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 | Caracas Local Customs | Tips 1 - 10 of 86 |  |
 | |  |  | Cultural Tips: You must see a telenovela | Tip Rating:   |  |  | |  |
A telenovela is like a soap opera, but is much more than a soap opera (and for a foreiner could be really fun). This is something you will have to see at 9:00 p.m. (prime time) either in channel 2 Radio Caracas Television or in channel 4 Venevision. Televen channel 10 shows brasilian soaps, but those are not the ones I'm suggesting. Venezuelan ones are funnier and crazier and unpredictable.
Try to see at least 15 minutes of one telenovela (they last an hour long). Even though their are in Spanish, within minutes you will be able to understand what is going on: this blind girl is the main character, this young and rich man is in love with her, but his mother is the villain and she doesnt approves this love relationship with the poor blind girl who is also poor. then is this beautiful and evil rich girl that wants to seduce the young guy. Her brother, who is a villain too, kidnaps the blind girl, who cries and prays to this little virgin she has in a necklace that belonged to her mother who desapeared 20 years ago under very misterious circumstances. Do yo get the idea? Well, you must see a bit of one telenovela. Major t.v. enterteinement in Venezuela. Major. It comes from the sentimental English novel from the XVIII century; passes and enriches with the roman-feuilleton in France (XIX, with the news papers "La Presse" and "Le siecle" in which Balzac and Dumas used to write their daily stories and charge 3 francs per line; then these and other stories where adapted for radio and finally, at the 50's, they make their way in television. Telenovela: important part of the venezuelan culture. And I know that you will be able to follow it and laugh. Leave a Comment
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| | | | Cultural Tips: IS NOT COFFEE IS "CAFE"!!! | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Venezuelan coffee is one of the best coffees in the world. Many coffee specialists from other countries have said and written this. Is true. Or coffee is great. The local brand I buy is called "San Antonio"... but all of the other brands are great too.
We have a coffee-drinking tradition. In every block you can find a place to drink a coffee. In a bakery, in a tiny restaurant, in an "arepera" (check my "arepas" restaurant tip), in an icecream place and, of course, in very large or very small coffee shops.
The best thing is than even in really tiny and crappy places, they have this big italian coffee making machine. Wow. And it is very cheap. One big cup of coffee with milk is 600 or 700 bolívares... less than o.50 U.S.cents.
But there is another great thing: a whole variety of coffee drinking.
negrito = black in a small cup. In french: un express...
con lechito = (with little milk) actually it hasnt "little milk" is, more or less 50% coffee, 50% milk in a smal cup.
marroncito = (brownie) 75% coffee, 25% milk, in a small cup.
guayoyo or aguarapao = clear coffee, very waterish, with no milk at all. It looks like regular USA coffee, but it tastes great.
negro = black in a large cup.
con leche = with milk in a large cup.
marron=brown in a large cup
But you can also ask for a dark con leche, which is not the same thing as a light marron... No. There is a difference. Oh yes...
There is the "tetero" (baby bottle) which is 90 or 95% milk with very little coffee. And "teterito" (a little tetero).
You can also ask for the precise temperature you want.
A con leche CALIENTE (hot) or a con leche TIBIO (tepid).
We dont drink cold coffees.
But the very best thing is that you can ask for your coffee exactly the way you want. Just ask -por favor, please- for it and enjoy. Leave a Comment
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| | | | Cultural Tips: Soooooooooooo Sweeeeeeeeeeeet!!! | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Yes we are. Or, at least, we like sweet stuff. For example, we preffer Pepsi than Coke. Pepsi is sweeter. We like a wine called Liebefraumich, just because is really sweet. Almost everbody adds sugar to their coffees or teas. And we have a local drink (a soda, like a pepsi, a seven up, etc) that is called Kolita. Is very pink, and bubbluly and sweeeeet. We joke about it. We say that when some one drinks Kolita (or Colita) has a lack of love. But that drink sure has something... once I was very sick and the only thing I wished to drink was a "Frescolita" (that is the whole brand name).
About a year ago, at the airport, I saw some puertorican travellers taking back home cans and more cans of Frescolita. They said to me: "we dont know what we are going to do when we run out of it".
But most venezuelans like sweets, candies, chocolates, icecreams, etc. My mom says that a meal, with out dessert is like a garden with out flowers. She usually has dessert after breakfast and after lunch. At dinner time she only eats icecream. But she is way too much exagerated.
Also, venezuelan women like the smell of sweet perfums, and colognes and creams...
UPDATE: Manuel Brito, venezuelan VT member in Japan, corrected me. He said he doesnt likes sweet wine. So, here is the way I should have written this: "most venezuelans, a big percentage of us, like sweet everythingsss. Not Manuel Brito who certanly is special and one of a kind".
Thank you note for Manuel:
Cuando te hicieron rompieron el molde. Y mataron al que hizo el molde in the first place. Gracias, papito. CB Leave a Comment
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| | | | Cultural Tips: CHOCOLATE PRIDE | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Our "cacao" (cocoa?) is one of the finest in the world (if not the finest!!!)
This is said since the begining of times by french, swiss and italian chocolate especiallists. The "Cacao de Chuao" has a history of excelence and tradition and has been imported to the main chocolate factories around the world.
