Brian Andrews

Reporting for My 9 and Fox 5 in New York

2011-04-09T19:54:00.004-05:00

I had such a great week working with the teams at My 9 and Fox 5 in New York. Here's a look at some of our stories:

Southwest Planes Checked For Cracks: MyFoxNY.com

How Safe Is Flying? Southwest Scare Has Passengers Wondering: My9TV.com

Guilty Verdict in Newark Murders: MyFoxNY.com

Newark Schoolyard Verdict : My9TV.com

Beach Landing Pilot Rushed To Hospital: MyFoxNY.com

Bronx Zoo Cobra on View: MyFoxNY.com

From New York

2011-02-22T09:01:00.000-05:00

Don't forget to check out Latin America's News in English. I'll be reporting from New York all this week.
Visit us online at http://www.ntn24news.com

Freelance Anchoring at WCBS-TV

2011-02-20T21:00:00.004-05:00

What a great experience anchoring with Cindy Hsu in New York! She's such a pro. Plus, she made me a microwave lasagna for breakfast!

Wounded Paramus Cop leaves hospital: WCBS-TV

2011-02-19T19:20:00.001-05:00

Here's my story for CBS-2 in New York on the wounded police officer who got to leave the hospital today.

Firefighter Firebug in NJ: WCBS-TV

2011-02-18T20:30:00.003-05:00

Here's a look at my report for New York's CBS-2.

Who is this gringo?

2009-09-14T09:35:00.002-05:00

Here's a look at our new ad campaign that started this week on RCN.

Latin Business Chronicle covers RCN News

2009-03-31T19:53:00.000-05:00

Check out:
www.latinbusinesschronicle.com/app/article.aspx?id=3278

My first Bogota Bomb

2009-01-28T01:05:00.003-05:00

It was just about 9pm and I was sitting at my computer when I heard a massive explosion. At first I thought it was thunder from a big storm over downtown. 2 minutes later, I realized it was a bomb. Someone set off a 5 kil bomb at a blockbuster video. The first reports were crazy. I heard Caracol Radio reporting it was the Club Colombia restaurant that was hit. Then, they reported it was the Blockbuster Video. First reports said 20 people were hurt and 2 dead. My phone started ringing. My awsome staff put the emergency plan in motion. I jumped in a taxi and headed to the scene. My producers Camilo and Ana Maria raced there as well. Cami was already in bed when he heard the news. He jumped out in his pijamas, got dressed, and drove over with his digital camera. Ana Maria was awsome. She lives close by and ran out the door with her blackberry and a notepad. At RCN, my Producers Alejo and Oliver were on it. Alejo called me to let me know he was sending a camera and discs to record on. Oliver went to the edit supervisor and got additional time for us to put together breaking news.

WHen I arrived on the scene, it was chaos. People were everywhere. Nearby apartment buildings had their glass windows blown out. Police officers were stringing yellow tape for miles. I finally found Ana Maria and the crew. They were shooting great tape. Camilo came up from the other side of the crime scene with video on his digital camera. We met in the middle of a mob of people and formed a plan. Then, all of the officials showed up. Juan Manuel Santos, Colombia's Minister of Defense was there... along with Bogota Mayor Samuel Moreno. Both were very gracious to give interviews to us in English. I also met Council woman Clara Lopez who gave a great interview. Then, we went off with our crew to find some witnesses. The crew was fantastic. They didnt speak english... and had no idea what I was saying.. but they got my spanglish and gave us great shots.

Meantime, back at RCN, Oliver and Alejo were getting everything ready for my feed. As soon as the Network was done with their live shot, it was our turn to feed tape to contributiones. I got in front of the camera, said what I knew as fact, and tossed to some soundbytes. Alejo was taking the feed while Oliver was in editing.
With the help of Freddy and Narcicso, our expert editors, Oliver was able to turn around a special report in 10 minutes. Im so proud of my team. Everything worked the way it should have worked. All of them did a great job in helping us get the news online as quickly as possible.

We all left the scene about 12am. Ana and Cami have to be in at 7am to produce the morning news. Alejo and Oliver will be back at 12pm.

Way to go RCN News in English... You did a great job getting our first Bogota Bomb on the air!

Wow... One year later!

2008-12-01T10:41:00.002-05:00

This week is very special for me. It's a milestone in my life.
It was one year ago this week that I gave up everything to follow my dreams and start a new life in Colombia. I remember selling the house, the car, giving away just about everything in my home, packing 5 bags, and going to the airport. It was a hot, sunny day on the day I left Miami. I remember walking through my little house in Miami Shores one last time, feeling so uncertain about the decision I had made to go. My friend Jim Robinson, a cameraman at CBS in Miami, drove me to the airport. As we pulled out of my driveway, I could feel the knot in my stomach. There was no turning back. What would my new life in Colombia hold? Would I be happy? Did I make the right decision?

One year later, I can say that I have no regrets. It was the BEST choice I ever made in my life. The road getting to where I am at now has been hard (and filled with huecos just like the streets of Bogota) but it's been worth it. I reported on Colombia's biggest stories, worked for both of Colombia's biggest networks, created the News in English, made wonderful friends, partied like a rock star, and now life a more rich life. I remember going to Juan Valdez Cafe at Andino to shoot the Pilot for "Donde estas el Gringo." After we knocked out the stand-ups, this paisa guy came up to me with a big smile and said "I think its so great what you are trying to do for my country." And then he told me, "Here in Colombia, it's about adding life to your years, not years to your life." I'll never forget those words. They are so true. Two weeks ago, I heard something else that's so true. "You have to give up with you love, to get what you really love." Wow. Powerful. True. Now, I really love it here. Every day, when I look at the mountains, I am reminded that I am in love with the country. When I was in Huila last week driving through the mountains, I was reminded that I am in love with Colomiba. When I have my coffee at a little tienda, or am sitting in a taxi fighting traffic down the 30 to RCN, I am reminded how much I love the country.

And... each time I get an email from a viewer telling me how happy they are to see Colombia's news in english... and how we try to show the good things happening here, I am happy knowing my work is finally making a difference.

So, my first year in Colombia...
I overcame major hurdles, I learned patience, I learned a new language, I learned a new way of doing things, I created my dream job at the best network in the country, and realized there is one place in the world that truely makes me happy: Colombia.

This Saturday, December 6th, we are going to have a get-together with the RCN News in English staff at Divina Bar in Usaquen starting at 7pm. Cra, 5 119 - 47. 612-5202. Please join us!

