Life Is VERY Different in Colombia...

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Colombian culture is very different to where most of us expats are from...
In this video we sit down to find out about Carolina's experience as a Colombian living in the US for 5 years. She shares some of the biggest culture shock moments that she experienced during this time, from the downright crazy to just plain funny.
G'day, my name's AK and on this channel I explore expat life in Medellin, Colombia. Whether you're considering moving to Medellin or just visiting Colombia, I've got you covered. Join me as I show you exactly what living in Medellin and Colombia as an expat is really like.
#colombia #colombians #medellin #medellincolombia #colombianos

[@AKJoel]

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[@dirkleroy]

Being a frequent visitor of Colombia, I really liked the very recognizable situations! Funny and interesting video! :-) My regards to Carolina, she is a very intelligent and well educated young and beautiful woman!

[@AKJoel]

Glad you enjoyed it Dirk, and yes Caro is incredible :)

[@shabadime10]

You both look very Happy & make a good team. 👍 keep up the positive energy 👏

[@AKJoel]

Cheers mate 👍🏾

[@buddhaweatherby368]

The difference in cultural attitudes toward family and community is certainly a compelling aspect of Colombia. I have a really great community in Michigan, but we are scattered across the globe much of the year and get together in the summers. Having that sort of connection year round sounds lovely. AK, Carolina; thanks again for the encouragement. Cheers

[@AKJoel]

Yeah I love the community aspect - every day I'm speaking to someone new and having conversations with the people around me. It's a completely different vibe than in Australia.

[@Niles-Guy]

My father’s Colombian & with him he’s big on cologne, looking good and straight forward to comments .

[@AKJoel]

He sounds like a smooth guy haha

[@jb894]

That's normal

[@Venuslovefactor]

Awesome AK! Glenn Carlson here. Always enjoy your videos.

[@AKJoel]

Thanks Glenn 👍

[@samj5183]

I lived 3 years in Australia (Sydney) and when I came back here to Medellín I also felt that everybody looked the same.

[@AKJoel]

So true - I think this is specific to Medellin though - in other parts of Colombia there's more diversity.

[@chrisfoley6509]

Hi tell your friend I am from Savannah she must have went to SCAD Savannah is a different place in the south. I agree with what your friend is saying about the US. I go to Colombia once a month and i love what family life is there in Colombia.

[@AKJoel]

Yes she went to SCAD!

[@thedame9974]

I’m from Savannah

[@DondiniMontefusco]

Georgia and Colombia are worlds apart.

[@JWinch]

Latino family values (vs American families) is the single most important reason I moved to Colombia. The past 24 hours was a reinforcement of that when I saw how the family of my girlfriend with little money reacted to her mom's life-threatening hospitalization need vs how my very financially well-off family reacted. Night and Day. While my family may be worse than average. the average in America is not good either. On the opposite side, Latinos seem incapable of planning or caring about customer service. Which can wind up in a nightmare situation, as I have just learned a few minutes ago when trying to help them out by sending money.

[@AKJoel]

Yeah you gotta take the good with the bad I guess but I'll take friendly people with community values and give up fast customer service any day lol

[@ElGringo_de_la_Chiva]

dude, I love your videos with your girlfriend. She is adorable. More importantly, I appreciate her sharing her perspective as a Paisa. It has been very helpful for me in my interactions with the locals in Medellin. I would love to see a video with the 2 of you discussing differences in courtship (US vs COL)

[@AKJoel]

Glad you enjoyed the video mate! Unfortunately I won't be making that video anytime soon because I'm distancing myself from the dating content and focusing on other things - maybe sometime in the future!

[@ElGringo_de_la_Chiva]

Hey no worries, and I appreciate your content

[@DondiniMontefusco]

Excellent insights and examples💜👏🏼

[@AKJoel]

Cheers!

[@davidgirard1773]

To be honest, one big point is missing about Colombia and specially Medellin... It is that there are two Colombias the one for the really rich and the rest, one example the service in Club union, Fizebad, el rodeo or el campestre is second to none (most of the time :P). Security is also a big difference places that cater not to foreigners but to the very rich tend to be way more secure and as far as being Homogeneous again there are two Colombias ethnically and fashion wise. So there is a lot of contrast and the experience of the country will be diametrically opposed depending on which Colombia you belong to . 🙂

[@AKJoel]

That's 100% true - but also applicable to many parts of the world, no? If you have money you can live well, if not you will struggle.

[@JomarEspera-hg1xz]

As a Filipino….. we can be also be straight forward. Don’t ever gain weight and then go to a family gathering 😂 them older aunties are vicious!!!

[@AKJoel]

hahahaha gotta have thick skin!

[@sailincat2822]

This video seems quite accurate, as far as it goes. I dated a Colombian woman in the southeast U.S. We have the same cultural differences as Carolina described in the video. If one does not know what to expect, some Colombian customs can be confusing, even jarring. That Colombian openness and directness can be jolting, but also helpful across the inevitable language barrier. And in our case at least, we were good humored about it. As for planning and scheduling, OMG!🙄 There is U.S. standard time where we all use the same units of time in the same time zone, and more than a few minutes late is frowned upon. There's island time, where things get done somehow, eventually (Bahamas). And then there's Colombian Latina time - the complete opposite of reliable and predictable!😵‍💫 And if you don't like it, that's your problem, pendejo gringo!😁

[@erict1917]

Nice insight.

[@AKJoel]

Glad you enjoyed it 👍🏾🙂

[@thomashilmersen711]

Haha all of this is so true. I notice the same with my wife.

