I was in line at McDonald's I was next and a guy stepped in front of me. I said very loud, "What the Fu**k" and the cashier understood. He told the guy to step aside as i was next.
Was it a old guy or something?
Hi David. I've been in Laureles a month now. I'm so used to a restaurant wanting to get you out ASAP when you're finished. Here I have to almost beg them to bring a check. It doesn't bother me too much but it is interesting.
I noticed slow walking too. What makes me really irrigated is how ridiculously slow line moving in supermarket. You can have two people with two items each in front of you and you will have to wait 20 minutes.
It can be bad in Exito because the lines will also process money transfers and there is no dedicated line for that in some stores. So you think the line is moving and bam the clerk has to count out 3 million pesos like 5 times. Exito usually has a priority line for 1 to 10 items but sometimes it's backed up too. It reminds me of walmart back home. lol
Oh yes! I am not sure what it is, but you are correct. I also notice if you are buying...shall we say...6 of the same items, the cashier will scan the item 6 times instead of scanning once and then using a key to multiply it. Another annoyance is a woman who goes shopping with me goes into the line...forgets an item...and tells me to hold up the line while she runs to get the item she forgets. I'm having none of it. As soon as she leaves, I indicate to the cashier, "Keep on scanning dear", and I pay for it while receiving thanks from other tired customers behind me. When she returns to the expecting to just resume where she left...the look of chagrin on her face is laughable. She gets angry, but I tell her tough luck. I am not going to do the Colombian custom and hold up a long line of tired customers. Equally she blocks the whole aisle and walks off to find something. I simply move the cart to the side out of the way...to the amusement of other customers...and she returns fussing about me moving the cart to which I reply, "I am not going to inconvenience all these other customers just because you do not think to park your cart over to the side. I'll learn her one day! Lol!!!
I’ll start putting my things on the conveyor belt at the grocery store and my Colombian husband will tell me to wait until the person in front of me has all their groceries rung
up and bagged. I don’t know why 🤷♀️
Or even when we go to a Colombian restaurant in the States (we live in NJ), you have to wait forever for your check. My husband says they don’t want you to feel like you are being rushed out, which is nice.
I am Colombian and I don't get it either (maybe because I grew up in the USA). David you just mentioned all the things that annoy me when I go back home, and yes I am sure I am considered to be a rude person as I get visibly annoyed. Nonetheless, the other side of the coin is that it is beautiful how they are not bothered by things that bother some of the rest of us. To summarize it, I guess that we can say they "don't sweat the small stuff and it is all small stuff."
So true man, it took me a couple of years to get used to it. Then i stop comparing the US way of things and go along to get along. Like you said "Dont sweat the small stuff"
Realmente este video me ha hecho caer en cuenta de muchas cosas que los colombianos hacemos todos los días y que con toda razón, nos hace parecer bastante maleducados y groseros. Gracias a tu video mejorare varias cosas.
Hi David. I live in Envigado and the thing about Colombia is that it never fails to pleasantly surprise me. Sure there's stuff which drives me insane mainly poor driving skills and young guys on motorbikes who have no respect for rules or manners on the road. On the other hand people can be so kind. In the supermarket a lady got me a trolley when she saw I had too much in my hands. Then she did another trip to get hers! Really nice of her. The other day I left my money at home. I wanted to buy Orange juice at Niquia after cycling there. A gardener dude said don't worry and paid 2 mil for me, such nice bloke. I meet two guys riding up.to the caterdal the other day. They said join me and joked they needed English lessons. So I joined them and yeah it was hard going. When I returned I went to buy the guys a cool drink. He would not have a bar of it and insisted on paying.
I train at body tech and nobody does situps in front of the weight rack. We generally share the machines and the staff are really helpful eg doing a spot on bench press. Colombia can vary from people being rude to them being very kind. That girl doing situps in front weight racks is just plain dumb.
A lot of countries are like that about “personal space”. I was in a locker room at a gym in Dubai. While sitting on a bench with a towel around me, another naked man came and sat down so close to me that we were touching. I scooted over a little to give him some space and he got very offended.