My Sister

2008-08-24T22:08:00.003-05:00

Heather Andrews, my fantastic sister, works with Laura Munder International. Laura is a designer of beautiful, unique jewelry pieces. My sister runs her boutique on the Massachusetts coast. She sent me this photo of a sunset cruise off Nantucket.

My first spanish language news update

2008-08-12T23:10:00.003-05:00

I was a bit nervous, and my accent is probably really bad, but here's a look at the new morning news update we're doing en espanol on RCN to promote the News in English from Colombia for the world!

My first real scare...

2008-08-06T14:49:00.002-05:00

When I got to work, I noticed in the rundown in the 12:30pm show that they were about to do breaking news. The slug said MINISTER OF DEFENSE. I opened it and say the Minister was announcing they had foiled a plot this morning to blow up a TV station and an Army barracks in Bogota.
Then I realized.... it was my TV station.
I looked around the newsroom and saw top executives on their cellphones. Next, I saw the President of the channel paying a visit to the newsroom. Then, I went to El Tiempo´s website and saw the story. The military stopped 5 members of the FARC in a truck loaded with 80 kilos of explosives. The story El Tiempo had made it sound like they stopped the truck just a few blocks from here.
Im on the set now putting together our afternoon newscast. Well have more updates when we get them.

News in English for July 29th

2008-07-29T10:27:00.001-05:00

Our technical team is working on the problem. I appreciate all of your emails this morning about problems getting to the page.

Caught singing!

2008-07-27T09:23:00.003-05:00

The new issue of JetSet Magazine has a big spread on all of the different people who joined in the march last weekend. I guess one of their photographers got a shot of me when I was singing the Colombian national anthumn. There I was in the middle of la septima with my mouth wide open! How embarrassing! Oh well, life is too short to keep your mouth shut! But hey... Im in good company! Im on the same page with Fanny Mikey and Andres Gonzalez, the Governor or Cundinamara.

Alimentarte Saturday

2008-07-26T16:35:00.003-05:00

It's a huge festival with food and music!
I went with my good friends Diana Montoya Dora Glottman.
Ill be back in the Park Sunday to shoot several stories on the event for Sunday night's news in english.

Festival Alimentarte in VIrrey

2008-07-24T09:04:00.004-05:00

It's shaping up to be a fun weekend in Bogota. There's this big food and wine festival in the Parque del Virrey. It's very close to my house. This is a picture from the Rio Negro which winds through the park. The festival benefits the families of Colombian National Police Officers who were killed in the war. We will be doing a special story on the event Sunday afternoon. See you there!

Bogota's "The City Paper"

2008-07-22T22:44:00.003-05:00

Richard Emblin is a veteran journalist with El Tiempo and Time Magazine. He's been living in Bogota for 15 years. He's just launched Bogota's first english langauge weekly newspaper. It's called "The City Paper." Check them out online at thecitypaperbogota.com. Richard came by RCN to talk about his new project on Tuesday's "News in English." Starting this weekend, Richard will be joining us for a "Meet the Press" style debrief on the biggest story of the week here in Colombia. I will be moderating, and Richard, along with other foreign journalists working in Colombia, will be providing commentary on the week's big news. Look for it this weekend in our "Special Reports" section of www.canalrcn.com/newsinenglish.

Don Juan Magazine: August

2008-07-22T08:46:00.005-05:00

I was invited by Colombia's Don Juan Magazine to be in a photo shoot for their next issue on high fasion. It was a litte bit too high fashion for my tastes, but I enjoyed the experience and will end up looking like one of those cool themed fashion shoots you see in Maxim.

I didn't really know what to expect and thought it was just going to be a casual photo for the magazine. It was anything but!

When I arrived, I met the Fashion Editor of the Magazine Mono Casa. He was super nice and explained that they like to do big spreads on high fashion with notable Colombians. I was honored they thought I was a notable colombian!

They had rented an entire restaurant, hired Zizza (one of the best fashion photographers in the country), a make-up artist (Alex Ospina), and had the entire production team from the magazine there. Mono put me into a half a dozen different outfits with all kinds of great colors. I shot photos spread out on a sofa, straddled between two chairs, sitting on the edge of the roof at sunset, in the kitchen, hunched over smoking a cigar, and sprawled across a giant table.
Zizza kept speaking to me in Portugese and telling me where to look. Goshtosa gi mize!

Now I know how the professional models do it! My inspiration for this particular shot was a hot, sultry night, in which I was crawling across the table to kiss a girl that I´d just met in a smokey wine bar. It was a really great experience, although I think I will stick to my day job as a journalist! :)

One other interesting note, if you've ever purchased cufflinks from Arturo Calle, then you should know that their new collection was designed by none other than Mono Casa from Don Juan!

Pictures from the March

2008-07-22T08:23:00.003-05:00

Here are some shots from la septima and the parque nacional.
I was very excited to have interviews with Vice President Santos and Ag Minister Arias. Both were really nice people.

July 20th in Bogota.... a moving experience

2008-07-20T15:22:00.002-05:00

This was my first 7/20 in Colombia. for the last few years, I always went to the Colombian Independence Day celebration at Tamiami Park in Miami. it was fun, but nothing like this!

My morning started at 4:45am. I got up to the sound of Shakira singing on La FM. I jumped in the shower and started the day. It was cold and drizzling outside. By 6:30am, I was at the computer putting together the plan for the day. At 6:45am, I heard from our Executive Producer Jason Franco. He was at a 6am "all hands on deck" meeting at the network to go over final plans for coverage. He said everything was set for me to go live from the Parque Nacional. We were very excited because the Vice President, Francisco Santos, had agreed to do an interview with us before the march at 8:30. By 7:15, my producer Camilo Jimenez and I were in a cab making our way up la Septima to the park. The streets were empty... but you could tell something big was about to happen. As we walked around the park looking for our crew, we could hear the Colombian National Police troops in formation in front of the clock tower. In unison, they shouted "Buenas Dias Senior" to the commander who was doing roll call. It was really cool. Then it hit me. I was in Colombia... on what was shaping up to be a beautiful and exciting day. It was my first July 20th in Bogota. What an amazing time to be here.

Soon, the park started to fill with people. Everyone was wearing Colombia Yo Soy T-shirts, waving flags, and carrying handmade banners. Some of the banners had the names and photos of hostages still held in the jungle. As I looked around, I could feel myself starting to well up with emotion. One after another, I saw banners with the photos of different hostages. Some were held for more than 20 years. Their families were all there in the park, ready to march, ready to send the message that it is time for their loved ones to come home.

