Colombia - #BIMdannmalinKolumbien

Shownotes

A semester abroad completely in Spanish, crazy salsa parties and warm people. That sounds pretty promising, doesn't it? Vlad will take up these aspects in the following episode and talk in detail about his experiences in Colombia. Vlad was able to complete his semester at the Universidad Industrial de Santander in Bucaramanga and had the chance to explore Colombia and many South American countries on his own. With his scooter he went to the university between a lot of hustle and bustle, but in his free time he explored the nature, went to a lot of dancing parties and met many Colombians, who are still his friends today. Embark on an exciting journey and let yourself fall under the fascination of South America. Let’s start the journey!

Contact details:

E-Mail:  bimdannmalweg.fwiwi[at]thws.de

Instagram: @fwiwi.thws

Credits:

Moderated by Lara Yargiman

Produced by Lara Yargiman and Paula Kroemer in cooperation with the economics student body of THWS

Sound and editing by Paula Kroemer

Transcript

Lara: Hello and welcome to our THWS podcast #BIMdannmalweg. In this podcast we talk about experiences of students who have been abroad for a semester and this podcast is sponsored by the Faculty of Business and Economics. Today with me in the studio we have Vlad. Hello, nice to have you here.

Vladislav: Hello Lara, thank you very much for having me here.

Lara: Maybe you can introduce yourself very briefly. Who are you? What do you do and where were you abroad?

Vladislav: I am Vladislav Demidov, born in Russia, moved to Germany with my family when I was seven years old. Since then, I've been living in Würzburg, where I graduated from high school. I'm currently studying International Management in my seventh semester; I have already completed the Finance and Accounting and Financial Services majors and am currently doing my internship semester in Cost Controlling. And I've been to Bucaramanga. That's a very, very beautiful city in Colombia that I hope to tell you more about.

Lara: Yes, I'd love to. I have to say, I find Colombia insanely interesting and I'm very curious about what you have to tell us. Um, yeah. How did you come to Colombia? Why exactly this exotic country?

Vladislav: You said it, exotic. I wanted something new. Europe is all well and good, but I felt like I needed more liveliness. And I took Spanish at the THWS for two semesters. And I thought I could combine that with my stay abroad, where I could also deepen my Spanish accordingly. Practice-oriented. And I thought about where I could go. And our university actually offers the whole world?

Lara: Yes that's right.

Vladislav: And because of the Spanish, it was either Spain or the whole Latin American continent. And there were only four countries to choose from. That was Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Brazil. Okay, Brazil is Portuguese, I said before, I'm not going there. I could have done Chile, but did I want to be at warm sea? I wanted to get to know the exotic, but at the sea, and also so the tropical climate. And you have that either in the south of Mexico or in Colombia.

And I don't know, Colombia attracted me more, also because of the Caribbean Sea, I think. That's why I chose Bucaramanga, because it's closer to the Caribbean Sea than Bogotá.

Lara: Ok, yes, I was going to ask you the same thing. Why not Bogotá? But then that has been clarified. Well, you flew then in August September 2019 I think?

Vladislav: Yes, that's right. I flew there in August, accompanied by a friend who was on vacation there, and the first two or three weeks, I think we were there before the start of my studies. In any case, I took a vacation first. I was on the Caribbean coast in Santa Marta. There, I was in the tropical rainforest, you could say. But that's just not how you imagine it, maybe more about that later, when it goes into more detail.

Lara: Yes, with pleasure.

Vladislav: And then I was still traveling in Peru in the meantime and then came back and started studying.

Lara: How were your first impressions, were you welcomed by sunshine or was it rather tropical and rainy? I do not know at all, how it looks with the travel seasons there at the moment. It is not the peak season in August, September, right?

Vladislav: So, in Colombia it's like they have two seasons, one is summer, the other is winter. Summer is when there is no rain or very little rain, and winter is when it rains. In October and November, it rains a lot. This is the wintertime, then December, January is summertime and in February wintertime starts again. February, March and then there is summertime again. So, there is very varied climate, in Bucaramanga, it's special. All of Colombia has, I would say, many different climatic features.