“I’m not gay sir”😂
In the gym story, she's doing this deliberately. If you're a muscle man, you have to see her first. It's the barrier for attention. As for the bumping thing, I'm from NY so we got that "Move out the way" shoulder, Colombians know better. I also check my pockets every time I bump into someone. The staring thing bothers me a lot if you're not going to say hello
I'm from NY and the things you said is a very NY thing. As David said, it's not like that way in colombia
The gym story she clearly was looking for attention.
Another thing is that sometimes they walk on the left side and when they are heading towards you, they don't change to the right side so you have to move away to the left side.
O my gosh!! The slow walking. The first city I visited was Cali and I could not believe how slow people walk. I’m also a Texan and I felt like a snail when I was in DC, in Colombia I’m like a cheetah. It drove me nuts, but when I went to medellin and saw that the walking pace was only slightly faster I realized it’s part of the culture and thought, meh, maybe I’m the one who needs to slow down.
I agree with most of your observations. More than once I have seen some pedestrians cross the bicycle lanes without looking both ways and almost causing near collisions that have could have resulted in serious injuries.
Haha I'm Colombian and I just realized spacial awareness is a thing missing in our brains
🤣🤣 glad I was able to help you realize.
🤣🤣🤣
Lol
its called consideration
RESPECT BROTHER. AT LEAST YOU TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT HUMANITY. RESPECT
I was at the cartagena airport going back to the states and passing through immigration. There was maybe three people waiting in line and all of them Americans. An immigration agent walked up to the line and yelled “colombianos” “colombianos”. Signaling that they should come to the front of the line. All three people looked at each other and looked around as he kept yelling. It soon became comical because it was clear that no one in line was Colombian. He just wanted to send a subtle message to all the Americans in line that they would be second.
friendly message that you as a tourist are likely not appreciated so stay in your place…. It would be wok mentality that would be fired off in the states. That’s for sure. Colombia is behind by 50 years. Don’t worry they’ll catch up eventually with that wok bs
😂 probably cuz they tired of the American black pookies coming to trick
Literally one of the few good travel youtubers.
The staring is funny, here in London people get fuckin angry hahah. Same in Turkey people stare like fuckin crazy but it's not to fight
It drives me crazy how loud they are. I don't want to listen to your music at 2am on a Tuesday from 500 meters away.
Earbuds pal or a plane ticket back to that feminist wasteland
@@bertooo1358 Yeah I've been through 2 pairs of noise canceling headphones and I bought some construction earplugs from Homecentre. It would be nice to be able to sit in my living room with my family and enjoy each others' company sometimes though.
Yeah it’s like hip hop and rap in the states. Most who are into it are beyond inconsiderate and play all times of day and night. Entitlement knows no bounds.
This is too funny! You are so right on everything you say. I'm Colombia and you nailed it with all the descriptions.
Usually people that walk in a group is because they are hanging out with friends or family so they walk slow a talk. When people cut you off while walking mostly those people only use public transportation (meaning they don't own a car) or they might be in pico y placa. Personal space is never taught, it just doesn't exist.
Some things are very annoying.....
I live in Guatemala and there are so many people here that work like 3 hours a week , like I used to use a bank and the woman that had to approve the cashing of checks only worked 3 hours a week ! The manager told me that he had seen it take a entire year to cash a check , it took me just one day under 6 months to cash a check once.
My colombian wife says the check out thing is because they don't want others to put their items next to their items on the conveyor because many people purposely put them close to make you accidentally pay for there items. My father inlaw says that has happened alot to him so he trys to not let people put things on the conveyor with his items.
How does that make any sense? It will get bagged for you and or you will just take it for yourself or refund it lol
I find cultural variations between different human cultures so fascinating! How it gets like this? Why it’s done? Where was its origin? What is the psychological basis for various behaviours? Fantastic insights dude! 😀👍
I've been to Colombia 3 times, going for a 4th soon. I never noticed these personal space issues. I'm 6'4" and have a huge personal bubble, but often I felt like I was violating other people's space. People asking for money are more aggressive and invaded my space, but generally I did not find this.. I also walk very fast but I never had problems with people being overly slow or cutting in front of me. Maybe I just think everyone is slow here in Canada as well, or maybe it is how I am perceived. Being so tall in Colombia I sometimes felt like a spectacle of sorts.