Just before the huge crowd hit our location, I had a chance to meet the Minister of Agriculture, Andres Felipe Arias. He was very nice and spoke perfect english. Then, I met Vice President Santos, who himself was a hostage for several years. He spoke with conviction as he talked about getting everyone out of the jungle. He wore the photo of a friend still held captive on his t-shirt, and as he talked about him, he welled up in tears.

After the interviews, I watched as a long Colombian flag made it way down la Septima. it was carried by hundreds of thousands of people. I jumped down off our truck to help carry it. It was really special. It was as if this giant colombian flag was a long ribbon, wrapping up Bogota like a beautiful present. The gift inside, of course, is peace for the country.

We had some difficulty feeding our stories because the microwave signal we were using was being shared by the helicopter. So, we couldn´t feed in as quickly as we wanted to. I called Jason back at the network and he sent a runner on a motorcycle to pick up with tape or "cinta." After we handed off the tape, we decided to move down into the center of Bogota, to the Plaza Bolivar. As we made our way through the crowd, you could hear the chants of "libertad libertad" grow louder. It was really moving.

When I arrived in the Plaza Bolivar, Shakira was singing on the big screen. It was beautiful. There I was in the middle of a sea of people. People who were waving flags, singing, dancing, crying, hugging each other, and holding hands. I shot a couple of stories with the crew there, then made my way down to the Transmilenio with the tape to return to the network since the Satellite was only a single path and there wasn´t any other way to feed tape.

I waited for the Transmilenio for 15 minutes. By bus didn´t come. So I hailed a cab and got to the office. When I arrived, RCN was giving lunch to everyone who was working this holiday. It was a Cali Mio box of chicken and potatoes. It was great, considering my breakfast was a Tinto and Pan des Bono from a Willy on the side of the Park Nacional. Jason was up in the internet office, uploading some of our reports. I had a chance to look at 2 of them. I was really proud of what we were able to pull off considering the limited resources, language challenges with the crews in the field, and the lack of a microwave signal.

It´s 3:30pm now and we´re putting together a rundown for our remaining stories for tonight. We´re planning a really cool piece on a group of Indians who sang the Colombia National Anthumn in Leticia. Also there, Shakira and Carlos Vives sang "La Gota Fria," a famous vallenato song. We´re going to do a special piece on their performance. I also touched base with several of our correspondents in the field to remind them that I need their stories in english fed in time for tonight´s production.

I also met some really great people. I met a couple who works at the US Embassy who are big fans of the blog. We´re going to try to meet up for coffee next week. I also met a really nice lady from St. Louis, another couple of Miami Lakes who remembered me from my time in Miami TV, and a lady from Cartagena who just wanted to dance with me in the Plaza Bolivar.

What a day!

Behind the scenes...

2008-07-18T00:39:00.006-05:00

We have a new News Director at RCN. Her name is Clara Ospina. She's full of energy and ideas and has great people skills. Today, she called the entire staff into the studios for a "team picture." She is loved and respected by everyone in the channel. After working for her for a month, I know exactly why! She's a great person who brings out the best in people.

Then, she had all of the anchors pose for a group shot. Yes, the gringo anchor was asked to join the group... A group that includes some of the world's most beautiful and talented anchor women!

I also had a chance to snap a few shots with some of my colleagues from News, Farandula, and Sports. It's clear to me that RCN is a family. I'm so happy they decided to adopt a gringo.

Meet some of our team!

2008-07-15T23:44:00.003-05:00

Jason Franco is our Executive Producer. He calls the shots, runs the show, makes everything work. Efrain Arce is one of RCN's top reporters. He is also perfectly fluent in english and files stories for us. I've also included a look inside our studio and control room.

Brian on Estilo RCN!

2008-07-15T23:20:00.002-05:00

Estilo, Colombia's version of Extra or ET, did a big piece on our new newscast.
Check it out!

Never a dull moment...

2008-07-15T22:09:00.002-05:00

I got stuck in the RCN elevator for 20 minutes. The alarm was working, but no one heard it. I had my cellphone and was able to summon help. For a while, I thought I was going to have to crawl through the opening in the car´s roof... but the RCN Security team hit the right buttons, and the car brought me up to the 5th floor where I made it out safe and sound.

The next morning, I hailed a cab on the 15 to go to Supercade Americas. I need to go to the DIAN to get a RUT, which is Colombia´s version of a social security number. The cab got lost, drove me around Kennedy for about 45 minutes, until I realized the driver was trying to rip me off. As soon as we got near a Transmilenio station, I jumped out and didn´t look back. My friends always told me never to take cab in the streets. I should have listened.

Other than that, life is great. Our new website for the news in english has seen close to 20,000 hits since we started 2 weeks ago. That´s great for a start-up webpage. Most of our traffic is coming from the US and Europe.

Wednesday morning, Im going to go try to get my RUT number again, then head into the office. I meet our production team at the RCN Newsroom at 12pm, we watch the 12:30 midday news together, then work on our rundown. We go into the studio at 3pm to record the afternoon webcast. Once that´s done, it takes about another 45 minutes to edit and upload to the server. We usually go down to Exitos and grab a Corral burger about 5pm. We work Sunday through Thursday with Friday and Saturday off. We´ll be in this Sunday for the whole day working on special coverage of Colombian Ind. day.

Bogota Crash Survivor on the mend

2008-07-14T21:16:00.001-05:00

Kalitta Cargo Airlines Flight Electrician Steve Szynkowski survived last week´s 747 crash outside Bogota. He was operated on by Colombia´s best spinal chord surgeons at the National Police Hospital last week. His wife Cindy flew in from Atlanta to be by his side. On Sunday, Steve flew home to Atlanta to continue his recovery. This is a photo taken in Bogota by Steve´s family. We wish him a speedy recovery!

Monday News

2008-07-13T20:43:00.002-05:00

Considering what a slow news weekend it was in Bogota, I think we have a really great newscast for Monday.
First, my new friend Monica Fonseca came up to me on Friday and asked if she could do the news with me for Monday. I told sure... that it would be A PLEASURE. So, this was Monica`s first time anchoring in english. I think she did a really great job! I would like for RCN to consider letting her solo anchor as my back-up when Im out on vacation.