And there is everything from desert to high mountains and forests and where I was, the city of Bucaramanga, it was around 20 degrees all year.

Lara: Okay, so definitely a nice temperature. You arrived there, at the university or on campus. And where did you live for the time being? Did you live on campus or did you look for a flat share? How did that work? Was it easy, was it difficult?

Vladislav: That was also an exciting story. I had no contacts there at all. I first booked an apartment on the Internet and paid for it in advance. A big mistake I should not have made.

Lara: Oh dear, did you get ripped off?

Vladislav: Yes, I paid far too much. In the end, it is much better to look for something on site. So first to arrive, maybe in a hotel, to live for a week and then choose your place of residence. Also, to get to know the people with whom you live, or might live.

Or on your own, according to what you want. Where I first landed, the people were super nice, and I was really lucky with them. As I said, it was expensive, and I was promised an apartment near the university. But what came out was an apartment very, very far away from the university, where I would have had to take a bus every day. And so, I bought a scooter there and then drove to the university on a scooter. My first day on campus was very exciting.

I came in and they were having a party. It was a dance event, and everything was so lively, everything was so exciting, and the sun was shining so beautifully and there was so much green. The whole campus, it's incomparable to our THWS. Especially if you know the THWS here in the center now, it's just something completely different there.

Lara: In what way? So definitely much bigger, I guess?

Vladislav: Much, much bigger and additionally very much green. They have mango trees, they have avocado trees, they have sports fields, football fields, quite a few different schools there for all kinds of things, sports clubs, gym, it's a huge area. They even have a zoo there. Like a little zoo where they have crocodiles. And around the campus everywhere: nature, mountains. Beautiful.

Lara: I am just imagining how pretty that must be. You really have to show me some pictures that we can then also post on Instagram.

Vladislav: Absolutely, I can do it with pleasure.

Lara: Is it a modern campus or an old campus?

Vladislav: To my surprise, this is a very, very modern campus. A lot has been put into it and is still put into and rebuilt and renovated. And the campus itself is very high-tech loaded, at least in the engineering industrial school. There it's so divided into schools, sort of per faculty, depending on which faculty you're in the faculty of sciences of Economics was very nice, but there are also language schools for example where it's older. However, in any case, I liked it very much. This campus is just a dream campus. I can't imagine anything better.

Lara: Okay, did you get on with English or did you have to do everything in Spanish? Because I think that was one of my exclusion criteria at the time, because I knew I didn't know Spanish very well, so I didn't dare. In Colombia, almost everything is offered in Spanish, isn't it?

Vladislav: I was probably wrong when I that I would somehow get ahead in Colombia with my English. I also thought I would study in English. I guess I misunderstood that a little bit, because in the end only a few teachers knew English and even wanted to speak English with me. But the classes were all in Spanish. Exams were also in Spanish. I think I actually wrote one in English because the one teacher was so nice, and I think that's good. Why? Because it gives you a challenge where you can really grow.

Lara: Absolutely.

Vladislav: And I grew enormously, because at the beginning I didn't understand anything that was said in class and at the end I even wrote papers in Spanish and got very good grades.

Lara: Wow. A talent for languages. (Laughter)

Vladislav: Well, I would say a very very enriching experience.

Lara: Yes, definitely.  And how many courses did you take and what did you get credit for? I heard that there were also some problems with the learning agreement.

Vladislav: Yes, exactly. I took five subjects officially. I wanted to take six, the sixth one was not recognized. All in all, it was very flexible in terms of recognition in Germany. In fact, I was able to get a lot of things recognized that I didn't think could be done. Accordingly, I took Marketing and Economics. These are the two subjects where people here at the THWS say, "Wow, that's going to be tough," and that's what I was allowed to take there: "investigación de mercados", which means market research. What else did I take then... that's a good question....

Lara: Well, but five subjects, that's already something good.

Vladislav: Yes, exactly, that was quite good. The problem with the Learning Agreement was that I went there without having it. I probably started too late to register everything and there were also communication difficulties with the university UIS - Universidad Industrial De Santande. By the way, it is one of the best universities in Colombia, I was told.