I suggest that you eat venezuelan chocolate. It can be found everywhere: candy stores, supermarkets, newspaper stands, coffee shops, almost anywhere. Try them all!!!
Now, my favorite to take to other countries as a present is Chocolate de El Rey. They have a collection that goes from a white bar of chocolate, to a milk chocolate, to a variety that has more and more and more % of cacao (cocoa) in it and it gets darker and darker. Less % more eatable. More % great for cooking or making hot chocolate to drink. Each type has the name of a venezuelan tree: Apamate, Saman, Burace, Caobo, Icoa, etc.
You can buy them separately, but there is a box of 6 (or is it 8?), containing the whole variety. That's the box I buy and take for presents. NOW BEWARE: you must buy them in Caracas, at the airport, at the duty free shop, they cost twice as much.
-WHY?!?!?!?! - I asked.
-Because this is a product for export...
(What a nonsense. I told them: In Caracas, the box of six (or 8) bars is about 8 US $, and here: 15 $. This is a robbery and I'm going to tell everyone about it!)
These chocolates are a bit more expensive than the rest. Try them all. Dont fogget to buy one called TORONTO that does not belongs to El Rey chocolate company.
You can get them in almost all of the big SUPERMERCADOS, groceries stores, such a Excelsior Gama. And also in a chain of pharmacies called LOCATEL. They make excelent presents to take back home. Leave a Comment
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| | | | Cultural Tips: PARTY TIME!!!!!!!! | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Hmmm... time... that is very uncertain and relative in Venezuela. If you are invited to a party, to a birthday celebration, to a baby shower, to a book presentation, whatever, NEVER arrive on time. If you are invited at 7:30 p.m. they expect you to arrive one hour later. And then, there is no oficial time to leave. It could be forever...
I'm including a picture taken last saturday. It was an "hamburguesada" (hamburguers bar.b.q.) with my class mates from kindergarten and grammar school.
We were supposed to arrive at 2:30pm. I got there at 3:00pm (just to help arround before everyone came, but was the second one to arrive). I left at 6:00pm hamburguer-less. Friends kept comming and comming. They ate before midnight, but partied until 2:00 a.m...
B.T.W, is really nice to bring something to a venezuelan that invites you to his home for dinner or a party. Flowers, a bottle of wine... I always bring a dessert. Leave a Comment
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| | | | Cultural Tips: ARE YOU FEELING REAAALLY SICK?! IS IT SERIOUS?! | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Then get a taxi and ask the driver to take you to "El Urologico" (that is a private modern clinic, with excelent doctors, and where my mother and a bunch of my friends have been hospitalized). "El Urologico" is located in the San Roman Area. A nice place.
Say: "EL UROLOGICO", (El Uh-ro-lo-hee-coh). "EMERGENCIA" (eh-mer-hen-cee-ah).
Once you are in the E.R., in "EMERGENCIA", you will be in good hands, but if you want to speak to a doctor that gives you more confidence, ask them to call: Doctora Lila Vega.
(Doc-to-rah Lee-lah Veh-gah). She is my "Comadre" (I'm the Godmother of her 2 daughters) and she is one of the finest pediatricians in this country. Her dad was one of the finest pediatricians at his time. Her mother -Dr. Lila Scott Handford- was an extremely succesfull psiquiatrist and one of the best persons I know. Dr.Vega speaks English fluently, because she is half canadian. She got straits A's since kindergarten up to her pediatrician specialization. I would put my life in her hands. Eyes closed. My life, but not any of my belongins (pen, keys, cell phone, sweater 'cause she always looses everything). Dr. Vega will certanly recomend you the best doctor for whatever you are feeling sick of. If you need surgery, that will be Dr. David de Lima (who is extremely good looking). If is an gastroenterologist, that will be my favorite one: Dr. Alberto Delgado (who is also good looking and very sweet). But Dr.Vega is the one who knows. Leave a Comment
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| | | | Cultural Tips: Christianism and other religions | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Venezuela is a christian country. We were -if not discovered- at least "found" by Cristobal Colon on his third trip. Then, with the colonization of Venezuela, the christian religion was imposed.
Although, here there are other religious groups and everybody lives in harmony and respect.
In Caracas, besides the Cathedral and many,many christian churches, you can find several sinagogues and a beautiful mosk. There are other religions -but few places for devotion and prayer- greek, russian, epicopalian, etc... A new "religion", coming from Brasil, called "La Oración Fuerte del Espíritu Santo" every day has more and more followers. They asure people happiness in this life, and not happiness after you die (which is something that christianism promises).
In Venezuela there is a big devotion to Virgin Mary (in any of the different virgins we have: Virgen de Coromoto -which is the main virgin of Venezuela-; Virgen del Valle; Virgen de la Chiquinquira; Virgen La Divina Pastora, etc).
In the picture is venezuelan artist Clemencia Labin, who lives in Germany. This is she dressed like a mixture of a Madonna and a Miss Venezuela. Last year she had an exhibit about virgins.
And this is how we pray in Spanish to the Virgin:
Dios te salve Maria
Llena eres de gracia
El Senor es contigo
Bendita tu eres
Entre todas las mujeres
Y bendito es el fruto
De tu vientre, Jesus
Santa Maria
Madre de Dios
Ruega por nosotros pecadores
ahora y en la hora de nuestra muerte
Amen. Leave a Comment
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on August 20, 2006