Also, Reporter Jefferson Aprilla took it upon himself this weekend to go out and shoot a story about Bogota`s night life. When I saw him in the newsroom Sunday night, he told me the tape was already in the server and ready to go. I told him I thought his english was sooooooo much better in this new story he did for us. We also had a great on-the-scene report from RCN`s Efrain Arce on the new Bogota Highway. Efrain used to work at WSVN in Miami with me years ago. His style is very 7news!

I am so proud of my co-workers here for taking initiative and trying to do the news in english with us. For many of them, this is so new because they are reporting in a language they barely speak. Im really proud of their work and their efforts. I know many of you agree.

We end our Monday morning newscast with images and music from Cali! Mi Da Vey!!!!!!!!!!!
PS: thanks for all of your emails!

Brian in Bogota

Cyclovia!

2008-07-13T12:33:00.002-05:00

Sundays are my favorite day of the week in Bogota. This is when they shut down all the major roads to traffic... and open them up to joggers, walkers, and people on bikes! Here are a few photos from my time in Cyclovia this morning.

I took the 15 to the 72. Then, I went down the 7 to the Constitutional Park In the park, hundreds of people were doing street aerobics. It was great! Bogota is really alive on Sunday morning. All the beautiful people were out. :)

By the way, they're going to be doing Cyclovia next Friday night! How cool is that!

Heading into the weekend...

2008-07-11T16:56:00.003-05:00

It´s 5pm here in Bogota and it´s been a very busy news day. We had Uribe in Venezuela with Chavez, the rescue of Jorge Celedon´s brother from kidnappers in Cali, and protests about the Planilla Unica. We´re tweaking our production schedule to hit peak internet times. It looks like we will be moving our webcast schedule to 7am and 7pm Monday through Friday.

I took the Transmilenio to work today. I usually get on at the Virrey station, then take the bus to the Hero´s station. There, I take the F14 to Pradera. The busses were really crowded today... but I got to the office in 20 minutes. Riding the Transmilenio is like being stuffed in a can of sardines. But, it´s definately an adventure!

This morning, one of the RCN Reporter, Miguel Angel Morales, offered us a story on the Planilla Unica protests. Miguel Angel is a very interesting guy. Not only does he do the news... but he´s also a pop singer with songs all over Colombia radio. He´s style is like Sin Banderas or a Fonseca. Check out his report on our Friday PM webcast... and then check out his music! His website is www.webmiguelangel.com. He´s got a myspace too. try www.myspace.com/miguelangelpopmusic.

RCN is launcing a new 24 news channel in a few weeks. It´s being run by Luis Fernando Restrepo. He used to be with the BBC in London. RCN brought him back to Bogota to run the project. In addition to being a great news manager, he´s a fantastic journalist with a knack for explaining complicated Colombian issues. So, I invted him to come on the news Friday to offer some commentary about the Uribe/Chavez story.

As we were waiting to record the news, the story of Jorge Celdon´s brother broke. Jorge Celedon is the guy who signs the vallenato "eiy yi yi yi.... que bonita es la vida" song. Celedon´s brother was apparently kidnapped with 3 others in Cucta a few weeks back... and nobody said a word about it. Usually, these things are handled very quietly. Anyway, we got great video from Police in Cali of the resuce. You can see it in our webcast.

There´s also a wacky story out of Santa Marta up on the coast. The poilce there give you a traffic ticket for speeding, and then make you ride a donkey around town to teach you a lesson. What lesson you ask? Don´t drive like an ass!

We ended Friday´s news in Valledupar. Hundreds of you have emailed us with suggestions on places in Colombia you´d like to see. Our editors are putting together new images for next week´s webcasts of Cali and Mompos, for example.

One last thing, as of Friday at 5:30pm Bogota time, more than 15,000 people have viewed RCN News in English online. 50 percent of our traffic is coming from the United States. The rest of the traffic is split up from dozens of different countries, including Colombia. In fact, many Colombians are watching the webcast because they want to learn to speak english!

RCN... Great Journalists. Great People.

2008-07-09T23:13:00.000-05:00

I want to share with you some of the really beautiful things happening behind the scenes of our new project. Take the girl who runs the teleprompter for example. I don't know her name and haven't been introduced. However, my producer tells me she's so excited to be part of our team, that she brought an english to spanish dictionary to the control room so she could better understand the words that were scrolling across the screen. There's also a great RCN reporter named Jefferson Asprilla. He's only spoken in english a few times. We usually speak in spanglish. He's never reported in my language before. He was working on a political story and offered to help us with a piece, if we would help him with the correct words. Jefferson and I spent time writing his script in english. He took a few minutes to practice reading it from the teleprompter and then did it for real. It was his first time speaking in english on television... and his first time sitting in the main anchor chair at RCN. He did a great job and we really appreciate his effort. He believes in what we are trying to do... which is to share with the world what's really happening. I know his english will only get better as time progresses. Efrain Arce is another reporter at RCN who will be filing stories for us. Efrain and I actually worked at the same station in Miami about 12 years ago. We didn't know each other then. Now, he's a friend and a colleague. Look for his reports from Bogota on traffic and transportation issues. And then there's Claudia, one of the main anchors at RCN. She's super smart, beautiful, and a true professional to work with. While she told me she's not very comfortable speaking in english, she did a fantastic job in our question and answer session about the FARC emails for Thursday morning's webcast. I'm so pleased and appreciative of the efforts my co-workers are making to help the project move forward.

I'm also so thankful for the hundreds of emails I've received from viewers all over the world in the past few days. So many Colombians living abroad are excited about the News in English. Many Colombians in country say they're going to watch because they want to learn my language. So, I'm basically an english teacher too! I'm glad this project is going to make a difference in people's lives.

Thursday,

The world is watching...

2008-07-09T09:59:00.000-05:00

Just got great news from our webmaster. More than 7,000 people from all over the globe have viewed the most recent edition of RCN News in English. This is GREAT for a start-up webcast. I couldn't be more pleased. Thanks to everyone for your support and please keep visiting our site directly at www.canalrcn.com/newsinenglish.

Wednesday AM newscast

2008-07-09T00:57:00.000-05:00

Hi. Im aware there's a problem with the video. Jsson Franco, our Execuive Producer is heading into the channel at 7am to fix it. Our apologies. Thanks for bearing with us. The technology is still very new and we'e going through a learning curve. We hope to have it online by 9am ET. Our next webcast will be posted at 6pm ET.

