Paul Urwin - Expat in Bogotá, Colombia
Q: Where are you originally from?
A: Somerset, England
Q: In which city are you currently residing?
A: Bogotá, Colombia
Q: What do you do in your new city?
A: I run a language services business, Inglés Bogotá. We offer classes in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French, official and document translations, simultaneous translations and voiceovers.
Q: How is the quality of life in your new city in comparison to that of your home city?
A: Fantastic. Bogotá is a great place to be. It is a very vibrant city with lots to do and it has a really good energy about it. I think there are more opportunities to develop new businesses here than in London, and Bogotá is nicely located for travelling to other parts of Colombia and South and North America. The people are very friendly and you can have a good quality of life for a lot less money than you would need in the UK.
Q: How would you rate the healthcare system in which you are currently enrolled?
A: Pretty good. The system is very different to the NHS in the UK and is much more closely related with how much you pay ie the more you pay the better healthcare you get.
Q: How does the cost of living compare to that of your home city?
A: Much less
Q: Did you use a relocation company to help you with your move?
A: No.
Q: How easy or difficult was the relocation process?
A: It takes time to get set up in a new country, but the actual relocation process as such was not that difficult, mainly because I didn´t bring that much stuff from England.
Q: Did you move here with any family members?
A: No
Q: What is your favourite mobile app which you use to aid you in your expat life?
A: Tunein Radio on the iphone. I still like to listen to radio from the UK!
Q: What is one piece of advice you’d like to offer a new expat in your new city?
A: Learn Spanish! I know it is a recommendation that many will have heard before, but I think the impact of learning the language as soon as you possibly can is huge. With the language you can do business, travel, work, meet people etc. and it will make your life much easier!
Paul´s language services business is at:
www.inglesbogota.com