Lara: (laughs)

Vladislav: And indeed, also very innovation-driven. The lessons there were super good, there were courses like Business 1 and Business 2, so basically how to do business. And I had two classes, so to speak. So, if you took Business 1, you were allowed to take Business 2, and I was allowed to take both, and I got credit for both. Those were very good classes; I learned a lot about design-thinking and innovation. I just had super good professors. The people in general in Colombia, they are awesome. I haven't met people like that in a long time. Full of love, full of affection, and they really want to push you. They see the potential in you and want to see that unfold.

Lara: Wow, it all sounds really fascinating. Did you also have contact with the international students on campus? Or were you only out and about with the Colombians?

Vladisvlav: In fact, yes. So, I had contact with the international students from UIS. They were Mexicans, Peruvians, mainly students from Latin America. But there were also French students, and I think there were also some from the USA and Canada. Later, I even played soccer with one of them. But really deep friendships did not develop. I rather mingled with the people and made my friends there, and they still last until today.

Lara: How cool! Did you then always continue to live in the apartment, where you always rode the scooter to the university, or did you move into the dorm at some point or how did that go?

Vladislav: Yes, at some point it became too expensive for me and I wanted to be closer to the university which is why I moved. I can already say you can change so much if you just have the drive to do it. Especially when it looks like a very big documental effort and that you have a lot of challenge then maybe you don't want to do it. Especially in Colombia, where there can be language difficulties. But that's actually what makes it work: To take on that challenge, to struggle with it, and the reward is just enormous. So, this country has shaken me so much to the core that I have changed completely.

Lara: What exactly fascinated you about this country and what was your everyday life like in Colombia?

Vladislav: What fascinated me the most were definitely the people. These people are very devout. I think there are a lot of Catholics. There are also many Protestants and they believe in God. And they show that in their lives. They devote themselves, because love is devotion and not giving. And there you noticed that. I have never noticed that in Germany as I did there. They really treated people with respect, no matter where they came from, and they had no prejudices. Maybe they were like that to me because I was from Europe. People from Europe, the tourists in particular, are treated very well. They are also very strictly protected by the law there. But I think they are generally much higher morally than we are.

Lara: Nice. And what was it like from a security point of view? Did you always feel safe or did you sometimes have a bit of a strange situation? In Colombia you always think a little bit about the drug war.

Vladislav: There was everything. It was an adventure. With Colombia I associate adventure, exoticism and closeness to God. Those are the three terms that come directly to my mind when I talk about Colombia. Adventure is the key word here, to your question. And in fact, yes, I was actually safe, but for example there were riots at the university with us by the students who were against the government. Accordingly, the whole university was closed, barricaded by the students. There were riots, there were fights with the police. I stayed away from the whole thing and that's what I was told by our university and also by UIS. And that's what I did. I was traveling while it was closed. I used the time and in the end there were also some gangs, armed interest groups that want to achieve something in politics. There were blackmails, barricades in the streets and nobody was allowed to leave the city. So, there were also situations like that. But on the whole, I felt safe there as a tourist.

Lara: Okay, that sounds pretty good in any case. Then I can go there, too. (Laughs.)

Vladislav: Yes, as a woman it's different. Maybe in company with a man. But as a man I would already say that it is safe.

Lara: Okay, and otherwise about your free time: Where else were you in Colombia and did you visit other countries? Except Peru, which you said at the beginning.

Vladislav: Exactly, I was in other countries as well. I was in Peru. In fact, I was already there in the second week that I was in Latin America. I flew from Bogotá to Lima. And there I took a Peru hop. That is a trip for about 200€ where you go to Cusco, so I went from Lima to Cusco. And on the way there are many sites that you visit. With guides, with games, with lots of entertainment, you get to know a lot of people and that's when I realized how nice it is to travel.

Lara: Absolutely.