Got tons of email today for viewers all over the world. I really appreciate your kind words. Thank you. Again, this is all new, so please bear with us as we work out the bugs. We've only been online for 5 days now.

Also, I wanted to thank publically Julio Blanco (un costeno) at the Consulate in Panama for all of his help with my new visa. If you are a gringo and need a Colombian Visa, Julio can get it done in a day. They are very efficient at the Embassy in Panama.

Back in Bogota, the weather is cold and rainy. My new favorite restaurant is Taurus in the T Zone. My birthday is in April and I'm a taurus... so it's a really cool place. Great foot and fantastic service!

Finally, I'd like to get ideas from our viewers about positive colombian stories they would like to see. Please email me with your ideas!

Brian

growing pains

2008-07-08T20:35:00.000-05:00

Hi! Thanks for everyone´s help and support for our new news in english! Like any project just starting out, we´re going through some major growing pains. For example, we decided Monday to move the work shift from 8-5 to 12:30 - 8:30pm. I´d love to be able to staff the operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but we´re just not geared up for it yet. There´s only 2 of us. :) Anyway, we promised a newscast for 5:30pm ET... and due to technical problems on our end, couldn´t get the video uploaded until 6:30pm. It was very frustrating. However, Im told all of this will change in the next few days and we should be like Avianca, always an on time departure.

I was happy with our content today. We got to use some great video and update some important stories. I know a lot of people affiliated with Kalitta Cargo Airlines have been watching the news and keeping up with the site for updates. The good news is that 5 of the crew of 8 got released from the hospital here Tuesday. 3 remain in critical condition. It´s great everyone onboard survived.

It´s 9:30pm now and we´re heading back into the studio to produce Wednesday AM´s webcast.

Thanks again!
Brian

Kalitta Cargo 747 Crash near Bogota:

2008-07-07T10:36:00.000-05:00

As the alarm went off this morning, I switched on the TV and was watching Jota Mario on ¨Mui Buenas Dias¨adlibbing some late breaking news. I heard him say something about a 747 crashing near Bogota and there was no word on survivors. I sprang out of bed and started making calls.

I shared the story with CBS4 (my former station), WIOD Radio, and the Miami Herald. Then, I jumped in a cab and headed to work.

When I arrived in the Newsroom, I saw the first images of the crash. A big fireball with lots of smoke... and dozens of people standing around watching. There was some guy riding his bike past the farm field where the wreckage was on fire, just gawking. The crash happened about 20 miles northwest of Bogota on a farm between the towns of Madrid and Mosquera. Reporters on the scene told the story of other farmers pulling survivors from the flaming wreckage.

We went to the set to produce our first edition on the story at 9am Bogota time. About an hour later, after downloading, converting, and uploading the video to our server, we were able to get it online. As I returned to the newsroom to check my email, I fuond one from a woman in Toldeo, Ohio. Her son was on the plane. I called her right away. Our RCN reporter in Madrid at the hospital confirmed her son in law`s name was on the survivor list. He is Steve Szynkowski, a flight electrician for the cargo carrier. The Doctor then told our reporter that Steve has upper body trauma and a possible spinal chord injury. I shared this information with Christine in Toledo. She sounded so happy to know he was alive.

Because there are other survivors and people are trying to get information, the number for the director of the hospital in Madrid is 011 57 310 579 6046. They only speak spanish, so be aware when you call.

We produced two more updates throughout the morning, but had a hard time getting them online quickly due to some conversion issues. The good news is that all 8 crew members were rescued. All survived a crash that the pictures suggest no one should have. RCN confirmed at least 2 people on the ground were killed. They were living in a small house on the farm that was in the plane´s path as it crashed to the ground. There are reports a third person was in the house and was critically injured. RCN´s Ivan Serrano, the reporter on the story this morning, told me the woman passed away about an hour ago. So, 3 dead on the ground, everyone onboard survived. Pretty Amazing.

As for our news, we move to a night-time production schedule starting tomorrow.
We aim to post newscasts at 5pm and 10pm ET on the internet. I just can´t work 24-7.... just yet. :)

plane crash near Bogota

2008-07-07T06:08:00.000-05:00

A Cargo jet from Bogota's El Dorado Airport loaded with flowers for export has crashed into a house near the small town of Madrid. 2 people on the ground are reported to have been killed, including a farmer and a 12 year old child. There were 8 crew members of the plane. All are said to have survived. This happened at around 5am ET.

Text Alerts from Brian in Colombia

2008-07-05T15:57:00.000-05:00

We're trying something new. Right now on www.brianandrews.tv, there's a box where you can sign up to receive text messages for breaking news from our English News service and other information from me in Colombia. If you're in the US, all you have to do is enter your phone number. If you are in Colombia or elsewhere, you will need to enter the "+" sign, plus your country code and phone number. I understand its working great in the states, but I've had some trouble myself getting the test messages with my TIGO service here in Bogota.

Anyway, if this works, whenever there's a big breaking story, or some other piece of information I want to share with you right away, you'll be able to get it on your cellphone.

If you don't want to sign up online, you can do it directly on your cell by texting RCNENGLISH to 41411.

Rainy Saturday in Bogota

2008-07-05T15:13:00.000-05:00

I got up this morning to a flury of emails from interview viewers of the new RCN News in English. Thanks for all of your support. I always make an effort to respond to my emails. My webmaster called and told me we had thousands of hits in the last 24 hours. This is very exciting.

Meantime, my US webmaster, Jim Robinson revamped my personal webpage and helped me get it more organized since it's now being linked from RCN. Thanks Jim!

Other than that, I had breakfast, went to take some of my shoes to the shoeshine guy. Went to Photo Japan to replace my camera that I left in Palm Beach. This afternoon, I'm planning on going to the tailor to pick up some of my suits that were being altered, then go for drinks with some friends in the T Zone.

How's my espanol?

2008-07-04T21:58:00.000-05:00

Here's one of my new promos airing this weekend on RCN Television in Colombia.
So, how's my spanish?

RCN News in English: Rescue Mission

2008-07-04T21:55:00.000-05:00

Take at our first two webcasts from Bogota. Our focus is the big story here: the rescue of the hostages from the FARC. Thanks to the entire team at RCN for getting us off the ground. Special thanks to my talented Executive Producer Jason Franco, Production Assistant Camilo Jimenez, and News Director Jorge Medina.