Having travelled all over Colombia ,the most frustrating thing I have found is the amount of time people take to return your change .
We just arrived back from staying in Colombia for a month,,, and I found Woman to be extremely non conscious . It was noticeable throughout country, men were the opposite , very accommodating and kind
I visited Bogota last month. I found the people super nice and the entire area beautiful. We drove to Armenia and back. The only thing that shocked me was the driving. They are crazy and the moto drivers even crazier !
I would add they congregate and block entrances and exits to supermarkets, dollar city etc. They just keep talking you have to ask them to move.
The one that absolutely drives me insane is when they stop in the middle of the road and block traffic to talk to one of their friends. Maybe this is a Boyaca thing because I don’t see it in the bigger cities. My BIL is consistently 1-2 hours late. We have learned that we invite them and give them a time and usually a 15 minute grace period then we go ahead and order and eat.
Now staring it’s funny because I noticed this too and my wife says it because Colombians are not used to seeing big Americans.
All of my Ubers did this in Bogotá😅😅😅
Yesss I thought I was the only one that got annoyed by people bumping into me in Colombia. I felt annoyed but also felt like I would come across as a snob if I were to point it out.
Patience is key with the culture clash.
When I lived in another country, I've found that guys stop the car and urinate in a safe spot. I found out that u usually have to pay to use many restrooms. So, whip it out and let the wind flow freely.
Another time I was at a Costco in another country. I was in line and left a space so other carts could pass by. A nice lady shuttled me closer to close the gap. She said in Spanish, if u don't move closer, someone will cut in front of u. She was right. I left a space at another store and a guy cut right in front of me and didn't say excuse me or anything. He just turned his back on me. Did it bother me, of course. But, I learned and learned to move closer.
I offered some chocolate to someone and they took and kept the whole box. I was looking forward to having some of those chocolates.
Ur right, staring for longer periods of time is common in Latin America. So, stare back.
In DR when you give the cashier money from your hand to theirs, they will not return your change back to your hand with the receive. they always place it on the counter. Leaving me with my hand out waiting for my change. Took me a while to get used to it.
I experienced the same in Colombia.
What’s the reason for that? Is it just to be faster ?
@@ayo_k32 Lack of training is my guest, in the states they train you to count the change back put it on top of the receipt and hand it back to you.. Normally.
@@victorvazquez7065 I find it annoying. I want my receipt and change separately.
Thank you for this information! I have been to Colombia several times over the years but looking forward to my first trip to Medellin in the next few months. You had me cracking up when you were talking about the walking slow, taking up the whole sidewalk and you being passive aggressive hahahahaa
This girl in front of the dumbells is just her (ego) showing off. One thing you didn't bring up for those of us that are Latinos from the States that visit Medellin as well is the speed at which some Colombians speak their regional dialect. Like we both speak Spanish, but that "High Speed Paisa" can really get my goat! I had to ask a woman in the Carulla supermarket once to slow the heck down..."favor de hablar un poco mas despacio" I said, she looked surprised, and in a whisper said, "no entiende?"... I just said "Gracias" and walked to another check out lane. Now I start the convo stating how fast that "Paisaspeak" is, and they just laugh... Just to turn down the initial volatility...
I have been in Medellin about 4 years grocery store, gym, on the roads it’s every where I believe yes it’s a culture thing. But I also beleive the mentality is no one else exists around them because, I have seen people stop in the middle of the road and do something rather than pull off to let traffic keep going, yes I have a car here live in poblado. And it still drives my crazy. Lol
The concept of others is not here lol
As the saying goes ,when in Rome,, also did you notice they will give you incorrect directions versus saying I don't know. But this is not lying it is standing up for their family and culture that should know. Also people coming out of a doorway entering the street without looking even though they might smack into somebody. All they know is the moment, not the possibilities in the future, right now the space is empty and step into it. No one else exists.
But David, it has to be the Me, Myself & I, mentality ... Colombia has a plastic surgeon in every shopping center and Medellin people are said to be very vain, including the men.
How good are the surgeons? Double board certified? Or chop shop🤨
Love your brake downs your perspective is well put together with reality Total respect take care.
Have been visiting Medellin a few years. Grocery store craziness: people will be at the register partially checked out, and leave the line for an unknown time while those in line stand there waiting, eventually they return with a bunch more stuff to check out. Have never been able to comprehend this.
