Chinedu
@ChineduOpara
American and Nigerian expat in Colombia
Forum posts
439
Contacts
11
About me
American and Nigerian
Lives in Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombi
Speaks Fluent English, B2 Igbo (native tongue), and B1 Standard Spanish
Registration: 08 August 2021
About
I was born and raised in Nigeria, and I lived for 31 years in the dUSA. In Nov. 2022 I moved to Colombia for a much-needed change of environment, cost of living, health insurance, and overall lifestyle. I was hoping to gain residency there, retire early (or at least live a long time) in Colombia, connect with a community of like-minded progressive individuals, and build relationships that transcend race, color, and creed 馃馃徑 (One can always have hope, right)?
However, geopolitics and related factors made it basically impossible to get a 3rd visa... so I abandoned that plan and moved on to a different country.
PS: I use my real name here because I have nothing to hide.
Occupation
I am Software Developer for Cloud ATG
My expat journey
Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Life is MUCH better here. Barranquilla sucked donkey long time!
More welcoming foreigners, more welcoming locals, the Spanish is easier to understand, there is a larger variety of activities (besides music and dancing), slightly less classism and colorism, better weather, better public transportation.
Uber is noticeably more expensive here than in Barranquilla. Not by much, but it's noticeable.
Barranquilla, Atl谩ntico, Colombia
Work remotely, teach ESL, make new friends, make a difference in peoples' lives, hopefully make a better life for myself and future partner.
Software Developer, TEFL-Certified tutor.
Cost of living, more affordable healthcare system, access to dating and more human connections. Minor investment opportunities. Access to wild nature and Amazon rain forest.
Bland, boring, and monotonous cuisine. Culture of low-intelligence, inefficiency, misinformation, and deceit.
Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA
California - 18 years
Texas - 2 years
Pennsylvania - 2014-2022 (Resident and homeowner). When I was working, I worked remotely a lot.
Software Developer and IT Generalist
Opportunities, infrastructure, defined processes, relative safety.
It's getting QUITE expensive, and socially rather inhospitable for my demographic, and myself personally.
Enugu, Enugu, Nigeria
Born and raised 馃槃馃憤馃徑
Student 馃摎
Wide variety of tasty/delicious cuisine, huge diversity of distinct cultures and languages with interesting aspects.
Malaria, political and business corruption, huge wealth gap... but it's my country of origin so it is what it is 馃し馃徑鈥嶁檪锔�
Activity
Greetings from This Middle-Aged Semi-Retired Digital Nomad
Hello all! My profile has my name and my details, so I won't repeat them here. I'm a semi-retired digital nomad (software developer and certified ESL tutor), visited 14 countries, lived in the USA for 31 years and Colombia for 3.5 years (I left ... Read More
Seeking Short-Term Rental In Santo Domingo or Boca Chica
Hello,This is my first time in the Dominican Republic! So far it seems nice, so I'd like to stay a little longer (till end of August) and explore further. I'm seeking a *furnished* studio ("apartestudio"), 1-bedroom apartment, or Master Bedroom w/ ... Read More
How to get Married in the Dominican Republic by planner
At the request of some members I am opening this thread. FIRST GENERAL INFO :D Types of Marriages Marriages in the Dominican Republic fall generally into one of two categories: 鈥淐ivil鈥� marriages are those in which the parties ...
@plannerSummarized for male US Citizens:Step 1 - Find a compatible, honest partner among the localsStep 2 - Line up books to read, movies to watch, and projects to work on... because you're gonna be waiting a LONG time to achieve Step #1馃槄 Read More
A right wing candidate was elected president: Now what? by mtbe
To start a new thread on Mr Opara's question from another thread: Now what?Personally...too early to tell. Many were worried about Petro (including myself), but much of it was overblown. Many of the concerns of el Tigre, I think, are overblown as ...
(...) Abelardo is loyal to the United States because he is a U.S. citizen. He swore an oath to defend the United States when he became a United States citizen. Abelardo's loyalty is not with Colombia.(...) - @futuroexpatI wonder if his supporters ... Read More
Cost of living in Colombia in 2024 by Cheryl
Hello everyone, As every year, we invite you to share your experience regarding the cost of living in Colombia, and if possible, in the specific region or city where you live. This will help members who are planning to relocate in ...