Great Video of Rescue Mission

2008-07-04T17:53:00.000-05:00

The Colombian Military just released some really great video tape of the actual rescue mission on Wednesday. It was shot by a military cameraman posing as a guerilla. It shows how the Army was able to pull off an elaborate ruse on the FARC, tricking them into loading the hostages (who were handcuffed and chained) into a helicopter. The video also shows the very moment the hostages were told they were free. It´s a really powerful moment on video tape. In my opinion, it´s one of the happiest and most beautiful moments in recent Colombian history. It´s 5:52pm in Bogota and we´re preparing the Friday night webcast right now with this new video. Look for it later this evening... and throughout the weekend... on canalrcn.com/newsinenglish.

Page up/First Webcast

2008-07-04T07:05:00.001-05:00

We were able to launch our new english language webpage Thursday night.
We also produced the first webcast in English, however, I've received emails from a lot of people that the video had a problem playing. Friday morning, Laura Barrera, the head of our webteam will fix the problem, so you'll be able to see it!
Thanks for your support!

LIVE and online

2008-07-03T20:38:00.000-05:00

check out www.canalrcn.com.
click on my photo and it will take you to our very first webcast.
The direct address is www.canalrcn.com/newsenglish
We´re still tweaking things. However, we hope to have the next webcast ready to go by 1pm ET on Friday.

The News starts tonight!!!!!

2008-07-03T17:08:00.000-05:00

What a crazy day. At 8am, I was in Panama City, Panama getting a new Colombian Visa. Thanks for Sr. Costeno Jose Blanco at the Consulado there for helping me get it fast. By 11:00am, I was in a taxi on my way to the airport in Panama City. At 12pm, I was on a flight to Bogota. At 1:30, I was in a cab on my way to the apartment to change. By 3pm, I was in the RCN Newsroom, writing the first newscast in English. At 4:30, we entered the studio and started taping. As I am writing this at 5:07pm, my fantastic production team of Jason Franco and Camilo Jimenez are sitting with an editor on the second floor, assembling the best pictures and images for the first newscast. Our goal is to have it online by 6:30pm central time. You´ll be able to see it at canalrcn.com/noticias... then look for news in english!

Panama City... just like Miami

2008-07-03T07:35:00.000-05:00

I feel like Im in Brickell. Panama is great... and is SOOOO much like Miami.
It even has the same feel. Plus, just about everyone here speaks english!

Location is everything. Turns out my hotel is in the same building as the Colombian Consulate. I popped by last night to make sure I knew where it was. There was a group of people in the lobby at the Consulate watching the coverage of Betancourt. They were really nice. One guy said if I was there by 8, I could probably have my visa by 10.

Got to bed early last night to be up on time this morning to go to the Consulate for my visa. Had a great breakfast and watched CNN en espanol's coverage of the Colombia story. I dont think CNN knows that Caracol and RCN have video from Tolima of the US hostages coming off the plane and talking to the camera. It was great tape, but I only saw it in a package on Colombian TV.

I called Avianca in the hope of getting back to Bogota tonight. It's 50 50. The flight is full, so my only option is to go standby. If I get the visa, that's my plan.

Make it a great day!!!

Timing is everything.... I`m stuck in Panama!

2008-07-02T17:16:00.000-05:00

It was an uneventful morning in Bogota. I did a couple of pieces for CBS Radio affiliates on the McCain visit to Cartagena... and jumped in a cab for the airport. I was heading to Panama at 2pm to go get my new visa. I didnt have a choice. I couldnt wait any longer. I got my ticket, sat at the gate, and got on the plane.
I sat there watching all the passengers coming on, thinking to myself, why on earth and I going through all of this trouble to live and work in Colombia! Then, I looked out the window, saw the mountains, thought of my life and beautiful friends here, and realized exactly why.

As the door of the plane was closing,my phone rang. It was Diana Montoya, a very important radio personality with Caracol. Did I hear the news? Totally caught off guard, I told her no and asked what happened. Diana told me Ingrid Betancourt and the 3 Americans had been freed in a military operation in southern Colombia. As Diana was telling me the details, Dora Glottman of Caracol TV called in. I clicked over and Dora is yelling at me to get to a TV. Frustrated, I screamed back I couldn`t see anything except the window of the airplane. I was on my way to Panama, the door was closed, and there was no way to get off the aircraft! At that moment, the flight attendant told me to turn off my phone because the flight was pulling back from the gate. There I was... fit to be tied! The biggest story in modern-day Colombian history was happening and I was stuck heading to Panama for a new visa. As I was powering down the phone, CBS News Radio in NY called. They`re my biggest freelance client. I told them in 10 seconds that I was on a plane and would call them when I got to Panama.

For the next hour and 20 minutes, I sat in my seat totally pissed. Here was the story I had been waiting for... the biggest news in Colombia... and I couldn´t cover it. I guess God had a plan. And the more I sat there, the more I realized that God`s plan was for me to go to Panama to get my visa and that I had no say in the matter.

I landed in Panama and called CBS News. I couldn`t really help them because I wasn`t in the country. I gave them some names of some other reporters who could help them until I return. Then, I called my RCN producer Jason Franco. RCN News in English, the project that has been delayed for weeks, had to begin immediately, with or without me. I told Jason to get to RCN, write a script, find someone who can read english without a terrible accent, and get the first ever edition of RCN News in English on the internet. The world is looking at Colombia with this story. RCN can`t wait. They have to launch this... without me. With the entire planet looking at this big news from Colombia, the time to get exposure for this new project is today, not when I get back.

The next call I got was from my best friend in Miami, Manny Varela, who completely oblivious to what was happening. It took me 2 minutes to fill him in. He told me he felt bad for me and that my life seems to be full of challenges when it comes to my work in Colombia. He asked an important question... when is enough enough?
My answer... not until I`ve achieved my dreams and reached my goals and done exactly what I said I was going to do in Colombia. There`s still more work to be done. I like to think Colombia needs me for this project... when, in reality, its clear to me that I truely need Colombia. That`s the reason I haven`t quit, haven`t flown home for good, haven`t walked out of Caracol or RCN when things got complicated or delayed, kept going back to fight for my dreams, spent huge amounts of my own money to fly to Panama to get this visa. I don`t quit. Im not giving up just because the ride is bumpy. Eventually, I know the road will be smooth... and everything I ever wanted here... will come true.