[@AKJoel]

It's so fun discovering all their little cultural differences hey?

[@bernie1905]

They're not the only culture to be blunt. Many Balts and Eastern Europeans are exactly the same. Also, the young practicing Catholics in South American countries actually believe that the separation between the Church and the State is a bad thing, something which is ancient history and anathema in developed Western countries.

[@user-vo8gi5eb6p]

Awwwww...

[@dustinlewis7322]

You can tell she’s not a Colombian woman anymore. She is Americanized 10,000%

[@AKJoel]

What's a "Colombian woman" in your eyes?

[@heraldomedrano1417]

What does the men?

[@tyromecasis7286]

What is here name?

[@danielh9844]

One minor issue you almost touched on is Colombian women’s hair. It’s almost always straight and shining black because they dye and straighten it. Otherwise it would be curly and richly dark brown. I don’t understand why dyeing is so important, since both options are beautiful. But I’m not complaining, either.

[@AKJoel]

I just learnt this a couple of weeks ago. I always thought Colombians had black hair but they usually don't - they just dye it like that haha

[@DavidToback]

I was today years old when I learned this 😆

[@AKJoel]

haha yeah mate I was as shocked as you were!

[@Git_Gud_Scrub]

Well I guess I would be chill about it if somebody said something about me. As a quiet guy, I'm already used to it.

[@AKJoel]

It's not so bad honestly lol

[@juanmartz81]

It was strange to me as a Colombian that has lived abroad that men don´t do their nails. Regardless of sexual orientation, we pay to get our nails done in Colombia or at least keep em in good shape. In fact, that is one of the things women look at when they meet you. 🤷‍♂

[@AKJoel]

Wow! I've never once even thought to get my nails done lol

[@juanmartz81]

@@AKJoel but I’m sure you’ve been passing by a nail spa and at least seen one male among it’s customers.

[@ea11111]

Hey Joel, I’ll be arriving in Medellín on January 27th and was interested in getting myself involved in altruistic pursuits and maybe some minor philanthropic contributions. Do you know of any reputable organizations involved with at-risk youth? Was kind of a troubled boy during my early days in Miami and am looking for groups that can help me give back. Thanks.

[@AKJoel]

Hey mate, yes I'm heavily involved with a non profit that helps children in low income areas. helpcolombianow.com/ Let me know if you need more info.

[@nicholas76100]

Is Colombia still a traditional roman catholic country?

[@AKJoel]

Yes, especially the state in which Medellin is located.

[@cbttrainee5961]

👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣Hillarious

[@AKJoel]

Haha thanks!! 😁

[@robertowhyte2836]

Brother, I was stressed just listening to your girlfriend talk about the customer service in Colombia , and how It takes forever to get something done. literally it can take an hour and a half when there’s three people in front of you at a bank to make it out. You literally have to block out your whole day to run one errand.

[@AKJoel]

Haha yeah it can really test your patience!! Definitely one big con of living here

[@robertowhyte2836]

@@AKJoel haha true, but thanks for always having the most real and honest videos

[@DJV94022]

Whats crazy is how much buildings there is..like colombians are not lazy..like man its so well kept and so much being built.but looks like they take time to build well

[@MrStrocube]

Nice one, Joel. I think your girlfriend looks a bit like Sophia Coppola.

[@AKJoel]

haha interesting comparison, I had to Google who she was.

[@omarperezpulido2388]

Good luck trying to return anything from Arthuro Calle, it's best just to accept an item exchange

[@AKJoel]

That's better than nothing I suppose lol

[@user-vo8gi5eb6p]

AWwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[@theempire00]

Omg they will say you’re fat???? 😭😭😭😭

[@AKJoel]

hahahaha I think that's only if they know you - not to random strangers

[@ginabeltran2323]

We Will Say to You: hmm it looks like You have been eating your soup...😂😂.. or... Estás repuestico (i don't know how to Say it in English).

[@jenniferkopp2923]

Unfortunately, a lot of people in America do not have good families they’re toxic and it’s best to stay away from them except for a few family members that don’t cause problems

[@mojorisin08]

Indian (Hindu) culture is also like Colombian culture

[@AKJoel]

I think in a lot of non-Caucasian countries the family values and importance on social vs individual culture are similar

[@mojorisin08]

@@AKJoel Yes very true but even in Caucasian countries, the individual has managed to get more importance than the community only for the past 300 years.

[@a.cuervo9597]

iiNo!!

[@amarilloaristocrat8435]

I always floss my teeth after eating.

[@heraldomedrano1417]

I always wipe ass.

[@geekcruz]

Customer service is the best in the US compared to Colombia.

[@AKJoel]

Yah - 1000%times better haha

[@Sergio-yi8ro]

Full time Job... so funny. ha.... ha

[@AKJoel]

A lot of work for them but I'm not complaining haha

[@hjmendoza71]

She needs the bounce from your show to create her own KZbin channel.

[@AKJoel]

Yeah she'd be great but she doesn't like the spotlight haha

[@hjmendoza71]

@@ashtonraj1529 she's a natural.

[@hjmendoza71]

@@AKJoel pinche machista holding her down

[@phazyblue]

Why do you keep talking for all other cultures? - just talk about the US

[@AKJoel]

US, Australia, Canada, UK and many other countries share similarities in cultures.

[@N3ssa212Linda]

My father is so metrosexual and I love how he cares so much about his hygiene and appearance. His cologne is always the best ! All of my uncle’s too

[@AKJoel]

Haha that's great! 💯