Vladislav: Especially in Latin America, my soul really opened up. Getting to know people from all different countries. Every day you speak a different language. With someone from Switzerland you speak German, with someone from Canada you speak English, with someone from France French, and also from America English. I hardly met any Russians there, only one in Peru. That was also exciting. In the Rainbow Mountains.

Lara: Ah yes, I know them.

Vladislav: I was there, too. Very very beautiful, I can definitely recommend it. The Rainbow Mountains and especially Machu Picchu. That's where I went as well. I have a friend in Peru, and he has his own tour that he organizes with another friend. They are there on the road in a jeep and support a social project of the locals with their income. I then looked for two more people and we went with them to Machu Picchu

to a total of five. They ordered us a special guide who really knew a lot. It was very exciting what he knew about Machu Picchu and the history of Peru. In the past there were slaves in Peru, which were shipped from Japan, Africa and Spain. The culture is very diverse, and the landscape is even more diverse than the culture. From desert to "Little Galapagos" to mountains with 5000 - 6000 meters heigh, you can find everything in Colombia.

Lara: Wow, very diverse in any case.

Vladislav: Very diverse, very exciting. Latin America is incredible to travel.

Lara: Yes, I was able to travel to a few countries myself, but not Colombia and Peru. But it's on the list. And in Colombia, what else did you look at there and do you have any insider tips that students could follow that are not so easy to come by now?

Vladislav: Columbia has so many jewels to offer. I didn't have enough time to see everything. I would have liked to see it all, but unfortunately, I couldn't. Therefore, I will limit myself to what I saw. I was in Santa Marta, there is the Playa da Ganga. The most beautiful beach I have ever seen is also nearby in the Tayrona National Park. That was the Playa Cristal. This is a dream beach in the middle of nature. There are fruit cocktails and fish freshly fished from the Caribbean Sea. You can also dive there. I went diving there for the first time in my life, it was incredible. All the coral and fish, just beautiful. In general, Taganga is definitely worth a trip. Super beautiful views and very good ambience. After that, I went to Barranquilla. What I took away from Barranquilla is that most of the beaches are very dirty, so we went on to Puerto Velero, where it was also very nice. There was kite surfing and a funny story happened to me there too.

Lara: Tell us!

Vladislav: So, we went out in a boat and all of a sudden, my cap flew into the water and I jumped in after it to catch it so I wouldn't lose it. (laughs) The funny thing is that the wind was blowing really hard there. And the boat there was hard to steer, which means I swam 1km before the boat could collect me again. Afterwards I was told that there are also dangerous fish when you are deep in the sea. And I was very deep. That was the funniest story for me. And what else I can recommend...hmm....

Lara: You mentioned the rainforest.

Vladislav: Ah right. The Rainforest near Taganga at Tayrona National Park. There is an excursion to different beaches. Very beautiful, clear beaches. Tropical climate. 30 degrees and about 100% humidity. I even saw a small snake once. But that was the only thing I saw of special animals.

Lara: Ah yes, I was just about to ask you if you saw any gross animals.

Vladislav: Well, very small snakes, but they keep away from the people. They are more afraid of us than we are of them. I also saw monkeys, which were quite trusting of people. In general, I felt like I was in paradise.

Lara: It really sounds like it. What was it like concerning the party scene? I personally also associate Colombia with partying and samba, salsa, etc.

Vladislav: Yes, that was one of the reasons why I went to Colombia. I got to know reggaeton there. It's a very sexual way of dancing. Colombians like it very much. I have distanced myself from it, but I used to really like it in the clubs. The music, the atmosphere, the people. There's a lot of drinking, everything is very cheap for Europeans. And the people are the most open-minded people I have ever met. I felt like a fish in the right pond.

Lara: Did you go to house parties more or did you rather go to bars and clubs? And how was it at night? Did you dare to walk through Bucaramanga at night or how did that go?

Vladislav: Yes, clubs are especially popular. There have also been house parties among friends from time to time. At night it is dangerous, so you should order a cab directly to your front door. I have heard about cases where for example girls got attacked by two people on a motorcycle. There was also a murder case near UIS where someone murdered his ex-partner. During the riots at the university, there were also violent riots. So unfortunately, there have been horrific incidents, but as I said exotic, adventurous and not for the faint of heart.