I never gave up on anything. Im not giving up now... even if the biggest story of the decade in Colombia hits and I can`t be there. The earthquake hit Peru when I was in St. Louis for a meeting. 4 days later, I was on a plane to Lima to cover the story. And in this case, hopefully by Thursday at 5pm, I´ll be on a plane back to Bogota to cover this story.

I´ll make it up to myself eventually. I´ll get the first sit down english language interview with Ingrid Betancourt and the 3 Americans. :)

John McCain in Colombia/Other stuff

2008-07-02T12:45:00.000-05:00

John McCain came to Colombia last night. He´s in my favorite city in the world: Cartagena. I had planned to go because the campaign agreed to give us a one-on-one with Mrs. McCain, but then I had the problem with my visa and couldn´t make the trip. We re-set the interview with Mrs. McCain with another RCN anchor... and they blew her off at the last minute cancelling the interview. No explanation given. I thought it was rather unprofessional of them to brush us off like that. From what I understand, McCain was only interested in speaking to CNN, ABC, Univision and Telemundo. He pretty much brushed off the Colombian TV media, as my good friend Dora Glottman, an anchor at Caracol, tried really hard to get him, and got NOTHING. Oh well, that´s politics. The voters are back in the US, not Colombia. I get it.

As for my coverage of the McCain story, I filed a few pieces for CBS Radio on the eve of his visit. This morning, I did live shots for radio stations in Winston Salem, Minneapolis, and Seattle. His trip was more of a giant photo op than a news event. He went to the Navy Hospital in Cartagena this morning to give a wounded Colombian solider a medal. Then, he toured the Port of Cartagena by boat and watched Colombian counter-drug efforts. Next, it was back to the Santa Clara Hotel for meetings with business leaders and executives from an oil company. McCain´s plane leaves CTG at 2pm for Mexico.

I´m in the Avianca lounge at the moment, using the computer to check my email on my way to Panama City. Not the one in the Panhandle, but the one in Panama. I´m going to the Embassy first thing in the morning to get a new TT visa. They don´t issue them in Colombia, so I have to go to another country to get it. As soon as I´ve got it, Im heading back to Bogota and plan to start the project Monday. Yes, Im extremely frustrated to say the least. But some things are worth fighting for... and putting up with a lot of hassle for... and my ilfe in Colombia is definately one of them.

One other note... we have an interview wtih Colombian Senator Piedad Cordoba next Wednesday. I plan to run the interview on my website, share it with some of my cilents, and use clips on the News in English. She´s quite a popular and controversial figure here. I think it will be a great "big get" interview for the project.

To Panama!

2008-07-01T19:30:00.000-05:00

We'll, I never expected a twist and turn like this. I am flying to Panama Wednesday to go to the Colombian Embassy Thursday morning to get a visa. The type of visa I need is not issued in Colombia, only outside. So, I have no other choice. Plus, I can't begin my project with RCN until my immigration status is 100-percent by-the-book correct. RCN suggested going to Panama instead of Miami because they think it will be faster. So, Im on a 2:15pm flight. I'll catch a cab into the city and spend the night at the Sheraton World Trade Center. Thursday, I'll get up at 6am, to be in line at the Embassy by 7. Once the paperwork is in, I'll pray really hard it can be processed quickly. As soon as I've got it, I'm checking out, heading to the airport, and getting on the first flight back to Bogota. This, of course, pushes the entire News in English project back at least one week. Our new launch date is Monday, July 7th for 4pm ET.

Also, I heard from a really nice reader of this blog in Panama who offered his assistance in making a call to the Embassy on my behalf. He also suggested the Radisson, but it was booked solid. So, I'm at the Sheraton World Trade Center.

Most things are difficult before they are easy...

2008-07-01T11:06:00.000-05:00

Fly in the ointment. Another set back. Another challenge to overcome. Another test of my patience. We were all set to launch our big project today. The first order of business at 8am was to visit the Foreign Ministry to change my TT visa for a new one sponsored by RCN. We made the line, talked to the guy at the desk, he reviewed all our paperwork and told us I would have to go to Miami or Panama to get the visa. So, we had a quick strategy meeting on the sidewalk at the 93 park, and decided we needed to hold off until my status in Colombia is 100 percent by-the-book legal. So, all of my big plans for today and tomorrow are now on hold. It's extremely frustrating. However, this is just how things work here... and I have to follow the rules. Now, the launch of RCN News in English has been moved to Monday, July 7th. It'll be great when it starts. I'm really looking forward to getting things going, considering the hurdles I've had to overcome to make this a reality. As a result, I'm booked on an evening flight to Panama City, Panama tonight and have an 8am appointment at the Colombian Consulate to get my new TT visa. I had an exclusive interview tomorrow with the wife of Senator John McCain during their visit to Cartagena, but will be passing that interview on to another RCN reporter.

NEW RCN Promos

2008-06-28T16:39:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of working with some of the best and brightest in Colombian TV last week. My team at RCN production and "inhouse" was top notch. From the crew to the producer: truely some of the best I've worked with. Here's a look at the new promos that begin airing this week on RCN and canalrcn.com.

In the meantime, I'm in Florida with my family this weekend!
Have a great day!
Brian

The News starts soon!

2008-06-27T14:32:00.000-05:00

We're gearing up for a Tuesday launch! It's shaping up to be a big day as John McCain will either be in Bogota or Cartagena. We'll have it for you!
The first plan was to have the newscast ready for 11am ET and the second one at 5pm ET. However (sin embargo), we're going with just one for Noon ET on the first day, then working toward growing into our regular schedule.
In the meantime, I'm in the United States for the next few days to visit my family in Palm Beach and see some of my friends in Miami. I return to Colombia on Tuesday, get my new TT visa, and head off to my first day on the job!

Promo Shoot

2008-06-26T20:39:00.000-05:00

Busy Thursday at RCN. I officially start on July 1, however, I was in the Channel today to work on a new batch of promos. They will begin airing on July 1st... the same day we start the newscast. It's also a big day because it's the same day John McCain is expected to arrive in Bogota for a visit with President Alvaro Uribe. We think the first webcast will be online some after 12pm.

CrimeWatch Awards Dinner

2008-06-24T15:17:00.000-05:00

My good friend Carmen Caldwell at Crimewatch of Miami-Dade County emailed me some photos from our last event. It was a great dinner at the Miami Airport Radisson at the end on May in which citizens and police officers from all over the county were honored for their efforts to fight crime. Police Director Robert Parker, Commissioner Joe Martinez, and other big names attended. I served as Master of Ceremonies.