@Trevor Hoggie. Of course the problem is that links are stripped on these forums, so you'll have to find a different way to tell us the URL. Or ask the admins to review your web page and allow an exception. It didn't work for me, but maybe it'll ... Read More
The US Dollar Vs. The Colombian Peso ............. Who's Up? Who's Down? by cccmedia
Weekly close a record.For the first time ever, the exchange closed forthe week with the U.S. Dollar above 5000 Pesos.The closing value for the week endedNovember 4, 2022, is 5092 Pesos to the Dollar.Source... xe.com USD-COP charting
@mtbeOk so the right-wing candidate won, now what? 馃 Read More
Finding a local guide by Budgerigar
I'm looking for a local guide to show me around the city for 2 to 4 hours a day.Preferably someone reliable and familiar with the area.
@nico peligroOh I moved to Cali in October 2025, and I find it a MUCH BETTER fit for me in so many ways 馃挆 Sorry but BAQ is still a sh馃挬 town to me, but hey... I recognize that not every place is for everyone, so whoever enjoys that ... Read More
Finding a local guide by Budgerigar
I'm looking for a local guide to show me around the city for 2 to 4 hours a day.Preferably someone reliable and familiar with the area.
@BudgerigarWhich city? What are your interests? You'll have to be more specific in order to find the right local guide. Also, try searching on Ayudaka Expat Support Network (ayudaka dot c0m) Read More
Quality of customer service in Colombia by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Customer service can say a lot about everyday life in Colombia, and for many expats, it鈥檚 something that could take time to get used to. In order to help expats and soon-to-be expats to adjust to local expectations, we ...
@ChineduOpara I could tell you stories.There are consumer protection rules in Colombia, but you have to go through hoops sometimes to enforce them ( i.e tutelas etc)If its a small amount, less than 500 k pesos, not worth the effort, which is what ... Read More
Quality of customer service in Colombia by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Customer service can say a lot about everyday life in Colombia, and for many expats, it鈥檚 something that could take time to get used to. In order to help expats and soon-to-be expats to adjust to local expectations, we ...
@CherylShort answer:Customer Service isn't "a thing" in Colombia.Long answer:Colombian businesses, vendors, and service providers don't believe in customer relationships nor customer retention... At least not in the way that us foreigners are ... Read More
Quality of customer service in Colombia by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Customer service can say a lot about everyday life in Colombia, and for many expats, it鈥檚 something that could take time to get used to. In order to help expats and soon-to-be expats to adjust to local expectations, we ...
@nico peligroWell, to be fair, there are a few exceptions, like Homecenter and a few other big-box stores. I assume that they HAVE to accept refunds (within reason/restriction) for some reason that (I am willing to bet 50U$D) has NOTHING to do with ... Read More
I am looking for a Job in the IT industry in Medellin Colombia by clauskoenig
I am an experienced Data and cloud Architect and Engineer. I am looking for work in Medellin. I have 26+ experience in my field. Everything related to data and information is my business.I worked with fortune 500 companies in diverse sectors from ...
Hmmm it might be best to look for work globally, because such jobs are extremely rare in Colombia (and they don't pay that well). But it's not impossible... make sure you attend hella professional networking events. Good luck with the job search... ... Read More
Hoping to get married and live in Colombia by Trying to help
I came to Colombia May of 25 to visit and to meet up with a lady I had been chatting with for several months prior.聽 I spent 8 nights, in beautiful Colombia, with my beautiful lady.聽 I spent 3 nights in Medellin, 2 nights in Pereira where ...
You should contact a lawyer in the state where the conviction is recorded to file for an expungement. If successful legally the conviction never occurred and you can then file to have it removed from your FBI report. Best of luck with the new ... Read More
Moving to Colombia with a criminal record by tscout
I (34M, UK) recently got myself into some trouble, likely resulting in what鈥檚 known as a conditional caution here in the UK. I have previously been cautioned by the police a couple of times as a young adult some 15+ years ago. I have never ...
@nico peligroI heard that - and watched a documentary about - their jails/prisons... apparently they are the equivalent of 2- or even 3- star USA hotels. And over there they focus on rehabilitation, not only punishment. Completely opposite of the ... Read More
Moving to Colombia with a criminal record by tscout
I (34M, UK) recently got myself into some trouble, likely resulting in what鈥檚 known as a conditional caution here in the UK. I have previously been cautioned by the police a couple of times as a young adult some 15+ years ago. I have never ...
@OsageArcher Fascinating, thank you! Read More