Namiel

Hi there,

I am British with a Colombian boyfriend (who is very homesick)! I am not particularly keen on staying in the UK so thought I'd check out his country to see if I could move there with him.

So, here I am in Bogota, Colombia. It's only my second day and so far I quite like it here, apart from one big negative- hence this post!

I am getting far too much attention everywhere I go. I look very different from the average Colombian as I am quite tall and very pale and blonde. I didn't expect quite this much obvious attention and to be honest can't help but feel nervous and a little intimidated by it.

Has anyone encountered this before? It is probably just harmless curiosity, being in a city that still isn't particularly multicultural, but I can't help but feel a little panicky at the thought of living here permanently, going to work on my own, using public transport, etc. Is it something you just have to get used to? I'm a bit concerned it will compromise my safety. I've just no idea how to take it at all, I feel like a complete alien. I knew I'd stand out a little as an obvious foreigner but really didn't expect it to be this extreme.

Any input would be great!

dakota44

Not an uncommon occurrence in most South American countries. Not much you can do but try and ignore it. It's mostly the blonde hair. I live in Peru and the same happens to women with light hair here. They see black hair all day, every day, and get attracted to something different. Of course, you could dye your hair black.

feldr

My other half is a blonde Mexican, and gets called "Blondie" a lot back home