The commenter is right, the gym girl did that on purpose to get attention.
And like other commenters have said, lateness, lack of attention to detail (and the truth), late night abusive noise as if no one else exists in the world, slow, slow meandering walking…hard to comprehend. Those are a few.
You think Colombians walk slowly? You ever seen a cabal of African women linking arms at a grocery store? It’s genuinely impressive how slow they can walk
Your comment made me laugh! Lol. A cabal 😂
Thank you so much for making this one! Sitting here on the couch with my husband who moved here to Florida about a year ago from Barranquilla…I can now say I’m not the only one who gets perturbed by the spatial awareness issue lol. The group of friends taking up the whole sidewalk… one of my favorites. The example I use: waking down an aisle in Éxito, and someone is there with their carrito blocking the way. I swear they know I’m coming, but do they move at all? Nope. Having been to Barranquilla and Medellín a dozen times, I say “permiso” and if they don’t move the carrito, I now move it for them. 😅
Hola thanks you really helped with my transition to Colombian life. Been here 7 months teaching English to children..I now totally get it..I repeat only in Colombia. jaja.keep the great content coming my friend.
Absolutely agree with the grocery stores. Also they are not really client oriented at the stores, not very motivated.
You bump in to someone in New York you better apologize quickly. I think you forgot the full-on conversation in movie theaters ruining the whole experience for you.
If you bump into a black person, you apologize quickly. If it's white then meh
@@NateInYoState Apologize just the same, that "white guy" might be actually Hispanic, as in Latin Kings, know what I mean?
From NY, born and raised in The Bronx. I made no mistakes. The Latin Americans here are very noticeable. We have large Dominican and Puerto Rican communities. Which are predominant in The Bronx, Washington Heights and Brooklyn. White people don't go to areas where the minorities are said to live. So when I say the white people I know who I'm talking about
@@NateInYoState I live in Washington Heights. Want to know something? There are plenty white people living here, and some of them open their mouths and Spanish comes flying out of it. Come to know, mom is white and daddy is boricua but the kid looks like mom from the blond hair to the blue eyes and pasty skin. You should know that.
We New Yorkers don’t play lmao 😅 just walk faster
I was on the tour in Medellin and there was this Colombian lady that wouldn't acknowledge my presence at all. At first, I would step aside when she was walking near me, but after I stopped doing it she would literally bump into me or pull the tote bag off my shoulder. It was so strange like she was doing it on purpose.
Same can be said about Eastern Europe. After living in US every time I'm back home I notice all these things. I remember staying in Hawaii for a few months and people at the gym actually formed a line to squat racks which completely blew my mind
BIG on the last one. I used to live in Palmira Valle from 2018-2020 and at first, people were staring HARD everytime I would walk around and I remember getting so mad and frustrated at how much they stared at me. It took time to realize why people would do it and im glad I didnt react cause I think it wouldve made a situation worse. Spot on on everything else you said David! Texan here too!
There is no such thing as spacial awareness here. NONE. A man would literally come stand behind you in line, 2 inches away. It is THE WORST feeling
I fart a lot, so stay close at your own risk.
jajajaja yea thats true
With so many complaints about Colombia I'm thinking "nobody is forcing you to be there". Personally I'm just not interested in going after all I've heard.
@@genericdeveloper3966 That's a fact and it's only getting WORSE.
One has to remember you can not control others actions or responses you can only control how you react or respond.
We enjoy the walk and a good chat. Even more is its a park or lots of window shopping.
In my area of Mexico the people here are super neat and tidy and always give you space. I'm amazed at how they stop their car to let a pedestrian cross the street. I'm so accustomed to worrying about getting run over in the US. Just not used to niceness and I'm from the Hospitality State 🤣🤣🤣
depends on where you're at in Mexico they will run you over in some cities. LOL Stay safe!
You are absolutely correct. Colombian gym etiquette is awful. Weights left lying around, people cutting into your machine during a set etc
That's why I prefer to use the outdoor calisthenics parks or just exercise outside period.
In America we have to be spatially aware or else we'll be pushed on the subway tracks lol 😂
I just wonder if we covered up bad behavior and selfishness often as a pretext for tradition and culture practice?
