Medellin shoe shop

This is a guest post by Robin, director of The Arepa.

Medellin, home to friendly Paisas, beautiful women, and people with really small feet.

Yes, small, feet.

I have lived here for a year now and have sadly not been able to find a pair of shoes in size 13. Here in Medellin, shoe sizes stop at 12. And it’s not that I haven’t looked either. Over the past 6 months I have visited over 60 shoes stores and am now treading the streets with shoes that have holes in them. I simply can not find a size 13 (or 46 in Euro sizes) because they simply don’t exist here.

Friendly Paisas always have a recommendation of the one place that may have something bigger, but I have visited them all, high and low, and nothing. I even went to the small and scuzzy Diamante plaza which everyone said would have big shoes but they all ended at 12. Well, that is not entirely true, I did find one size 13 but it was a big poofy Nike basketball shoe that had no laces and a big white plastic strap across the top – it was horrendous, and $150.

So, if you are looking for a business that caters to the gringos with big feet in Medellin, man that market would be at your feet; yes, pun intended!

Robin is the director of Medellin’s English magazine called The Arepa. You can check out the magazine at: www.thearepa.com

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I’ve met at least a dozen guys that have decided to stay in Medellin long term, but I have yet to meet, in person, a single girl that has come to appreciate this city the way the guys do.

The standards for women here are quite different from the standards in the countries that most travelers come from. The problem is, they are very fashion oriented and not very obvious. There is a lot to fashion that I am completely oblivious to, but here are a few tips to make fitting into Medellin just a little bit easier. Looks are key here in Medellin. Sure, other girls care a lot more about it than the guys, but women are the larger part of the population here.

Don’t look like a backpacker. Guys can get away with it, but a T-shirt and shorts will not cut it for women.

Make-up is not optional. It doesn’t have to be super heavy, but unless your skin is naturally flawless, throw on some type foundation and at least some eyeliner EVERY TIME you go out.

Leave the heels at home. Unless they are extremely professional looking, heels are considered tacky, especially at discos. A pair of really nice flats or wedges will go a long way.

Keep accessories simple.  Wearing a lot of jewelry will only get you attention from robbers.  Keep accessories small, shiny, and cheap looking.  Sequence jewelry is the most popular style I see here, and earrings are the most common accessory in Medellin.

Nice jeans are a staple. A simple skinny jean is popular right now, as is a boot cut that has many elegant embellishments. Make sure they are dark wash or white. Shorts are much more rare, and should be as formal as possible.

Tops must shine. They don’t have to be metallic, but they should be at least slightly attention getting. Something that has much attention to detail, a great pattern, and/or flashy colors is what you’re going for. T-shirts must be extremely fitted if worn at all. Tank tops and spaghetti straps are great, but make sure you keep your stomach covered. A small gap above your pants is ok.

Skirts are great but be careful with dresses. Skirts are not as common as jeans, but they are pretty much a free ticket. Keep them a few inches above the knee or longer, unless you have a tiny frame, and any style, color, or material is acceptable. Dresses are just less common. A simple sundress can be worn pretty much anywhere that is casual. Keep them simple for during the day. Dresses are not always common at a disco or club. I would stay away from them unless you know for sure.

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Statue at Plaza de Botero

Some times, when I have a few minutes to spare, I just get off the metro at a random stop and explore what’s in the area.  One random Monday, I got off at the Parque Berrío station, and just had a look around.

The streets were completely filled with people.  It was definitely the craziest part of town I have seen yet.  There are stores and malls lining the streets, as well as clothing vendors in the road.  There are few places in the world with that many shoe stores in one place.

This is also the area to find Plaza de Botero.  The statues are definitely worth going to see, if only to giggle at the little kids that don’t quite know what to make of it.  In fact, it’s pretty entertaining to watch everyone look at these statues.

I didn’t have a chance to go into the Museum that is located here, but I will sometime in the future.

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Laptop + apartment = my new office

I checked the price of a Compaq laptop I’d been blogging on regularly for several weeks at Carrefour and Exito.  It cost about $600.  I thought that seemed reasonable, which was a sign of how behind the times I am with regard to the cost of laptops.  When I checked the Best Buy website to get a sense of the cost differential between prices here and in the USA, I was surprised to find the same laptop listed at $380!  A 30% difference meant there was no way I was going to buy a laptop in Colombia if I could help it, especially since I am looking at it as an investment for the next several years, not just a way to get my hands on some cheap electronics.