Lara: Definitely. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the stay abroad?

Vladislav: 10.

Lara: That's what I thought. If you were to play "I'm packing my suitcase," what has to go in the suitcase when traveling to Colombia?

Vladislav: This is an important issue. I would say a mosquito net for sleeping, because that's really a problem there: lots of mosquitoes. Then definitely to be on the safe side also a preparation in case you get malaria. I would also pack sunglasses and swimming trunks and maybe a book for the beach. The most important thing is to pack an open heart. An open heart to really get to know the culture. Not just superficially, but to really sink into the culture and get to know the secret places of Colombia like Guadeloupe. That's where I went. There are holes in the ground and a river and water accumulates there. It's quite beautiful. Then there is the Pescadero, a river in the wild nature where you can camp quite well. That is what I can also recommend the people here. In Colombia you can camp very well.

Lara: Okay, wow, I wouldn't have thought that...

Vladislav: And you don't have that at all in Germany. That is a freedom that I would like to have in my life. That I can just go somewhere and camp there at any time of the year and always have nature. And always have good friends.

Lara: Yeah, especially camping in a tropical country like that is totally the cool experience, so wow.

Vladislav: Yes, we also went camping on the beach in Puerto Valero, for example. In Palomino we also camped on the beach and ate the coconuts from the palm tree next door. That is just beautiful and indescribable.

Lara: Speaking of food, I wanted to ask again. What was your favorite food in Colombia and how can you imagine the food culture in Colombia?

Vladislav: Very diverse. Colombia has a lot of different foods and accordingly their meals look like that. What is very popular is empanadas. You know that also from Mexico and Spain. They also do a lot with avocados, because they grow a lot there. They also like rice very much. There is rice at every meal. There is also often salads or soups, like for example mushroom soup. The food is very cheap. If you want to have a really good lunch, it costs about 7000 pesos, which is about 1 euro and a bit more.

Lara: Wow. And how much did you spend per month? Do you remember that approximately?

Vladislav: Yes, I am a person who likes to spend a lot of money.

Lara: (laughs) Who doesn't?

Vladislav: (laughs) I think you can get by in Columbia with about 500 € a month. But I have probably used about 700 €- 800€.

Lara: Okay, but you also had a "high life" for it, I'll say.

Vladislav: I just bought very good food, so always the best quality. I also traveled a lot and had a motor scooter.

Lara: I imagine it was totally crazy to drive through Colombia on a scooter, traffic-wise. Was it chaotic or a lot of honking, a lot of shouting?

Vladislav: Yes, in the city especially. It took a lot of getting used to, it's not like Germany at all. It's also riskier to drive a scooter between cities. But it's such a cool feeling. Especially when you drive through the Canyon de Chicamocha. I recommend that too. It is just a divine picture what you get to see there. The view with the scooter is priceless.

Lara: We got a lot of great tips from you. Do you have anything else you would like to pass on to the students or is there anything you have forgotten?

Vladislav: I want to pass on something to you. And that is just do it. Try it out. Maybe wait until after the pandemic, because now it's very spicy there. People are getting desperate, crime is up, political difficulties, travel difficulties and so on. So, I would really wait, unless you are vaccinated and not afraid. I will wait until everything is normalized before I return. I would like to return in any case. And also, important: the contacts you make there are contacts for life, true friendships. You should also see them that way and try to absorb this culture of love and spread it in Germany. We need that here as we don't have that here yet. That would be another request from me.

Lara: Okay Vlad, thank you very much for the kind words. I'm glad you all listened to us. If you have any questions, as always, feel free to reach out to email: bimdannmalweg.fwiwi[at]thws.de and then we can forward the questions to Vlad and connect you guys to each other. Otherwise, you can also contact us on Instagram at @fwiwi.thws

I say goodbye to you Vlad. Thank you for your time, thank you for the impressions you shared with us and thank you for listening. See you next time and Ciao!

Vladislav: Bye!