I'll add a few.
1.they love stopping in front of escalators. either the entrance or exit. this really pisess me of especially the exit where there is no way you can wait for them.
2. if they have a fender bender they will stop traffic for miles even if there is no damage. as Someone who drives here or even a taxi passenger that really grinds my gears.
3. it is perfectly fine to check out Someones girl. whether it's yours or you checking out theirs.
Dumbbell girl was seeking attention is my guess. Narcissists will do this. They intentionally get in the way to be noticed. Seems the smaller they are the more they do it.
I had an ex who would stand right in the door and wait until she was asked to move.
You forgot that they don't share. If you share something with them they will bogart the entire thing. Don't ever share weed, drinks, or food. You won't get close to what they take.
Ohh.. the gym etiquette. That happens in the U.S. when people block the weight rack. Pet pieve of mine!
Before watching the video. You probably mention this as I don't see how you couldn't in this video. But something that I can't stand is when they're walking towards you side by side and no one thinks to move aside while you walk past. or when a group of people are walking super slow, side by side. Knowing someone is behind them and no one moves out of the way.
Many of the things you mentioned I think is a Latin thing, because I experience many of the things in multiple countries in Latam. The most crazy thing I seen I was in a supermarket in Brazil and I had to let over 5 seniors in front of the line. Is like a rule to let seniors in front of the line even if your the next person to be checked out (Senior has preference). SO make sure you dont go to the supermarket when a lot of seniors are out shopping. I think this includes disable person too.
I’m a Colombian women living in US and when I’m there I miss when you sneeze and nobody says bless you😂😊I LOVE MEDELLIN ❤
🤣🤣 that's also true!
woman * not women. woman singular, women plural.
I also find the gym incredibly terrible. They never re-rack. The weights or put back anything they use and it looks like there’s been an explosion of all the equipment scattered through the gym.
Many of these large cities in the Andes Mountains are at 7-9 thousand feet elevation. That should slow down any "gringo" walking styles. I lived in Quito, and constantly trying to catch my breath and never really adjusted to it. On the plus side, in the USA people are being randomly attacked, assaulted and even killed waiting for a bus or subway train--no warning! I'll take Latin America any day over the insane violence.
Im a bigger have never really noticed anyone cut me off... or even walking slowly.... maybe im walking to slow... however what bothers me is when a group stops in the sidewalk and is not aware of anyone trying to get through.. they will just stand there and make you walk around...
I don’t know who came up with the term veteran in Colombia or another popular quote “ you have to know how to move in Colombia. “ lol Most of these guys that state this don’t even know how to speak or understand Spanish. They base living in bad communities in the states is the same as moving safely through out Colombia. I’m Colombian American and as many times as I have traveled throughout Colombia not just Medellin. I still don’t know everything about Colombia despite having friends and family . I have also stated on other forums they’re swinger clubs and brothels in Medellin. Which are very safe and closely monitored. But, many of these individuals may frown on brothels because it doesn’t seem like a girl friend experience. They don’t want to believe that they’re actually with prostitutes. Many of these men travel to these countries in order to live out a real girl friend experience and ignore the fact they’re with prostitutes. But the drugging and robberies will not stop and don’t believe sex tourists help sustain the Colombian economy.
I've noticed this with walking as well lack of space awareness. Starring happens a lot in other countries,Had that same annoyance in Italy. Mexican people do it as well. I worked with the Puerto Rican national guard when I was in the Navy they would always hang out in groups right on the walkways and doors.
Right on with these observations, but truth be told I could site at least 10 other types of behavior common here in Medellín that coming from the U.S. would be considered rude and inconsiderate. And the ironic part about it is that in interpersonal interactions Colombians can be exceedingly gracious and helpful, but at the same time totally lacking awareness of other people's prerogatives otherwise. If you're just here on a week or two tourist trip you probably won't even notice a lot of it, but living here full-time is another story and definitely requires a period of adjustment. The advice in the video to just roll with it is right on - after all nothing is going to change on your account.
rude to us: pick up a phone call and the caller asks "Con quien hablo?", you called me; next, the impatience - when you are on a line like at Bancolombia on a quincena (payday) and you are 45th in line, and there is 2 feet between you and #44 in line and the Colombians freak out as-if i'm not up constantly up the butt on #44 for the entire wait, somehow it makes their wait longer.