RCN News in English: The Promos

2008-06-24T09:04:00.000-05:00

The project is generating quite a buzz here and abroad. I sent an email to all of my friends all over the world letting them know it's finally going to happen. If you haven't seen the promos, please check them out.

I could sure use your help to drive traffic to the RCN site!

This afternoon, my team and I meet with the entire news department to introduce ourselves and explain the project. Wednesday, we pick up our ID cards and find out where we will be working. Thursday, we'll shoot a new batch of promos. Friday, we'll have a dress rehersal.

This weekend, I'm heading to a hot spot in the mountains called Melgar for a little R&R before we start the crazy schedule next week...

Oh, one other thing... On the way back from Miami last week, I watched "The Bucket List." It had Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in it. It was great... and it reminded me to do whatever I can to make others around you happy. I hope every person reading this blog does something to make someone elses life a little better today... or takes the first step in following a dream they've always had that they've never seen come true.

Get ready... here we go!

2008-06-23T16:59:00.001-05:00

The promos are up and running on canalrcn.com. The talented RCN Online graphics team also put together the final design for our english-language homepage. We think it's going to be canalrcn.com/english. Will know more Friday. Here's what it will look like when it goes live July 1.

Contract Signed!

2008-06-23T11:45:00.001-05:00

It was the moment for which I have been waiting!

At 10:58 this morning, I signed my name and stamped my fingerprint on the new RCN contract!

"RCN News with Brian Andrews" launches July 1.

Back in Bogota

2008-06-21T09:19:00.000-05:00

It's great to be back in Bogota. I had a really nice visit to Philadelphia.
It was quite an adventure...

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20007024.html
http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20556489.html
http://www.sfltv.com/2008/06/15/brian-andrews-interviewing-at-cbs3-philly/

Plus, the flight home was pretty wacky...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080620/ap_on_fe_st/odd_plane_skunk_3

Anyway, it's nice to be back in beautiful Colombia. I'l be on vacation here through June 30th, which is a holiday here. We're set to start the news in engish on Tuesday, July 1.

Skunk on AA Flight/Something Stinks

2008-06-19T13:51:00.000-05:00

The weather wasn't the only thing stinking in Miami Wednesday night. A colombian skunk running around the cargo hold of the A-300 I was about to take to Bogota stunk up a storm!

When I arrived at Gate E9 about 45 minutes before my flight and looked out the window, I thought it was odd that all of the doors on the Airbus were open.... in a driving rain storm! The gate attendant came on the PA and told us they were still cleaning the plane from the last flight and that we would be another hour delayed. When we finally boarded the plane, an hour and a half late, the Captain came on to tell us what really happened. He said the Airbus had come in from Bogota earlier that afternoon, and, because of the weather over Miami's airport, was diverted to Ft. Lauderdale. When the plane gets to Miami late, the ramp crew is trying to unload the bags quickly in a torential downpour. That's when the Captain says a skunk that a Bogota passenger had passed off as a pet cat (and was flying in a kennel), apparently broke free and started running around all of the bags in the belly of the jet. As the ramp crew tried to catch the animal, the skunk started spraying its odor all over everything. The Captain said the ramp crew spent a good 15 minutes trying to catch it... and eventually they had to call in extra help. Finally, the stinky skunk was caught. But AA had a new problem. The skunk's smell was all over everything in the cargo hold, and spreading through the entire aircraft thanks to the air conditioning system. So, American was forced to bring in some fans, open all the doors, and air out the Airbus before the next flight to Bogota. As the Captain was telling the story, you could see smiles cracking on the faces of all of the passengers who were listening. I thought it was one heck of a great story! As a former Miami TV news reporter, I knew this one had the potential to be "Page 2" right after the weather on the 11pm news. So, I called my friends at CBS4, WSVN7, the Miami Herald, and the AP from my cellphone to tell them about it. We finally pulled back from the gate about 6:45, and made our way to the runway. As the pilot is turning onto the main runway, a warning light came on in the cockpit. Once again, the Captain was on the loudspeaker telling all of us there would be another delay. We taxied back to the gate, where we waited for another 20 minutes. Then, a flight attendant came on and told us the flight was being cancelled. Maybe the skunk crossed some wires as he was trying to get away from the AA ramp workers. Who knows. So, I never made it to Bogota last night. My option was to take a hotel voucher, spend the night at an Indian Reservation Resort, and be up at 3:30am for the 4am bus back to the airport (the new flight was to leave at 6am). I opted to "upgrade" to staying at a friend's place on Miami Beach. I called American and moved my flight to 5pm Thursday afternoon. Plus, I think American could have handled the flight cancellation sitiation better. It was completely disorganized. No one knew where to go to get the bus to the hotel. People were pissed off, cutting in line, screaming at peeople. The gate agents were overwhelmed. You'd think after years of stuff like this they'd have a better system. It also reminded me how American has NEVER been on time ANYTIME I've flown them to South America. The last time I took one of their A-300's, I was heading to Peru. The same thing happened. We got all the way to the runway, a warning light came on, and we went back and sat at the gate for an hour until they cancelled the flight. There's a reason I LOVE FLYING AVIANCA. They've never been late. They're always on time. The inflight service is better, the seats are nicer, the aircraft are newer. When you want to get to Bogota, try Avianca or LAN. They never seem to have any issues.

Philly v. Bogota

2008-06-17T22:21:00.001-05:00

I got tons of emails this morning asking me what I was doing in Philadelphia after an article came out in the local paper this morning that I was up for a job interview. SFLTV reported over the weekend I was coming up to go to KYW. They were incorrect. CBS is a great company, but I've already been there, done that. I have learned from this that local TV news never changes... people love to talk... and it's amazing how rumors start flying. However, I'm flattered that people still care about my work enough to spread any little tidbit like wildfire over the internet.

I wish there was more I could say, but, out of respect for the really wonderful people I met here, all I'll say is Philadelphia seems like an awsome town. I hope I'll get to know it better. Believe me, when there's something more solid to talk about, I'll be happy to share it with everyone. But, for now, let's just let this take its course. My focus remains my dreams and passions in Colombia. One thing for sure: Philadelphia has great food! You have to try Morimotos if you are ever here. Really cool atmosphere and great asian fusion cuisine.

Brian's new blog

2008-06-14T20:30:00.000-05:00

The blog is on hiatus for a while. Look for new updates when I return to Colombia.