Enter Henry, who mentioned an American friend, Allen, who was going to be moving to Medellin in a few weeks to teach English.  Allen had previously talked about buying some computers in the US and bringing them to Colombia to sell for a profit.  From the cafeteria in Exito, Henry called Allen and I introduced myself and broached the idea of him buying a laptop on my behalf.  He was open to the idea, and the ball was rolling.

Next, I had to decide on a model.  I was really drawn to the HP entertainment notebooks at the stores here, but with the top end model going for $1,200, it seemed WAY out of my range.  But then I turned back to Best Buy and found a similar, if not slightly better model, for only $700!  I sent Allen the model information, and a day or two before he left Florida, he bought me the computer.

Rewind one week, and there I am at the Estadio metro station, meeting up with Allen for some fresh fruit and coffee.  We take a taxi back to the apartment he just leased, and he presents me with (in a Gollum-esque voice) *my precious HP Pavilion dv5-1235dx entertainment notebook.*  We get to know each other better, I test out the laptop, sign a handwritten contract agreeing to pay him the total cost (plus $50 for the help), and grab a taxi back to Envigado.

Between being sick with a cold (no, not the swine flu!) last weekend, and having a new toy, I holed myself up in the apartment and got reacquainted with what it felt like to have a solid, personal, home computer at my disposal again.

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At least I don’t have a Pomona grocery store nearby, as that is an especially upscale store which could almost be replanted in suburban Washington, DC without anyone knowing the difference.  It reminds me of Harris Teeter or Whole Foods, which is why I shouldn’t be shopping there (as both are costly).

Now, after 15 months of eating in foreign restaurants for almost every meal, devouring Indian and Thai curries, Hong Kong duck, hot and spicy Szechuan food, and ostrich fillets in South Africa, I am returning to a more normal diet.

• Frosted Flakes with skim milk (2-3 bowls/day)
• Low fat yogurt (a few gulps from a large bottle per day lasts me all week)
• Ham sandwiches with mustard and whole wheat bread
• Macaroni and cheese (classic foundation food!)
• Penne pasta with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese
• Granola bars
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
• Chocolate (trying hard to reduce my consumption)
• Tortilla chips and spicy salsa
• Bananas

I think that about covers it.  Not too varied at the moment, but maybe I can lose a few pounds on a steady diet of Frosted Flakes.

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The more I went to the gym, the more I would see people anxiously and patiently awaiting the store opening.  I finally decided to go in, and when I asked a sales guy about the price of a pair of name brand, lightweight cotton pants, I could hardly believe his response.  The price tag listed them at $60, and he said they were on offer for a mere $8!  I bought them, and even adding the $5 tailoring fee because they were a bit too big, still feel like I got an amazing deal.  I can’t afford to spend too much on clothes, but after 15 months with the same pair of pants, I feel I deserve a little variety in my wardrobe.  This is especially true if I want to present myself in a professional manner to current and future English students.

This past Saturday, I decided to try and wait in line, hopeful of more great deals since they got new stock in.  After 45 minutes of waiting, I decided to call it quits just as I was standing at the front door, and would be amongst the next group to enter the store.  I was just too tired, and as the sun was rising in the sky, too hot as well.  But now I know why it is such a popular store, and I got the inside scoop on the next delivery of men’s clothes, April 1.

You can bet I will be amongst the first in line.  All is fair in bargain shopping!

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Over the weekend, I visited my first upscale mall in the city, El Tesoro Parque Comercial. Located higher up the mountainside in the region of El Poblado, the views of the mountains on the opposite side of the valley were spectacular. Given I am on a strict budget, shopping malls are the last place I should be spending my time. I managed to leave with no bags in my hand, and a good impression of the shopping opportunities in Medellin.

Food Court at Oviedo Mall

Yesterday, I stopped by Oviedo, another upscale mall in El Poblado. I recognized some of the same local shops, as well as some more familiar names like Tommy Hilfiger. I even picked up a black Kenneth Cole shirt on sale for 50% off. As much as I like my green and grey striped Element shirt, I can´t continue to rely on it alone for nights out on the town. Like El Tesoro, the design of the mall incorporated indoor and outdoor spaces. I especially liked the food court which was sheltered by a massive four-story tree sprouting up from within. I´ve never been to southern California, but I imagine the same open-air style of mall design exists there too.

I still have yet to venture into the cheaper, street-style marketplaces, however after visiting them in various other countries last year, I am happy to be spending a little more time in the familiar atmosphere of western-syle malls.

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