I was in Manhattan KS in 2012, and I was standing in line to check out at a big sportswear shop, I walked up maybe 1 meter away from the customer ahead of me and got a rough and ugly look from him, I walked back some centimeters, and he gave another lousy look, I didn't feel it was cultural but rather racism or so
Hi David. Have you noticed that old people will just butt in line at the grocery store and drop their stuff on the belt without even acknowledging the rest of the people in line? I’ve witnessed this many times and not once did anybody say anything.
You need to put a end to that confront them next time
@@bertooo1358 wow lol
I go to Colombia a lot and have noticed a lot of these things also. I have very light skin and very blonde hair so I get the gringo stares a lot also. One small town we go to im sure I am the only gringo in the whole town. I don’t mind the stares. The bumping into people caught me off guard. I was like dang why can I not avoid running into people here. Lol.
I can’t figure out why everyone needs 5 minutes at the ATM. I’m in and out in 20 seconds. I’ve asked my Colombian wife what they are doing. She says she doesn’t know either.
Good point! I thought everyone did only banking and only thing you need the atm for is withdrawing or depositing cash lol
Probably checking their balance, making transfers, withdrawing or depositing cash, could be anything
😂😂 we love to stare at the gringos, because many people can't travel overseas, so we get intrigued
4:42 dude! I swear I stayed in that building behind u. An older woman received me and showed me to my room, which was the next door over. Florida Nueva neighborhood I think it was. A few blocks from estadio station.
You missed the bad driving habits. Especially.. not letting a pedestrian cross the street, even if the person driving will have to stop a couple feet away, because of a red light.
Interesting video, really caught my attention. To live in a place like that it's important to know how to "blend in"as much as possible because of many annoying situations. Especially how the people here don't respect personal space.
The grocery store conveyor belt drove me nuts. The culture is so much they have the monitor where you see the cost or even just the old digital readout out near the front of the conveyor at the beginning of the line in Exito. There are no dividers. I do notice some people move out of the way but its more in Carulla or places that have a lot of gringo visitors. 98 percent are like that. lol. The other thing is the sidewalks. They will walk slow and most don't move out of your way even if the see you. You literally have to walk in the street to go around. I noticed some people do move over but its a small percentage and I only notice when I'm in a hurry like on my lunch break otherwise I don't really care, I'm not in a hurry and you do start to get used to it. Lastly people will cut in front of you and you will run into them if you don't slow down. I had once going down the stairs from the metro in Medellin and this younger girl cut in front of me on the stairway going down. I don't mind that but if you cut in front of me you better be going faster than me. Well she cuts in front me and i accidentally kind of kneed her leg going down the stairs because I was going down kinda fast and she gave me a dirty look like i did it on purpose or something when she cut in front of me. I just gave blank stare and kept going. But later I was thinking about it and it got me kinda upset that she would think I was in the wrong when she cut in front of me and was going slower. different cultures ;) lol
Not only Colombiano walking slow but most Latino are doing the same . I see them do the same here in USA. 😂 you can take the boy out of his country BUT YOU CANNOT TAKE THE COUNTRY OUT OF THE BOY 😀
Hi David, I live in the USA and I consider that people here are very sensitive about everything, everyone demands respect for their rights but nobody cares about the rights of others, everyone wants to take advantage of any situation to get money, if you touch someone by accident they almost kill you, it seems to me that the gringos have lost a lot of humanity and believe they have the right to complain for anything. I like the Latin American lifestyle, more relaxed without so much superiority complex. Abrazos David.
I agree
I can't disagree one bit
I am traveling throughout South America and have been in Peru for the last 4 months. What you describe in your video is the same here. Fortunately, for the most part, it has not bothered me too much. It’s a little frustrating when I am waiting my turn to be waited on by staff at a store, and someone steps in front of me and asks the staff for what they want. :) That said, most people are very kind.
The reason is that we don't want to wait for something the store doesn't have, so we first ask if the thing is in stock - But of course, it is bad manners if someone comes and takes your turn.
Love your videos. I think you got a great skill of talking about stuff in general.